Williams - India/Myanmar - September 2008

There are going to be several enquiries and I have some and you may be asked so I thought it wise to send this out to some of you. Feel free to circulate with discretion.

There has been ongoing severe attacks on Christians in the Norther State of Orissa. I have attached a document made available by the Evangelical Fellowship of India (an umbrella organistion) which lists several of the specific attacks. Today''s news is as severe and the media in India is sympathetically reporting this. the Central Government is handicapped as the State Government needs to deal with the situation. The State government has been pretty slow in curbing the attacks.

Together with this there has been a terrible flooding in another State (Bihar bordering Nepal) and over 2 million people have fled the waters and are homeless and difficult to reach ... they are suffering with no supplies of food and cut off from civilisation.

The GMI folk are all safe and God be praised for the continued blessing upon PTI and our local churches. I have been blessed during my visit to Myanmar in July when I was able to enter the Delta region which has been devasted by the Cyclone. Crossing 5 check points the military did not notice me and I had free access and was able to visit and deliver relief to needy folk. Over 2 hundred thousand people may have died in that region. I will be going there in October with the Children's Hunger Fund men (5 of them) for 4 days and again in November to conduct a month long teaching and training Course for the Kachin Baptists.

Last weekend I was privileged to visit Kolkata and was accompanied by Stephen Williams. This short trip was to encourage Jyoti Chakravatty in his ministry especially in the new fledgling church plant he has in that huge city. By the way, that city has been held hostage for the past week by a political party that defies all logic and is disrupting the whole State of West Bengal in it's efforts for more industrialisation. The fall out is that many roads are blocked and trucks carrying essential goods cannot enter or leave the city -- almost a week now.

I am currently Teaching every day at PTI the 12 students from Myanmar (teaching Soteriology) to make sure these pastors are clear on that essential doctrine and also saved. I also leave each Lord's Day through the book of Ecclesiastes. God is also pleased to bless the ministry at Grace to India where I now provide oversight on a regular basis.

Enroute to Myanmar I have consistently visited Bangkok and it has been wonderful to have Steve Fernandez and Pat Howell accompany me and teach there as well as in Myanmar. God is turning at least one local church around and several pastors are now regularly meeting to indepth study the doctrines of grace together.

Pray fervently for India, Thailand and Myanmar. While persecution continues God is wonderfully on the throne and is being glorified.

Chris Williams

Pune - Maharashtra
INDIA