Partners International equips women

When Kim Kerr went to India in 2000 for the first time and saw the plight of persecuted women there, she came home a changed individual.

“I knew for me, it would be no more business as usual,” she says.

Kerr is Director of Partners International Women – a global ministry that works to create and grow communities of Christian witnesses, partnering with God’s people in the least Christian regions of the world.

“Here in the states we can go to church whenever and wherever we want—there are so many resources for us here,” Kerr says.

Hindu idol worship stirs Christian witness

The Hindu god who removes obstacles was no match for a tree limb.

Southern Baptist representatives Brendan and Alyson Strizek* watched from a balcony as celebrating Hindus tried to navigate a trailer-mounted image of Ganesha through a narrow alley. A low tree limb soon blocked the 10-foot idol’s progress. The crowd, unable to back the trailer out of the alley, tried in vain to sever the tree limb so the idol could proceed.

“It took them about 45 minutes to figure out what to do,” Brendan Strizek said.

Gospel for Asia points people away from idols

Madhuri Kappor had heard about Jesus, but she didn’t yet realize that He was even more powerful than the goddess worshipped by the people in her village.

Madhuri is from a small village dominated by tribal people who are very devoted to their ancient religion. The villagers also harbor many superstitions, one of which involves making an offering each time they pass by the sacred shrine of their goddess. The local folklore dictates that those who refuse to make the offerings will meet with an accident or find themselves in some other predicament that day.