Christoppara Mission of Salem Voice Ministries Attacked
 
Karwar (India), SVM News, May 1, 2007: Christoppara Colony, a mission field of the Salem Voice Ministries (login the following link for the details with pictures: http://salemvoice.org/christoppara.html) attacked on 20th of April.
 
A group of young activists of Hindu RSS, Bajrangdal organisations from outside village entered into the prayer shed by shouting slogans while women,  children and aged men were holding a prayer service on Friday.
 
 
SVM governing board leading Gospel meetings at Christoppara
 
The attackers tied up the elder of the mission Anthony Dasa who was leading the prayer meeting. And asked the believers to stop singing Christian songs and Christian prayers. 
 
Then they started taking class about Hinduism. They did not allow the believers to go out from the shed, but kept stand surrounding them. They advised everyone to join with them to wipe out Christianity.
 
But one of the woman who happenly came late for the prayer meeting seen this incident and she informed everyone in the colonyand their work fields. Immediately more than hundred men gathered together against the attackers. When attackers saw the colony people coming with the weapons and stones, they left taking Hinduism class and ran away from the Christoppara Colony and escaped.
 
Christoppara Colony is situated on a rock in a jungle at the border of two states.  More than 350 people consisting of approximately 70 families live in this colony. "Christoppara" means 'The Rock of Christ'. Previously it was having some other name. The believers themselves changed the name as Christoppara.
 
People of the Christoppara mission are very poor. They earn daily for their life. Usually they are jobless and without income for more than 15 days of a month. Most are illiterate. The way of living is not hygenic. There is no electricity, no telephone and not even to drink purified water. They drink from a country well. Tin bottle lamps and lanterns with kerosine oil using as their lamps.
 
There was not a single believer of Jesus Christ within 20 miles of the colony. Salem Voice Ministries reached that interior remote area  about eight years ago. They started Bible class as well as adult education. All of them were interested and attended the classes.
 
They had no problem from the anti christians, because everybody turn to Christ in that colony.
 
But recently RSS, Bajrangdal groups influenced two unemployed youth from the Colony and by their support they entered the colony to wipe out Christioanity.
 
The governing board members of the Salem Voice Ministries immediately visited Christoppara colony, conducted a continuous fasting and prayer service for the entire colony.
 
Eight member team of the SVM governing board travelled 20 hours by train; then six hours by bus; then four hours by a Bullack Cart; and after four miles by walk to reach Christoppara colony. (SVM doesn't have a vehicle to travel as a team. Please pray that our Lord may provide at least an eight seated vehicle for Salem Voice Ministries to travel to the mission fields).
 
They did not even take a rest, but gave councilling to the families and conducted three days fasting prayer. And again they took about 36 hours to reach back to the SVM headquarters as they gone up to the mission.
 
By God's grace, the backslided youths repented before God and asked pardon to the total community of the Christoppara mission and turned back to the Christian spiritual services of the mission.
 
 
Salem Voice Ministries News Service,
Devalokam (P.O), Kottayam,
Kerala-686038, India.