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KARNATAKA, INDIA (ANS) -- The name of Christ is forever changing the lives of the Dalits ("Untouchables") who live in a Karnataka, India, slum. Gospel for Asia missionary Sampath, a Dalit himself, is committed to serving his fellow Dalits by bringing them the Good News.

Sampath recently met Dilip and Anita, a couple whose three-year-old son, Sunil, was suffering from an unusual illness. The boy had small tumors throughout his body-and bumps on his waist, hands and legs.

Dilip and Anita took Sunil to a medical facility for treatment, but it did not help. They also took him to several temples, pleading for a cure. But Sunil's condition stayed the same, leaving Dilip and Anita very discouraged.

It was around this time that the Lord led Sampath to cross paths with them. As he shared the message of Christ's love with this couple, they told him of the sickness that had befallen their small son.

Assuring them of Jesus' power to heal, Sampath prayed for Sunil right then. He also encouraged the family to come to church. Dilip and Anita began attending the services and listened to Sampath teach from the Scriptures. Meanwhile, Sunil's health gradually began to improve. Within three months, the Lord had completely healed him.

Witnessing this miracle, Dilip and Anita put their trust in Christ.

He is One of Them.  Growing up as a Dalit, Sampath has a place in his heart for those who, like him, have suffered much more than the rest of society. He knows their lives can have value in the love and salvation of Jesus Christ-because He has personally experienced this hope.

As a child, Sampath lived with his parents, two sisters and two brothers in a very poor household. Life was often a battle to survive, and there were times when they did not have much to eat. But the greatest difficulty for Sampath was the hopelessness he and his family felt every day in spite of their devotion to their deities.

As Sampath grew up, he sought fulfillment through various means. He became addicted to drugs and alcohol. He was also mingling with friends who had a negative influence on him. They were known for being bullies who physically and mentally tormented people. 
During this time, Sampath's heart became so hard that he had no compassion toward people. But he also had no peace.

Then Sampath met a Christian pastor who gave him a Gospel tract and urged him to read it. Out of curiosity, Sampath asked questions about the tract and its message. The pastor shared the Gospel with him, and Sampath received Christ.

This young man's life drastically changed. Within a few years' time, he enrolled in a Gospel for Asia Bible college to study God's Word. Devoting himself to full-time ministry after he graduated, he saw 15 people receive Christ through his witness in one area.

It was then that he visited Dilip and Anita's slum village, prayed earnestly for Sunil, and told them about Jesus. And today, by God's grace, their lives will never be the same.

Sampath requests prayer that Sunil's parents will grow in their walk with the Lord. He also asks for prayer that there will soon be a full-fledged church in this slum where Dalits can come and hear about their worth in the sight of Jesus.

Gospel for Asia is a mission organization involved in evangelism and church planting in Asia's unreached regions. Currently Gospel for Asia supports more than 16,000 church planters in 10 countries. 

Used by Permission Assist News Service www.assistnews.net

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