Even though India is now a major economic power, many people there still live in tribes. Traditionally, most of them have been Hindus, but the "untold story" is that a major shift is taking place in the largest tribal community. In the highlands ...
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Reporter: ASK HER WHY
SO MANY TRIBAL PEOPLE ARE
ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST, AND
HE GETS TEARY-EYED.
WHEN YOU DO GOD'S WORK
FOR YEARS AND BEGIN TO SEE
THE FRUITS OF YOUR LABOR, IT
IS OVERWHELMING.
YOU SEE THE CHANGED LIVES
AND THE HAPPINESS ON THE
FACES OF PEOPLE, AND HOW CAN
IT NOT MOVE ME.
Reporter: HERE IN A
CORNER OF ROCHERSTAN, WHERE?
THE MAJORITY FOLLOW
HINDUISM, A CHRISTIAN CHORUS
IS RISING.
THE TRANSFORMATION IS
ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
FAMILIES STOP PRAYING TO
ANCESTOR -- THEY STOP
DRINKING, AND THEY THEIR
ENTIRE LIFE IS TURNED UP
SIDE DOWN WHEN THEY ACCEPT
JESUS.
Reporter: FOR 10 YEARS,
THE PASTOR SERVED IN A BIG
CITY, VERY MUCH LIKE THIS
ONE.
BUT THEN GOD TUGGED ON HIS
HEART AND TOLD HIM HE HAD TO
GO BACK TO HIS VILLAGE, GO
BACK TO HIS ROOTS, AND GO
BACK TO HIS OWN PEOPLE AND
SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS
CHRIST.
I WAS LIKE JONAH IN THE
BIBLE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO LIVE IN MY
VILLAGE.
I WANTED TO SERVE GOD IN THE
CITY, WHERE THINGS ARE
EASIER.
I WANTED TO REACH OTHERS
WITH THE GOSPEL, NOT MY OWN
PEOPLE.
Reporter: HE POINTS TO
SOHA'S LIFE AS PROOF OF HIS
DECISION TO RETURN.
ONE DAY THE PASTOR TOLD
ME ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, IF I
PUT MY TRUST IN HIM, I WOULD
BE HEALED AND MY LIFE WOULD
BE DIFFERENT.
I DID.
Reporter: SOHA JOINED
178 PEOPLE, AND HERE THEY
WERE BAPTIZED BY PASTOR DEN
ESH.
DENESH.
KNOW ALL OF THESE MEN AND
WOMEN, AND NOW TO BE PART OF
THE SPIRITUAL CORNERSTONE IN
THEIR LIFE IS A GREAT
PRIVILEGE.
AFTER I ACCEPTED CHRIST,
I STOPPED DRINKING, I
STOPPED SMOKING, AND I
STOPPED GETTING INTO
FIGHTS.
GETTING BAPTIZED WAS MY WAY
TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY I'M A
SAVED MAN.
TODAY JESUS CHRIST IS MY
SAVIOR.
Reporter: AND MANO IS
AMONG THE DOZENS OF WOMEN
WHO GOT DUNKED IN THE RIVER
THAT DAY.
I FEEL VERY HAPPY AFTER
MY BAPTISM AND THAT I
RECEIVED CHRIST IN MY
HEART.
I WILL FOLLOW HIM THE REST
OF MY LIFE.
Reporter: AND NOT JUST
HER.
HER HUSBAND AND CHILDREN
DECIDED TO FOLLOW CHRIST.
MY FAMILY IS BLESSED
BECAUSE OF CHRIST, AND
BECAUSE SOMEONE WAS WILLING
TO COME AND SHARE THE GOSPEL
WITH US.
Reporter: PASTOR DENESH
IS A MEMBER OF THE BILL
COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE
LARGEST TRIBES FOUND IN THE
CENTER STATES OF INDIA.
DENESH SAYS FOREIGN
MINISTERS HAVE BEEN
MINISTERING IN THIS AREA FOR
OVER 135 YEARS, AND HAVE
NEVER SEEN THE RESULTS HE IS
WITNESSING TODAY.
CHRISTIANS ARE STILL A
MINORITY WITHIN A MINORITY
IN THESE PARTS, HOWEVER,
REPORTS CLAIM AS MANY AS
300,000 HAVE BECOME
BELIEVERS IN JUST THE LAST
10 YEARS.
MANY OF THEM PARTICULAR
AMONG THE BILL TRIBE.
WE HAVE 42 HOUSE PRAYER
GROUPS MEETING IN ABOUT 22
VILLAGES.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT 32 WORKERS
FROM OUR CHURCH GOING FROM
VILLAGE TO VILLAGE, SHARING
THE GOSPEL.
IN THE COMING YEAR, MY
MISSION IS TO SEND OUT
MISSIONARIES TO OTHER
STATES.
Reporter: GIVANI IS ONE
OF THOSE WHO TRAVELS FROM
VILLAGE TO VILLAGE.
WHEN SHE IS NOT ON THE ROAD,
YOU'LL FIND THIS SPRY
65-YEAR-OLD LEADING A HOUSE
GROUP WITH PASTOR DENESH.
ON THE DAY CBN MET HER, SHE
AND OTHERS WERE HAVING
CHURCH UNDER THIS TREE.
OUR GROUP IS GETTING SO
BIG, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH
SPACE IN MY HOUSE.
Reporter: ABOUT SIX
YEARS AGO, SHE USED TO ROAM
THE STREETS OF THIS VILLAGE,
IN ESSENCE, AS A MAD WOMAN.
SHE USED TO WALK AROUND
NAKED, BUT THEN SHE HAD AN
ENCOUNTER WITH THIS MAN,
JESUS CHRIST, AND TODAY SHE
LEADS A THRIVING CHURCH HERE
IN ROGERSTAN.
PEOPLE SAID I WAS CURSED
AND PEOPLE MADE FUN OF ME.
THEN I MET PASTOR DENESH,
AND HE PRAYED FOR ME AND I
WAS HEALED.
Reporter: PASTOR DENESH
SAYS THESE TESTIMONIES ARE
JUST ANOTHER REMINDER HOW
IMPORTANT IT IS TO OBEY AND
TRUST GOD.
IS IT EASY?
NO.
DO WE FACE CHALLENGES?
YES.
BUT WE HAVE CHRIST TO LEAN
ON.
HE IS ALL WE NEED TO FACE MY
PEOPLE.