The Life and Times of a National Missionary

Missionary and family
Pastor Sudhir, shown here with his wife and their three children, has given himself to the Lord’s work in his village.

Sudhir Ahluwalia’s family loved the Lord, but he didn’t. Growing up in a small village of South Asia, Sudhir didn’t have any interest in knowing God. He spent his teenage years chasing after things of this world and becoming wrapped up in a life of sin.

But in 1997, a Gospel for Asia-supported pastor befriended Sudhir and began sharing the Word of God with him. The teenager joined the pastor and his fellowship for a three-day prayer and fasting meeting. There, the Lord showed him his need for salvation, and, at the age of 17, Sudhir gave his life to Christ. He decided he would not return to his old lifestyle, but instead would pursue godliness.

Moved with Compassion

When Sudhir turned to Christ, he was moved with the Lord’s compassion for the lost. He accompanied his pastor in reaching out to the many in his area who had never heard of the Savior. Sudhir recounts that, despite opposition, “The grace of the Lord followed us wherever we went.”

Sudhir had only been following the Lord a month when he made a commitment to reach the most unreached and enrolled in a GFA-supported Bible college. After graduation, Sudhir ministered for four years in a village where 15 people decided to follow the Lord.

The village Sudhir works in now is deeply rooted in a traditional religion, which makes sharing the Good News difficult—and dangerous. Pastor Sudhir has faced much opposition from anti-Christian fundamentalists in the area. Through his ministry, however, the Lord has brought salvation to 17 people, including a man named Ganesh.

A Downtrodden Family

Ganesh Dhindsa and his family were, like the rest of the villagers, completely devoted to their gods. They faithfully carried out all the practices of their religion, pleading with their deities to give them peace and blessings. Ganesh’s family, however, never received the peace they desperately longed for.

The Dhindsa family had gone through many trying circumstances. When Ganesh was young, someone murdered his father. Ganesh, his widowed mother and all his siblings went through several painful experiences as they picked up the shattered pieces of their lives. Without their father there to provide, Ganesh’s family fell deeper into poverty. And when a severe stomach illness began to afflict Ganesh, he couldn’t afford to treat it. On top of all this, one of Ganesh’s sisters suffered from a handicap.

Despite all Ganesh’s efforts to appease his gods, they never brought his family peace.

Proclaiming the Prince of Peace

Then, one day, Ganesh met Pastor Sudhir and told him about his hardships. Pastor Sudhir was moved, and, with a great burden for the family, he prayed for them. Then, Sudhir told them about the God who can bring peace. They were deeply touched, and, that very day, the whole family chose to follow Jesus! Now they join Pastor Sudhir and the rest of the church in worshiping the Prince of Peace.

Please pray for Pastor Sudhir, that the Lord would continue to produce much fruit through his ministry.

Also ask the Lord to draw Ganesh and his family closer to Him, to provide for their finances and to comfort and lead Ganesh’s handicapped sister.