ASSIST News Service

The flood waters from India’s record-breaking monsoon rains receded by early October, only to bring a second wave of problems—mosquitoes. This year’s crop of post-flood mosquitoes brought the rare viral fever, chikungunya, with them. By early October, more than 1,600 people were sick with chikungunya and more than 100 people had already died from it.

When chikungunya spread to members of a Gospel for Asia Believers Church in the state of Maharashtra, Pastor Aparna weighed his options. He knew there wasn’t much doctors could do relieve the fever, rash and debilitating arthritis-like pain chikungunya inflicts. His concern mounted when people began to die after contracting this particular strain of the disease, which is unusual because chikungunya is not normally fatal. So, rather than waste time agonizing over the failure of modern medicine to cure an age-old disease, he sought the Great Physician for healing.

Pastor Aparna invited his church members to a three-day long prayer meeting. Word got out about the prayer meeting and people from throughout the area met at the small church to fast and pray for the sick. Pastor Aparna reports that the Lord in His great mercy heard the people crying out and answered their prayers.

Many from that area were healed, including 30-year-old Yudhajit Sampagavi, who had been incapacitated for two months because of the disease. Yudhajit was not a Christian, but he was desperate for relief from the virus and attended the prayer meeting. After his physical healing, a thankful Yudhajit heard the Gospel and received Jesus as his Savior. He was healed both physically and spiritually that day.

Pastor Aparna is now praying with Yudhajit that his family would also receive Jesus and that Yudhajit would grow strong in his new faith. Pastor Aparna also requests prayer for the 96 million people in Maharashtra as they recover from the floods. The water disabled public transportation systems and swept away many homes, including the makeshift shanties that are home to the state’s millions of slum dwellers.

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