Maneeta stands strong

Maneeta has faced threats for her faith, but she refuses to turn her back on Jesus.

Maneeta's father taught her how to weave carpets when she was just six years old. She has done it morning until evening ever since.

For as long as Maneeta can remember, her fingers have ached and her eyes have been tired from the intricate work she does on the carpet loom.

Maneeta always dreamed of one day becoming a teacher ... but she could see no way for that dream to ever be fulfilled.

Until she heard about our Adult Literacy classes!

When she was invited to join, 14-year-old Maneeta begged her parents to let her attend. They said okay to the night classes, since she could still work on the loom during the day.

Maneeta quickly learned to read and write and do basic math. And she was so excited about the program, she even invited four other illiterate people to join.

But the best was yet to come:

Maneeta also learned about the Savior, Jesus Christ, during her classes, and she chose to follow Him! She was so joyful in her new faith, she shared it with her parents and siblings.

Maneeta works at the loom alongside her father.

Today, everyone in Maneeta’s family is following Christ as Savior, as are the four people she convinced to join the literacy classes.

... but it also attracts the attention of some Indian people who see Christianity as a "foreign" religion. These extremists fear losing their political and social power — because poor, low-caste Indians are hearing for the first time that they have value, and there is a Savior who loves and cares for them.

The extremists were angry about the new confidence and joy they were seeing among low-caste villagers like Maneeta in the Mission India Adult Literacy Class. They went to the police and accused the teachers of paying people to become Christian.

What happened next was scary for Maneeta and the other students in her class. With the extremists following close behind, the police burst into the class, guns waving.

"Leave now and don't come back," the police warned our ministry staff person who was visiting the class that evening to observe the students' progress and gather video footage and interviews.

One of the students he had just finished interviewing was 14-year-old Maneeta.

Not long after our ministry staff left the area, we received news from the ministry partner leading the literacy class in Maneeta's village.

The police had returned hours later, under the cover of night, looking for the Church Planters who were teaching the class as part of their outreach. Fortunately they had gone into hiding, suspecting further trouble would arise.

The police and extremists threatened the villagers and literacy students, saying "You can't trust Christians."

The police threats worked. Half of the 15 families who had been gathering for worship each week left the fellowship out of fear.

But Maneeta and her family continue to place their faith in Jesus.

“Our daughter, Maneeta, is a channel of blessing to us and through her we came to know the true God,” say Maneeta’s proud parents.

And Maneeta hasn't given up on her dream of being a teacher! In fact, it seems more real now than ever, for she wants to lead a literacy class and help others like herself learn to read — and come to new life in Christ!