Aju Mathew
Photo: VOM USA
Authorities arrested Aju Mathew as he took 14 needy children, who were under the care and provision of a Christian children's home, on a field trip in southern India. Local officials then falsely charged him with human trafficking and the conversion of minors. As a result, Aju, who was innocent and eventually cleared, spent 42 days in prison -- enduring poor conditions and intense interrogations. However, the wrongly accused ministry worker utilized this time of imprisonment to build relationships with other prisoners and share his testimony.
Despite the harsh treatment he received in prison, Aju was permitted by guards to have a Bible. Before his release, he gave the Bible to a Muslim prisoner who had recognized his own sin and need for salvation. Aju, who has been recently freed from prison, reports that he feels even closer to the Lord than before. As he commences with life beyond the confines of a prison cell, may he do so with emboldened faith and an increased desire to reach the spiritually lost with the Gospel.
Pray that the Lord will continue ministering to the prisoners with whom Aju shared God's message of love, including the Muslim man who is now reading his Bible.
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