The Breadbasket of India
The narrator recounts his experiences in Punjab, India, and his encounter with a German girl named Gisela, who shares his vision for ministry.
K.P. Yohannan shares his experiences in Punjab, the breadbasket of India, where he and his team sought to spread the Gospel among the predominantly Sikh population, known for their independence and warrior spirit. Despite the historical presence of British missionaries, the region remains one of the least evangelized areas, with a strong resistance to Christianity due to its association with colonialism. During his journey, he encounters Gisela, a German missionary, who shares his passion for reaching the lost villages of India, highlighting the importance of collaboration in ministry.
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That summer, along with a few co-workers, I returned to all the places we had visited during the last few years in the state of Punjab. I had been in and out of the state many times and was eager to see the fruit of our ministry there.
The breadbasket of India, with its population of 24 million, is dominated by turbaned Sikhs, a fiercely independent and hardworking people who have always been a caste of warriors.
Before the partition of India and Pakistan, the state also had a huge Muslim population. It remains one of the least evangelized and most neglected areas of the world.
We had trucked and street-preached our way through hundreds of towns and villages in this state over the previous two years. Although British missionaries had founded many hospitals and schools in the state, very few congregations of believers now existed. The intensely nationalistic Sikhs stubbornly refused to consider Christianity because they closely associated it with British colonialism.
I traveled with a good-sized team of men. A separate women's team also was assigned to the state, working out of Jullundur. On my way north to link up with the men's team I would lead, I stopped in at the North India headquarters in New Delhi.
To my surprise, there she was again--the German girl. This time she was dressed in a sari, one of the most popular forms of our national dress. I learned she also had been assigned to work in Punjab for the summer with the women's team.
The local director asked me to escort her northward as far as Jullundur, and so we rode in the same van. I learned her name was Gisela, and the more I saw of her the more enchanted I became. She ate the food and drank the water and unconsciously followed all the rules of our culture. The little conversation we had focused on spiritual things and the lost villages of India. I soon realized I had finally found a soul mate who shared my vision and calling.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to Punjab
- A. Demographics and culture of the region
- B. History of Christian presence in Punjab
- II. Challenges to Evangelism
- A. Nationalistic Sikhs and their association with British colonialism
- B. Lack of existing congregations of believers
- III. The Encounter with Gisela
- A. Meeting Gisela at the North India headquarters
- B. Learning about Gisela's assignment to Punjab
- IV. Shared Vision and Calling
- A. Discovering a soul mate with a shared vision
- B. Enthusiasm for working together in ministry
Key Quotes
“The breadbasket of India, with its population of 24 million, is dominated by turbaned Sikhs, a fiercely independent and hardworking people who have always been a caste of warriors.” — K.P. Yohannan
“To my surprise, there she was again--the German girl. This time she was dressed in a sari, one of the most popular forms of our national dress.” — K.P. Yohannan
“I soon realized I had finally found a soul mate who shared my vision and calling.” — K.P. Yohannan
Application Points
- We can learn from the narrator's enthusiasm and dedication to his ministry, and strive to find like-minded individuals to partner with in our own ministry endeavors.
- The challenges faced by the narrator in Punjab serve as a reminder of the difficulties of evangelism in certain regions, and the importance of being sensitive to cultural and historical contexts.
- The narrator's encounter with Gisela highlights the importance of finding a soul mate with a shared vision and calling in ministry.