India (MNN) ¯ A new opportunity is opening up in Northeast India, and for a little over $22.00 it can provide 10 people with hope.

The Meitei are a unique people with one language, but two religions. The majority are Hindu, but there are also Muslims, according to the Joshua Project.  

It's also a people known for their resistance to change, particularly in the area of religion. Traditional forms of evangelism don't do well because outsiders are distrusted, and the fear of isolation prevents others from hearing the Gospel.

However, that's slowly changing. In 2007, Bibles For the World shared that they helped place a Meitei-speaking pastor and an evangelist in the community. A number of small churches have been successfully planted among the Meitei by the indigenous church leaders.

There's also a new audience opening the doors for the hope of Christ...behind bars. Mawii Pudaite with Bibles For the World says, "Dr. Pudaite and I received a letter from one of our national workers in India, telling us that his wife, who is a nurse, is in urgent need of at least 200 Meitei Bibles or New Testaments for the inmates of the prison in which she is working."

It all started with an inmate who read the Bible and turned his life over to Christ two years ago. Since then, he's become a different person and has been sharing his hope with other inmates who are asking for Bibles.

According to Pudaite, the husband and wife searched for Meitei Bibles or New Testaments, but they ran into trouble. Although Scripture resources exist in the Meitei language, the couple could not find them in their city.

They turned to Bibles For the World for help. Ordinarily, that's a great request, except another obstacle came up, says Pudaite. "A few years back, we printed the N.T. in the Meitei language and had given out all of them. Our urgent need is to print as quickly as possible at least 10,000 copies of the New Testament."

A reprint costs $22,500. Someone gave seed money for the project, but the ministry needs to raise $21,000 more to go to press as soon as possible. 

They're asking God to provide the funds in a timely fashion. Check our Featured Links Section for details on how you can help Bibles For The World.

Source: Mission Network News