The Maratha people of Western India are famed as great warriors–priding themselves as the diligent guardians of Hinduism. The city of Mumbai (Bombay) is the capital of their state. From this large, bustling city to rural, remote villages, the Maratha’s religious fervor permeates throughout the region.
Nitin Waghmare grew up in a devout Maratha family and was raised in a village called Manjar. When Nitin was a teenager, his mother went to the woods one day to gather firewood. Upon her return, she changed completely. “It was as if she was possessed by a demonic force,” said Nitin. She would scream out unintelligible sounds, her face contorted in rage. The family continually monitored Nitin’s mother, to ensure she wouldn’t run away from home. Doctors were unable to diagnose the illness, and no medicine nor treatment brought about any change in her condition.
Nitin’s father, Waghmare, decided to take his wife to the local witch doctors and renowned shamans. But sadly, her condition only worsened and her health started to deteriorate. A chief shaman proclaimed, “An unseen power now resides in her. It is beyond the power of our gods to ask the goddess in her to leave her body.” Afraid of the spirit residing in her body, people from nearby villages came to offer gifts–in hope of appeasing the “goddess” residing inside Nitin’s mother. This continued for the several years.
Hopeless and Helpless
Meanwhile, Nitin’s youngest sibling, a ten-year-old girl, fell very ill. After months of treatments at a local hospital, her body succumbed to the illness, and she passed away. Waghmare, depressed and despondent, turned to alcohol to numb the pain. The family fell into financial distress as well. “We were forsaken by our community–hopeless and helpless,” recalled Nitin.
One day, a stranger knocked at Nitin’s door and introduced himself as a “servant of Lord Jesus Christ.” Indian hospitality required the family to invite the man into their home. As soon as he entered the house, Nitin’s mother became increasingly agitated. The Compelled (IET) evangelist began to share the message of freedom through Jesus, while Nitin’s mother proceeded to scream uncontrollably. “It was not my mother but agitated evil powers, of course,” explained Nitin.
The Compelled evangelist calmly asked permission to pray for the tormented woman. As he began to pray, Nitin’s mother started shouting, “Fire! I feel fire on my body. I am burning up. Stop your prayers!” The evangelist continued to pray and asked for God’s mercy to deliver this woman from the power of evil. After a few hours of continual prayer, the mother was completely delivered from the oppressive bondage she had suffered for close to a decade. She began serving the evangelist food and drink, as if nothing was wrong.
Healed and Whole
Nitin shared, “There was an immediate transformation in all our bodies and in our home. My mother was at peace and back to her former self. My father was completely delivered from his addiction to alcohol. Peace invaded our souls. We could not fully understand this heaven on earth at the time.” The family eagerly started learning all they could from the IET evangelist.
Meanwhile, the family’s financial difficulties began to shift. The father was able to go back to his work as a mason, and he was able to repurpose the money he previously spent on alcohol and shamans. “We were free in every way,” added Waghmare.
Persecution
However, a new challenge arose. “As we began to follow Christ, the Maratha villagers and our relatives became angry with us,” said Waghmare. His family was ostracised and regularly shamed by the villagers. Their relatives began to harass the family–declaring them dead to the Maratha people. “But, how could we give up the life-giving water we had tasted?” asked Nitin. Despite great suffering, the family kept on following Christ. Their transformation and commitment to Christ slowly began to entice other villagers to seek Him. New families started joining the family’s Bible study and, today, a vibrant church worships Christ in the once unreached village of Manjar.
Nitin, the Evangelist
Nitin was able to restart his education, after dropping out when his mother was sick. Although he finished trade school, his heart was pulling him in another direction, “I felt burdened to take this transforming Good News to my people who have never heard of Christ, His love, and freedom.” He shared this call with his wife. She was initially afraid, as this would mean living a life of great sacrifice and uncertainty—both economically and physically. But Nitin could not shake the burden and the call. Finally, a year ago, Nitin and his wife agreed to surrender their lives to serve God as full time evangelists. Today, Nitin is training in one of the IET’s many Bible schools, in his regional language. With hope permeating through his voice, Nitin said, “An evangelist is necessary to bring the Good News to our family and friends in bondage. I hope to be the carrier of this Good News to my people living in darkness.”
