100 Years of Baptism in Kandhamal - by Guest Contributor Amod Naik
From April 11-14, Christians from across the Kandhamal region of Odisha, India gathered at Malikapodi Baptist Church to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Kandhamal's first baptisms. This was one of the largest gatherings of Christians in the region since a 2008 campaign of anti-Christian violence that killed more than 100 people and displaced more than 50,000. Amod Naik, a local photographer covering the event, took the following photographs during one of the worship sessions. The second and third images are composites of more than one photo.
Andy Groth, Rob Krech, and Ben Kolesar attended the centenary, as did Sunita Groth's sister, Laureen Naik, and their father, Brown Naik, who grew up in Kandhamal and was one of the event's main speakers. The team also spoke at a youth gathering, prayed with dozens of people, and saw countless examples of God's love and power.
