American Baptist International Ministries has learned from missionary Debbie Mulneix that a bomb blast went off about 30 feet outside the gate of the Convention of Baptist Churches of North East India (CBCNEI) compound in Guwahati, Assam on Thursday morning, Oct 30. Guwahati is the capital of the Assam state in Northeast India. Debbie had just returned to the compound when the blast went off and was about 30 feet inside the gate at the time. She says she is fine and was not hurt by the blast.

"I sat down on my bed when I got back, and when I got up there was black soot on the bed," said Debbie. "I realized the black stuff was on my back and was fallout from the blast. The dirt was off of me. I said, 'Thank you Lord!'"

According to media reports, between 14 and 18 bomb blasts were detonated throughout the Assam state, with 11 of the explosions in Guwahati, including one outside the compound of CBCNEI. Debbie said the compound is near a police station. Although Debbie is safe, at least 65 people died in the blasts, with 33 deaths occurring in Guwahati, including one man who fell dead at the gate of the compound, Debbie said. Some buildings on the compound also were damaged.

Click here for video from the BBC.

"There was a riot after the blast," Debbie said. "It took the fire brigade almost two hours to get to this site. The rioters stormed the police station, right across the street from the compound, [and] set fire to a police vehicle and an ambulance. Then the police started shooting. I just tried to stay invisible."

Despite the closeness of the Baptist headquarters to the explosion, Debbie said, Dr. Pau, general secretary of the CBCNEI does not think the blast was religiously motivated.

For nearly a year there has been violence in other parts of India, most notably, Orissa state, where the small Christian minority has seen pastors and laypeople killed, and homes and churches burned by those who want to persecute Christians.

There is a militant, separatist group in the Assam state that officials and others suspect is responsible for the explosions, but the group has denied responsibility.

As the liaison between churches of India/Nepal and the US/Puerto Rico, Debbie helps churches understand each other’s culture, needs and resources and to appropriately assist each other. Debbie trains people for volunteer mission such as pastoral and management training, lay preacher training, women’s and youth ministries, back yard Bible studies, first aid courses and computer training.

The political climate in India and Nepal puts Debbie in settings of cutting edge ministry. It is extremely important that Debbie and her International Ministries missionary colleagues are able to continue their work. Gifts to the World Mission Offering have the direct result of making that possible. Please pray for Debbie. Please urge others to join you in giving generously to sustain and grow this ministry.

American Baptist International Ministries, organized in 1814, is the oldest Baptist mission agency formed in North America.  We serve more than 2,500 short-term and long-term missionaries annually, bringing U.S. and Puerto Rico churches together with partners in 76 countries in cutting-edge ministries that tell the good news of Jesus Christ while meeting human needs.

Executive Director Reid Trulson contributed to this article

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