Although indoor plumbing has been around, in some fashion, since 2500 B.C., there are still some parts of the world where indoor plumbing remains a luxury.

According to Angelus, because of the plight of these communities, they are perhaps more welcoming to evangelism than other areas of the India. These struggling people witness priests, nuns, and other members of the church staying in India’s broken-down huts, all while knowing they don’t have to do that, gives the local residents hope and cheer.

Msgr. John Kozar, president of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA), ventured off to the northern part of India to visit with the people of these poor and broken-down communities.

“In some instances I was probably the first person with white skin to ever visit them,” said Kozar. He said that many of villages he visited greeted him and the other members of his church and CNEWA very warmly.

The Christian Post reports that many parts of India, however, have very strict restrictions in place to prevent congregations from preaching about religion to local communities.

“They only prefer the pure social works of the Christians,” said an anonymous ministry leader in India. “If the Gospel is attached or made part of it, they object and do anything to stop it.”

There are rumors spreading across the country that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has facilitated a Hindu nationalist country that encourages violent acts against Christians. These rumors gained serious ground after 29 Christians were tortured and beaten in India for refusing to denounce their Christian faith.

“Right now, like the early Church, we must be in conversation with those who do not understand what God is doing in India and why Jesus and the Church is good for the nation,” said one of the most prominent Christian leaders in India, Bishop Joseph D’souza, president of the All India Christian Council.