For a "simple evangelist," Colney Lal Rodinga's achievements are impressive. Since 1988, Restoration India Mission has planted more than 300 churches where none existed before in north-east India. On average, their indigenous missionaries now establish two churches every week among the unreached villages. And Colney personally has been blessed with a big family: more than 100 orphans who have been rescued by evangelists officially call him their bapa (daddy).

Colney puts the missionaries' fruitfulness down to three things: waiting on the Holy Spirit for power; a willingness to sacrifice; and a fearlessness in proclaiming the gospel message no matter what the cost.

The price that missionaries in Orissa have to pay is high. In 1999 Dr Graham Staines and his two sons, aged eight and 10, were burnt alive in their car by Hindu fanatics. The anti-conversion law makes it a criminal offence for one person to change their religion on the basis of anyone else's words. To be baptised you need permission from the High Court, which is impossible to obtain. Colney's parents' wedding - the first Christian marriage in the area - was disrupted by militants throwing cow-dung at the happy couple.

More recently, on 23 August 2008, a Maoist guerilla group in Orissa killed a leading Hindu activist who had directed persecution against Christians. Despite the Maoists publicly claiming responsibility, Hindu extremists falsely accused Christians of the killing, unleashing a wave of violence against Christians living in the state.

Since then, over 50,000 Christians have been displaced, more than 4,000 homes destroyed and about 120 Christians murdered. Over 300 villages and at least 600 churches were destroyed.

Colney has himself been beaten and imprisoned. "Currently, 350 families in our church have lost all their belongings, houses, land and properties just because they are Christians," he says. "I myself have been jailed on two separate occasions, faced stoning and even been dragged along like a dead dog in the street." But he single-mindedly carries on.

"I want to see India saved," he says, simply. "Five hundred thousand villages in India have never heard the gospel. I want nothing for myself, just the extension of God's kingdom."

It was for this reason that he left his home in 1983. A missionary from Assam had told the youth meeting of places where new believers did not have anyone even to teach them one song. Colney could not sleep, and eventually he prayed to God: "I don't have money to offer you, I don't have talents, I don't have a gift for ministry. All I have is this frail body and weak person. But if You want to use me, I'll go anywhere if You are with me." So some months later he left, with just five rupees and two robes.

"Also, the mission of Multiply is to be a house and a home for many who are standing by themselves."

In 1989 he was given an old UK Christian Handbook. Out of thousands of entries, one hit his eye: the Jesus Army. But he did not make contact until years later.

Jesus Army is also the name given to Restoration Ministry's outreach in Mizoram. Sixteen young people work day and night among the drug addicts, HIV patients, the homeless and street girls.

This movement sprung out of a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit in 1995 which changed Colney's view of God forever: "I began to have a big God whereas I used to have a small God. I discovered that He is the God of the whole earth, the never-despising God, the all-loving God - even drug addicts and drunkards are welcomed in Him. And the God who gave me such a great vision has, I believe, also ordained Multiply.

"To me, Multiply is the role model in this sinful, self-centred world. Helping each other out of love, no racial and colour distinction, no high and low position, are its most attractive features."

Colney is not one ever to be satisfied by theory. "Christianity depends not on religion but on the life of Jesus," he says. "Just knowing is not enough, I have to see."

What he has seen here in Jesus Army UK is beyond his expectations: "I have learnt many things. We have been given 22 bigha* on the outskirts of Aizawi. I want to have handicraft training for healed addicts there. I need to know how to start, so your businesses were a great inspiration."

Multiply revolves around relationships, and Colney has appreciated the love and understanding he has found here: "In Multiply, ministers from different countries share brotherhood and vision. God has given me good friends now.

"When I suffered persecution, I used to be in great thirst for my spiritual brothers. But now, I am happy to know that other Multiply members are praying for me. My thirst is quenched."

*Bigha is a local unit of land area; one bigha equals approximately 0.25 hectares.

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