My name is not important for now. My story, however, is. I was born and brought up in a Hindu family. The first eight years of my childhood were spent with my grandparents, but as I was growing up, I felt an emptiness within me.  I started to look around and saw only sickness, problems and fights within the family. It was from this place that a search for love and peace began. I was looking for the answers in my own religion and good works, but was shocked to discover that my mother (although devout in her faith) was suffering from a lingering disease and there was no cure around us.

I knew that my own strength and good deeds had brought me to my wit’s end, and I thought that death was the only answer.

In my attempts to find answers, I went to various temples and contacted many priests of gods and goddess and, in doing so, I had a good look into the things which they do. I was so discouraged that my own religion (in which I was brought up) had no hope for me. I myself suffered from pain in my right shoulder, which took me to various doctors, but no hope or cure was found. In the meantime, the weakness of my flesh started to manifest. I tried to do all that I could to overcome it in my own strength, but it did not avail any result. I cried over my situation, being hopeless and weak, and suffered many sleepless nights. I knew that my own strength and good deeds had brought me to my wit’s end, and I thought that death was the only answer.  All this carried on for me until I turned eighteen, still looking for an answer for my emptiness and the vacuum within me.

 One day, while visiting friends, I saw a book which had fallen on the floor named ‘The New Testament’. I asked them if I could take it and they gladly gave it to me. I thought maybe it was some sort of a novel. I started to read it, not knowing that this book was about the life of Jesus and all those who believed in Him. I had never heard of this book or the name of Jesus before. While reading this book, a change started to take place in my life, which was noticed by my friends. I had no understanding that this book was the Word of God, but it was turning my life around. Scriptures like ‘look at the bird of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns’ and ‘yet your Heavenly Father feeds them, you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free’; ‘He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life’, and others touched me deeply.

Soon I came to realise that there was a hope for me, and I gave my life to Jesus

Soon I came to realise that there was a hope for me, and I gave my life to Jesus, believing that He was (and is) the Son of God who died to redeem me from my sins and sicknesses. 

I was baptised in 1984, and since then there has been no turning back. God’s love and grace changed my life. He has called me to testify and preach His Word, the truth of how Jesus’ atoning sacrifice reconciled me to God, which was not possible otherwise. Now I have a ‘father-son’ relationship with my heavenly Father.

Where we are living, in South Asia, it has been hard and dry ground for the gospel for a long time. God called me here in this place to serve Him. Now I lead a church, my wife and daughters know and love Jesus, and we are involved in various ministries to help our local community and beyond. We are standing in faith for revival for our nation and beyond! This is my testimony of God’s life-giving salvation gift, offered to us all.

(Please note names and locations of the above Four12 Partners have been omitted or changed to protect the individual who wrote this news post in a climate where Christians are facing persecution.)