Children are welcomed as a blessing into families in India
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Kishor and Surekha were happy in their marriage but had one great sorrow: After five years of marriage, they still had no children. The husband and wife in South India were healthy and well-off, but their lives felt meaningless without the fulfillment of the deep longing they had for a child.
No amount of consulting with doctors or sacrifices to their many gods and goddesses had brought them relief for their anguished cries.
The couple lived in a village in Andhra Pradesh, India, where Gospel for Asia missionary Jeevan was working. When Kishor and Surekha heard about Jeevan, they thought they should at least try his God. They met with the young pastor and shared their struggles. After listening, Jeevan comforted the young couple from the Scriptures. He began paying them regular visits and praying earnestly that they would be blessed with a child.
Jeevan shared the prayer need with his congregation so that they could pray, too. The Lord answered the prayers of these believers in an amazing way when the couple was blessed with a baby boy within a year. Seeing God’s hand at work, Surekha and Kishor each received Christ as Savior.
They began attending Pastor Jeevan’s church, and out of zeal for the Savior, the couple changed their names to Nehemiah and Rebecca—Bible names.
Later, the family’s faith was tested when they discovered their precious child was unable to walk. Although the discovery discouraged the couple, their hope and trust in the Lord did not waver. They believed that the God who gave them their child, and the ultimate gift of salvation through Jesus, would also heal their little boy.
They shared their prayer need at church, and their brothers and sisters in Christ prayed with much fervency for healing. The Lord touched their son’s legs, and he was able to walk!
When Kishor and Surekha heard about Jeevan, they thought they should at least try his God.This family would appreciate prayer for their continued growth in the Lord Jesus. Pray as well for the Lord’s continued blessings on Pastor Jeevan’s ministry in Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh has a diverse culture.