Bandi thrashed wildly, desperate for air. The murky waters of South India enveloped him. Though he couldn’t swim, he continued to struggle, unwilling to accept what appeared to be his fate—drowning.
Bandi had been bathing in this remote area, with no one near him. But the muddy river bottom was slippery and he lost his foothold, sliding into the deep waters. No one was there to help him, and he was unable to help himself—but he was not prepared to die. So he fought the water as a mortal enemy and struggled for life.
The Lord had mercy on Bandi and sent a man to that isolated area. The man saw Bandi’s desperate situation and rescued him. He pulled Bandi out of the water just in time; the young man was unconscious.
Several hours later, Bandi (top right) regained consciousness, awakening to find himself safe on the dry banks of the dangerous river. Near him stood a man, his rescuer. Bandi fervently thanked the man who had saved him from certain death. But the man redirected his praise, declaring that it was not he who had saved Bandi, but the Lord Jesus Christ. After some conversation, Bandi realized the man was a native missionary. The missionary used this opportunity to tell Bandi about the God who truly saves, not only from water and death but also from eternal death and sin. He told about a God who loves Bandi so much that He made a way for eternal life.
Part of a believers family who raised him according to biblical principles, Bandi had heard the Good News plenty of times—only to rebel against his godly parents as a teenager. But today was different. For the first time, he realized he was a lost sheep for whom the Good Shepherd had given His life. Confessing his sins, he received Jesus as Lord and Savior. There on the banks of what he thought would be his own grave, Bandi discovered a deeper, fuller life than he had experienced before. It was as if he had died in those treacherous waters, and now he had found new life.
Bandi knew he couldn’t return to the same life he’d lived before. He longed to do more, to serve the Lord who delivered him. After waiting on the Lord, he sensed His call to become a native missionary. In obedience to this call, he is being trained at a Gospel for Asia Bible college. His desire is to rescue people by telling them of the saving power of Jesus Christ—just as he was twice rescued.