SEND! magazine First Quarter 2009: Out of the Darkness

Out of the Darkness

A Caveman Finds Christ
Ratnekar Gondane lives in a village tucked away near the snowcapped peaks and steep, rugged terrain of Himachal Pradesh, India. He is a simple apple farmer. Throwing armfuls of grass into the loft of his slate barn, Ratnekar looks like any other farmer in his state. His sweatshirt is smattered with bits of straw, and his well-worn jeans are faded to a dusty gray.

But Ratnekar's ashy hands with their dirty fingernails do more than just cultivate the land; they also pull to safety those who are at the point of spiritual demise. Ratnekar seeks out neighbors who are hurting, desperate, lonely and lost. He knows that not long ago, he was just like them.

Building Relationships—and Trust
Before he began following Christ, Ratnekar's marital, financial and family problems threatened to surge over him like a torrent of destruction. Even his livelihood started to fall apart when three of his four cows suddenly died. He didn't know what he was going to do to feed his family. There were even times when he found himself alone, trembling, holding a container of pesticide and considering its power to permanently end his painful circumstances.

One day, Ratnekar sat on a street corner with a friend, drink in hand, trying to escape the weight of his troubles. In this place where most would never think to find Jesus, up walked Gospel for Asia native missionary Daruka Duraj.

But Ratnekar didn't want to hear what Daruka had to say, and he wasn't ready to turn to Christ. He wanted only to argue. He couldn't understand why his life was in such a mess, and he didn't think this god could fix it. Daruka patiently responded to Ratnekar and told him about the peace found only through salvation in Jesus.

A few days later, there was a knock on Ratnekar's door. It was Daruka. After casual greetings, Daruka opened his Bible and began explaining how its message could transform Ratnekar's family. Then, as he was leaving, Daruka handed Ratnekar a Gospel tract and asked him to look it over.

The next week, Daruka returned to see how the family was doing. Week after week, every Tuesday, Daruka would stop by Ratnekar's farm and share the Gospel message, answering any questions the family might have. Three months passed this way, as he slowly built relationships and trust.

"I invited them many times to come to worship services at my church," Daruka remembers, "but they always had excuses for why they couldn't come, things like work. So in the meantime, I just visited them every week and shared with them from the Word of God."

Daruka even gave the family a New Testament of their own. Ratnekar carefully read it, and slowly his understanding of Christ began to grow. And the family finally started visiting Daruka's church.

Then Ratnekar's last cow died. He would have no way to till his land or to provide milk for his family.

In his distress, Ratnekar remembered the stories in the New Testament about Jesus bringing dead people back to life. And in a recent church service, Ratnekar had also heard some testimonies from believers of how God had healed them of their sicknesses.

"Suddenly it came to my mind that if Jesus can heal sickness and raise the dead to life, why can He not make my cow alive?" Ratnekar recalls. "I decided that if God could raise my cow from the dead, I would follow Him."

The cow had been dead for half an hour when Ratnekar cried out to God. Immediately, the animal began breathing again and stood up, completely well.

In that instant of joy and surprise, Ratnekar realized that Jesus was the one true God who really cared for his needs.

"When I saw this, I wept," Ratnekar shares. "And whenever I remember that moment in my life—when God brought my cow back—I always cry. There is a God who can do big miracles in my life."

"This God Has Changed Me"
After personally witnessing this demonstration of God's amazing power, Ratnekar and his family began faithfully following Jesus. The family experienced His strength to draw them closer together and revitalize their relationships. Before long, they wanted to share with others what God had done in their lives. And the opportunity came sooner than anyone expected.

Ratnekar's story came full circle on the day he heard that cry echo through the valley.

Scrambling up the steep grade, Ratnekar came to an overhang. Peering into the shadows under the rocky ledge, he saw a dark, scrawny figure sitting in the small cave created by the outcropping.

Unbeknownst to Ratnekar, this "caveman" had been living there for the past seven years. And the cry that had met his ears was Sanjong Khes's attempt to express the misery, anger and grief he'd been harboring inside.

Ratnekar was shocked at what he saw. Sanjong's feeble frame barely looked human. His hair was long and stringy. His clothes were dirty and shredded.

Ratnekar knew that not long ago, his own life had been reduced to a mere shadow, and he was filled with compassion for this suffering man. Ratnekar offered a gift to Sanjong—it was a Gospel tract identical to the one Daruka had given him.

"I have personally experienced the God in this tract," Ratnekar told Sanjong. "I have tested what it says, and it is true. My life used to be without peace or joy, but this God has changed me forever. So I am giving it to you, so that your life can be changed as well."

With these simple words, a journey began for Ratnekar and Sanjong.

Although Ratnekar graciously invited Sanjong to live with him and his family, Sanjong refused. The years of seclusion had left Sanjong knowing nothing else. But Ratnekar would not give up so easily.

When Ratnekar went out to his fields to work, he would often climb up the mountain to check on Sanjong. They'd talk for a while, and Ratnekar would share more about Jesus. Over time, Sanjong's story began to unfold.

Poverty, Isolation, Withdrawal
Sanjong had come to Himachal Pradesh years before in search of a decent job. He had been unable to find work in his homeland of Nepal, so he traveled to India—with an empty stomach and damaged pride—in search of better opportunities.

When he arrived, things weren't as idyllic as he'd hoped. Despite his higher-caste position in Asian society, Sanjong could only find menial tasks. For the next six years he struggled along, sweeping floors as his solitary source of income.

Finally, fed up with the poor treatment and meager wages he'd received as a sweeper, he decided to go into business for himself. So he began hiking into the mountain forests each day to collect roots used in traditional medicines. He would bundle them up, carry them into the local market and sell them to merchants.

But this routine quickly grew stale, and Sanjong's life became even more hollow. The only people Sanjong came into contact with were the shop owners who bought his roots—his parents and relatives were miles away in Nepal. No one tried to become his friend or even gave him a cheerful glance. Sanjong was entirely alone.

Worst of all, the deities he'd always paid homage to were silent. No matter how many sacrifices he made or praises he sang in their honor, they made no move to come to his aid.

It was at this point of isolation that Sanjong decided he didn't need traditional society anymore. Staring high through the tree branches of the nearby forest, he noticed the overhang and the small cave where Ratnekar would find him seven years later, and he decided to make his home there.

Some old burlap bags became Sanjong's bed. His living quarters were defined by his few belongings spread along the rocky perimeter of the cave.

And Sanjong's withdrawal from society was only accelerated when he ventured into town to sell his roots. Living in the woods, he cared less about his cleanliness or personal appearance. The local villagers now hurled insults at him—with his smell and the way he looked, they didn't want him anywhere nearby. His only companions became the tobacco and drugs he used.

As the years passed, the roots that Sanjong collected and sold stopped growing near his cave, which cut off his ability to earn any kind of living. He didn't cut his hair for more than a year, and he barely ate. Soon even his cave would no longer offer him solace.

A group of soldiers came trekking through the forest during a training exercise. When they passed Sanjong's cave, they took one look at him and assumed he must be an anti-government rebel in hiding. So they took him to their headquarters and questioned him.

"They kicked me like a soccer ball and hit me with sticks," Sanjong grimly recalls. "Finally, after they interrogated me for several hours, I was able to convince them that I was not a militant."

Sanjong hobbled back to his cave, but he could not get over the trauma of his experience. Gripped by fear and anxiety, he agonized that the soldiers might come back and attack him again. Finally, he decided to end his life by forced starvation.

So Sanjong ate nothing for 10 dreadful days. Finally, unable to take the severe hunger and under mental and physical duress, he broke down and ate raw flour to survive. He was so weak he could barely walk, but Sanjong remained alive. It was at this point, when life itself seemed a burden too great for him to bear, that Sanjong's desperate cry rang through the forest.

Christ's Love, Lived Out
During Ratnekar's visits to Sanjong's cave, he learned more and more about Sanjong's way of life. And Ratnekar would always invite Sanjong to leave his isolated way of life.

"Every day for an entire year, my family and I would pray for Sanjong," Ratnekar remembers. "My wife and I were committed to live out the Bible verse, ‘Love one another.' "

As Sanjong's trust in Ratnekar grew, he began thinking about coming out of his lonely isolation. His cave home felt darker and colder as each day passed. Finally, Sanjong decided to accept Ratnekar's invitation. He could barely hobble, but he made it down the mountain to Ratnekar's farm. When the family saw him coming, they rejoiced and made room for him to stay.

For the first four days, Sanjong was too feeble to do much of anything. But Ratnekar told him his job could be reading the Bible, and that would be enough to earn his keep.

Digging into the Scriptures, Sanjong began to more fully understand the grace and love of Christ. And seeing it lived out in Ratnekar's family confirmed in his heart that this was the only God who cared about his needs. Each evening, Sanjong met with Ratnekar's family for family prayer. Ratnekar and his family never preached at Sanjong; they just kept praying for him and loving him.

After six days Sanjong decided to completely leave his drugs and tobacco behind. He also bathed and cut his hair, and Ratnekar's family provided him with better clothes. After a short time living with Ratnekar's family, Sanjong decided to follow Jesus too.

"I thanked God for giving me a new life in Him," Sanjong recalls. "And I asked Him to help me be a strong man of faith."

The villagers had heard that Sanjong had made the decision to abandon his life as a "caveman" and rejoin society as a part of Ratnekar's family, and they watched with amazement at the transformation that was happening before their eyes. This once-suffering recluse was becoming a new man.

Rescuers at Work
Today, you will find Sanjong with Ratnekar and his family at Daruka's worship services. It hasn't been long since Sanjong was hiding in the mountains. He still feels awkward and uncomfortable in groups as he adjusts to life in normal society. But he is so grateful for the acceptance he has found in Christ—and among Christ's followers.

He often works in Ratnekar's orchards so that Ratnekar can continue his outreach to people just like he once was—lost and desperate for hope.

"Because Sanjong is helping in my fields, I am able to visit with other people who are hurting," Ratnekar exclaims. "I have some spare time to share the Gospel and pray for those who need Jesus."

Ever since Daruka led him to the Lord, Ratnekar sees the Great Commission as his personal responsibility, and his ministry to Sanjong is simply a natural outcome of that conviction. Today, thousands of Christians scattered across Asia share that same vision to reach the lost—and they are taking the initiative to bring God's love to their communities.

Through Gospel for Asia's native missionaries, thousands of men, women and children are finding salvation in Jesus. But these missionaries know that the strength of any ministry effort comes from Christians doing their part and working together in obedience to their Lord. And as believers respond to Christ's call and take the Good News to their neighbors, the fruit that comes from the original outreach is multiplied many times over.

Just like Ratnekar, these men and women lead simple lives and work at everyday jobs. They are tailors, taxi drivers and shepherds; they are housewives, factory workers and school teachers. Their lives may appear commonplace and their activities ordinary, but they faithfully serve with a quiet passion, both in their churches and their communities, to rescue souls from eternal death. In reality, they are life-savers.