How He Lived
Reflections by Sarah Johnson, K.P. Yohannan’s daughter
Growing up, I heard my father speak hundreds of times: in churches, in large Gospel meetings, in small groups and even to individual people, both in America and on the mission field. I can honestly say that every single time I heard him, I left challenged and wanting to know God more and do whatever more I could to serve Him.
But what impacted me more than anything was that he lived exactly what he preached. I learned just as much—or maybe more—from seeing how he lived.
Ministry
My father lived and breathed missions. From the time he woke up in the morning till he went to bed at night (and probably while he was sleeping, too), he was always thinking about how to reach more people with the love of Christ. Our dinnertime (or anytime) conversations at home were mostly about missionaries, people coming to know Christ, new plans and initiatives that would serve more people, persecution or exciting things happening on the mission field. This was what we as a family lived for and we still live for today!
Simple Life
He chose to live a very simple life. He never kept a lot of clothes or things. He just kept what he needed, and the rest he would give away. I remember the hardest thing was trying to think of what gift to give him for his birthday or for Christmas. Why? We knew if it wasn’t something he really needed, he would give it away the next day!
Servant Lifestyle
No work was too low for him. He was always ready to help with any work at any time. If there was trash on the ground, he would bend down to pick it up. If the counters were dirty, he would spray and wipe them down. I still remember him helping one of our Bible school students carry his suitcase all the way to his dorm room.
Generosity
Giving things away was a way of life for him. I remember once, when we were in India, a poor person came to our house asking for help. I watched as my father went to his wardrobe, took out a few of his own shirts and pants and gave it to the poor person.
Working Hard
I have never seen anyone who worked as hard as my father did. He never took a day off. He was always working on his writing, preparing for a meeting, on the phone with someone or talking to someone in person. He never stopped. I remember once in a while we would go to McDonald’s (my mom’s favorite restaurant), and even there he would suddenly get some new ideas, and he would take a napkin and start writing it down right there—on the napkin!
Suffering
Suffering was a part of life but counted as a part of serving the Lord. He spent months at a time away from home, traveling to the mission field and speaking and serving God in different places. It was hard for me, my brother and my mother, and we missed him a lot, but I also know it was very hard for him too. He always reminded us that it was a privilege to suffer and give up some “conveniences and comfort” for the sake of Christ.
He Loved Everyone
No one was too small or too important for my father. He loved everyone. He took time for people that no one would even care to talk to. It was one of the things that was so evident at his funeral. As thousands of people came to pay their last respects, I was touched to see that there were people from all walks of life. There were very wealthy and affluent people, government officials and even famous people. But there were also farmers, autorickshaw drivers, simple village people, bus drivers, tea shop owners and street sweepers.
These are just a few of the many things that come to my mind when I think about my father. He inspired me in so many ways, not only through his words, but more so through the life he lived.