Trigger warning: Suicide ideation is mentioned.
I was born and raised in a Hindu family. As a teen in the 1980s, I had no knowledge about Christ nor did I have any Christian friends. I even told my mother that I would never marry a Christian, but God had different plans for me.
I married a Christian and started going to church weekly, but nothing changed in me. I was not paying attention to the worship or the Word. There were days I dragged myself to church. When my daughter was young, I had to care for my sick mother who was living with me. It was too much to bear, and I thought of ending my life together with my daughter who was just three years old. At that moment, I received a phone call from my aunt.
“Just be patient for a while, everything will be fine. Don’t make any hasty decisions,” she said. I knew then it was Jesus speaking to me through her—he rescued me and my child. Instantly I broke down and cried uncontrollably.
That was the turning point in my life. I started going to church with my family, with a sincere heart. My church elder Mrs Puspa Stephen shared the gospel and led me to Christ. She encouraged me to serve the Lord wholeheartedly. I started my ministry in Pasir Panjang Tamil Methodist Church with the WSCS. I came as a visitor, joined as a member and was groomed by my church to be a servant leader.