A couple we had never met was sitting in the small chairs and initially we smiled inwardly, thinking they had been encouraged by one of the flyers handed out for this emerging church plant. In our hearts we were pleased with every new brother or sister who found their way into these growing service meetings.
Shortly into the service we realized our new friends had not simply wandered in this day but had come by special invitation. He was a pastor who had brought his wife to be with us for this particular meeting. We were still just a small group of people meeting in a community center room with one passion in our heart, to share the gospel. This was his testimony and I have tried to write with integrity of what he shared with us.
Anjan was now a pastor who had been born and raised in India. He had lived in Calcutta, from an impoverished ghetto. His description of this place left us with unpleasant odors in our noses and visions of bare feet on filthy streets.
His pursuit of God had opened many doors and even brought him to America where he found himself in a Marin County church. In his own words this was quite ironic since he had come from incredible poverty yet found himself in such a bountiful environment. It was here he first laid eyes on his future wife, and although he desired to have someone so beautiful he couldn’t imagine her even speaking to him. He humored us with commentary regarding the lack of his physical stature compared to many of the other possible “Adonis” type suitors his wife may have taken notice of. He and his wife had been married for 13 years and despite this passage of time he still was humbled that God had blessed him with this beautiful woman.
His heart has been called to continue to help spread the gospel in his home country. He shared with us the facts of his homeland. India is a land of many idols where the gods served number 330 million. Jesus followers number 2% in this entire nation, a sobering statistic.
Anjan had initially been scheduled to talk for a few minutes but everyone was so taken by his life story no one could be bothered to interrupt what he was sharing with us. He had moved back to India with his wife and they did the best they could to share the gospel and train other pastors on this darkened continent. The following is one of the personal stories of their experience.
His wife had invited other women from the neighborhood over to their home to share a meal and just talk. He noticed a young girl about 17 who sat quietly in the corner not really saying anything. Later in the week there was a huge uproar in the village (his village is 50K people which is small in this country of billions). He learned that this quiet girl who had been in their home just a few days before poured gasoline all over herself and lit it, trying to kill herself.
Anjan was extremely troubled in his spirit by this, especially having the girl visit his home only days before. Later that night he heard God tell him to go see her. It was already kind of late in the night and he knew the journey would be at least another hour before he even got to the hospital where she lay. When he told his wife she was very concerned about his going because they could put him in jail. He already had many death threats against him for teaching about Jesus and the truth of only one God. He was taking his life in his hands by venturing to go to a hospital. Anjan told his wife he had to go and started looking for a black pair of pants and a white shirt. His wife didn’t understand why until he asked her where the stethoscope was. She knew then what he had in mind and became really fearful.
Anjan took the long trip to the hospital on his small motorcycle. Along the way he told God, “Okay, I am going as you told me but I won’t lie, so unless you open the doors they won’t let me in.” Upon reaching the first security checkpoint he was surprised to be waved on through without challenge. When he arrived at the hospital itself, security once more just waved him on through. Now in India, men are not allowed in the women’s ward and never into the burn unit area.
Once in the hospital he asked some workers where the burn area was. They called him doctor and he didn’t correct them as they pointed him in the right direction. He was finally at his destined place and asked for the young girl by name. The nurses pointed her out. She didn’t look anything like the young girl he remembered from his home only days ago. He sat down beside her and re-introduced himself. Realizing how thirsty this injured woman was he asked some nurses for water. They protested that she was only allowed intravenous fluids and after some serious discussion, finally agreed they’d give him some water but it would be his responsibility.
Anjan sat with that broken girl for a couple hours, listening to her tell her story. She had been abused by her husband and family to such a point she just didn’t want to live anymore. He listened as years of bitterness poured out of this burned body, all the while he kept dipping his finger into a glass of water letting the drops fall upon her lips and tongue, helping to quench a thirst.
Going back a second night, all the doors were opened once more. He sat with this girl, and dropped water from the tip of his finger again, this time holding her hand during their conversation. When it was time for him to leave he let go of her hand and her flesh came off into his own hand.
The next night he heard God tell him to go back again and this would be the last night. As he sat with the girl again he began to tell her of Jesus. He watched as tears started to flow from her eyes. Asking her if she’d like to accept Jesus as her Savior she answered yes. She died shortly afterwards.
There were not many dry eyes in the room of this small gathering. Anjan did not have tears though. He had passion. He knew as we all did, this young girl suffers no more but is with the Savior. We knew without words that he is thinking about all the others living in this vast world still looking for the Savior. He did not ask us for money. He didn’t talk of promising to save the masses. He merely told us his life is dedicated to teaching others of this amazing love so they in turn can share of themselves this same great promise in Jesus. His focus was simple; there needed to be more teachers to share the gospel.
A small oak sapling grew on the hill and at first the tall weeds tried to choke it out but being so high up, the rain could give it the water needed to grow taller. The wind buffeted it and there was no protection from its onslaught but the sapling’s roots grew deeper and clung to the hill with all its might.
