Once an Orphan, now a Church Builder
Once an Orphan, now a Church Builder
Lakshman, a hard-working stone cutter in India, became an orphan at a young age. His grandparents raised him, but unfortunately, by age 12, he had already begun smoking and drinking. His grandfather always told him that if he went to church he would find peace, but Lakshman continued in his rebellious ways
Over time, however, Lakshman grew restless and couldn’t seem to fill the void inside his heart. One day, he was intrigued by some Christians he saw on their way to worship. This eventually led him to attend a worship service with a few believers
As he sat in the service, Lakshman was struck by the words of Jesus, “If you ask, you will receive.”
As a Hindu, he wondered how a single deity could handle the many requests made by so many different people.
He questioned if God could hear his prayer.
Because Lakshman did not know how to read, he prayed and fasted for 10 days, asking God to teach him. After his time of prayer and fasting, the Holy Spirit spoke to him stating that his prayer would be answered. He went outside and saw writing on a wall and was able to understand it! People were amazed and wondered how he was now beginning to read!
As he pursued Christ through prayer, he felt convicted about the wrong things he had done in his life. He asked for forgiveness and discovered the reality of Jesus living within him.
Lakshman desired to share his newfound faith with others, but he didn’t know how. He connected with an Every Community for Christ team leader and began watching, learning, and joining in the ministry. He was taught the Train & Multiply strategy and began sharing Bible stories in his own village. Ten people pursued faith in Christ and formed a nucleus of a new house church
Over time, his vision also included building a place of worship. The poor villagers themselves doubted their ability to raise the necessary resources. With faith and the collateral of the gold jewelry from the women in the congregation, Lakshman somehow secured a large loan to begin construction. The work is now nearly finished. As an OMS team visited, a carpenter was making window frames with just a few basic tools
Lakshman shared that he is training three new leaders and sharing the Gospel in 15 villages
God continues to use OMS to equip each Jesus follower to reach many with his Good News message. How can you be a part of what God is doing around the world through OMS?