Anika’s parents are orthodox followers of the Hindu god Shiva. They are farmers and grow millet, corn, sugarcane, and red chilies. One day, the Gospel message entered their village.
Anika was in high school when she first learned about Jesus and His love for her. At that time, she was convicted, felt led to follow Him, and stopped all idol worship. Her oldest brother, an ardent follower of Shiva, was upset with her leaving their religion, but he still loved his sister. As the eldest son, he was in charge of the family’s administration. He figured Anika would return to worshiping Shiva if she were married to another strong follower of their religion. He and the rest of the family planned to find a man for her to marry as soon as she graduated high school.
She was 18 years old when the family found a match. He was a distant relative who was also a farmer and had a small shop. The marriage was arranged, and her conversion story was kept secret.
The wedding was held with Hindu traditions and all the gala and rituals. The first night when the couple was finally alone, the husband asked Anika to sit down as he had something he needed to tell her. “I need to tell you the truth,” he began. “A few months ago, I started following a new guru and his name is Jesus. I no longer follow any of the other gurus.”
Anika started weeping with joy and said, “God has answered my prayers! I was praying for a life partner who was also a follower of Jesus!” And she shared her testimony with him. Then they praised God and prayed, committing their lives together into His service. They prayed too, that they would see their families come to faith in the Lord.
Over the years, God blessed the couple with a daughter and two sons. Four years ago, they attended a threeday seminar and discipleship training sponsored by Partners. Anika said that this training changed her thinking and removed all her fears about witnessing. She learned new do’s and don’ts in sharing the Lord.
Today, Anika and her husband oversee nine house churches, and one they lead themselves. They have raised new leaders to care for the others. In addition, a few of their relatives have come to faith in Jesus. Anika praises the Lord for how He has answered her prayers over the years. Please thank the Lord with us for the lives that are changed as a result of our ministry partners’ discipleship and training seminars.
