Developing Horizons Magazine (2).pdf Spring 2017 DHM A | Page 21

Testimony
I thought, “Since there is no other
God who rose from the dead then
Jesus can make us rise when we die.”
That truth strengthened my faith
and I had the courage to continue to
face opposition, insult, and ridicule
for my faith. Furthermore, I could
concentrate on subjects and I placed
first in a class of eighty students. It
is true that God did not give us a
spirit of fear but a spirit of power. If
I had been experiencing fear like I
was earlier, I would not have been
able to do as well on my studies. It
was a miracle that shut some of the
mouths who were insulting me.
Another miracle was that my
father let me go to a college that
was 40km away from home; con-
sequently, I could stay in the town
where the college was located. My
mom, brother and sister came with
me and my father would come visit
us. Although my mom was not like
my dad in opposing me for follow-
ing Jesus, my brother soon took my
dad’s role. My brother knew that I
was associating with Christians and
spending most of my leisure time
with them.
not go to college during
vacation or go to a
friend’s place, I would
copy a few verses in my
note books and medi-
tate on them at home.
In the second year of my bach-
elor degree, I didn’t want to wear
the bottu on my forehead. My
brother was furious. He locked me
in a room and threatened that if I
didn’t wear the bottu and continued
meeting with my Christian friends,
he wouldn’t let me go to college. I
prayed, “If it is your will, oh, Lord,
let me go to college and study but if
it is time to pay for following you,
I am ready to do that.” After three
days my brother stopped and by
God’s grace, I not only finished my
bachelor degree, I also finished my
master’s degree in applied mathe-
matics. I completed teacher train-
ing, and got a job as a teacher in a
government school. Over the years,
while working as a teacher, God
enabled me to do research and in
2013 I was awarded a Ph.D. Born in
a small village to parents who are
farmers, I got this education by His
grace and mercy.
munity and they feared for how I
or my brother and sister would get
married. When they were threat-
ening, I was not affected, but when
they were begging me with love, and
tears, it was very difficult. I prayed,
“Oh, Lord, my walk with you should
not affect their life. If I need to pay
the price, I am willing but please
bless them with good marriages.”
God answered my prayers and my
sister and brother got good life part-
ners. My family finally understood
that they could not bring me back to
Hinduism and they accepted a man
for me for marriage from outside
the community.
The man they chose for me was
also a follower of Christ and he was
involved with student ministry. He
worked for New Life Computer In-
stitute, which supports Bible transla-
tion for languages of other tribes.
Janaki now lives with her husband
and two teenage children in
Jenbach, Austria.
At college I came into contact with
a believing student group (Union
During this time my
of Evangelical Students of India,
brother and my father
UESI). I attended their Bible studies continued to beg me
and came to know what was in the
to stop following Jesus
Bible, why we need to read the Bible saying whatever they
and how we need to read it. I would had done was done
read it at my believing friend’s home out of love. They said
or in college waiting rooms where
they didn’t want to see
I could keep the New Testament in
me facing ridicule and
a public book shelf. When I could
mockery from our com-
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