www.bymonline.org | May 2020 | page 09
earlier, he would have lived for God and not wasted
his life. His tears shook me and God impressed
upon my heart that there are so many people like
this who need the Gospel. Later, when I was
praying to the Lord, He spoke through Isaiah 61:1,
that the Good News should be preached to the poor.
So, I committed my life for full time evangelism. It
was the time when the Mission was recruiting full
time missionaries for the first time. I applied for it
and joined BYM in the year 1974.
Blessing (To Uncle): You were among the first
batch of missionaries of Blessing Youth Mission. Tell
us more about the initial days of your Mission
experience.
Mr. Ponnusamy: We were 6 at that time. After
our 3 months' training at Vellore, two of us were
placed at Sitteri. We ministered there for an year.
We could lead 9 people to Christ. Then there was a
need in Odisha and so I was transferred to
Bhubaneswar in the year 1976. From
Bhubaneswar we shifted to a remote village in
Keonjhar. We were four missionaries, Mr. Ponraj,
Mr. Philip, Mr. Selvam and I. We wanted to work
among Juang tribal group. The work was very
difficult. We did not know the language. There was
no local guide and all of us were struck with
Malaria. Finally, we bought a small land and built a
small Mission house and started a medical work as
well. But soon after its completion, the land was
grabbed by an influential person. Our work there at
Keonjhar looked like a total failure. But God had
other plans. In the year 1982, we shifted to
Berhampur.
Blessing: Aunty, kindly do tell how both of you
got married?
Mrs. Sarasa Ponnusamy: The sister who led
me to Christ was closely related to Dr. Elias who led
uncle to Christ. So they talked directly and the
engagement was fixed. But there was strong
opposition from my family as they were all nonbelievers.
After much persuasion and with the
support of one of my uncles, the marriage took
place in the year 1980. Soon after our marriage, we
moved to Odisha.
Blessing (To Aunty): What is your first cultural
shock as a cross cultural missionary?
Mrs. Sarasa Ponnusamy: It was a new
experience for me. We stayed in a small hut with no
doors, no water and no rest room. We used to take
bath in the dirty water on the outskirts of the
village. Furthermore there was no local support.
People considered us to be outcastes.
Blessing (To Uncle): Uncle, after the mission
work at Keonjhar, you told that you were shifted to
Berhampur. Tell us about the work there.
Mr. Ponnusamy: From Keojhar we shifted to
Berhampur. As there were no ministerial
opportunities in Berhampur, we moved to
Umerkote in Southern Odisha in 1982. We started
visiting many villages in and around Umerkote. In
the year 1985, we conducted a healing crusade.
Many people were healed on the first day and
people started testifying about the miraculous
healings. But the next day, anti-social elements
beat us black and blue. We were all, much terrified.
But God did not leave us. He led us to interior
villages where we started to have much fruit.
Hundreds of people came to Christ and many more
congregations were established. We also
ministered in Chandahandi and stayed there for 3
years and had a fruitful ministry there. We
ministered in Ramagiri for two years.
Blessing (To Uncle) : Malaria, beatings, scoffs,
frequent transfers…. marked your ministry! What is
your opinion about the sufferings and difficulties in
ministry?
Mr. Ponnusamy: Struggles are part of
ministry. But God's grace led us. Yes, as you said,
we were transferred more frequently. Sometimes
we used think that we were unnecessarily moved.
But later I understood the Sovereign plan of God. In
every place we were transferred, there would be a
revival. God will start a new work. In Chandahandi,
a small village where we stayed, we reached 28
villages with a small team of believers.
Blessing: Uncle, Can you tell something about
the training you gave to workers?