I have lived in the Indianapolis area all my life, yet I
never knew about the many non-Christian people of
faith living less than 30 minutes from my childhood
home. As I’ve grown older, God has opened my eyes
and broken my heart for the people in my area who
desperately need him.
God has blessed my husband (OMS missionary)
Jason with a heart for the unreached people here
in the United States, specifically, the diaspora, or
those who have been “dispersed” from their home
countries. One night, Jason came home from work,
ecstatic about the new friends he had made. They
were Sikhs, practicing a religion of which I had not
heard.
The next time Jason went to visit his new
friends, I decided to go with him. We went to the
little Indian clothing store they own, which isn’t far
from our apartment. From the moment I walked in,
I understood why my husband had started to build
a friendship with them so quickly. They greeted us
warmly and were eager to share their story with us.
Sikhism comes from the Punjab region of India.
Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs, which
means students or disciples of the Guru. Our new
friends told us about the severe persecution Sikhs
face in India because they do not practice Hinduism
or Islam. Many Sikhs have come to the United States
to seek refuge from the persecution they face back
home. But sadly, many still experience persecution
in the United States as well because of their dress,
including a dastaar, or turban-style headdress.
“We just want a place where we can worship
and practice our religion freely, without fear,” our
new friend told us as she fought to hold back her
tears. “We are not terrorists. We do not want to hurt
anyone. We only want to practice our religion freely
until we can safely return home to India.”
In our interactions with the Sikh people, Jason
and I have been overwhelmed by the kindness and
generosity they have shown to us and those around