I was born and brought up in a village called Ayarkunnam in Kottayam, Kerala. Though I was a Hindu, my neighbors used to encourage me to visit their Catholic church during my childhood. Since I learned the stories of Jesus from my friends, I visited the church a few times to pray. Later, after finishing my B.A degree I got a job in the erstwhile P&T (Postal & Telegraph, Government of India), which is present-day BSNL, and went for training at Trichur. While staying there at a YWCA, I met a girl not wearing ornaments, and my colleagues told me that she is a “Pentecostal.” After training, I was posted at Kannur, and the Pentecostal girl named Achamma was also posted at the same place. For five years, we were roommates at a hostel run by Hindus.

 One day, Ciciliamma, who was one of the colleagues at work, gave a flyer for a Musical Evening, and she took permission from the hostel to take me to the three nights of meetings. Bro. Kunjumon Chacko gave the final message, and I was touched by the word “Jesus is the Light of the world.” When I returned to the hostel, I asked Achamma about it, and she shared the Gospel with me, and I decided to follow Jesus. My decision infuriated the hostel management, and they began to abuse me verbally. But Achamma and her family became my new family. During one of the vacations, I received water baptism, which created more troubles from my family, and some decided to search for a Hindu to marry me. But Achamma’s sister Leelamma and her husband A.C. Varghese found a young man from their church (IPC Tabernacle, Kottayam) working with India Every Home Crusade. Though my family strongly objected, the church Pastor, Achamma, and a few sisters, came for our wedding.

After my wedding, I got transferred to Kollam where we were associated with the nearby A.G church, and the members of the church became our brothers, sisters, and parents, which was a huge relief for us since I was pregnant with our firstborn, and we had no family in that place. After our two children’s birth, my husband Pushkaran was selected by SSC to Income Tax Department as a Gazetted Officer and was posted to Kolhapur, Maharashtra. During this time, his younger sister stayed with me, and she accepted Jesus. In the early eighties, we moved to Cochin and started Gospel work; we shared the good news of Jesus with Catholics and Hindus, leading many to Him. We were able to take care of some ostracized by their families due to their faith in Christ. We have been truly blessed to be a blessing to others! (Achamma and Leelamma have gone to be with the Lord.)

India