He's Alive Christian News

Priscilla Vanya

By Priscilla Vanya

Surely it is a joy to share my testimony. My name is Priscilla. I was born and brought up in a poor Hindu family. Both my parents worked as daily wage laborers even till today. I have one younger sister. I grew up with idol worship and visited many Hindu temples in my childhood. My father has two wives and I am the second wife’s daughter. My mother and we two sisters used to live in a separate house away from my father due to harassment of my stepmother’s relatives. Now and then my father would visit us, but basically my mother is the one who raised us by working every day. She had to work to feed us. We two sisters had challenging times being left alone and neglected, no one to care for us when we were children. By seeing my mother’s struggles, blames and the frequent quarrelling’s among family members, I became very lonely and did not find anyone to share my feelings. Also, I did not understand “why my mother’s situation was like that”. Despite all those difficulties, a couple of times I happened to go to church with my grandmother. She was a seeker and later she accepted Jesus Christ.

The situation which made me to turn to the Real God unfolded like this. At the time of 10th grade class exams results, for my first time, I sincerely prayed to pass and get good marks in my studies. Because one subject I had not prepared very well and wrote exam very poorly. I had more chance to fail than pass. If I failed it would be a big shame for me because I was the 3rd ranker in my class, and all are having more expectations regarding my results. So, in that situation I remembered Jesus Christ and cried unto him and confessed all my sins, asked His help to get good results. Jesus answered my prayer amazingly and I got double blessings! I not only received good results on the exam, but also a Free seat to join Diploma in Electronics and communication Engineering (DECE). In this way Jesus turned my shame to joy miraculously.

When I was thirsty to know more about Jesus Christ, he opened a new door wonderfully in this way. I was sent for college to another place 120 km away from my village. Both college and my hostel were placed in one campus only. As our warden was a Christian, she allowed few students to gather for worship. Some Bible College students came and would share the gospel once a week each Sunday. So, I experienced God’s love personally and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior and I also completed my 3 years diploma in electronics and communication engineering with a good percentage. After my diploma I came back to my home. My father was against Christianity and some times I was beaten by my father when trying to go to church. I used to attend the church secretly and one day he suddenly came to the church to take me out. I was scared that he would beat me, but God saved me from my father.

As I was growing in the Lord, it was nearly 2 years later that I was baptized. Following that year, I got an opportunity to work in an Electronics company in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was also far away from my village. In that city I would stay along with my colleagues in an apartment. We were four girls. They were Hindus, but God used me to lead them to salvation in Jesus Christ.

Some of the greatest challenges of my life include my family’s salvation. Later My mother did accept the Lord Jesus but my father until now is still a Hindu. Although my sister loves Jesus, but because of my father, she married a Hindu in 2005. I waited for a Christian believer to marry. None of my family members were interested in Christian marriage. I prayed four years continuously. During that time God gave me opportunities to participate in all church activities and to complete my graduation in Arts. God has given me more strength in all my sorrows.

New doors are opened by God. God opened doors for my marriage amazingly. My church pastor’s family had honored me like their own daughter and took the initiative for my marriage. In 2011 amazingly God made my father to come down for the Christian marriage. All my family members came and blessed my wedding to Mr. Vanya Meremoth who works as a staff in YWAM HYD. We were married on 7 Jul 2011. l praise God all the time for my marriage! God has blessed us with two children (a boy and a girl).

Along with My husband I am involved in the slum ministry where we visit houses in different slum areas. We share the gospel, educate them about cleanliness and conduct medical camps. We are also involved in HIV/AIDS ministry where we take care of HIV / AIDS affected children. We arrange for them healthy food, give them medicines from time to time, take tuitions at evenings, lead them into daily Devotion and help them get health checkups once in a month at the hospital. School Ministry includes teaching students about life skills, critical thinking, moral values and taking academic classes for pre-primary, primary and middle classes. We assist them in attending family seminars and participating in lady’s prayer meetings.

God has taught me so many things through different challenges. Recently God helped me to complete my master’s degree in English. From my childhood onwards God has been protecting me in a special way. No scope for higher studies but God used my maternal uncle to encourage my studies. My childhood was taken care by my grandmother and my uncle. My sister studied up to 5th grade only. And all others are not educated. Though my own father worked against my marriage, God used my church pastor. After marriage God also opened different doors for ministry along with my husband. I continue my studies to Post Graduation.

As a couple we are doing missionary work with Youth With A Mission YWAM, India, where there is no scope for direct gospel. No rental houses available for Christians, but God helped us to rent a good house amazingly. Many Christians are beaten by RSS, Hindu people, the middle east of India. Eating non vegetables is considered a great sin because animals are worshipped. Non-vegetarian people will be insulted, hated, and totally isolated by the existing local communities.

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. (John 16:23). May I request your prayers please? 1.Kindly pray for my family as we are doing ministry amid devout Hindu people, we ask for His special protection and guidance. 2. Pray for us to get more strength for intercessory prayer. 3. Our humble and Ernest request to realize God’s abundant provision as we need a minimum $250 USD per month for our ministry. 4. Pray for our two children to fear God and grow in His grace. 5. Kindly pray for me to be used as a resource person utilizing all my gifts and talents given by God for the extension of his Kingdom. Thanking you with love and prayers Priscilla Vanya . YWAM Indore. Email address: prisci.battula@gmail.com Madhya Pradesh, India