Testimony of Faith - Suman Narayan

Brother Uday Narayan has been our resident missionary to the Fiji Islands and India for nearly four decades. His wife and family have shared his burden through the years and have also accompanied him many times, preaching and witnessing the true gospel over the vast harvest fields of Indian souls. Now the Lord has provided a couple who share this same burden. Brother Ravind and Sister Suman Narayan (no relation), spiritual fruits of Brother Uday Narayan’s numerous crusades in Fiji, have answered the call to join him as our church’s resident missionaries to the same harvest fields so beloved by Elder Narayan. Our church and pastor fully support and celebrate their appointment to continue evangelistic outreaches in the years ahead. Elder Narayan will continue journeying to India and Fiji as his health permits, but he is overjoyed to pass the mantle to this younger couple who are honored and deeply humbled to succeed him. Ravind and Suman have already been to India earlier this year, sharing the gospel. At press time, Ravind was about to embark again. Praise the Lord!

The following begins a two-part series of the testimonies of faith of Ravind and Suman Narayan. We begin with Sister Suman and how the Lord called her to be His willing vessel when it seemed all odds were against her. Her story is one of victories and triumph making her the spiritual saint she is today. Read and be inspired!

PART I THE TESTIMONY OF SISTER SUMAN NARAYAN

Brother Ravind and Sister Suman Narayan

HUMBLE AND CHALLENGING BEGINNINGS

Suman was born in Fiji on the island of Viti Levu.

She and her three sisters and one younger brother grew up in the rural outskirts near the city of Nausori. Her parents, Kamlesh and Jai Lata, were very devoted Hindus.

Suman grew up in the 1970’s and 80’s on a ranch surrounded by rice fields in a wooden house with a corrugated metal roof and dirt floors. They had no air conditioning and slept on the floor. They lived together in their eight-room house with her father’s three brothers, their wives, and their children, approximately 18 people in

all. “We all pulled together,” said Suman. If the harvest was good, they had enough, but if it rained and they had no rice harvest, it was very difficult. They did not worry about snakes because the mongooses ate them, but mosquitoes--they were always a problem, along with typhoid and dysentery. They got their water from a well which never ran dry. At night, when it was dark and private, they would bathe next to the well. Since they didn’t have a car, they had limited entertainment. Suman and her sisters cooked and sewed, and she loved spending what free time she had reading. Her father was a carpenter, and her mother worked in a garment factory. Her parents were very strict. She wore only dresses, Her father forbade her and her sisters to wear pants or to cut their hair. Her grandmother cautioned her and her sisters not to marry a city boy, or they would be locked up in a house.

Because her parents and grandparents were devout Hindus, she remembers an uncountable number of idols and pictures around their home to which they faithfully prayed. Her favorite was Saraswati, the god of education, as she wanted to pass her exams and do well in school. Her dream was to find a career that would help her and her family.

Fiji, at the time, was under the English education system. They had major exams at the end of elementary and high school which must be passed in order to advance to the next level. She loved studying Shakespeare, and her favorite teacher was her English literature teacher. She walked two miles to school every day barefoot as it rained so much the muddy roads made walking in shoes impossible. She studied hard, got good grades, and passed her exams, but was unable to attend college as their family could not afford the cost.

Life was difficult for Suman growing up because her father was an alcoholic. She remembers that he would always come home loud and drunk and would argue and grow violent with her mother and sometimes his own mother. He never gave them any emotional support. They tried everything, but to no avail. Suman was very close to her grandmother and loved her very much. Her grandmother was a great comfort to her when her father would come home drunk.

When Suman was 17, she put aside her dream of going to college and went to work to help support the family. She got a job working at the same garment factory as her mother. Suman got paid 50 cents an hour; her mother 75 cents. Her mother would also wash clothes at all of the homes of the wealthy people in their area. She would

wash the clothes by hand using a washboard. She would do the wash for three or four families earning $20. Life was hard, and then to add to their struggles, Suman’s sister became very ill. She began walking around the house doing everything with her eyes completely closed. Suman became convinced her sister was possessed by a devil! Desperate, the family called in a witch doctor. But even then, Suman could see they were fabricating their incantations, then charging the family exorbitant fees, with no success, In fact, her sister became worse.!

BLESSED HOPE!

One day as Suman’s mother, Jai, was walking home from a tiresome day at work, she met Sister Uthura Narayan, the wife of Bhoop Narayan, the pastor of the local United Pentecostal Church founded by Brother Uday Narayan on one of his crusades sponsored by Revival Center in Modesto. They started talking. Sister Narayan asked, “Why do you work so hard?” Jai explained that her husband Kamlesh was an alcoholic and very sick. To make matters worse, her daughter was very ill as well, and they had called the witch doctor to come to their house. Witch doctors were very expensive, she told her, charging them hundreds of dollars. If you did not pay, they would take things from your house for payment. They acted like they were gods, and you had to wash their feet when they came to your home.

Sister Narayan said, “You don’t have to spend any

money. Jesus can heal your daughter for free!”

Jai came home and told her husband what Sister Narayan had said. Kamlesh became very angry. “We cannot leave our religion for sickness,” he exclaimed. “I will die rather than trade religions!” But Jai put her foot down and said she had accepted Sister Narayan’s invitation to go to this Christian Pentecostal church. Kamlesh saw his wife was resolute and surprisingly gave in with conditions. He would allow Suman and her sisters to go to church, but he would not permit Jai and Suman’s little brother to go. The following Sunday, the sisters went to church. Suman remembers vividly what Pastor Bhoop Narayan preached: “You Will Not See Your Enemy Again!” Suman and her sisters felt healing during that service. Her sister who had been demon possessed, suddenly opened her eyes and was delivered! When she returned home, the whole family were astonished. The following week Suman received the gift of the Holy Ghost, speaking in tongues. Eventually, Kamlesh allowed Jai to join their daughters. Soon afterwards Suman and her sisters were baptized. During that same service her mother received the Holy Ghost. When Suman, her mother, and sisters came home, her mom was ecstatic and glorifying God. Suman’s dad and her grandmother became very angry, but they did not let their attitudes stop them from sharing their new experience. “We kept praying,” said Suman, “and our house felt very clean.” This all happened the end of September in 1987. “We were on fire for Jesus, “ said Suman. “We wanted to tell everyone. I never thought that anything like this could happen to me.”

PERSEVERANCE

Unfortunately, not everyone in among their neighbors and acquaintances wanted to hear about their new experience. “People started making fun of us,” remembers Suman. But Suman and her family were determined to live for God. They sang in the choir and went to church every time the doors were open. ”All we wanted was to go to church and learn about the truth,” she said. There were no excuses to miss church. “If you have a headache,” Suman’s mother would say, “you can take a Tylenol.”

About a month later, Suman came home from school and was surprised to see her father sitting on the porch with his hair, which was usually kept long, cut short and well groomed. His disposition was remarkably changed. He was calm and happy. When she quizzed him, her father explained that he had gone to Brother Bhoop Narayan’s house and had been given a Bible study. Brother Narayan told him that if Jesus would come that night all of his family would go, and he would be left alone. Suman’s dad got scared, and asked to be baptized in Jesus’ name. He also repented of his sins and felt an incredible change deep in his soul. He was baptized that Thursday night and received the baptism of the Holy Ghost during a crusade that same weekend. Wholeheartedly converted, he took all of the idols from their home. Ten days later, at the age of only 44 years old, he passed away, but his countenance showed he was assured that he had attained eternal life with his saviour Christ Jesus!

During this time of mourning, Suman noticed that the pastor’s son was very comforting and caring to her. His name was Ravind Narayan. He would tell her not to worry. Suman’s mother noticed his attention and cautioned her daughter. “Keep away from him. What would people

say?” she scolded. Her mother reminded her that any type of casual relationship between a boy and a girl was forbidden under the rules and traditions of their society. Suman admits that she did not think of boys. Courtship and marriage were handled by parents and grandparents, so young girls in Fiji at that time did not converse with boys outside their family and relatives.

BUT Ravind definitely was interested in Suman and told one of the ladies in the church. That Christmas Eve when the church family had gathered at the Narayan’s home for dinner, this woman came up to Suman and told her of Ravind’s desire to be her friend. “He is interested in you,” she said, “and you might want to start talking to him.” Suman obediently said she must speak to her mother first. “I asked my mom,” said Suman, “and without hesitation she said ‘NO!’ ” Suman was reminded that in their culture courtships and marriages were arranged by the parents, and it was not considered proper for young people of opposite genders to spend time together without their parent’s permission. That was enough for Suman. BUT..... Ravind’s interest was not easily dissuaded. TO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT ISSUE!