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When I first responded to God’s call to cross-cultural mission in 2018, I believed I was raised for just this purpose. Exodus 9:16 (NIV) really spoke to me: “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My Name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” But I had one major physical challenge that threatened to derail my vision. I suffered from arthritis and was aware that I would be afflicted with Erythema Multiforme infection till the age of 40. But I was determined not to allow this to affect my plan for cross-cultural mission. As I set off for the mission field, my physical frailty was the farthest thing from my mind.
My first year in the field was fruitful despite North-central Asia being a very challenging country for ministry. I knew that to connect with the people, I had to pick up the local language. So, I attended a formal language class. I was at first a little anxious, but it proved to be an exciting time for me. Throughout, I made new friends and God provided me with many opportunities to witness to the people. This would be the pattern of my ministry as God led me to different people in different situations.
But in March 2019, I was hospitalised because of a viral infection caused by air pollution. North-central Asia is the second most polluted country in the world. I was given an IV injection for one whole week. I was unable to swallow my saliva, let alone food, because my whole body was infected. My team members were troubled by my condition. They asked me, “Do you want to go back to India?” I replied with conviction, “Not at all. I will get better and go home, but not to India.” Even as I said that, I wasn’t sure if I was merely expressing hope or exercising faith. How would it be possible for me to continue serving in my condition? But as I lay on the hospital bed hooked up to the IV tubes, God put a song in my heart,
When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well; it is well, with my soul.
It dawned upon me that God was in control. I trusted in His promise that He would fight against my enemy and turn all my sorrows into joy. I resolved then that I would not stop serving God, not even if I were bedridden. I began seeing North-central Asian patients in my ward as people whom I could minister to. I began sharing the good news with them. I also gave them Bibles and witnessed to the nurses and doctors. God was using my handicapped state to minister to them! If I had not been hospitalised, I would never have met these people nor be given the opportunity to tell them about God. So, while it had been a tough year, it was also a year I saw the hand of the Lord working mightily on my behalf.
On 22 January 2021, I called my North-central Asian language teacher to ask if I could visit her. She was surprised as she knew I could hardly walk because of the inflammation. But what shocked her more was my request that she prepare Tsuivan which was made of flour, meat, sheep tail and some vegetables. Some of the ingredients were toxic for my body. She asked me, “Are you sure? Can you eat that?” I replied cheerfully, “Teacher, yes, I can and there is a story behind that.” It had been years since I ate meat and sweets. They were off limits. I had been able to eat only raw vegetables, salads, and some grains. My teacher was long aware that fruits and rice would inflame my body and joints.
I met her on 27th January and shared that God had healed me. I was now able to eat all kinds of food without worrying about allergic reactions or side effects. In the past, if I had taken even a tiny bite of a banana or swallowed a spoonful of rice, I would have been unable to move. I would also break out in chills. Since my healing, my weight had increased from 39 kg to 48 kg. I took the opportunity to share with her the salvation of God. My testimony opened her eyes to God’s miraculous power because she had personally witnessed my poor state of health. She had accompanied me to the hospital for my medical check-ups. She had seen me taking painful steps and struggling to swallow food when we dined together. In short, she knew exactly how ill I had been.
I gave her a North-central Asian Bible that she never had before. We read Romans 10:9 (NIV) together, “…if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” I was overjoyed when she accepted Jesus Christ as her personal Saviour. Since her conversion, she had personally experienced God’s answer to her prayer for a baby which was itself a miracle. She considered that as God’s greatest blessing for her.
It's been more than four years since my hospitalisation and I have not suffered from any allergic reaction. I’m physically holding up well. I have learnt that our greatest suffering is our greatest testimony. My suffering was a privilege because through it, I was able to share the gospel and testify of God’s goodness. God had brought me through my moment of suffering and turned it into a powerful testimony to bring somebody else through his/her suffering. In no way had my suffering affected my ministry at all. Rather, it enriched it.
A few months after I was healed, a new North-central Asian student joined our Chosen Girl’s Bible Study group. She had been seeking for the truth. At prayer time, we asked if she had any prayer requests. As she started sharing, she broke into tears. It was her first time attending such a group. Oze (not her real name) said, “I’ve been struggling with depression for years, and I’ve tried to commit suicide many times. I don’t want to be around people and when someone asks me about anything I get irritated.” We prayed for her. After the prayer, I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray for her again, to specifically break the stranglehold of 
depression which I strongly felt came from the devil. I asked her, “Can I pray for you again?” She nodded readily. I held her hand and prayed in the name of Jesus to break all the strongholds in her life.
When I went to class the following Monday, she greeted me saying, “Hi teacher, how are you?” I was surprised she recognised me although I was masked up because of the pandemic. I noticed a certain brightness in her eyes and face, so different from the last time I saw her. She went on to say, “Teacher, see you on Friday at the Bible Study.” The girl who didn’t want to be around people and desired to be left alone said that she was coming for the Bible Study! I was taken aback and praised God for working in her life. It was indeed a miracle. She has since been attending our Bible Study which I host in my home.
We now have more than ten girls joining our weekly Bible Study. I’m so blessed to be a part of these beautiful souls and to see them growing together in the Lord, encouraging and inspiring one another through testimonies, prayers and sharing the Word of God. Sometimes their parents persecute or stop them from joining the Open Fellowship, Sunday service and the Bible Study, but they have never given up. I feel so encouraged by them. They have taught me to be strong and stand firm in the Lord despite difficulties and persecutions.
I count it all joy and privilege to spread the Gospel in North-central Asia. I praise God for healing me so that I can continue to make disciples in His name. I thank Him for teaching me to smile even in suffering and say, “It is well with my soul.”