Sri LankacropPavini, 21, was born and brought up in a small town in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province. She came from a Hindu family that worships ‘hanuman,’ popularly known as the monkey god. Her father worked as an officer-in-charge of the police force in a militant terrorist group that fought against the Sri Lankan army.

“My parents, two sisters, younger brother, and I suffered a lot due to poverty and from the attack of evil spirits,” she shares “We suffered more as we moved from place to place as refugees due to the civil war in 2009. We lost almost everything. After living in a refugee camp for several months, the government allowed us to resettle in our village.”

During those troubled times, a Christian brother, Vasanthan, visited her village. He was a church planter engaged in house-to-house evangelism. “He came with some booklets and asked me to join a Project Philip Bible study in a nearby house. I attended for a couple of weeks and learned the stories of Zacchaeus, the tax collector, and the story of a blind man, Bartimaeus.”

Pavini’s parents were devoutly religious and forbid her from following any other faith. As a growing teenager, she was adamant and opinionated and had difficulty following her parents’ instructions. Her father did not have a stable job. There was no peace at home, no money, and they practiced witchcraft.

“I learned sewing, which helped me to earn some money, but that didn’t work well. But God did a miracle in my life. Brother Vasanthan revisited our home and invited me to join their small Bible study group. This time I succeeded in studying the lessons seriously. The passage that speaks about “the new life that Jesus gives” changed my heart. I repented, and I found peace. God filled my heart with His love and forgave my sins. I committed myself to Christ, and I sensed God’s hand in my life. Vasanthan guided me to take baptism. I pray to God and read the Bible every day,” she says.

Pavini is excited about her new job. She says, “The government started a garment factory in our area, and I found employment in that factory. The training will help me in my work.

“I thank you for Bibles and booklets to my family members and to me. Please pray for the salvation of my family members. They have started to read the Bible.”