When I was 14 years old, I became very sick. My family took me to a witchdoctor to heal me. That witchdoctor told me that in order to get better, I could not go anywhere for 21 days. He said I could not talk to others; I had to stay inside the house and not go outside. The witchdoctor did many other things to make me get better.

As he was doing all of this, I remembered that someone had told me about Jesus and that He wanted to heal all the people. I decided not to take the medicine that the witchdoctor gave me. When I did this, the witchdoctor fell down. For 15 minutes, he lay there unconscious.

So during that time, I thought in my mind and in my heart. I said to the Lord, “Lord, you have that power to heal me and the sick.” From that time, I was healed.

I decided I wanted to sing a song and through that song to proclaim the Gospel of God. In my room, I had a musical instrument that in Tamil is called a chipla. I wanted to learn to play that instrument and to sing songs to God. My brother and my sisters are very well educated, but I couldn’t ask them to teach me a song about God.

That same year, I was very interested in learning more about God since He healed me, so I went to church. I took my instrument. I wanted to study the Gospel very religiously, but I didn’t ask to meet anybody, any educated people. I didn’t take any special training. I went back to my village people, and I sang about the birth of Jesus Christ.

One time 6,000 people gathered around a stage in the village to hear a pastor speak. I wanted to preach the Gospel also. I went to those who were leading the congregation. I asked them, but they wouldn’t give me permission.

I talked to the pastor, and I told him, “You tell the Gospel, but I want to tell my story to these people.” Still he would not let me.

So, I challenged that pastor, “You are going to preach here; I am going to preach outside. The people will either stay here or come to listen to me, and we are going to see.”

He told me that I was born into a very proud family and that I was just talking very proudly. I told that man of God, “I am not like that; I am very interested in preaching the gospel.”

The pastor came to the conclusion to give me 15 minutes to speak. I stood up and shared for three and a half hours. The people were so interested in hearing my words that they could not see the time on the clock. It gave me such great joy!

At the time, that place was not a church, just a gathering of many people. After I spoke, the people gave some offering to me. The total population gave to the offering, but I could not take that offering. I didn’t know how I could spend the money. At the time I was just a girl. So I gave this money to build a church for them.

From then to now I haven’t gone to any seminaries, but through the grace of God, I read the Bible, sing songs and preach the gospel to all the people. Jesus’ power is in me, so I am preaching. Now I am going all over the villages. I go to some houses, I preach and pray in the houses. I am doing God’s ministry through what He has given me; that is my story.

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By Riya*

*Name changed for security purposes.