Gospel for Asia is an organization founded by K.P. Yohannen to support and mobilize local missionaries and aid persecuted Christians in India. Cody and I are supporters of Gospel for Asia. Every 3 months, or so, we receive newsletters with updates. We read story after story of Christians persecuted and martyred for their faith. We read these stories in awe of what these individuals have endured. We are blessed by the faith and courage they have to endure horrible circumstances and rejoice over their triumphs. Coming to India, we had no idea that we would meet and be blessed by someone who had paid the price to serve Christ.
Our first Sunday in our little Indian church, I noticed a woman sitting in the very back who appeared to be blind. I thought maybe she might be here to be prayed over, but she never came forward for prayer. Honestly, I didn’t think about her again. A few days later, we were told we would be traveling 3 hours away to stay with someone who saw us at church and wanted us to visit her and her family.
We found ourselves sitting in the home of this woman. She sat in the corner with sunglasses on to hide her eyes and a head scarf tied tightly around her face. It didn’t seem too weird at first because all Indian women wear head coverings during prayer and church services. But as we got closer to her we realized her face was burned… the head scarf was to cover her scars. But as the afternoon continued, her story unfolded before us. Camilla was raised Hindu and married a Hindu man. They have one child, a son. Camilla was converted to Christianity and began a relationship with Jesus. Her husband was a staunch Hindu and was not pleased with her. One night, Camilla was attacked by a group of men who poured acid on her face and down her neck. The burns were so severe that she lost both her eyes and her face is severely scarred. I looked up to see 2 portraits on the wall. The beautiful face of the woman in the 2 pictures seemed familiar. The woman had a too-familiar “red dot” of a Hindu on her forehead, as well as an expression that seemed trapped… I realized that this beautiful woman was Camilla before the attack. Now, though scarred, she wears a smile and has a joy and peace about her that evident of the Spirit in her. What a transformation!
Since the attack, Camilla’s husband has left her for another woman. Her family has come beside her to take care of her and her son. She hides her face behind sunglasses and head scarves to stop the taunting of people who pass by. Beside Camilla sits her sister who has also accepted Jesus with her children, but her husband remains Hindu. She asked us to pray for her because her husband beats her and their children because of the conversion. Here sit 2 women who have paid the ultimate price to serve Christ.
As we prayed for the family, the Lord gave me a message for Camilla. I was able to tell her that she didn’t need to hide her face anymore. Her scars are beautiful to Jesus. They reveal the love and trust she has in the Lord and it blesses Him. As simple as the message was, it left her in tears and moved her in such a way that she retreated to her bedroom to be alone. But the story doesn’t end here…
In India, the best way to honor or bless a woman is to buy her a new sari. We were invited back to Camilla’s house a few days later because SHE wanted to bless US with beautiful saris… Wow! A couple of us were moved to tears. Here is a woman who has given up so much for Christ. She is a giant in our minds and we are blessed by just her presence. Yet, she wanted to honor us for coming to India to share the love of God. It just amazes me! It is a gift I will NEVER forget and will always hold dear to me.
