Show Me Yours I’ll Show You Mine.
I didn’t know I would see it, that wasn’t my first intention when I first met those boys. It just happened. I guess I kind of set myself up as I started to get closer to them. Good thing mine is better and can do more.
Malaysia was a month like no other. We were asked to teach English at an undercover Christian program that’s main goal is to change the lives of the students simply by living out a life that looks as close to Jesus as possible. With Malaysia being insanely strict about Muslim laws, it can be highly illegal to share the gospel or even talk about God. So how then is a missionary supposed to lead people to live for Christ if simply saying His name can get you in trouble?
Gowry is the name of a beautiful Indian lady who has three sons, Thanus Rau (12), Kannah Rau (11) and little Vaitheiswara Rau (8). The 4 of them all attended our English classes regularly and were some of our best students. You could tell that Gowry wanted the absolute best for her family and was an amazing mother. Every day they would march into our classroom and everyday we would teach them English. Never would we share about Jesus but we would laugh with them, smile with them and always show them grace and love. Eventually this family began to feel like my own. A love for them was crafted and a new mom and 3 little brothers were gained. It even got to the point where my team and I spent the entire day at the boys Track and Field day. Cheering on our little dudes and being so ridiculously proud when they placed 12th,, 6th and 3rd. We all would pile into their mini van and little Kannah always sat on my lap. (He was totally my favourite) we were one big happy family. Gowry would bring us coffee in thermoses and home made little squares for days that we were out. The boys would ask if they could buy our lunch and insist on getting ice cream after big accomplishments. I straight up loved this family and I know they loved me.
One day Gowry asked if our team would come over to her and her husband’s house for a traditional Indian meal. Now no smart person would ever turn down an offer like this, so we gladly accepted. Now this is the night I saw it. It came as a total shock but there it was, plain as day. When I entered their house an entire wall was completely dedicated to their gods- an alter consisting of incense, pictures, offerings and holy powder. Gowry and her family were extremely dedicated to Hinduism. So the curios me that I am waltzed right up to the altar and started asking Thanus, the oldest, all about his gods and religion. Straight up it was intense. They were so dedicated to serving gods that can do no more than collect dust. So much hard work for a god that can’t even hear you.
My heart broke; I wanted them to know my living God. My God who knows me and loves me. Who hears me when I pray and hurts for me when I hurt. A God whom I so dearly love and want everyone to feel what I have with Him.
Leaving that family was one of the hardest goodbyes of the race. I had to say bye to my mom yet again, and leave my siblings behind…again. ONCE IS ENOUGH! My prayers continued that they would one day come to know the Lord and that I could show them mine- My God.
Well, good news people. Only a few short days after we left, our main ministry contact from Malaysia got a hold of us and told us the greatest news ever. Gowry had called Mrs. Josephine (our contact) expressing that her family so deeply misses my WR team. She continued to explain how there was something so different about us that she had never seen in people before. We were always happy, had a genuine love and always seemed to be “full of life”. She wanted what we had. Mrs. Josephine commenced to explain that we were Christians and the love and joy that she saw was not our own but of the Lord. Gowry being the amazing mother that she is voiced to Mrs. Josephine that she wanted to start taking her boys to church and was ready to peruse a life full of true LIFE! Turns out they will get to see mine after all, my great and powerful, LIVING GOD!
Please keep Gowry, her husband and their 3 sons in your prayers, that they would fully dedicate their lives to living for the one true God. Mr has a high standing in their Hindu community and is very active in his religion. It would really take a miracle for him to step down from his high standing.
As I live life as a world racer it is required to fundraise while on the field. Currently I am $4500 away from being fully funded. Please prayerfully consider donating towards my journey of sharing the gospel and love of Jesus around the world and continue to bring lives to Him.
Thank you. xoxox
