I’m going to present my short testimony about how I changed in Christ through his salvation and eternal life with the abundant of his blessings.
My family was like a beautiful garden of 5 members. I was the youngest among my siblings. I was born in Kalpavrikshya VDC, Fulbari, a small beautiful village in the hills of Sindhuli district in central Nepal. It’s around the year of 2053 B.S. when the country was in a civil war and as my dad was a communist activist, I spent mychildhood in great dismay among the gun-carriers holding the hands of my parents. During the beginning of the maoist’s insurgence, I suffered being homeless. My dad was clever and somewhat rich in our village. So, some maoist came and asked my dad to join the party. He was successful to get a good post in the party as a result of which my house was really like the shelter of Maoists that time. There always used to be crowd of the gun-carriers outside the yard of my house. After sometime, there began the frequent combat between the maoist and the police. There was a great commotion and crying everywhere. The combat was so serious that even the helicopter of armies landed at our village. I still remember, that incident took place at the time of growing paddy that the villagers hid some of us small children in the paddy field for safety.
And then, they burnt down our house. The names of all my family members were included in the black list as a result of which we were obliged to change even our names. And that changed name of mine became my present identity otherwise my real name isn’t ‘ShrawanBomjan’ but ‘Santa BahadurTamang’. In this way, we became underground. We were all living in the jungle escaping from place to place at night when another heart-breaking incident took place. My dad brought a second wife and from that day, the hurricane brought a big split in the garden-like family of mine.
In the meantime, dad left us and fled with his second wife because he was about to be persecuted by the party for he practiced polygamy. Since then, we were devastated. My one elder brother and sister returned to our village and continued in their study but I remained with my mom because I was small.
Later we came to know that our dad’s in Kathmandu calling us there. We also got falsely convinced by him. He assured mom that he had left his second wife and called us there. I and my mom came in the capital but oh no, we suffered greatly.
I entered the Kathmandu city which was very much new to me. I was just 8 yrs old back then and had only studied upto grade-3. There wasn’t any copy or pen at my hand but I used to wander throughout the city selling newspapers. There was no hope for a comfortable life for me. Indeed, I was there always striving through the narrow paths, sighing in silence in search of good shelter where I can have a goodnight sleep.
I can’t mention all the details but here I’m sharing a brief summary of my story. So, after 8 yrs to 16 yrs of my life, I got a good experience of struggle. Generally, everyone knows how it’s like to grow in the footpath or in the slum. My life was no different. I did many works like selling mineral-water in buses, selling peanuts, selling newspapers, being the bus-conductor, working as a labourer in the construction site, washing dishes in hotel, wounding thread in the cotton factory, etc.
My mom used to love me so much. I couldn’t live without her. So, I never left her under any hard circumstances. Kathmandu was really a strange place for us. We had nothing. Even our shelter and food was uncertain. I still remember, my mom had brought a small cooking pot and some utensils but alas !there was nothing to cook into it. There weren’t any kinsmen in this strange place nor did we found any kind or helpful person. I recall those days vividly that we were wandering hungrily for many days and spent many nights with empty stomach.
But after some days, we got a small thatched room on rent and we began to live there. Life was very difficult. We hardly afforded it. We implored the so-called many gods and goddesses to help us during those hard times but they were useless, indeed, how can a stone hear the cry?
So, I was empty. Neither I got a good education nor my economic condition was any good. I thought god was angry with me, so he had confiscated everything I had and gave me all tears and pain. I used to see everyone’s family good and happy but I was there all wandering in the footpath in search of hope.
This’s my reality and truth . To reveal it in front of this world, I dare not hesitate nor feel shy. Actually, I have struggled harder than what I have written here and so today here I’m standing in front of this world.
While working in the construction site, I used to hear some people gathering in one of the rooms awaiting construction, singing beautiful hymns. I wanted to go near the room and hear the song well but I didn’t have the courage. However, one day, I mustered up my courage and went near the room. I was just listening the hymn from outside the door when a person saw and called me to come inside. But I made an excuse that I had work to do. However, the owner of the house himself called me politely-‘o son, do come inside.’ And then I sat hesitatingly. The beautiful hymn-‘oh !friend, do come and hear the true words,it’s for u..foreveryone,either rich or poor, it’s the life’s water. I felt so good because the words of the hymn touched my heart. In this way, I began attending there frequently and gradually I began to strenghthen my relationship with the fellow Christians.
A brother named, Kamal Gurung encouraged me greatly to know about the truth in Christ. Gradually, I began to know the truth in Christ. So, after 5 months of frequent attendance to the church, I accepted Christ as my savior on 2004/2/14. After receiving Christ, the darkness which was in my life began fading away continuously.
Earlier, I was in great despair. So, I even got involved on drug addict. That time what I had that belonged to me was only my filthy body devoted on drugs, vulgar words, barbarism and bad habits because such nasty things are easily and abundantly available to learn in the streets where I grew. I was removing this darkness of my life and was beginning to glow in the light of Jesus Christ. Today by the abundant grace of the Lord, my life has changed miraculously. I can’t give him anything but only thanks for the love he’s shown upon me. Now I say,my life isn’t mine through me but it’s god’s through him only. Thanks be to him who saved a sinner like me drowned in the ocean of sin.
In the beginning, only I was a believer in my family but gradually by god’s grace, after 2yrs, the other members of my family also came into Christ. Now my mom, sister, sister-in-law & her two sons are believers but others aren’t. However, I pray daily for my dad, stepmom, brother, uncles and aunts that they may also know the truth in Christ. Happy news is that god has given really a true peace & ecstasy in my family. There isn’t any splitting or division in my family. My mom & stepmom even have good relationship with each other. They live in village. Sometimes, we visit them and vice versa. Everything now is connected by love and I know that love’s from God. Earlier, I had a deep hatred for my dad. I used to accuse him for all what happened to me but now not more. Christ has tought me to forgive and love everyone. I no longer keep any bitter thoughts against my dad but truly respect him because I know I suffered greatly because of him but because of him only, I came to know Christ. So, now I think what happened to me wasn’t any bad but rather it was good. Who in the world, knowingly welcomes mishaps in his family? The power of darkness that dwelt in my dad had made him to do so. So, now I knew, no one’s guilty but he became guilty or accused because he couldn’t figure out the power of sin. God has reunited my broken family. Thanks be to him. Thank you God !
I got the good things out of the bad things in my life because the god who brought me upto here is the god who makes everything good out of everything bad. I got many blessings which I’m unable to write all in details but assuredly I say I’m now absolutely happy and in peace. Now, this happiness and peace doesn’t mean that’s because I have became rich and earned greatly. Physically, I’m always the same. I’m today as I was yesterday. Physically, I’ve nothing. I still live in shortage but I’m always happy and content because of god’s love. Oh !how so much love god bestows upon me ? Oh !what a transformation in my life ? I’m empty but god makes me feel like being full. There wasn’t any light to remove the darkness in my life but god gave me the light …so, all the darkness were removed.
Friends !the god who removed the darkness in my life also wants to remove yours. Behold friend, he’s looking you and awaiting you. Will you come to him? Remember, time arrives but never waits. Accepting Christ isn’t a religion. Religion is a synonym of kindness. If you show kindness to anyone, then there’s religion but accepting Christ means getting the door of salvation. The door which gives you true life & the door, through which only, you can become the children of the true god.
Friends, I shared my gospel with you. Now, it’s the time you let yourself understand this gospel. It’s my biggest request. It’s only your decision whether to choose him or not. You may be an atheist who don’t worship anything but believe only on your deeds. I was also the same before but it’s the blindness beyond the truth. Now, if the atheist knows what done’s sin but yet he doesn’t understand why he’s a sinner. This ignorance is blindness because atheists forgive their sin themselves but there’s never the true satisfaction. Friends !, how can you say that there’s no god ? when you can know that there’s god by your own nature & qualities. How far you can be an atheist but your inner wisdom has always sought or called god during the time of extreme sufferings or pain. Right ?Why ?Because god’s true and we are sinners. That’s why, Jesus came in this world to save us from this sin. No one but only Christ can prepare a safe place for our eternal soul. So, dear friends, think & ask yourself, where will I go after death ?why am I in this world ? Marks have also said that godliness is what that improves the characters of the one destroyed by the sin. So, friends please come to Christ to improve your characters destroyed by the sin. If you confessed your sin in front of God, you’ll get the certainty for the salvation too. AMEN !!!