Reena will likely never forget the day the terrible news came. Her second child, still growing within her womb, would never meet his father. “Daddy” would become a distant memory in the mind of her 5-year-old firstborn.
The rains that normally brought nourishment to Reena’s community had instead brought devastation. Flooding swept the young mother’s house away, along with all of the other homes in her community. What’s more, the rushing water stole her husband away.
Young Widow Struggles to Care for Children
Reena and her children were out of town when the flood claimed the life of her husband. They escaped death, but suddenly, Reena became a mother without home or husband. She struggled to survive. Reena’s widowed mother welcomed her daughter and grandchildren into her home, but poverty continued to surround Reena’s life. Hoping to find a job to keep herself and her children alive, Reena moved to another village a year later with her mother and children.
Caring Believer Ministers to Women
One Sunday, while Reena and her mother were searching for jobs in their new village, they met a woman who proved to be a godsend. Sarla, a member of the Women’s Fellowship in a church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Hasan, noticed the expressions of hopelessness on the two women’s faces, so she stopped to speak with them.
Reena explained they were searching for jobs but had come across great difficulty because they knew no one in the village. Eager to demonstrate Christ’s love, Sarla offered to help the ladies get jobs in a nearby tea garden. She also told them about the Savior who meant so much to her, and she invited the women to visit a worship service with her.
Widow Finds Peace Despite Difficulties
Reena accepted Sarla’s invitation, and she began attending the local church with her family. The kindness Sarla and the other believers exhibited impressed Reena.
“The believers are so loving, kind and helpful,” she shared. “We had never seen other people loving and caring for us. Really, I could feel and experience the love of God through them.”
As Pastor Hasan and the Women’s Fellowship ladies spoke about the character and love of Christ, Reena and her mother both found profound peace in Jesus and placed their trust in Him. And through Sarla’s help, Reena also acquired a job in the tea garden!
Reena joined the Women’s Fellowship group, growing in her faith alongside the woman who had ministered to her in her time of need and pointed her to Christ.
“Now I am very happy,” Reena rejoiced. “My heart is at peace, even in the midst of all my difficulties.”
Through one woman’s willingness to speak to a hurting woman, Reena found hope and peace that is secure in Christ—no flood can ever steal her Savior’s love from her.
In Asian cultures, women are often the only people who can speak about Christ with other Asian ladies. Read how one woman found courage to face her troubles after meeting a woman missionary.
