Utsang sat atop the bus and ordered the driver to stop. The other passengers stared at Utsang while he shook uncontrollably. Then they jumped to his aid when he tried to kill himself. Something was terribly wrong.
Unexplainable Depression
One year earlier, Utsang had said goodbye to his wife, Sreva, in their remote village and moved to a large city in search of better work. He found a position in the construction industry that paid much better than the hit-or-miss daily labor jobs his tiny village offered, and everything seemed to be going well.
Then a cloud of unexplainable anxiety moved over his mind. Utsang withdrew from others and lived in turmoil. He took medications for severe depression, but his internal darkness only grew. Work became impossible. Self-harm and suicide attempts came next, until finally, Sreva came to bring him home.
While riding the bus together back to their small village, Utsang started quivering and acting strange. He forced the bus to stop, then tried to commit suicide yet again. The only thing Sreva, and the other passengers knew to do was hold Utsang down to prevent him from harming himself.
A Step Toward Healing
Two women riding the bus realized what was happening to Utsang. They approached Sreva and said, “If you allow us, we want to pray for him. We are Christians, and we pray to God when someone is not feeling well.”
These women attended a nearby church led by Gospel for Asia (GFA)-supported pastor Batsal, and their faith set off a chain of miracles in Utsang’s life.
Sreva gave her consent, and the women prayed over Utsang in Jesus’ name, seeking healing and deliverance from his affliction. After 30 minutes of prayer, Utsang calmed down and regained his composure.
The other travelers observed all this and sat shocked by what had transpired. The women shared about the power of Christ and invited Utsang to come to church for more prayer.
Determination Produces Deliverance
Oddly enough, Utsang did not seek more help from Christ right away. First, Utsang visited local witch doctors, but the treatments he tried failed to lift his depression. His fellow villagers grew saddened at his condition and bleak future. Finally, some villagers convinced Utsang to try going to church for more prayer, even though they themselves did not follow Christ. Jesus had helped him on the bus; maybe He would do it again.
Utsang took their advice and started receiving prayer at Pastor Batsal’s church in a neighboring village. But when other villagers saw him attending church, they tried to stop him. They even forbade Utsang and Sreva from entering any home in the community.
Determined to find healing, Utsang and Sreva would not give in to the pressure from their neighbors. Instead, they left their home and moved to Pastor Batsal’s village. The pastor opened his own home to the rejected couple, and they stayed with him for an entire year.
Gradually, God did a great miracle in Utsang’s life. The peace of God vanquished Utsang’s depression and carried Utsang into a life of joy and hope. Utsang and Sreva both started personal relationships with Christ—and after seeing the change in their father, Utsang’s two grown daughters did as well.
Utsang and Sreva now live in their own home. They consistently worship their merciful Deliverer, who used two faithful women on a bus to point Utsang toward healing.
Read the testimony of a man who found God while riding a motorcycle.
