MY ACCOUNT
Imagine keeping your faith from your spouse. Sneaking off to church while they’re at work, Fearing what would happen if they found out.
That was the reality for Tanima in India.
The 35-year-old mom quietly attended church for seven years in her rural village in eastern India. She even secretly sent her 10-year-old son to the Christian school – where his academics and confidence flourished.
One day a neighbor told Tanima’s husband, Vikram, about how Tanima was sneaking away. Enraged, Vikram confronted Tanima, shouting accusations of betrayal and disrespect to their family’s traditions. He forbade her from going to church and their son from going to school.
“When Vikram found out, he was so angry, I thought he might throw us out. Losing the school broke my heart.”
Once her faith was public, Tanima became an outcast in her community. People mumbled “traitor” under their breath and mocked her for abandoning their ancestral beliefs.
Tanima was shattered.
Yet even in the heartbreak, she clung to hope.
“The village turned against me, laughing and throwing mud. I felt alone, but my Bible kept me going. I read about Jesus forgiving sinners, and I prayed for Vikram’s heart to soften.”
One day, her pastor discreetly handed her a Hindi Bible, concealed in cloth (one of the 15,000 Bibles supplied by our supporters in India). He warned her to keep the Bible hidden.
Tanima read the Bible in private, strengthened by Jesus’s compassion and forgiveness to endure the village’s hostility and her fear of her husband.
The day her husband found her Bible, she feared the outcome.
But what happened next was unexpected.
“God worked a miracle. Vikram started reading, and Jesus touched him.”
Vikram’s encounter with the Bible changed everything for their family.
He started reading the Gospels and recognized the truth in Jesus’ teachings. Moved to tears, he sought forgiveness for his harshness to Tanima. Pastor Anil explained the message of salvation to Vikram, and Vikram’s heart was changed.
“Now, we worship together as a family, and Rohan is back in school. The Bible brought us truth and love,” Tanima says.
Today, the family is unified in their faith and their son thrives again at school, a testament to the power of Scripture.
Thanks to our supporters, 15,000 Bibles were distributed to Christians in India where persecution is most severe.
Tanima received one of those Bibles.
If changing more hearts is a cause you can get behind, please send Bibles to your extended Church family today.
