Bhagwanti’s Story

As retold by her son Ramesh Chandiramani from Singapore

I am an 87-year-old Sindhi widow. After losing my husband in August 2001, I became lonely, my life seemed meaningless, and my health deteriorated. I gradually lost mobility following hip replacement surgery and required wheelchair assistance. Social activities ceased, and I became home-bound and depressed. Medical check-ups were my only outings.

In December 2008, my condition deteriorated, and I was rushed to the hospital where I passed out. I had suffered several lateral strokes which could have been fatal. My children were devastated, and family living overseas were called home. I lay motionless for some days in the hospital with tubes all over my body, denied of liquids and fed by a nose tube to my stomach. My mouth was totally dry, and my throat had many ulcers.

My one Christian son overseas in Dubai prayed fervently that God would send someone to help me. Elsewhere, in Kuala Lumpur, another son requested his Christian business partner to pray for me. His partner prayed and arranged for some Sindhi Christian ladies to visit me in the hospital.

These ladies came by daily, even as I lay unconscious at times, and prayed for me, sang Sindhi songs, and read from the Bible. While I was conscious during one of their visits, they told me what Jesus had done for them.

I heard for the first time that God's only Son, Jesus Christ, loved and cared for me, that He had come to restore my broken relationship with the Heavenly Father and how Jesus's death on the cross paid for my sins and how His wounds paid for my healing.

I was asked if I would repent, seek His forgiveness, and accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I willingly and readily did. My two Christian sons were overjoyed, believing it to be the result of answered prayer.

I soon began to recover and was moved to the regular ward. No one now spoke of my stroke, paralysis, and loss of function. Only the lung infection remained, requiring more treatment. Yet I struggled and kept insisting on going home against the doctor's wishes. I was being stubborn, instead of surrendering to God. I even challenged Jesus saying, "If He loved me, I would be well and discharged by Christmas." True enough, I was discharged on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 2008.

Alas, I quickly forgot my God. I came home to be my own boss! No Christmas tree, no thanksgiving, just pure self-indulgence. I would ask to go out to festivities and even drank lots of ice-cold drinks. All too soon, I was re-admitted to the hospital with acute chest and lung infections. The tubes were back on me again.

Thankfully, the Sindhi Christian ladies continued to visit me while I was in the hospital. One day, I told them that I had often been hearing a voice repeatedly saying, “Yesu pyar hai, Yesu pyar gaya,” which means “Jesus is love, Jesus loves me.” Initially, I thought it was a song that someone nearby was playing. But it was nothing like that at all. I continued to hear the voice on more occasions repeatedly. I soon realized the voice was God Himself. He was speaking to me! With that realization, I started my faith journey with Jesus, my Lord and Savior.

I began to experience an excitement and joy I had never known before. Incredibly, my physical condition improved markedly, and I wanted to leap off my wheelchair and run! My desire to know more about Jesus grew.

After my hospital discharge in mid-January 2009, the Sindhi Christian ladies asked to start a fellowship group in my home. I eagerly agreed and looked forward to our weekly gathering. One day, a visiting British Indian couple gave me a copy of the Bible in the Hyderabad Sindhi translation. I had never seen one before!

When I started reading the Bible in Sindhi, my faith multiplied manifold. I would read it daily, several times a day, often even ignoring sleep, thoroughly enjoying every moment of my reading, as I felt God speaking to me as I read it.

About one year later, I was baptized in church on December 26, 2009, with my whole family and my friends sharing in my joy. That day, I readily made a public declaration that Jesus Christ was my Lord and Savior.

Now, I thank God the Father for His love and mercy. My greatest desire now is to grow even deeper in Christ, to share His gospel, and to see my children, grandchildren, friends, and loved ones know the love that I have found.