SRI LANKA: ‘HE IS MY PROTECTOR’

In a small village in the hills of Sri Lanka, Pabasara—a single mum of two—lives with her children and elderly mother in a tiny house she built herself. Life is tough. They often eat just one meal a day and don’t even have a bathroom.

Things got harder when Pabasara became a Christian. A pastor visited her village and shared the gospel. “He shared the gospel with me,” she says. “I wanted to experience this God.” She started going to church and felt peace, even though her struggles continued. “None of that changed, but I knew all the good that happened was because of the Lord.”

Pabasara proudly put crosses and Bible verses on her door. “He is my protector,” she says.

But her faith came at a cost. Government officials offered her a new house—if she gave up Christianity and returned to Hinduism. “I wanted a better house for my family,” she says, “but I didn’t want to give up on the Lord for some benefits.”

Then a local monk pressured her to leave the church. “Leave the church and the Lord. Come to the temple. You will receive support,” he said. But Pabasara stood firm: “I have chosen the Lord.”

The monk threatened to kick her out of the village. Still, she refused to back down. “I am not going to the temple. I am not taking down these crosses. Jesus is my only provider.”

With your support, Open Doors partners have been able to meet with Pabasara and her family to pray for them and help build a bathroom for their home.

So many believers like Pabasara and her children experience deep pain and exclusion because of their choice to follow Jesus. Your prayers and aid serve to remind them of the unchanging, never-tarnishing hope they have in Jesus.

*Names changed for security reasons