SRI LANKA: ‘I WILL LOOK TO HIM’

Sunisha is a 17-year-old girl living in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan law guarantees religious freedom but believers still face harsh harassment and violence for their faith – especially if they convert from local religions to following Jesus. 

In 2023, Sunisha and her mother heard a local pastor share the gospel and they became believers. Whilst her father did not follow suit, he didn’t oppose their decision.

The hostility they began to face instead came from their neighbours and the village’s religious authorities. Slowly, people stopped talking to Sunisha and her mother, and the village monk threatened them, saying, “You people never came to the temple when you were Buddhists, but now you go to church every day!” 

Regardless, the two women remained steadfast, praying and meeting with other Christians where they could. Over time, the heat of their village’s resentment faded. But persecution would eventually arise from another source. 

A BURNT BIBLE

In 2025, Sunisha fell in love with a young Buddhist man but did not give up her beliefs. He reassured her that he wouldn’t oppose her faith. When Sunisha discovered that she was pregnant, she moved into her partner’s home.

Sunisha kept reading her Bible and praying everyday, but her devotion started to irritate her adopted family. Just two months after she had moved in they began to grumble, saying, “She can’t be reading the Bible and praying every day like this.”  Every time she reached for the Word, her partner would scold her, too. “They were angry with me not only because I read the Bible and pray, but because I do not join in with their Buddhist rituals,” she says.

Then her partner turned violent. She explains, “One day, I was reading my Bible, and he became furious. He burned it right in front of me. I cried so much. I felt like I had died when I saw my Bible burning.” 

And it didn’t stop there. Sunisha faced physical abuse at the hands of her partner whenever she prayed or read Scripture online, and he even stopped providing money for her basic needs. 

Steadfast 

Because of the abuse, Sunisha fled and returned to her mother’s house. Yet, even there, Sunisha and her mother faced persecution. Sunisha’s partner would arrive unexpectedly outside the door to harass them.

Through all this, Sunisha also had a baby – who is now seven months old. The baby is entirely dependent on Sunisha and her mother as Sunisha’s partner refuses to support them.  

Despite all this, the family have seen the hand of God working in their lives. Their local church and Open Doors local partners are supporting them with spiritual and practical help. 

Sunisha remains steadfast, “I made a mistake, but God has given me another chance,” she says. “He will not give me a trial that I cannot bear, so I will look to Him for His providence.” 

*Name changed for security reasons