In poverty for Jesus: the resilient faith of a family

Pabasara and her family, including two young children, fight every day to maintain their faith against the opposition they face and the perils of poverty. This Christmas, they need your support to remind them that they are not alone – that ‘the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ (John 1:5).

In the hills of Sri Lanka, many rural villages live out their days in shared ways of life, struggling with little means but living ingrained in their communities and rhythms of Hindu worship. Pabasara* is one of many individuals expected to walk in these patterns of life.

A single mother of two children and living with her own elderly mother, Pabasara carries the weight of providing for her family – a burden which she bears alone after her husband left her. Her children live with their mother and grandma in a small house built by Pabasara herself. It is made up of a bedroom and a kitchen, but no bathroom.

When Pabasara became a Christian, her life only got harder.

The gift of good news

It all started when a pastor visited the village to share the gospel with people. There, he met Pabasara. “He shared the gospel with me,” she recounts. “I wanted to experience this God.”

Soon after, Pabasara began attending church and was drawn in by the life-changing peace she and her family felt. Their poverty remained a burden on their lives, but Pabasara found new strength in the God she had begun to encounter. “There were days we ate only one meal,” she says. “None of that changed, but I knew all the good that happened was because of the Lord.”

To stay silent about her new-found faith was not an option for Pabasara and her family. Unaware of where it would lead them, she placed two wooden crosses and some Bible verses on her doorpost. Like the blood marking the houses of God’s people in the story of the Passover in Exodus, Pabasara joyfully proclaimed her faith for all to see. “He is my protector,” she says.

Faith on the margins

Time passed and government officials came to visit their home. After inspecting the house, they agreed that she qualified for a government housing project. Her family would be rehomed and the harsh conditions of their lives alleviated.

However, it would come at a price: she had to turn from Jesus, back to Hinduism. Remove the crosses, regularly attend the Hindu temple – give up her faith.

As the sole provider for her family, Pabasara’s choice was excruciating. She recalls her response, saying, “I wanted a better house for my family, and I knew I would never be able to build one on my own. But I didn’t want to give up on the Lord for some benefits.”

In the fire

From that moment on, the family began to be pushed to the edges of their community. Whilst other homes were renovated, Pabasara and her small, struggling family were ignored, left to sink further into poverty and humiliation.

And it didn’t stop there. A couple of months later, the local monk visited her family and compelled her to return to the temple: “Leave the church and the Lord. Come to the temple. You will receive support.”

But Pabasara stood firm and replied, “I have chosen the Lord.”

Their dispute quickly escalated into a heated argument. “It is because of these two children that I’ve allowed you to live in this village. But one day, I will chase you out,” the monk declared. Despite the monk’s threats and the uncertainty of their future, Pabasara and her family clung to Jesus.

“I am not going to the temple. I am not taking down these crosses. Jesus is my only provider,” she testifies.

Your support this Christmas

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 precarity for the exclusion they face. Your prayers and aid serve to remind them of the unchanging, never-tarnishing hope they have in Jesus.

*Name changed for security reasons