FROM DARKNESS TO HOPE

by Anita Rai, Member of Vijayee Methodist Church, East Nepal. She graduated from seminary in Kathmandu. Currently serving as a full-time staff at Abhishek Methodist Church, West Nepal.

My name is Anita Rai, and I am from Jarsingh Gaun, Illam. There are three members in my family: my mother, my younger brother, and me. We followed traditional religious practices, but we didn’t fully understand them. All I knew was that we had to worship many gods. If we didn’t, they would become angry, bringing misfortune, illness, and unrest into our home.

Our family struggled financially because my father was an alcoholic. Every day, fights erupted in our house. My mother had to take care of everything on her own. Our situation was so dire that I can hardly bear to think about it now. It felt like living in hell. Not a single day passed without violence. My father would beat my mother, and she lived under constant pressure, having lost all hope.

During that time, a Christian family moved into our village and began sharing the Gospel. My mother, desperate for peace, started attending church. There, she learned that only Jesus Christ could bring salvation, joy, and true peace. Eventually, she accepted Christ, and slowly, the atmosphere in our home began to change. Though my father continued drinking and picking fights, my mother remained calm. She started attending church regularly and encouraged me to join her, but I always refused.

Instead, I spent time with my cousins, whose influence shaped my negative mindset. As a teenager, I was stubborn and wouldn’t listen to anyone. I fell into bad habits—drinking, smoking, and eventually becoming addicted. My mother kept urging me to go to church, but I would dismiss her, asking, “What will happen if I go to church?”

Time passed, and my studies suffered. Then, my father fell seriously ill. Church members came to pray for him, and surprisingly, he allowed it. He was taken to the hospital, but he passed away before receiving treatment. Our family’s situation became even worse. Relatives blamed my mother, saying that her decision to follow Christ had brought misfortune upon us. Instead of offering comfort, they only deepened her sorrow. But the church members stood by us, visiting daily to offer support.

Slowly, I became close to the believers. One of them, my friend Samjhana, invited me to church. The first time I attended, I felt something different. The hymns gave me an unexplainable peace. I started going regularly, and after a month, I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. The day before my decision, I was still smoking and using tobacco. But after accepting Christ, I left all my addictions behind.

Though I was overjoyed, I also felt deep sorrow—my father had died without knowing Jesus. Before he left for the hospital, he told me that he would accept Christ when he returned. That thought weighed heavily on my heart. I often wished he had lived so that our family could have been whole and happy in Christ. But even in my grief, I thanked God. If those painful events hadn’t happened, I might never have found Him.

The love of Christ carried me through the struggles. My pastor continually encouraged and motivated me—to grow spiritually and to focus on my studies. His guidance changed my life. I resumed my education and got involved in church ministry. Seeing the transformation in me and my mother, the believers in my church rejoiced.

Today, I am grateful. God turned my brokenness into something beautiful. He gave me hope, peace, and a new purpose in life.

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