From Begging to Believing
Deeraj lives in a rural village where people farm to survive. He lives with his recently widowed mother and three siblings.
When he was younger, Deeraj would only go to school at lunch time so that he could eat, and then he would disappear before class started again. Unfortunately, because he never went to class, he was kicked out of school.
This left Deeraj alone during the day while his mother worked. He would go door-to-door begging, eventually picking up the habit of stealing money. Many times, Deeraj was beaten up when he was caught stealing. Eventually he got tired of this, so he began accompanying his mother and helping her work. His mother was saddened to see her son as a child laborer, but she didn’t know what else to do.
Then, one day, Deeraj’s mother saw other boys and girls attending the local Children’s Bible Club and talked to the leader about Deeraj.
Following that conversation, Deeraj regularly attended the Bible Club. He enjoyed singing the Christ-centered songs, listening to Bible stories, learning to pray, and playing games. Eventually, his behavior changed, and his mother was delighted!
Deeraj would come home from the Bible Club and share everything with her—especially how loving the other children were. After hearing many Bible stories, Deeraj received Jesus as his Savior!
Now, because of the tutoring offered in the Bible Club, Deeraj is getting ready to attend school. His Bible Club leader’s mentor was so inspired to hear Deeraj’s story that he generously offered to cover the cost of Deeraj’s schooling.
Will you pray that God gives Deeraj the wisdom to pursue his studies? Also, pray for the salvation of Deeraj’s family.
