Their heartache had festered into bitterness. “We don’t need any god! We’ve given up on God,” they shouted when EHC workers in Sri Lanka visited their dilapidated home.
“God never helped us!” they cried, clearly angered by the mention of Him.
The pioneer missionaries listened patiently, waiting for the elderly couple’s anger to subside. For decades, civil war had rocked the nation of Sri Lanka, and the suffering for many had been great. For this couple, it had been more than they could bear.
When the EHC workers finally spoke, it was with love and compassion. “We didn’t come to talk about religion, but to tell you about a person who understands your pain and will wipe away your tears.”
Caught off guard by such kindness, the couple’s anger instantly melted into tears. In between sobs, they told their tragic story.
“We had two sons and one daughter, all married. Together, they gave us seven grandchildren.” Choking on their tears, it was some time before they could continue.
The Sri Lankan army had come through the area forcing everyone to leave their possessions behind and go with them. The bombing was getting closer, making evacuation mandatory.
As they frantically hurried to escape, deafening noise and shells dropping around them stopped them in their tracks. The next thing they knew, the elderly couple was looking at their entire family – children and grandchildren – lying in a pool of blood.
“We were not allowed to stop,” they sobbed. “They forced us to keep moving.”
As the pioneer missionaries quietly listened to their story, they wept with them over their devastating loss. Then they shared about the love of Jesus, forgiveness and the One who sees their pain.
Clearly exhausted by grief, the two whispered, almost in unison, “We want that.” With that invitation, the EHC workers prayed with them, asking God for His healing touch on their broken lives – and a miraculous healing began.
Millions of people around the world, like this family, desperately need the God who sees their pain.
Please pray for the love of Christ to continue to reach them. Please pray also for the pioneer missionaries and thousands of volunteers who currently serve with EHC in more than 100 nations worldwide.
The vision of EHC is to reach everyone, everywhere, with the message and influence of the Gospel. Established in Canada in 1946, this ministry has taken the Good News of Jesus to over 1.5 billion homes in 216 nations and reaped a harvest of over 140 million people who have written to express their desire to know Christ.