Pray for Rathna and little Joel and Esther
Praying for Rathna, little Joel and Esther going through a terrible crisis
Quick links to the other parts this week:
Pray for Rathna and little Joel and Esther
Last week, some friends said little Joel and his family were on their hearts and asked me for an update. It’s been harder and harder to keep continuous contact with them as they travel farther and farther away on these jobs. Our volunteers said it would be so hard to find them this time of year, it would take a miracle from God. And spoiler alert—we serve a God who specializes in miracles and leaves the 99 to find the one. We found them, and it was in the middle of a terrible crisis.
Our volunteer took the day off work and called every block and quarry site in the area we thought they had gone to. And he finally found them! Rathna took the phone from the foreman and couldn’t stop crying. She said she didn’t know how to reach him, and she never thought he’d be able to find her. Her husband had just been killed. He borrowed money from some people who became enraged when they learned the names of his kids—Joel and Esther, Christian names. This enraged them, and they beat him and left him for dead. Rathna returned to the job site when it got late, and he still wasn’t home and found him. He was taken to the hospital, but his injuries were too severe. He lived long enough to explain what happened and who did it to him. The men are now in custody.
They were so far away from us, over 10 hours drive. Their tribe had left for work during the pandemic and had kept moving farther and farther each year for different jobs. We got them bus tickets so they could come to us and spent the day trying to find a place to stay. We found a room available and rented it for them for $20 for the month!
Simply finding them was a miracle, and we are so grateful! Please keep praying for them for peace and safety, and for wisdom and guidance for everyone involved in helping them.
We learned that their tribe has scattered, taking different jobs in different places since they left during the pandemic. So Rathna was alone when all this happened. Her sister, Bhagya, and Laxmi, Sara’s mom, are all in different places. We are praying to find them and get their tribe back together.
These three have been through so much. Rathna’s first husband was killed while doing a dangerous job when little Joel was three months old. Joel needed brain surgery to remove a large tumor that was present when he was born, and neighboring tribes told Rathna she had to leave him for dead or it would bring bad luck on her whole tribe. She had the strength to resist the pressure and kept him and loved him. We were so grateful to meet them and be able to arrange the surgery he needed. She then met the husband she just lost and they had little Esther together. My heart is broken for this family. Thank you so much for praying with us for them, for the peace and comfort only God can give, and for wisdom and strength in moving forward. ♥
Quick links to the other parts this week:
Thank you for your love, and your prayers for those we serve around the world! It’s absolutely amazing what happens when we come together and follow the Lord’s leading. I’m beyond grateful for you all!
If you’d like to see more than we can share here, email me for access.
Thank you for keeping us, this ministry, and our outreaches in prayer, and thank you for your support! We couldn’t do any of this without you.
· You can get notified when each post goes live by signing up for our email list.
As always, email or fill out our Contact form with questions, feedback, and suggestions.
God bless you!
♥ Samantha