Images: For security reasons, our partner in Sri Lanka has requested that no images are used for this article published on persecutedchristians.dk.
The couple lived in a small, half-finished house while serving in Amapara on the east coast of Sri Lanka. They were poor and owned very little. Their ministry faced threats and opposition. None of these circumstances were unique, and Shiromi knew that many pastors in Sri Lanka faced similar threats. She knew what was on her husband's heart and knew his passion for the Gospel. Perhaps that's why she didn't think twice about her husband's comment.
One night in February 2008, she, her husband Pastor Neil Edirisinghe and their young son prepared to go to bed. As she rocked their son to sleep, Pastor Neil left the house to put his motorcycle, their most valuable possession, in the house for the night.
With the sleeping boy on her arm, Shiromi followed him to the door. She saw a man coming towards the house, but wasn't afraid as she didn't think the stranger posed a threat. Suddenly, the man pointed a rifle at her husband and shot him. He kept firing and the pastor fell to the ground. He then turned to Shiromi, who was desperately trying to protect her young son in her arms. She felt a searing pain as one bullet tore through her stomach and spine. The second bullet hit her arm - and was only centimeters away from hitting her son as well.
Facts: Danish European Mission supports a Bible distribution project in Sri Lanka, where thousands of Bibles in Sinhala and Tamil are distributed to Christians who are so poor that they do not have the means to buy a Bible. By having the opportunity to read the Word, persecuted Christians can be spiritually strengthened, encouraged and their church services and Bible studies enriched.
Shiromi tried desperately to get up but couldn't move. She tried to drag herself to where her husband lay without moving, but her legs were dead. Her son had fallen from her arms and was screaming in fear. She spoke calmly to the terrified child: "Go inside and sleep, my boy." She saw the small figure enter the house and climb into bed. Obedient to his mother, he lay down on the bed.
This is how the neighbors and police found them: Pastor Neil lying in a pool of blood, his wife Shiromi lying not far from him, bleeding profusely, fighting for her life, while the terrified boy lay in bed, helpless and confused, looking at his parents...
Pastor Neil was instantly killed and martyred by people who opposed his ministry. He was laid to rest in Ampara, where he lived and served. Thousands of Christians from all over Sri Lanka attended the funeral, while Shiromi lay in hospital - unconscious - unaware that her husband had been martyred.
Shiromi was seriously injured and remained in a coma for more than a month. The prognosis was not good. Doctors doubted she could regain consciousness. If she did, they were certain she would never walk again.
It's now more than three years since it happened. "God has a purpose for saving my life," says Shiromi. "I want to return to the place where my husband gave his life and continue the work he started for the Lord."
Through the many months of medical treatment, surgery, pain and discouragement, there was one thing Shiromi did not lack, and that was prayer. Thousands of Christians from around the world interceded before the Lord for her healing. Shiromi was overwhelmed by the prayers, love and care from strangers she had never seen or met. "Who am I?" she wondered, echoing the words of King David two thousand years ago, "What is man that you remember,
a human child that you take care of it?"
The fact that Shiromi is alive is a miracle. She hobbles with difficulty, with a bullet lodged in her spine, as it is too dangerous to remove by medical standards. She can't use her arm, which was also torn apart by a bullet. But her faith and devotion to the Lord remains unwavering. She is determined to serve the Lord who saved her life and the life of her son.
When Pastor Neil and Shiromi moved to Ampara, their house had no front door or bathroom. A few weeks before the shooting, their home was set on fire. Yet they did not leave. Even today, there are those who speak ill of and insult her husband's service. Their words are hurtful, but Shiromi stands firm in her decision.
Source: This article was written by the Danish European Mission's partner in Sri Lanka. Parts of it have previously been published in Voice of the Martyrs (Canada) monthly magazine.
