On my trip to Sri Lanka, I visited Rajan in his living room with a team from the Danish European Mission. Outside, darkness and calm had descended on the area and we sat enjoying a cup of steaming tea in his very primitive house. The cozy atmosphere was in stark contrast to the story he was about to tell us.
At the age of seven, Rajan's legs started to rot
At the age of just seven, Rajan contracted a disease that caused his legs to rot from the knee down. It smelled terrible and no one knew what to do. "My friends wouldn't play with me and my own family stayed away because they were afraid of getting infected," he says. Rajan was cut off from school and spent many hours of the day and night alone.
His legs were rotting more and more as time went on. When he was hospitalized, doctors said they feared the disease would spread to the rest of his body. Rajan was isolated for months, and his only constant companions were the flies that swarmed around his oozing wounds. After the doctors tried all kinds of medications and alternative treatments, there was little hope left for Rajan.
Rajan woke up with an unusual feeling in his body
Rajan had an aunt who had come to faith in Jesus. She invited him and the rest of the family to church to fast and pray. Although the church was 22 kilometers away, the family and Rajan had to walk as they couldn't afford transportation. When they arrived, the pastor of the church and five women laid hands on Rajan and prayed for him, but Rajan says they had to stop after a short time because of the stench from his legs. Rajan lay down on the floor at the back of the church with a sack as a sleeping bag and fell into a deep sleep.
After a long time, he woke up and felt an unusual sensation in his body. "Something had left me," he says with a smile. He vaguely remembers in his sleep hearing the women crying out to God. Rajan came out of the sack and his eyes widened at the sight that greeted him. His legs, which had previously been oozing and smelly, had started to heal. Although his leg was still filled with sores, the infection was gone. Over time, the putrefaction gradually disappeared. After a year, he was completely healthy.
Rajan surrendered his life to Jesus and mission at age eight
It changed everything in his life forever. God had intervened and given him back his hope. "I was only eight years old, but I decided to dedicate my life to Jesus and to missions," he says with conviction. He especially caught a fire to bring God's love and hope to children who, like himself, have experienced hardship and hopelessness.
Today, Rajan pastors a church of around 140 members - a big growth from just five when the church started. God has also blessed his work with children. In 2019, the children's ministry peaked with as many as 650 children from the area visiting the church every week.
Experienced physical persecution
With the support of the Danish European Mission's Improvers, Rajan started a poultry business to generate income for the work. Unfortunately, Rajan faced persecution from locals who were opposed to the church and his ministry. So much so that his poultry business was physically destroyed. "They came and tore apart my chicken coop and smashed the playground in front of the church." Rajan says.
"I have no bitterness towards God," he says. "I hold on to the belief that one day we will reach even more children." Despite the hardships, Rajan has kept his faith and certainty of God's calling. He now asks for prayer that the work with the children can be resurrected so that he can once again pass on God's love and hope to the children who, like himself, have experienced hardship and hopelessness.
