Faithful until the end in Sri Lanka

Jayanthi* lives alone in a rural village in Eastern Sri Lanka. She’s 70 years old and has three grown children.

But they don’t take care of their mother at all. Why?

Because she’s a Christian.

Open Doors partners heard about Jayanthi’s situation from a pastor her area. She traveled a distance to get to church as she lives in a remove village.

“She is old,” the pastor said. “She comes to church once a month, but her love for the Lord is great.”

Our Open Doors partners decided to visit Jayanthi to encourage her and ask how the ministry could support her and strengthen her faith. As they approached the village, they stopped the vehicle by a narrow road and met Jayanthi, who was waiting by a small rowboat. They had to cross a little lake to get to Jayanthi’s house. “The road to my house is flooded these days,” she told them.

Jayanthi’s little house was located in an area prone to wild elephant attacks. A part of her wall was already damaged. The house only had one room and a kitchen area, unfinished floors and clay walls.

Jayanthi explained that her children had completely rejected her. This had begun about seven years ago, when a local Buddhist monk began supporting the villagers by building houses for everyone. She and her children were Christians, but that changed quickly.

“The monk told us that only if we renounce our faith and become Buddhist, we will get houses,” she says. “All my children became Buddhist at once and got houses built for themselves.”

Although Jayanthi needed a house, she refused to give up on the Lord. Not only did she lose her chance of getting a house, but from that day onward, she did not receive any aid from the village temple.

“The Lord will provide for me. I don’t need support from them,” Jayanthi said.

The hardest part was when her children rejected her. “They tell me to become Buddhist, and only then they would look after me,” Jayanthi said. They do not even give her food.

“Even to this day, the villagers scold me for holding on to the Lord and rejecting the housing support project,” she said.

Throughout all the hardships that Jayanthi has faced for more than seven years, she has looked upon God for His providence and help.

When Open Doors partners heard her story, they decided to help. Thanks to your gifts and prayers, they were able to support Jayanthi in renovating her house. The project took over a month. Some Open Doors partners even spent time in the rural village until the renovation was complete.

“Even when my children did not help, I thank the Lord for this great support,” Jayanthi says. Her life has now become an example to everyone, a light to show her children, neighbors and the village that the Lord will provide.