(lives lived taking simple steps of ordinary faith)
Glory and honour and power belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and to Him alone. When we say that He provided for all of our needs, it is not because we deserve His mercy, not because we have a greater level of commitment, not even because we serve Him—but because of Him being Him—Him whose nature does not contradict what He says He is. He is Jehovah Jireh—the Lord who provides.
I was born into a fairly middle-class family, and my parents sought to provide me with all that I needed. I was taught the meaning of salvation and what it means to believe in the Cross of Christ and His finished work that grants my salvation. I was in Class 3 when I accepted the Lord as my personal Savior and Lord. “Faith” to me wasn’t a far-away concept, but an ever-present reality that was taught to me by my parents. I watched them give, give, and give to the le Lord, to the people of God, and to those who would be in want—believer and unbeliever alike—not because they had abundance but because of the love for the Lord and His work, and yet I hadn’t experienced a true “faith walk” personally.
It was only after I was married to Anji that I had true experiences of what it meant to walk by faith. Here below are a few examples of how the Lord proved Himself that He is JEHOVAH JIREH.
The Rice Miracle
This was in our earlier days when we lived in a place called Haldwani and Bhimtal. The Lord revealed to us that He has placed a special call of hospitality and mentoring youngsters over our lives. We hosted young people in our first year of marriage, and we would run short of money to feed them many times. I have run to my bedroom, shut the bedroom door, and cried in desperation saying, “Where is the God of Elijah?” and lo and behold, in a few hours, God would provide us with money or things at our home.
I confess that I have very little faith when compared to my husband, Anji. He walked by faith, professed by faith, and very plainly told me, “Don’t you worry, God will provide.” My deeper questions still remained as to how He would provide, what His sources were, etc. Our strong decision early in marriage was never to make our needs known, either directly or indirectly, to people. We decided to depend wholly on the Lord alone.
Once, while in Bhimtal, we had nothing at home to cook—no onions, no tomatoes, no rice, no dal. I was worked up on what we would do. My husband, as usual, was as cool as you could possibly be, saying, “God will provide.” Surprisingly, for two consecutive days, a family called us for breakfast and dinner. We gladly accepted and ate well, knowing full well that we might not be able to eat our next meal at home.
When we had just started our car to return home that night after dinner, this family kept a small bag in our boot. We were seated in front, and we had no idea what it was until we had reached home. We came home and saw that they had kept 2 kg of rice, a little dal, two onions, and two tomatoes that would suffice for four days or so. They had also kept a ₹500 note. As I looked at it, my eyes teared up, and as I looked into Anji’s eyes, I saw the same. We thanked the Lord and called them to thank them.
The next day, we had invited this couple home to dine with us. The wife, Mrs. Esther, saw the rice dappa and asked me, “Where did you get this rice from? Did you buy some today?” I replied, “No, Didi, you only gave it to us last night.” She said the most remarkable words that left me dumbfounded: “I had just given you 2 kg, but you seem to be having more than 6–7 kg.” I was lost for words. Does the Lord still multiply rice like He multiplied bread and fish? I wept, and so did she. We hugged and were grateful to God for that miracle. Glory to Him alone.
The Vegetable Miracle
There was another time when we had no vegetables at home and no finances to buy vegetables. As afore-told, we made our needs known to no man except the Lord. Our first priority was to fill our car with a full tank of petrol; our personal needs came secondary. This was done so that traveling and meeting people would be our priority.
I kept telling Anji that we didn’t have vegetables, and he chose to keep silent about finances, saying that the Lord would provide. We had gone to a place called Kichha and reached back at around 9 p.m. We were surprised to see a big packet full of fresh vegetables at our doorstep. Again, we were flabbergasted. We had no idea who had kept it there.
We left it at our doorstep and managed the next two days without vegetables. On the third day, the packet was still there, so we started using the vegetables, believing that the Lord had provided it for us as a miracle. On the tenth day, our watchman’s wife came to us and said that she had kept a few vegetables from her garden at our doorstep. She didn’t know us personally except for daily greetings. We asked her, “What made you keep those vegetables at our doorstep?” She plainly replied, “I felt like giving you, and so I gave.” We thanked her and the Lord profusely. How beautifully He uses unbelievers to meet even our tiny needs! Amazing God.
The Gas Miracle
We remember it being the month of May. We had less money to buy a gas cylinder, and we had used the gas cylinder for around three months or so. We kept having endless guests at Bhimtal from various places, and we kept having students who stayed with us also.
On this fine sunny day, we had around ten people at home for lunch, and the gas was over. I had started cooking, and I literally went from being anxious to becoming sweaty in that cold climate. Anji, my husband, had gone out, and I called him over the phone. He rushed back, turned the cylinder upside down, and tried doing some stuff. We had people sitting in the living room all this while, and then he said, “Let’s pray.”
My eyes widened at that statement, but we sincerely prayed, saying to the Lord that we were in a broke situation and needed a miracle. After prayer, he kept the cylinder in its place and lit the gas stove. Lo and behold, the Lord filled it with gas. Unbelievable? Yes! But He did it again, and this time we used the same cylinder for two months with lots of cooking in the kitchen, hosting people, Bible studies, and His presence filling every corner of the home. The Lord kept insisting that we need to pour out and keep giving even when we have very little. All glory to Him who is alive and who provides.
The Provision Miracle
My husband Anji had once mistakenly poured hot water on his legs while taking steam inhalation, and he was on bed rest for around one and a half months. We had no one to help us with errands, as I had to take him to the bathroom and do the dressing for him every time. He couldn’t stand or walk. It was during these days that there was one Mr. Rajesh, an unbelieving scientist with whom we had shared the gospel many times. He came with 15 kg of rice and filled our fridge with provisions, fruits, and vegetables. We had another family friend who stayed very close to our home. Mr. Rajesh Lal and family , they were like our own family, they cared for us, sent cooked meals for us . I still remember the delicious dish that aunty used to make and send across- bittergoard with pork. Rajesh bhaiya visited us every single day during those days and helped us cope emotionally.
By the third year of marriage, I knew how God provides. My anxiety levels came down even when I saw the bank balance come to two-digit numbers. It is beautiful to walk by faith and not by sight. Giving our all—even if it meant us having less—was a beautiful experience of seeing God perform miracle after miracle in our lives and strengthening our faith in Christ.
Petrol Miracle
We were travelling after a night visit from a place called Rudrapur to a place called Haldwani. As we started our journey from Rudrapur, it began raining heavily. We had a Chetak scooty with us, handed down by our dear Bro. Thomas Anthony. Anji checked the petrol tank and told me that there was very little petrol and that we would need to fill the tank, and that we could travel around 10 km or so.
We searched for a petrol station on the way, but we couldn’t find any, and so we kept driving. We were soaking wet, and it was very cold. We entered a jungle area and travelled around 20 km through it. Throughout the way, I hugged Anji from behind to keep him warm, and we prayed out loud. We asked God to fill our petrol tank. We told Him, “Lord, we went to serve You, and we have searched for petrol bunks. We didn’t find any. Now it’s Your turn. Our human efforts are useless, and we want You to show us a petrol station or create a petrol station or fill the petrol tank.”
After travelling 20 km in that condition, we reached a petrol station, and when Anji opened the petrol lid, more than half the tank was full. A miracle again! I am in tears as I write this. God heard our prayers and (I felt stupid as we prayed that way—to fill our tank) and answered them. Amen. Hallelujah!
Our Blue Alto
Our Bajaj Chetak scooty served its purpose for a long time, and we used to travel more than 100 km one way to take Bible studies and then return another 100 km. My back hurt a lot due to long travels in the hills and plains in pioneering places, and so we started praying for a second-hand bike.
From praying for a second-hand bike, well-meaning people who loved us asked us to pray for a second-hand car instead. We seriously prayed for two weeks for a second-hand car. Meanwhile, a church group that knew we were serving the Lord gave us a gift of ₹1 lakh. We immediately thought of buying a Nano, which was released during that period. Meanwhile, my parents had sold a piece of land that my dad owned and handed down ₹2 lakh to each of his children.
It seemed like the Lord was working fast, working beyond our ability to think. We had never had such amounts in our bank account, and it all came at a time of dire need. The Lord’s thoughts for us were an Alto 800, but our thoughts for ourselves were a second-hand car. We repented of our little faith in God and went forward, emptying our bank accounts to buy an Alto 800.
That car—I am lost for words—was a blessing. Many accepted the Lord in that car. Many tears were shed with a burden for Uttarakhand from that car. Many meaningful conversations happened in that car. Many miracles were witnessed in that car. More than 12 people sat in a five-seater car, and much more than I can express.
The Lord said He would provide, and He surely did—beyond what we had ever imagined. We never, in our wildest dreams, thought that we would own a car, but we did. We dedicated the car to the Lord and for the Lord, promising Him that we would use it only for His purposes, and He enabled us to do the same. We weren’t bothered about the wear and tear of the car, the roughness of the roads, or the landslides we passed through many times. This was because we knew that the car didn’t belong to us but belonged to the Lord alone. All glory to the Lord alone.
Sowing Bountifully and Reaping Bountifully
With the monthly salary we received during the initial days of our marriage, we hardly had any savings. The thought of saving never crossed our minds, as there were many expenses and the needs of the ministry involved sacrificial service and giving, as it is in every ministry. Indigenous mission organizations do not receive funds from abroad, and it was important to us as a family not to claim money from the organization for various things, though we were legally entitled to do so.
During one of those early years, a close family friend of ours (Dr. Biju) gave us ₹2,000 every month. It turned out to be a great blessing. We saved that ₹2,000 every month and put it into a post office saving scheme. At the end of five years, with interest, we received around ₹1,50,000. Just having such a huge sum in our post office account thrilled us. This was our one and only saving at the end of five years.
During this time, one of our believing students, who was not from a well-off background and was very keen on studying and building a career, was in dire need of her college fees. The need was exactly ₹1,50,000. We knew the need, though she hadn’t openly shared it with us. We spoke to her about it and promised to pray earnestly.
Even as we started praying, the Lord put it strongly in both our hearts—a strong inner voice that said, “What are you doing with the post office money that you have saved?” We looked at each other, both knowing it was the Lord’s voice, and we unanimously agreed to give the full amount to her. We praise God that she was able to pay the fees and complete her studies with flying colours. The Lord told us that we should never expect that money back, and we never did.
In August 2024, we were again in need of finances for house construction at Andhra—a small two-room house. We were not in a hurry to finish it, as we knew ministry needs were our priority. Suddenly, this student, now working in a company, called us and transferred the full amount of ₹1,50,000 back to us. It met the needs of the house construction, especially flooring and painting expenses.
The Lord helped us realise that sowing sparingly results in reaping sparingly, and sowing bountifully results in reaping bountifully—in provision, relationships, and many other aspects. This slowly became our practice: save to give away for the needs of others, not to live a luxurious life.
Our Transition and the Gas Stove Miracle
Leaving one region and going to another region was the most painful thing for us to do. As we got into our car, students wept, and we did too. I cried until I reached Kashipur (almost three and a half hours of crying). Every place brought back sweet memories of ministry experiences, and more than ministry, it was the people that we had loved and poured our lives into.
We left with ₹500 in hand, nothing else to survive on. Our student, Shanti, travelled with us from Bhimtal to Dehradun, a seven-hour journey by car. She knew that we had just ₹500 in our hands. We arrived at ISBT with our luggage. The place was unkempt and not cleared for us to arrive and settle. We were exhausted and didn’t have a clue how or where to start.
We prayed as we entered, and Anji went to buy biryani packets for us to have lunch at around 4 p.m. with the amount that we had. I entered the kitchen; there was no stove, cockroaches all over the place, and my immediate reaction was to clean. Shanti, our then student, and I started cleaning the place, not knowing what we would eat for the next meal.
At around 6:30 p.m., our close ministry partner, Mr. Sony Farmer, entered our home from his college work at UPES. The place was in a total mess. He knew nothing about our financial situation, which we chose never to share with anyone. He said, “Come, get into my car.” We revealed nothing to him.
Bhaiya took us to his home, and we all had a warm bath there. Shanti and I were given Stuti’s (Mr. Sony Farmer’s daughter) clothes to wear. I cried in their bathroom for the first time in Dehradun. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I silently spoke to the Lord. I said, “Lord, You brought us; now You prove Yourself in this place.”
Sony bhaiya went upstairs and brought down a gas stove (the one gifted by him to his wife for their first wedding anniversary) and gave it to us with the gas regulator and gas cylinder. I swallowed hard and cried within. Sony bhaiya’s mom sweetly brought us a few vessels to cook. That was enough.
We thanked the Lord and got into our car. As we were driving away from his home, bhaiya came running and handed a gift into Anji’s hands. This was unexpected and remarkable. I looked at Anji, controlling my tears. We thanked him profusely, and as we drove away, we opened the gift envelope. It had ₹4,000. We cried and thanked the Lord together.
The next day, we went to the grocery store, finished our shopping, and started cooking for the first time in Dehradun. This was a turning point in Shanti’s life, and her faith increased as she watched Jesus provide our needs. That stove was a blessing, and the groceries bought from the first gift in Dehradun fed many people. The very next day, we had around ten people at home to host, and He provided it all.
We had prayed over the stove that it would serve many, and it still does. That miracle stove is placed in the UKEGF office, and for us, it is a reminder of His miraculous provision. He did it again. Glory to God alone.
Dining Table Miracle
We had comfortably settled in Dehradun and were enjoying our time of fellowship together. We had a couple of needy students staying with us, and the Lord beautifully provided for all our needs as one big family. Family prayer, Bible studies, and fellowships were part of our everyday lives. Living and being Christian was more important than being a talking and preaching Christian.
One day, while I was reading Scripture—Psalm 23, “Thou shalt prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”—my thoughts wandered from the context to the thought of a dining table. I never asked the Lord for a dining table; the thought just crossed my mind: “Oh, how good it will be if we have a dining table and have it full of a variety of food to be served.” That’s it. I shoved it off my mind and continued my quiet time.
It was mid-day when Anji received a call from our close ministry partner, Mr. Salil Sahu. He said that they had bought a new dining table and wanted to give the old one to us. I was surprised and wondered if I had voiced out my thoughts. No, I hadn’t. Psalm 145:19 says He will fulfill the desire of your heart—not only what you voice out, but even what goes on in your thoughts.
At around 3 p.m., Sahu bhaiya came with a mini truck and delivered the dining table to us. Most Zoom meetings and training sessions happened from that table. We thanked the Lord and thanked him as well. That dining table has truly held loads of food, seated loads of people, and around it, some of the most meaningful conversations have happened. That was His provision again. All glory to God.
The Miracle of Our Home
A family very close to us, not just as ministry partners but as close family friends, gave their duplex home to be used for the ministry. It was a wonderful experience staying there. That home became a blessing to many people. It surprised us that the owners chose to stay in a rented apartment and gave the fullness of their home to us to experience His goodness.
They had extravagantly spent on three geysers (Havells—25 litres each) and fans (Havells) for the home. Only once every four days did we receive water supply from the public tap. We wondered how that water would suffice, as we would host more than seven people per night, and for full-day programs, we sometimes exceeded 55 people at home. Neighbours called for water tankers to fill their underground tanks.
The Lord enabled us to pray, pray, and pray, and He gave us an abundance of water for hosting and programs. It felt like the Old Testament story of Moses repeated before our eyes—God providing water from the rock that never ran dry.
When we first saw the upstairs portion, it looked very small. We wondered how we would manage hosting people, but miraculously, the Lord seemed to expand the walls. Suddenly, the house no longer felt small. I remember hosting 17 people upstairs and over 15 downstairs. It appeared that we always had enough blankets, bedsheets, and pillows.
I still do not know how the Lord did it, but He did, proving His faithfulness again and again. Despite hosting many people, I don’t recall arguments over bathrooms or resources. The provision of God extended to every corner of the home. There was joy, peace, sounds of worship, peals of laughter, deep conviction over sin, repentance, and salvation of many students. It was not us; it was the Lord. Neighbours from other faiths witnessed lives entering and leaving our home with fullness of joy.
The Miracle of a Month of Meals
It was in the month of March of the year 2023. Our mission organization was going through a shortfall of finances and couldn’t close the financial year without a deficit. The deficit, as much as I can recall, was close to a crore of rupees. Every day, we would receive messages to pray that the need would be met by the Lord.
There was one day when we were sincerely praying, and the Lord put it in Anji’s heart to forego his salary and contribute it towards the deficit of UESI. He came to me and said that he wanted to give it to the Lord, and I agreed. The very next day, as we were again praying together for the deficit of our organization, the Lord put it strongly in my heart: Anji has decided to give away his salary—what about yours? Why do you hold it back?
I staggered at that impression in my heart. I shared it with my husband, and he was straightforward: “If the Lord is asking you to give it away, don’t hold on to it.” I thought through it, and a thousand thoughts ran through my mind. We had three students from three countries staying at our home then, and I wondered how we would manage groceries, rent, hosting, and programs at home. Many things were lined up.
It was difficult to obey, but we chose to obey, giving away both of our salaries to the organization that we loved so dearly. As we gave it away, the Lord filled us with a sense of divine peace. The miracle that followed was beyond our understanding. For the next 30 days, we never ran out of grocery supplies, and the Lord fed us with non-vegetarian meals every day.
I guess it was His way of saying, “It is not your salary that is sustaining you; it is I, the Great I AM.” We learned our lesson not to hold back. The Lord taught us to have a loose hold on all our belongings, knowing that nothing belonged to us, but that it all belonged to the One who provides. It wasn’t monthly tithing, offering, or giving away to others that pleased the Lord. Surrendering every bit of ourselves and holding back nothing was the key to peace and fulfillment in Christ.
The miracle of the provision of milk
Anji had gone for prayer walk with his colleagues and I was at home with around 7-8 students. I don’t quite remember the number and these students were staying with us. On that particular evening, there was a Bible study and there was no milk to offer tea to the students. I went into the bedroom, kneeled beside my bed and asked the Lord to give me guidance. I got up from there and went into the kitchen to prepare black tea for all and provide for the students. Lo and behold- Ayushi, one of our dear students- had brought 3 packets of Amul tetra pack milk that would last many days. I thanked the Lord profusely and thanked her as well for it. The Lord had done it again
The Washing Machine Miracle
Our washing machine was almost 11 years old after we bought it and was giving a lot of trouble. We had loads of clothes to wash—not only ours, but also clothes from those who came from hostels or stayed with us. Bedsheets and pillow covers after camp usage formed a huge stack of laundry.
We didn’t have the finances and couldn’t even think of buying a washing machine. Anji and I went to the laundry room downstairs, and Anji kept his hands on the washing machine and prayed that the Lord would make it work again. The thought struck my mind that we would need a new washing machine. Even as I was thinking this while praying, Anji switched it on, and it worked again.
It worked and worked and is still working, and it never stopped. It has now been gifted to a dear friend of ours. The machine is close to 14 years old and has never needed repair. Meanwhile, from above, the Lord read my thoughts, I guess. A beautiful couple residing in Mussoorie , who were also friends and ministry partners, offered to give us their washing machine, which was around three years old. They had received a job in Hong Kong and wanted to give it away to us—a front-load, fully automatic machine—which we had not asked for.
Praise God for His provision. In everything the Lord provided for us, there was absolutely no asking involved—no subtle prayer points sent for needs. It was fully the Lord and the Lord alone who provided.
Ministry Needs and His Provision
Most of the needs of the ministry were met through two simple principles: taking small steps of faith and persistent prayer. As it is said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s resources.”
The biblical principle the Lord taught us to follow was to keep our personal lives in check every time there was a lack of resources. The Lord would stir our hearts to ask questions such as: Did we sin in any way? Was there a wrong motive in our hearts? Did we give from our own resources? Do we need to forego something to meet the needs of the ministry? Is there more dependence on man that steals the glory that belongs to the Lord? What can I personally do to meet the needs? How can I stir people’s hearts by showing the needs of the ministry and lives changed?
These were constant questions running through our minds that helped us reflect on strategies and means.
I remember when we needed mattresses, pillows, bedsheets, etc., for camps. The Lord enabled us to pray, and He provided everything in a short period of time. When Anji prayed for a colour printer, UPS, paper, stationery, cartridges, speakers, mikes, and four projectors for the whole state, I wondered how such costly items—amounting to more than four lakh rupees—would be provided.
We must acknowledge our dear ministry partners who graciously contributed to these needs. We received every one of them for use at the office. Never was an explicit need made known to any individual asking them to give. It was the Lord who provided it all. There was no shortfall in salaries. He did it month after month as the team clung to Him alone in faith.
Receiving three projectors for four regions was a close-to-impossible prayer, but the Lord supplied new ones to all four regions. We even prayed for a keyboard, and a dear friend gifted one for ministry use at the office. What a glorious God we serve. All glory and honour belong to the Lord alone.
Another Aspect of Meeting Ministry Needs
Another aspect of meeting ministry needs was to personally give towards the needs of the ministry. It is always expected of working people to give. Why shouldn’t full-time workers give towards the need? This was something that constantly echoed in our hearts. There were hardly times when we differentiated personal needs from ministry needs. It somehow worked together for us.
Our travel allowance and communication allowance would always be high due to extensive travel around the state, so we both decided not to claim our travel expenses. The Lord gave us the courage and inner strength to take the strong decision of not claiming travel allowance and communication expenses for four and a half years—not because someone was exclusively supporting our travel, but because the Lord asked us to sacrificially make provision so that our colleagues and fellow partners could receive their salaries on time.
When things became tough for us, we chose to remain faithful, and the Lord opened beautiful avenues to provide for our needs. We never stopped travelling, as the miracles of petrol continued. We want to reiterate that we seek to glorify the Lord alone through all these testimonies. Stealing the glory that belongs to the Lord brings punishment on us. There is nothing good in us that we should be seeing miracles like this every day. He is an amazing God. Glory and honour belong to Him alone
Covid Provision
Initially, five students and one graduate were stuck in our home when they had come to spend their holidays with us just before the lockdown. Later, Venishia and Iba, studying at Pantnagar University, were able to catch the last flight to Shillong before the total lockdown. They stayed for around 10–15 days (I don’t quite remember).
The rest of the students—Namrata and Shanti from Bhimtal, and Neidy from Mozambique, who was studying in India then—along with Mr. Royal, a friend of ours, were stuck at our home due to the Covid lockdown. We were around six to seven people at home for about four and a half months.
The Lord chose to supply all our needs while we stayed together. It was a time of intense, close-knit fellowship, and the Lord taught us much from the Book of Nehemiah and the Book of Exodus. We did close to two to three hours of Bible study every day. There were many friends who had Covid, and we kept them at our home and took care of their needs during this period.
The Lord taught us to look outward and provide for the needs of others as well. Our co-workers’ family also stayed with us for a period of time (I am not sure whether it was one month or two). The Lord supplied every need, and it seemed as though He was multiplying our resources to serve others who stayed with us. I am not able to fully recall how many people were hosted during Covid, in a time when no one was willing to host anyone.
Provision of Rice Sacks
During the Covid period, Mr. Denzil from IIT Roorkee was diagnosed with Covid and had to be in isolation for a period of time (14 days, I think—I don’t remember clearly). We already had around seven people at home, and we were running short of rice for meals. We kept praying that the Lord would supply all our needs.
On one particular day, Mr. Sony Farmer came from behind our home and read a Bible verse and prayed for Bro. Denzil through the window sill, loud and clear. We were greatly encouraged by this act, as no one would come to meet in person during the Covid season.
On the same day, he brought a 25 kg sack of Basmati rice on his Bullet and dropped it near the gate. We greeted him from upstairs, and later he left. We felt like an angel had come and dropped a sack of rice at our home. It was His provision again when our stores were almost empty.
All our lives, we had never bought Basmati rice—a costlier and better quality rice—because we never had the resources to do so. But when the Lord supplied, He chose to supply nothing less than the best. That was one of God’s most beautiful times of provision—a time of total clinging, total leaning, and total dependence on the Savior, who orchestrates and stirs the hearts of people to provide for our needs without the slightest of our foreknowledge. Grateful again to God and to Sony bhaiya.
Another Provision of Rice
There was another unforgettable moment when one of our ministry partners invited us to his home in Dehradun. They were close family friends, and we were quite busy during that period, travelling extensively for the ministry. Again, we were running short of grocery supplies, and as continued to be our principle, we made our needs known to no one and kept trusting the Lord.
At that time, we had many students at home—not only to host, but to mentor closely. The Lord was working in their lives, and we witnessed real change and salvation being wrought in their hearts—not through camps, but through simple conversations on our sofa. We were overjoyed at the work of the Lord in their inner lives, and we could not afford to keep their stomachs empty. It was fine for us to forego food, but feeding students and people at home, along with meaningful conversations around meals, was a priority.
During this time, Ravi bhaiya invited us to his home and gave us two packets of 25 kg rice. As Anji placed the sacks in the car, I cried within myself and thanked the Lord for His goodness in our lives. Grateful to God for these beautiful incidences that He granted us to keep going with faith and trust in Him alone. The Lord had provided again.
The Month of Scarcity That Turned into a Month of Plenty
We again had around five students staying with us for a period of one year. It was a challenge to take care of the personal needs of each of them. These students did not come from families that could afford living costs. No demands were made on anyone for their stay, and no texts were sent to raise finances for their accommodation or stay. Our only Sponsor was our heavenly Father, who without a shadow of doubt sees through and knows our every need.
Many who visited us would ask how we were managing our finances, and our only answer had been that God has been providing, and He would continue to provide for our needs. In actuality, we ourselves had no idea how the Lord would provide, but He did.
In 2023 again, our grocery store was running low. Oil, snacks, salt, sugar, milk—almost everything was over. We were on dal and rice for many days. For almost a week, we hadn’t shared this with the students staying with us. At the end of the week, during our family prayers, it was shared, and we prayed over it together.
I was almost at my breaking point and exhausted from dealing with issues in the ministry, financial constraints, and our own personal problems. It was at this time that I received a message that ₹50,000 had been deposited into my bank account. I checked and rechecked, as I couldn’t believe my eyes. I had received no phone call or text; the amount had simply been credited.
We rushed to the grocery store at Premnagar and bought groceries for three months—cartloads full of items that would last at least three full months. We spent more than half of that amount on groceries alone. Only after a few days did we receive a message that a church group outside Uttarakhand, whom we knew personally, had been praying for us regularly and had unanimously decided to send this amount for our personal needs.
This church had no idea that we were in need, hosting students, or involved in student ministry. They had no idea of our ministry pattern, but the Lord stirred their hearts, and they gave. That month was a month of abundance and not scarcity. Programs, retreats, and meetings were conducted at our home, and we gladly spent from our pockets till the last penny, not holding anything back for ourselves. Most of the students who stayed with us during that period are witnesses to these miracles.
Provision of Clothes
Most of our clothes are hand-me-downs or gifts given by friends and family. When we would go home to Tamil Nadu, families had a habit of giving clothes to us. We would not go to branded shops to spend on ourselves. We walked circumspectly, knowing that there were more important needs in the ministry.
We have never bought clothes for Christmas, New Year, or Easter, birthdays. Only warm clothes were bought from Uttarakhand. The rest were gifts. It was always God who provided all that we wore. We are grateful to all who gave us clothes.
Provision of Children
Since the Lord chose not to give us biological children, we learned to accept this truth as His sovereign will and plan for our lives. Yet, we prayed many days and nights that the Lord would send children—students—into our home so that they could be cared for as our own. We longed to have our home full so that we could feed them with spiritual food.
The Lord says in Isaiah 54:13 that all your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace. We grieved when they sinned, and it broke our hearts to see them falter. On the other hand, it brought us great joy to see them grow in the knowledge of God. There are many testimonies of seeing them grow in the Lord and in grace.
Mentoring was a strength given by the Lord. More than the teaching they received, the transparency of lives lived before them had a greater impact. Yes, we went through low days when we questioned the Lord about why He had not given us children, and during those days, He gave me a promise that I would be a mother of all nations.
During those low days, the Lord would send seven to ten students into our home, and we would enjoy times of fellowship. It was God’s way of saying, “See, here they are—not one or two, but many of your children who are in the Lord.” It gave us great joy to play the role of spiritual parents to many from various places and nations. Many are still in touch, and many are now of marriageable age.
As we moved to a new place called Jaigaon, there were many days when we missed our times with students—our spiritual children. On those very days, God would send another set of people from another land into our home for fellowship. That is the beautiful provision of God alone.
Provision of Our present Car – EcoSport
Our Alto, which the Lord had provided, was 12 years old, and we wanted to sell it and buy another car. I was not very keen on buying a new car, but Anji wanted to buy one. I often wondered how the thought even occurred to spend so much when our bank accounts were mostly empty. That is how the Lord wired him to walk by faith, and I followed suit.
One of our ministry partners, Ms. Esther, was using a car belonging to a friend in Dehradun. This person had bought the car and later moved to Hong Kong for work. The car was 11 years old and had run around 50,000 km, used mostly by Esther didi. The owner initially quoted ₹5 lakh and later reduced it to ₹3.5 lakh.
The car was in good condition, and we wanted to purchase it, but we had no ready cash. Anji asked Esther didi to request a price of ₹2.5 lakh, and surprisingly, they agreed. As we had a principle of not taking loans or asking anyone for money, Anji broke his EPF (Provident Fund) and paid for the vehicle.
I had done some paintings during that time, and the Lord provided ₹25,000 through their sale, enabling us to complete the purchase. When the car was driven and parked in front of our home, God reminded me that this was another miraculous provision. The actual cost of the car was ₹12 lakh, and we had received it for ₹2.5 lakh.
The tyres were worn out, and Esther didi offered to pay for one tyre (₹7,000). Anji initially refused, but she insisted. The next day, when Anji took the car for tyre replacement, Esther didi paid for both tyres—a total of ₹14,000—at a time when we had very little for survival.
The irony was that people saw us travelling in cars and hosting people at home, while the reality was that we had nothing in our bank accounts. This is how the Lord has always worked—keeping us fully dependent on Him alone. I eventually came to love this irony of God, though it hurt when people gossiped, assuming we had great riches.
Provision for Packers and Movers for transit
As we looked forward to following God’s call for missions into a closed country, we contacted packers and movers. The quotation given to us ranged from ₹94,000 to ₹1,00,000. We were clear about God’s call and had been praying and preparing ourselves for over four years to make this big move, but we had saved no money for these expenses. In fact, we had absolutely no savings at all. We had always sought to spend for the good of others.
One day, I called my mom and said, “Mommy, throughout these years after marriage, we never thought of ourselves, never saved, and always poured out our lives for the Gospel.” Even as I spoke, I cried bitterly. I rarely cry before my parents, and she comforted me.
Our church in Dehradun, was constantly praying for our big move into missions. One Sunday, in April 2025, a church member, Dr. Raju, walked up to us and asked what the cost of our shifting from Dehradun would be. Anji replied, “It costs around ₹1,00,000.” He said he would pray about it, and we spoke about other matters in church and dispersed.
The thought never crossed our minds that he would do anything about it. We were not expecting anything from someone we hardly knew personally and had never visited. We only greeted him on Sundays. We assumed he would forget the conversation.
As the days drew closer for us to leave Dehradun, I kept telling Anji that we didn’t have money for travel, diesel costs for 1,600 km, or survival for even one month without a salary. As always, he replied, “Why are you getting worked up? Haven’t you tasted the faithfulness of God all these years? Do you think we lived on a salary alone? Keep trusting the Lord.” And so we did.
On the following Sunday, Dr. Raju asked for our account number. He said that a family abroad (we still do not know who, even today) wanted to send the cost of transportation. We were amazed and thanked the Lord in anticipation.
Then there was silence for nearly three weeks. It was just greetings on Sundays, nothing more. We had learned not to place our expectations on people. At the end of four weeks, as we continued praying, we were surprised to receive ₹1,00,000 in our bank account. This was the exact cost of the packers and movers to our next base station.
After this incident, we wanted to thank the contributor, but we were told they wished to remain anonymous. To this day, we do not know who sent the money. We acknowledge the sovereign hand of the Lord alone in working in the hearts of people we did not know and moving them to provide for our needs. He is truly Jehovah Jireh.
Provision When There Was No Salary
As we moved to enter this closed country for missions, we had no salary, no regular income, and no idea how we would survive—only dreams of serving Him with all our might, strength, and love for the people of the land. It has been a wonderful faith journey—a journey of trust and dependence on the Lord alone.
The Lord provided for our rent, groceries, hosting, diesel, and every other need. We still do not fully understand His mathematics or His ways of provision, but we do know that He honours simple faith—faith that takes leaps, trusts Him, and claims the power of His Word.
It has been the most beautiful journey of a lifetime to walk by faith day in and day out, not seeing what lies ahead, but walking into the unknown where He holds, He cares, He provides, and He sustains through sources known and unknown. It is His to know, His to do, His to foresee, and His to provide. It is for His glory and for His Name alone.
Some Principles That We Followed
Never Make Your Needs Known
Anji and I loved the Lord deeply and chose to trust Him in all circumstances. Even in dire need, we have never made our needs known to anyone—family, friends, or ministry partners. We took everything to the Lord in prayer. Our needs meant ministry needs, and ministry needs meant our needs.
We never expressed our needs to our families or expected anything from them. Families remained unaware of our daily challenges—both ministry and personal. We did not make our financial situation known to family, friends, colleagues, ministry partners, or churches. Even while hosting many students or programs at home, we never made our needs known for groceries or food.
Our Wi-Fi connection was always strongest with the Lord. He heard our cries, saw our tears, inclined His ear, and provided.
Give Extravagantly From What You Have
The Lord led us to empty our accounts to give for His work, and He always provided for us. Giving became part of our DNA—not because we had abundance, not because of high salaries, not because we had sponsors, but because we loved the Lord and He asked us to give.
Giving made us more like Christ. Giving from insufficiency holds some of our sweetest memories. Giving extravagantly and sacrificially often led to misunderstanding. The pain of being misunderstood as people of abundance was deep. The truth is this: our God is rich, and He expects us to give richly, not sparingly.
One of the main ways we expressed love was by visiting people, buying gifts, inviting them home, and spending on them—not to show what we had, but to obey biblical principles of giving, even in extreme scarcity.
Never Take a Loan
Another principle we followed—though many may disagree—was never to take a loan. I am a little flexible in this area, but Anji has always been firm. None of our household items were bought on EMI—not our car, scooty, or even the small house we are still building in Andhra. It remains unfinished, and we trust that the Lord will provide.
We believe He is greater, mightier, and more than capable of providing—even without loans.
Integrity in Dealing With Resources
This is an area we have been extremely careful about—handling honestly the money and resources given to us by the Lord. Every single resource we received was used for ministry. Our fridge, washing machine, home, car, scooty, terrace, clothes—nothing belonged to us. Everything belonged to the Lord. Once my mom and dad had brought lots of snacks from TN. I openly kept the snacks in the kitchen cum dining room. My parents saw students just walking in and having a lot of snacks that they had brought for us. They felt disturbed. I made it clear to them that nothing should trouble them because our things were open for the usage by others and we never had the habit of keeping snacks hidden in our bedroom for our personal usage. Everything belonged to everyone.
Live Without Any Expectation
When you are called into mission, we have learned to live without expectations from people. Our source is the Lord, and our expectation is from Him alone—not from anyone else. This applied to visits, camps, programs, and personal needs.
I am not saying that sharing needs is unbiblical; this was simply our personal practice. Living without expectations has given us deep satisfaction in knowing God personally, deeply, and intimately.
Learning to say NO many times
There are pretty many times when we have refused to receive money from people who offered to give us and asked them instead to deposit into the ministry account. When our basic needs were met , the Lord enabled us in not being greedy to receive when given. There are many times when we have politely refused gifts from friends, family and ministry partners.
We seek to take no glory from these testimonies but desire to glorify the One who provides—beyond comprehension. We are unworthy to receive such honour from the Lord, and we humbly glorify Him for His goodness over our lives.
Luke 17:10
“So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
There are many unwritten stories , as and when they come to our memory, we would continue to jot them down for the glory of the Lord. I don’t want the readers to assume that we never had financial challenges . We were in want many times and we continued to make our needs made known to no man , except to the Lord who sees and answers. We never grumbled, murmured over our finances when we were in want. The Lord transformed us so much that He would keep us in perfect peace even when in extreme want.
NOTE: These testimonies are true and written with complete integrity and without exaggeration. They are based solely on our personal experiences of tasting the sovereign provision of God. Other testimonies on warfare, attacks from outside forces, and personal family life will be released in the second series.
— Susie Christopher, Barbeque nation
cyberchefsuzie 
