Anthony lives in the northern part of Sri Lanka. He’s the eldest of 10 children raised by their father. “As a fisherman, my father struggled to provide for such a big family, and I had to take care of my siblings, ignoring my own needs.” He dropped out of school at the elementary level and spent time barefoot on the beach, throwing pebbles into the ocean.
Later, he returned to school, completed grade five, and joined his father in a fishing business. He married, had four children, and provided for his family. A nominal Christian, he loved visiting shrines and prayed at every shrine. It was a practice for the family to kneel and pray to Mary and the other saints. But when their second daughter fell ill, they feared the worst.
“We sought the help of the parish priest. I had no idea what to do. We did not get any help, so we approached a couple of sorcerers. They also failed to diagnose and heal our daughter,” he says.
A local believer visited their home and shared the Gospel with them. He gave them a few Bible study booklets and read the Bible to them. He also prayed for them in a booming voice. Within two weeks, Anthony began to notice changes within his family. He decided to study the Bible through Bible League’s Project Philip program. The lesson, bearing fruit in the booklet, changed his thinking, and he decided to give his life to Jesus.
Anthony began reading the Bible for the first time and was happy he could understand it. His wife and daughters also attended the Bible study. His younger daughter now wants to serve the Lord in the ministry. Before, they didn’t know anything about God, but now they clearly understand Him and Jesus. “I do not pray to Mary or the saints; we got baptized and are local church members.”
He now has peace, for Jesus is his peace. His life got fixed when Jesus came into his life—and he is grateful. Thank you for blessing Anthony and his family with the gift of God’s Word.
