Venkanna is a 49-year-old farmer in southeast India. He is a hard-working and strong-willed person. However, just like other farmers in India, he suffered crop failures that left him in a debt crisis.
“A good monsoon season and favorable weather are crucial for a good harvest. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes the crop yield is less than expected, and sometimes it is more. This year the weather was bad; the floods and the winds destroyed our crops and uprooted trees, resulting in a lot of loss. All the money we had borrowed from the bank went down the drain,” laments the aging farmer.
“I used to go to the temple weekly and pray to our gods for a good crop and harvest. But it did not seem to work for me; crop failures continued. The debts reached sky high, and the creditors kept troubling me. I lost all hope. I prayed to all gods I knew of, but my situation only worsened,” he continues.
Venkanna’s son could not continue college as his fee was pending for the semester. His wife tried to help appease the creditors, but it was not nearly enough.
At the lowest point of Venkanna’s life, he remembered his friend who lives nearby. His friend is a Christian. Walking near his friend’s house, Venkanna would ofter hear sounds of singing and clapping of hands. Venkanna told his friend about his problem and asked him to pray for him.
To his surprise, he found that the crop yielded well following those prayers. The friend invited Venkanna to a Project Philip Bible study, which he commonly refers to as a prayer meeting. Venkanna learned more about the Bible through that prayer meeting and began to attend regularly. His wife also attends. “I now believe in Jesus and pray to Him and read the Bible. I know that the Bible is true,” Venkanna says.
“I thank Bible League for providing me with the Bible study, which helped me prioritize my life. I get up early in the morning, spend my time in a few minutes of prayer, and read a small portion from the Bible before I go to the field,” Venkanna says with a joyful heart.
