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Rathan lost his older brother, sister-in-law and nephew in the 2019 Easter Attacks in Sri Lanka. Following the attacks, Rathan’s family’s grief was so great, the first few times our local partners visited, his mother wasn’t even able to speak; she was so overwhelmed by the loss of her son.
However, over the past three years, our partners have witnessed miraculous change in her and the rest of the family. On our partners’ most recent visit this past March, Rathan’s mother welcomed them with a warm smile.
“You always come to visit us,” she said. “We live far away from town, so most people don’t come all the way out here, but you all keep coming back,” she shared, thanking them for their friendship.
After the family’s tragedy, our partners extended livelihood support to help them expand their bakery. The bakery was originally run Rathan’s older brother, who was killed in the blast. Following his death, as the next oldest, Rathan took full responsibility and now runs the shop. He enjoys the new role and has seen how God has been at work:
Locally, the price of flour has risen sharply due to Sri Lanka’s current economic crisis, which has presented a challenge. But Rathan has managed to navigate the potentially devastating shortage and gives all glory to God.
“I have a friend who supplies us with flour for the bakery. So even when there was a shortage of flour in the country, we were able to continue our business. By God’s grace, I was able to buy plenty of flour before the price hike.”
In addition to running the family bakery, Rathan is also dedicated to church activities. He and his sister, Kalviya, are active members in their local church. When our partners walked into a service on a Sunday morning, they found Rathan leading worship, singing and praising God; later in the service, Kalviya read and explained Scripture to those who were gathered.
Kalviya explained to our local partners, “I am always looking for ways to serve God.”
Let’s continue to pray for God’s joy, healing and guidance over Rathan, Kalviya and their family; He has—and will—continue to turn their mourning into dancing.
Top photo: Rathan, Kalviya and the rest of their family
