Send Magazine - 2nd Quarter 2009

Nitya knows that members of this shing community work hard just to barely make ends meet (left), and the Lord has given him a real desire to share His hope with these people (center) in very practical ways. Halil (right) now knows that hope for herself, and she gladly assists Nitya with the literacy classes he holds.

grass for sidewalks covered in wet nets and fish innards, Nitya was certain of God’s call. He desired to take the Gospel to the fishermen who stayed at sea for days to feed their families—and, more often than not, their alcohol addictions.

God began to open ways for him to reach this fishing community, first through simply living among them, then through a tutoring center for schoolchildren, and finally through adult literacy classes. Nitya’s message of the love of Jesus—and hope in Him—has now touched hundreds of lives. And one of those lives is Halil’s.

When Halil first met Nitya, the circumstances in her life couldn’t get much worse. Her family had ended up in the slum after medical disasters drained their savings. Her father found work as a fisherman on a boat he used to own. Even then, he could only provide one meal a day for the family.

Halil was at the top of her class, but her good grades were mostly due to her habit of studying through lunch time—because she had no food to eat.

Halil fought hard to survive and found work tutoring schoolchildren. Her own sister, Mina, wouldn’t come to her for tutoring, however. Instead, she attended class held by a newcomer to their fishing village: Nitya.

Seeing positive changes in her sister’s behavior, Halil finally gave in and paid attention to the stories Mina was constantly trying to tell at home. What she heard intrigued her. Halil went to meet this teacher, and she came away with a transformed life—and a shining pearl of hope.

As a result, Halil has already told the rest of her family about Jesus. She helps Nitya with his classes and outreach, and the desire of her heart is to share this hope she has found with others.