Fragile: Handle with Care

“No!  This can’t be happening!”

Janna* shuddered. Abandonment engulfed her. Much of her married life had been a nightmare. She had to walk on eggshells around her alcoholic husband, always fearing when his next beating would come. But harder than the abuse she suffered was the dizzying reality that she had been deserted; her husband had abandoned her and her two small sons with no income or support.

Janna had dared to marry out of her caste and this was a violation of tradition that many Indian parents and families disdained. She attended a Christian school and embraced Jesus, although her entire family did not follow faith in God. At 18, enamored with a supposedly Christian young man, she unwisely married him in her youthful exuberance. He proved deceptive, then malicious, inflicting hopelessness upon her and further shame upon her family.

Through the compassion of a friend, she heard about Mukti Mission and Janna journeyed there with her two, little boys. Bruises covered her face, unmistakably testifying to the abuse she had endured. But with the provision of shelter and essentials at Mukti, a ray of hope broke through.

At his former school, her son’s teacher would scold him for daydreaming but later learned of his tumultuous family life. The little boy feared for his mommy’s well-being at the hands of his cruel daddy. This stole his concentration and carefree childhood.

But then, at Mukti’s Primary School, he was a good listener and loved the Bible stories. He always reminded his classmates to pray before eating and to thank God for what they had. Possessing a giving nature, he was quick to share items from his backpack with his classmates. He loved to play the drums and had a natural talent for rhythm.

His younger brother was full of zest. Vibrant and intelligent, he provoked smiles and giggles: he’s a great little mimic! To the dismay of his mom, one of his favorite pastimes was playing in the mud! Janna grins with a sigh, “It was pretty pointless to clean him up. In the blink of an eye, he was right back in the dirt!”

Even today, caring for his mother is at the forefront of his mind. “When I am able, I’m going to work hard and take good care of Mommy,” he promises. Both brothers have seen too much of the dark side of life at too young an age. Deep healing continues to be needed for them as well as for their mother.

At a recent Mukti celebration, Janna’s joy knew no bounds. She danced to the tune of the music, soaking up the happiness around her. Finding one of the Mission leaders, she whispered words of gratitude into their ear and told how the Lord is healing her of past pain.

Janna is hard-working and capable, helping every day with food preparation in the kitchen for the large Mukti family. She rises early in the morning and rushes to the kitchen where she is responsible for supervising and assigning various tasks to the cooking team. When her boys grow older, she hopes to get further education or vocational training to help her become independent and earn a decent living.

*Names changed for privacy and security. Images representative.