Mother’s Faith Follows in Daughter’s Footsteps

Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) News Release – For Immediate Release

WILLS POINT, TX (ANS – Feb. 19, 2016) -- Inside the house, Titiksha could hear her uncle harshly scolding her mother.

Titiksha and her mother, Muskan, were used to feeling rejected and despised by Muskan’s older brother, Ganaraj, and his family, but this time, he was lashing out at Muskan because of Titiksha, who had decided to walk with Jesus.

“You are neglecting your responsibility to look after your daughter,” he told Muskan. “You have given her so much freedom that she is now prepared to bring shame to the family. We cannot let this happen as long as we live here. So it will be good if you correct your daughter, or else you both—mother and child—have to find another place to live.”

Widow and Daughter Suffer Rejection from Family

Titiksha's father had passed away when she was only 4 years old, so she and her mother moved to live with her uncle. But Ganaraj didn't want the burden of taking care of them, so the accommodation he gave Muskan and Titiksha was merely a small hut on his property. Because Muskan struggled to provide for herself and her daughter, she couldn't afford to give Titiksha a complete education. After Titiksha learned to read and write, she had to drop out of school. Muskan and Titiksha's desperate situation earned them scorn from their family, so that Titiksha's own cousins didn't want to play with her.

Titiksha had faced this rejection for years, and now her uncle threatened to rob what little stability she and her mother did have. Despite the heavy blow of words condemning and accusing her, Titiksha wouldn't change her mind about her faith in Jesus.

New Faith Leads Daughter Away from Home

After meeting two Gospel for Asia-supported women missionaries, Titiksha had learned about the God who loved her so much that He sent His Son to die on a cross for her. The women had encouraged Titiksha to ask the Lord for help when she faced difficulties, and as she did, she saw how God responded to her prayers. Titiksha decided to walk with Jesus, and she continued, even when her mother and her uncle criticized her for it.

“Have you not noticed how the people look at us and treat us, that you took such a great step?” Muskan scolded. “Do you have any idea how the people will treat us if they come to know that you have become a Christian? They will chase us out from this village, and even my brothers will disown us. Then where will we go? What would have caused you to do that?”

Despite these words, Titiksha kept going to prayer meetings and encouraged her mother to believe in God's Word.

Ganaraj Titiksha had one request before she left: She asked her mother to meet the missionaries who had impacted her own life through sharing the knowledge of Christ, the Savior.

But Muskan didn’t go to meet the missionaries. Each time Titiksha called, Muskan gave an excuse for why she hadn't gone. Then, one day, as Muskan was cleaning her home, she came across a New Testament that Titiksha had left behind. She became curious to know what kind of God her daughter loved so much that she would even leave home.

Missionaries Introduce Mother to the God Who Changed Her Daughter's Life

Muskan went to the nearby village where her daughter had told her the missionaries were. But she couldn't find the women missionaries. Instead, she met Wyconda and Pathik, two Gospel for Asia-supported men missionaries. These men told her the missionaries Titiksha knew had moved from the village, and they had been assigned to take their place.

Wyconda and Pathik were just about to have a prayer meeting, so they invited Muskan to join them.

At the prayer meeting, Muskan listened as Wyconda and Pathik explained the truth of God's Word. And when the believers sang a song about the family of God and being near to heaven, Muskan's heart was moved and her eyes filled with tears. She talked more with Wyconda and Pathik about what the Bible says and told them she longed for a happy life and a peaceful mind. Wyconda and Pathik said joy could be found in knowing Christ and allowing Him to live inside one's heart.

As she herself learned who Jesus is, Muskan became convinced that her daughter's peace had come from knowing Him. With a new faith that Jesus is the Savior, Muskan decided that very day to walk with Him.

Ganaraj, however, continued to lash out at Muskan for her daughter's faith, so Titiksha made a difficult choice: She decided to move away to the city and find work so her mother wouldn't face constant harassment because of her.

The joy of the Lord filled Muskan’s soul, and after one week, she told Wyconda and Pathik she had never experienced such peace before. She began worshiping with the local congregation regularly.

Meanwhile, the good news of her mother's change of heart brought much joy to Titiksha. She thanked the Lord for answering her prayers. But when Ganaraj found out, he was anything but happy.

Despite Opposition, Mother Grows in New Faith

Ashamed of Muskan, Ganaraj told her not to embarrass their family by following a different religion. This opposition made Muskan uncomfortable staying with his family, but she stood firm in her new faith, and God used her younger brother, Bandhu, to provide a safer environment for her to live in.

“I cannot bear to know that my own sister has no place to stay,” Bandhu told Ganaraj. “She will stay with me. I do not care what God she worships. Let her worship the God whom she trusts in.”

Muskan moved to a house on her younger brother's land, and she is continuing to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and worship Him with the local congregation. She even tells other women about Him, testifying how He provided for her needs and answered her prayers.

When this widow and her daughter desperately needed to experience genuine acceptance and love, God used four different missionaries to teach them about His Son. National missionaries, like the women missionaries who shared with Titiksha and the men missionaries, Wyconda and Pathik, have the training and passion to reach hurting people with the knowledge of Jesus, who created them and who loves them so much He gave His life for them.

Photo captions: 1) One day, Titiksha overheard her uncle scolding her mother, Muskan. Titiksha was the cause of his complaints. (GFA). 2) When Titiksha's uncle continued harassing Muskan for Titiksha's new faith, Titiksha made the difficult decision to leave home for her mother's sake, (GFA). 3) After meeting Wyconda and Pathik, two Gospel for Asia-supported missionaries, Muskan learned about the God her daughter loved so much, and she decided to walk with Jesus. (GFA). 4) Despite opposition from her older brother, Muskan has continued growing in Christ and worshiping Him with the local congregation. Now she even tells other women what He's done in her life. (GFA).

Note: Gospel for Asia (www.gfa.org) is a mission organization sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.

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