The pastor of Matru Church of the Nazarene in Buldana constantly encourages the community to reach out, pray, and ask the Lord to bring people to their church. 

Deepali wholeheartedly embraced that challenge and brings her friends, relatives, and coworkers to church whenever she can. She is so determined to share Christ with people that she brings a new person to church almost every other Sunday, and many of them choose to follow Christ.

One day, Deepali brought Watsalabai to church because she knew Watsalabai needed the community. Watsalabai, whose husband died of a heart attack three years prior, walked to the altar for prayer for her cancer, asking for God’s healing. At that time, she was under medical treatment, but she was still unsure what was going to happen.

The pastor and congregation prayed for Watsalabai every week during service, and one of the church members — Smita Rayarum — decided to personally disciple Watsalabai. After every Sunday service, as people lingered around in conversation with each other, Rayarum would spend time with Watsalabai, talking with her about the power of Christ and His saving grace. Rayarum would even call her during the week to talk and pray with her on the phone.

Through the engagement from the church, Watsalabai was growing in her faith. Every Sunday she would bring her son, daughter-in-law, grandchildren, or sometimes other relatives who needed prayer.

After a few months at the church, Watsalabai shared good news about the state of her cancer during a Sunday service.

“My initial reports have come back normal,” Watsalabai said. “Now pray that [the rest] of my reports would come back normal and that the Lord would make me totally cancer free.” 

The following Sunday, Watsalabai was more joyful than ever before. The service went late, and at the end of the service, Rayarum came to the front and requested time for Watsalabai to share her testimony.

“I praise God for His grace,” Watsalabai said. “He has had mercy upon me. All of my reports have come back normal. All the glands that were suspected to be cancerous have been declared normal. Before [my appointments], my son prayed to Jesus, saying, ‘[Please God] let all the reports come back normal,’ and [they did].”

The congregation praised God for the miracle before Watsalabai went on to tell the congregation of another miracle.

“Let me tell you that not only I but my sister also had been diagnosed with cancer,” Watsalabai said. “I used to pray to the Lord to heal her as well and even used to say in my prayer that He can let me suffer with it, but heal my sister. Today the Lord has healed her as well as me. I praise God.”

The Matru Church of the Nazarene continues to positively impact its community by opening its doors to whoever is willing to visit. Watsalabai is one example of many whose lives were changed when congregants invited them to church. Now, she is committed to proclaiming Christ in her life and to share the Gospel with those she meets.

--Church of the Nazarene Eurasia