“I am Achsah Rathan Kumar Alugu. I grew up in a Christian home, yet I didn’t understand the relationship that God was pursuing with me. When I look back at my life journey, I can boldly say that God is faithful, mindful, and a great Restorer.

At the age of 5, I was kidnapped in the city of Bombay. I was unharmed and left midway, unable to find my way back home. I still remember going in circles and then suddenly, I saw my neighbor, who was the same age as me. We never talked, but I heard a voice telling me to follow him to reach home. I know it was God guiding me all along.

At every stage of my life, I was learning and discovering something new about God. Due to my dad’s job, we shifted states and countries every three years. During my 7th grade, I felt the pain of being an outcast and experienced racial discrimination because I was Indian. This lasted for three years, leading me into depression. I had no one to talk to. Even though I knew about God and read His Word, I still felt the emptiness and rejection. One day, I decided to write a journal of my feelings to God because I couldn’t talk about what I was going through. Beautifully, God spoke to me through His Word, offering words of comfort and strength that sustained me through those three challenging years.

Life continued, and I was building a relationship with God. There were times when feelings of rejection and depression resurfaced. During my final year of my master’s degree, my family and I faced a painful experience. My eldest sister met with a fire accident and suffered 80% burns. She survived for 7 months, during which we heard her groan in pain day in and day out. There are no words to describe the pain we all felt. My sister and my dad had not been on good terms for a long time, but during those 7 months, God used this time to restore their father-daughter relationship.

During the same season, I learned a painful truth that had been hidden from me. My mother shared with me that I was an unexpected child and was not wanted from the womb. This revelation broke my heart, but during this time, I felt the love of the Heavenly Father the most. He reminded me that He had called me by name, and I was His. Even in the deepest pain, I felt deeply loved and accepted. There was an unusual peace and joy that filled my heart when I chose to forgive and let go.

God has been faithful and has restored me. He continues to fill my heart with joy even in times of hurt. Looking back, I can truly say that there is no hold of depression and rejection, but only the loving embrace of a Father to guide, encourage, and correct me when needed. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and two lovely boys, as well as an extended spiritual family that reminds me of God’s faithfulness and mindfulness in my life.”