by Suriya Tangwel

The testimony of a catechumen who will be baptised this Easter in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Mumbai. ‘This journey has shown me that no matter how low you have fallen, God's love can reach even deeper. Just take a step towards Him and He will run to you."

 

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - For many Catholic communities throughout Asia, Easter is a time to celebrate the baptism of adults who have chosen to welcome the Gospel into their lives. Below we publish the testimony of one of them, Suriya Tangwel, a man who grew up in the slums of Dharavi in Mumbai, who in a few hours will complete his long journey of encounter with Jesus by receiving the sacraments of Christian initiation.

My name is Suriya Tangwel, I am 33 years old, and I want to share the story of how Jesus never gave up on me – even when I gave up on myself. My mother was a Christian and my father was a Hindu. I have a sister named Chitra.

We lived in a large extended family with my mother's family. My mother's eight brothers also lived in the same house with their wives and 11 children. All together, we were one big family. It was through them that I came to know Jesus. They took care of me, raised me and gave me everything I needed. As a child, I went to St. Anthony's Church in Dharavi, but after my family joined a Pentecostal community, I started attending Bethlehem Church.

Growing up in Dharavi was not easy. It is one of the most densely populated places on the planet: thousands of people crammed into a maze of narrow alleys and tiny houses. My neighbourhood was predominantly Tamil, surrounded by a strong Muslim presence. Dharavi is known for its hard-working people, its creativity and its resilience. But behind this energy lies a very real and dangerous side.

Dharavi is like a maze of tunnels: once you leave your house, you disappear into a world where no one knows where you are or what you are doing. And no one asks you. That's how life goes there. For a child like me, this meant freedom, but it quickly turned into danger. There were no limits, no one was watching. This gave me all the space I needed to start slipping into the wrong kind of life.

I came from a large family, but even in the midst of that crowd, I felt invisible. My mother was far away, my father too, caught up in their own struggles. I started to drift away from Jesus during my school years and slowly got involved in circles that seemed fun, exciting, even powerful. But those circles were full of gang culture, addictions, fights and false friendships that led nowhere. Dharavi taught me how to survive, but it also introduced me to destruction.

Life was not easy. My family began to fall apart. There were constant arguments, and one of the darkest days was when my sister suddenly disappeared. We searched everywhere for her, but we couldn't find her. My father and mother separated, and everything seemed to be falling apart.

One Sunday, I was sad and didn't attend prayer. That day, Brother Rabi, who used to lead our prayer meetings, came to me. He looked at me and said, ‘Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Pray to God.’ He prayed over me and left. That same Sunday, I went to church and cried out to Jesus, ‘Help me, Father. I am your son. You chose me.’

As I left the church, my mother called me. She told me that my sister had just called: she was safe, she was in Chennai and was on her way back. I was overwhelmed with joy. I knew that Jesus had heard me. From that day on, I began to pray every day and had the opportunity to serve God for seven years translating Brother Rabi's (the community leader, ed.) preaching from Tamil into English or Hindi. Those were precious years of ministry and growth.

The enemy, however, found his way back. I slowly drifted away. I stopped everything and went back to the world, starting to live a life that I knew was not pleasing to God. I felt so far away from Jesus that I began to believe that I could not go back, that perhaps I had gone too far. I cried and prayed for strength and wisdom, but I was stuck.

God, however, sent a very special person into my life: my fiancée, Margaret. Through her, Jesus reached out to me again. Margaret walked with me patiently. For two years, she never gave up. She took me to church, sat next to me during prayers, held my hand when I was down, and reminded me every day, ‘Jesus is here. He will help you.’ And Jesus did.

Thanks to her, I had the opportunity to join the community on a journey where I learned a lot about the Christian faith, especially about the richness of the Catholic Church. Now I go to church every day, praying for strength, wisdom and direction. And now my heart awaits with joy and excitement this Easter, when I will receive Baptism. I will finally be united with Christ through this sacrament, which will mark a new beginning for me.

When the truth about my life began to surface, my own family — relatives who once claimed to be on my side — abandoned me. ‘You won't be able to do anything,’ they told me. ‘Just go away.’ At that moment, I had no one. No support, no encouragement, no hope. I was in the middle of my life, on the verge of losing everything. That is where Jesus met me.

He had always been there.

Even when I didn't ask for it, even when I didn't recognise it, He was there, protecting me, keeping me from total destruction. Step by step, when I was about to fall into the abyss, He separated me from the worst. I don't know how, but I know it was Him. His hand has always been on me, guiding me out of situations that could have ruined my future.

And even now, after all the opportunities I've wasted, after all the times I've fallen, He still gives me more. He still loves me. Not because I deserve it, not because I've earned it, but simply because that's who He is. This is my God: a God who never gives up, who loves me unconditionally, who saves me again and again, even when no one else will.

Today, by God's grace, my whole family is united. We live in peace and happiness. My sister is married with three beautiful children and, most importantly, we are all rooted in our faith.

This journey has shown me that no matter how far you fall, God's love can reach even deeper. If He could heal my broken family, bring my sister back and pull me out of darkness, then He can do it for anyone.

To anyone who feels unworthy or too far away, I say: know that Jesus still loves you. He is not done with you. Just take one step towards Him and He will run to you.

(Nirmala Carvalho collaborated)