My name is Regi, this is my testimony.

Growing Up:

I am a Catholic, raised by very strong Catholic parents and the youngest of the 4 siblings. I was known as the ‘naughty one’, ‘the black sheep of the family’. Growing up, I was aware of God but wanted nothing to do with Him. I remember once in my school (convent), a sister had called all the Catholic girls and was talking about vocation and how we need to ask God for what our vocation is and about ‘God’s call’ . I did not ask God, I rather told Him “please don’t call me, I don’t want to be a nun, I hope I don’t have God’s call”. When my mom used to drag me for retreats, she would force me to raise my hands and I would make faces. Who wants to raise hands and say Alleluia, so uncool! Family prayers were monotonous. I did pray though when I went for Sunday mass or on rare occasions I did find myself in church and place all my requests and out in 5 minutes but that’s about it. That was my faith summed up!

In spite of all this, my God was merciful and compassionate on me. I never really had to work hard for anything. Things just seemed to naturally fall in place. Every phase of my life: School, college, got a job in campus interview, did my Masters, had a decent job which kept offering me international travels, married a lovely Catholic man. I had it all. None of this is because I was smart or intelligent. I was just an average Joe, I couldn’t care less but God was faithful to me even in my unfaithfulness towards Him.

I still had my Sunday Catholic faith. Somewhere between all this my sister pulled me back more towards God. I had personally decided I will attend retreat once a year to keep the faith going.

One factor missing:

When everything was in place, one phase of mine was missing, a child. The first two years we did not want a child because we wanted those years for ourselves as a couple to ‘discover’ each other, for fun and holidays, and our careers – we had a lot of reasons and tags to postpone. (looking back, I realise what a grave sin I committed) Guess what? when we were ready for the child. A child did not happen. Where is my God with the magic wand who makes wishes come true? God had different plans for me. By now, I was mentally depressed. While I had everything felt like I had nothing. I would easily cry. (Secretly, of course!)

SRM happened:

Somewhere around this time my husband’s cousin coaxed my husband and I to go to SRM. I was like “see dude, my yearly quota for retreat is over. I don’t think I want to go.” When God calls, He calls. My husband ended up staying back and before I knew it, I was on a bus to Doddballapur to Mt. Zion.

That retreat in 2015 changed me!

Every talk was an eye opener for me, I was touched by the Holy Spirit. I was arranged two counselling sessions with Br. Savy and Br. Stanley, They prayed over me, prophesied and I had deliverance sessions. By the end of the retreat, the old me was going away. God started working in me but not before he had to crush me – “ Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit“. (John 12: 24) . My husband saw the change in me, he decided to join the ride. He was there the very next retreat along with me. As prophesied, we were blessed with a Child in 2017 . More than the child, The prophecy on the spiritual aspect in our lives is the biggest blessing!

Life now:

Remember the girl who found family prayer monotonous? Well, now she has Joy in prayer! The girl who thought raising hands was uncool will now in every given  opportunity will raise both her hands and say loudly “Alleluia”. The girl who did not want God’s call on her is now begging God to use her, even though she is a broken vessel. I now don’t rely on a magic wand from up above. Instead, I trust in a Father who cares for me and loves me, corrects me and does not disown me in my weakness and imperfections. I now know I have a God who loves me so much that He gave me His only begotten Son- Jesus Christ for my sins that I may not die but live. I know my God’s got my back!