Women of India Shine with Christ's Light

Stories from the Chennai Hope Festival

January 22, 2010 - "In India," said one woman from Chennai, "we believe that if you want to be a lighthouse, you have to be a candle at home. The best one to light that candle would be a woman."

Every home became a prayer house for this Crusade and because of that, in every church there is a revival.

by Janet Chismar

January 25 — As our team met with people in Chennai this past week and heard stories of hope and healing, we quickly noticed a trend. Some of the most vibrant believers were women. We learned that the ladies of Chennai played a key role in the success of this weekend's Hope Festival.

Padma Mudaliar, co-chair of the Festival Women's Committee, pointed out that there are a billion people in India, but only 3 percent are Christian. "There are nearly 8 million people in this city alone, and maybe 70 percent are women," she added. "So to reach India, we go through the ladies."

Kathiroli Manickam (Sunlight), another member of the Women's Committee, said: "In India, we believe that if you want to be a lighthouse, you have to be a candle at home. The best one to light the candle would be a woman. When you catch hold of a woman, you catch hold of the entire family. That’s the best way of passing faith to the children, and the entire family comes to the Lord’s fold. More than anybody else, women play a pivotal role in bringing people to the Lord."

Sunlight said that the members of the Women's Committee were eager to fill that role. They each challenged as many women as possible to do just that.

"Every home became a prayer house for this Crusade," said Padma, "and because of that, in every church there is a revival. You go to any church and you can see that the pastor is on fire because the Festival training raised prayer warriors."

She explained that in India, a spiritual awakening is easier for a woman than for a man. "Everywhere you see the ladies come first to the Lord, then they bring the men. I myself am a Hindu convert and I was thrown out of the home. But God prepared me for a time like this, giving me grace to sustain me."

"In a country like India," Padma said, "we need hope more than anything else. Franklin Graham has brought hope to a hopeless country and the light of God’s word. There are a lot of thirsty souls here who really would like to know the living water."

Padma and other members of the Women's Committee hosted a Two-Wheeler rally on Friday to raise awareness for the Chennai Hope Festival with Franklin Graham.
See photos here »