Mr. Patil came to the JSK centre for HIV testing. He had been tested before. Multiple times.
Every time his test came back as HIV negative.
When Mr. Patil came for his test result this time, our counsellor told him the good news... that his result was HIV negative.
Mr. Patil did not believe him. He insisted on being seen by the doctor.
So our counsellor brought Mr. Patil to see Sheba.
In talking to Sheba, Mr. Patil told her that he had mouth cancer. And that his weight was decreasing. And that he had had multiple sexual exposures.
"I know I have HIV" said Mr. Patil.
"But your reports are negative" said Sheba.
"Then why am I losing weight?" came back the answer.
"It may be your cancer" said Sheba, "or you may be being eaten up by your guilt."
Mr. Patil agreed with the latter. Over the course of the conversation Sheba explained to him that it is possible to have our sins forgiven. The previous night we had had a Bible study where King Solomon wrote to the King of Tyre and spent a significant portion of his letter telling about the great creator God. So Sheba told Mr. Patil that if he wanted to, he could pray to Jesus and He would forgive.
Mr. Patil did.
Sheba then told Mr. Patil that is was not by chance that he had come to JSK.
Mr. Patil agreed. And then dropped the bombshell.
"When I left my home this morning" he said "I left my mobile at home. I left all my identification papers. I put a note in my pocket. After picking up my report, I was going to go the Corum Mall and jump off the 4th floor."
Since it was a Saturday and we had a training going on, Sheba was able to immediately link Mr. Patil with a church volunteer from his own community.
Mr. Patil's problems have not all disappeared in a puff of smoke. He still has mouth cancer. He still has multiple issues to work through. But we are deeply humbled to have been used in a small way to stop the desperate step he was planning to do.
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Just in case you were wondering we obviously are using the name 'Mr. Patil' as a pseudonym to protect his identity
Every time his test came back as HIV negative.
When Mr. Patil came for his test result this time, our counsellor told him the good news... that his result was HIV negative.
Mr. Patil did not believe him. He insisted on being seen by the doctor.
So our counsellor brought Mr. Patil to see Sheba.
In talking to Sheba, Mr. Patil told her that he had mouth cancer. And that his weight was decreasing. And that he had had multiple sexual exposures.
"I know I have HIV" said Mr. Patil.
"But your reports are negative" said Sheba.
"Then why am I losing weight?" came back the answer.
"It may be your cancer" said Sheba, "or you may be being eaten up by your guilt."
Mr. Patil agreed with the latter. Over the course of the conversation Sheba explained to him that it is possible to have our sins forgiven. The previous night we had had a Bible study where King Solomon wrote to the King of Tyre and spent a significant portion of his letter telling about the great creator God. So Sheba told Mr. Patil that if he wanted to, he could pray to Jesus and He would forgive.
Mr. Patil did.
Sheba then told Mr. Patil that is was not by chance that he had come to JSK.
Mr. Patil agreed. And then dropped the bombshell.
"When I left my home this morning" he said "I left my mobile at home. I left all my identification papers. I put a note in my pocket. After picking up my report, I was going to go the Corum Mall and jump off the 4th floor."
Since it was a Saturday and we had a training going on, Sheba was able to immediately link Mr. Patil with a church volunteer from his own community.
Mr. Patil's problems have not all disappeared in a puff of smoke. He still has mouth cancer. He still has multiple issues to work through. But we are deeply humbled to have been used in a small way to stop the desperate step he was planning to do.
------------------------------------
Just in case you were wondering we obviously are using the name 'Mr. Patil' as a pseudonym to protect his identity
Andi, what a wonderful story of God's redemptive work. We will continue to pray for the work of JSK and that God would continue to bring people that need Him to JSK!
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