An Afternoon on the Coromandel

One day when I lived in India, I was traveling down the East Coast by train. I often made that trip. It took 27 hours including an overnight, on the “Coromandel Express” passenger train.

I was in the state of Andhra Pradesh heading south. The Coromandel used to stop along the way to drop passengers and pick up waiting ones. On this day I was almost alone in my small 8 person section of the coach. About mid-day we stopped at one of the typical stations. Hawkers sold coffee, tea, snacks, and numerous other things. There was a din of voices as they shouted, “Chai, chai, chaiya, kofee, kofee, kofeeeee!”

A young boy entered my compartment, looked at the seat numbers, and sat down opposite me. We nodded to each other and said no more. We were both by the window, and no one else was in our section. After a few minutes, the long train began to roll forward toward south India and my destination of Chennai.

We rode for a while in silence.

At some point I started up a conversation with him. The boy, about 12 years old, spoke very good English. He was a Muslim. He was heading somewhere to do something, I don’t really remember. He was not going too far, relatively speaking for an Indian train. I think he was going to be traveling for 3-4 hours and would be getting off in another town in the same state of Andhra Pradesh.

I asked him questions about his family, his school, and other things. He asked me where I was from, what I was doing in India, how did I like India.

At some point, I asked him about his religion. He answered my questions about his Islamic beliefs and practices. He was very articulate.

Then it came my turn. I spoke to him about Jesus and how he had changed my life after I began to read the Bible in college.

To be honest, I don’t remember a lot of the conversation details. There was nothing said that stands out in my memory.

What I do remember vividly, is that this 12 year old was captivated by what I said about Jesus. It was magical. I believe the Holy Spirit was in that compartment. It was natural, not forced, not striving in any way. Just a relaxed, friendly exchange of ideas. We both talked. We both listened. Oh my, he listened! He was absorbing it! That is my outstanding memory of this event. I knew that what I was saying was piercing into his soul and mind. Light from above! I did not attempt to “lead him in a sinner’s prayer.”

Finally the train rolled to a stop. He gathered his things and got up. We shook hands and he got out. I encouraged him to learn more about Jesus if he got a chance. On the platform he looked up and we waved and realized how cool those moments had been.

The train moved ahead. I never saw him again.

I’ll never forget the magic of that conversation.

Billee's Story

One of the greatest evidences of the reality of Christ is in lives he's changed. Take for example my talk with Billee.

 “So you’re going to get married soon?”

Billee laughed, “No, I already did, two months ago.”

“Oh, my bad. Congratulations!”

“It was a beautiful day. But you know, it takes a lot of adjustments,” she said.

“It does,” I said, “You have to be willing to bend for the other one.” (I decided I was going to help Billee.)

I’d seen her many times at this weekly Christian hot dog stand at a coffeehouse. Most of the folks who came were on disability, ex-druggies and drunks, pregnant or troubled teenagers, people with broken families, and deep emotional needs. Billee appeared somewhat different. Though weather beaten, she dressed well and drove a nice car.

Billee talked about her new husband, Joe. “Today was pretty challenging. But he apologized to me for being a little testy.” I could tell they were serious about making this marriage work.

As others waited for hot dogs, she began to tell me her story. 

 “I was raised in a Christian home, but I went away from it.”

As a young girl her parents split up and she was raised by her Uncle and Aunt. From age 8, her uncle began molesting her. This continued for eight years. “We would go to church. He would ask forgiveness, and then he would molest me again.”

She ended up getting married for the first time at age 16. On the night before her marriage, at 2 a.m., - her uncle molested her. Twelve hours later Billee was walking down the aisle.

The marriage failed. So did number two. “Number one and two should not have happened. I was too young.” She descended into drugs, drinking, addictions, and finally got married for the third time. Number 3 eventually became a Christian. He tried to convince Billee it was the way to go. She would have none of it.

No wonder.

Number 3 got cancer, fought it for five years, and then died. Then Billee got cancer. She’s been in and out of treatment four times. “I’ve been cancer free for a year,” the 48 year old told me.

Before number 3 died, a couple visited the apartments that he and Billee managed. Tim and Sarah were looking for a woman who had visited their church. They met Billee. They befriended her. Slowly they built a relationship.

“I resisted them and bad-mouthed them at first.” she said. 

Through the death of her husband, cancer, and revelation of her painful past, they stuck with Billee.  She came to faith. “No one ever helped me like Tim and Sarah did. They pointed me to Jesus. He loves me. He saved me.”

Still wanting to help her, I asked, “Why don’t you go to a church closer to where you and Joe live?”

“This is my church. I could never leave this church.”

I walked away from Billee realizing she had helped me. She has been changed.