In 2019 on Easter Sunday, Sri Lanka was shaken by suicide bombings at three churches and three hotels. This month on 21 April marks two years since the bomb attacks took place.

Last year we visited many families affected by the bombings. One family had lost their son Jackson, sister Verlini and brother-in-law Ranjith. Two of their family members were also injured. Verlini’s six-year-old daughter Debbie lost her eyesight, while Verlini’s sister Rebekah suffered from third-degree burns.

We were struck by how the atmosphere in their home was less heavy than in the other homes we visited.

During their time of grief, your prayers and support have been a great source of strength and encouragement to believers like Rebekah.

Rebekah says: “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us. Thank you for praying for me, Debbie and our family. It’s because of your prayers that we’ve been able to be strong in our faith.”

Your support helped other believers with transport as some of them lost their motorbikes in the blast. It also helped some of them earn an income like Prashant, a daily wage labourer. His wife was killed in one of the attacks, leaving him to take care of their four children on his own.

Pastor Roshan, leader of Zion Church (one of the churches devastated by the attacks), said: “Hi dear friends, I want to take this opportunity to thank each one of you. I don’t know you personally, but the Lord knows you. In our time of lacking, we had nobody on our side. You all came by our side. Challenges and needs were overwhelming, but God used you. He put a burden in your heart to help us. Every cent you committed has reached us. Pastor Sunil* (an Open Doors local partner) has visited us many times, counselling us, helping us. Keep doing good. Only when we’re alive, we can do something. Jesus will come soon. When you can do something, you do it. Don’t hesitate. Do it now. Do it via Open Doors. It reaches us.”

Thank you for standing with our family in Sri Lanka as they continue to heal from the trauma and loss they experienced from the attacks. There are so many Christians in closed countries who’ve been affected by similar attacks. Today, if you are able to, please prayerfully ask the Lord how you can stand with them as they work through their trauma and loss.

*Names changed for security reasons.

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