From India to Jesus: Ramya’s Story of Faith & Baptism
“I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”
–Romans 10:20 (NIV)
Why would God choose me and pursue me when I’ve never worshiped Him? thought Ramya. Growing up in India, she learned about many gods, but she had never prioritized Jesus, so why would He prioritize her? Though she occasionally heard stories about Jesus as a child, she viewed them simply as stories—not as invitations into a personal relationship with God.
God pursued Ramya, a software engineer, from India to North Carolina. “God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right … announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all” (Acts 10:34–36 NIV). And Ramya’s heart was being prepared to hear this “good news.” When she attended a wedding in Charlotte, Ramya met a Christian named Shanthi for the first time. It was later clear to her that God designed their meeting. After the wedding they went their separate ways. “We didn’t really connect deeply during that week,” Shanti said, “but God was already working behind the scenes to do something amazing.”
At the same wedding, Ramya received the most peculiar gift from a new friend named Ronald—a Bible. Yes, God was pursuing her. To Ramya, the Bible was a sacred book to be honored, and she was confused by the gift. She wrestled internally for days, staring at the Bible. “I had a holy fear about the Book. I wasn’t paying due respect to it, so I decided to return the Bible to a church the next day,” shared Ramya. “But that night, everything changed.”
Around two o’clock in the morning, Ramya had a vision and heard a female voice say softly, “There is something for you in the Bible. Read it.” Then, the Bible glowed with a brilliant light. “It was illuminating and beautiful,” Rayma recalled. “My soul knew it was real.” The voice repeated her name again, more firmly this time: “Ramya, there is a message for you. Read it.” Although she felt startled, she experienced overwhelming peace and wonder that she’d never felt before.
How Scripture & Friendship Led Ramya to Jesus & Baptism
After the vision, she couldn’t give the Bible to the local church. Instead, Ramya began reading it. “I was not understanding anything,” she laughed, “but I read because the voice in the vision told me to.” God was drawing Ramya to Him, using the Bible from Ronald and the divine meeting with Shanthi.
After she posted on social media that she’d be visiting New Jersey, Ramya reconnected with Shanthi. Shanthi and her husband lived in New Jersey at the time, so Shanthi responded to Ramya’s message, and they met again—this time at a much deeper level. When Ramya shared her vision, Shanthi encouraged Ramya to begin reading the New Testament, especially the red wording—Jesus’ words. For ten hours that day, they talked about the Bible and God. Neither of them realized then how significantly God would use their friendship.
Months later, God continually brought Ramya to Shanthi’s mind, so she texted her. That message led to weekly conversations that lasted nearly two years. Every Tuesday, the two women opened Scripture together, beginning with the Gospel of John. “It wasn’t a formal Bible study,” Shanti explained. “Ramya had questions, and together we searched for answers in Scripture.”
As they studied, Shanti realized God was transforming both of them. “I learned so much,” Shanthi said. “God was teaching me new truths through Ramya’s questions.” As they read the Bible, God answered the deep questions Ramya had carried for years, for example, why the God who gives life, allows death to happen. Ramya had lost her father years before and wondered why the ones left behind suffered such loneliness. She watched her mother grieve, and the loss bred fear in Ramya—if she married, she would one day experience the same terrible heartbreak.
Through reading Scripture, God began healing Ramya’s heart and mind. “Shanthi is the best mentor God could have given me,” Ramya said. “For one year, she spent two hours every week with me, and I got a lot of my questions answered.” During their time together, Ramya started discovering the love of the heavenly Father. She said, “I continued reading Scripture only because I was drawn by God’s love. I wondered why He would choose me. I had never prayed to Him.”
While wrestling with God’s pursuit of her, Ramya said that a Bible verse leapt off the page at her: “And Isaiah boldly says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me’” (Romans 10:20, NIV). It was then she realized God speaks through the Bible. As she continued reading, God gently revealed areas in her life that needed healing and transformation. “He was showing me my sins but at the same time assuring me of His love,” shared Ramya. “I would not have been transformed without His love. I understood that Jesus carried the weight of my sins, and I could just receive and rejoice in His love.”
How God Led Ramya to Faith & Baptism
Through the weekly conversations with Shanthi and the power of the Holy Spirit, Ramya’s faith deepened. “I realized God had already carried the punishment for my sins,” she said. “That’s when I said, ‘I want You to be my Savior, Jesus!’” Ramya started going to church, praying, confessing her sins, and understanding the sacrifice of Jesus in a deeply personal way. But she still had one big fear: baptism.
Ramya worried that publicly declaring her faith might distance her from her family. They were okay with her attending church and reading the Bible, but baptism felt different. She was afraid her family would see baptism as a symbol of leaving behind her traditions, so Ramya reassured her mother: “He is not a God who wants to separate me from my family. If that were true, He would never have placed me in your womb.”
God was teaching Ramya to surrender her fears to Him. During a stressful time involving her immigration status and job uncertainty, she heard God whispering to her heart: “You are My child,” and it made Ramya feel strong. Her new identity was in Christ, and she was ready to be baptized. Because Shanti had faithfully taught her God’s Word for over a year and now lived in Texas, Ramya flew from Charlotte to DFW to be baptized at Gateway Church in Justin. She wanted Shanti standing beside her in the water.
On baptism day, Ramya could hardly contain her excitement. Her heart was pounding. Ramya said, “I kept thinking, Pastor, can you stop the service? I want to go get baptized!” After coming out of the water, Shanthi and Ramya hugged and cried. Only afterward did Ramya realize something amazing: her baptism took place on April 12, the exact date her father had passed away years earlier. She said, “Even though I lost my earthly father, my spiritual Father was there for me.”
For Shanti, the experience was deeply humbling. “It made me cry that she wanted me there with her,” Shanti shared. “I never expected to be in the water beside her. God chose her and simply placed me in her path. He’s the one who draws people to Himself. Even as a child in India, Ramya remembered an unknown woman regularly visiting her home to share the gospel. He was always pursuing her,” Shanti said. “I’m just grateful I got to be part of her story.”
Today, Ramya’s greatest desire is for others to experience the same love of God that transformed her life. “If there is anyone who is not a Christian, and they want to understand what this is all about,” she said, “I would want them to just taste the love of God. He’s changed my life!”
“I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people …, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” –Acts 10:34–36
Ramya and Shanthi, part of the Gateway family
Recursos adicionales
Learn More About Baptism at Gateway.
Learn More About Receiving Prayer at Gateway.
Learn More About What We Believe at Gateway.