Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj talks about how he met and married Evangelin (fresh angle)
The year was 1999. I was a second year M. Div. student of Southern Asia Bible College, Bangalore, then. It was a summer ministry time – a time when we the Bible College students did on-field ministry for two solid months in a place of our choice. There was an invitation for me to go back to Germany where I had ministered in April 1998. But it was decided by the leader I reported to that I would instead go to Odisha for my summer ministry. Was I disappointed? No! “I had already preached in Germany. But I had not yet preached in Odisha. Preaching in a place I had not preached in, is always more interesting and rewarding!” – this was my thought process.
During this summer ministry time, I journeyed to Ramagiri Hills in Odisha. That’s where Missionary P. Selvam was in-charge of the ministry team of Blessing Youth Mission. He and his wife, Mrs. Esther Selvam welcomed me warmly. Also in the same station was Dr. Jaishankar (now with the Lord) and Mrs. Florence Jaisankar. They too welcomed me. I joined along with uncle Selvam (as I called him) and preached in a few tribal churches in the Ramagiri area. I also addressed the students who lived in the Christian Hostel in the Blessing Youth Mission base there.
During that time, I had wonderful conversations with uncle Selvam and aunty Esther. As I enquired about their children, the conversation shifted to Evangelin Early Star, their daughter who was then working in a top Hospital in Chennai as the Public Relations Officer. One of the things that aunty Esther mentioned was this: “Recently Evangelin (Puppy as she addressed her) came home from Chennai. Enroute in the train, she met a missionary. The Holy Spirit spoke to her. And immediately she gave a sizable offering to that missionary!” This piece of information tugged my heart. I recalled the Genesis 24 test which Eliezer kept for the girl who would be chosen to marry his master’s son, Isaac. This girl had to be generous. She not only had to give him water to drink, but also had to give water to his many-liters-guzzling camels! If she did, it would indicate to him that girl was ‘God’s girl’ for Isaac! After all, marriage is all about selfless giving! Marriage is a place where the husband tries to out-give his wife and the wife tries to out-give the husband! Marriage is not for selfish people! Self-centered people are supremely unfit for marriage! A thought flashed over my head at that point in time: “Should I consider Evangelin as my life partner?”
It was at this time that I glanced at a photograph of a girl perched atop of the fridge in Selvam uncle’s home in Ramagiri. No one needed to tell me that it was Evangelin’s picture! She looked stunning. During that short stay in Ramagiri Hills my eyes froze on that picture that stood on top of the freezing machine (I mean the Fridge) several times, I must confess! At that time, I told myself, “Even if I am going to propose to this pretty girl, she is surely going to say ‘no’ to me!”
As I moved to yet another mission station to do ministry in Odisha that summer, another senior missionary of Blessing Youth Mission, uncle Ponnusamy took Evangelin’s name again. He told me that Evangelin Early Star was at the tribal church he led, a few months ago. She even preached there. She preached a powerful message on the Holy Spirit, uncle Ponnusamy told me. The girl I was slowing going gaga over was involved in the ministry in her own way – this I was surprised to learn! I recalled Amos 3:3, “Can two walk together unless they are agreed?” It was important to marry a girl whose feverishness for Jesus matched mine. Only then we could agree to walk the road of life together! This information provided by Ponnusamy uncle provided me yet another big green tick with regard to my choice to zero-in on Evangelin as my life partner.
To cut the long story short, Evangelin (Evan as I call her) and I got married on 09 July 2001. The chapter, How I Met And Married My Wife, part of my book, Straight Talk, provides other riveting details.
The girl whose picture atop a fridge swept me off my feet that day in 1999, inspires me to stand the ground! Stand the ground in this exciting work of grabbing the google Generation from Going to Gehenna (Hell)! My love for her today, as I write these words on her dad’s 75th birthday – yes Missionary Selvam turned Seventy Five today, 20 Sept 2023 – is not frozen, but brazen (as you can see)! Here is a poem I wrote in honor of the life of Missionary P. Selvam:
(Rev. Dr. Duke Jeyaraj is the founder of Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission – the G4 Mission. Duke and his wife Evangelin founded this ministry in Feb. 2006. This is not a church. This ministry is supported by Indians who are blessed by the messages and writings of Duke Jeyaraj and Evan. To know more whatsapp us via 918886040605).
WANT TO SEND AN OFFERING TO G4 MISSION, DUKE’S MINISTRY?
Should you desire to do so, we welcome you to donate to Grabbing the Google Generation from Gehenna Mission, the G4 Mission, the ministry founded by Duke Jeyaraj’s ministry, using the following the Razorpay link using payment apps, or net-banking or several other easy-to-use modes. Razorpay links are used by top corporations like Swiggy, Zomato, Flipkart, Airtel, Cred, Yatra, Goibibo, etc., to receive payments securely from their custormers. Upon clicking our ministry’s Razorpay link, you will be taken to a page where you enter your mobile number and email id. Post that, you will be even given an option to scan a QR code and pay (other popular payment options also available). What’s more, upon paying the donation you will instantly get this on-screen receipt (next picture shows what I got after I sent 1K to our ministry:). Here is the easy-to-remember Razorpay link for our ministry: : https://razorpay.me/@g4mission
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