NAMB church planter Shaun Pillay leads his congregation in prayer outside of Cornerstone International Church in Norwich, Conn.
NAMB church planting missionary Shaun Pillay and his wife, Deshni, are both natives of South Africa who came to the United States as newlyweds in 2007, bringing only two pieces of luggage between them —along with a strong faith to serve God and plant churches in Norwich, Conn.
He’s a good man, a man of God. And everybody I introduce him to just falls in love with him and his passion for the people and the city of Norwich.”
Holland’s transformation has not only been a testimony to the power of God but also the influence of Pillay in the city. Weeks after Holland’s salvation, the two ran into a group of policemen who knew Holland as the drug dealer and troublemaker he was before his conversion to Christianity. They hadn’t seen him in months, and Holland took the opportunity to explain his absence from the legal system as the direct result of his newfound presence in Christ.
“The men were obviously moved,” Pillay recalls. “They said, ‘I wish all the drug dealers in the city would come to know your Jesus if this is the result.’ They knew for sure that David was a changed man.”
For Pillay, this exchange was just a small step in changing not just one life, but also the entire city of Norwich. Though the work is slow, he recognizes that every conversation, every seed planted, is a victory in the name of Christ. He looks forward to more stories like Holland’s in the years to come.
“Whatever it takes to reach these people, whether it’s leaving our homeland or going to a place where we don’t know anybody. Whatever it takes to share the love of Jesus Christ, that is what we’re here to do.” OM
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Sara Shelton is content development specialist for On Mission.
18 Spring 2012 •
onmission.com
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