My Parents Sulochana & Kannan both from Orthodox Iyengar families had four daughters and a son. I was born as the third
child and named Lakshmi. I grew up in Chennai surrounded by loving parents and siblings. Day after day after my father
would arise early and what ever the weather, bathe in cold water and straight after, in wet clothes, faithfully say his prayers
before Hindu gods. By the time I was 10, I knew by heart most of the slokas that my dad recited. I could recite 30 thiruppavai
and 20 thiruvembavai songs by heart when I was in year 4 in school. My father was from the temple town of Kancheepuram
and during holidays we would stay in our grandfathers house which was adjacent to the big temple. I had visited all the
famous temples in Kancheepuram before I was 10.
My brother was the only son, born after 4 of us girls. When he was a baby, he fell from the cradle and injured his head. His
head was unusually big and he would cry non-stop. My parents saw many doctors but the verdict was that he would be
abnormal, slow to grow, learn, etc. My parents were most distressed and were helpless. At this time a young man called
Henry Samuel who was starting his ministry as a Pastor in the local ECI church, moved into the apartment next to ours. When
he came to know about my brother, he prayed for him and told my mother about Christ. My brother improved gradually and
my mother started to believe in Christ, read the Bible and go to church. Sometimes we children would go with her to church.
Somewhere deep in me I felt that there was truth in the way the people in church worshipped and that their prayers were
heard by a God who was alive. Faith started to take root in me and I started to believe that this was the true God. I went to
church as regularly as I could. As a teenager I went to a meeting in Coonoor and responded to the altar call but forgot about
it. In my later teens, I went through difficult times when I felt alone and helpless and I turned to the only one I knew as the
real God. I prayed constantly and read the Bible voraciously, sometimes completing one entire gospel book in a day. I got
baptized and received the Holy Spirit on the same day. I had started going to New Life Assemblies of God as the other
Pastor had gone away from Chennai. But God did not send me a miracle from heaven as I had thought he would, and my
hopelessness continued. I became bitter towards God, disappointed as I was and in pain and anguish, and I stopped going
to church. I felt unjustly punished for no good reason and thought either there was no God, or if there was, he was unfair, as
he had allowed me to be persecuted for no mistake of mine. By this time, most of our family had started believing in Christ.
One of my sisters called me to go to church and I told her that I would not go as they talked about love, but I felt no love
towards God and I would go to church, if and when I did. She told me later that she went and prayed with another person for
me. A few weeks later, for some strange reason, after a gap of a few years, I went to church. I don’t remember anything about
the service, except that I cried the whole time, and felt great love and felt very close and intimate with God. When I came
out of that service, the whole world seemed new and beautiful. I fell in love with it and felt great love for all, the foremost
being God. My life changed from that day on. God gave me dreams, visions and gifts. In one meeting, as I was praying in
the back row of the church, I was filled with the power of spirit and was slain in the spirit. I went to a meeting by Father
Berchmans in Marina beach and when he was praying for gifts, I was asking God for gifts too.
child and named Lakshmi. I grew up in Chennai surrounded by loving parents and siblings. Day after day after my father
would arise early and what ever the weather, bathe in cold water and straight after, in wet clothes, faithfully say his prayers
before Hindu gods. By the time I was 10, I knew by heart most of the slokas that my dad recited. I could recite 30 thiruppavai
and 20 thiruvembavai songs by heart when I was in year 4 in school. My father was from the temple town of Kancheepuram
and during holidays we would stay in our grandfathers house which was adjacent to the big temple. I had visited all the
famous temples in Kancheepuram before I was 10.
My brother was the only son, born after 4 of us girls. When he was a baby, he fell from the cradle and injured his head. His
head was unusually big and he would cry non-stop. My parents saw many doctors but the verdict was that he would be
abnormal, slow to grow, learn, etc. My parents were most distressed and were helpless. At this time a young man called
Henry Samuel who was starting his ministry as a Pastor in the local ECI church, moved into the apartment next to ours. When
he came to know about my brother, he prayed for him and told my mother about Christ. My brother improved gradually and
my mother started to believe in Christ, read the Bible and go to church. Sometimes we children would go with her to church.
Somewhere deep in me I felt that there was truth in the way the people in church worshipped and that their prayers were
heard by a God who was alive. Faith started to take root in me and I started to believe that this was the true God. I went to
church as regularly as I could. As a teenager I went to a meeting in Coonoor and responded to the altar call but forgot about
it. In my later teens, I went through difficult times when I felt alone and helpless and I turned to the only one I knew as the
real God. I prayed constantly and read the Bible voraciously, sometimes completing one entire gospel book in a day. I got
baptized and received the Holy Spirit on the same day. I had started going to New Life Assemblies of God as the other
Pastor had gone away from Chennai. But God did not send me a miracle from heaven as I had thought he would, and my
hopelessness continued. I became bitter towards God, disappointed as I was and in pain and anguish, and I stopped going
to church. I felt unjustly punished for no good reason and thought either there was no God, or if there was, he was unfair, as
he had allowed me to be persecuted for no mistake of mine. By this time, most of our family had started believing in Christ.
One of my sisters called me to go to church and I told her that I would not go as they talked about love, but I felt no love
towards God and I would go to church, if and when I did. She told me later that she went and prayed with another person for
me. A few weeks later, for some strange reason, after a gap of a few years, I went to church. I don’t remember anything about
the service, except that I cried the whole time, and felt great love and felt very close and intimate with God. When I came
out of that service, the whole world seemed new and beautiful. I fell in love with it and felt great love for all, the foremost
being God. My life changed from that day on. God gave me dreams, visions and gifts. In one meeting, as I was praying in
the back row of the church, I was filled with the power of spirit and was slain in the spirit. I went to a meeting by Father
Berchmans in Marina beach and when he was praying for gifts, I was asking God for gifts too.
I came home and wrote my first song that night. As I was praying, I sang out a tune aloud
and the words came too. God has since given me many songs, all based on the scripture. My
problems still existed, but God gradually got me out of them, and showed me the life that he
had actually planned for me. He showed me the man that I was to marry 6 years later. God
had promised me that he will give me all that I lost, hundredfold and truly he has kept his
promise to this day. I am married to Selwyn Thomas, who has been handpicked for me by
God. We have 2 wonderful children. My daughter is an Engg graduate and works as a
software developer. My son is 9 and is in primary school. Both my children are saved and
God fearing and for this I am very thankful. In 2002, we migrated to New Zealand and we see
Gods hand on us every day. He has built us up slowly and steadily. We both have good jobs
in which we work full time. In our spare time we minister through music and teaching the
Bible. My husband has found his calling in things that involve technology, electronics and
music. He has established Irai Isai Media Ltd, a media outfit that streams Christian music
online 24/7. The website is www.iraiisai.com. There are many more plans in the pipeline for
this ministry. My first album, Anadhi Snegam, was dedicated in 2005 in Auckland, by Rev. D.
Mohan, Senior Pastor of New Life AG church in Chennai. We are now launching my 2nd
album, titled Irai Isai. There are more songs which we will be recording as God leads us. The
sole purpose of these albums is to reach Gods word to people through music and fulfill Gods
will. We are not looking for financial gains, or gains of any kind from the albums or iraiisai
media. We believe that we should spend and be spent for winning souls for the kingdom.
God has given each of us a unique call and we want to be true and faithful to our calling.
We want to co-operate with God in whatever possible way, so that his purpose for our lives be
fulfilled. I hope you enjoy the album and God Bless
and the words came too. God has since given me many songs, all based on the scripture. My
problems still existed, but God gradually got me out of them, and showed me the life that he
had actually planned for me. He showed me the man that I was to marry 6 years later. God
had promised me that he will give me all that I lost, hundredfold and truly he has kept his
promise to this day. I am married to Selwyn Thomas, who has been handpicked for me by
God. We have 2 wonderful children. My daughter is an Engg graduate and works as a
software developer. My son is 9 and is in primary school. Both my children are saved and
God fearing and for this I am very thankful. In 2002, we migrated to New Zealand and we see
Gods hand on us every day. He has built us up slowly and steadily. We both have good jobs
in which we work full time. In our spare time we minister through music and teaching the
Bible. My husband has found his calling in things that involve technology, electronics and
music. He has established Irai Isai Media Ltd, a media outfit that streams Christian music
online 24/7. The website is www.iraiisai.com. There are many more plans in the pipeline for
this ministry. My first album, Anadhi Snegam, was dedicated in 2005 in Auckland, by Rev. D.
Mohan, Senior Pastor of New Life AG church in Chennai. We are now launching my 2nd
album, titled Irai Isai. There are more songs which we will be recording as God leads us. The
sole purpose of these albums is to reach Gods word to people through music and fulfill Gods
will. We are not looking for financial gains, or gains of any kind from the albums or iraiisai
media. We believe that we should spend and be spent for winning souls for the kingdom.
God has given each of us a unique call and we want to be true and faithful to our calling.
We want to co-operate with God in whatever possible way, so that his purpose for our lives be
fulfilled. I hope you enjoy the album and God Bless
