Bringing Heaven Home
Patrick Roy Thuraisamy, a software engineer and Haggai leader in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is intimately familiar with God’s grace in suffering. He sees his story as a gift — each experience has given him the ability to develop perseverance and share the Gospel more authentically.
“I always pray, ‘Lord, I’m your instrument. Use me to bring Heaven home,’” Patrick says. As a child, his family was deeply affected by Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war, which broke out in 1983 as tensions exploded between government forces and an insurgent group.
“During this conflict, my father’s business and its properties were destroyed,” Patrick says. “He sank into depression and became addicted to alcohol. My father died in 1989 from cirrhosis, and I was left alone with my mother and two sisters. But my mother had great faith in God and guided me to walk with God.”
“I channeled that suffering into sharing the Gospel, and thanks be to God, two of my classmates accepted Jesus and are now serving in full-time ministry.”
Later, Patrick was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. A reckless driver ran a red light and crashed into him.
“For a few seconds, I thought, ‘I am dead,’” Patrick says. “But miraculously, God saved me with only minor injuries. I live today because of His grace only.” So, when Patrick applied for the Haggai Leader Experience in 2014 and his visa was denied, he didn’t give up. He knew from experience that God had a plan.
He applied again the next year, and his visa was denied again. Patrick decided that instead of giving up, he would get involved with the Sri Lankan national ministry. For years, he learned and served alongside Haggai leaders in his country, and when the first Virtual Haggai Leader Experience (VHLE) was announced in 2020, Patrick was one of the first Sri Lankans to enroll.
“Having my visa rejected twice was a painful experience,” he says. “It felt like a hopeless situation. But I chose to work with the national ministry, trusting that God would make a way for me. And He did.”
“It felt like a hopeless situation. But I chose to work with the national ministry, trusting that God would make a way for me. And He did.”
Today, Patrick still serves with the national ministry as a faculty member. Inspired by his father’s tragic death and the impact it had on his childhood, Patrick also works with a team of men in his diocese to implement a fatherhood program. The team travels across the country to equip fathers to better love and support their families.
“Many of those we have equipped come from rural, Buddhist areas in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka,” Patrick says. “We show them God the Father as a model, in order to equip them to become vessels of the Gospel by bringing Heaven home.” Patrick doesn’t just share the Gospel or information about fatherhood with these men — he shares life with them as well. Patrick sustains the connections he makes through the ministry whenever possible.
“I always maintain a link with the people I meet,” he says. “I keep records and collect their contact information so I can follow up via email, text message, or phone call. In this way, I make myself available to others to reach me when there is a challenge in their life. It’s a lot, but the VHLE empowered me to create achievable goals that would help me reach the vision God gave me for my ministry.”
Written by Jill Clair Gentry
Bringing Heaven Home
Patrick Roy Thuraisamy, a software engineer and Haggai leader in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is intimately familiar with God’s grace in suffering. He sees his story as a gift — each experience has given him the ability to develop perseverance and share the Gospel more authentically.
“I always pray, ‘Lord, I’m your instrument. Use me to bring Heaven home,’” Patrick says. As a child, his family was deeply affected by Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war, which broke out in 1983 as tensions exploded between government forces and an insurgent group.
“During this conflict, my father’s business and its properties were destroyed,” Patrick says. “He sank into depression and became addicted to alcohol. My father died in 1989 from cirrhosis, and I was left alone with my mother and two sisters. But my mother had great faith in God and guided me to walk with God.”
“I channeled that suffering into sharing the Gospel, and thanks be to God, two of my classmates accepted Jesus and are now serving in full-time ministry.”
Later, Patrick was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. A reckless driver ran a red light and crashed into him.
“For a few seconds, I thought, ‘I am dead,’” Patrick says. “But miraculously, God saved me with only minor injuries. I live today because of His grace only.” So, when Patrick applied for the Haggai Leader Experience in 2014 and his visa was denied, he didn’t give up. He knew from experience that God had a plan.
He applied again the next year, and his visa was denied again. Patrick decided that instead of giving up, he would get involved with the Sri Lankan national ministry. For years, he learned and served alongside Haggai leaders in his country, and when the first Virtual Haggai Leader Experience (VHLE) was announced in 2020, Patrick was one of the first Sri Lankans to enroll.
“Having my visa rejected twice was a painful experience,” he says. “It felt like a hopeless situation. But I chose to work with the national ministry, trusting that God would make a way for me. And He did.”
“It felt like a hopeless situation. But I chose to work with the national ministry, trusting that God would make a way for me. And He did.”
Today, Patrick still serves with the national ministry as a faculty member. Inspired by his father’s tragic death and the impact it had on his childhood, Patrick also works with a team of men in his diocese to implement a fatherhood program. The team travels across the country to equip fathers to better love and support their families.
“Many of those we have equipped come from rural, Buddhist areas in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka,” Patrick says. “We show them God the Father as a model, in order to equip them to become vessels of the Gospel by bringing Heaven home.” Patrick doesn’t just share the Gospel or information about fatherhood with these men — he shares life with them as well. Patrick sustains the connections he makes through the ministry whenever possible.
“I always maintain a link with the people I meet,” he says. “I keep records and collect their contact information so I can follow up via email, text message, or phone call. In this way, I make myself available to others to reach me when there is a challenge in their life. It’s a lot, but the VHLE empowered me to create achievable goals that would help me reach the vision God gave me for my ministry.”
Written by Jill Clair Gentry
Bringing Heaven Home
Patrick Roy Thuraisamy, a software engineer and Haggai leader in Colombo, Sri Lanka, is intimately familiar with God’s grace in suffering. He sees his story as a gift — each experience has given him the ability to develop perseverance and share the Gospel more authentically.
“I always pray, ‘Lord, I’m your instrument. Use me to bring Heaven home,’” Patrick says. As a child, his family was deeply affected by Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war, which broke out in 1983 as tensions exploded between government forces and an insurgent group.
“During this conflict, my father’s business and its properties were destroyed,” Patrick says. “He sank into depression and became addicted to alcohol. My father died in 1989 from cirrhosis, and I was left alone with my mother and two sisters. But my mother had great faith in God and guided me to walk with God.”
“I channeled that suffering into sharing the Gospel, and thanks be to God, two of my classmates accepted Jesus and are now serving in full-time ministry.”
Later, Patrick was involved in a serious motorcycle accident. A reckless driver ran a red light and crashed into him.
“For a few seconds, I thought, ‘I am dead,’” Patrick says. “But miraculously, God saved me with only minor injuries. I live today because of His grace only.” So, when Patrick applied for the Haggai Leader Experience in 2014 and his visa was denied, he didn’t give up. He knew from experience that God had a plan.
He applied again the next year, and his visa was denied again. Patrick decided that instead of giving up, he would get involved with the Sri Lankan national ministry. For years, he learned and served alongside Haggai leaders in his country, and when the first Virtual Haggai Leader Experience (VHLE) was announced in 2020, Patrick was one of the first Sri Lankans to enroll.
“Having my visa rejected twice was a painful experience,” he says. “It felt like a hopeless situation. But I chose to work with the national ministry, trusting that God would make a way for me. And He did.”
“It felt like a hopeless situation. But I chose to work with the national ministry, trusting that God would make a way for me. And He did.”
Today, Patrick still serves with the national ministry as a faculty member. Inspired by his father’s tragic death and the impact it had on his childhood, Patrick also works with a team of men in his diocese to implement a fatherhood program. The team travels across the country to equip fathers to better love and support their families.
“Many of those we have equipped come from rural, Buddhist areas in the North Western Province of Sri Lanka,” Patrick says. “We show them God the Father as a model, in order to equip them to become vessels of the Gospel by bringing Heaven home.” Patrick doesn’t just share the Gospel or information about fatherhood with these men — he shares life with them as well. Patrick sustains the connections he makes through the ministry whenever possible.
“I always maintain a link with the people I meet,” he says. “I keep records and collect their contact information so I can follow up via email, text message, or phone call. In this way, I make myself available to others to reach me when there is a challenge in their life. It’s a lot, but the VHLE empowered me to create achievable goals that would help me reach the vision God gave me for my ministry.”
Written by Jill Clair Gentry
