Born in an orthodox Hindu Family Sis Sharon Praveen Kumar alias Bellamkonda Rama Devi came to know Lord Jesus in 1992. Prior to knowing Lord Jesus, Rama Devi followed the rituals essential to an orthodox Hindu such as fasting, performing puja (worshipping the deities), cleaning the temple, etc. Her father Sri Vishwanadam garu was well versed with the almanac worked in one of the temples in Bhadrachalam (a historical and holy place for Hindus with a temple of Sri Rama) and assisted people in explaining the horoscopic astrology. The Bible says in Ephesians 1.4 that God chose us even before the foundation of the world and certain incidents in Sis Sharon’s life confirm this statement. At the age of twelve Rama Devi had a dream in which a person came and gave a copy of the New Testament. She was reprimanded by her mother not to take the name of Jesus as they were Hindus, when she told her mother Lakshmi about the dream. Rama Devi’s grandmother was a secret follower of Christ and in the last days of her life she was admitted to the hospital built by her husband late Sri Seetharamaiah garu and Rama Devi assisted her in the hospital. During the final moments of her life, the old lady preached gospel to the staff of the hospital and also to Rama Devi. Thus, Rama Devi was introduced to Lord Jesus initially through her grandmother. As the days passed after completing 10th grade Rama Devi was admitted into a Nursing College with a strict warning from her father that she should keep a distance and not get influence by the activities related to Christianity as the College was under Christian management. In the final year of her nursing course, Rama Devi was restless for no reason despite her devout life and came home due to financial problems. After the completion of the nursing training, she left for Hyderabad to start her career. At the workplace a brother shared gospel with Rama Devi who reluctantly heard him and later took a decision not to talk to him as her aim in coming to Hyderabad was to earn money and not know Jesus. But this brother never gave up on telling her about Jesus and started taking her to meetings. She started even reading the Bible. She prayed without leaving her ritualistic life. With time passing in this fashion, Rama Devi developed infection in the nose. Antibiotics could not heal her and at the behest of her friends, attended a Christian meeting. In the meeting she heard a voice saying “ My daughter! Will you love me and worship me.” She replied saying she was already in love with Jesus. The voice again said “ If you love me, come out of these traditions.” Instantaneously she obeyed the voice and finally accepted Christ as her personal saviour in the year 1992. She was baptised on 18th July 1993 and was christened by Bro. Kesarapalli Daniel as Sharon. Sis. Sharon started growing in the Lord by attending a church run by Rev Ratna Manikyam in Kukkatpalli .
As days progressed, a marriage proposal was put forward before Sis Sharon by her spiritual mentor Rev. Ratna Manikyam. The groom to be was also a member of the same church. Fearing the orthodoxy of the parents Sis.Sharon refused the proposal and received prophetic word from several servants of god about her marriage. The culminating point reached when Bro. D G S Dhinakaran called her by name in a meeting held at Kothagudem in October 1994 and prophesied about her marriage. Her father too accepted the proposal as a result of prayers of his saints and Sis Sharon for about a year. The marriage of Sis. Sharon and Bro. Praveen Ratna Kumar was solemnized in the CSI Church, Khagaznagar on 11th January 1995. The groom’s family welcomed Sis. Sharon as their daughter-in-law whole heartedly despite her cultural and financial background. In 1993 God called Pastor Praveen Kumar to full time ministry but his non-responsive behaviour resulted in a lot of hardships to family. Sis Sharon was well- placed in the South-Central Railways but moving away from god’s plan put the couple into financial bankruptcy. Sis. Sharon had to manage the affairs of the house with meagre supply. Poverty, hunger, shame and insults paved way for the couple to yield to God’s sovereign plan for their life. A church was started by Pastor Praveen Kumar and Sis Sharon had to play the dual role of a working woman and a shepherdess. With minimal facilities at her disposal, she became a mother to her church members. God respected her trust in Him and blessed her with abundance in all dimensions. He has been faithful in responding to all her requests and established himself as Jehovah Jireh. Although she was a mother to many in the church, she did not conceive until seven years of her marriage. Now, Sis. Sharon and Pastor Praveen Kumar are blessed with two precious gifts of God, Abhishek and Akshaya who actively participate in the activities of the ministry. They are Mummy and Daddy not only to Abhishek and Akshaya but to all the Congregation. The erstwhile Bharatanatyam dancer who received a prize from the then Chief minister Late Sri Brahmadanda Reddy garu, now rejoices in the presence of the Holy Spirit with prophetic revelations and the playwright and director during college days now scripts songs of worship and praise. This transformation establishes the covenant made by God in Job 22.28 (Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways) and Psalms 81.10 (I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.)
In I Timothy 1.2-Apostle Paul says “Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith:” Pastor Praveen and Sis Sharon deem Bro. Sreenivas, who was also saved from an orthodox Hindu family, as their spiritual son. Bro. Sreenivas assists the servants of God in all the affairs of the ministry. In His grace God remembered Sis. Sharon’s family (Acts 16.31-Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house) who came to know the Lord and her father and mother were baptized by Pastor Praveen Kumar. Sis. Sharon’s only sibling Bro. Prasad and his wife Sis Krupa are being used as His worthy vessels in the ministry.
Sis Saharon Praveen