TRUSTING IN BETTER PLANS | KAIROS GLOBAL | SEPTEMBER 2021

Author: Tanya Densil

Hi, my name is Tanya Densil and this is my testimony. I am now a college student at RAK Medical and Health Sciences University. I am 18 years old and I joined Jesus Youth when I was 13. First, I would like to express how grateful I am to share my experience, and to express my gratitude to the Lord for helping me during this testing time of my life.

Regarding my family, I could never ask for a better one. My father, Densil Vincent, my mother, Mini Densil, and my older brother, Steve Densil have been nothing short of supportive and they have helped me all along the way. Whatever decision I made, they made sure I was aware of the pros and cons of it and they made sure to support me no matter what.

I was in Dubai for the majority of my life, except for the few years when I went back to India. I was also an altar server in my parish and would attend Mass daily. My higher education was done in Dubai and it was nothing short of a challenge. Even though classes were challenging at the time, I did not lose faith and knew that the Lord would not let me bite off more than I could chew. The Word of God which I always held close to my heart was Luke 1:37 nothing is impossible with God, which made me put my trust in him and I can say proudly now that he did not let me down.

I say ‘now’ because there was a time – between my 12th grade and college – when I had trouble with my faith. My faith was on rocky ground and I kept questioning everything. Additionally, I did not have a clear idea as to what or where I would be continuing my education. Having not achieved the expected result in the NEET exam (Indian medical entrance exams) which was the last nail in the coffin, it was complete chaos after, as it had been my lifelong dream to be a paediatrician.

Just when I thought that things could not get any worse, what happened next hit me so hard that it was physically and mentally exhausting to just get through the days. My best friend of six years and I got into a misunderstanding and a lot of tension started building up between us. Nothing prepared me for what was coming next – she made the decision to cut me off from her life, this was the last straw.

Losing my best friend was one of the most traumatic things to have ever happened to me. It caused me an unbelievable amount of emotional stress and my mental and physical health started deteriorating to a great extent. With all that was taking place in my life the pandemic did not help, to say the least. Though I am grateful that the Lord shielded my family from the virus, the lockdowns and the constant isolation pushed me into a dark hole that I was not ready for. 

During my time in India I made a new friend, she was not Christian but believed in Jesus Christ; seeing her being so faithful despite not being Christian inspired me to regain my faith. Once I came back to Dubai we started attending Mass regularly, this helped me practice my faith and it was therapeutic at the same time.Although I was questioning everything at one point, my family and friends never gave up on me. They still believed I had what it took to get into a medical college, and not just any college – a college of my choosing. They never made me question myself and always made sure I knew that they were still behind me, ready to support me at every step.

Through all the difficult times in my life, my family constantly reminded me that everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for me. My parents were continuously on their knees praying for me without losing their hope and trust in the Lord. It was so much easier for me to go through what I went through knowing that I had that prayer support with me. While going through the rocky road with my faith, it was very difficult to believe in what my family was trying to tell me. After writing NEET I came back to Dubai as I decided to take a year off to figure out what I had to do next. Once I started regaining my trust in God, I was finally able to see the path he had laid out for me. I got my driver’s license on my first try (which is a difficult task in Dubai) and was also able to get a high score for my entrance exam which for me at the time was an impossible thought but God has bigger plans. It took me a while to realise that this was his plan all along, for me to study in the UAE.

When I started putting my trust back in God I was able to calmly think about my future because until then I was crying almost every day. Trusting the Lord, putting my life in his hands, believing that he has a plan and that everything happens for a reason really put me at ease and also led to where I am today. And that is what I have to tell anyone who is struggling with life decisions, just give it all up to him and he will do what's best for you.Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Tanya Densil is an 18-year-old Indian brought up in the UAE. She is currently a medical student at RAK University, Dubai.