VOICE OF TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Ratanang’s Story
When we first met Ratanang, we were immediately drawn to her radiant smile and joyful spirit. What we didn’t fully see at first was the incredible journey she had walked. After losing both of her parents to AIDS, she became the head of her household at just 13 years old, caring for her younger brother while trying to survive in a community marked by poverty, crime, and hardship. The weight of grief, fear, and responsibility seemed unbearable.
Years later, Ratanang joined our orphan care center in South Africa. The young girl who once needed rescue became a woman helping rescue others. Today, she ministers to children and teens with compassion because she understands their pain firsthand.
Through many trials—including her daughter nearly being killed in an accident, her husband surviving a gunshot wound, and experiencing armed robbery herself—she has discovered a powerful truth: God was never punishing her. He was walking with her.
One moment changed everything. During a discipleship retreat, Ratanang reflected on what it means to be adopted into God’s family. Through tears, she exclaimed, “He said I’m not an orphan anymore!” In that moment, the label she had carried for years was broken by the truth of her Heavenly Father’s love.
Romans 8:15 reminds us, “The Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’”
No matter what labels the world places on us, God calls us His own. His love transforms fear into courage, shame into freedom, and brokenness into purpose. Ratanang’s story is a beautiful reminder that Jesus still changes lives—and through those transformed lives, He changes the world.
Excerpt from Voice of Truth Magazine
“Global Connections” by Dr. Jennie Cerullo & Dr. Marcia Ball