TESTIMONY 36
Name: Mr. JosephSurname: VallabhapurapuDate & Place of Birth: PeddavutapallyAddress: Peddavutapally Village, Vijayawada, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh StateRelationship: Direct WitnessDate of Written Witness: 06-05-1968
Brother Joseph Thamby used to tell that he is from Pondicherry, Madras state. He told that he had a brother. I worked as teacher in CSI mission school in Peddavutapally. I was sent to this school on 10 August 1936. After 2 to 3 years of my coming to this village, Brother Joseph Thamby came to Peddavutapally and took his residence here with the help of the parish priest Fr. John Calderaro. Sometimes, he used to come to me with the letters that he received in English. I used to read them for him and reply for him in English. This is how we both became very close. Observing his holy life, I used to honor him as the Servant of God.
Seeing Brother Joseph Thamby a holy man, Devarapalli Devadanam once invited Brother Joseph Thamby to his house for prayer. Together with Brother Joseph Thamby, I and Nallamothu Daniel and Muvva Jeevarathnam went to the house. At the arrival of the entrance of the house of Devarapalli Devadanam, Brother Joseph Thamby said, ‘there is a Satan in your house, I shall not enter’. Devadanam replied, ‘there is no satan in my house’. Brother Joseph Thamby pointing his finger said ‘go and bring the clothesline or the rope’. We went and saw but could not find it. We told the same to Brother Joseph Thamby. He said ‘it is hanging on the wall, go and bring’. We went again and found the talisman hanging on the wall and brought to him. Then he went inside the house and prayed. We all were surprised about this and went home.
After 2, 3 days later, seeing Brother Joseph Thamby coming to my house, Muvva Jeevarathnam, a Christian took him to his house for prayer. When he reached his house, Brother Joseph Thamby said ‘there is a satan in your house’. Jeevarathnam replied, ‘there is no satan in my house for I am a Christian’. He asked to bring a crowbar and asked to dig near the oven. Upon digging, many talismans were found. Then he prayed in the house. All those who were there were surprised.
Blood used to ooze on his forehead, hands, legs and side. People used to talk about it that like Jesus Christ, Brother Joseph Thamby too had the wounds on his body. One afternoon I went to see him. He was alone sitting in his house. Seeing me he said, ‘you have no salvation’. Then he crossed his hands and legs and prayed so intensely with sorrow and tears. Then I saw that blood was oozing from his hands and legs. After he woke up, he asked me to press his hands and legs and side too. I was hurt when he said ‘you have no salvation’, but could not ask him again about that. He told me many spiritual things to me which awakened faith in me.
After 23 days, in the evening between 6 or 7, he called me and my wife and asked to bring lantern. We brought as he said. We saw once again blood oozing from his head and he was praying. We all praised God for this.
One evening, he came to my house and sat on the cot. I asked him from where he was coming. He said, ‘from Gannavaram’. I saw him that he was in deep prayer and contemplation and lifted by the spirit of God. I asked him again why he went to Gannavaram. Without answering suddenly he got up and was leaving my house. I left my work and followed him to his house. After sometime, pointing to north, he was telling, ‘fire, fire, fire…see, see, see…’ I did not see any fire. I said to him ‘there is no fire’. Again he repeated the same, and this happened three times…saying this he fell to the ground. I was afraid to touch for I realized I am a sinner. But I gathered my courage and lifted him up from the ground, sat down on the floor resting his head on my lap. Then he woke up and prayed with tears. Then I asked him why he was praying with tears. He told, ‘I am praying for you. The Lord is angry with you’. I was so sad to hear that. Then I brought him to my house, gave bath and gave milk to drink. He asked me to bring Bible and he read some verses. He told that I should be careful.
After few days, Brother Joseph Thamby came to my house and asked for me. I was not at home that time. When I came back, my wife told me that Brother Joseph Thamby was in search of me. I went to see him. He was lying on the cot and meditating. I asked him why he called me. He told me to kneel down. I knelt down near his cot. Then he extended his hand on my head and prayed for long time and blessed me and told me to go home. While praying over me, his voice was so weak and feeble. I thought probably he was dying and before his death he blessed me.
Next day morning around 7, he hastened to me. We were together for some time talking about some things. On another occasion, I doubted my wife in my heart. Brother Joseph Thamby came to me and said, ‘do you doubt your wife? That is wrong. She is very good’. Thus he rebuked me and cleared my doubt in my heart.
On another occasion, I was talking with someone in a derision way and coming back home. Brother Joseph Thamby came to my house and rebuked saying to me ‘you are sinning’. When I asked how he came to know about this, he replied, ‘the Lord told me’. When he needed medicine for motions, he used to come to me and take the medicine. When my children fell sick, I used to call him and he would pray over them. He used to bless the medicine too and apply the medicine to children.
He knew the day he is going to die in advance. He prepared a coffin for himself and kept it in his house. One day, I went to his house. He told me that he would die in six months. Then he showed me the coffin box and told, ‘I would die definitely in six months and that is why I made this coffin box’. Six months passed. It was the festival days of Sankranti. I was not at home on that day. I went to see cock-fights and wanted to buy sugar canes for my children. As he said, he breathed his last and proved right what he said six months ago.
In this way, I have witnessed wonders of God worked out through Brother Joseph Thamby. May the holy trinity with the spirit have mercy on us sinners and may we lead our lives according to the will of God! Amen.
Mr. Joseph Vallabhapurapu
C.S.I. Elementary School
Peddavutapally
Dated: 6.5.1968
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