Women Who Inspire – Aradhana Thakor

I am privileged to introduce to you this week’s Women Who Inspire, Aradhana Thakor. Aradhana is the author of two books, “Burning Passion for Lost Souls”, which is how I got to meet her, and her latest book, “Sixteen Letters”, has just become available. This week’s lady we get to meet has a fascinating story that began all the way in India, of love and romance, loss and memories, woven through a tapestry of God’s faithfulness. Aradhana has fast become one of my dear friends through this amazing magazine, Christian Women Living, which is bringing women together from all corners of the world.

Michelle Gott: Will you please introduce yourself to our readers and give us a little background information?
Aradhana Thakor: Hi, my name is Aradhana Thakor. I am from India. I am married and live with my husband in Calgary, Canada. I love exploring different places, cultures, and cuisines. I love to immerse myself into a good book and most of all, I enjoy the freedom of writing whenever I get inspired.

MG: Can you give us a summary on your journey with Christ — from the time you accepted Christ to how you started in ministry.
AT: I consider it an absolute blessing to be born into ministry. My dad started prison ministry in India way before I was even born. So, I naturally grew up with Christian values as my dad used to Pastor a small church. We always had an atmosphere of prayer in our home. My parents would freely talk about Jesus and his love with me and my sister. When we were little, they would keep us with a babysitter and head to the prisons to preach the gospel. When we got into our teens, we started accompanying our parents to the prisons all over the state. Just seeing the massive outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the prisoners and hearing their testimonies of transformation affirmed and strengthened my faith in God.

MG: What was life for you like growing up in India?
AT: I had an amazing childhood in India only because I had the most loving parents. The fond memories I have are of our summer vacations when we would go to my mom’s hometown of Mumbai. Travelling in the overcrowded local trains was an experience all in itself! My mom would take my sister and me shopping the entire afternoon while savoring the local delicacies. The sweltering summer afternoon did not seem to deter our enjoyment. In the evening we would head to Juhu beach where we would gorge on ice candies and would never fail to get on the horse or camel ride on the beach! Growing up in India is extremely different than growing up in Canada. I mean India is full of diverse people, rich culture, and traditions. There are more than 35 popular festivals massively celebrated in India throughout the year. The constant excitement, bright lights, vibrant colors, mouthwatering cuisines, and cultural heritage makes growing up in India a remarkably interesting experience one will never forget.

MG: How did you decide on your career path?
AT: My parents were both in the financial sector. My dad was an accountant, and my mother was the branch manager in a bank. So naturally I gravitated towards finance. I am a certified payroll practitioner, but the Lord had other plans for me. He wanted me to “write” for His glory! I always felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit regarding this, but I only took it seriously after my dad passed away.

MG: Share with your readers how you met your husband and the history of your relationship.
AT: Well, it is not a conventional love story! We had an arranged marriage in India. My mom’s friend brought the marriage proposal. I was not ready to get married at the time as I was too focused on my career. The moment I entered my 20’s my parents started praying for a suitable match for me. I was not aware of this. They believed that this particular marriage proposal was an answer to their prayers. It did not make sense to me. After all, this was my life, I argued. After a lot of persuasion from family members I agreed to meet the “prospective groom.” As is the custom, the prospective groom along with his family came to see the “prospective bride,” (me). I did not know what to expect. I was so naive and shy, I hardly looked up to see the “prospective groom.” The parents/elders did all the talking. We barely spoke to each other. I was so shy and embarrassed and wanted the whole thing to end. The torturous evening was finally over! I breathed a sigh of relief. But the next day, his family informed my dad that they liked me and wanted to proceed with the engagement! My parents were so excited. I, on the other hand, was terrified. I barely knew him. What if I did not like him or things didn’t work out? Then what? Too many questions hovering in my head. I was not ready for this. My parents counseled with me and took the matter to the Lord in prayer. They were absolutely certain that this was an answer to their prayers. They insisted that I accept the proposal as they had been praying for a guy like him. So, I literally just obeyed my parents. (Am so glad I did because Anoop is an amazing person and has become my rock ever since.) It was a leap of faith for me. I told God I was trusting Him completely and went ahead. Two weeks later, I was engaged! This ushered in our long-distance relationship as he was an Executive Chef on an Italian cruise ship. He would be aboard the ship for 8 months and would come home to India for 2 months. But after just 15 days of our engagement, he was summoned to board the ship. We got married when he came back home to India after 9 months! We were in the friend zone at this stage in our relationship. We both kept trusting God.

MG: You have written a book called Burning Passion for Lost Souls. What led you to write this memoir and what is its background?
AT: Like I said earlier, the only reason I had an amazing childhood is because of my loving parents. I have only one elder sister. We were both daddy’s little girl. We were always very sheltered and pampered by our parents. My dad had an incredibly good sense of humor and we had our own jokes as every family does. Even after marriage, my parents were remarkably close to me and my sister. A day would not go by without a phone call from them. To date my sister and I call my mom every single day! It’s just this bond we have as a family. So, when my dad passed away, you can imagine how devastated we all were. During the funeral as they lay the last wreath on his grave, I kept thinking of the great legacy of 38 years he had left behind. Something that nobody could ever replace or step into. He gave his very heart and soul to his ministry and was faithful till the very end. I did not understand why God would take him away so soon for he had so many upcoming plans for his prison ministry.

I missed him terribly and needed something to vent out my emotions, so I started writing. My hands would not stop typing and the Lord kept guiding my thoughts. I did not even know I could compose poems! The Lord just kept leading me and eventually, one fine day, it turns into a memoir. I name it, “Burning Passion for Lost Souls.”

This book takes you on a journey of one man’s burning passion for lost souls behind bars. It is seen through the eyes of a daughter and is therefore written in first person. I have also included life changing testimonies of prisoners. I have mentioned in my book, the reason for publication of this memoir is threefold. Firstly, that God who unconditionally loves his lost sheep may be highly exalted in these testimonies of prisoners. Secondly, that his chosen people may be edified to have a burning passion for lost souls until they go after his very last sheep on earth to bring it back to His loving fold. And lastly a loving tribute to my dad who labored on behalf of his Master till the very end.

MG: Tell us about your childhood and growing up the daughter of a missionary, a minister in India’s prisons. Tell us about your father.
AT: My dad started prison ministry in 1980 in India after receiving a specific call from God. He boldly ventured into the prisons and shared the gospel to the inmates. Over the years, countless lives have been radically transformed by the power of Jesus Christ.

Growing up with missionary parents was quite different from my friends. At times it would be quite difficult to explain to someone who came by that my parents were in prison right now! They would have these dumbfounded looks on their faces. It was pretty normal to have ex-prisoners come home and share a meal with us.

MG: When did you first become interested in writing?
AT: I have always enjoyed reading and writing since I was a child. I kept a journal when I was in my teens. I have always been incredibly shy and an introvert. So, writing to me is extremely comforting and satisfying. I thoroughly revel in the freedom which writing gives me by expressing myself. Ask me to speak in public and I have to fight the urge to run away but writing seems to naturally bestow confidence in me, and I can’t seem to stop once I start!

MG: What would you tell someone who would like to work as a professional author or become published?
AT: I would say, take it to the Lord in prayer and discern His will first because only He can touch the hearts of those who read your work. Then, have faith in your own writing and show your manuscript to friends/family who can give you constructive criticism. Once you’re happy with it, you can research for publishers according to your goals, budget, resources and genre.

MG: Was the process of becoming a published author what you expected?
AT: It was definitely not what I expected. In fact, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know anything about publishing. It never occurred to me that I would ever publish a book someday. All I had was my manuscript and I didn’t know where to go from there. Initially I submitted my manuscript to a publisher in India but due to timelines and the fact that I was migrating to Canada, I could not go ahead with it. So, I took another route for publishing “Burning Passion for Lost Souls.” It has worked well for me so far. It has given me more flexibility with promotion and marketing.

MG: Overall, due to the tenderness of your book, Burning Passion for Lost Souls, how do you feel it has been received by readers since your experiences were different than many young women?
AT: I’ve been told by some that they could feel my sensitive heart beating through my poems. For some the burning passion for lost souls was ignited. Some of them were deeply touched by the testimonies of prisoners and the overall journey of an Indian missionary.

MG: Do you intend to write another book and, if so, do you have a topic for the next book?
AT: I recently published my new book, “Sixteen Letters.” I am extremely excited about this book. When I published “Burning Passion for Lost Souls,” I sought the Lord in prayer and asked Him exactly what He wanted me to write next. “Sixteen Letters” is the seed He planted in my heart. This book is written intentionally for a weary traveler in Christ who is journeying towards the summit through its steep craggy slopes, lofty peaks, winding pathways, and deep valleys. Each letter contains heavenly, “manna,” which will nourish and rejuvenate your soul. At the end of each letter there is a beautiful poem written just for you. Upon completion of these sixteen letters, you will find yourself with a surprisingly beautiful assignment meant just for you!

MG: Did you know that you wanted to write on a professional level or did that just happen?
AT: Oh no. I never thought I would do it professionally. I was looking forward to a fulfilling career in Payroll. I even took the exams and got certified as a Canadian Payroll Practitioner, but God had other plans for me. I just chose to obey the Lord, that’s all. And am glad I did because I love this writing ministry. It’s very rewarding when someone reads my work and tells me how much it has blessed them. It blows my mind every time.

MG: Can you recall a time when you know that God was the only way you had a provision through a certain situation?
AT: Well to continue with our marriage story, Anoop and I, slowly started getting fond of each other and then falling for each other whilst the ship life continued for a few years. 8 months onboard and 2 months home. The 2 months would fly by amazingly fast and I would find myself crying once again at the airport saying goodbye to him. It used to be very heartbreaking when we couldn’t be there for each other during difficult times or couldn’t celebrate Christmas or our birthdays and anniversaries together. We knew we had to do something as we both were getting miserable. So, we both started praying to God to bring us together as a “normal couple on land.” The Lord guided us towards Canada. We immediately applied but the Lord kept testing our faith and patience with visa rejections, delays and a host of other issues. We decided not to give up but kept looking to Him for whom nothing is impossible and can make a pathway through the Red Sea. Finally, am happy to tell you that after 7 long years of patience we are today living as a “normal couple on land” in a beautiful home overlooking the snow-clad Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada!

MG: What do you see as some of the biggest challenges facing Christian women today? Women in ministry? Christian women authors? In India?
AT: In India, people are still not comfortable with the idea of a Christian woman minister. So even if a woman has a specific call from God, she might be reluctant to step forward. It’s very sad. Since every household in India is pretty much male dominated, women shrink from entering ministry all by themselves. They would rather prefer accompanying their spouse into ministry.

MG: What inspires you?
AT: I get inspired very easily by nature. Just gazing into the sunset gives me hope. Most of my writing material has spurred when I was in the midst of nature admiring the beauty of our Creator. It just breathes life into me.

MG: What encouragement can you share with other young women regarding the importance of patience and waiting on the Lord to ‘order their steps’ through a long distance relationship and relational hardships such as you and your husband faced? Has there been blessing in your obedience?
AT: The Lord taught both of us the perfection of His timing. Waiting on the Lord is very painful when all you want to do is run. But we learnt to trust His method and timing and found out that they are, indeed, trustworthy. While my husband and I were waiting on Him, He was working in our hearts. He molded us by His grace to be compatible with each other by teaching us how to love each other through our flaws. We actually came closer while being apart! The Holy Spirit was working simultaneously on two hearts separated by the seven seas. The Lord displayed His mighty wonders in the Mediterranean Sea for us during those times when my husband’s ship would get tossed around by rough sea. The Lord always calmed the sea and my nerves whenever I could not get a satellite reading of his ship or would not receive any contact from him for days. Through all of this he taught us precious lessons of courage, patience and most importantly, to trust Him no matter what.

MG: Is there anything else you would like to say? Take this opportunity to promote your own ministry, project, business or share what God has put on your heart recently.
AT: I would like to encourage each woman to seek the Lord and find out what He wants her to do “for” Him. How she can bring glory to Him. Women are capable of achieving so much more for the Lord due to their beautiful tender heart. They are determined, strong in spirit and can overcome anything.

MG: How can our readers get in touch with you and how would they read your book Burning Passion for Lost Souls if they wanted to?
AT: You can follow my Facebook author page @Aradhana2020. I can also be contacted at aradhanathakor@gmail.com

AT: Here’s the link to my two books:
Burning Passion for Lost Souls https://www.amazon.com/BURNING-PASSION-SOULS-Aradhana-Thakor/dp/B08CJ2XY5G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=WZT7B0YJTOQN&dchild=1&keywords=burning+passion+for+lost+souls&qid=1609377982&sprefix=burning+pass%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1
Sixteen Letters
https://www.amazon.com/Sixteen-Letters-Aradhana-Thakor-ebook/dp/B08MZ95FMX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=15JIZ57RJ0PCI&dchild=1&keywords=sixteen+letters&qid=1609378120&sprefix=sixteen+let%2Caps%2C194&sr=8-1

I would like to thank Christian Women Living for this opportunity to interview Aradhana and get to know her better. Thank you, Aradhana, for your candidness and inspiring us with a poignant life story. I encourage our readers to check out her books. You will be moved!
Michelle Gott