My name is Murali Cheera. I am Telugu by origin and come from a village in Andhra Pradesh, India. Ours is an agriculture family and there’s always little money for anything else except food. Growing up, we were always poor.
In 2009, I applied through an agent and paid 18 lakhs (about $5000 Singapore dollars) to find work in Singapore. The agent took my money and arranged a job in Singapore. However, when I arrived in Singapore, I was out of job for 5 months. I was so short of money that I ate once a day at 12 o’clock and drank plain water most of the time.
One day, I went to visit a brother in Boon Lay and he asked me why I was so hungry. I told him about my plight and he recommended me to go to SAIF-Church where he said food was always available and everyone ate together like a real family.
I decided to go and from then on, I saw the love of the people and how caring they were for people like us. I have never looked back and am thankful for the members who saw our plight and turned our mourning in joy.
When I first came to Singapore, I understood very little English because I was from a farming family. I only understood Telugu and could not communicate with many people. Now after six years in Singapore, I can understand some Tamil, English and even Bengali.
Though the work in Singapore is very hard, I am still grateful for the chance to earn money, meet the people who cared for me and above all, experienced the love of God.
Part 2 About Murali Cheera From Pastor Pritam Singh
Murali was a very poor, struggling, remote village, Telugu rice farmer in India and came to Singapore 10 years ago to work in construction as a low wage labourer. He was illiterate, could not read or write or even speak any English.
Murali was cheated by his agents and not paid on time by his company. He was hungry most times in Singapore. Sad but true. He was really hungry one day and one of our Church members saw him and invited him to SAIF-Church.
Murali has never been to Church and was so blessed by the kindness of all the people and the very simple fellowship dinner we had served with love and generosity before 7.30pm Sunday Service.
There was always extra food and Murali packed the food home. I, Pastor Pritam Singh told Murali, “Take As Much As You Want.” Murali came back faithfully every Sunday and soon became in-charge of SAIF-Church Food Ministry
Seeing a need to teach English, I personally took the initiative to teach Free Spoken English with a few others in the Murai Dormitory from 9.30-10.30pm every Friday for Murali and his friends. Murali quickly learnt simple spoken English and he can converse in English fluently now.
Murali always invited lots and lots of his friends to SAIF-Church, you could say, he was a friend of many friends. He was just a genuine, wholesome, nice guy.
Murali became a believer in Jesus and was baptized a few years later at Church. His whole family in his village also became believers in Jesus.
I congratulated Murali today November 4th 2021 as his son got a good engineering job with the government in India and his daughter also graduated from university.
Murali earns $24 a day for very hard work under the hot sun (gosh, you can calculate how low his monthly salary will be, far below minimum wage in Singapore) as a scaffolder, assembling and dismantling platforms or structures at height on work sites, a very tough dangerous job.
Lately, his back has been causing him severe, excruciating, searing back pains. He has sought treatment and medication and attended a few chiropractor sessions. As a Church, we bought him a good back brace, but things have not improved much.
Murali has brought more people to SAIF-Church than many matured, fattened calf Christians who just want more of the Word but DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!
In fact, every Sunday, Murali brings a few new people for Sunday Service and on special events, he would ask us to hire a 40 seater bus for him. He will by faith fill up the 40 seater bus with his friends.
Keep Murali in your prayers. As a Pastor, I really care for Murali. Murali, SAIF-Church and Pastor Pritam Singh really love you very much. You are important, precious and loved by all of us.
NOW’S THIS IS AN INSPIRING STORY WORTH TELLING.
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