Faces of the Back 40: Gaithuilung Phaomei, India

Gaithuilung Phaomei (Donie), India: Empty Inside for So Long – But Now Full

About Donie (Gaithuilung Phaomei)

We met Gaithuilung Phaomei, a.k.a. Donie, when we arrived in Imphal, Manipur, India to teach Spiritually Healthy Leader workshops for ministry leaders gathered at PALSET (Pastoral and Leadership Skills Enhancement Training), founded by Joshua Daniel Rungsung.

Donie

Donie is a wonderful package of hospitality, humor, communicator – in English – all wrapped up in one! While waiting two days for our luggage to catch up with us, Donie generously gave me (Dalton) a very comfortable Indian-style shirt that I gladly wore to meetings.

Donie is widely known in Imphal, a city of a quarter of a million. His testimony has touched not only his family but well into the city commercial center where he lives and works in the family business. He serves in his local church and as a volunteer for PALSET. Donie’s humility and attentiveness throughout our entire stay in Imphal made us feel comfortable and at home. We hope that as you get to know Donie and his servant’s heart, you’ll join us in praying with him for his family, his city, and his tribal clan.

Donie’s Story

Life will never be the same since I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior.

I am the eighth of nine siblings. Since I was raised in a big family, I felt ignored. Later in life I came to know that most of my brothers and sisters felt the same. Nevertheless, I long felt emptiness inside.

We lived in a small village in Kakhulong, Manipur in India. When I was about 7 years old, I was introduced to local wine by accident. After a long day playing outside, I returned home very thirsty. I took a glass of water and gulped it down, but later learned it was a local wine, one which my family sold for our livelihood. About that time I was also sexually abused twice, once by one of my sisters and once by a man who lived with us. From then on I pursued escape through pleasures, including prescription drugs, marijuana, crystal, alcohol, smoking, partying … but the emptiness inside persisted.

I accepted Jesus and was baptized in 2006. A year later I got married. But my life didn’t change much — I was almost the same.

How My Life Began to Change

Donie and his wife

My eldest sister reached out to me and became a backbone in my spiritual life by helping me get involved in our local church. From that point my life gradually changed – slowly, to my frustration, but for the better. My sister died in 2013 but she made a big difference in my life.

I wanted to do some kind of Bible study for a long time, and finally God opened a way through Joshua Daniel and ELM (Eternal Light Ministries), a family-operated Bible college. Those three months of training helped ground me in the Word and transformed me spiritually.

My church meets in our family business building in downtown Imphal. I help my pastor by assisting with the youth, Sunday school, music, printing … our church is small so I do whatever is needed. The majority of residents in Imphal are non-Christians, so spiritually it is moving slowly. Lately there is a rise in the local traditional tribal religion, called Tingkao Ragwang. Its long history in our region has proven to be a challenge to Christianity. Followers worship multiple gods, goddesses and deities though it gives great emphasis to the worship of a Supreme God.

How I am Becoming More Spiritually Healthy

Donie and his family

In 2013 I participated in PALSET. The following year, Joshua Daniel needed PALSET workers to take care of details in preparation for the two weeks of workshops. Honestly, I was not keen to do that, but Joshua pursued me and that is how I got volunteered. I’m glad I did.

In 2015, every participant was blessed by the Spiritually Healthy Leaders workshops. Many took extensive notes so they can teach them to others in their own villages, and many say they plan to return to attend the second session next year. PALSET gave me a platform for growth.

From my perspective, a healthy leader produces healthy students. We must live by example to lead our congregation. Artificiality does not last.

Many times I have questioned God and have asked, “Why are you taking so much time to change me?” Today I realize that whatever I have gone through, God has used to call me out for His purpose. I love Him and thank Him. I am happy in my marriage and I am blessed with a beautiful daughter and a loving son. I am not perfect yet and still need to grow in God’s grace and mercy.

But the emptiness inside me is filled and now I know Jesus Christ is the true and only God. Praise be to God, for His mercy endures forever!