Cycle Rickshaw Helps Dad Defeat Alcoholism

Josep Batti was struggling.

The 42-year-old husband and father of three didn’t have a steady job. He was more than willing to work, but the only jobs he could find were temporary day-laborer jobs. And that was only on the days he was lucky. Some days he came home empty handed with no way to buy food to feed his family.

He tried driving a rickshaw, and while he was able to get plenty of fares, the daily rental on the rickshaw consumed all his earnings.

To deal with the anguish in his life, Batti turned to drinking. Since liquor is cheap and abundant in his hometown, it was always easy to drown his sorrows.

In spite of his problems with alcohol, Batti, his wife and all three children professed faith in Christ. This created a lot of disharmony in his family.

Gospel for Asia-supported missionary Sundrit Shazi is pastor of a church in Batti’s village, and he watched as Batti’s family struggled. Shazi frequently met with Batti to teach him from the Word and counsel him about the problems that resulted from his behavior, yet Batti refused to change his habits. He continued to stay far from the Lord and go his own way, even though his actions caused great pain for his family.

Finally, Shazi hit upon something that completely changed the course of Batti’s life. It was a simple rickshaw. The rickshaw, purchased from the Gospel for Asia Christmas Gift Catalog by a Christian in another part of the world, made its way to Batti in January.

When Batti received the rickshaw, he was very happy and decided that it was time to clean up his life and truly please God.

These days, Batti gets up early and pedals his rickshaw to the town center, where he works all day and into the evening. He doesn’t have to spend his day looking for work, and his wife doesn’t have to worry about him coming home empty handed. Now he earns more money than he ever had before, and he is easily able to meet the needs of his family.

And Batti’s family is so happy. Since he received the rickshaw, Batti works diligently, driving his rickshaw, earning money to care for his family. When he’s not working, he spends time at home or at his church, worshipping the Lord. He quit drinking and now his entire family joyfully worships the Lord.