Nashville native ministers to widows in India
Nashville High School alumna and Pepperdine University senior Paige Johnson is ministering to widows in India.
Johnson, who graduated in 2010, arrived in Vrindavan, India, about 3 weeks ago. She’s been there for two weeks as a member of The White Rainbow Project.
Paige, 22, is recording her travels on a blog titled Isaiah’s India.
She said the title came from the book of Isaiah in the Bible. In the first chapter of the book, it states, “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.”
Paige said the words of the prophet Isaiah are “powerful scriptures that reveals that God desires more from his people than
sacrifices and dead prayers.”
Johnson’s mother, Kim, said she is proud of the work her daughter is doing in India.
In an email, Kim Johnson said, “I could write a novel on the qualities of (my daughter), but the work being done with The White Rainbow Project in Vrindavan is so moving, especially given the current negative publicity India is getting right now.
“Paige is a very humble young lady. She grew up living on a poultry farm and worked hard in school to get where she is. She inspires me and those who know her every day,” Kim Johnson said.
Kim Johnson said many in the area would know her daughter from her participation in the annual “Nutcracker” performance at Perot Theatre.
“When I am in Texarkana, there are people who recognize me and say, ‘Aren’t you Paige’s mom?’” she said.
In her blog on Tumblr.com, Paige Johnson writes about her trip and stay in India.
“My prayer is to be able to plead the case of the widow in very tangible and valuable ways, knowing that these women have the opportunity to be comforted by the ultimate Defender and Protector,” she wrote.
“In spreading this truth, I also want to be an open vessel for sharing Christ’s love and hope to these widows who have been told that they are unworthy of such precious things.”
She said the reason she chose “Isaiah’s India” for her blog’s title is because “India is a broken place with broken people, and as Christ’s child and servant, my hope is to have the eyes to see how His light can so brightly penetrate every area of darkness in this place.
“I’m not perfect, and I know that my faith will be stretched and my heart will be challenged … but above and beyond all of my inequities, I have confidence in Christ that in all things, He is good and His name will be glorified,” she said.
Paige’s blog can be found at isaiahsindia.tumblr.com.
Her parents are Johnny K. and Kim Johnson of Nashville, Ark.
She attends Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., and is studying intercultural communication with an emphasis in religion.
The White Rainbow Project is a nonprofit, Christian organization that seeks to empower widows in India through job opportunities and the ability to hear and respond to the message and love of Christ.