Pastor Raju, from Real Life Church, went from living in the streets of Nepal being abandoned, abused, and nearly killed, to becoming a faithful servant in a Perth church.
He shared, “I was only three months old when my biological mother decided she didn’t want me anymore.” What followed was a childhood marked by violence, fear, and unimaginable suffering. From age five, he lived with his alcoholic father who would come home each night “screaming and drunk.” Pastor Raju remembers, “I knew that when my father came home… I’m going to get beaten.”
When his stepmother entered the picture, things got worse. At just eight years old, Raju says, “She tried to kill me. She literally stuffed rice into my throat until I couldn’t breathe.” He escaped that night, running to a neighbour’s house.
But the next day, his father handed him over to be a servant in another household. “I decided, probably I’ll be better there than being killed at home,” he said. “It’s better to be a slave than live in my family home.”
Despite everything, Pastor Raju’s story is not just about tragedy. It’s about survival, resilience, and redemption. He sat down with Doug to talk through his entire journey, from abandonment and slavery to finding purpose, healing, and hope.
Listen to the full episode to hear the rest of Pastor Raju’s story.