SRI LANKA – Sri Lankan Christians grapple with aftermath of Easter bombings amid fears of fresh attacks

WORLDWATCH MONITOR | May 9, 2019

Poster memorials and crosses for Christians who died in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Easter Sunday, 2019 (Photo: Vishal Arora)

Sri Lankan Arasaratnam Verl is deep in mourning.

His son Jackson (13) and sister Verlini (36) were killed instantly when a bomb exploded in the evangelical Zion Church in the eastern city of Batticaloa on Easter Sunday morning, 21 April.

Verlini’s husband Ranjith (39), an engineer and Blackbelt in karate, died a week later of kidney failure: he also had 3rd degree burns.

On her sixth birthday, Ranjith and Verlini’s orphan Eliza (6) was due to be transferred from Batticaloa ICU to a hospital in Colombo the next day: her womb had to be removed due to shrapnel injury. She was also blinded in one eye, the doctors were trying to save the other.
Also orphaned was her 8 year old brother Rufus Isaac.

“My son Jackson and my sister died on the spot,” said Verl. “Jackson was captain of his basketball team. He used to compete in many places like Jaffna, Colombo. He’s the best in everything. He’s my only son.

“Jesus died on Good Friday, and on Easter Sunday, He was raised back to life. My son, sister, and brother-in-law died, but they were raised to new life with Jesus on that day.”

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