SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE SON

Jeremiah Pandian
Ex-drug addict, now Founder & Leader of The Vineyard Keeper

I’m a living example of what too much ‘love’ could do to a son. Born to a Christian family, I was pampered with love by my loving parents. I remember my father has only beaten me once. At 9 years old, I started mixing with gangsters and hooked on drugs at the age of 14.

My loving and caring family didn’t know how to help me. My eldest brother resorted to chaining me with a dog chain and fed me with heroin in reduced dosage every day. Later, I was given opium.

In 1979, I was sentenced to prison. After being released I took alcohol then back to heroin and pushing heroin. During that time, I read Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord…” I cried out to God for help.

Around the same time, my youngest sister was crying for me in the laboratory of University Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her German lady boss came to console her and later referred me to Malaysian Care’s Rumah Cahaya. She was a volunteer at Malaysian Care then.

I was determined to change and completed a 18-month rehab program at Rumah Cahaya. Later, I became a staff and eventually the leader of Grace Centre, an off-shoot of Rumah Cahaya. After much prayer, I felt called by God to start a rehab centre in Ipoh, my home town. And it has been 21 years since The Vineyard Keeper began operations with 5 boys and 2 helpers. Now it has 125 boys.

Today, I’m happily married with 2 sons studying at a Bible college, a daughter studying psychology and the youngest daughter in Upper Six.

Christ is the answer. I could not have turned around without Him. I have tasted His goodness and have seen His power manifested in so many lives.

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SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE SON