The Chris Voss Show - The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Christ Is in Me: The Hope of Glory/Victory The Autobiography of Salma Carunia Carter by Salma Carunia Carter

Episode Date: May 13, 2025

Christ Is in Me: The Hope of Glory/Victory The Autobiography of Salma Carunia Carter by Salma Carunia Carter Amazon.com An orphan girl's extraordinary journey of faith, hope, and courage! Follow in Salma's footsteps from beginning her life in 1944, arriving as an orphan at Amy Carmichael's Dohnavur Fellowship South India, her daily school life as a student, including many lively adventures and travails. She was given little hope of becoming educated, but still persevered, even later becoming a teacher at the fellowship, and then going to seminary, where she received her calling to do the work of an evangelist and fulfill her ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. --1 Peter 4:18 She went on to teach in the Himalayas, where she received a great prophecy to go abroad and study at missionary school and become a missionary. However, a great obstacle stood in her way: she needed to obtain a passport, but as an orphan, the path forward was difficult, but she overcame it by faith. Her visa was then obtained by divine intervention! Her faith, hope, and courage in the Lord Jesus Christ helped her to clear all obstacles that stood in her way in this voyage. Victory belongs to the Lord! Christ is in me, the hope of glory. --Colossians 1:27 Her story then took her to America, where she met her husband. This story will be unfolded in the next book, yet to come...

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With expert publishing to strategic marketing, they help authors reach their audience and maximize their book's success. publishing to strategic marketing. They help authors reach their audience and maximize their book's success. Today we have an amazing young lady on the show. We're going to be talking to her book called Christ is in Me, the Hope of Glory, Victory, the Autobiography of Salma Karinia Carter out December 5th, 2024. Welcome to the show, Salma. How are you? I'm fine. Thank you. Thank you for having me in your show. And more thanks goes to Sam Carlin who prepared me every day for this show.

Awesome sauce. We love it. So give us your dot coms. Where do you want people to find you on the interwebs to get to know you better. And it's Salma Karunia and Dr. Ben M. Carter dot com. There you go. So give us a 30,000 over you. What's inside your new book? The book that I wrote is my story.

You know, the book, my book narrates my biography. And it's not just my biography. It actually captures all the small and big details of the historical era of 17th, 18th, 19th century because the mother who adopted me, you know years of the orphanage. It's still running. I'm one of them. We were thousands of orphan boys and girls. Oh, wow. So, this is a story that's about your life. Give us a little bit of insight into how you were raised and some of the challenges you overcame. challenge you overcame? It is the story of a little girl growing to an adulthood in the biblical grounded orphanage

in South India called Donover Fellowship, you know, founded by initially for the girls and boys those who don't have you know any home they needed a home but the first often who came to her was ran away from the Hindu temple. India is predominantly Hindu, Hinduism, you know, and the high caste Brahmins believe they have to offer, dedicate their children, you know, first born or something to the temple. Now, where do we see this? You know, we see Samuel was dedicated to the temple, you know, and so Eli, the priest raised Samuel in the Bible, but these are Hindus, you know, and they priests are Hindu Hindus, you know, and they're priests, Hindu priests. And these girls were trained to dance in front of the, you know, the gods made by wood and stones.

So that's how this orphanage started. But my story is, I, when I was born 1944, second World War time, my mother died at childbirth. Oh no. Did she give birth to you or one of your siblings? There was four boys I heard later on, but nothing was recorded. So it's a very going to be interesting story. You know, it is not only that Americans in 21st century encountered the other American who came from such unique beginnings as myself. I was born prematurely, less than three pounds. Oh, wow. How many months did you have? My mother died at childbirth and there was no...

Sure. How much, how early was your birth? Less than three pounds. How many months were you in to the pregnancy? I'm an orphan so nothing was recorded. Oh, okay. Did you just know you're a premature? You would have been probably what? I saw that in my... nothing was said in my medical record it says you know very few pounds you know so less than three pounds but very active baby that's all written about my birth. I was blessed to be taken by Amy Carmichael who she hired

you know, wet nurses. So I had two wet nurses that I know because as I grew older I still saw them because they keep coming to you know wean other children, other babies from the nearby villages And um, we had no electricity no shoes. No running water. No indoor toilets No toilet papers use only water to clean ourselves and everything A very plain diet strict rules on dress bedtime Etc, but of course, it's an orphanage, you know, so that kind of a life. You have some rules You're very strict rules and we had sometimes

homes You know and dairy farms fruit trees, and 10 years old tamarind trees around the compound where I used to climb up because I always wanted to touch the sky. You know, so I will tower and the church bells. Oh, okay. Each and every day routine. Pete Slauson Huh. There you go. So, give us, so, you talked the journey, is there, you've titled the book, The Crisis in Me. Is there a point that you found religion through your work or through your living?

Marjana Zaini Yes. Pete Slauson Tell us about what that was like in… Marjana Zaini Okay. I was, you know, there was hundreds of us, you know, in that orphanage. It's a very large orphanage. And in the school, home school, there are 100 children. But I was kind of a black sheep, you know, because I was very energetic climbing on the trees and the roofs and all that. But these missionaries are from England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia But so I, you know, the, it will be, where I come from is the school teachers, you know, kind of, you know, had a lot of influence on us.

And the authority was very, very strong. Sometimes they could indeed alter one's life. And my life was altered when I was, you know, seventh grade. You know, I repeated the seventh grade. And then when I went to see the result in April, it says not promoted. So second time, I failed. But I was not knowing my fate. So I was called to the mother superior.

That's an Irish lady. And she said, you are not going to boarding school, but you're going to be put into hard labor. So one whole year, my punishment was working in the garden. So I was only 14 years old, I was still a child. And then when I was in the garden, June 1st, I have to start working in the garden. But all the girls that were with me,

June 1st, they all packed their trunks and gone to boarding school. And there I was left behind. 15 of them have gone. I'm the only one there with my house mother. So that day I went to the garden. I have to now start my year, punishment year. And when I was, you know, digging weeds at the tomato patches, I was facing the morning sun and the beautiful yellow mango tree was standing near the irrigation wall

and the sun rays were falling on me while I was weeding and I was... However, my body and my mind and soul were groaning and traveling together. The whole creation around me seems to groan and travail in pain together. Romans 8, 22, says, the verse says that at the same time, something was happening to me, to my body, when my mind was processing this fate of my life throughout this whole year. My spirit was crying, Abba, Father, the only Father I know as an orphan, you know, is Jesus Christ, the Heavenly Father, for I am an orphan. It says in Romans 3 28 that not only the creation Even we grown within ourselves waiting for that adoption the redemption of our body You know, I'm an orphan. So the father is a very important figure in I don't know the father's love I don't know the mother but I knew Jesus was God was my father

I don't know the mother, but I knew Jesus was, God was my father. In the garden while I was there, I felt that my body, mind and soul were working together. Even though God has made us in three parts that functions differently, our body is mortal. Man is subject to death and the mind, the part of man that thinks, feels, wills, reasons, understands, perceives and experiences emotions will also die with the body but there is another part of me is the spirit which is immortal and will live forever, eternally. Because Genesis says that God breathed into man and man became a living soul. You know, so hard I worked for an hour, I started feeling sick. Now my mind, body, spirit, all are working together. My body started to feeling sick.

And I started to throw up. And then I ended up in the hospital. But I was sent back home to rest. Well, the rest, what happened? They can read that. But actually, this started, my faith started when I was in fourth grade reading Pilgrim Progress by John Bunyan.

And that gave me the order for my life. If I trust, if I only trust God, when Christian and faithful was in the dungeon, you know, they were beaten by the giant. But every day they came to the door, but you know they couldn't open the door. One day Christian said, you know, I'm going to die, then you know the giant beating me every day. I can't bear this. But then the faithful said, well, we'll wait and see what God can do for us.

And suddenly faithful found a little Bible in his pocket. So they went to the gate, you know, and read the scripture and the gate opened it. You know, so a lot of people are in trouble. But if you trust God, you know, and His Word, there is an escape, you know, and His Word, there is an escape, you know, rules. Pete Oh, there you go. And so, you found that kind of in your thing. How did the rest of that shape your life and influence you? You know, you talk about this in your book. How did that, how did that shape and influence you in your future and what you were trying to do with it.

And then, you know, I said that, you know, I was set free from the work, you know, I found not guilty, you know, and I sang, Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe sin had let the crimson stain he washed me white as snow so now something happened and that same year when I had my birthday you know I was kneeling on my we don't have bed we had a you know straw mat and nine o'clock at night I knelt on my straw mat. That's my birthday. And I said, Lord, I give everything to you. I am punished, but I still believe you. You set me free from that. And he washed me, he washed, you know, I asked forgiveness. And all of a sudden, there is something went through me like a lightning.

And that was the power wash of Christ's blood, you know. And ever since, I tell you the truth, something changed. Next day I went to the garden to work, but I felt I'm not walking, you know, walk as a shame. I've been walking, you know, walk of a shame every day because I was taken out of the, you know, order from the school girls. So, I felt something. Somebody is with me now. Never ever will leave. So, god, you know, came

to me and I came to know him as my personal savior and you know the omnipresence, the presence of the Lord with you, you know, makes a difference in this world. And next year I was sent to boarding school, I was baptized, you know, and some other things happened in the boarding school and then, you know, that people have to read that. What more? Every time something happened, that's a miracle happened. God has shown me, you know, that there is a miracle. The mystery was revealed to me on that day, you know, of November 23, 1959. The mystery was Christ is in me, the hope of glory. Now I can live victoriously. I have hope somebody's going to be with me. Christ is within me. And that started on 1959, November the 23rd. And that took my journey, you know,

and I finished high school, but I wanted to be a teacher, but I couldn't get to a teacher's training for eight years I waited, you know, but finally I got the typing, you know, secretarial training, but then the mother superior who punished me for the year now felt different about me, and so she sent me to Bible college. You know, so I went to the seminary and two years course, I finished there.

And when I went to the, you know, graduation forward. God has given me, you know, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. And that hit me so hard. I came home and told the mother superior, I don't want to go out to work as a secretary. Send me as a missionary. And she said, no, missionaries can't end their bread you

know I'm an orphan I'm living in the beneficiary of the orphanage now I have to go out and end my own bread so finally you know everything there's more things happen read it in the you know book and finally I was sent to Work way up in Himalayas, you know and um, I Am already 28 years old. I never earned a penny, you know full life. I have 28 years old I've been you know kept in the orphanage and when I was given You know a chance to go out and hold a job, and they pack a truck, but I had no money to take with me.

I have no purse, nothing. But the only thing is, because he lives, I can face tomorrow because he lives all fear is gone because I know who holds the future and life is worth of living just because he lives and this is all I have nothing else but the one who lives and one who is with me. Christ is in me, the hope of glory. And then I worked as a child evangelist there, as well as I was a dean, you know, in a boarding school.

It's an English school. So I developed my speaking English there. And finally, one day, something very strange happened. When I was taking my devotion in the morning, all the books that I read streams in the desert, and some of Amy Carmichael's devotional books and all. And it says to me, God said to me, I have a plan for you. I said, God, I just came over here.

I love these children. I love this, you know, child evangelism. I'm doing it in this school. And, you know, these children are from other countries. Most of them are from Thailand and half of them are Tibetans. You know, because when China invaded Tibet, this school opened up for the Tibetans to come and study here. So I have a lot of different children, different language speaking, but it's an English school.

So I love my job. But one day when I had this, God said, I couldn't accept because I'm enjoying my life here, but I went on my knees and said, okay, Lord, I will be done. And then I got out my knees and went to the next, you know, staff who was looking after the other, you know, group of children. And I told her she was from Australia. Her name is Diane. And I told her, Diane, God has told me this morning that some plans that he had for me, he had for me. So I'll see what comes in my mail today. So we went that day, we went for a town, you know, it's a Himalayas, you have to climb two, three mountains to go to the town to get some groceries. And then she asked me any letters from saying anything. I said, no, nothing came. I read everything.

And then we were coming inside the school yard. The children were playing there. And the teachers were sitting on the bench. And one of the teacher's name is Thomas. And Thomas called me, said, Salma, come over here. I said, yes. What do you have to say, Mr. Thomas? And he said, last night God told me that, tell Salma, she has to go to a Bible

college. I said, what are you talking? I already went to a Bible seminary in South India. And he said, this time you have to go abroad. I said, oh, abroad? I'm an orphan. I have nothing. I have no money. I'm just earning little money over here, you know, and saving it to go home every year and come back. You know, so she said that I couldn't go to sleep after this. This is a prophecy that I needed to deliver it. Now I delivered it. You know, so Diane and I went back to our dormitories and she said, Salma, you did tell me this morning, God told you he had a plan for you.

And this is the plan. So, you know, if you walk closer to God, he, you know, the steps of a good man is ordered by the Lord, the Bible says. So, but now I cannot make passport, you know, I have no, you know, parents to sign my passport or anything. But that was a, you know, very big story. And my faith has to, you know, very big story and my faith has to, you know, stay on the load that I know. There you go. So I finally one day, you know, I thought maybe I could do it. So I sent some papers, you know, I mean, I asked papers from government, Delhi, you know,

passport office send me some papers, and I filled it out, but I can't fill it. The father's, you know, the guarantor or any that line. So I was sending it without it and they have sent me another one, another one, three, four times. So when I went home, wintertime, the missionaries or the orphanage who is in charge of me, my guarantors, you know, they refused to sign it. So I only have God. Who can I go to? And three years passed, you know,

and there is a man who wanted to help me, but I refused because he was a Hindu man. So I thought my God will, you know, take care of this. And he said, I can do, I can help you, I can sign your paper, but I didn't give it to him. You know, but after three years, I thought, if Cyrus, the Persian king in Bible, Cyrus can help Nehemiah to go build the wall around Jerusalem. And then Esra, he sent Esra to build the temple. So the help came from heathens. So I thought maybe this is the way God can help also. So I gave him the paper paper and he signed it, and then it went to the office, government

office. Pete So, as we, okay, we got to round up the stories and we want people to order the books. It's coming and so This is very important To for the people to realize Then I didn't get any answer from them But one day when it was two o'clock at night You know, um No, I was taking my devotion that day again.'m not. not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not. not. I'm not. I'm not. I'm not.

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Is there a girl called Salma Karunia in this house? You know, the man who signed my paper put his property on my name because India, you have to have property to go abroad and to make a passport. So that man came and I was there, but who told me to go there? Yesterday, God told me go to Delhi.

Oh, that is a miracle. God speaks to you. And then after I had my passport made, I couldn't get my visa. So that's now in American's hands. So American embassy said, ma'am, you are single. You can't go. I said, I'm a nun.

I'm going there to study in missionary college. I would like to. So they wouldn't do it. Then after some times, you know, when I was sleeping one day, it was October. The school already started September over here that I was accepted. But October, one day, two o'clock in the morning, I heard my name called Salma. So I woke up and went to the dormitory to check the kids whether they are okay because

I'm responsible for the night duty also. But everybody was sleeping so I went back to my bed and said, God, did you call me? Because children would call me Auntie Salma. It was just Salma. And then I went to bed. I had a dream that I was

showing up in the morning and I was in the morning and I was in the morning and I was Did you call me? Because children would call me Auntie Salma. It was just Salma. And then I went to bed. I had a dream that I was showing everybody, you know, I got visa. And that day I went to staff room for tea. You know, it's a British kingdom, so we had tea at four o'clock. So 20 of our staff was sitting and everybody was asking me,

we are sad that you couldn't get visa, so I said, this morning God has told me it's on its way. And then I just finished my sentence, Maryman walked inside and gave everybody their mail, and he gave me a white envelope, and everybody fixed their eyes on said what is it what is it open it and I said I need peace so when I open it it says visa guaranteed from Washington DC India desk wow who can do this this is intervention of God of God. No man can do it. You know, and my passport now I see that I couldn't renew Indian passport again because they say there is no guarantee or signature. But I didn't quite, how did I get it? God signed it. Daniel was able to read the, you know, the writings on the wall. But my passport has quite empty space where there is a guarantee, or God has signed it,

no one can read it. So this is the way God led me over here. Now I met my husband in Puerto Rico where I was doing my internship from Bethany Missionary Training in Minneapolis. And we married and we went to China to teach English. And he went to Scotland. He went to Wheaton College and learned the Christian theology and wrote eight books, you know, how Darwin

failed to tell the truth. Then first he said, you know, Clay Supper, you know, Confession of a Born Again Christian. I'm going to publish that next because it's getting prepared to be published. So I have more books coming to help people, you know, from addiction on all sorts of things. There is only one God, you know, and that's only one life to live. It will pass soon. Only what's done for Jesus will last. And I would say each day I do a golden deed of helping those who are in need. Our life on earth is short and span. Each day I do the best I can.

Life's evening sun is sinking low. A few more days and I must go. Where to meet the deeds that I have done where there will be no setting sun so this is why Christ is in us the hope of victory and I am 80 years old and today I was watching the And today I was watching the cardinals marching into the Sistine Chapel right in front of the painting of Michelangelo's The Last Judgment. And I was reminded this verse. It is appointed to the man once to be born and to judgment.

So I still says, Christ is in me, the hope of glory. I'm 80 years old and learn to forget those things which are behind. I press towards the goal, which is Jesus Christ, the author and the finisher of my faith. So, Christ is in me, the hope of glory. Victory belongs to the Lord. There you go. All right, well, this has been pretty interesting. So give people the dot coms on where they can pick up your book and get to know you better. Salma Karnia and Dr. Ben M. Carter dot com. There you go. There you go. Well, thank you very much, Salma, in sharing your story online and how you found faith

and how it changed your life. Thank you very much for coming on the show. Thank you very much. God bless you. Thank you. Order the book, folks, where refined books are sold. It is called Christ is in Me, the Hope and Glory Victory, the Autobiography of Salma Corunia Carter out December 5th 2024. Thanks

for tuning in. Be good to each other. Stay safe. We'll see you guys next time. There you go.