A Brush with Life
October 4, 2024
An Interview with Zaillah Rufus Gurugulla, MAFCEL & MAPCC ‘26
“All I could do was just hang by my arms from the platform, and the train was coming.” While call stories come in many forms, few are as dramatic as Zaillah Rufus’. When she was only a child, she committed herself to Christ after she nearly died on the railroad tracks. As she and her father traveled to retrieve her older sister from a station in Southern India, they became separated and eleven-year-old Zaillah accidentally wandered into the path of a returning train. At the last moment, she managed to leap and grab the edge of the platform but—unable to pull herself up—she dangled for minutes, clinging to life. “Pressed against the platform,” she says, “I was screaming in terror.” Fortunately, her father and a heroic bystander heard her cries, ran to her side, and pulled her out of danger.
In the weeks following this narrow escape, Zaillah’s faith grew swiftly deeper. “I could have died that day, it was nothing but a miracle that I missed death by just a few inches,” she notes with reverence. “In that moment I understood how much I need salvation, how much I need God and cannot do it on my own.” Once a more casual Christian, she now longed to become a missionary and devoted significant effort in strengthening the Indian church. While studying in college for a degree in Fine Arts, she and her father started the School of Praise, Worship and Music—a boot camp to train students in Christian music. “It is very rigorous,” she says. “People come having never touched an instrument and within a month we train them to a state where they can look at chords, read time signatures, and play music.” The group draws heavily from rural suburbs where churches often lack a music program, attracting both children and adults, pastors and laity.
Seeking further theological education, she planned to study at an Indian seminary but couldn’t find a program that blended faith, art history, culture, and leadership. On the verge of pursuing a more general degree, she happened to attend an information session that leaders from Garrett hosted in her city. “In the Masters of Arts in Faith, Culture, and Educational Leadership, I found the exact combination I was looking for,” she reports joyfully. “I was so surprised because I had not found it anywhere else.” Education in the United States presented its own set of challenges, however, most notably the steeper tuition. “The currency and finances are so different here compared to where I live, I could not have made the decision to attend if I had not received a scholarship,” she says. “I am so grateful for the heart that God has given donors who use their resources so people like me can be equipped with the education to pursue our dreams.”
After she completes her degree, Zaillah plans to return to India and expand the camps she runs for Indian churches “I want to be part of God’s mission through my creative gifts,” she says. “I could even imagine expanding beyond India one day, as I see the opportunity to share the gospel with the rest of the world through these camps.” For now, though, she is delighted by this chance to study, nurturing her talents and faith. “For the first couple weeks, I couldn’t believe I was here—it took me a long time to process that I was even present,” she laughs. “It was too good to be true.” Before her arrival, Zaillah had never traveled outside India. Today, she is surrounded by teachers and students from all parts of the globe. “I don’t just learn in class—my education is interacting with people from so many different cultures and backgrounds,” she shares with delight. “Everybody has their own story to tell, and it reminds me that I’m in the right place.”