9-11 Survivor Sujo John Found Renewed Faith after Terrorist Attacks
After the terrorist attacks 10 years ago, 9-11 survivor Sujo John launched an international evangelistic ministry
Text Size:
September 11, 2011Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 9/11 survivor Sujo John launched an international evangelistic ministry, promoting faith and hope in the face of tragedy.
In 2001, John, a recent Indian immigrant, worked on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center’s north tower. His wife Mary, at the time four months pregnant, worked on the 71st floor of the south tower. Both husband and wife survived.
For the past ten years, John has taken his story of hope and faith to hundreds of thousands of people across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. When he speaks, John retells his story of the 9/11 attacks.
At 8:45 a.m. Eastern time, John was at his desk when he felt a massive explosion and heard screaming as the building shook. The American Airlines Flight 11 had just crashed into the floors above John’s office.
"Part of the wing tears into our floor," he tells his audience. “A ‘crater’ is created in the floor and I can actually see 10 floors below us," he said.
John and his coworkers fled the tower, watching police and firefighters going up past them on the stairs.
"Greater love has no one than to lay down his life for a friend," John says of these men and women. "I saw that happen on Sept. 11, 2001."
As John watched the towers collapse in front of him, he experienced a profound spiritual awakening.
“The people around me huddled at one end of the building and I started praying for the blood of Jesus and asking God to give His strength. As I stared death as its face I started having this peace about this place called heaven,” John explains on his website.
“Not a single boulder or any material fell on me. I found myself in three feet of white soot and glass. I got to my feet and was surrounded by silence.”
After facing his own mortality, John realized that he wanted to go into full-time ministry, and founded Sujo John Ministries.
“On our journey on this earth we will have trials and sorrows, times of brokenness and pain. But God is in the business of turning our tragedies into trophies of His glory and grace.”
