He Was Spared on 9/11 and He Has Never Stopped Asking Why
Sujo John arrived in America from India in February 2001 with $60 in his wallet and two bags full of dreams. By September he was on the 81st floor of the North Tower, his pregnant wife was on the 71st floor of the South Tower, and the morning of September 11 he sent an email to a friend at 7:32AM saying something is happening to me — I've been chasing stuff in America and I need to chase after God. Sixteen minutes later, American Flight 11 hit his floor.
Survival, purpose, and a girl in a red light district who grabbed his arm and changed everything: Sujo shares what it was like to walk down the stairwell past hundreds of firefighters heading up, to be buried in debris when the South Tower fell and pulled out by an FBI agent who ran back in and never came out, and to receive a phone call later that day from his wife — whom he was certain was dead. He also shares why the doctors told them to abort their son, why they refused, and how that child is now 24 years old and in medical school. And he tells the story of a trip to a red light district in New Delhi where a girl grabbed his arm, said get me out of here, and God said this is exactly what I rescued you for.
Highlights
- Arriving in America with $60 in February 2001 and landing a job on the 81st floor of the North Tower six months later
- Sending an email about his spiritual state at 7:32AM on September 11, then the plane hitting at 8:48AM
- Walking past hundreds of firefighters going up as he was running down and what that image still means to him
- Being buried in debris when the South Tower fell, pulled out by FBI agent Leonard Hatton, who ran back in and died
- Finding out his pregnant wife was alive — and that she had been two minutes late to work that day
- Why doctors urged them to abort their son because of the toxic air she had inhaled, and why they refused
- The red light district in New Delhi, a girl who grabbed his arm and said get me out of here, and the founding of You Can Free Us
Resources / Links / CTA
- 🌐 Sujo John ministry: https://sujojohn.com
- 🌐 You Can Free Us: https://youcanfreeus.org
- 📱 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sujojohn
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- 👉 Follow, share, and subscribe for more faith-driven conversations on Lifeaudio
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Michael enjoys popcorn, college football, history, hiking, growing tomatoes, and watching his children play sports. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, husband to his amazing wife, Julie, and the father of four super kids.