Meenaben's story

Do you know the story about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples?

Sangita and I read this story together, in John 13. She explained that just like Jesus served others, she and her husband are serving the people in our village. She teaches the literacy class and he is a pastor, leading our small church and visiting nearby homes and villages to share the Gospel.

I pray that other people will look at me differently because I love Jesus, just like I could see something different about Sangita and her husband. They had a peace and joy that I knew was missing in my life... Now, my husband, Karsenbai, and I are both experiencing that joy ourselves!

I am so proud to tell you that I graduated from my literacy class! The women in our class had a celebration at the end of the year, with all of our families there. Some of the women in our village heard about everything we learned, and now they say they want to read and write too! I want to help them, just like Sangita helped me.

A few months ago, I took the bus to the nearest town and opened an account at the bank. I can manage our money better now that I can count and add and subtract, and now that I am not cheated! I also learned in my literacy class how I can make products at home like soap and cleaners to sell for more income. My husband, Karsenbai, and I have saved enough to build a better home for our family.

Before I learned how to read, I could not even help myself. Now, Jesus is showing me so many ways I can help other people. The last time I was at the bank, someone else in line saw that I could read, and asked me if I would help her read an important paper she couldn't understand! And I am working with a group of women in my village to form a savings group. Each month we each put between 20 and 80 rupees (50 cents to $2) into the savings account. We've been able to save almost 12,000 rupees ($300) already!

We are using the money to help families in the village who want to educate their children. They can take small loans at a low interest rate to pay for books and school fees. I am so happy to think about all the children who will be in school because we are learning how to be good savers. I am making sure my own sons are in school and I'm teaching them that they should educate their own children someday, even their daughters.

This savings group has helped many families. One of the women in our group used to borrow from a loan shark every day. She would borrow 200 rupees ($5) in the morning to buy flour for making bread. She would sell the bread and had to pay the loan back the same day - 250 rupees ($6.25). Because the loan shark charged so much interest, she could never make a profit big enough to do more than give her children one meal a day. She didn't have anything left over to send them to school.

Now she does not have to borrow from the loan shark anymore, because she was able to save up enough to buy flour and sell her bread. Then she uses that money to feed her family and has enough left over to buy more flour. And she can send her children to school!

Soon we will celebrate the birth of Jesus. I love to read this Bible story to my sons! What other god could understand us as well as the God who came down to earth and was born into a village just like ours? I tell my sons that Jesus loves us so much He was willing to be born as a little baby, He let Himself be put on the Cross to die for our sins, and most important, He rose again! I no longer worry about our family's future, because I know that Jesus is alive today, and that He answers my prayers.

Thank you for listening to my story and for praying for me and all the women and families in India. We praise God for you! Whenever you pick up a book to read, think about us and say thank you to Jesus that He has brought all of us into His family. I am your sister in Christ! Keep praying that more families in villages like mine will choose to be part of our Heavenly Father's family, too.

May the Lord bless you!

Enjoy this week's activities!