A Missionary's Special Gift

Kabita and Gita are sisters. They live in a town not far from Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.

Kabita [kah-BEE-tah] and Gita [GEE-tah] are sisters. They live in a town not far from Kathmandu [kaht-mahn-DOO], the capital city of Nepal. [Find Nepal on the map.] Nepal is a small country, but it has the highest mountains in the world.  

Like most young girls in Nepal, they enjoy playing games when they are not helping their parents. But when it is time to plant or harvest rice, the whole family works in the fields until the rice is safely dried and stored in their homes. Rice is the most important food in Nepal, and many families must grow their own rice. 

New Neighbors

When Kabita and Gita were small, an Adventist missionary came to live in their village. The missionary’s daughter, Janie, invited the girls to come and play with her. Sometimes the missionary father told the children Bible stories and taught them songs about Jesus. Kabita and Gita liked that, for in their family’s religion they did not sing. 

Kabita and Gita’s family did not mind that the girls spent a lot of time with the missionary family, for they knew the missionaries were teaching the girls good things. 

Then one day Kabita and Gita found the missionary family putting their belongings into boxes. “Where are you going?” the girls asked. Janie explained that they must leave Nepal because of dangerous fighting nearby. The girls hugged Janie and promised never to forget her and never to forget the stories and the songs the missionaries had taught them. They felt sad when their neighbors left the village, but when they sang the songs that the missionaries taught them, they felt better. The songs helped keep them to remember Jesus. 

Let’s Pray

One day the police came and arrested Kabita and Gita’s father and took him to jail. Kabita knew that her mother was worried, and she remembered that Jesus hears our prayers and will help if we ask Him. She told her mother to pray to Jesus for help. Mother and the girls asked Jesus to help Father get out of jail, and he was released. How happy the family was that God answered their prayer. 

New School

Before the missionaries had left, they told Kabita about the Adventist boarding school in Kathmandu, the capital city. The missionary had promised to find a sponsor for her, and he did. Kabita loved studying at the Adventist school, and when Gita was old enough, she joined her sister. Now both girls are studying there and learning more about Jesus every day. “We like studying here,” Kabita said. It is a beautiful school, and we have learned a lot here.”  

“When we go home during holidays,” Gita said, “we tell our friends in the village about Jesus. We teach them to sing songs, and we pray for sick people. Sometimes they get well. We tell them they must pray to Jesus, for He is the living God.” 

Kabita and Gita’s village does not have an Adventist church yet, so the girls invite people who want to know more about God to come to the church at their school in the capital city. Sometimes they have business in the city, and then they may come to church. And some even come by bus just to worship God. This makes the girls happy! 

“I like to tell people about Jesus,” Kabita adds. “I tell my brothers and sister and our friends the stories we are learning at school. Gita and I teach them songs we have learned too. We pray before we eat and before we sleep to thank God for what He has given us.” 

Message for the Missionary

The girls have not heard from the missionaries since they left Nepal, but Kabita has a message for them. “Thank you for teaching us about Jesus and for teaching us how to pray. We are doing well in school and are very happy here.” 

Kabita has a request for us. “Please pray for our family, especially our father and brother, that they will give their hearts to Jesus.”

Praying for people is one way we can share God’s love. Another is by bringing our mission offerings. Let’s pray for them right now, and let’s give a big offering to help the people in the Southern Asia Division learn that God loves them.

[Close with prayer]