India (MNN) — A crayon-colored manger scene might seem like a small thing. But for one 10-year-old girl in India, it represents a miracle — and a new life of hope in Christ.
Sarani grew up battling serious heart problems that made her very weak and sapped her energy. Life was difficult for Sarani and her parents.
Representative photo, courtesy of Mission India.
Raina Miller with Mission India says, “The family spent every rupee they had on her treatments, and nothing was working. Her mom tried going to temples and praying to their gods, desperate for help — and of course, none of it worked.”
Then Sarani was invited to a Children’s Bible Club run by Mission India. There, she heard stories about Jesus, and especially how He healed the sick. Those stories stayed with her.
“So her Bible Club leader…encouraged her to pray, and Sarani prayed her very first prayer,” says Miller. “It was just the simple words, ‘Please, heal me.’ This time she was praying to the God who hears, not to idols and visiting temples and doing rituals.”
What happened next surprised everyone.
“Within two months, her strength returned — after a lifetime of these heart problems! Her physical heart got stronger, and her heart was also changed by the love of Christ.
“She had joy again, and she was so grateful to Jesus for healing her that she received Him as her Savior.”
Today, Sarani’s faith is spilling over in creative ways. She recently drew a Christmas manger scene — and Mission India turned her artwork into something families around the world can enjoy.
(Photo courtesy of Mission India)
Miller says, “We actually turned it into a coloring page so that kids here in the US and their families can color it together. You can download a copy, print it off, make as many copies as you’d like, and you can color along with Sarani to celebrate with her!”
Download Sarani’s Christmas manger coloring page here!
While Sarani’s story is joyful, it’s also a reminder of the spiritual need in India.
“There are millions more children like Sarani who have never heard of Jesus, and they’re still waiting for hope.”
Mission India is inviting believers to respond through prayer and giving during a year-end matching challenge.
Miller explains, “If you’d like to give toward the matching challenge, you can go to missionindia.org/double, and every gift you give toward 10-Day Bible Clubs will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to December 31.”
Please pray that more children in India would hear the Gospel and experience the hope Sarani found in Christ.
Header photo courtesy of Mission India.
