This is the story of a girl named Saumya. When Saumya was just a small girl, her father went to work in another country and her mother went to a different place, leaving Saumya in the care of some relatives. The father sent money home for his little daughter’s needs, but sadly, the relatives just took the money and didn’t use it to take care of her. Saumya felt very sad and lonely.

By the time she was ten years old, Saumya had heard about the Adventist school in Sri Lanka named Lakpahana. She had heard that there were many girls and boys who lived at this school and they were happy there.

When she was in grade six, Saumya had the opportunity to go to Lakpahana. At first, she didn’t like the school because everything was so different. She came from a Buddhist background so being in a Christian environment where everyone prayed to an invisible God was a shock at first. She missed the home she had come from even though her relatives weren’t very nice to her. After all, it was still home, and the only place she knew.

Then one day, the girls’ dean (who is like a mother to the girls in school) gave Saumya a Bible and prayed with her. The dean shared how much Jesus meant to her. That really touched Saumya’s heart, and she started to pray and read the Bible that the dean had given to her. She continued reading her Bible and took Bible studies. After a while Jesus had become her friend, too, and she was baptized.

When her relatives heard about her baptism, they became very angry and would not accept her back into the family, because she was now a Christian and they were devout Buddhists. Even though this rejection hurt her, Saumya says that her life is so much better now since she has accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

One of Saumya’s favorite Bible characters is Joseph. “He was without his family for so long,” she says, “but God was with him through everything he went through and gave him the courage to face many trials. That story helps me to go through hard things too.”

Saumya has learned that she can go to Jesus and His Word for wisdom and encouragement. One of her favorite Bible verses is Psalm 46:1—“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (NKJV)—because it says that God helps us at all times. This Bible verse has helped her through tough times.

Saumya is so happy that the Lord led her to Lakpahana—it has become like a little heaven on earth for her. She hopes to one day become a teacher so that she can help other children, who may also be facing tough times, to find Jesus.