Kavitha [kah-VEE-thah] lives at Sunshine Children’s Home. Some of the 37 children who live there are orphans. Kavitha has parents, but when her father became ill, he couldn’t care for her. He asked Kavitha’s auntie to take his daughter. Auntie was the only Christian in the family. She took Kavitha and enrolled her in the Adventist school where she works. There Kavitha learned about God.

Kavitha’s New Home

One day Auntie told Kavitha that she could no longer afford to send her to the Adventist school. Auntie told Kavitha that she wanted to take her to live at Sunshine Children’s Home, a Christian home where she could live and attend an Adventist school. Kavitha knew that she would miss her parents and her auntie, but she agreed to go.

Auntie took Kavitha to the home and introduced her to Mama Beulah, who runs the home. Mama Beulah was kind and helped Kavitha get acquainted with some of the other children. Soon Kavitha was a part of her new family—a big family with more than 30 brothers and sisters.

Mama Beulah’s Helper

Like most children, every child at Sunshine has chores to do. They clean their rooms, help in the kitchen, or keep the yard neat and tidy. Kavitha was glad that she could do her part to help Mama Beulah. But Kavitha soon learned that she could do more.

When someone in the dormitory is sick, Kavitha gets a tray of food for them. After the child eats, Kavitha returns the dishes.

When Auntie Shirley, the girls’ dean, is sick or busy with another child, Kavitha helps the younger children get ready for school. Then she walks with them to class. She encourages the children to keep working on their homework until they’ve finished; and if one of the children needs extra help, Kavitha tries to help. If Auntie Shirley is busy when it’s time for worship, Kavitha has worship for the children. She reminds the children to finish their chores, too.

Sometimes the cook doesn’t come to the home on Saturday evenings, so Kavitha has learned how to cook rice and dahl (lentils) so they have something to eat for dinner. Sometimes there are 45 people to feed on Saturday evening. That’s a lot of rice and dahl.

Following Jesus

Not long after Kavitha arrived at Sunshine Children’s Home, she gave her heart to Jesus. “I know now that Jesus is the only true and living God,” she says. “I want to follow Him and please Him all my life.”

Boys and girls, Kavitha finds lots of ways to help others, and that makes Jesus happy. She’s so glad that her auntie taught her about Jesus and that she gets to attend an Adventist school, where she can learn even more about God. Our mission offerings help support schools such as the one Kavitha attends. Let’s give a big offering every Sabbath so children around the world will know Jesus loves them.

SING IN KANNADA

Kannada is the language spoken in Karnataka, the state where Sunshine Children’s Home is located. Vowels are pronounced as follows: ah as in father; ai as in eye; ay as in hay; ee as in bee; eh as in bet; ih as in tip; oh as in toe; oo as in boot; uh as in cup.

Jesus Loves Me

yay soo vee nah pree tee yoo
oon toh nah nah may bee yoo
mah kah lah nu tah lah nu
ahn gee ka ree soo vah noo

Chorus:
how dow doo nee jah
how dow doonee jah
how dow doo nee jah
sah dway dah mah tee doo