I am very glad to let you know what the Lord has done in my life.  My name is Ranjana, which means “giving joy to others,” and I was born in a Hindu family, along with my brother.  We were a happy family.  But when I was three and half years old, I remember one day that my mother got burned.  I saw her rolling on the ground from our house.  She was all black. I don’t remember her face anymore – none of them.  And that was the last sight I had of her in my memory.  The next thing I remember in my life was getting down from a bus, along with my father, in front of a big gate.  And that place became a home for me for the rest of my life.  That was the orphanage where I grew up, Panditha Ramabai Mukthi Mission.  Since then, I never saw my brother or father again.

     I always thank God for giving my father wisdom to bring me to this orphan home, where I was loved, taken care of, and was provided with everything that I needed.  I can say today that I had the best childhood, and all the children like me should have this opportunity.  As I was growing up, I heard about Jesus and what He did on the cross for me and for the whole world.  I loved memorizing the scriptures from the Bible.  I actively took part in vacation Bible schools, Sunday schools and youth camps, but never had a real peace in my life.  I always felt unwanted and always used to wonder why my father left me in the orphanage and not my brother.  But as I was reading the Bible, I understood God had a plan for me, and he has chosen me even before I was formed in my mother’s womb.  As I was growing up, I started understanding what this all means.

     At the age of 14, I gave my life to Jesus and took water baptism.  When I finished my high school and it was time to go to college, I had more freedom and was not able to make good decisions in my life.  I went through a lot of hardship, and I tried to do things with my own strength. I finally decided to end my life.  I ate a lot of sleeping pills to end my life, but I ended up in a hospital.  As I was struggling to recover in the hospital, my godmother came to see me, and she talked with me from John 10:10 and John 3:16.  She explained to me how the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy, and how Jesus came to give life and life in abundance.  From that time, I told the Lord, “You have given me new life, and I will give it back to you by serving you.”

     When I finished my studies and started work, I had no peace.  I had a lot of money to enjoy, but no happiness – because I knew this was not what the Lord wanted me to do.  So prayerfully, I left my job and asked the Lord to show me what I needed to do.  I asked Him to provide for me.

     In 1996, I told my elders in the orphanage that I wanted to serve the Lord, so they told me to go ahead – but not to expect them to pay me anything.  I took a big step of faith.  I joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in India in January, 1997.  The Lord helped me to fulfill my commitment to YWAM for two and a half years.  God always provided for me to pay my fees and other expenses.  I never lacked anything. I had plenty, and I was able to help others too. Amen!

     After YWAM, I was working as a promotional secretary for my orphanage where I grew up, and there I met my husband, Joshua (Nisar), as he came there to find a girl to marry.  We found each other, as he also had the passion for the lost and orphans.  Even though we never met before, we found out that we had the same vision – and with the blessings of my orphanage elders, we were married on Feb. 26, 2000.  Today we are a happy family, and God has blessed us with one son, Enoch, and a daughter, Hephzibah.

     I am always thankful to God for all the people who faithfully prayed for me and provided me everything that I needed.  Today, when I see needy children, my heart cries, and I want to see them live a happy life, enjoy their childhood and learn about God’s love, so when they grow up, they have something better to do.

     Today, we have six children.  But there are hundreds of children who need love, care, and shelter.  So let us come together to give these loved ones a brighter tomorrow …. Amen!

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