Kempi was a dear little Brahman girl in India. She had dark eyes, fair skin, jet black hair and beautiful white teeth.
One day a kind missionary lady visited her home and invited her and her brother to come to Sunday school. They both came, and that Sunday school from beginning to end seemed wonderful to Kempi. How she enjoyed the happy singing! When it was all over it seemed a long time to wait for the next Sunday to come.
But Kempi seldom missed, and soon the missionaries loved her dearly. As she learned of the love of the Lord Jesus for her, she gladly received Him as her Saviour. Her big eyes would fill with tears as she thought of all He had suffered on the cross for her sins.
One Sunday the missionaries missed Kempi’s sweet little face, and one of them visited her village to find out what the trouble was. She found Kempi very sick with malaria fever. Her mother had died and she was living with her aunt. The home was only a mud hut with a roof of straw. The floors were of dirt, and there were no windows-just the door.
Poor little Kempi was lying on the dirt floor, looking very neglected and miserable. No one seemed to have the desire or time to care for the little sick girl.
“Kempi,” said the kind missionary, “wouldn’t you like to come to our nice clean hospital at the mission, where we can take good care of you and help you to get better?”
“Oh yes,” Kempi whispered.
Hastening outside the missionary hired a man with an old bullock cart. They placed the little sick girl on some straw in the cart, and after a long wearisome journey they arrived at the hospital. Loving hands bathed Kempi and put her into a clean bed. Soon she was sleeping peacefully. The relatives had come along and watched everything that was done.
Every day the missionary read to Kempi from God’s word.
“Read me more about the Good Shepherd,” she said one day. “His words are like gold to my ears.”
At last Kempi got better and her relatives said, “It is time now for us to take her home.” Oh how the missionaries hated to see her go! They knew that in her own home she would hear no more of the Saviour and His Word, and she would be surrounded by much sin and wickedness. Also her own people would try to make her worship their heathen idols.
She was still just a little girl when her aunt said: “Kempi, you are old enough to be married. A husband has been chosen for you, and you are to go to his house to live.”
“Oh no!” cried Kempi. “I don’t want to get married yet!”
Her aunt was very angry with her and would not listen.
“But, is he a Christian?” whispered Kempi.
“I should say he is not!” answered her aunt. “He is one of our own caste, a fine Brahman.”
“But I cannot marry a man who is not a Christian. God’s word says that is wrong.”
Her aunt was adamant, however, and Kempi was betrothed to a man many years older than she. Instead of being happy, she found him to be sullen and unhappy. He and his mother were very cruel to Kempi. Like thousands of other little girls in her land, she was little more than a slave, working from morning till night with no time to run and play.
One morning early she was sent out with a basket to collect firewood. As she walked along she wished she could run away from that dreadful house. Then why not do so? But where would she go? She would go to her missionary friends!
She was near the railway tracks, and first thing she knew she was running down the tracks to the distant village. It was a long journey but she finally reached the mission station.
“Why, Kempi,” exclaimed the lady
missionary in surprise, “where did you come from?”
“I ran away,” said Kempi, “because they wanted me to marry a man who was not a Christian.”
The missionary soon had the whole sad story and then looked to God for guidance. They must get Kempi away from there for her relatives would soon come looking for her.
They hid her under the bed until nightfall, and then they dressed her in different clothes that made her look like a Mohammedan instead of a Brahman. Then they rode in a small cart drawn by a pony till they reached another village where they boarded a train. Kempi hid under the seat, and all the while the missionary prayed that her relatives would not catch them.
Next they changed to a bus and after a long ride they reached a city where there was a Christian school for girls. Soon Kempi was tucked in bed and sleeping soundly.
After three months it seemed safe for Kempi to return to the mission. How glad she was to be with her friends again. She did all she could to be helpful and was a bright testimony for the Lord. One day she was baptized and how happy she was to let all know that she belonged to the Saviour and wanted to live for Him.
Years passed and God had other joys in store for Kempi. She and a young school teacher fell in love and they were happily married. The Lord gave them a little family of their own, and it was their joy to seek to bring them up for Him.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.”
ML-04/23/1978