NEW LIFE

In the misty morning light of Srinagar, where the Dal Lake shimmered like a silver mirror and houseboats bobbed gently against the shore, 9-year-old Lhamo started her day with her family, part of a small Buddhist community among the floating markets. They lived in a wooden house on the water’s edge, surrounded by chinar trees shedding red leaves like confetti.

Lhamo woke to Mama’s warm roti and kahwa tea scented with saffron and cardamom, then slipped into her simple maroon pheran gown over shalwar pants, tying her dark braids with colorful ribbons.

Helping Baba load a shikara boat with fresh apples from their orchard, she paddled through the lake’s narrow channels, waving to neighbors lighting incense at roadside stupas. School came next.

The school was just a short walk away where she practiced maths, Urdu writing, and learned Buddhist mantras during ethics class, playing kabaddi during recess with friends chasing each other amid willow trees.

Afternoons buzzed with chores: shelling walnuts for market, feeding the house goats, and splashing barefoot in lake shallows while Grandma spun pashmina wool into yarn, chanting prayers to the Buddha for good fortune.

As the sun dipped behind the Zabarwan peaks, the family gathered for evening meditation on colorful rugs, spinning prayer wheels and sharing steaming gushtaba meatballs under lantern light.

One crisp afternoon at school, during a quiet storytelling circle, a kind visitor shared something new: “Jesus is God’s Son who loves you so much He died for your mistakes and rose again, offering forever peace.”

Lhamo’s eyes widened. This endless love felt different from karma’s cycles. The kind friend taught about Jesus’ miracles, wisdom, and compassion, then started sharing something Buddhism doesn’t teach... that Jesus is unique as God’s one and only son, that he is a Savior from sin, and the only way to God (John 14:6).

This is very different from what she had learned in ethics class, which taught her self-effort, karma with free forgiveness.

She asked a few questions, and realized that she wanted Jesus to be her best friend. She asked the kind stranger how she could follow Jesus, too.

The kind stranger showed her how to talk to Jesus and confess her sins. She explained that she needed to believe Jesus died for them and rose again, then she must repent (turn from idols / practices), and pray to receive Him as Lord.

She said a simple prayer to Jesus, and joy radiated from her face as she finished. Before she left for the day, they read the Bible together and she promised to help connect her to believers for discipleship.

From then on, she felt a beautiful peace and happiness that she had never known before. Lhamo slowly began to share with her friends and family, and God used her in big ways in her village to share the good news of Jesus.

Colour Lhamo’s family sitting together inside their home, sharing food and time together.

Today’s language is Kashmiri. Try saying hello and thank you using the words shown.

As you colour and learn new words, pray for families in Northern India who do not know Jesus yet.