Jeeva
A young girl impacted by the teaching
of Asian Christian High School

Enjoy this article from the September issue of ACA's quarterly magazine ...

A slender teenage girl sits on the dirt floor of a one-room house, reading to her younger brother from her Bible. The young lady barely notices her dingy surroundings, the poverty around her. It is not that she's grown accustomed to it; in her mind, she is already elsewhere.

Her face shows a quiet intensity. More than just reading, she is studying, learning, and re-affirming her decision to live through the Scripture. Her parents enter the room, requesting the children's help in the fields.

Reluctantly, the girl closes the tattered, marked-up volume and sighs; she knows she must obey, at least for now. But she also knows the day is near when her parents--and others in her small village--will understand the importance of the book, and experience the same peace she has found by surrendering to Christ the Savior.

Jeeva graduated Asian Christian High School in 2007 and is now the first ACHS graduate to affirm her faith in Christ through baptism. Her baptism took place on June 21 at Hosur Bible Church, where Jeeva participates in youth ministry programs.

To those who know her, including Scriptures instructor Mrs. Leela George, it's not surprising that Jeeva is the first ACHS graduate to be baptized. The beautiful young woman has made a career out of being outstanding in a school filled with
top students. "People recognize ACHS students the second they begin to speak," says George. "The students are well-spoken, obedient, respectful and smart."

Out of the 197 students in ACHS, more than sixty percent are entering the field of engineering. "People say if you want your child to be an engineer or a doctor, send them to church ... We are the only Christian school amidst the Hindus," George explained.

This fall, Jeeva takes the first step toward joining that sixty percent, entering the biochemistry degree program at a college in Hosur. Meanwhile, she takes evening classes through the BTCP program at Hosur Bible Church.

When Jeeva entered ACHS nearly thirteen years ago, the teachers--including Mrs. George--knew she was bright, but they feared too many obstacles would hold her back from fulfilling her potential.

Jeeva's History
God's grace brought Jeeva to ACHS in 1996, the year the school was founded. As it still does, the Asian Christian Academy welcomes children from nearby villages to study kindergarten through 10th grade at the school as part of its ministry program.

Jeeva's parents, poor farmers, enrolled her in the school without knowing much about it, simply because tuition was low. A Hindu family, they had no idea their eldest child would receive a Christian education. ACHS was all the family could afford. "Jeeva's parents own two acres of land," George says. "To own two acres is good. All the families cultivate together, but most of the time there's either too much rain or not enough rain and the harvest is lost." Through farming, the family earns the equivalent of $1,000USD per year; they often use high interest loans and credit cards just to pay for basic needs for Jeeva and her younger brother.

When Jeeva was in fourth grade, her parents showed up at the school's registrar office explaining they couldn't pay tuition until they sold the potato harvest--if there was a harvest to sell that season. Knowing Jeeva's grades and recognizing her potential, the school waived the fee for the semester.

ACA also offers scholarships for students starting in fifth grade based on their grades in Scriptures class tests. Jeeva has been able to receive these merit-based scholarships every year. She has studied Scripture with George every semester since fifth grade. By eighth grade, the ACHS teacher became much more than an authority figure to Jeeva; she became a mentor to lead her on a Christian path. "She would stay after school and we would talk about the Scripture," George recalls. "She responded so positively. Everybody loves her; she's just very friendly."

Jeeva understands how blessed she's been to receive a good education in an area where most children never rise above the poverty. "God does the right thing at the right time," she says. He has called me as His child at the right time. Being born into a typical Hindu family, I never had an opportunity to hear God's Word. But He made a wonderful place for me to learn His Word - and that's ACA."
 
Jeeva goes on to explain her positive relationship under the tutelage of Mrs. George. "God let different people impact my life and one of them was Mrs. George." In her soft-spoken manner, she continues, "[Mrs. George] was my guide and counselor who led me to the knowledge of Christ with her Scripture classes and personal advice. There were times when it was very hard for me to complete my schooling, coming from the poor situation my family was in. But God was so gracious and provided me with all the resources to successfully finish my schooling."

Overcoming challenges
Jeeva faced one of her greatest challenges in 10th grade, when family chores and constant activity in her family's one-room house made it difficult for her to study. Jeeva went to Mrs. George with her problem and requested to stay in the girls' dormitory at the House of Joy for the year, where she could study as much as she wanted.

It paid off, as Jeeva received high scores on her board exams and also became even stronger in her faith. "I was so grateful for that opportunity," Jeeva says. "Those were the most fruitful days where I learned so much about God."

As a born-again Christian in a Hindu village, Jeeva faces opposition for her faith everyday. For instance, her mother forces her to hide the fact that she eats beef. On this point, Jeeva obliges, but she finds it impossible to hide her faith. Jeeva often brings her Hindu friends to Hosur Bible Church, showing them the fun and peace fellowship brings.

"She has born witness for Jesus in her village," Mrs. George says. "She has told the whole village, everyone around her, that she is Christian when the whole village is Hindu."

As the bright young lady continues on her chosen path, she prays for more opportunities to share the Word. "I have a great desire to serve my Lord and I'm patiently waiting and praying for His will to be done in my life. I pray that wherever I go, I may stand as a light for Christ and be a blessing for everyone around me," she says.

Jeeva stands as one outstanding example of what ACA has accomplished through its ministry programs. Children like Jeeva in hundreds of villages surrounding ACA benefit from the school's mission. "We are giving the students an education and the gospel so they can be lifted up from the poverty and be a blessing to their family and the community," George says. "That's our goal at ACHS."