Having been in the U.S. only a year, Kaavya had no deep friendships or community to support her when tragedy hit again: miscarriage. So she called the one person she trusted, Crossworld worker Whitney.

The two met when Kaavya was new to the U.S. They bonded over a love for southeast Asia, and Whitney taught Kaavya how to do everyday things like mail a letter. They lost touch when Kaavya and her husband moved to a different city, but Kaavya knew she could count on her friend in this crisis.

The women sat in silence on the phone for a few minutes, grieving Kaavya’s loss. Then God prompted Whitney to tell the story of Hannah.

“There’s a story in the Bible about a woman who deeply wanted a child,” Whitney said. “She prayed to God desperately, and her grief was so consuming that the priest thought she was drunk. God eventually answered her prayer by giving her a son, and she gave her son back to God to worship and serve Him.”

Seeing that Kaavya was engaged in the story, Whitney said, “I want to pray for you, is that okay?”

“Yes!” Kaavya said. “I believe prayer is powerful! Some people in my new city have prayed for me, and every time they pray, my life gets a little bit better.”

“I will ask God to give you strength,” Whitney said. “I’ll ask Him to give you a baby when it’s the right time, just as He did for Hannah. And I will ask in Jesus’ name.”

Whitney prayed, and then Kaavya spoke again.

“Whitney, you are a sister to me. You are so nice. That’s what I remember about you. That’s why I don’t have to formally greet you as I would in my culture, but I can just tell you what I want to say as if you are my family.”

“Jesus gave me a new heart,” Whitney said. “That’s why you see that I’m ‘so nice.’ Jesus has filled my heart with love for people. What you see in me is His work in my heart.”

Whitney understood the depth of honor Kaavya was giving her in that moment, and prayed they would soon be sisters in faith as well.

Here’s how you can pray for this ministry.

• Pray for Kaavya to see the power of Jesus in her life and put her trust in Him.
   
• Pray for more opportunities for Whitney to share truth with Kaavya.
   
• Pray for Whitney and her family as they prepare to move to Central Asia to make disciples among the least-reached.

The people in this story are real, but their names have been changed to protect their privacy.