“Jehovah Saved Our Lives”

In 2005, a woman in India named Sowbhagya lost her beloved husband in death. He had cared well for her and their three-year-old daughter, Meghana. Now Sowbhagya was struggling to make ends meet.

To make matters worse, Sowbhagya found herself being rejected by others. Her family treated her and her daughter as beggars, and they repeatedly told her that she was a burden to them. Searching for comfort, Sowbhagya started attending a local church, but the people there looked down on her because she was poor. Sowbhagya began searching for a job so that she could gain financial independence. However, no matter how hard she tried, she could not find employment.

Sowbhagya says: “I felt hopeless, so I decided to commit suicide. Still, I knew that without me, my daughter would face many problems. So I decided to end both of our lives.” Feeling worthless and unloved, Sowbhagya went out to buy poison.

While Sowbhagya was traveling back home by train, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses named Elizabeth approached her and began talking to her. Sowbhagya explained that she was unemployed, and Elizabeth kindly offered to help her find a job. Elizabeth also mentioned that she was on her way to a Bible study. This surprised Sowbhagya because although she had visited many churches, she had never heard of people studying the Bible. Elizabeth invited Sowbhagya to visit her to learn more about a Bible study.

When Sowbhagya arrived home, she was still planning to commit suicide. However, a relative took Meghana on a trip, so Sowbhagya decided to wait until her daughter returned before carrying out the plan.

In the meantime, she visited Elizabeth, who received her warmly. During the visit, Elizabeth showed her the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? Sowbhagya was drawn to the chapter “Where Are the Dead?” This chapter interested her because of the recent death of her husband. That very day, Sowbhagya accepted a Bible study.

Elizabeth invited Sowbhagya to a convention being held the next week, and Sowbhagya accepted. She was so motivated by the program that she decided that she wanted to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. And as she returned home from the convention, she was offered a job.

Sowbhagya continued studying the Bible. Now, instead of wanting to end her life, she had something to live for. She was baptized, and later her daughter, Meghana, was baptized as well. Today, both of them serve as regular pioneers, and Meghana works as a remote volunteer for one of the translation offices in India.

How thankful Sowbhagya and Meghana are that Elizabeth approached Sowbhagya on the train, showed sincere interest, and spoke to her about the truth! They are also extremely grateful to Jehovah. Meghana says: “We would be long buried by now if we had not learned of the truth that day. Now, we are so happy. My mom and I eagerly wait for the moment when we can hug my dad again, teach him about Jehovah, and tell him how Jehovah saved our lives.”