All glory and honor belong to God alone.
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"Jesus Built Our School" – The Testimony of Reshma, a Hindu School Principal from Bhopal
Praise be to God!
I am deeply grateful to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to Lord Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity to share my testimony. My name is Reshma. I am a Hindu by birth and currently serve as the Headmistress of a private school in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. My husband, Vijay, is the Director of our school.
For many years, our school functioned in a rented building with very limited facilities. Although we dreamed of establishing our own school campus, we lacked the financial resources necessary to make it a reality.
My mother introduced me to Kreupasanam and encouraged me to make an Udampadi (covenant) prayer. However, even before coming to Kreupasanam, Jesus had been present in my life from a very young age. In 2024, I visited the shrine and made an Udampadi, placing before God my desire to establish a good school.
After making the covenant, I encountered numerous obstacles. For nearly a year, I struggled through many challenges. My husband and I devoted ourselves completely to the project. Every morning we would wake up early, kneel down together, and pray. I did not follow any special rituals. I simply spoke to Jesus from my heart. Since childhood, I have always felt that Jesus has cared for me as His own daughter.
I come from a small village in Kerala and studied in a Malayalam-medium school. Today, I am serving as an educator in Bhopal. This is not because of my abilities, hard work, or financial support from my family. Every achievement in my life is entirely due to Jesus Christ. Through Kreupasanam, I also came to know and love Mother Mary more deeply.
As I grew in devotion to Our Lady, I found myself reading the Bible more frequently. Whenever I sought guidance, Jesus would often lead me to John 19:26-27, where, from the Cross, He entrusted His mother to the beloved disciple and the disciple to His mother. Through that passage, I understood the gift of Mary as our spiritual Mother.
From that moment, my life began to change in remarkable ways.
I would like to tell everyone who comes to this place of grace: if you surrender your burdens to Mother Mary and trust in Jesus, there is no need to fear sickness, work-related problems, or any other difficulty. Mother Mary intercedes for us, and Jesus never abandons us.
As we worked to establish the school, we desperately needed financial assistance. Every door seemed closed. I cried often and prayed intensely to Jesus and Mother Mary. One day, I prayed, "Mother, at least let me lay the foundation stone for the school by Christmas."
By God's grace, not only was the foundation laid, but the school was completed and inaugurated. Amazingly, the final building was even larger and better than the original plan we had prepared.
Initially, I hoped to secure a loan of around ₹30 lakh. Because we were Keralites living in another state, obtaining financial assistance was not easy. To my surprise, the bank approved a much larger loan than I expected. I truly believe this was a miracle brought about through the Udampadi prayer.
Throughout the construction process, I relied on the Udampadi oil and salt. Whenever difficulties arose, I would pray and use them with faith. Eventually, the school was completed and opened successfully.
However, a major challenge still remained. We needed official approval to operate the school as a high school. We had invested heavily in laboratories, a library, classrooms, and all the necessary facilities. Yet, to my shock, our application for approval was rejected.
I was devastated. We had taken large loans, conducted admissions, and publicized the school. Without approval, everything seemed lost.
During this difficult period, I began participating regularly in the online prayers and meditations led through Kreupasanam. I listened attentively to testimonies of God's intervention in the lives of others.
One day, while praying with tears before a candle, I noticed what appeared to be the image of Mother Mary on the candle flame. Deeply moved, I opened the Bible and prayed for guidance. The passage I received was Luke 1:43: "Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"
That verse touched my heart profoundly. I felt assured that Mother Mary herself had come into my home and was accompanying me through this struggle.
I continued praying and waiting for a breakthrough.
When I submitted an appeal against the rejection, many people told me there was no hope. Some officials openly stated that the approval would never be granted. Yet every time I opened the Bible, the Lord encouraged me not to lose faith.
One day, during a prayer session, I heard that the Lord would bring breakthroughs on the 7th day of the month. Holding on to that word, I began checking the government website repeatedly every day.
At first, nothing happened. But later, I received an unexpected phone call. I was informed that while many appeals had been rejected, our school's appeal had been approved.
I cannot describe the joy I felt at that moment. The approval had finally been granted.
Our school had faced opposition from various quarters. As outsiders from Kerala, we often encountered prejudice and obstacles. Yet God removed every barrier and granted us favor.
When the approval came through, I knew I had to return to Kreupasanam and publicly thank God.
Around the same time, another concern arose. My husband developed severe pain and a swelling in his abdomen. The lump appeared and disappeared, causing us great anxiety. Fearing a serious illness, I prayed fervently to Jesus and Mother Mary and used the Udampadi oil and salt with faith.
My husband himself knelt before Mother's picture and prayed, asking only for good health, peace, and a long life.
Soon afterward, we consulted doctors. To our great relief, the condition turned out to be minor. He required only minimal treatment and recovered quickly. Once again, we experienced God's mercy.
In our family, we have witnessed many other blessings through the Udampadi prayer. My nephew, who struggled academically, scored more than 90% in his examinations after being included in our prayers. Many family members have experienced God's intervention in their lives.
The greatest transformation, however, has occurred in my spiritual life.
Before coming to Kreupasanam, I prayed only occasionally. Today, I wake up every morning at 5:30 to spend time with God. No matter how busy I am, I never neglect prayer. My husband and I kneel together daily to read the Bible.
Since 2020, I have written Scripture verses every day and prayed over them. Whenever I face important decisions, I seek guidance through God's Word. Time and again, the Lord has spoken to me through the Bible.
One of my personal struggles was my lack of confidence in English. Having studied in Malayalam medium throughout my schooling, I often felt embarrassed about my language skills. Yet, despite my weaknesses, God has blessed me. Today, I teach English in Bhopal.
This has taught me an important lesson: our limitations do not matter when we place our trust in Jesus and Mother Mary. They provide the wisdom, strength, and grace we need at the right time.
We also try to serve the poor around us. In Bhopal, we support needy children and families by providing food, clothing, and financial assistance whenever possible. I believe that serving others is one way of expressing gratitude for the blessings God has bestowed upon us.
Looking back, I realize that the school I dreamed of was much smaller than the one God eventually gave us. His plans were far greater than mine.
Today, I offer a thousand thanks to Lord Jesus Christ and to Blessed Mother Mary. Everything we have achieved—our school, our family's well-being, our spiritual growth, and every blessing in our lives—has come through God's grace.
I encourage everyone to read the Bible faithfully and seek God's guidance in every decision. The Lord Jesus Christ walks with us, speaks to us through His Word, and never abandons those who trust in Him.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
Thank you, Mother Mary.
Praise be to God forever.
