God’s Providence

Do you ever experience those moments when you realize that things happen outside of your control or understanding? Like there is some benevolent force beyond our reason that joyfully cares for us and creates certain experiences just for a single person? Or even more mysterious, how lives can intertwine to bring about multiple single moments of providence? To me that is God. Not just any god, but my God, and this weekend was filled with such moments.

As you may have read previously, the women here are going to a different church each week throughout Adjumani district conducting a day of encouragement, fellowship, and teaching for the women. Each Monday afternoon, sometimes even evening, the women roll back to our place tired but joyful in each new story and face met. This past week they went to Uderu Baptist Church, which is about an hour drive into a rural village area. While there, Pastor Tonni Issac invited us back for Sunday worship and to give a message on baby dedication. Since Jeff and the rest of the crew are in Sudan, I was asked to give the message.

Jackie, our dear friend who cooks for us, asked if she could come along. So Derin, Andra, Jackie, Faye & I headed out on Sunday to the middle of nowhere. It was beautiful to call the women with their babies to the front of the church, a place of honor where women never sit, and share with them about the importance of children and dedicating them to God, especially in the presence of church. After I finished, in typical African fashion, Tonni asked for another testimony from us, their invited guests. So Derin, Faye, Andra & Jackie got to share as well. And it was in front of that church on that day that God’s providence was undeniable.

Andra shared how her diet of gluten free foods, which has caused her much physical & emotional pain over the years, has turned out to be a blessing here in Africa because many of the foods she can eat are the most common ones available here. She has therefore been able to encourage Michael & ATRUD, as well as the people of Uderu, how to think more creatively in using the foods they eat everyday. She shared that she can now see how God has brought goodness & inspiration out of something that has caused her pain & distress.

Jackie also got up to share. She started by looking at us and apologizing, saying she would speak in Ma’di and without a translator for our English ears. She then turned to the church and spoke passionately to a wide-eyed crowd of about 60 church members. As we saw tears well up in her eyes, we knew something was up. Then, as the she finished and the church erupted in praise, she turned to let us know that she felt God had brought her to that church that day because He is calling her to Himself. It was there, in a verbal language we didn’t understand but in a physical language we did, that Jackie committed her life to Christ. Needless to say we were overjoyed. It was a powerful scene as the drums started, the church sang, and people came to Jackie, placed hands on her head and prayed for her in loud, powerful words over the singing church.

This morning, Michael brought muffins made from cassava flour, something no one has done here in Adjumani – a recipe that Andra had created with him just a few days before. A little later, Jackie & I we were working together in the kitchen, (I was slicing mangoes to be dried as she was preparing our beans & rice for lunch,) & I asked her if she felt different today. She said “yes…my heart is now holy.” She also mentioned how the many problems & issues she has are now in the hands of God, giving her sweet relief & peace. It was then that my constant questioning of God’s direct guidance in our lives was silenced by these things I cannot otherwise explain.