Beatrice smiles warmly. She pours milky chai
from a green thermos into clear glass mugs and serves crispy-fresh mandazi. She looks around her food kiosk with
satisfaction. Her customers
appear happy. This is a new life for
Beatrice, one she’s been praying about for a long time...
Beatrice
was born the last child to a second wife in a polygamous family and not educated beyond the sixth level. She was treated as a servant in the family
compound. Like many Kenyan girls, she
married young so her father could claim the dowry. She bore two children –
a boy and a girl. Then her husband became very sick and died. Fear surrounded the man's death, and
Beatrice was no longer welcomed in her husband’s homestead.
Without resources Beatrice journeyed to her
rural home and made the difficult decision to leave her children there as she
begged some shillings to travel to Kisumu to find work. While
in the bustling town, Beatrice tried selling small vegetables along the road, no one would buy; no one showed her pity; no one even seemed to even see her. She felt
her life had been cursed.
With nothing left, Beatrice waited at a church.
The pastors found her very thin and sick. After much prayer she regained her strength and started to follow Jesus. When we met Beatrice she worked as house-help, earning the equivalent of 50
cents a day. She knew God had more for her, more for her children, more for
their future. She began praying for new
life.
Every
Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning from 9:00 till noon, for 9 weeks, Beatrice
attended the DIG training. She learned who Christ is in her and who she is in
Him. She learned about the freedom of
forgiveness and how God longed to share the beautiful woman He created her to
be. She worked hard developing a plan
with a budget. She received wise counsel
committed to accountability.
Today
Beatrice applies her lessons well. She
rises early to walk to the market and gather supplies for the day. She makes her fire and cooks good food for
weary workers in her community. She shares her story of redemption along side
soft chapati and beans boiled with sweet onions. Ultimately, Beatrice found
more than a ministry/business. She found
new life in Christ.
Please pray for Beatrice. She’s saving money to secure a home so she can bring her children to live with her.
Thanks for sharing our journey with these young widowed moms. With their permission we've given you a glimpse of the heartache they endured and the miracles of grace God created. These stories are the fruit of much labor, prayer, support and encouragement. It's not easy, but then, we've never known God to do something because it's easy. God moves because He loves. He loves even when it's hard. Thank you for helping us show the Lord's love to these women.
Next post we'll share about Benta, a young pregnant mom that didn't want to birth her child into poverty, but mercy prevailed... Thank you for your prayers for Mildred and her son. Franklin is recovering yet still needs dialysis. She's trusting Jesus that soon you'll be reading her story.
Asante sana Rafikis!
hugs from the haugers oooo