the day she found her truth :: part 2

 

Bukarija is not an ordinary women.  At the age of almost forty, she’s a Hungarian missionary who is now dedicating her life to the people of Montenegro.  Despite not seeing rapid fruit, she’s choosing the road less traveled by missionaries – a road of sacrifice, pain, patience, and pursuing the glorious redemption.  She’s a woman who is completely led by the Spirit and voice of God.  Not one to ask questions, when He says something, she does it.

 

Fetija instantly took to Bukarija, as most people would.  The minute Bukarija sat down, the two women started talking in Serbian while I sat peacefully beside them smiling at what God was doing.  I was sure of one thing – this was so much bigger than one conversation.  God was showing Himself moving in this nation through this one divinely appointed conversation.  And so as they chatted, I sat and waited, knowing He was changing this woman right before our eyes. 

 

When they were done with introductions and casual conversation, I asked Bukarija if she would ask Fetiga about faith and where her hope comes from.  Fetiga said she believes in Allah and that she is careful to pray regularly and seek Him out.  She said it was her duty to be faithful to what He has asked of her. 

 

Not being one to beat around the bush, I told her about Jesus.  I told her that He is the one who not only sacrificed Himself for us out of love, but who conquered death through resurrection and wants an intimate relationship with us.  That He is the way, the truth, the life.  And that He’s pursuing her in this moment so that she might know Him intimately.  She stared me straight in the eyes and listened.  She started hearing it.  

 

She began telling us that just yesterday she was praying for truth.  She was asking God to reveal Himself as He is and not as people have told her.  Today, she said, she wasn’t meant to even come to the beach.  Rarely does she come because of how far it is from her home, but she got up in the morning and decided to make the trek.  And now here she was, sitting with us Americans, knowing it was not by accident.

 

As we continued talking, I shared with her that it was all about the relationship with Christ and not the religion.  With everything shared, she was so eager to hear more.  She started wanting it, believing it, and was ready to choose it.  We told her to pray for herself and ask Him into her life on her own.  We didn’t want her to think that us Americans had any special power in this matter.   And the last thing we wanted was for her prayer to become another ritual to her that secured her salvation, but never affected her heart’s cry.

 

This time wasn’t about converting Fetiga simply to make us feel like we had done our duty as believers.  It was about pointing her to the face of truth and letting her begin her journey of getting to know who He is and what He promises.  Bukarija pulled out a New Testament in Fetiga’s language so she could start reading it for herself.  When we handed it to her, she was hesitant in taking it.  She told us that she has terrible eyesight and didn’t know if she would be able to read the small writing.  Quickly we told her that not only is God a God who saves, but He is also one who heals today.  And with that, we laid our hands on her eyes and prayed healing into them right then and there.  There’s no reason in waiting on these things, especially when God’s intention is to meet His people so personally in the moment. 

 

When we ended our conversation two hours later, I gave her a big hug and kiss.  I love her.  I don’t have to know her any longer than I do to know I love her.  She is beautiful, radiating life and joy, and being relentlessly pursued by her Father.   There is not a doubt in my mind she met her true God, and that God so perfectly arranged the whole thing to magnify His glory.