Freedom for Augustina
On our second to last day in the village I was asked to do a listening prayer as we walked. The only direction I heard was to go to a lady’s house we had visited our first week and hadn’t been able to return because she was sick. We went to her house first but she wasn’t home. I thought maybe I had heard wrong, but the Lord was just directing us that way. We went to her neighbors house instead and met Augustina, a lively soul who welcomed us into her home with open arms. We started asking her story and as we dug deeper it was clear she wasn’t a believer.
She professed to be catholic, but only went to her church looking for a solution to all her problems. The sorrow in her eyes was overwhelming as she told us about her two sons in prison and arguments with her husband that she had married right out of 7th grade. We shared the gospel with her for about two hours and told her about Jesus love and sacrifice for her. She wanted freedom and Jesus is the only one who has ever offered that with nothing in return. That’s grace sweet Augustina!
It was such a beautiful moment when she finally understood. The tears came and her hard exterior just started to melt away. She has spent her life trying to fix everything on her own but she just couldn’t do it. One of our translators prayed with her and she accepted the best gift ever, a relationship with Jesus. I held her hand as she prayed and as my teammates spoke encouraging words and scriptures over her. After she prayed she smiled though her tear filled eyes. God had replaced the deep sorrow in her heart with joy and thanksgiving.
Friends I have no idea if God will free her sons or reconcile her relationship with her husband. But what I do know is that she sees her circumstances through a new pair of eyes. She sees joy through the hard times and has blessed assurance that God is on her side and loves her dearly and some sweet day she will meet Him face to face and He won’t see her sin, he will look at her and see the perfection of Jesus.
If you feel like God has left you or just can’t see Christ’s love in your life, I invite you into that same freedom. God sent his son to die for you and loves you so much. Freedom can only be found in the person of Jesus Christ.
We are wrapping up our last week in Lesotho. I have seen God move in amazing ways and heard his voice so clearly this month. Even though I am sad to leave this gorgeous place and beautiful people I leave with joy overflowing in my heart. Please continue to pray for all these precious people we have met in the village the past few weeks and Africa for Jesus. They are bringing the kingdom here and I am so privileged to have gotten to experience it!
