Thinking back on the June, 2007 Medical Mission.

I can't help thinking back to one of our hut-to-hut encounters with a young woman who was in such need of acceptance, the kind that only Jesus Christ can give.
Following is an excerpt from my journal:
June 25, Mon.
We went out and visited four homes, over rocks, boulders and hills for a few miles. (much different than the first Medical mission area) We had 10 people accept Christ as their savior. At the first home we visited, we met an 87 year old man who had fought in WW II and he came to Christ. It is so awesome to think that, before the beginning of time, God knew that this man would be waiting for 87, years until the morning of June 25, 2007, for us to be there to share the gospel with him, and that he would become our brother in Christ. What a magnificent lesson that is about God’s greatness and love for us and we ( and all who have been a part of us getting to Africa and are praying for the team) should be humbled that He has let us be part of his plan for people in Tanzania and all parts of the world. On our morning excursion, led the rest of the way by our 87 yr old brother in Christ, we met a young lady (27 yrs old who looked about 18) who obviously depressed. Her name, in Swahili, was taboo (meaning problem). She was probably “taboo” because of her deformed, crippled leg. She had an extreme limp and had gone to school only one year an never went back. Taboo agreed to let me tell her about God, who loves her very much, even though she would never look up at me and talked very quietly. After listening to me for a long time, through two interpreters because she spoke neither English nor Swahili, she was led to the Lord, repented of sin and accepted Christ as her savior. I felt the Lord telling me to tell her that she was my sister in Christ, that she was beautiful, which she was, and that she was no longer taboo, but because God’s grace is sufficient, I was going to call her Grace (Nema in Swahili). She looked into my eyes for the first time an smiled a big smile and her eyes sparkled. I explained to her that we would be in heaven together, completely healed of all infirmities, and be able to understand each other, without interpreters, and praise God forever. As we left, she stood in the doorway, smiling and waving.
June 26, Tue.
In the afternoon one of the translators and I went back to all the houses we visited yesterday and gave them a Bible; we had forgotten to take some with us yesterday. Also, I got to see Grace (Taboo) again and she was smiling and told the interpreter that she remembered that I told her that her name was not Taboo any more but Nema in Yesu Kristo (Grace in Jesus Christ). More tears and another blessed day in the Lord, about an hour from Karatu, Tanzania.