Coincidence? I Think Not

This is the story of a young lady named Daleela as she crossed my life.  She is from Vancouver, British Columbia.  Went to a university in NY to get her degree in finance.  Her friend started an NGO (non-governmental org.) in Kenya called Caring for Kenya and asked her to be on the board of directors.  She has been traveling to Nairobi during January for the last few years.  She flew to Kampala last week to check on some development projects here in Uganda and on the flight over she met Misti Shelton who is a missionary in Jinja.  

When Daleela got to Kampala she felt very uncomfortable with the situation so she called to ask Misti’s advice.  Misti told her to come to Jinja and they would talk about it.  The Sivages (also missionaries from Jinja) were in Kampala that day and just about to return, so they took Daleela  to Misti’s house in Jinja.

Misti told her about a food distribution project that we do here in Kampala among the poorest people in the slums.  So in a couple of days she came to Kampala to go with us. When I met Daleela I just assumed she was a Christian.  Part of the project is to visit in the homes of those who receive food.  The same people get food once a month for six months and this was the 6th month.  Daleela was very interested to go into their homes but she made a couple of comments that made me wonder if she was a Christian.

I finally realized the truth as I was telling her about the faith of the lady who works for me.  Madinah used to be a Muslim until she became a Christian.  After that her husband, also Muslim, kicked her and the three children out of the house.  No money, no job, relatives shunning her so no where to go and three children to take care of.    Her life from then to now is a true testimony of walking by faith and dependence upon God to provide.  Daleela didn’t understand why the husband would do that.  “Aren’t we all worshipping the same God, with just different names?”

I was able to share the Gospel with her and to tell her that to be a Christian means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one goes to the Father except by him.  Her heart was ready even though she did not realize that she wasn’t a Christian.  It wasn’t an easy decision for her because she is so independent that it didn’t seem right to her to depend on God.  “Wouldn’t He be insulted?”  No,  God takes delight in us, as a Father delights in his child.

Daleela had never met people who talked about God.  The Sivages did, the Sheltons did, and everyone at the food distribution did.  All those people helped her to see what she was missing in her life.

Well I am thankful that I have a new sister in Christ.  Some people say that it was a series of coincidences, but I say, that “all things work together to the good of them who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose”.   PTL