Page 62 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Unseen Hands
less to offer help or nourishment. Without care, her feet became infected and horribly swollen, but a week later she hobbled back to school. The couple had notified the school that she wanted to quit; however, when the teachers saw the condition of her feet, they took her to the hospital, fearing that her feet might have to be am putated. They notified her brother. He came and discov ered the whole story of the cruelty that she had endured.
She recovered quickly, and Tamru paid the fees for her to enter a mission boarding school. She would have preferred going home, although life at last became easier with the opportunity to study and to enjoy regular meals. She went to a garden in the school compound every after noon and prayed, "0 Lord God, please, help me to serve Youalways,whether I am a student or working on a job."
A little later, she added another petition: 'T entreat You to prepare for me a good husband who fears God. Deliver me from one who would be insulting or cruel or a drunkard or who would want a divorce."
Though Erkenesh prayed about serving the Lord, she had little knowledge of how it should be done. She decid ed nursing would be one way to work for God and applied for nurse's training school after finishing the eighth grade. When these plans failed to materialize, she entered a government high school. She qualified for an allowance with a 73% score on the national examination.
The mission authorities made an exception to their rules and allowed Erkenesh to stay at the mission because of her exemplary conduct. Fearing to live alone, she felt grateful.
Peace did not last long. A friend of her brother asked Erkenesh to marry him. When she refused, her brother
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