Page 53 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Moving On
in the primitive homes of rural folks.
When word came in 1969 that his mother and sisters
planned to visit him in Awasa, he rented a house, believ ing that the Lord would supply his needs. His mother, a staunch Coptic church member, heard that the Protes tants ate dog and cat meat; therefore, she refused to eat the meal served to her by Tekle's kind neighbors on the day that she arrived. She heard a dog howling in the night and thought. Oh, they are slaughtering another dog.
She felt deeply troubled over her son's departure from her faith and frequently sent elders to convince him of the folly of his ways. But she soon recognized the cat-and- dog story as malicious slander, and her attitude softened toward his change of faith.
"Will you bring that book of yours and read it to me?" she requested four days after her arrival.
As Tekle read the Bible and explained it to his mother and his sisters, the Holy Spirit moved on their hearts, and they sought God in repentance. Today, they are born- again, enthusiastic members of the church he leads. Besides deliverance from the bondage of sin, his mother received healing for a chronic stomach condition that had caused continuous vomiting for three years.
While his mother felt happy about her repentance and healing, concern over daily needs to sustain life mounted almost to panic. "Son, you do not have money for kerosene for the lamp. There's no wood for the fire, no water, and no food. How can you go on like this? Isn't it a sin to fold your hands and only pray for our daily bread?" She continued bitterly, "You are even starving us to death. We are far from our home, and we have no means of returning. Please, get a job and make a living
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