Page 58 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Unseen Hands
meaning "light" in his Kambata language. Later, he changed her name to Erkenesh, meaning "reconciliation," for he said, "I am now reconciled to my God."
Erkenesh received much loving attention from her father, who freely admitted, "She is my favorite child, begotten in the only time of peace that I have ever known."
By the time Erkenesh turned three, Protestant believers had increased in Benara and had built a church where Segaro happily took his family. The church started a literacy program, and at six years of age, Erkenesh could read easy passages from the Bible.
One Saturday night, the story of Abraham offering his son Isaac as a sacrifice gripped Segaro as he read. Long after he closed the Bible and his family slept, his thoughts revolved around the father who agreed to give Godhis only son. Abraham did not know that God would
give Isaac back; he risked losing him forever, he mused. Sacrifice is a sad word, he thought.
That Sunday morning the elder spoke on Abraham offering up Isaac. "He gave the Lord the treasure dearest to his heart," he said in closing, "and we are sending this young couple as missionaries to a distant region. Will one of you willingly offer your daughter to serve these
workers for the sake of the gospel?"
Segaro had trouble breathing. His heartbeat sound
ed deafening in his ears. He thought surely everyone could hear it. He stood slowly, as one suddenly grown old and feeble. His voice broke and sounded strange when he tried to speak, but he finally got the words out. "I have a daughter that I love most dearly. I vow to God that I am offering her to serve the missionaries and to belong to
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