I am in a new place, a new country, with a new language (or two or three) ahead of me. As I look forward, the future is unknown. But the past is tangible and fresh, one in which I can say with confidence, “He is faithful and his name has been praised.”

How did it happen? I remember asking God how he wanted to use my life for his glory when I was younger. Then one day he showed me. It was through gaining medical skills that he wanted to use me. That knowledge base, I hoped, would help open doors in places where the door wasn’t quite so open; that Jesus’ holistic model might point people to his truth and reality.

After I’d gained these skills, God directed me on to Southeast Asia. It was like a match made in heaven. The folks around me were welcoming; but most of them had never heard of Jesus. As I worked, I learned–about everything.

I vividly remember the day Baakham came, unassumedly, with her small problem. It was evident she was a villager, the smoke smell from her home fire carried in her clothes. She did not say much, but simply asked for help to heal the chronic rash on her leg. It had been around a long time.

The remedy was simple, I felt, if she only carried out the specific instructions I gave her. Upon further questioning, I learned she was from the same village I’d be visiting later that afternoon. I did not offer her a ride, wrongly assuming she had other arrangements to get home.

Hours later, when my companions and I were loading to head up to the mountain village, I noticed Baakham still lingering around the clinic’s property. Still unassuming, she did not seem distraught that she had no way to get home. I was glad when she readily climbed into our vehicle though. Not only did it take her to where we were already going, but I had wanted to meet more people in her village. I secretly hoped that I could walk home with her and discover where she lived.

When Baakham did let us follow her home, she turned to us and said, “you forgot to ask me to pay you for the ride here.”

“No, it was our pleasure,” I assured her.

Then, to my complete surprise, she continued, “If my rash heals, I will believe in your God.”

This was not a bargain I had asked for, and I was shocked that she would even say that. There was only one person in her village who was a Christian. And Baakham and I had not even talked about God during our visit earlier that day. Skeptically, I conceded to myself, “I bet her rash will heal and she won’t believe in my God!”

Reflecting back on my cynicism, I chide myself now. “you didn’t know her. How could you pass such a judgment on her because of your lack of faith that she would hold to her word?”

Almost exactly three years later Baakham did keep her promise. Not only did her rash heal well, but that first acquaintance turned into a blossoming relationship. We learned of her widowhood and the village relationships. She told us of some of her witch doctor responsibilities for the village. yet, she always welcomed us. Always. There were times our small team felt welcomed only in Baakham’s home, as resistance and opposition from fear came and went within the community.

Projects were begun, at the villagers’ request. They were hungry, they said. Their crops could not grow well, due to the cold. They needed English help in order to read name brands of electronic equipment that they saved up money to buy. They learned how to maintain their own motorcycles, and the list continued.

	Baakham's family tells the story of God's work in their family.

One day, the news came that Baakham was ready to give up her witch doctor responsibilities and surrender her life to the King of Kings. Her son-in-law was also ready, she said, to become a Christian. My smile would not disappear. I was thrilled and entertained, recalling my own lack of faith, and her promise that was now coming to fruition.

Yet I had no idea that this was simply a benchmark for what God was doing in the hearts of Baakham’s family. One month passed, and then another, and then word came that more of Baakham’s descendants wanted to believe in Christ–her daughters, her granddaughters and her grandson. Teaching was of utmost priority, as more and more wanted to know and understand his role in their lives. It was so exciting and there was so much to pass on, we sometimes wondered how we would keep up with God’s movement.

Baakham’s two-year-old great granddaughter had a seizure disorder and her parents said that if God healed their daughter, their whole family would also surrender to him. Again, I doubted, even though they asked for our prayers of healing for their daughter. As much as I wanted her to be seizure-free, I was concerned their view of God would be limited only to the fact that he had healed their daughter.

He works in his own way though, and she was healed, within a few months. Again, the family held to their word, and not only surrendered to Christ, but hungrily soaked up the teaching we could share in an oral fashion. And so his work continued–one rash on one woman who held to her word, and a God who loves to save us.

Since that time, God has asked me to move on to more people waiting to hear of his reality. I begin to learn, once again, a new language, new customs, new names; so that, in faith, with the gifts he has given me, I can meet others where they’re at, and watch amazed as he works and his name is exalted.

*Note: This article was originally published in Serving In Mission Together, issue 127.