Time with Pastor Esther

The first weekend we were here we stayed with a nice missionary couple in their home. The man is a professor at the Bible College here in Kijabe and one evening he received a phone call from an old student. She had called because her baby she had prematurely the week before had been taken to the ICU. That evening we prayed for Esther and baby. The next afternoon we visited the hospital as the Core team and went around to different wards to pray and visit with patients. For whatever reason, the staff let us into the ICU unit and there I found Esther standing by the incubator that held her tiny baby. She told me that his name was Emmanuel and when I asked her why she spoke of how the God had been with them in every situation this far and that God would continue to care for them. Her eyes had tears on the brim yet she spoke with faith and confidence. I prayed with Esther that day and I prayed for baby Emmanuel and my heart was gripped. I prayed for peace and comfort, but I also prayed in confidence for healing and that Emmanuel would grow to be a strong man of God. Unfortunately, a couple days later I heard word that baby Emmanuel had passed away, and my heart broke. It was that moment when you ask God all the hard questions as you wrestle with reality. We happened to be taking the team to the hospital that afternoon and I decided to go with the girls headed to the maternity unit. Hanging at the back of the pack we turned a corner to a curtained “room” and I heard the Chaplain leading us say “Pastor Esther”. My heart gripped with joy and terror because I wanted to see her but I knew I did not have any of the right words to give to a grieving mother. I pushed my way through the group of girls and saw her face sitting on the bed and I joined her by her side. I expected tears, I expected sorrow, but Esther just looked at me and asked if I had heard. I told her I had and told her how sorry I was. But the conversation to follow was nothing that I expected. She spoke of the peace that God had given her and her continued faith in Him. Her husband talked about joy from the Lord and how we should be praying for other families that they would not have to experience this. In their words my own faith was so challenged because I saw what a faith that was not changed by circumstances looked like. They were grieving yet they had such peace from God. I got to pray again with Esther and I’m grateful for the time I got to spend with her.