Julia

“She cries every day and wants to commit suicide.  Please pray for her family!  She requests counsel.”  A man in our church wrote this on our WhatsApp group last year regarding his relative Julia, a new visitor to our church.  Julia’s husband only occasionally came home to her and their two children, and she’d just discovered that another woman had borne him a baby.

I was in the USA at the time, but I encouraged the ladies of our congregation to reach out to Julia.  I myself began talking with her upon my return.  She was indeed distressed by her husband’s near abandonment of their family, and eager to learn about the God she felt confident would resolve her problem.  I shared the gospel with her, studied Scripture with her, offered her comfort, and rejoiced to see her continue worshipping with us on Sundays.

Two months ago, after Julia had been absent for about a month, word arrived at our congregation that she was pregnant and not feeling well.  A few of us visited her and found her about eight months along, suffering pain and fatigue that might have confined her to bed if she didn’t have a home and two other children to care for.  She joyously introduced us to her husband, who greeted us cordially; God seems to be answering Julia’s prayers for reconciliation.  We prayed with Julia and encouraged her to hope that she would soon feel better.

On July 26, Julia gave birth to little Maira!  In keeping with a local tradition that is more common than a baby shower, today I took eight other women from our congregation to visit Julia and Maira (pictured on the left here) after our worship service.  On the way, we stopped at a market to purchase gifts of food and soap for the family.  Julia beamed to introduce us to her precious little daughter, who is already starting to grow chubby, and confirmed that her own health improved after the delivery.

After we had all sat on plastic chairs and a bamboo mat near a mango tree in Julia’s yard, we sang “Take my Life and Let it Be” using a hymnal app on our phones.  Ismaela, a mature Christian mother, read Scripture and exhorted Julia to introduce age-appropriate discipline early in Maira’s life, and not to neglect her other children while caring for the baby.  Several ladies prayed for Julia, Maira, and their family.  Then I took some women home while others stayed to converse further with Julia and hold Maira.

Though Julia hasn’t updated me recently on her marriage situation, prayers for full reconciliation between her and her husband would be welcome.  Please also pray that the gospel will take root in both of their hearts and transform their lives.  And pray that they will raise all of their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  Thank you.