Dickerson Missions

A Voice Of Hope Through The Shadows Of Terror                                   By Amos Mirera   T his write-up aspires to encourage as well as thank you, estimable friend and supporter of the Dickerson missions for being part of a cause that has continued to give God's people every good reason to celebrate their purpose in Christ.   When we see smiles of hope from those who previously preferred death to life, we see the plan of God and feel strengthened to move on, praising him for every victory He gives us on the way.   Consider the story of Judy Wanjiru, one of the adults receiving help through the Dickersons ministry.   After ten years of rejection and misery, God has turned her life into a testimony that epitomizes miraculous restoration.   The cruel hand of death took her parents away when she was barely 15, leaving her with siblings who considered her a liability owing to poor state of health.   After being diagnosed with a heart-related condition at the age of 11 and the loss of her parents, Judy's elder sister was her only sympathizer.   But her champion would unfortunately succumb to pneumonia, further traumatizing a girl who was already grappling with the prospect of a future without her parents.   With no one to help her, Judy decided to take a chance by leaving Nairobi; but she soon had a brush with death in a tragic road accident.   She consequently remained in a hospital bed for six months where as she recollects, no one came to visit.   "I felt completely forsaken and had even begun to wonder whether God really existed. But there was a still voice of hope in every shadow of fear I encountered…declaring that my Redeemer lives and that He knew me just as much as He knew what I was going through and that He had a good plan for my life." Recalls Wanjiru.     The voice, though like a drop of water in a scorching desert, kept Judy away from the thought of suicide.   After discharge from hospital in 2002, she crawled around looking for Orphanages with such names as Home of Care, House of Mercy, Haven of Love, hoping to get help since she was almost an invalid.   But from one so-called Christian home to another, Judy suffered rejection and abuse, until she had to seek help from a chief, who though not a practicing Christian, proved more humane than most of her Christian brethren.   The chief sheltered her in a vehicle wreckage in his compound until a Good Samaritan linked her with the Dickersons in mid 2007.    Looking tied and tattered, Judy took the first step into the place that would be instrumental in turning her life around.   In this place, the Lord had some nutritious food for her, a place of rest, medicine, a word of encouragement and above all, a peaceful atmosphere.   As restoration began, Judy began shedding layers of impediments, revealing a beautiful woman who has been preserved through grace to proclaim the name of the Lord at such a time as this.   A few days after the Dickersons return from furlough last month, Judy had a midnight experience that broke the last strap of impediment.   "This night, I felt an overwhelming presence of God and a voice telling me to trust him for healing. Soon I felt like something heavy was being lifted from my shoulders, an experience that was so refreshing. Since then, my life has not been the same again. I am completely healed."   Since the miraculous healing, Judy has been doing jobs that she could previously not do and has not taken any medicine, unlike before, when she had to use them on daily basis.   The change is also evident in the way she has been grooming herself in the wake of the new dawn.   Before, she loved her old tattered clothes with the same passion she hated herself; all because of the society that first hated her. It had deceived her into believing that a life without pain was meant for others but not her.   That she was born on a bad day to live a bad life. But the lord has given her a cause to smile and encourage others with her testimony…   "The waves of death were all around me. A destroying flood swept over me…I cried to my God….He reached down from heaven. He took hold of me and lifted me out of deep waters."2nd Samuel 22.   She is now seeking God's direction about the next step as she continues to stay with the missionaries. May the name of the Lord be glorified; He began this good work and will carry it on until it is complete.   God bless you.