This woman's name is Beatrice Acen and this is her story. For 40 something years she grew up, she never knew the love of her Creator, she had probably never heard that there was a man named Jesus Christ who had come to save her, she had probably never heard that He came to rescue her from all of the bad things that she had done or that He loved her so much and desired to have a relationship with her. Beatrice Acen lived in the small village of Angoltok in Uganda, Africa. A place that you cannot Google or find on a map. A place seemingly unknown to the world, but it was NOT a place that God had forgotten for He had a plan - a BIG plan and His desire was to have a living relationship with the people of Angoltok including this precious woman, Beatrice.
20 + years ago a young boy was orphaned at 6 years old. He wandered from home to home for many years searching for food and shelter, several years later a man took him to a children's home in Jinja; there this young boy learned the love of a mom and dad. As he grew up he discovered that his biological parents left him one thing - a piece of land. This land located in Angoltok, a place unreached and in desperate need of the gospel of HOPE. These people needed Christ, but who would take the gospel message to them? That answer came in that orphaned 6 year old boy, Emmanuel. Emma gave that land back to the Lord and asked the Lord to use the land to bring others to Himself.
In October of 2012, Emma felt led to move back out to the village. He began making house visits and seeing the needs of the people there. One day Emma visited the home of Beatrice; about a week later he woke up and felt compelled to return to this woman's home and share the gospel with her. Beatrice Acen's name was written in the Lamb's Book of Life that very day as she entered into a relationship with Him. Oh how I couldn't even imagine the rejoicing that took place in heaven that day. The Sunday nearest Thanksgiving Day 2012, Beatrice stood in church for the first time testifying to the Lord's work in her life. Meanwhile Emma realized that Beatrice was very sick, a multitude of people in the states had already begun praying for Beatrice and rejoiced in hearing that they had gained a Sister in Christ. As we learned that Beatrice was ill, people began mobilizing here to assist in paying for the medical treatments - we later learned that Beatrice was sick with cancer. There is no cure, there is no modern day medicine yet The Lord sustained Beatrice and allowed surgery to take place to remove much of the cancer from her neck and chest. She continued testifying of God's work in her life and that others that she had never met loved her so much that they were willing to help her get the treatment that she needed.
Several weeks before heading to UG, we got word that Beatrice was saving white ants as a 'Thank you'. Although I was slightly mortified to realize what white ants truly were it was part of the adventure to know that this was her best that she was saving for us. Our hearts longing to meet this Sister in Christ that we had heard so much about and prayed so often for far outweighed the ewww factor of eating white ants. Beatrice's name came through my phone often as others asked how she was doing...We arrived in Angoltok and we're eager to meet this woman that we had prayed for and rejoiced with. I walked down the road to this compound and I saw the hut that is behind Beatrice with my own eyes but Beatrice Acen wasn't there. Beatrice Acen had already gone to be with the Lord about 1 1/2 weeks before we arrived. The Lord had called her home and although we rejoiced that she was no longer in pain we were overwhelmed with sorrow that we weren't able to celebrate with her on this earth. However, we know that a day is coming where we will sit with Beatrice at the feet of our Savior and what a JOYOUS day that will be.
I never knew that someone you had never met could make such a big impact on your life - however I know this, it was through the woman of Beatrice Acen that lives were changed and impacted. We were connected not through blood or through our country of birth but we were connected through the love of a Savior and because of His love we were made Sisters. I am forever grateful that the Lord had a plan in motion when a young boy was orphaned at 6, and that his biological parents left him a plot of land, and that through his obedience the gospel was taken to Angoltok at just the right time for a woman named Beatrice Acen to hear and accept the GOOD NEWS.
So even though our hearts are full of sorrow that we did not get to meet Beatrice this side of heaven there is more JOY because we know that one day we will sit together at HIS feet.
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