The Lady in Red

T H E    L A D Y   I N   R E D

We were leaving for an expedition into the bush to visit the Tongwe people in the village of Kama.

I was nervous, but also very excited as both Matthew and I have dreamed of this kind of opportunity for years. 

The leaders of Team Tanzania met with us to prepare us, and encourage us. They told us to be on alert and ready for anything. They advised that we be open to the Lord speaking to us, whether in visions or dreams, to prepare us for the people of Kama. 

"Lord, I'm open to Your voice and I want to be obedient." 

To be completely honest here, I get nervous every time I pray that prayer. My heart of faith says "YES" to whatever He may have me say or do; meanwhile, my thoughts of anticipation ask, "but what will He have me do?!" 

But the Lord's voice is always worth the listening ear and willing heart. 

And this story just further reveals why...

----

Two nights before the departure of our expedition, I had a dream. 

I saw an elderly African woman in red. She was lying down, and I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me, saying, "darkness and death are looming over her." She looked paralyzed, and trapped.

When I woke up I felt that I was going to find this woman during our visit to Kama, and that she would be set free. I prayed for her, and I prayed the Lord would make her ready to be set free.  

I planned on telling my team about the dream. There was part of me wondering if I would sound ridiculous. 

Perhaps I would. And I would have to be okay with that. 

But my team is so wonderful. They are sensitive to hearing the Lord and firmly believe that every team member has a voice, and I knew that. And I knew they would respond the way I felt we should. 

I hadn't found the opportunity to inform them yet. 

After 11 hours of driving, we arrived in the village. The children saw the trucks from far away and rushed to greet us, waving, smiling, and jumping.

Oh what joy we felt in this moment to see these people who are normally on the other side of the world! And they were just as excited to see us as we were to see them! 

We went from hut to hut, greeting faces, shaking hands and giving our respect. 

Sitting on a porch sat an elderly woman dressed in red. She was the last of the people left to greet. I approached her and stuck out my hand, saying "Shikamoo," which means, "I give you my respect."With a weak smile she replied, "Marahaba," which means "I receive your respect."

As we shook hands, I heard the Lord say, "that's her." 

The next morning, during our preparation to visit with the people, I informed the team of my dream and it became our mission to find "the lady in red." 

I prayed. I prayed the Lord would prepare her. I prayed our team would work as one unit to offer the love and freedom of Jesus. 

Split into two groups, we parted ways and went hut to hut, respectfully greeting the people and asking if they needed prayer. 

We prayed with a 10 year old boy named Shabani who had a burn on his leg. Our team was able to give him medical advice and cream for the burn. 

We prayed with a young woman who was 8 months pregnant. (Pregnancy and delivery is a much scarier thing for these woman as they don't have the medical advantages we do back home. Where they live, death occurs much more frequently from childbirth.) It was apparent this expecting mother was probably feeling nervous. Most women would be, regardless of the statistics of possible death. We prayed for the delivery and for peace over her. We reminded her that the Lord would be with her. She smiled and received it all. Peace and joy were all over her face. 

We prayed for people with illnesses. We prayed with families. We prayed with mothers. We prayed with children and babies. 

As we went hut to hut, I searched for the lady in red. She had been sitting on a porch in the opposite direction than we had gone. I hoped and prayed the other half of our team would find her. 

Our hut visits came to an end as we reached our last house. 

As we met up with the other half of our team I found out that the lady in red had found them! Her name was Augusta and she came to them! 

She was standing there as they turned around so Donna asked her, "Are you dealing with sickness of any kind? Do you need prayer for anything?"

Augusta said, "everything hurts! Every part of my body hurts." 

She was a witch - part of a family of witches. 

Donna told her "one of the ladies with us had a dream about you, and said you were sick. In her dream you were wearing red and last night when she saw you she recognized you from her dream. 

Augusta replied, "That's me! She had a dream about me. I wore red again today so you would remember me from last night!" 

She allowed them to pray for her health. And she told them she felt the sickness lift from her. They went on to ask about her heart, and asked if she wanted to accept the Lord and be free from the darkness. 

She didn't want to pray in front of the whole village. She said she wanted to pray by the house of Pastor Moshi (the pastor in their village). She wanted to totally separate from her surroundings, and the team was more than respectful of her wishes. 

They made their way over to his home and the team began to minister to her. 

Donna spoke to her, saying, "in your life you've done a lot of things you're not proud of. But that can change. What is it that your life has spoken?"

 Her two grandsons stood by her side. Donna said, "you have children and grandchildren watching you. You can change it all right now and give them a good story to follow. Do you want them to follow all the bad you've done or the good you're doing now? You're the one they look up to." 

She listened with an undivided attention. 

My mom, who was also there, told her, "there's no darkness so great that God's light can't penetrate through!" They gave an example of using a match in her home - how it penetrates, and pierces the darkness. This is life with Jesus! 

John 1:5, "The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never extinguish it." 

She listened intently and agreed with every word spoken. She wanted to change and she wanted this freedom for her family. 

They walked around her as they prayed. Donna explained, "we're walking around you now representing how the Holy spirit is surrounding you and separating you from the darkness." 

After they prayed for her, they then prayed for her grandsons. 

Denis spoke to Augusta and gave her the word "redemption." Like the example of Peter, she may have sinking moments, but to keep her eyes on him. 

She said she felt it all lift! The darkness was lifted and the pain was gone! 

To say I was overjoyed at hearing this report is an understatement! There are no words. The Lord is so good, showing this woman His compassion and mercy.

I'm overwhelmed just thinking about it. The God of the universe cares so much for Augusta that He sent this group of people from across the world to come to her village, to find her and deliver her from the darkness. And it's all because He loves and He cares for "the one."

-Mckenna

Picture of Augusta, "The Lady in Red"

1 Peter 2:24, "He personally carried our sins in His body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By His wounds you are healed."