Source: Frontiers USA, April 15, 2024
I gently laid my daughter in her crib before tiptoeing out of the nursery and into the living room, where I sank onto the sofa beside my husband. We usually went to bed shortly after our daughter, but we had an appointment at a nanny agency in the morning. We needed the time together to pray.
My husband and I had agreed that we needed help so we could continue the ministry and language learning we’d already begun in our new country. But we both worried about finding someone we could trust to care for our daughter.
As we prayed for a solution, I stared at the rug. I was afraid I’d fall asleep if I closed my eyes. “Lord, would you guide us to the right person?”
The next day, my husband and I visited the nanny agency. We were taken into a small room full of women, all lined up to meet us. It was a normal process in this part of the world, but I’d never felt quite so awkward.
I fumbled through introductions, my discomfort rising as I quickly made my way through the line. Eventually, I reached a woman named Jannah.
She smiled. “It means heaven.”
“Really?” My uneasiness melted away, and I began to sense the Lord at work. “My daughter’s name is Celeste. It also means heaven.” When I was pregnant, we were guided to this name, and we hoped it would serve as a lifelong reminder to keep her focus on Christ and her eternal home.
I wondered if the meaning had similar significance for Jannah. “Tell me about yourself.”
At first, she described her experience caring for children. Then, with a gentle smile, she identified herself as a believer. “I’ve been praying for the chance to work for a Christian family.”
I could hardly believe it! Yet, I shouldn’t have been surprised. God always proved himself faithful in the big things and the little.
We were Jannah’s answer to prayer, and she was ours.
Did you know? Opportunities to bless missionary families by helping care for or educate their children are abundant. Want to make a difference? Ask if your church’s missionaries or others you know could use a hand, or contact an international school, mission agency, or MissionNext.