From Kenya:
“My name is Beatrice. My mother in-law never wanted me to get married to her son. She treated me like an outcast because I came from a poor family and they were rich. I love my husband, but his mother did all she could to separate us.
We were going to the same church. In the church, she was a very good lady, but coming home, you would not know she was a Christian. In her hands, I have been so mistreated.
One day, she framed me, lying and saying that I stole her money. I was arrested, and spent a week in a police cell. Later, her money was found in her bedroom.
Then, the worst happened. I was cooking food for the family when she came into the kitchen and chased me away so that she could cook herself. I obeyed and went to our room. At that time, my baby was only two years old and hungry. This is why I had gone to the kitchen to prepare food for her.
I took some of the food which she had prepared to give to my child, but after she had swallowed the food, she began to vomit. Thanks be to God, we rushed her to the hospital only to be told that the food was poisoned. Our daughter survived, but I knew that my life was in danger. I left, and went back to my parents’ home, yet I kept going to the same church.
We began to study Bible stories from booklets which our pastor told us from the mission. I couldn’t agree more with the Joseph story where his own brothers wanted to kill him. The pastor kept on talking about two tribes–the tribe of God and the tribe of Satan.
During this time, my mother in-law would sit with us and even pray with us as she was a leader in the church.
The pastor then taught us that Joseph forgave his brothers even though they did not even ask for forgiveness. I then told myself that I would speak with my mother in-law. My husband didn’t believe me and thought that I hated his mother.
As we continued with the study, I could feel my heart asking me about my relationship with my God. I decided to rededicate my life to Jesus. My daughter also went to church and thanked God for sparing her life.
Our pastor asked us to forgive those who had wronged us and in my heart, I prayed to forgive my husband and his mother. The following day, the pastor called me to his office. When I arrived, my husband and his mother were there in the office. They had come to ask me to forgive them.
I listened to my mother in-law as she confessed how she had poisoned our food, and that God had spoken to her heart. Just like Joseph forgave his brothers, I forgave both my husband and his mother.
Thanks to the lessons that we have read, I am now back in my marriage, and am now carrying our second child. Thank you for the booklets that we were given. We read them together and now, my husband who was a drunkard, has joined me in going to church. Thank you for the booklets and praise be to God!”