When we first met 15 years ago, Apomato was a quiet-mannered, loving mother of three girls and a baby boy. Most Sabbaths, she was found attending the services at the Kotale church, though she was not yet a baptized member. One time I challenged the young Sabbath School children to learn a Bible verse each week (not a common practice there). A church leader had helped me translate the verses into Gogodala then I typed them in English and Gogodala and printed them onto little pieces of paper that the children would receive each week they attended. The end of the quarter came, and Apomato showed up at the mission house one day with her three daughters. They were ready to recite all 12 verses. As I listened to each precious girl recite their verses, it was evident that their mother had been diligent in helping them put the verses to memory. I appreciated this mother’s effort to train her children and wished more families would do so.

I also admired her for her commitment to her husband. Many people considered him a village rascal, yet she saw him differently and commented to me how he was such a good husband and father. He truly loved her and all of the children.

Years have since passed. We moved to another village and lost regular interaction with Apomato. She gave birth to more children. But then, tragedy struck. Within one year, three of her children died in separate incidents. However dark her days were, she did not give up on God. Instead, she and her husband surrendered their lives to Jesus and were baptized about four years ago.

Now the same care Apomato has shown to her family is passed on to other people in her village, where she heads the church community services program. Apomato and her husband are faithful members of the Kotale church, and the three oldest daughters are involved in youth leadership. I am blessed to have witnessed how this woman, along with her husband and children, have grown in their spiritual walk with the Lord through the years. I am happy to have played a small part in that journey.

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