Courage by Meshack Leina (This story has been slightly edited.)

Kelly was brought up in a traditional African family.  Her family did not believe in any “foreign” religion for they believed in the religion of their ancestors.

One day as Kelly was fetching firewood, she cam across a gathering  at the market center.  She stopped to find out what it was about and it turned out to be a Christian crusade.  As she listened to the evangelist preach, something inside her was moved by his words of love and Jesus.  When the altar call was made, she was among the first to respond and felt she had found her true salvation.

When she returned home she informed her family of her new found faith, but all did not go well.  Her father was angry and gave her a stern warning to either denounce her new faith or leave home for good.  Kelly chose to follow her new faith and as a result she was sent away from home.

The organizers of the crusade heard about her fate.  They were sympathetic and took her into their care.  She was taken into the leaders home and provided with an education and basic needs of food and clothes.  Her father was approached to accept his daughter back, but he refused.  Kelly was full of sorrow for her family and continued to pray that they would come to accept her and her new faith.

Years later, after she had completed her secondary education, she enrolled in a theological college and became a successful pastor.  She went back home and due to her persistent prayers for her family and faith in God, her father’s heart had softened.  He accepted her back and eventually, her family members converted to Christianity.  The saw the benefits of becoming Christians.