An Accidental Hair Appointment?
By Terry Witmer
Come and see what God has done: his awesome deeds for humankind. Psalm 66:5
Our time in Colombia has been, from the beginning, enveloped in relationship. Defined not by what we have done as much as who we have come to know, who has put down roots in our hearts, and who we cry for in prayer. God has sewn our lives inextricably into the lives of so many people here.
Marcela* has two children at the school where we teach English. Her daughter Celmira is in our son Luke’s class, and they have become playmates this year. Marcela has become a good friend and my accidental hair dresser. I first met her a year ago, when she was leading a somewhat explosive parent meeting with aplomb and wisdom. I felt drawn to her, and wished we could get to know each other better. Several months later she began attending the women’s Bible study that I led. Again, I was impressed by her gentle spirit, wisdom, and depth of faith.
After a few months she stopped coming, and I found out later that her attendance at church and the Bible study was exacerbating conflicts with her husband in the home. We continued to embrace when I saw her at the school, and I would tell her that I was still praying for their family.
This January I was surprised to see her and Celmira in church again. We set up a time to get together to visit several days later. When I arrived, she received me with joy in her beauty salon on the second floor of her house, and asked if I wanted to get my hair cut. Unsure of her expectations, I agreed, and over the ensuing hours as she rolled out all manner of treatments for my hair, we talked freely about our faith, families, children, and dreams for the future. I realized that there was nothing accidental about my being there that morning, or getting my hair done. God was at work in Marcela’s life, and he was inviting me to join Him in the process, wherever it took me.
Today I met her husband for the first time, and he now is in my prayers. God continues to work, and continues to invite us to be a part of it.
*To respect privacy, names of people mentioned in this article have been changed.
Terry Witmer is a VMMissions and Mennonite Mission Network worker in La Mesa, Colombia