WHAT IS YOUR NAME ?
By Michelle Wallace
Heidi Baker would be considered a missionary . She was born in America and now spends most of her time in Mozambique . But Heidi will tell you that after so many years , Mozambique is now her first home .
One of her favorite stories happened on an ordinary Monday . Heidi explains , “ I had about 12 children sleep over at the house and I ’ m getting up really early to make them breakfast . Then we have devotions ; then we have two services with thousands of children .”
Now Heidi got to do what she loves most , which was go house to house , just holding the poor , loving on the people . She was able to dedicate a house to an elderly woman named Tina who had been living under a tree . She led a couple people to the Lord that morning . Heidi left to go back to her truck to go to a discipleship meeting involving many pastors of large congregations . “ That ’ s sound ’ s important ,” Heidi says . “ I think that ’ s my important meeting ; that ’ s my assignment .”
Heidi walks past this hut and sees a woman sitting in the scorching sun . And so she knew something was wrong . But Heidi confesses , in that moment , she looked at her watch . Then she clearly heard God tell her again , “ I told you to stop .”
“ I went up to the lady , with white eyes , and I took ahold of her hands and asked her a question in the local dialect , ‘ What is your name ?’ The lady responded , ‘ I have no name , I ’ m blind , I have no name .’” Heidi asked her in another language that ’ s also spoken there , “ What is your name ?” Another lady standing by shouted , “ She has no name , she ’ s blind !” Before the Lord asked Heidi to lead her to salvation , He said , “ Give her a name .”
“ Utalia , your name is Utalia . You exist with joy ,” Heidi said . Heidi describes what happened next . She started laughing , her little teeth dangling , she only had about three teeth left . While no one had talked to this lady , she had been so isolated , Heidi called out to the woman standing there , “ Call her by name !” And she said , “ Utalia !” And she burst out laughing ! “ She ’ s blind but she ’ s full of joy ,” Heidi exclaims .
And , as Heidi held her in her arms , she explains , that Jesus , the one who is worthy , He just stopped there . He ’ s in us and it ’ s only Him . He ’ s the healer . He ’ s the Lord . And before Heidi , He took that lady ’ s white eyes and turned them brown .
“ Yes ! They go white , grey , brown . She ’ s opening her eyes and looking around , she can see . The other lady could see that she could see . We ’ re just in the heat in this extraordinarily poor area , and the joy of the Lord hits her . Then I told her about what Jesus did for her , and how Daddy God loves her and gives her a name , and how beautiful she is . And of course she met Jesus , how could she not ? It ’ s that simple .”
14
COLLIN COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JULY / AUGUST 2018