Coen and his wife Suria are a South African couple. They have been involved in rural church-planting and now focus on training and supporting Africans to serve cross-culturally.
‘To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible’ (Thomas Aquinas).
Scripture tells us that without faith we cannot please God. It is like the air we breathe. Thus, I have collected some testimonies from our years in mission service with which I hope to make our topic both tangible and practical.
Finding Faith in North Africa
“Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isa. 6:8).
I was serving in Zambia when the leader of our small group, situated in the heart of the Northern Cape, heard about an unreached people group in North Africa. Gripped by their plight, our leader, Frans Hancke, acted in faith when, during the Global Consultation on World Evangelisation in 1999, he took responsibility before God to help reach them, love them and change their destiny. Their exact location was unknown, their ways unfamiliar, their name foreign.
Some years passed as we researched, planned and prayed, waiting for someone to come forward who was willing to serve a forgotten and little-known tribe somewhere in the desert.
Frans began to have a crisis of confidence in the commitment he had made. As he battled in his mind, he asked, “Did I act on impulse, Lord? Did I act in presumption?”
After a prayer meeting, Zambian missionary students Cephas and Evans were deeply convicted that God was calling them to this very tribe in North Africa. Over the next three years they dedicated their lives in preparation for the task ahead: learning French and attending a college to do community health courses, while earnestly praying for the church to partner with them, for God to make a way and for finances to come in for them to go!
Eventually our mission workers were ready, but the finances remained a huge challenge. One day, I received another visit from them. They said that if the money did not come in for their airfare they would be prepared to walk! At first I wanted to laugh, but looking into their faces I saw that this was no joke - they were very, very serious.
“You see,” they said, “if David Livingstone could walk here in order that we could have the gospel, then why can’t we walk there to bring this life-giving message to these people?”
Seeing their faith moved me beyond words. It was no surprise when the money for their airfares and monthly support did come in shortly after this meeting. “...if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matt. 17:20).
Finding Faith in Kabwe, Zambia
‘The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”’ (Luke 17:5).
The position of our missionary training centre in Mporokoso (in the Northern Province of Zambia) was not strategic. In considering a move, we thought, “So, where is the middle of the country? Maybe we should move there!” It proved to have been a significant question at a significant time in our lives! It was June 2001 and we were spending a few days strategising with a friend and mentor before finalising our training programme for the following year.
And so, in January 2002, we found ourselves in Kabwe, the central town in the Central Province, living at a campsite that was ten times bigger than we were used to in our previous village. Our expenses were also ten times greater than they used to be in the village. In childlike faith we had moved house, family and ministry, feeling the Lord was leading, yet were unable to cover even a third of the monthly costs needed to be effective.
And so a crisis of confidence erupted! “Lord, did we move in presumption? Lord, did we act on impulse?” We wrestled with these questions for many days as we faced obstacle after obstacle during the first two months!
It seems that the Lord helps us to grow through such experiences. The Israelites in the wilderness thirsted exceedingly. When they eventually reached water, its bitter taste only fuelled their anger. But the Lord showed Moses a tree which he could throw into the water to make it sweet. By the way, friends, there is another tree that makes our bitter experiences sweet!
In similar ways, the Lord is stretching and growing our relationship with Him and our faith in Him during our own wilderness times. Our experience was just so. At one point, we were facing a huge bill which we were unable to pay and it brought us to an all-time low. We called the whole family together one night for a special prayer meeting.
Afterwards, I was unable even to raise my head and simply remained seated. My eldest son lingered behind. “Dad, why are you sitting like this? Has God ever let us down as a family?” I slowly raised myself from the ground.
The next day one of our new students came to see me. He had saved up for a full year to buy a set of Bible school books but felt led to sacrifice to meet our need. It was just enough to cover the bills!
‘Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass’ (1 Thess. 5:24).
Finding Faith in the Office
‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness’ (Gal. 5:22).
We often say our centre in Kabwe is a house of prayer. Everything we use and touch has been prayed for. I remember us meeting together as “a motley little band of incapable people”, in my wife’s words. We sat down to ask ourselves questions about the importance of specific prayer and our reliance on the Lord. The conclusion was that we needed to pray more, and pray more specifically as well.
We came to the office to pray half an hour earlier every day. Out of the range of pressing needs, for some inexplicable reason we began praying for a vehicle. Within a week, the exact amount needed appeared in our account without anyone knowing we were praying for a vehicle. It was the largest gift we had ever received.
At another time, we prayed for a filing cabinet for our offices. The very next day, another mission worker who lived about 800 km from us stopped by for coffee before continuing on his journey. He said that a filing cabinet had just arrived from the UK, but that he had no need for it. Would we be interested? Yet again the abundance of God’s provision was demonstrated - because that same filing cabinet had probably been put on a ship three months before we first prayed for it!
‘And Jesus said to him...“All things are possible to him who believes”’ (Mark 9:23).
Finding Faith in a Bushmen Village
‘But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting’ (Jas. 1:5,6).
I remember Christopher Kasale (a mission worker with us) reaching out to a completely unevangelised Bushmen group who believed in a Rain Queen. During the onset of the rainy season, the witch doctor would visit each hut in the village to collect his money before beseeching the Rain Queen on their behalf to send rain.
“The chief has ordered everyone to bring a sacrifice, but we cannot sacrifice to anyone except our living Lord. The chief told us if we don’t sacrifice, he will kick us out of the village.” The e-mail I received from Christopher was asking for prayer and wisdom. Together we prayed and fasted.
Christopher returned to the chief, telling him that as a man of God he would beseech the living God to send rain. Could he be excused from paying the witch doctor if the rain came before the witch doctor passed by the village?
We waited in quiet anticipation. Once again God answered the prayers of His children. In the following days it rained so much that the river filled up. The chief even came to ask Christopher to pray to his God to stop sending the rain! When the river rises too much, the crocodiles become a real danger to the people.
“I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24)
By Faith Toto...
‘Regarding the debate about faith and works: It’s like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is most important’ (C.S. Lewis).
As a family, we adopted a girl by the name of Rachel Chisha, whom we call Toto. She has a sizeable facial tumour, called a low-flow venous malformation. Over time, we explored a number of different treatments, including facial injections in South Africa. We also trusted the Lord for her complete healing. Even though we would have loved to see a miracle, God used the medical profession, and over time and many trips into South Africa, the tumour decreased by about 40%.
One evening, during family devotions, Toto asked for an opportunity to share. Keep in mind that when Toto came to us at the age of 14 she could not speak one word of English and had never been sent to school. Today, she speaks English fluently, has finished Grade 7, is currently the head girl and is sitting her Grade 9 exams. She spoke sincerely from her heart, thanking God firstly for her deformity. We were all quiet as we listened to her pouring forth her praises to the living God. Because of her struggles in life, the many operations she has had to undergo, etc, she has a very real relationship with Him. Toto explained that if she hadn’t been an orphan and hadn’t had this deformity, she might never have learned to read the Bible for herself. She would not have been adopted by loving parents who care about her and her future. She confessed a real sense of purpose and said she felt called to become more and more involved as an active witness.
‘By faith Abel...By faith Enoch...By faith Noah...By faith Abraham...by faith even Sarah...By faith Isaac...By faith Jacob...By faith Joseph...By faith Moses...By faith they passed through the Red Sea...By faith the walls of Jericho...By faith Rahab...And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets...And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect’ (Heb. 11).