1 OCTOBER 2011
A MESSAGE RECEIVED ON THE EVENING OF 29 AUGUST 2011 SET UP A MONTH FULL OF EVENTS – MOST OF THEM TESTING OUR FAITH TO THE LIMITS. LOOKING BACK OVER THE PERIOD WE HAVE NO ILLUSION HOWEVER THAT OUR GOD IS ALIVE AND IN CONTROL, EVEN THOUGH IT SOMETIMES FELT LIKE WE WERE ALONE.
LEAVING CHANDAME AT MIDNIGHT WITH LIMITED FUNDS WE TOOK ON THE 3,089KM, TRUSTING THE LORD FOR FUNDS. WE EXPERIENCED HIS GRACE AS HE BLESSED US THROUGH PEOPLE WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE BY FORWARDING FUNDS TO OUR ACCOUNT. WE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL WHERE SUSAN`S FATHER WAS OPERATED WITH CANCER IN HIS ABDOMEN , AT 5H45 ON WEDNESDAY 31 AUGUST.
WE HAD TO BE BACK IN CHANDAME ON 15 SEPTEMBER TO TRANSPORT THE WOMEN FROM OUR CONGREGATION AND THE OUTLYING PRAYERHOUSES TO MAPATSA, A CONGREGATION 60KM FROM US IN THE PRESBETERY. PA FLIP WAS NOT RECOVERING SO FAST AND SUSAN AND I MADE THE DECISION THAT I WOULD LEAVE AND SHE WOULD STAY BEHIND TO SEE TO HIS RECOVERY AND DISMISSAL FROM HOSPITAL TO THE OLD AGE HOME.
HEAVILY LOADED WITH IMPLEMENTS FOR MY TRACTOR DONATED BY CALLA BOTHA AND WIT PIET, I DEPARTED FROM RAWSONVILLE ON SUNDAY 11 SEPT AT 03:00 IN THE MORNING. MY ROUTE WOULD BE JOHANNESBURG, MAPUTO, CHIMOIO, TETE AND THEN FINALLY CHANDAME.
I REACHED MEYERTON WITH A LEFT REAR SPRING WICH SNAPPED 300METERS FROM MY DESTINATION. I STAYED AT JAN AND ANNEMARIE, WHO TREATED ME WELL (MANY THANKS!) AND, AFTER RECEIVING THE REPAIRED LEAFSPRING THE MONDAY AFTERNOON 4H00, WE REPAIRED VAALJAN AND I LEFT THE NEXT MORNING FOR MAPUTO.
ON MY WAY TO NELSPRUIT, I HEARD A WHEELBEARING AND STOPPED AT FORD WHERE MY RIGHT FRONT BEARING WAS REPLACED. AT THE POINT OF DEPARTURE FROM THE GARAGE, I WAS ALREADY IN MY BAKKIE TO GO WHEN A MAN DREW MY ATTENTION TO A ROPE WHICH WAS LOOSE ON THE LOAD. WHILE HE WAS KEEPING ME BUSY WITH THE FASTENING OF THE ROPE, HIS PARTNER IN CRIME STOLE MY LAPTOP OUT OF THE VEHICLE FROM UNDER MY NOSE. WITH POWER RECEIVED ONLY FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT, I ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE THEM, AS THEY KNEW NOT WHAT THE HAVE DONE. WITH POWERS ABOVE MY OWN I PROCEEDED TO THE BORDER AND ON MY JOURNEY, KEEPING MY FOCUS ON THE WORK AT HAND. WHAT I WAS DOING WAS NOT ME BUT SOMEBODY ELSE – EVEN A FRIEND WHEN I SPOKE TO HIM ON THE TELEPHONE ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND THE PEACE I WAS EXPERIENCING FROM THE LORD ASKED ME WHETHER I HADN`T BEEN IN THE SUN TOO LONG.
AS USUAL, THE BORDER WAS MISERABLE, AND AFTER MAKING IT THROUGH I DROVE TO MAIXIXE, WERE I STOPPED AT 11H30 FOR THE NIGHT. EXCEPT FOR FORGETTING MY TWO CUSHIONS AT JOLLY ROGER, EVERYTHING WENT WELL UNTIL THE AFTERNOON 17H00 WHEN MY RIGHT REAR WHEELBEARING COLLAPSED. LUCKILY, I HAD ENOUGH TIME TO PULL OFF THE ROAD SAFELY. THIS HAPPENED 40KM SOUTH OF CATANDICA ON THE 102 TO TETE. I PHONED DIRK IN VILA ULONGWE, WHO WENT OUT OF HIS WAY TO HELP ME, AND HE REACHED ME THE FOLLOWING EVENING 17HOO. WITHIN 1 HOUR WE WERE ON OUR WAY, DIRK AND I IN MY VEHICLE AND PASQUAL AND SORBE IN THE OTHER VEHICLE. OUR JOY LASTED FOR 150KM WHEN SUDDENLY THE LEFT REAR SIDESHAFT CAME OUT, DESTROYED THE BACKPLATE AND SENT THE TYRE AND SIDESHAFT INTO THE BUSHES. THE ABSENCE OF THE PARTS LEFT THE LEFT OF THE LOADBOX WITH A LOT OF DAMAGE. I MANAGED TO CONTROL THE BAKKIE – DON’T BE MISTAKEN, THE LORD KEPT US SAFE, BUT IT TOOK US THE BEST PART OF TWO HOURS TO GET GOING AGAIN. WE SEARCHED FOR THE WHEEL IN THE DARK BUT WITH A VERY HIGH EMBANKMENT ON THE LEFT OF THE ROAD WE COULDN`T FIND IT. WHEN WE REACHED THE STAGE WHERE WE HAD TO FORGET THE WHEEL, I WAS JUST ACROSS FROM THE VEHICLES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE WE ALL WALKED AND SEARCHED AND HERE THE WHEEL WAS LYING ON THE SHOULDER.WHEN PASQUAL HEARD MY JOY HE SAID SOMEONE PUT IT THERE, AND I FELT THE SAME BECAUSE WE ALL PRAYED THAT THE LORD WOULD SHOW US THE WHEEL. HE DID MORE, HE PLACED IT WHERE WE COULD FIND IT!
WE REACHED CHANDAME THE FOLLOWING MORNING AT 4H00, RECEIVED BY KOBUS AND CHARMAINE BEUKES WHO CAME TO VISIT US FROM LUABO WHERE THEIR MISSIONS AS STANDING SIDE BY SIDE MINISTRIES. DIRK AND HIS PARTY LEFT AND I SLEPT UNTIL 8HOO AND ENJOYED THE COMPANY.
PRAISE THE LORD WILLEM LIEBENBERG SENT A LOT OF MEDICINE WITH ME SO THEY COULD TAKE THEIR STOCK THAT WAS ALSO BADLY NEEDED IN LUABO. THIS WAS NOT THE END OF THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. THE WATERPROJECT WAS IN A SHAMBLES AND A FIRE NEARLY DESTROYED OUR CAMP THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY JUST AS WE RAN OUT OF WATER. THANKS TO GOUDINI BRANDBLUSSERS WHO SERVICE OUR EXTINGUISHER EVERY YEAR, IT WAS PERFECTLY SERVICEABLE WHEN I NEEDED IT TO CONTAIN THE FIRE.
EVERYTHING STARTED TO NORMALISE AND I REALISED I COULDN`T KEEP ON RUNNING THE CLINIC EVERY MORNING AND GET MY WORK DONE. SUSAN HAN TO COME HOME AND SHE DID. SHE SENT ME AND SMS SAYING SHE ASKED THE LORD TO FLY ON THE 29TH OF SEPTEMBER TO ME AND THE BODY OF CHRIST STOOD UP TO THE CHALLENGE – SHE HAD ENOUGH MONEY FOR THE FLIGHT AND POCKETMONEY AS WELL, ARRIVING WITH A NEW LAPTOP DONATED BY STEFAAN AND RONELLE VAN EEDEN.THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO DONATED! YOU WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO KNOW HOW MUCH IT MEANS!
THE WOMEN`S MEETING WHICH I RUSHED TO TO TRANSPORT ON THE 15TH OF SEPTEMBER WAS A GREAT SUCCESS. I WAS IN TIME TO TRANSPORT THEM BACK ON THE SUNDAY WITH THE TRACTOR. A TOTAL OF 680 WOMAN ATTENDED THE MEETING. THE SUNDAY I SPENT 8 HOURS ON THE TRACTOR BUT EVERYTHING WENT VERY WELL. IT WAS ALSO THE MONTH IN WHICH THE LORD OPENED A SOURCE OF INCOME THAT WE HADN`T THOUGHT OF. PEOPLE STARTED ASKING FOT TRANSPORT OF POTATOES TO THE MARKET. THE VOLUMES INCREASED AND I AM BUSY NOW WITH THIS EVERY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNING. CHANDAME IS MARKETING BETWEEN 30 AND 50 TONS OF POTATOES EVERY WEEK. THESE POTATOES ARE BOUGHT BY BUYERS AS FAR AS BEIRA, CHIMOIO AND MAPUTO. AGRICULTURE IN CHANDAME IS GROWING AND I THINK WE HAVE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED PRODUCTION IN EVERY FIELD.
WE HAVE ALSO STARTED A WELL WATERED GARDEN AS TAUGHT BY FARMING GOD`S WAY TO BE A DEMO FOR TEACHING THE FARMERS THE SYSTEM. WILHELM ELS, A FRIEND OF MINE WHO TEACHES THIS PROGRAM ALL OVER AFRICA, ALSO VISITED US AND WE DISCUSSED THE PRODUCTION OF OPEN POLLINATED SEED ON THE FARM WE WANT TO DEVELOP. THIS WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR FARMERS TO GET GOOD SEED WHICH IS REUSEABLE EVERY YEAR. THE SELECTION OF PLANTS COULD BE DONE BY ME IN THIS SEASON ALREADY.
SUSAN AND I REALIZE THAT, YES, WE ARE DOING MISSION SUPPORT. JUST BEING AVAILABLE HERE IS ALREADY MAKING A DIFFERENCE TO THE CONGREGATION AND THE COMMUNITY. WE DON`T DIFFERENCIATE BETWEEN THE TWO, WE ACT WHERE WE ARE NEEDED. JUST AS THE SON OF MAN HAS COME TO SERVE AND NOT TO BE SERVED, WE SHOULD DO ALSO. HE SAID WE SHOULD BECOME LIKE HIM MORE AND MORE.
WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP US IN YOUR PRAYERS.
GOD BLESS YOU THE READER IN JESUS NAME.
AMEN
JANNIE AND SUSAN SMIT