Dear Gateway Reader

This past month has been a difficult one for me. I have been confronted with so many questions and challenges and really had to stand still for a moment to just realign myself. What is important? Who is important? I will tell you why.

At the beginning of this year, I asked the Lord for two months to write my book in a place where it is very quiet and there are not a lot of people. It so happened that someone offered me their mountain cottage for the months of June and July. I was over the moon and somehow, I had no work or ministry opportunities come my way for these two months. So I knew, I was going to the mountains. which I did.

I cannot even begin to tell you how very beautiful it is at Silverstreams in Boesmansnek. It is in the Drakensberg mountains, right at the border between South Africa and Lesotho. It is so quiet; I only saw seven other people while I was there. And then we got snowed in. I cannot tell you how cold it was. South African homes are not geared for snow and we certainly are not. At times it was -6C and electricity was cut off for a few days. So, I really had time for just myself and God!

But two weeks into my time there, I received a call notifying me that my youngest daughter had been robbed in Pretoria. I tried to see how I could help, but my daughter had no phone, no car and no money. She was stranded. And I decided: “My daughter needs me.” I prayed over it and did not feel God stopping me and eight hours later, I pulled up in my daughter’s driveway. It was during my time with her that I got confronted with many things.

As I accompanied my daughter while she supported artists performing at various venues, I had opportunities to sit in places where I normally do not go — well, never go, unless God tells me to. During those outings I watched — I truly observed the people hanging out in those places. And I learned.

When I started out as a young, newly-born-again Christian in my early twenties, all I wanted to do was save the lost. It has never changed, but the methods have changed and times have changed and I have changed. As I sat in some of the places in Pretoria where artists were performing, I heard a lot. I heard the worst swear words, the most vulgar discussions, people under the influence of alcohol, men and women there to find a partner for life — but for the night would also do.

I also saw beautiful people just having fun with friends, but also drinking and swearing. I could also see lonely people and broken people (nearly everyone). And I saw people who work there to earn a living — some loving it, others hating what they do.

I also observed the artists performing. Some just did what they were paid for and left after their sets. Others stayed and joined the crowd.

I also heard people talking about God. Not discussing Him, but saying things like: “I prayed” Or “I asked the Lord” or “ the Bible says”. People in SA know who God is. And I asked the Lord some questions.

As a Christian, finding myself in these circumstances; what am I to do? Do I leave the place like a good Christian should? Do I ignore them all and sit quietly in my corner? Do I judge them all? Do I engage and share the Gospel or tell them they are all going to hell? Do I just love them?? What is the right thing to do here, Lord??

And I could not help but wonder what Jesus would do if He had been the one sitting there. And then I heard: “Just observe and wait. No judgement. Just observe”. I ordered a coffee at each place. I have been in places before where there is no coffee served, only alcohol, but all five of the places I visited, had coffee. So I drank my coffee and quietly observed.

At the first place, on the first night, these four youngsters (early 20s) came to sit next to me. I greeted them friendily, but minded my own business. And then the one guy leaned over and asked me what I did for a living. BIG mistake, my friend. Big mistake. And that was the last of it. We started chatting and when they heard that I am a “missionary”, hehehehe, the one immediately told me he prayed every morning and has a Scripture he gets on his phone — just letting me know he was not so bad. I told him that I think he follows a beautiful Christian religion. But as for me, I have a relationship with Jesus.

And so the conversation started, them still drinking their doubles of whatever. One of the guys went to my daughter, who was sitting with her friends who had also come tp support one of their artist friends. He said: “I believe it is your mother over there. Please ask her to not talk to us about God”. She said: “You tell her yourself. And good luck with that”. He never said anything to me. I only heard this story afterwards. But this guy, at one moment said, “Tannie (Aunty) can I ask you a question? Can I sit closer to you?” And then he spent the rest of the evening asking serious questions. I learned that they are all professional rugby players, 26/27 years of age. We had a great conversation. Great.

Next day my daughter told me the story of this guy coming to her and she said: “But mommy, just before we left he came to apologise. He said: ‘I like your mother. She is real and she understands many things. This was a great meeting tonight.’” How about that!! My heart jumped for joy because here is the thing. I never told them about going to hell. (They already know all about that). I told them about the goodness of God and God knowing their names and the good plans He has for them. It gave them hope. I could see it made them drink less and a spark of hope stirred in their eyes. And I learned something.

The next few evenings we went to different places to support artist friends and I observed as the Lord had told me — waiting for someone to speak to me. And oh, they did. And I learned such a lot. One guy was sooooo drunk that the other drunk guys did not want to speak to him. And where did he come and sit?? And so he started off with his drunk stories and I asked: “Are you looking for a wife in here?” Wow, did that release something. Long story short, the more we spoke (with me sharing on what a wife truly is and where he will find her, and what children mean and being a husband) the more sober he became. At one stage, I could see that he was not drunk anymore. It turned out he owns a big chain of shops which do modifications on vehicles, especially racing cars and overlanding vehicles. So, of course, I told him about my journeys and I know, in the future, the two of us will do some business. But all I could see in front of me was a broken, lonely, 36-year-old looking for God (and a wife hehehehe) in all the wrong places. When we left he said: “Thank you Tannie for just reminding me of my roots and what is truly important. I have hope for the future”. I told him that I would be praying for him and he was humbled by that. Later, I heard that he is a very, very, very wealthy man with a very good heart and what he does for charity and NGOs is simply mind blowing. And yet, he is lost. But I know that God knows His name, as he was the one He sent to sit next to me. And so, there were many others. So many broken people.

In one of the places a very famous radio presenter came to sit with me. Also around 35-years old. Quite the man among the women. So I asked him: “Tell me about your past and the woman who hurt you”. He looked at me and said: ”I never talk about that. Not one of my friends here, knows my story”. So I said. “I would like to hear” and he knew I was not after sensation or gossip. I really wanted to know. For the next hour I listened to a man pouring out his heart about a failed marriage, a daughter he seldom sees and an empty life. So much money, but an empty life. And I could share a little about my life and how Jesus made all the difference and he shared on how his grandmother used to preach to him, but he had forgotten. Tears running down his cheeks, he said: “God has never forsaken me. He has always been good to me. I think I have special angels”. I just said: “It is because He knows your name and you are His”.

And this is what I learned. A few years back, the Lord spoke to me about how I should treat everyone that I meet as a potential Son of God. Every one I meet!. And since then, I have been looking at people with those eyes. Not seeing who they are now, the sin they are in and how they behave, but who they could become in Jesus. And I found a love in my heart for sinners. Win the lost at any cost.

Many of these sinners are me a long time ago, but for the grace of God. And if He saved me, He can save them. They just need to taste and see the goodness of God. But we have to show them The Way — Jesus. No judgement, but there is a better way. At the time the Lord spoke to me about seeing people as potential sons, I asked Him what to say to them. He told me to not leave out a single word. And I knew what He meant. Sharing the Gospel of GOOD news. Not telling them they are going to hell! That is not the Gospel of good news! But telling them that the Father and Jesus love them and Jesus died for them to be raised up again for us to experience the fullness of who He is, here on Earth — and as a bonus, we get to spend eternity with Him. This is the Gospel of good news. Nothing more, nothing less.

A sinner saved by grace. That is who ALL of us are. “Once was lost, but now am found”….. so why can these people who are lost not be found also? But someone has to tell them and someone has to love them.

We live in times where people KNOW they need Jesus as they cannot cope themselves anymore . They know they need help. Let us help.

I have found such a love stir in my heart for these sinners who might be potential sons. And I sure want to provide them with an opportunity to have what I have. God so LOVED the world — not just some people — everyone, the world. Who are we to decide who is good enough for His Kingdom and who is not?

May God grant us wisdom and courage and much love to spread HIS Gospel to the lost so they too, can be found.

I once read this and it hit me in my heart of hearts. LISTEN: “Now when I experience communion, I take notice of the remaining uneaten bread and the undrunk wine and remember the nations, the reward of His suffering…” — Gil Trusty

JESUS!! May we remember…

P.S. I am not returning to the mountain cottage. Once here, the Lord told me to continue onwards towards Botswana and Namibia. Just like that, all my plans changed. I am going to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who will hear and not leave out one word.

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