Engela Basson

United with God’s Children

“My sheep hear My voice…”

I am thankful for this opportunity to share what God has done in my life, but I feel like the apostle John who wrote “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.” (John 1:25)

I will just share a few highlights of how God blessed me through bringing me into contact with KwaSizabantu Mission.

In 1981 when I first visited the Mission as a young Christian with no understanding of the need for a holy life and how to get there, God spoke to me in the services and alone in my room and convicted me first of sins in my life, and then of SIN, the sinful person that I am, and I just could not leave the Mission for three months, until He had completed that first cleansing work in my life and sent me home to be a different child to my parents.

In October 1985 when the Lord called me back to the Mission, it was the beginning of the most wonderful time of my life. I love going to the services and sitting under the Word of God, but when you work full-time at the Mission, you do not always have that privilege (although you can usually attend the evening service), because the work often keeps you busy elsewhere. So when, after some months, Uncle Erlo asked if I can help in the “Tape Room”, it was the perfect place for me, firstly because it gave me opportunity to fulfil my calling to feed my Master’s “sheep” (through the making and distributing of tapes of the services), but secondly I had to be in every service to do the recordings. What a blessing that was! And the Lord knew why, because He knew my time at the Mission was very limited….

By the end of 1988, when I came back from a holiday with my parents, Uncle Erlo broke the news that a missionary pastor from Swaziland had asked him to share with me that he believes it is God’s will that we should get married, but I must also pray about it.  Unfortunately, he had already gone back to Swaziland and I have barely met him before, I did not even remember what he looks like. I had to pray very hard and seek the Lord like never before, to make such a life-changing decision, but after some time the Lord confirmed to me that He was looking for someone that will go and be a wife and helper for that pastor in Swaziland, and that brought my short stay at the Mission to an end. (One song that was a blessing to me at that time, was the song “So send I you…” which you can listen at https://youtu.be/n5CeA9MUJbU )   Until today I understand this calling to mean that I must be the best wife to my husband that I can be, through the grace of God. We were in Swaziland, then in Botswana for many years and now in Pearly Beach…

But in this time today, when many who have left the Mission, are throwing stones and attacking the place where they once received so much blessing, I would like to share this: From the time in 1985 when God called me to be one with God’s work at KwaSizabantu, I have never doubted that it is God’s best will for my life, to stay united with God’s children at the Mission who have the same heart and passion that I have, and to spread the Gospel with them, even if I do not have the privilege to be there in person. As Ruth said, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” And even though I cannot attend the service every day, the Lord still speaks and His Word is “fresh” every day. What a privilege!

Engela Basson

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