Southern Africa is rich with poignant mission stories.
In this podcast episode, ESDA editors Dr. David Trim and Dr. Dragoslava Santrac unlock amazing stories again. Together with them are Dr. Passmore Hachalinga and Gideon Reyneke, editors from the Southern African-Indian Ocean Division.
The gospel in Africa
It's fascinating to know that Seventh-day Adventism's history in the area did not start with missionaries. Dr. Hachalinga shares the incredible story:
It began with a young, faithful Christian farmer, whose farm has diamonds bringing his family great fortune. He fell ill and claimed James 5:14-15 for healing. His recuperation strengthened his enthusiasm to share God's Word, which led his brother to challenge him to keep the Bible Sabbath. Astonished, he sought for the biblical truth and accepted the dare. His name was Pieter Wessels.
The coming of the African missionaries
Pieter thought he was alone in keeping the seventh-day Sabbath. So he was shocked and pleased to know that there were around 30,000 Sabbath-keepers around the world.
With a friend's suggestion, he wrote to the Church headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, to send missionaries, all at his expense.
With the missionaries, the church grew in the area.
Telling stories of generosity
It is also remarkable to note that the Wessels family are known for their love offerings for God. Not only did they assist the struggling church in Southern Africa, but globally. The monuments of their financial assistance still stand today. These include Helderberg College, Solusi Mission, Avondale, and Sydney Adventist Hospital.
Church history also testifies how the family also directly helped Ellen White when she was in Australia.
Read more about the inspiring testimony of Pieter Wessels here: https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=ACDF&highlight=peter|wessels.
Other stories from Africa
Pastor Reyneke also shares tales about the graveyard at Solusi University, where missionary men, women, and even children lay. Most of them struggled with deadly malaria.
Indeed, the Adventist church needs to heed to God's calling found in Psalm 78:3-8. The online Adventist encyclopedia tells and preserves God's beautiful messages, stories, blessings, and dealings alive. It plainly shows God in real life.
For more stories, histories, facts, pictures, and videos about God's dealings, check this out: https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/.
___
To follow our official social media accounts, just follow the links below:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheAdventistChurch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adventistchurch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventistchurch/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AdventistOrgChurch