“The Lord takes care of those who are in a strange land…”- Psa 146:9 

After losing my job in my home country, Zimbabwe, it was a very difficult decision to make but I had to leave my wife Charity alone with ou two boys – Joseph and Josiah- so that I could secure a new life for us in South Africa.

I was welcomed by my brother-in-law in the city of Johannesburg where I stayed for less than a month. I then decided to leave the city and headed for Olievenhoutsbosch, where I heard that most of my fellow countrymen were living. It was very easy getting there but many struggles were awaiting me. I struggled to get to the Zimbabweans and to find a place to sleep at night. I spent two nights sleeping outside some people’s shack in the squatter camp of Choba. The next day I was fortunate to meet two men from my country who offered me a space in their shack and helped me to get a low earning job at a construction company. This was the first time I had ever stayed in a shack and worked under such rough conditions with a shovel and gloves on my hands. Even though these times were discouraging I knew that God had a plan for me and my family!

My situation got worse before it got better – we would work for many days without pay and at the same time I was missing my little family terribly. There was no improvement for four months, but I had to make a big decision to bring Charity and the kids to our new home in South Africa. I looked for a new shack and got it as my family arrived on the 23rd of December 2004 for a starving Christmas season. To make matters worse, Charity was eight months pregnant and was in need of necessities. We were supposed to prepare a future for a new born baby. Joseph and Josiah got sick to the extent that the owner of the house chased us away in fear that she was going to be implicated by the law if our children were to die in her home. On the 30th of January 2005 at midnight Charity had labour pains and I decided to phone 112 (emergency service for Centurion) and God helped us by sending an ambulance in 30 minutes. The following morning I was phoned by the Kalafong Hospital officials and told that we were blessed with a baby daughter- Rebecca.

In the meantime I was making a new shack and I finished it well before Charity arrived from hospital. We were very happy for Rebecca but our joy was short lived as we began to ponder how we were going to get baby clothing. I had only managed to buy four nappies and two little dresses. The situation got worse and worse as the struggle for food continued every day. But when we are at our end, God comes to the rescue!

In the middle of our hopeless situation, God gave me an encouraging dream where He told me that we were at the end of our troubles and that our suffering was over. The following morning around 5am Charity prepared some food for my lunch as I was going out to find a job. I walked and walked until I came to Brian Day’s building site. It was as if  God led me there specifically. This was the first time I had met Brian and he gave me a job for one day trial (but I knew that God had given me more then one day to work there). One morning I met his brother Neil Day, who invited all the workers to come and visit Covenant Life Church and I developed an interest but did not have the courage to ask for more information. This was until I had the chance to chat with a man named, Mike Kumbeni, who invited me to a home group meeting at the Parkers’ home (They were from the same church). On arrival at the Parkers to my surprise I was welcomed by white people with such a touching and flowing love. I could not believe my eyes, as I had this picture in my mind that white people had reservations about black people. But this was a completely different story. When I saw God’s hand at work I could not help but recommit my life to God. I also went to visit the church, at first without my family just to see if it was the place where God wanted us to be. I was convinced that this was where God wanted us and I then brought my family with me to church. God has taken our troubles away! Both my wife and I have jobs, our children go to crèche and our eldest son is now in school. He has provided for us in so many things that I cannot even number them! The health of my children was completely restored. There are challenges that come but God has given us the weapons to conquer and overcome! Blessing after blessing is flowing our way.

No matter how many rivers you have to cross or how many mountains …. the God of the Bible specialises in things that seem impossible!