Back in 1997, when I joined Youth with a Mission (YWAM), I never realised how my life would change. It was suppose to be only 6 months. It is 21 years later. For those who are unfamiliar with YWAM in South Africa: The Cape Town base in Muizenberg currently has over 200 staff and train hundreds of students each year. I personally did 5 UofN (University of the Nations) schools at that base towards my Bible degree which I completed in 2010.
Pursuing a UofN degree will take you to many nations and will change your life and worldview forever!
I did my lecture phase (DTS) of 3 months in Muizenberg, Cape Town and my 3 months outreach in India. This is where Louis Brittz comes in!
We were given the opportunity to pray about 3 different locations for outreach. SA, Mauritius and India. I said there is no ways that I will go to India! One morning I drove to the beach to pray about this. One my way I quickly passed a friend's house. I remember I did not even get out of the car. I just said "hi and bye" As I was about to leave, my friend gave me a tape (this was before CD's) and said that I had to listen to this amazing worship take that just came out.
I usually play worship as I enter into a time of prayer. I parked my car and placed the tape into the player.
I was thinking about the outreach locations. Do you know which song was the very first song that played?
Yes, it was Louis Brittz with "Gekruisigde Hande" (Crucified hands) [Youtube]
Part of the song goes like this:
Die nuus op die TV laat my sug
(News on TV causes a deep sigh)
Ek raak dit al gewoond
(But I am use to it)
En ek draai my rug
(And I turn my back)
Maar ‘n bedelaar in Indië
(But a beggar in India)
Se oë is verwytend
(His eyes are reproachful)
En deur Sy harde masker
(And through his hard mask)
Sien ek sy oë is pleitend
(Do I see his eyes begging / beseeching)
En Jesus vra waarom ek vlug?
(And Jesus asks, why do you flee away?)
You can imagine! I still feel teary just typing this. It reminds me of the famous poem by
Francis Thompson (1859–1907), The Hound of Heaven.
"I FLED Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him..."
BUT!
God knows my address like he knew the ship Jonah was on. I cannot hide from Him. Why hide if I prayed Lord, I want to live a surrendered life for you. He takes that serious and I am so glad He does!
He knew how to get that tape to me. He knew that I was to visit India many, many times. He knew the fantastic times I would have alone in the middle of India while doing my preaching and teaching outreach, woman alone. He knew I would work with Mother Theresa's house for people dying. He knew I would clim the Himalayas to pray for unreached people groups unknown to most in the world. He knew that the next time when I visited one of my DTS teams, they would have to fly me out because I became dead ill one day after arrival in Varanasi. He actually knew I would get very sick on every, every trip (no, I am not talking of stomach bugs alone.) But how I love India. How I love to sit with the men having chilli competitions while we laugh our heads off. I only have good memories and hope to do outreach there again (but the chilli competitions are over!)
THANK LOUIS for the song.
Thanks for championing us for missions and the nations, especially the 10-40 window. You and your lovely wife are pillars with such fun humour.
May South Africa soon fulfil the Prophesy spoken out over her 40 years ago by the founder of YWAM, Loren Cunningham, who has been to every nation in the world.
"South Africa will one day be one of the 5 top sending nations in the world"
May I live to see that day!