Stephan, one of our missionaries in Lesotho, recently shared this heart-warming message about how saying Yes, to kindness can turn hearts around for Christ.
“After years of being a known rebel and troublemaker, Ntate Thabo, one of our local team members, gave his life to Jesus at age 17. Even when his mother stirred the whole village up against him for no longer practicing traditional rituals for the ancestors, he committed his life to following Jesus.
“His mother was deeply involved in demonic activities and hated all born-again Christians. They chased him away and threatened his life if he returned to his home village. He stayed with relatives in another part of Lesotho, then hid for years in Gauteng.
“After about five years in South Africa, he returned to Lesotho to share the gospel with his fellow citizens. He also contacted his mother and rebuilt their relationship.
“He showed her Christ’s love through kindness, by cutting firewood, assisting with transport to the hospital, and providing food during the corona crisis. He and his wife also prayed a lot for her salvation.
“Ntate Thabo’s cousin decided to start a discipleship group in the mother’s village with the chief’s enthusiastic permission. He didn’t have a house or anywhere else we could meet, but we encouraged him to start anyway and, if necessary, to gather under a tree or any open space. When Ntate Thabo’s mother discovered this, she insisted that we host the Bible study group at her house. A bit confused, we agreed to have our first meeting in her home.
“She invited people in and outside the village to the Bible study. More than 60 adults and countless children came to listen. Knowing about her aversion to born-again Christians, everyone was curious about the gathering. After the team’s introductions, she openly shared that she volunteered to host this group so that everyone could hear the gospel for themselves and decide what to make of it.
“A few weeks after joining the discipleship group, Ntate Thabo’s mother committed her life to Jesus and started weekly leading the gathering of about 30 people. Once again, we saw Jesus Christ’s love and power to turn hearts around.”
Ntate Thabo’s story reminds us that we as Christians can inspire heart change in others by modelling God’s love on our frontline.
Do you know someone from our community who is making a kingdom impact where they are? Give them a shoutout by sharing their story with us. Send us an email at talktous@hatfield.co.za, and let’s empower each other with stories of real people making a real difference in the real world we live in!
