God provides funding
At the end of our last financial year, we (Wycliffe South Africa) were praying about our project funding deficit. Our financial year starts on the 1st of October, and on that very day we received a call from a lady who wanted to donate some money to Wycliffe. It came out of the blue, and we realised that this is how the Lord will provide for us in this financial year. We started a list to write down “miracles of supply” like this one.

In November last year, the director of Wycliffe Ethiopia, Tefera Endelew, preached at a church in Johannesburg and received an honorarium of a thousand Rand. He gave that to us and wrote on the envelope that it is seed money for a gift of hundred thousand dollars. In April, Alan called him to report that a church and a donor in the USA had promised funding of a hundred thousand dollars for the Himba transcription in Angola.

We also obtained new funding partners who have come on board and helped close our funding gap, giving more than their original commitment.

The Mozambique branch of Simply Mobilising gave us a gift of 200 British Pounds, which they collected through several Kairos courses. The people who gave were mostly very poor women, who over time brought what they could. This was a story reminiscent of the widow who gave her two small coins—an act that Jesus commended.

God provides an airstrip in the jungle
Years ago, Wycliffe South Africa had a visit from JAARS (Jungle Aviation and Radio Services), based in North Carolina. They wanted to see if it was feasible to set up a base in South Africa to fly members out to remote areas. JAARS finally decided not to pursue this, because of the political situation in South Africa at the time, and the presence of MAF which could provide the same service. In this time, Harry Brasem met Butch Barkman, who was the executive director of JAARS.

This connection was not all lost opportunity. Several years later, when Andy and Debbie Abbott were serving in Papua, they experienced a family medical crisis. Their little girl of only 18 months, Jessie-Fay, became extremely ill with cerebral Malaria. The nearest medical help was several days away by small fishing boat or a risky plane landing on the beach. There had been a landing strip, but this had become overgrown by the jungle. The Wycliffe prayer groups were contacted, and they prayed. A pilot was able to land on a small strip of beach safely and take the family to hospital, and Jessie-Fay recovered.

Harry contacted Butch Barkman and explained the situation to him. As it so happened, Butch had actually flown on the now overgrown airstrip! He assured Harry that he would make this a top priority. JAARS had monthly prayer breakfasts, during which they would present certain projects needing urgent funding. At the very next prayer breakfast, they presented the airstrip clearing and rebuilding project, and raised sufficient funds to cover the cost, US$3,000, with the local Isirawa providing the labour.

Three members of the Marenje team healed
Recently, our field coordinator for Mozambique, Jadreque Buanaite, asked for prayer for three members of the Marenje translation team who were sick. He said that Angelina, one of the translators, had been admitted to a hospital in Malawi because her condition was critical. At the same time, Helena (one of the reviewers) and Pastor Alex had also been ill.

Just a few days later he said, “Thank you so much all for your prayers over our 3 members of Marenje. Pastor Alex and sister Helena they are healed and today have reported at the translation team. Sister Angelina has been discharged from the Hospital in Malawi, and she is in the recovering stage while home. We praise God for her improvement and we continue praying that may the Lord continue extending His hand for her. Thank you all.”

Healing after a serious accident
Another memorable answer to the prayers of intercessors happened a few years ago when the man coordinating the Tonga translation in Zimbabwe was involved in a terrible car accident, just outside Bulawayo. He suffered extensive head injuries and was not expected to live. Our intercessors prayed, and God answered their prayers – he was miraculously restored. His words were: “God told me that I still had much work to do, and that it was not my time to die yet.”