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A Tribute to Our Prayer Warriors

A Tribute to Our Prayer Warriors

As an organisation we have always believed in the power of prayer. When we pray together incredible things start happening and our problems and battles are taken to a new level. So, things begin to happen when a prayer group commences to pray for the well-being, protection and effectiveness of the translators and Bible translation. The people groups that our members work with have often had minimal exposure to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore need consistent prayer.

When Wycliffe SA was established, a monthly Prayer and Praise bulletin was produced for prayer partners wishing to intercede for the team and the projects we were involved in. Some of these prayer groups were: 

  • The Florida Group (West Rand) – led by Nan Glasson, who also helped out in the office, travelling all the way from Florida to Kempton Park at the age of 83.     
  • The Alberton Group (Johannesburg South) - led by Anthea Grobler, sister of translator Nick Swanepoel.
  • The Fish Hoek Group (Cape Town) - run by Gerald Martin and his wife Ruby. The Martins were the parents of member Gill Allwright.      

In 1986 a concerted effort was made to continue this trend of running prayer meetings, but also starting new ones. Harry Brasem prayed for 10 new prayer groups and his prayers were answered. In 1987 a group was started in Windhoek, Namibia. This was followed by the Berglvliet Group (Cape Town area) run by Viv and Sonia Hobbs. A monthly prayer group meeting was held in the Brasem’s home in Kempton Park, and there were also a few informal Prayer Meetings amongst student bodies in the Johannesburg area and Stellenbosch. Madge Brown, Winsome Schroder, and Marion and George Williamson were others who ran prayer groups in various areas.

Other Intercessors of note include:

1. Tony Pitwood (presently living on the south coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal) is a true intercessor and prayer warrior of more than 36 years, praying for the team and most of the OBT projects.

2. Hanna Britz has been another faithful intercessor since 2016, praying for the Hambukushu.

3. Erasmia Grim was a remarkable lady who was married to the founder of Hospital Christian Fellowship International (HCFI), Francis Grim. She had an amazing prayer ministry, and went home to be with the Lord on the 10th June 2023 at the age of 94. She prayed for the Siphuthi.

5. Daphne Foord prayed for the Hambukushu before she went to be with the Lord at age 87 in 2022.   Her daughter Colleen still prays for the Huila Cluster.

6. Claris van der Merwe, who is the field leader of “Simply Mobilizing” (Mission Mobilizing), prays for several OBT projects.

7. A group of intercessors from St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Benoni pray for the Himba as well as the Bara project in Madagascar.

9. Loes Kaper, living in the Netherlands, prays for the Hambukushu and Sepulana projects and has made a number of donations to the Hambukushu project.

10. Joy Boyle began praying for Wycliffe when she met Tony and Mary Williams in the early 1970s. She has remained a prayer partner and supported several members financially as well as being an intercessor for the Huila Cluster and the Hambukushu.

12. Tuffy and Bev Birkholz (recruited by Winsome Schroder) pray for the Hambukushu and the Wycliffe team. 

13. Judith Manhanga from Zimbabwe (recruited by Winsome Schroder) prays for several OBT projects.

14. Peggy Pennington, who is now in her 90s, has been praying for the Tonga. 

15. Natanya Mpinyuri is our youngest intercessor, signed on at age 8 in 2016, praying for both the Bara and Tonga projects.

The list is endless. There are approximately 200 intercessors praying at any one time, all of them making a valuable and unique contribution to the work, and whose ministry we value greatly.

By Elsbeth Brasem

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