By the grace of Father and Mother, I have many loving brothers and sisters around me, through whom I can realize the type of faith I need to have to enter the kingdom of heaven.
In 2017, seven thousand churches were established, thanks to God’s grace and according to the prophecy in the Bible. A Zion in Mmakau, which is a small area in South Africa, is one of them.
The Mmakau Zion is newly established not long ago, but the members there are so gracious and beautiful in faith. Whenever I listen to them speak of their gospel experiences, I come to smile. I’d like to share some stories about them.
There is a four-year-old sister, and on the way to Zion to keep the feasts, she said to the passengers on the same transportation, “We’re going to Zion to keep the feasts.” She’s young and cannot yet form full sentences, so I was touched to hear that she too preached the gospel like that.
Before the Mmakau Zion was established, one of the sisters from Pretoria felt sad that in her hometown she was the only one who knew God Elohim. So she preached to her mother and sisters, and they received new lives, believing in Father and Mother. Usually in Africa, it is hard for the members to preach to their parents, as they say, “What do you know? You are young! I gave birth to you.” But Sister Ma Thathane, the sister’s mother, cried tears of thanks and became a child of God. Experiencing this, Zion members were encouraged to preach to their parents.
As sister Ma Thathane was walking in the neighborhood, she saw a house that was for sale and said to her daughters, “If I had money, I would buy this house and make it a Zion so that we can have a Zion in Mmakau, too.” How could a new member have such a beautiful mind towards God already? When I heard that she said that, I could not lift my head, ashamed; I’d never had this consideration in my life of faith though having received many blessings from God Elohim. God knew the sister’s mind and heart; her house was allowed to be used as a pre-branch church not long after that.
When the gate of Zion was opened in Mmakau, the members began to preach to their neighbors and friends. Though they were a few, they believed in their heart that the least of them would become a thousand under God’s blessing, and preached with all their heart.
I was greatly moved by one of the elderly sisters—Sister Ma Chauke. I always worried, thinking, ‘Since I cannot speak the local language, what if she feels offended when I teach her in English?’ Despite my thoughts, she paid attention to the words of God with a reverent mind. She absorbed the truth with great joy like a sponge absorbing the water. Through her, I could understand why the words of God are described as honey. After she studies the Bible, she returns home with excitement and beautiful fragrances to share.
One day, the sister invited us to visit her daughter in hospital and preach about Heavenly Mother to her. I remember when we were visiting her daughter with her. She said to her daughter, “Let’s listen carefully to the words of God.” When our conversation was over, the sister asked us to pray in the new name. Honestly, we thought that it would be difficult to preach to those older than us, but the members in Mmakau broke our fixed ideas and gave us hope and encouragement.
Since it is not always safe here, we asked Sister Ma Thathane if she was not afraid to walk home after the evening service, and she said, “I am with Father and Mother.” Sister Ma Chauke has consistent pain in her legs and even wears an ankle guard, but she still walks to Zion on the worship days to keep God’s commands. Nothing—persecution, age, sickness, or whatever it is—can stop the members in Mmakau from following God’s will. Though I’m young, I sometimes get caught up in the worries of the world or easily get tired, but the members in Mmakau are waking me up. Their actions and mind towards God are more youthful than mine.
Their faith is truly rising as the youths like the dew of the dawn who devote themselves to the work of God. I pray God Elohim will bless the members in Mmakau abundantly.