Comfort or Character?

When God has plans for us, they are definitely for our character building, not for our personal comfort. Francois and Nadia Hattingh have experienced this “building” recently.

After 20 years of ministry mostly in Mozambique, God has moved them to continue their ministry in South Africa. From isolation in the Mozambican bush among the Mwinikas to Cape Town, one of the biggest and busiest cities on the continent, this move has been … character building.

The Change

Francois said, “During our 13-year stay in that community, we saw an unreached people group transformed. We saw six churches planted and two more communities being taught the Word.  We saw an unwritten language written, and literacy classes being taught by the Mwinika to the Mwinika. We even saw the first Mwinika missionaries move out to plant a church in a neighbouring people group! … To see a new church born among an unreached people group is and will always be one of the greatest privileges of our lives!”

God in His wisdom has lifted them from what had become their “comfort zone” and placed them where He would continue His mission with them: to make disciples and take the gospel to all nations. Now, He has put them where they will multiply their efforts by training others from their experience.

The Challenge

Nadia said, “He has broadened our horizon to include more people and places than just the Mwinika in Mwinikaland.  From Cape Town, we are involved in training missionaries and cross-cultural workers to be able to reach more people that haven’t yet heard the gospel in a way they can understand.

“Although we see ourselves still as very much part of the Mwinika team and what is happening there, we are now also part of the new training team working from South Africa.  [There] are four families on this team that will start the first Integral Vision (Ethnos in Africa) training program in this part of the world that will prepare not only the missionary but also the church family that will send him/her out. We hope to see the first class launched in May 2018!”

Pray for the Hattinghs as they begin this new, character-building ministry in South Africa.