Written by: Hermien van den Bergh
Article source: JOY! Magazine
My son, Dawid, and I went on our first missionary journey to Botswana in April 2018. My father was a citizen of Botswana and applied for a residential plot years ago. He passed away in 2008 and I thought that his land application was unsuccessful as the land board never responded to my correspondence. During this visit I was surprised when someone mentioned to me, “Did you know that the plot that your late father applied for was granted to him?” Suddenly the prospect of an inheritance of land and owning property in Botswana became a reality!
Faith in the face of the impossible
Nobody believed that I could inherit this land in Botswana as a South African citizen. What complicated matters was that many years had passed, and in the meanwhile someone else had built a house on the unclaimed land. However, Dawid and I were confident because we have learnt that faith grows when you face the impossible and we have seen how God has made the impossible possible.
Since 2014 we have been travelling together as a mother and son missionary team with no address. We were looking forward to a home base after seven years of travelling, because that is what God has promised us – we were convinced that this land had something to do with His promise. We not only had dreams for a home where we could finally put our bags down, but also for a mission base and a Kingdom Leadership Centre in Botswana.
God makes our paths straight
Bureaucrats, red tape, and closed borders
My first trip to the land board in Botswana was disappointing. Officials told me there was no record of my father on their system. Several days later I went again to enquire. That day I was given a form to fill in and started a process of an inheritance land claim that took almost four years of relentless phone calls and fruitless visits.
In 2020, during the COVID lockdown, we stayed on the border of Botswana for several months. Our hope was to enter the country so that we could go to the land board in person, to sort matters out. We tried every avenue at our disposal to gain entry, but with no success. By the 5th September I told Dawid that we should leave to go on our next mission trip. We could try to gain entry to Botswana again next year.
‘Do not pull back’
We were in Pretoria when Dawid brought me a Lana Vawser prophecy, she is a prophetic voice from Australia. Her prophetic words have always been spot on. This time the prophecy said, “Don’t pull back; push through with your assigned building project. I will not only bless this country, but your own and other nations through this project.” It was as if an electric current pulsed through me and I implored Dawid urgently, “Pursue every avenue again to see how we can gain entry into Botswana.” Within a week we had crossed the border.
It was as if God winked at us and said, “I am with you!”
Two angels next to the road
We drove to the land board and, on our way, saw a man and a much older woman hitching a ride. We picked them up being concerned for the old women. They were on their way to the hospital. When the man heard that we were on our way to the land board, he gave us extremely important information that fast-tracked our inheritance claim. “Contact Mma Motsubi, she is the head of the land board. She is a very humble woman. She will help you.” (I wonder what would have happened if we did not pick up those two angels that came to help us on that day?)
Within a few days we sat in Mma Motsubi’s office; it turned out that she was also a strong Christian and encouraged me, “Just believe. God is on the throne.” Within the next week our new plot was found, marked, and approved by her. Now it only had to be approved by their board and the Minister of land affairs in Gaborone. In February 2021 she called me with the good news, “Come and fetch your land grant lease agreement.” We were overjoyed. God had made our paths straight.
God will provide
Last year we went to Botswana for a second time, this time to build our house by faith. We had finances to lay the foundation of the house, but soon realised that we had to build a road to the house – up a hill. We had no idea how to do it! From the beginning, this was a building project that we undertook in obedience and in faith – convinced that the Lord would provide in a supernatural way when and where as needed. Now we experienced such a moment again and prayed.
“And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19
‘I am with you!’
The “beep… beep… beep…” shattered the silence of the Sunday afternoon. I jumped up and shouted at Dawid, “There is a bulldozer in the road!” We jumped into our vehicle and raced down the dirt road. A large, yellow bulldozer was grading the road at a snail’s pace. It was the most beautiful sight ever and hope blazed in my heart.
The owner of the bulldozer agreed to help us the next day for a minimal amount. God had provided a bulldozer and the supernatural favour of a stranger. We were amazed to see how the machinery made “a way through the wilderness” in such a short time. We led the owner to the Lord there and then. It was as if God winked at us and said, “I am with you!”
Full surrender
God’s supernatural provision and miracles have become a normal way of life for me after I surrendered to Jesus in 2012, promising to serve Him full time. I was 57 years old and pushed the norms of age restriction, a fixed income, an address, as well as possessions aside. At first it was extremely difficult, but this radical decision took Dawid and I on an adventure that we would not trade for anything else!
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Date published: 18/02/2022
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork adapted from
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God is Awesome and very faithful to His Covenant indeed