Billy and his family

One of the sad and yet rewarding stories of living in South Africa is the number of people you meet from all over Africa. Due to the potential for earning a living, many poor blacks from other countries flock to South Africa to provide for their families back at home. They seem to work for nothing, but actually acquire enough to even send money back home. We've seen people living in trash dumps and under trees, and they do this because that is still better than what they can do back in their own country. One of the men that we have met is a believer named Billy. He pumps fuel at a petrol station. Billy is from Malawi, a very poor country above South Africa. He had a good job in Malawi, but when his uncle died, he had to look elsewhere for work. Since he had experience in South Africa he went there, leaving behind his wife Rebecca and his newborn son, Shalom. God brought him into our lives, and we began to pray for the permits for his family so that they could join him here and God supplied. They are now with him here in Joburg and we are thrilled to see the family reunited.

Here is a quick story on how God has used his testimony: Billy actually started as a cashier at the petrol station, but due to fellow workers lying and stealing from him (which resulted in his pay being docked), he asked to move out to the pumps. One day a lady drove up and asked for him to fill her tank. She went inside to purchase something and left her window in the car down a bit. After paying for her fuel she got in her car and drove off only to return in about 2 hours. She drove up and confronted Billy, asking him to return her wallet and phone. When he denied taking them she hauled him to the boss and demanded retribution. The boss decide to dock Billy's pay R500 a month which is about 1/5th of his income. He had no choice but to submit to the decision, and he entrusted the situation to his Heavenly Father. About three weeks later the lady drove up again and asked to speak with Billy. She apologized for accusing him of stealing as she found out that a friend's son had stolen the items after she had left the petrol station. She admitted that it took her a week to build up enough courage to return and apologize, but she made the matter right with Billy, and he was rejoicing at God's answer to prayer. So even in this post-apartheid era, there is still a measure of prejudice, but God is working and using believers.

Here is the prayer request: Billy would like to be trained to go back to Malawi and plant churches. At the present time his schedule is very fluid, and he has to work most Sundays and he lives a good distance from us. Please pray that we can find work for him that would free up his schedule to study and that we can find a place for him that is closer to us. It is a great opportunity to influence the country of Malawi from South Africa. Billy even turned down a better paying job in another part of the country so that he could have the possibility of Bible training.