Page 6 - Good News September 2018 paper

Continued from p. 5 The old man turned back to look Hurst and her husband did. They She knelt in the soil to pray and
Continued from p. 5
brothers and half sister, Aggie into his daughter's eyes. His body were welcomed by cheering give thanks. Later that day, in the
brought up the subject of seeing relaxed. He began to talk. And by throngs of villagers. She even met church, the pastor read from John
her father. The others hesitated. the end of the afternoon, he had the man who had been hired by 12:24: “I tell you the truth, unless
come back to the God he had her father many years before to a kernel of wheat falls to the
“You can talk to him,” they resented for so many decades. carry her back down the mountain ground and dies, it remains only a
replied, “even though he's very ill in a hammock-cradle. single seed. But if it dies, it
now. But you need to know that Over the next few days, father and produces many seeds.” He then
whenever he hears the Name of daughter enjoyed warm moments The most dramatic moment, of followed with Psalm 126:5: “They
God, he flies into a rage.” together. Aggie and her husband course, was when the pastor that sow in tears shall reap in joy.”
soon had to return to America and escorted Aggie to see her [TEARS IN MY HEART, James
Aggie was not to be deterred. She within a few weeks, David Flood mother's white cross for herself. Collins, Xulon Press, USA, 2007].
walked into the squalid apart- had gone into eternity.
ment, with liquor bottles every-
where, and approached the A few years later, the Hursts were
seventy-three-year-old man lying attending a high-level Evangelism
in a rumpled bed. Conference in London, England,
when a report was given from the
“Papa,“ she said tentatively. He nation of Zaire (the former Belgian
turned and began to cry. “Aina,” Congo). The superintendent of
he said. “I never meant to give you the national church, representing
away.” It's all right, Papa,” she some 110 000 baptized believers,
replied, taking him gently in her spoke eloquently of the Gospel's
arms. “God took care of me. The spread in his nation.
man instantly stiffened. The tears
stopped. “God forgot all of us! Aggie could not help going to ask
Our lives have been like this him afterwards if he had ever
because of Him.” He turned his heard of David and Svea Flood.
face back to the wall. “Yes, Madam,” the man replied in
French, his words then being
Aggie stroked his face and then translated into English. “It was
continued, undaunted. “Papa, I've Svea Flood who led me to Jesus
got a little story to tell you, and it's Christ. I was the boy who brought
a true one. You didn't go to Africa food to your parents before you
in vain. Mama didn't die in vain. were born. In fact, to this day your
The little boy you won to the Lord mother's grave and her memory
grew up to win that whole village are honoured by all of us.”
to Jesus Christ. The one seed you
planted just kept growing and He embraced her in a long,
growing. Today there are six sobbing hug. Then he continued,
hundred African people serving “You must come to Africa to see,
the Lord because you were because your mother is the most
faithful to the call of God in your famous person in our history.”
life. …Papa, Jesus loves you. He
has never hated you.” In time that is exactly what Aggie