Southafricacrop2Nomsa, 42, is the mother of a five-year-old girl. She grew up in the village of Rikhotso in South Africa. Poverty and unemployment have been major problems in this rural community. Like the rest of the people, she works hard for survival. She and her husband run two shops. “I grew up in a family where everyone, young or old, had to fend for themselves to survive. I never consumed alcohol or smoked.”

Her health deteriorated after the birth of her daughter, leaving her grief-stricken. “I had terrible dreams about death and lost a lot of weight,” she says. She consulted many doctors, but they could not identify or diagnose her condition. Soon, she could hardly walk from her house to the shop. “I lost hope and wondered about the meaning of life,” she reflects.

During this time, a local Bible League-trained believer, Thandi, visited her shop and shared the Gospel with her. Thandi and two friends introduced her to Bible League’s Project Philip Bible study. They visited her weekly at home and began praying with her and sharing God’s Word. “My eyes started to open to the message of hope in Christ,” she beams. Thandi and her friends prayed fervently for Nomsa and took her to church one Sunday. “I could not walk and had to be lifted into the car. In the church, I went to the front and gave my life to Jesus.”

After two Sundays of going to church, she regained her strength and started walking. People were elated to see her walk into the church. “The Word of God opened my eyes through the booklets. Thandi is instrumental in my reconciliation with God and restoring my life,” she says gratefully.

After she put her faith in Jesus Christ, her family members and friends began to distance themselves from her. “They cannot dispute that my life has changed and my health restored. I don’t fear any repercussions because the Bible is real to me. I read the Bible and am enjoying it. I can boldly say that I’m now a born-again Christian who was taken from bed, but now I can walk myself to church, ” she beams.