Faith in Action
Triumph Over Tragedy God makes the difference. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you” (Jer. 1:5).
I
’m confident that God is my Creator and that He’s been with me throughout my life. He’s given me power to overcome obstacles and has comforted and strengthened me during the painful seasons of my journey.
EARLY LIFE
I was born and raised in Mdantsane, South Africa, the youngest of six children and the only daughter. My father was not like other fathers. He would be gone for long periods of time. When I grew older, I realized that he was actually living elsewhere and not with us as a family. My mom never discussed Father with us children; she just quietly took care of us and worked hard to put food on the table. She sold pancakes and ginger beer at the local market, and we children would help to carry baskets of these items to market each morning before we went to school. I was a good student at school and attended church each week, but I became involved with kids who weren’t living a Christian lifestyle, and joined in their activities. My mother, however, did her best to keep me away from them and from harmful practices. THE ASSAULT
Then tragedy struck. It was May 1996, and I was a young teenager in high school. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. It was early evening but already dark outside. I was walking home from the local supermarket when three young men grabbed me and dragged me behind a bush. One 20
December 2021 AdventistWorld.org
Image: Ante Gudelj
