TO JESUS I SURRENDER ALL

A testimony by Zoe Grant

Kia ora koutou katoa. Ko Zoe Mihi (Williams) Grant ahau. No te whakatohea no Torerenui-a-rua me te whanau a Apanui ahau. Tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. My Grandfather, my Mother’s Dad, Rev Timutimu Tawhai, went to Te Aute College with Ta Apirana Ngata (the first Maori MP) and Sir Peter Buck (the first Maori Judge). My Grandad trained to be a minister in the Waiapu Diocese, working with brothers Henry and William Williams – prominent, and very effective missionaries in the mid 1800’s. I am a direct descendant of these humble servants of the Lord, and am named after William William’s daughter, Zoe.

I had an excellent upbringing at Omaio. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents were there for us, and we belonged to everyone. Our homes were never locked. We knew what it was to care and share, even with strangers. We were loved and disciplined and we lacked nothing, spiritually and holistically. Today I am believing for that communal lifestyle to be relived among our whanau, our hapu, and our iwi on a national scale.

Miss Skinner, our shopkeeper, was our Sunday school teacher, and all the children attended at her home. She was a pianist and we sang beautiful choruses. One chorus that really spoke to me was “Come into my heart, Lord Jesus...., come in today, come in to stay....” I gave my heart to Jesus as a 5-year-old. Miss Skinner gave us Bible lessons using Maori Postal Aotearoa.

At 10 years of age I moved to Omaramutu to live with my Grandma, Hema (Nikora) Williams. School was just over the fence. I enjoyed accompanying my Grandma over the paddocks to the Waiaua Catholic Church. Later when I went to Opotiki College, 7 kilometers north of Omaramutu our principal Mr Williams, always began assemblies with a prayer. That set the atmosphere for the whole day. His daughter, Jocelyn Williams, invited me to Christian Crusaders meetings once a week.

After graduating from College, I went on to Ardmore Teachers’ Training College. These were two special years as far as my Christian growth was concerned, because there I attended a vibrant Christian Fellowship. Under the Godly leadership of Murray Godwin and Lyn Laskey we were all encouraged to get together for prayer and weekly fellowship. At one of these gatherings, the speaker, Campbell McAlpine, said, “If God is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” That is when I completely surrendered my ALL to Jesus Christ. My desire was to serve the Lord as a single lady missionary overseas. During my probationary assistant year as a teacher at Omaramutu I felt so drawn to my whanau there, that I asked the Lord if I could change my mind, because I longed to have children of my own. I made it clear to the Lord that I desired to meet someone of His choice who loved Him as I did.

My next teaching appointment was at Edgecumbe, and on one occasion when I was in a support singing role at one of John Komene’s Crusades, I spotted a very handsome young man. My heart leapt! “Lord, when we travel to the next Crusade at Birkenhead in Auckland, if what I am feeling is of You, please could I end up travelling in Frank’s car?” The driver of the car who brought me from Edgecumbe to Tauranga, realised he had too many passengers, and would I mind going in Frank’s Zodiac? Would I what? Not only that, but the front seat passenger slipped out to let me in in the middle of the front seat! Hallelujah, Jesus!

Frank Grant, from Manoeka, Te Puke at the time lived on Motiti Island near Tauranga. We married in 1965. The Lord has given us a “quiver full” - 5 wonderful sons, who all love and serve the Lord, 20 mokopuna and 7 great grandchildren. We lived in Manoeka, Te Puke for 23 years. Three of our boys now live in Tauranga/Papamoa, and their hearts’ desire is still to minister fortnightly amongst their whanau and friends in Manoeka at Hei Marae, where everyone is invited and welcomed.

In 1976 Mission Outreach to the Suffering Church behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains, was formed in Te Puke by Eddie Cairns, Sam Applanalp, and Frank with the support of their wives. In 1977 Mission Outreach asked us to smuggle Bibles into Hungary and Romania. This was no easy decision, as by this time we had 5 boys. Our fears were allayed when Frank and I received a direct word from the Lord in Matthew 19:21 to “go and ….follow him”. A week later my ex-Ardmore College friend, Julia Davidson (now Brown), rang offering to be of help as she was on Sabbatical from her Maori Evangelical Church work. During our 2 month absence she cared for the boys. After we received such affirmation from the Lord we had no fear in accomplishing this mission. The Lord gave us success, and the recipients really appreciated the Bibles they received.

Encouraged by that experience, I was ready to go on a similar mission when the Lord called me – this time to China in 1981. Again it was successful, through the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Sometime later I was called to Burma to deliver Bibles, and my son Joshua, then aged 19, volunteered to join me at his expense. The delivery was made safely to the glory of God.

Whilst in Te Puke I was manager of the Maori Affairs office, under the watchful eye of Wishy Jarram, Joe Malcolm and Trevor Maxwell at the Rotorua branch. On moving to Manurewa in 1989 I returned to teaching, this time at Clydemore

Zoe and Frank with sons, from left Frank Jnr, Joshua, Archie, Paul, with Caleb in front.

Unit. Our fellowship continued at the Elim Church. It was a joy to work with Aunty May Mackey and evangelist John Komene and his wife, Tapeta, in visiting the prisons. My sister Taku, and her husband Simon Hoete, were also involved. The prisoners looked forward to our visits and responded to the Word and the worship with great joy.

While holidaying in Brisbane in 2002 I had a vivid dream of my mother’s difficult position back on the East Coast, so upon our return we detoured directly to Omaramutu to see her. She wept over Frank and me when we arrived and pleaded with us to return and take care of her. What I had seen in my dream was exactly her situation! It was difficult for us to leave our comfortable position in Auckland, but Mother was my priority. I applied for a position as resource teacher of learning and behaviour in all the schools from Whangaparaoa at the East Cape to Torere, nearer Opotiki. We had the use of the school house at Te Kaha, with an office at Te Whanau-A-Apanui High School.

Mum was from Otuwhare Marae, the Rutaia hapu, in Omaio. Incidentally, the whare kai there is named after Ta Apirana Ngata. In 2004 our boys, by now qualified builders, built our current home in Omaio. Mum was delighted to be back with us on her own whenua. Eventually I gave up my teaching job to look after her full-time. She lived with us until 2010, her 90th year. For many of these years Frank pastored at Opotiki Baptist. Since then we have been fully immersed with the ministry of the Word up and down the East Coast to all people, especially to our whanau, hapu, and iwi at different Marae gatherings

Back in May 2012 I suffered a major heart attack. I was taken by ambulance to Whakatane Hospital. Doctors assessed the seriousness of my condition, and immediately flew me by helicopter to Waikato Hospital. I was told I died in the helicopter and I well-believe that, because I experienced Heaven. In the spirit I arrived outside one of the pearly gates. It was there that I heard many voices on the inside including those of my parents, of Taku my sister, and of others known to me, saying to me in Maori, “Go home! There’s enough of us up here. The work is at home among our whanau, hapu and iwi.” Immediately the Lord spoke to me in Maori, saying, “The choice is yours.”

My family and church family were praying for me, and I immediately had the desire to come straight back. The Lord assured me by giving me Acts 1:8: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria.” I said “Lord I have been to Jerusalem!” He shared clearly with me that my “Jerusalem” was my five sons. He showed me Lazarus coming forth from the grave, but needing help to be stripped of his grave clothes. I saw clearly that I was to spend much time in the closet, praying for my five sons to shed their “grave clothes”. To my great joy, I have seen major changes in their personal lives. To the glory of God I can confidently say that they are now all acknowledging and serving Him with passionate hearts, and realising their responsibilities to their wives, our 20 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. 16