Moving Mountains and Molehills

Well, it is officially the first cold day for me here at Hawane. Everyone else has been saying it is cold and calling it winter since I’ve been here, but it is just starting to feel like October and I am enjoying a nice night with my sweatshirt. A cold wind is blowing outside, but inside it is peaceful, quiet, and not too cold thanks to the thick cement walls. Lord, please protect the people out in the community who are not as blessed, huddled in their mud and stick homes as the wind sneaks through the cracks. Keep them warm in Your arms and let them rest in You.


I have to say that this week has been a good week, thanks to the prayers of many. Last Tuesday night, I arrived home to hear that one of the boys on the farm, Mncobi, was sick. They were getting ready to take him to the hospital, which is never a good sign when you have a nurse living on site. The nurse said that it could be meningitis, and I was sure she was right as I heard the symptoms: sudden onset fever, headache, and body pain. The prayer chain at the church in town had already been activated, and I quickly called Ohio to ask for prayers from the US. As the car was about to leave, I let Mncobi know that he had people in Ohio praying for him. He didn’t look good, and the usual smile that lights his face was gone. I was worried, but the prayers of many were heard! We never did find out what was wrong with Mncobi, all the tests were inconclusive and as quickly as his sickness came, it also went. By the time they were seen at the hospital, his fever that was pushing close to 104 on the farm was registering closer to 100. In the morning, he was feeling much better (well enough, I am told, to eat a few pieces of toast and a big omelet). This weekend, he was riding around the farm on his bike, the big smile back on his face.


Thank you for your prayers, both for Mncobi and for the entire Hawane community. You may never have the chance to come visit these homes and walk these paths, but you have the power to change lives and futures from right there in Ohio through your prayers. We sometimes forget how powerful our prayers can be, I know I do. It is hard enough to believe for the things before our eyes let alone across the ocean, but know that God is listening and waiting to move as you utter even the simplest of prayers. Mncobi’s health and this ministry are testimony to that.


Jesus said that if we have faith as a mustard seed we can tell a mountain to move from here to there and it will (Matthew 17:20). As if that isn’t enough, He goes on to say that nothing will be impossible for us. We can change the world, one prayer at a time, moving mountains and mole hills, and drawing closer to God each step of the way. May we all seek to have a faith as the mustard seed and the boldness to speak to the mountain and tell it to move!


~ Julie Mitchell