A testimony from David Livingstone’s ministry (vertel deur J.John)
J.John
One of my favorite stories is of this missionary from Scotland to Africa. And after a long time in Africa he returned to his sending Church in Scotland to report on the work and the ministry and to call more laborers to go to Africa. He arrives at the church. It’s winter, it’s cold, it’s raining. Not many people come and he’s a little bit disappointed and many of the people there were elderly. You know, great that they’re there but not suitable for the mission field but he still felt that he should give the same message and he gives the message: the needs in Africa, we need more labourer. He ends the talk. This is how he ends the talk: “Who will go, who will go, who will go?” He didn’t know that the organist had a little boy assistant who worked the bellows to put air into the organ. The little boy stood up and he shouted out: “I will go, I will go, I will go!” The name of that little boy was David Livingston. David is then advised, if God has called you to Africa what we suggest is that you become a medical doctor and you can go to Africa as a medical missionary. He grows up, he goes to medical school, he becomes a medical doctor. He then goes to Africa as a medical missionary.
He labours and labours and labours. There’s one particular community tribe that they’re trying to reach and it’s really difficult. The chief sends him a message and the chief said to him: we are going to come tonight and we are going to murder you and everyone in your compound. Now the reason we know every detail of this, and I’ve researched this, is because David Livingston kept diaries and all of this is written in the diaries. So he’s writing in the diary: “Lord we’ve laboured so faithfully. Please, please, do please protect us. Please help us and there’s a little bit of fear in what he wrote on that day. Concerned that their ministry will be obliterated and everyone will die but they didn’t come and kill them. A couple of years later they eventually introduced the chief of the tribe to Jesus and the entire community converts and follows Jesus.
David Livingston said to the chief: “You sent me a message that you were going to come and kill me and kill everyone in the compound”.
He says: “Yes, yes, we came.”
“Well, why did you not kill us?”
“well, because when we came to the compound, there were 39 giants surrounding the compound. We counted them. They were big warriors and there were 39 of them surrounding the compound.”
A couple of years later David Livingston returns to his sending church in Scotland and he tells that story at the end of the meeting. The secretary of the church comes up to David Livingston and says: “Dr Livingston, do you remember the date that the chief were going to come and kill you?
He says: “Of course I know the date.” He gives him the date. The secretary of the church opens the church diary and he shows him that date. There were 39 people in the church in Scotland praying for them. 39 people praying in a church in Scotland and there were 39 warriors surrounding the compound. Do not say that is a coincidence.