As I reflect on the trip that took me to Kosi bay and the events that took place there, I would like to give thanks to the Lord for preparing those that made this trip possible for their act of obedience. During my stay with the Cronje family, I caught a glimpse of what God has been doing in and around us, whether we see it or not.
The journey and stay in Kosi bay
In all honesty, Kosi bay did not even ring a bell in my head until a few months ago. When a brother of mine in Christ (Henri Cronje) invited me to visit him there, I gladly accepted. On paper, it looked unreachable from where I was staying, especially if one wanted to get there within a day’s travel. I guess the first lesson I learned was that nothing is impossible with God. So there I was in Bergeville saying goodbye to the De Beer family, who had accompanied me to the taxi rank where I got a taxi to Durban. It was an emotional parting moment leaving the De Beers, but eventually, I was on my way, and before you knew it, I was sitting in Durban, waiting to get another to Manguzi, which was in Kosi bay. Finally, after nearly five and a half hours, I arrived at Manguzi in Kosi bay and was welcomed by the Cronje family. I was impressed by Henri’s effort in learning the isiZulu language. Being old friends that hadn’t seen each other in some months from Johannesburg, we decided to catch up on the events that had been happening in our lives since then.
A trip to the ocean
I was excited when Henri said we would see the Indian ocean up close. After travelling down a sandy road that moved around a thick evergreen forest rich in vegetation, we arrived at the beachfront overlooking the beautiful Indian Ocean. The scenery there was eye-catching, especially for someone who has spent his entire life inland like me. Unfortunately, a few moments after sitting on the sands of the beach, there came a group of people who we later found to be traditional healers (sangomas) about to perform an initiation ritual next to us. Enough to scare the onlooking locals away who dared not come near the water after seeing what was about to happen. As we spoke to those who witnessed this, it was apparent that many people lived in fear of these principalities rooted in the community.
While at the beach, we took a moment to pray that the Spirit of truth (through Christ) would be revealed in due time to those in the bondage of worshipping false gods. Indeed, this scene was intimidating, but I was reminded that our light needs to shine in the darkness.
A walk with the cross
While in Kosi bay, Henri and I decided to go to Manguzi town and buy a few things there. We took this opportunity to walk on foot and share the gospel with as many people as possible while on the move.
Taking turns carrying the cross, we met many people along the way. We met some of Henri’s neighbours, Jeremiah and his mother, Brenda, who were taking a walk and also introduced us to Tristen and his friend, who lived just a stone’s throw away from their home. We manage to share our testimonies with them on our journey with Christ before restarting our journey once more.
As we continued our journey, we met three elderly ladies finding their way to the fields to plant something there. We managed to share the gospel with these ladies and even prayed for healing for one of them whose leg seemed to have a protruding vein. Since language was a barrier, I translated the conversation as Henri spoke to the three old ladies.
Issuing out the gospel pamphlets proved to be a valuable tool in sharing the good news. Henri translated them to isiZulu, which was more relatable to the locals than the English. As we moved closer to the town, we met a man who seemed possessed by an unclean spirit. Understanding what he was attempting to do or say was a challenge. Through Christ, who was with us in Spirit, we denounced this unclean spirit in Jesus’s name, and the man departed from us. Regardless of these setbacks, we arrived in Manguzi towards town, where we met Mr Assani, a man who was apparently from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I spoke to him briefly in French and later in English when Henri joined in. We invited him to the Full gospel church, where he later introduced himself and shared his testimony with the congregation. Our journey on foot to Manguzi was filled with an interesting turn of events, and yet in the midst of all this, we shared our testimonies with different people along the way.
Our visit to the church and the orphanage
My story would be incomplete if I did not mention the Vilakazi family and their growing ministry in Shegeza, which they have named the Full gospel church. According to Henri, he met this family through a member of their congregation who lives a stone’s throw away from the Cronje’s. After attending several Sunday services in their church, I was humbled by the way God was using ordinary people from the Kosi bay area, like the Vilakazi family, to disciple others within the community to live as Jesus did. Despite the challenges affecting the community, they were a living testimony of how we can use limited resources to share the gospel. On one Saturday, while at Kosi bay, I joined the Cronje and Vilakazi family on a visit to an orphanage. Sharing our testimonies and spending time with the underprivileged children from the orphanage reminded me of how God will care for His children even when their earthly parents have abandoned them. It was evident that the heart God has for His children is far-reaching and extends to places we had never thought would be humanly possible to reach. All credit goes to God, who prepared the men and women to carry out His will on earth through projects such as this orphanage.
Goodbye to the Kosi bay community
Although my visit to Kosi bay was only three weeks, I took things from this community that will leave a lasting impression. The love and time shared will be something to cherish for a long time. Hats off to Kosi bay. I would also like to thank the Cronje family, who welcomed me to their home and shared good fellowship during my stay in Kosi bay. The Vilakazi family shared their cooking skills with us on Saturday and showed an example of how to show hospitality to family members in Christ. Due to a lack of words to express my gratitude, I am regrettably unable to mention everyone or everything that happened. I believe God has put everything together even when I least expect anything to happen.
I salute you, brothers and sisters, who have stepped out in faith. As always, let us continue to share our positive experiences about Christ regardless of the challenges that may come our way.
Let’s keep running the race.
Be blessed
DisciplesOfJesus 