A Giving Story
Posted by: Jessi Schwertfeger on January 25, 2012 | Staff Blog
There is a man who is a leader in the Nyawa sector. This year, his prized cows gave birth to 4 calves. He was thrilled about these 4 calves and decided to dedicate one of them to the Lord by donating it to his church. He picked the biggest and most beautiful calf to give. He would wait until it was big enough and healthy enough to be weaned and then give it to the church to use as they saw fit.
Over the course of 3 months, one of his calves was attacked and killed by hyenas. Two more were stricken by illness and died quickly. Only one remained. The biggest and most beautiful one. The one that he had dedicated to the Lord.
The man mourned for his animals, but still, he gave that calf to his church. He testifies that it was a complete act of faith because at that point he was convinced he was being foolish!
To this day, his church is rejoicing because of the generous gift of the cow and the possibilities it opens up for the church body. And the man is rejoicing because every need of his family has been met and exceeded this year. He testified before a congregation of believers that giving is RIGHT and that giving WORKS. ESPECIALLY when it’s not easy.
Maybe you don’t have a connection or an understanding of the value of cows in this culture. But this man was not just giving away a baby animal. He gave away an investment that would have made many returns upon his family for years to come. And he gave it even when it was his only investment left to give.
Would you or I be willing to give our entire IRA accounts and all of the interest that it will acquire in years to come to the Lord? What if it was the only savings you had? What if you didn’t know if you would even get a paycheck this year? This is the kind of radical giving that this man decided to walk in. No wonder he was worried about being foolish! Yet, he and his family have been completely blessed and cared for.
We serve a Providing God. He provides for pastors. Missionaries. Farmers. Lawyers. He provides for truck drivers and Olympic swimmers. He provides, in abundance, all that we need. Let us be challenged to give according to his abundant provision.
Liezl Pienaar
This is an amazing testimony. HUGE!!! Thanks for sharing!
Fiona Killough
Tears in my eyes! Awesome story!
Sarah W
I feel like I just read a parable from the bible. This man is living it!
About Jessi Schwertfeger
Job Title: Missionary/Teacher
Location: Zambia, Africa
Spouse: Jacob Schwertfeger
Children: Sunda (5) Kya (18 months)
Bio:
I became a Christian at the age of 13 and have always had a heart for ministering to people who seemed lost in the mix of life. By the time I was 16 I was convinced that God was calling me to a third world country to spread the Gospel of Hope. I graduated from high school in 2002 and moved onto a large university to major in Music Education. After college, my husband and I got married and made plans to leave for Africa 6 weeks later!
Our first year in Zambia was spent running an orphanage and falling in love with our daughter, Sunda. In the following year, we began spending weeks at a time living in the villages and learning how to serve and empower the Tonga people with the message of the Gospel. We joined Overland Missions after catching the vision for ministry to the neglected peoples.
During the last 4 years, I have worked with LIFE Project to develop sustainable preschools in the rural areas of the Mukuni Chiefdom. In the meantime, we have added our daughter, Kya to the mix! I love being involved in every facet of ministry and feel so blessed to be a part of Overland Missions, the LIFE Project, and the wonderful team of people who work together to bring love, hope, and education to those who desperately need it.
