BY FAITH ALONE

Ten years ago the Fellowship consisted of two field workers and one secretary. The first tracts printed, Bibles purchased and motorbikes bought were funded by our own meagre savings.

When we rode out of Johannesburg for our first cross border outreaches in Swaziland and Mozambique we only had R40 left for petrol and travelling expenses. As we crossed the border into Mozambique we had only R10 between us.

Although we had a 4 reel copy of the 16mm “Jesus” film, we had no projector, and no generator. Nor did we know a word of Portuguese. Neither did we have a single address or name with whom to make contact. Yet, God provided us with an embassy’s projector, an interpreter, meetings, electricity at the right times (in a city mostly in power failure) and enough petrol to enable us to return home after the outreaches.

This first “faith mission” was typical of many future field outreaches which we mounted with almost no resources and against all odds.

Often I left on field trips without enough money to even purchase the petrol needed to reach my destination. Sometimes I rode off without the funds or petrol to even reach the next town. On such occasions the Lord provided in astounding ways. One petrol station refused to let me pay for my petrol when they realised I was on my way to Mozambique with Bibles. On other occassions complete strangers handed me envelopes with finances for the trip while I was en-route.

Sometimes, when I ran out of petrol, had to leave my motorbike and hitch hike to Mozambique with my 80 litre haversack of Bibles, and saddlebags of tracts and Gospel records. Many of our early field trips were actually completed on foot.

Even by early 1985 when FF had 3 full time missionaries, a secretary and a network of part-time couriers and field workers our income was about R500 a month, and we possessed only one motorbike and a very unreliable panelvan. Up till 1985 most of the equipment, the one motorbike and most of the printing of the Fellowship had been paid for by my salary from the fire brigade (where I had worked midnight shifts, 8hrs a night, 6 days a week, whilst studying full time at Theological College). In fact the Fellowship obtained its first telephone and photocopier only in 1987; its first computer in 1989, and our fax machine only in 1990.

In the light of these facts it was amazing for us to repeatedly read accusations in the media that FF was a secret military funded project. Some even went as far as claiming that FF was funded by Rockefellar and the CIA! Often we would have wished that we had such funding but the truth is that Frontline Fellowship never received a cent from any government or military agency. Nor did we receive funding from any church denomination. Several friends of mine later told me how they had thought that I was paid a salary by the Baptist Mission Dept because my name and photo was on several of their posters and newsletters as a BMD missionary. However, I never received any support from the Baptist Union or the BMD.

How then did we manage to purchase many thousands of Bibles, New Testaments and Gospels every year, maintain several vehicles, train and support teams of missionary workers and print over 100 000 copies of FF publications each year? Only by the grace of God and by the generosity of faithful supporters like yourself.

During these 10 years we never held a collection at any of our meetings nor did we engage in any fund raising projects. Yet the Lord has consistently proven the truth of Hudson Taylor’s statement: “God’s work done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply”. From the beginning our faith has been firmly fixed in God alone - for guidance, provision and protection - and He is Faithful.

"Got any rivers that you think are uncrossable? Got any mountains that you just can’t tunnel through? God speciallses in things thought impossible, and He can do what no other Power can do.”



Peter Hammond