Lasting Impact in South Africa

Written by Dr. Rebecca Quam, MedSend veterinarian, serving in South Africa

Koketso

Koketso is starting her second year at university this month and is in the animal health course. She was very active in our witnessing training group, Acts 1:8, last year and joined us on our outreach to Lesotho. She also regularly attends our Bible study and home church. During one of our movie showings last year she was also brave enough to share her testimony with all the students that attended. I’ll let her tell her story…

“I am Koketso Mogashoa from South Africa (Pretoria), currently studying Animal Health in the North-West University Mafikeng campus. I am blessed with a family of 7, my grandparents, uncle and his wife, mom and stepfather and lastly my younger sister. My grandfather is a pastor at a Baptist church which makes both him and my grandmother to be servants.

“I am raised by my mother’s aunt (grandmother’s sister). On a regular basis, we would have visitors at my grandparent’s home, visiting for counseling or just for a normal catch up and wherever they were it was almost impossible to have their attention. At that particular time my mom worked at a house selling agent so she often travelled and left me behind as work got hectic and neither did I have enough time to spend with her. My dad, on the other hand, is a man of his own kind he doesn’t care about me or anyone this is pretty obvious that we don’t have a good relationship.

“I felt lonely, miserable, hurting, fearful, unwanted and I would often spend time alone. Time went by feeling the very same pain, it was made worse when my mother’s aunt was laid to rest hence I had to move with my mother, younger sister and my stepfather. I moved with them in a state of hate and disbelieve that I lost someone who was like a mother. My step-father started abusing me emotionally, but I woke up every morning with hope that my mother will one day stand firm and be on my side but she didn’t and she ended up chasing me out of their house leaving me homeless and to cut the long story short I now live with my grandparents.

“On one Sunday the preacher was preaching about peace, friendship, love and freedom God offers in his relationship and I felt the urgency of grabbing the opportunity and ever since my life has never been the same again. This means I agreed to the fact that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between I and God, that I fully depend on him for eternity and that there is no church or rules that can make me have eternal life. God really intervened in my life I have peace, freedom, love, I am no longer feeling lonely, I know I am his priority and I have a friend in him. Isn’t that great!”

Koketso has been a wonderful sister-in-Christ to mentor and I look forward to working with her over the next few years. Please keep her in your prayers that she would flourish spiritually and academically this year.

Shaun

Oageng, or Shaun for his English name, has been part of our Acts 1:8 witnessing program and Bible studies from his first term in 2015. He was introduced to the project by a friend from his home church outside Rustenburg, about 2 hours from Mahikeng, who was also attending NWU. Oageng is now in his final year of Animal Health and I’m looking forward to having him on rotation in the small animal clinic.
Oageng has an infectious smile and a gentle humility that belies his rough years in Rustenburg (which he seriously downplays in this testimony). Here is his story:

“My name is Oageng Shaun Mosito from Rustenburg South Africa. In 2005, I lost both my parents, I was 10 years old still naive and not fully aware of many things. Little did I know that this had an impact in my life.

“I started to live two lives being a good child at home and a naughty child at school. Due to the bitterness that was in my life I started to bullying other kids at school and started to smoke glue privately. When I was at home I would be a good boy, however, at school, I’ll be a monster. I was on a verge of being involved in real gangsterism.

But midyear 2009, my Aunt invited me to her church. After hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ I started to change. I started not to enjoy the things I used to do and gradually my life started to change and is still changing.
My life since took a 180 degrees turn. I no longer smoke glue and I no longer live two lives of hypocrisy. I am a new creation; the old has passed away. I’m currently in the University of North-West South Africa, doing my final year in Bsc Animal health.”

Oageng is now a great witness for Christ, passionate about sharing his faith, and involved in training younger students. Please pray that he will be able to balance the demands of his final year with those of church, Bible study, Acts 1:8, and personal time with the Lord. Please also pray that he will be well prepared over the next few months to leave university and embark on the next stages of his life. We will miss him next year!

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As you have read, the very presence of a healthcare provider like Rebecca can change lives. By practicing compassionate care and demonstrating the love of Christ, they can transform communities. Help MedSend ensure that Rebecca can continue her work with students lik Koketso and Shaun in South Africa by giving today.