ccm Cross 0153 Cornerstone Hekpoort , South Africa

ccm Cross 0153
Tuesday October 24, 2018

Cornerstone
Hekpoort , South Africa
ccm Cross 0153

GPS/DMS 25°53’36.48″ S 27°36’14.13″ E

Today’s Author: Pastor Bill

Scripture: Deuteronomy 10:21
“He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen” NKJV

Hello, my name is Winnie Thompson, and this is my Cross testimony of how the Lord walked with us as we talked with Him and shared our needs and burdens.

My story begins in Harare the capital city of Zimbabwe. I was number five of eight children. My dad was a teacher and mom stayed home looking after us. We grew up in church, but I did not receive Jesus Christ as Lord of my life until high school. I was invited to a Scripture Union Bible camp and that was the first time I learned about being born again. I said yes to the Lord immediately.

I walked with the Lord through college and became a computer programming secretarial assistant. Three years later I was transferred to Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. It wasn’t long until I met Aubrey, the guy one floor down (ccm Cross 0154 – The Rock). We dated for about six months, got engaged and one year later were married. We were raising three children with good jobs, walking with the Lord, attending a wonderful church with great friends. We were blessed by the Lord with a pleasant life. But it wasn’t until we lost everything that our walk with the Lord took on a whole new meaning.

We lost our jobs, couldn’t pay our bills and sleepless nights of worry and stress attacked us. We tried to hold everything together while our country was crumbling all around us. In desperation we started a business that failed — and there was nowhere to turn for money. Our country was bankrupt, our families were bankrupt, our friends and church were bankrupt. We were bankrupt.

Aubrey prayed and wanted to leave Zimbabwe and start a new life in South Africa, but I was not sure. Just the thought of leaving family brought tears to my eyes. Once, twice and a third time the Lord answered Aubrey’s prayers as we had opportunities to move.

I could not take any more stress and I pleaded with the Lord to end the sleepless nights. Then I heard the Lord say, “go.” We sold everything we had for so little and then boarded a bus for Cape Town, South Africa. We had one suitcase. We had an envelope of money for everything we sold. The TV, clothing, furniture and food. We wanted to replace it all when we reached our new location. But it was not to be. It all went for basic living expenses.

Aubrey had a more difficult time finding work than I did — work was so difficult to get without the right papers, that at one point I was even willing to become a domestic maid. I tried as much as I could to find work and became the bread winner for a season.

I remember taking our children to the grocery store with a list that may have numbered ten items — with not enough money to buy even that. The kids would ask for a simple treat. We had to say no. It broke our hearts. We found a great church and attended as much as we could.

Our devotion time with the kids became very special. Every night we would pray together and ask the Lord for help. Our family bible verse became Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” NKJV

Every day we prayed it, we lived it and we believed it.

Then our angel arrived. A man whose name was Dennis from our church heard from the Lord that he was to help us. We didn’t know him, and we never asked him or anyone else for money. We prayed over our budget which was always larger than the income we had. We asked the Lord to provide what we could not make. Then Dennis would appear or call and ask to meet. He always had an envelope with the exact amount of money needed. The Lord knew and as we trusted in Him He provided through Dennis.

Dennis helped us until Aubrey received a full-time job. With Aubrey working as the administrator for the Scripture Union Camp I was hired on to help. The Lord gave me grace and I was able to use my administrative skills to maintain the kitchen, rooms and grounds. We made a great team.

A few years later we left our jobs at the Scripture Union and had the opportunity to own two camps. The Rock Camp and Cornerstone Camp for the Lord. The Rock Camp went smoothly but Cornerstone Camp was presented to us by swindlers who were attempting to take advantage of us. We signed on with expectations that the principals were unable to meet.

I was in the kitchen one day praying over being swindled when I heard from the Lord, “The wind of the Holy Spirit will turn this situation around.” That was it. I knew the Lord would take care of us.

Soon the bank took the camp into receivership and the principals were removed from all negotiating. The bank was willing to sell to us for one third of the amount the others were asking. It was a Cornerstone Miracle. Once again, the Lord proved, as we trusted in Him, He would take care of us.

What started out as a good business deal turned into a swindlers delight, with us as the victims. But the scoundrels were thrown out by the Holy Spirit wind and The Cornerstone Miracle has preserved the Camp for the Lord as a special place for His people. To God be all the Glory.

My favorite Bible verse is our family verse Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” NKJV — How can it be anything else. It has stood with us from the beginning.

The Cross to me is a reminder of what Jesus did for me. I am qualified for heaven because of His sacrifice. I am a child of God and His grace is sufficient for me.

And all who enter Cornerstone Camp will see the Cross of what Jesus Christ did for us as He continues to direct our paths.

Prayer: Father thank you for watching over those You love and making ways where there are no ways. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!