First, I have to share how I came to know her: She was on the program “Dankie Lottoland” a few weeks ago, whereby pure chance I saw her reading and appreciating her Gideon’s Bible. I tracked her down on Facebook and asked about the testimony behind the little Bible. I am happy to share it with you for further use (her name is Erusha Armoed):
People always came every year from the church in Villiersdorp to hand out Bibles to learners at my old school, Villiersdorp Secondary.
I’m not sure if our Grade also received Bibles that year or not, but I am sure that I never had a Bible of my own. Yes, I received a Bible when I was in Grade 8 or 9, but was still too naïve at that time to understand the value of that little Book.
It was in my Grade 11 year, the year I lost my Grandmother to death and also the year when I started to become undone because I felt worthless and like a failure . . . but then, I found a little Bible.
I remember it was after a break and the classroom was cluttered and noisy. I sat down with a friend of mine in the back of the class. The people handing out Bibles had been to the school a few days before. My pen then fell to the classroom floor in the usual course of boisterous children. I bent down to pick it up and just like that, I saw it as an opportunity to maybe look for a pen under the desks because many learners lose their pens there. There were many chips and candy papers, but no pen. What I did get among that rubbish was a little red Bible.
I was not at all satisfied with the little Bible and wanted a pen. I wanted to put the Bible back under the desk, but my friend grabbed it. I don’t know why, but I then grabbed it back and put it in my school jacket’s pocket. Then I sat down in my place because the class was starting to quiet down.
On the weekend, when I had to wash my school clothes, I came across the little Bible in the pocket of my school jacket and took it out. The Bible was then placed in my school bag for the weekend.
I had to start learning later that night and took the Bible out again because I had to get my books out.
Right there, I remembered how much Grandma loved to read Bible while her grandchildren slept, how she was a praying parent figure to her grandchildren, and how she would always tell us about the Bible. And no, she was never in church on Sundays and neither were her grandchildren. She listened to the church service on the RSG radio station early on Sunday mornings and never missed it.
I wanted to avoid this Bible with everything in me because as a youngster we often try to avoid the truths of the Word. Sometimes we’re not ready to even talk about the Lord or think about Him. But that night I flipped open this little Bible and saw that there was no name inscribed on the front. I then felt that this little Bible had been placed under that desk to find me and not me finding it. I read a verse and to my amazement, I read it over and over again without understanding what I was reading. I then tried to learn, but later opened the Bible again at the same verse. And then it made sense what I was reading.
The next morning, I opened the little Bible before school and read a verse for the day. Then I started to cry. The little Bible got put back in the inside pocket of my school jacket as I left for school. And so it became a routine. Each time I could open my little Bible. I could pray and thank God for being there, for holding me up, and for putting obstacles there to test my faith. For He will never leave me, as He has promised.
Uncle Johan, I took that little Bible out of the garbage and its content also took me out of the garbage.”
Johan Boshoff
Mossel Bay Branch
