History is full of God using ordinary people to do extraordinary work for God. Some of such persons included men like William Carey, an ordinary cobbler who became the father of modern missions. Gladys Aylward who was rejected by mission agencies as who was rejected by her mission agency as unfit for pioneer missionary but ended up as the greatest trailblazer China ever had. Oswald J. Smith was so sick that he could not survive the mission field. He returned to Canada to pioneer The Peoples Church. The church has no equal today regarding missionaries sent and supported by any contemporary church. God is still at work using mere men to do the impossible. Modern mission history cannot be completed without the mention of a great heroine, Elsie Devandree. In this edition, our Assistant Editor, Baiyewu Mary brought to light the unpublished story of this selfless widow who has been committed to dispelling darkness from the dark nations of the world. Her missionary journey will inspire anyone on the path of daring the devil to enthrone the Lordship of Jesus where He was not known.
For over a decade now, Elsie, a woman with an intense passion for unreached people in rural areas has served on a short-term basis with Grace Foundation Inland Missions by donating one month each year to the service of God’s kingdom in different jungles across Nigeria. She also served as a guest speaker at several international mission’s events like African Missions Summit and Missions Fests and had labored in no fewer than 22 nations including Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Pakistan, India, etc.
The secret of her successful missionary service over the years was networking with credible mission and church organizations. In South Africa, she does not compromise the membership of Peniel Missions International where she has drawn a lot of inspiration from her spiritual father, Pastor John Ramasamy. At the same time, she had maintained a steady network relationship with a Canadian group, Missions Exposures and Training(MET) from where she graduated in the year 2004. Elsie has a personal relationship with Gerald and Patricia Golbeck who were leaders of MET when she was a student. They contributed immensely to mentoring her to become what she is today. Her ministry with MET as one of the organization’s Directors has served to open the door to several nations of the world. Elsie recalls how her study at MET paved the way for her to speak at one of the women’s conference in Zambia on “Women in Missions at Grassroots Level.” That open door has led to several other open doors. One of such open doors was the opportunity to lead prayer groups, teach on deliverance issues and present papers at the Mission Fest across Africa continent. She received three sets and sometimes more each year to Durban to expose them to the various religious centers in the city like Hindu and Islamic Propagation Centre. She also presents the students to several Christian organizations serving in the area to get familiar with their unique ministries during which they can develop friendship and partnership relationship.
In Zambia and surrounding South African countries, she is serving with WOTA under the leadership of Barry and Fredah Illunga since 1995 where she takes care of the poor and needy Angolan refugees. Elsie also works with few other local churches because my involvement in the local church because my participation in the local church was mobilization and encouraging members to serve with me outside the local church in the community and abroad. Ten years before attending MET, Elsie was already actively involved in international mission. She started missions seven years before that ten years locally using her home as a mission’s base, bringing the sick, the needy, the oppressed, the rejected just to share the love of God and to have a practical ministry with them.
Speaking on how missions affected her marriage, Elsie explains that she has been widowed for 23 years and has been into missions all through those years internationally. Prior to that was seven years of local missions when her husband was alive. Her ministry at that level was hospitality. Her husband was very supportive with that and helped her in bringing the sick and the needy just to be loved and cared for.
Laboring for 23 years internationally as a widow was no doubt very challenging. Her words: “I trained my kids to travel with me. My eldest daughter was 12 years old, the second was eight, and the last born was six-and-half when they joined me in 1995 on the first mission trip to Zambia and continued to do so until they completed Grade 12. That eased the challenge as for the family since I had three daughters and they were with me. Sometimes, when I left them behind under the care of my dad, my brothers and close family members in the church who took care of their needs. I’m grateful to God for the grace with which he sustained me. God made provisions for that because when we trust Him, we will not sink, God will continue to uplift us”.
Elsie has taken the gospel to at least 22 countries and all the provinces in South Africa. Pakistan was particularly very interesting. She recalls “We were a team of five that were to go, but God knows best, the other four were denied the visa, but my visa was granted. I applied knowing that Pakistan was a closed Islamic country and I would not be allowed in as a missionary. I went in as a tourist, I used the skill development on a sewing project, to reach out to the people of Pakistani in sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Pakistani believers are thirsty for the gospel. They were oppressed and persecuted. The bombing was going on during my visit to Pakistan. The nation and the people were ready for harvest. They were very attentive to the gospel, but as usual, there were some who were resistant to the gospel, but the Lord was in control”.
Elsie added: “I had to be very careful that the word “missionary” did not slip out of my mouth which is sometimes so tempting to say. My host will always tell me to be quiet and not mention that I’m a missionary. We had to take some precautions for the sake of the gospel. The interesting part of it is that in Pakistan, women are not highly acknowledged because of the Islamic culture, but I was well received because I believe it was an appointed time by God Almighty. As I went through the sewing project, I did not only minister to women; I ministered to men, boys, and girls. I identified with their culture in dressing and eating. As a result, it was easy for me to present the gospel of Jesus Christ via friendship evangelism. Well of course in most places, we had home churches, but we also went to some public places, but it was under heavy security where we had gunmen back and front for protection.”
Sharing on her most difficult experiences in missions, Elsie recount loneliness, loss of loved ones, cultural differences, feelings of helplessness when one see so many needs but unable to do anything. Inadequate financial resources, lack of prayer support, singleness as a threat to insecure women and lack of understanding or desire by the churches for souls. Others are unhygienic drinking water, sleeping outside and being exposed to mosquitoes, cobras, scorpions, insect bites.
On the most exciting times she had in missions, Elsie stressed that seeing many embracing Jesus as Lord and deliverance for those who could not help themselves and those bounded by tradition being set free. When I look at the hunger for God and the converts trained to become disciples that are fulfilling the great commission by reaching out to others.
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| Elsie, praying and distributing wrappers to the widows |
Elsie is known for always giving out gifts when she visits the mission fields. She derived particular joy in giving instead of expecting people to give to her. According to her, she lived entirely by faith and depended on God for my provisions. According to her, when people see the fruit of her labor and see the work of God, they start to give her financial support as God leads them. “For me, sharing the love of God means demonstrating Christ’s love in practical ways. I have ministered to the poorest countries, and it’s hard to tell people God loves them when they are starving. I take the excellent opportunity of feeding the poor, working with the oppressed, setting the captives free and loving them through my giving. I love hospitality and cooking. There were times I would just cook up meals for functions, and I don’t charge them, but there would give me honorariums which I, in turn, use in meeting the needs of the poor and the needy. I just love giving because Jesus gave His life and He is a perfect example and inspiration for me. It is more blessed to give than to receive.
As Elsie serves God, she continues to experience God undertake for her. She testified of how God healed and sustained her. “According to medical reports I have Osteoporosis Arthritis brittle bones, and I need to undergo two knee replacements, but for the last eight years, I’ve been up and about doing the Father’s work, not by my power and might. I desire to love God and love others- seeking the best of others patiently, sacrificially and unconditionally. There was a time in Benue when we were lying outside, and a cobra was coming so close. A team member saw it and killed it and burnt it in the fire. There was an outreach where we killed 15 scorpions. We have escaped armed robbery and communal clashes narrowly a few times. God has delivered my team an I narrowly from bomb explosion both in Pakistan and Nigeria several times”.
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| Breakfast on the mission field |
