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THROUGH EVERY BORDER
How Prayer Carried the Mission Forward
In this 75th Anniversary Year there is no-one better equipped to comment on the crucial
and powerful place of prayer in SGA’s ministry, than former General Director William Smylie. William served in the Mission for almost thirty years, as Field Rep, Field Director, and finally General Director. Questioned about the importance of prayer in the Mission’s work he responded:
The founder of SGA, Peter Deyneka, always stressed the absolute essential of believing prayer since the Mission’s inception. The teams travelling behind the Iron Curtain in the early days were totally cast upon God through believing prayer when they had to pass through difficult borders, carrying assistance for the believers. We not only prayed for ourselves as we approached the frontiers, but we also prayed that the Lord would protect the believers in-country whom we were visiting, since they had to continue to live after our departure under regimes that opposed Christianity.
William states that SGA always endeavoured to provide reliable, up-to-date information for prayer supporters. Voluntary local representatives organised prayer groups in their areas. They arranged meetings at which staff members shared information about recent mission trips. William’s predecessor as General Director, Trevor Harris, emphasised that reports should be absolutely factual: ‘Make sure you tell it as it is!’
William recalls some specific answers to prayer, one from Romania in Communist times.
Trevor Harris and I were to be involved in teaching a group in the mountains. The plan was for us to go to a certain flat where we would meet up with some friends. Then at approx 1.00 a.m. we would leave to start our journey. The reason behind our time of departure was to hopefully avoid being stopped at a Police control point on the edge of the city. The control was normally 24 hrs a day. The red light would mean we had to stop and we knew we would all be severely questioned as to where we were going and why… we prayed that God would control those lights… We sought the Lord earnestly and set off… Still some distance away from the control point, we could see the lights were green and we proceeded as quietly as we could – and sailed straight through… a cause for relief and gratitude to God for His hand upon our trip where we had a blessed week with our friends on the mountain camp.
Romania
In the 1990s former staff member Tony Crosbie and William were in Serbia. Conflict was increasingly likely and tensions were high. Tony was teaching in the north of the country and William further south. After the evening service William set out to collect Tony and then head for home. The roads were very deserted and the atmosphere was still and tense. William was stopped by police who said he was speeding – he was not. They demanded an exorbitant fine which William could not pay. He felt very vulnerable on that lonely mountain road and sent up a ‘telegram prayer’ for God’s help. After a lot of gesticulations and going back and forth to their car the police dropped their demand significantly so William could pay. For him it was an amazing answer to prayer – given that he and Tony were able to leave the country just a few days before war began!
The fallout from the war in the Balkans was catastrophic. Reports from SGA friends at Bread of Life in Belgrade told of overwhelming need among thousands of refugees who flooded into the city. British passport holders were not welcome, and William and Beth were the only couple who could access Irish passports. In this grave situation where the need for SGA’s financial support was critical, they volunteered to take in the support.
We certainly needed much prayer. The only way open to us was to fly to Romania and travel by taxi to the border with Serbia… When we showed our passports at the border the guards said “Big problem”, looking on us with hatred and shaking their heads. After taking them inside their building they eventually came running out saying “Ok, Ok” when they saw the Irish stamp. They took us inside and made us count out all the money – a very considerable amount – which made us feel uneasy… We felt the Lord so near as we walked under the gaze of those guards until we eventually entered the country. What a joy it was for Bread of Life to get the provision they so badly needed… Truly our reliance on the Lord at such a time displayed to us His mighty power to overcome all obstacles. Nothing was too hard for Him.
There were many times when William witnessed clear answers to prayer, but actually over the decades the work has been bathed in prayer. Faithful SGA supporters have taken up the challenge of engaging in the great spiritual battle for souls on their knees! For this we thank God continually and ask you simply – ‘Keep on praying!’ ‘Much prayer, much power…’