Nice Betty

For months on end the Railways refused to pay David’s salary to his wife. The Army Officials promised to sort it out and then there was a backlog in their payment structure. There were no letters from David and no explanation why she had received no money for seven months. Betty watched the children going to bed hungry and she remembered how the Raper’s had prayed and God had answered. She grabbed the horns of the altar. She prayed but the answer did not come. As a last resort she approached her mother in law hoping for some act of kindness. When they arrived on the farm Granny Nettie made it quite clear that she and her children were not welcome to stay and Betty had to walk all the way back to the station with her six children; to catch the afternoon train from Mareetsane to Mafeking. The rejection was painful. She had no one to turn to. Betty prayed all the way on the train, crying out to God as she watched her hungry children filling up on water. She returned home to find that Andrew, her brother in law, had been moved with compassion. He brought her a cow to milk and a bag of maize meal. “The meal is for the cow.” Andrew said. Betty knew that she would sift it so that her children would have porridge in the morning. Then as clearly as she had heard it on the stoop at Berger’s she heard an inner voice say: “Go and speak to Mr. Mincham.” She knew the voice was not her imagination. Like Samuel she obeyed and ran to the Offices where Mr. Mincham was in charge. As she walked into his office, his opening remark was: “I am so glad you have come. I have just today, sorted out your Money.” and reaching into his desk he produced an envelope loaded with pounds. Eight months salary and the army pay out. Betty cried uncontrollably. These were tears of joy. Her tears flowed in thanksgiving to the God who always provided. A few months later, when the pastor asked for donations to complete the building of the church hall, Betty opened the envelope and paid for the Roof to be put on.