A Birthday Letter that brings HOPE

This is from a dear Pastor friends of ours, Rex Holt, given to me with permission to publish on my blog.
I pray that will encourage many!  The Lord is so faithful!

A Birthday Letter to John Mawuli Holt

May 15, 1981

Dear Son.
Welcome to our family! Your mother and I have been looking forward to your arrival for a long time – 16 years and 11 months to be exact. You are certainly a dream come true in many ways. Let me tell you about it.

We had quite an adjustment to make when 12 years ago the doctors told us how impossible it would be to have a baby. Your mother and I were in seminary at Fort Worth during the time, and watching all our friends with their little boys and girls made us desire a child even more. We finally were able to get on our knees and thank the lord for our situation, knowing that “God is that blessed controller of all things.” We knew that God had a wonderful plan for our lives and that all things were working together for our spiritual good and his ultimate purpose. We believed that he would give us spiritual children. However, in the back of our hearts we pondered this exciting thought – one day God himself will give us a child.

In 1974 we understood one of the reasons why you were so late in coming. God was calling us to be missionaries in Togo, Africa. This was to be a part of the promise of spiritual children that would fill our hearts with joy until you came along to make our joy complete.

We talked to your grandparents about our going to Africa. Their response reveals an important part of your spiritual heritage. After explaining to your grandmother and grandfather Holt the call upon our lives, I asked for their counsel. Your grandfather, fighting back the tears, cleared his throat and said, “I’ll sign for you son”. There was nothing to sign – only the signature his words made on my heart. When your grandmother and grandfather Puckett were told of our commitment they replied, “Before Sherry was born we gave her to the Lord”. They were not about to take her back now. Though saddened at the separation, your grandparents were glad and grateful that we wanted to say yes to God’s call.

Our missionary work in Togo has centered around the home. Our “Glory House” as we call it, came to us with a promise attached, “I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of Hosts…and in this place will I give peace”. Couples like Roger and Akoule, Sedjro and Abla began finding peace with God and building their lives and homes upon God’s Holy Word. We became known as Papa Rex and Mama Sherry. A church soon was meeting in our house.

Three o’clock Tuesday afternoon of February 6, 1980 Mawuenyeme, one of the members of the Glory House Church, came to talk. He walks with a limp from a child-hood illness and stutters badly. He opened a small, black French Bible that was worn from constant use. He read slowly and deliberately from Habakkuk, “…for the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie, though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry”. “Pastor”, he began, “I have some good news to announce to you. We have cried with you, but now we will rejoice with you. You will have a child”. He spoke with deep conviction. “The church must now give thanks to God for the promise, God wants the people of Togo to believe that He is alive. You have taught us about the home and about children being a heritage from the Lord. We shall try the Lord in this matter. Do not be troubled, wait upon the Lord…wait with a heart of hope”.

After he left, a keen awareness of God’s presence lingered. I began writing in my notebook, trying to recall everything he said, I told your mother what he said and together we marveled. Mawuenyeme had a dream and saw Sherry holding a baby boy. He said there were other children but he didn’t know what sex they were. All he knew is that the first child would be a boy.

The next night was to be a business meeting at the church. Mawuenyeme took over. He said to the church, “If you send a certified letter to your boss with a certain request and he does not reply, then you do not need to send another letter. He has received it. You can be sure because it is certified mail. If he does not respond immediately you do not need to send another letter of request. What remains is supplication – to plead your case – make an appeal”. He then read 1 John 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him”. He concluded, “I am now calling the church to prayer for our pastor and his wife. Let us covenant together to pray each time we meet, and thank God for this vision of a promised child. Let us supplicate without ceasing”. There was silence. The presence and power of God was awesome. Madame Makany, an African woman full of faith, broke the silence. “Let’s pray”, she said intently. They all fell to their knees and poured out their hearts to God in one accord. This lasted about two hours. There was weeping, then rejoicing. It was a deeply moving time that we shall never forget.

Over he next seven months prayer was made on our behalf during each service. The church in the village of Abobo joined them in the prayer project. Just before leaving Togo last September, Roger, the church leader prayed fervently, “Lord, as long as there is breath in my body I will plead with you for our pastor and his wife to have a baby”. At that very moment, without our realizing it, your mother was carrying you.

Mid September the doctors told us the good news. I returned to Togo November 6 and was met at the airport by a singing, cheering church. They wanted to give you a Togolese name. After services on Sunday, church leaders met to select a name for you. There were seven suggested names. I told the group that I like “Mawuli”, meaning, “God is there” or “God is alive”. However, I wanted the church to choose the name. They decided to put the 7 names on slips of paper. We gathered in a circle and prayed. After praying, Verena, a Nigerian student, took one of the slips and handed it to me. I unfolded it and read, “Mawuli”. The room exploded with joy. “Even the naming of the baby is a miracle”, they declared.

On my return trip from Africa last November, I spent the night in Amsterdam to make connections for the U.S. the next day. The next morning I had about 5 hours before the plane left. I opened wide the curtains and sunlight flooded my hotel room. It was a beautiful morning in Holland. I decided to spend it alone with the Lord. Having left my Bible in the airport locker, I reached for a Gideon New Testament lying on a table next to the bed. As I read from Luke, my heart began to sing, “Thou shalt call his name John”. For years this has been the chosen name, “God’s Gracious Gift”. I picked up a sheet of motel stationary and began to copy the verses, “And thou shalt have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth”. My spirit soared as I continued to read, “and many shall be turned to the Lord…and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit”. I continued to write, “What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the Lord was with him…and his father prophesied…and the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit”.

John, to be perfectly honest, I was not prepared for the intensity of joy that was to come. Friday morning your mother went into labor. We checked into St. Bernard’s Hospital in Jonesboro about 8:00 a.m. Four hours later the contractions intensified and the nurses quickly rolled her from the labor room into delivery. The doctor was paged. He rushed in and everything happened so quickly. At 12:40 p.m. Dr. Berry said calmly, “You’ve got a big boy”.

When I got up to preach the following Sunday I was overwhelmed with the goodness of our God. Joy unspeakable began to fill my heart. My mind was flooded with things I wanted to say, but about all I could do was to stand and weep.

I love you,
Dad

Blessings to you!  You are loved!

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