Tag: Aina

One Seed, Part 2

Today we continue the story of the young missionary couple, David and Svea Flood. They left their home in Sweden to minister in what at the time was Belgian Congo. The year was 1921. Things were primitive and discouraging for them. Svea died after giving birth to a baby girl. David blamed God for ruining his life. He left the baby girl in the care of the Ericksons (another missionary couple ministering in Congo) and returned to Sweden. Click here to read Part 1.
________________________________________________________________________________
No matter how dark things get, we need to remember God’s not finished yet. David and Svea Flood’s h4c-davidsvea-floodstory is adapted from their daughter Aggie’s personal account.

One Seed
Part 2

Within eight months both the Ericksons were stricken with a mysterious illness. Some believe they were poisoned by a local chief who hated the missionaries. The couple died within days of each other.

The nine-month-old baby Aina was given to an American missionary couple named Berg, who adjusted her Swedish name to “Aggie” and eventually brought her back to the United States at age three.

The Bergs loved little Aggie. They were afraid if they tried to return to Africa, some legal obstacle might separate her from them. At that time, they’d been unable to legally adopt her. So they decided to stay in the United States and switch from missionary work to pastoral ministry.

Aggie grew up in South Dakota. As a young woman, she attended North Central Bible college in Minneapolis. There she met and married a young preacher named Dewey Hurst.

Years passed. The Hursts enjoyed a fruitful ministry. Aggie gave birth first to a daughter, then a son. In time her husband became president of a Christian college in the Seattle area, and Aggie was intrigued to find so much Scandinavian heritage there.

One day around 1963, a Swedish religious magazine appeared in her mailbox. She had no idea who sent it, and of course she couldn’t read the words. But as she turned the pages, all of a sudden a photo stopped her cold. There in a primitive setting in the heart of Africa was a grave with a white cross and on the cross was her mother’s name, SVEA FLOOD.

Aggie jumped in her car and drove straight to a college faculty member who, she knew, could translate the article. “What does this say?” she asked.

The instructor translated the story:
It tells about missionaries who went to N’dolera in the heart of the Belgian Congo in 1921… the birth of a white baby girl… the death of the young missionary mother… the one little African boy who had been led to Christ… and how, after all the whites had left, the little African boy grew up and persuaded the chief to let him build a school in the village.

The article told how this now grown man gradually won all his students to Christ… the children led their parents to Christ… even the chief had become a Christian. Today (1963) there were six hundred Christian believers in that one village.

Because of the willingness of David and Svea Flood to answer God’s call to Africa, because they endured so much but were still faithful to witness and lead one little boy to trust Jesus, God had saved six hundred people.

That little boy, as a grown man, became head of the Pentacostal Church and leader of 110,000 Christians in Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo).

At the time Svea Flood died, it appeared, to human reason, that God had led the young couple to Africa, only to desert them in their time of deepest need.

But that wasn’t the end of the story. It’s only the end of Part 2.

Join us next week for Part 3 of the Floods’ story. So you don’t miss out, click on FOLLOW US. In the page that opens, fill out your email information on the right hand side of the page. Our posts will be delivered directly to your email inbox.

© 2016 Hope4Congo

One Seed, Part 1

h4c-davidsvea-floodWe are more than conquerors. The powers of hell can never separate us from God’s love. The story of David and Svea Flood, missionaries to the Belgian Congo, illustrates this truth of God’s faithfulness and unfailing love even during the darkest hours.

God begins a work, bringing life and light to people and nations. His light grows ever brighter over time despite human events and Satan’s efforts to thwart God’s work.

At times as you read this 4-part story of the Flood family, it may seem as if the light is gone, but be encouraged. The story’s not over yet.
________________________________________________________________________________
David and Svea Flood’s story is adapted from their daughter Aggie’s personal account.

One Seed
Part 1

In 1921, a missionary couple named David and Svea Flood went with their two-year-old son David, from Sweden to the heart of Africa—to what was then called the Belgian Congo. They met up with another young Scandinavian couple, the Ericksons, and the four of them sought God for direction. In those days of much tenderness and devotion and sacrifice, they felt led by the Lord to go out from the main mission station and take the gospel to a remote area.

This was a huge step of faith. At the isolated village of N’dolera they were rebuffed by the chief, who would not let them enter his village for fear of alienating the local gods. The two couples opted to go half a mile up the slope and build their own mud huts.

They prayed for a spiritual breakthrough, but there was none. Their only contact with the villagers was a young boy, who was allowed to sell them chickens and eggs twice a week. Svea Flood—a tiny woman, only four feet, eight inches tall, decided that if this was the only African she could talk to, she would try to lead the boy to Jesus. And in fact, after many weeks of loving and witnessing to him, he trusted Christ as his Savior.

But there were no other encouragements.

Malaria struck one member of the little band after another. In time, the Ericksons decided they’d had enough suffering and left to return to the central mission station. David and Svea Flood remained near N’dolera to go on alone.

Then, in the middle of that primitive wilderness, Svea became pregnant. When the time came for her to give birth (1923), the village chief softened enough to allow a midwife to help her. A little girl was born, whom they named Aina (A-ee-nah).

The delivery exhausted Svea. She was already weak from bouts of malaria. The birth process was a heavy blow to her weakened stamina. After seventeen desperate days of prayer and struggle, she died.

Inside David Flood, something snapped. His heart full of bitterness, he dug a crude grave, buried his twenty-seven-year-old wife and took his children back down the mountain to the mission station.

Giving his newborn daughter to the Ericksons, he said, “I’m going back to Sweden. I’ve lost my wife, and I can’t take care of this baby. God has ruined my life.” With two-year-old David, he headed for the coast, rejecting not only his calling, but God himself.

End of Part 1, but the story isn’t over.

Join us next week for Part 2 of the Floods’ story. So you don’t miss out, click on FOLLOW US. In the page that opens, fill out your email information on the right hand side of the page. Our posts will be delivered directly to your email inbox.

Praise Report & Prayer Requests
• Charles Buller thanks all of you who held he and his team in your hearts during the most recent Congo Leadership Support seminars in Congo (September 25 – October 7). He said, “I believe the Spirit met all of us—presenters and participants alike—in profound ways that certainly exceeded my expectations. 250+ brothers and sisters joined us for these transformative events—many who walked well over 100 kilometers to do so. Please pray a blessing over these dear souls.”
• Continue to pray for the political situation in Congo.

© 2016 Hope4Congo