“All dollar dealings suspended.”
The message of the telegram was clear and it was enough to strike a cold, gnawing fear into any heart. The year was 1929, the time of the stock market crash. Six years before, Wallace and Ruth Logan had left their family and friends and also a thriving electrical contracting business in Buffalo, NY, to serve the Lord in a remote part of central Africa then known as Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). They had gone out without the promise of a penny from any individual or organization, looking to God alone to supply their needs.
God had given them a family of three children and He had blessed their efforts among the Africans. Many had trusted Christ as Saviour. To meet the needs of a growing mission station, they had an extensive building program underway including the construction of a church building to seat 2000 people. Hired African workers would need payment at the end of the month.
Now they held a telegram from their bank in Africa informing them that because of the unsound dollar, American money would no longer be honored. At that time all their financial support came from the United States and Canada. Not knowing how He would supply, they clung to God in faith trusting His promise in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
Before the end of the month, when the workmen’s payroll was due, there came a check from a Christian they had never heard of in Ireland. The next month there was a gift from New Zealand, then Australia. And so it continued until the American financial crisis had sufficiently resolved so that banks in Africa would once again accept United States currency. Then, interestingly, the other sources quietly dried up.
After that experience Mr. Logan would say, “Even if you quote Hebrews 13:5 backwards, it still holds true, ‘Thee forsake, nor thee leave never will I.’”
CANADIAN MILK DELIVERY—IN AFRICA!
“Before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isa. 65:24).
Their home base was Chavuma Mission but they would make evangelistic forays on foot to outlying areas. One such extended trip was planned in the land lying to the west of the Zambezi River. In that remote region no fresh milk was available for their twin toddlers. The obvious answer was to take along powdered milk, but they had none and the nearest store was a 12 week round trip journey by river. Mr. and Mrs. Logan prayed, asking God to provide for the twins.
At that time, the mail came by runner approximately every six weeks from the distant outpost of Broken Hill. The actual arrival, though, varied a great deal. The day before the long trek was to begin the runner arrived and in the mail bag was a package from a Christian woman in Canada. An accompanying note read, “Dear brother and sister Logan, I was downtown shopping buying milk for my baby when I thought of your twins and wondered if you might be glad of some too. I was planning on mailing it another day, but as I passed by a post office right in the store, the Lord seemed to say, ‘Why not mail it now?’ So I went right to the PO counter and mailed you the can of milk. I hope you receive it all right.” It was enough to last the whole time that they would be gone!
Long before the need had arisen, the Lord had laid it on the heart of this woman to buy and send the powdered milk so that even with the slow mail traveling by boat, train, truck and finally for many miles on foot, it would arrive at exactly the right moment. The Lord even led her when to mail it. If she had purchased the milk, taken it home to wrap it, then mailed it at the usual post office a few days later, it would likely have arrived too late. The timing of the Lord is perfect.
THE LORD’S SPARE PARTS DEPARTMENT
“My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
There were no schools in that part of Africa in those early days. As their children grew, the problem arose regarding their education. The Lord answered this need for them and for many other missionaries through the opening of the Sakeji School which had two long terms a year. Of necessity, this had to be a boarding school. The 1200 mile round trip was taken four times yearly over rough dirt roads.
On one occasion, the Logans were making this journey in their pickup truck. Being hundreds of miles from the nearest town, Mr. Logan would carry spare truck parts for things that were liable to break down. On this particular trip the vehicle sputtered and came to a stop. In the hot African sun he raised the hood and, as persistent honey flies buzzed around his head, he checked things out. He found that the fuel pump had chosen that moment to end its useful life. No problem, he had a spare one. When he tried to install it, however, there was no way it would fit. He had been sold the wrong size.
Now what should he do? They were many miles from help on this remote African road. His young family was vulnerable. How would God provide here? The insects continued to buzz…but what was that other sound? Some of the children put their ears to the ground, African fashion, then excitedly said, “A car’s coming!” Yes, now there was the distinct hum of an approaching vehicle. As it pulled up they recognized the driver, an agnostic acquaintance. “What’s the problem?”
“My fuel pump has broken and the spare one that I have is the wrong size,” Mr. Logan replied.
“I have a spare pump,” responded the acquaintance, “but I’m afraid it won’t fit your truck since my vehicle is a different make and model. By the way, you should make sure you have the right part before you get out into the middle of nowhere!”
“You’re right,” said Mr. Logan, “but I know the Lord will provide for us.”
Unable to be of assistance, the man drove off. But shortly he was back. “In the outside chance that my fuel pump might just happen to fit your GMC pickup,” he suggested, “let me just check it.” He got it out and found to his astonishment that it was the wrong pump for his own vehicle, but exactly the right one for the Logan’s truck! The man exclaimed, “I wish I had a bit of Logan’s luck.”
Mr. Logan replied, “You do not need ‘Logan’s luck,’ but what you do need is Logan’s God.”
Soon the pump was installed and the family was on its way again.
A LAKE JUST FOR US
On another occasion they were hundreds of miles from their mission station, stranded in the sizzling African heat. The faithful GMC pickup had come to a stop with a horrible, grinding sound from the wheel bearing. The burnt smell in the air confirmed their fears—they could not move. In this particular section of Africa vehicles seldom traveled and it could be weeks before another might pass by. What was the family going to do?
The gravity of their plight was apparent when they found that the back-up drinking water bag had developed a leak and had lost all of its precious contents. The bag which they had been using through the morning was almost empty. Mrs. Logan wisely rationed out the remaining life-sustaining liquid in teaspoons, but it wasn’t enough. The relentless African sun beat down without mercy on the forlorn group.
Behind them lay many miles where there had been no rivers. Before them the distance to the nearest river was unknown. Running out of drinking water is not a pleasant experience. One’s mind thinks of similar instances. An elder from the assembly back at the mission station at Chavuma went on a trip, lost his way on a vast African plain, and ran out of water. Search parties found him on the third day close to death. It was said that his tongue had swelled up so much that he could not speak.
As Mr. Logan was dismantling the burnt wheel bearing which had turned blue with heat, somber faces of the little children reflected their serious plight. “Mother,” said Paul, “are you sure there’s no more water?” The words tugged at the heart of the courageous missionary. Mother Logan was a godly woman who knew how to rise above trials. She had taught her children to look up instead of around. In an effort to cheer up the children, she got them singing choruses. However, this became a problem with their dry throats. The next thing she did was to put into practice the Scriptures, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you.” She gathered the children around in a circle and each one prayed. What a never-to-be-forgotten prayer meeting! The earnestness of that prayer group of young and old in the burning sun left an indelible impression on the lives of the missionary kids. What a heritage she was passing on to her children! Although the wording of each prayer differed, the theme was the same, “Lord, we are desperate, please direct us to where we can find water and another wheel bearing.” This was one prayer meeting where no one stayed home to do homework.
After prayer the group looked up the road and were delighted to see a bicyclist approaching. The children clapped their hands gleefully. “Look! The Lord has answered our prayer!” The cyclist was asked if there were any rivers in the direction from which he had come. His reply brought a dejected silence, “No, there are no rivers around here.” The disappointment written in their eyes was agonizing. What does one do when one prays and the heavens appear to be still, silently mocking?
But this was a good opportunity for this missionary couple to demonstrate to their children in a practical way that God wants us to “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Back to prayer they went. There was not flowery wording; no words to impress others. Hearts earnestly besought God’s help in this desperate situation. In fact, it seemed that they almost forgot the presence of the others and each one sensed the closeness of the Lord.
The quietness was abruptly interrupted with a shot. “Look up ahead! Can you see what I see?” In the distance a traveler was walking toward them. The obvious question went through each of their minds, “If there are no nearby rivers, how and where would this pedestrian find water for his journey?” The group of stranded travelers, who had earnestly prayed, could hardly wait. The man confirmed that there were no rivers nearby. However, the next bit of news electrified the hearts of all. He went on to say that a short distance ahead, but off the road in the forest, was a lake where hunters were camping. He was willing to lead the missionary family there.
Coming out to that hunter’s camp on the lake side was the most beautiful sight in the world! The hunters gave them drinking water, took them in their truck to their destination, and then took a long journey out of their way to obtain a replacement bearing.
Regardless of the trials that God entrusts to His people, He does not forget those who live by faith. “He that cometh to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).
THE IDEAL TRAVEL AGENT
In 1951, there were nine in the Logan family and it was time for furlough. The chapel at Chavuma Mission had needed major repairs and, as much as possible, all available funds had been poured into these renovations. It was the firm conviction of Wallace and Ruth Logan to neither ask for money nor to make financial needs known to anyone except God alone. They took Him at His Word in Philippians 4:6, “Let your requests be made known unto God.” They believed that changing the word “God” to “man” would deprive them of the joy of seeing God answer in His own special way.
Enough funds were available for the family to drive 500 miles to the nearest train station and to take the train another 2,500 miles to the port city of Capetown. While in South Africa, God provided the wherewithal to take the ship to Southampton, England. Again while there the needed money, with little left over, was supplied to get the family to the United States.
The ship docked in New York and the family was delighted to be met by some believers in Christ who through the years had been praying for the Lord’s work in central Africa. When the luggage was reclaimed on the dock, there was a fee of twenty-four dollars and a few cents. Mr. Logan looked in his wallet. There were four dollars and some change, but that was it. Wondering what to do next, he sighed and rested his hands in his coat pockets. He felt a piece of paper and recalled that one of the Christians who had met them had handed it to him. Pulling it out, he found it was a twenty dollar bill. Handing the money to the official, he said, “There’s your twenty-four dollars and twenty-two cents.”
It was not long afterward that the Lord very wonderfully provided a new nine-passenger, six-door De Soto sedan in which the whole family could travel while on furlough.
God is great enough for the biggest of needs. But He can also handle the smallest detail. “There hath not failed one word of all His good promises” (1 Ki. 8:56).
Written by Paul and David Logan