Anna Snyman, known by many people living in Africa and around the world as Oumie, dedicated her life to interceding with the love of Christ on behalf of not only the most vulnerable children, Care Workers and Primary Caregivers, but on behalf of each individual that she came into contact with. She exemplified the words in Ephesians 6:18: '...and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.'
Committed to seeking the Lord, sharing the Gospel and developing a deeper level of intimacy with her Creator, Oumie brought hope into people’s lives through her faithful dedication to prayer, pressing on in the challenges and when it seemed hopeless. On October 11th 2019, Oumie passed away, and is now at peace in the loving arms of our Saviour, Jesus, leaving behind a legacy of prayer and an incredible example of what it means to hope in Jesus Christ.
As you read a reflection from Jayme Chotowetz, International Office Volunteer (Canada), we invite you to prayerfully consider how you can speak faith, hope and love into the lives of people you encounter on a daily basis.
“As I write these words today I feel a deep loss and desire to be with my friend, Oumie. There is a mom I know who is struggling against addiction and is at risk of having her new precious babe taken from her. There is a boy who she cried out to our Lord for, sowed in tears, who is now sitting in a jail cell somewhere in our province. There are my family members and friends who continue to struggle daily against physically debilitating diseases.
There is my own broken heart and broken relationships. There are people who she prayed for who have yet to see the full harvest of her prayers, who we continue to battle in prayer for. Her friendship meant a safe place where I could bring the burdens that this world lays on us and know that she would help me to lay them down at His altar and I could follow her lead of trusting Him for the redeeming story.
I believed Oumie had God’s ear. (James 5:16) I saw with my own eyes some of these redeeming stories play out before me and heard of many more wonderful miracles as a result of her prayers—lives changed, family members turning back to one another, angels appearing, God making a way in seemingly hopeless situations.
To pray for others is the humble path of learning to care more for others and God’s will, than self. It’s the kind of role where you aren’t recognized because the glory goes to God. The kind of role that Oumie loved and joyfully took up in our Hands at Work community.
Oumie battled Cancer for years. Many times she was very ill and even hospitalized, but then miraculously restored and brought back to the home that she loved and shared with George, Carolyn and Niki in the Hands at Work community in South Africa. Each time I wondered about what prayers God needed her yet to pray, whose life He needed to yet touch through her example.
She didn’t rush or hurry her time in prayer, but found contentment in letting her prayer life seep into the everyday moments, into her thoughts and even her time of rest, often waking in the night and feeling the need to get out of bed and pray. But not just feeling the need but having the resolve and the faith that her prayers mattered that much to do it.
A special memory I have of Oumie, is walking up the hill to her veranda on a Thursday afternoon for prayers, to see her sitting with a pitcher of water and a few glasses, her bible and prayer journal - sometimes with others and sometimes just faithfully there with God and the birds in those few hours every week of intercession.
Often when I would come up she would go through her list of prayers and say: “well, I’ve already prayed for this one twice today, but let’s pray again.” Or I would learn about a prayer she had been praying for someone for a decade or more. I think her prayers pleased God as they were simple and straightforward but made with great faith that He could and would hear them.
On those Thursday afternoons we spent a lot of time chatting too and from time to time I wondered if we should do more “praying”, but considering it now I believe that this too spoke to the wisdom and integrity of her walk with the Lord. She didn’t have to cram all her intercessory prayers into a three-hour period one day a week as I was trying to do.
Conversations were just as important as prayers in those times as it all informed her own dialogue that she continued after with the Lord. It was important for me not just to witness this but to experience this. This kind of unhurried, deep abiding and trust in Him.
Though it had been hard to tear myself away from the office those Thursdays, I knew that as I did God would do a greater work than I ever could. Now I see the truth of this and feel so privileged to have been able to spend that time with Oumie, with God.
He continues to speak to me through my memories of those times and the conversations we had. It was always a joy to be with Oumie as you felt her fully present with you, concerned and connected and sharing of her beautiful self too.”
Prayer Empowers Our Christian Ministry in Africa
If you have a desire to advocate, to speak up on behalf of others, we encourage you to pray and seek God in His direction for your life. You may be called to intercede with Hands At Work in prayer, or to bring stories of transformation to your friends and family, or to bring awareness to your church or community group. You can advocate through Social Media, by showing Hands at Work videos, listening and sharing our podcasts, or invite a Hands at Work speaker to visit your church or community group.
