Reaching the Surfers of West Africa
Senegal by AVG
Life's journey often leads us on planned and destined paths, orchestrated by God's for those who surrender to His Kingdom. Growing up in a small fishing village on the West Coast of South Africa, Billa Engelbrecht learned about the ocean and its people from his father, a fisherman, who instilled in him the belief in God's individual purpose for each of us. Despite a detour into offshore work in West Africa's Oil & Gas industry, he returned to his roots, leading a Christian Surfers mission in Lambert’s Bay, serving the local community through surfing development and discipleship. Transitioning from a self-focused lifestyle to spreading the Gospel, he and his friend found themselves serving on hospital ships, reaching out to surfing communities in West Africa. Despite the challenges, the response was overwhelmingly positive, with locals eager to hear the Good News and receive their own Surfers Bibles, bringing hope, healing, and salvation.
Read the story below of how Billa Engelbrecht from CS South Africa is reaching the surfers of West Africa with God’s Word.
Christian Surfers is currently printing and distributing a brand-new Surfers Bible, so God’s word can get into the hands of surfers everywhere. 6,000 French Bibles will be distributed to French-speaking nations; like Senegal, Mauritius, Reunion and Madagascar. The French Surfers Bible currently has a funding shortfall of US$10,000 that needs to be met to finalize the printing, distribute on and digital platform.
Help us get the French Surfers Bible over the line by donating here.
Life takes a person on many journeys, some planned, some destined, yet never by co-incidence, as God has a very specific plan with those who surrender to and seek His Kingdom.
I grew up in a small fishing village on the west coast of South Africa. My father being a fisherman taught me the ways of the ocean, its rhythms, tides, inhabitants, and also about its people, mostly all local fishermen. Most importantly, he taught me bout how God has a specific plan, purpose, job, for each one of us, big or small. This always stuck with me, wondering what God has in store for my life…This Plan of His, and would he really choose me to forward His Kingdom on earth one day…
The crew that served on his cray fishing vessels were from the native tribes Ciskei and Transkei, and from a very young age God gave me a deep passion and heart for these people, as I grew up around them, learned about their ways, their culture, as well as how they experience God in their daily lives out at sea.
A few years after my National service on a Navy ship, I realized I had a deep yearning to return to the ocean, and not long after I started working Offshore in West Africa, in the Oil & Gas industry.
…Our ways are not God’s ways, and after 12 years out there, the curtains closed, and this dream came to a dead stop…
God is not interested in our careers, but our characters…..and He purposefully tests us with all He grants and entrusts us with in life. Opportunities, people, open doors, even closed doors, for He has the plans for our lives…plans to prosper us, give us Hope and a Future, not plans to harm us.. Jer 29:11
Without really knowing where to next in life, My wife and I were given the opportunity to lead a Christian Surfers mission in my home town of Lambert’s Bay, working with and serving the local community children, through surfing development, discipleship, beach church services, and many other uplifting activities and skills development programs.
The “B I B L E” ( Best Instructions Before Leaving Earth) is the Spirit-inspired and Living Word of God, given to us, to Inform, Instruct, Uplift, Guide, teach, Warn, strengthen and comfort us, as we live our lives here on earth.
It’s the True Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ, who became living flesh, serving the lost, sick, poor and forgotten, bringing hope and healing through the Word, Himself.
With nowhere to turn but the Lord for a way forward after my Offshore work stopped, He miraculously opened doors for me and a lifelong friend, who I only had contact with every few years or so
To our amazement, and before we knew it, we were serving on board the World’s two largest hospital ships, The Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy, serving the poor, bringing hope and healing to the lost and forgotten around Africa.
Work took us to many West African destinations on a frequent schedule, including the most exotic surf breaks and beaches, but most importantly led us directly to its local people, the fishermen, the surfers, the locals.
Instead of continuing in a selfish, self-absorbed lifestyle of more waves, more spots, more this more that, we got WORD/BIBLE inspired to reach out to these communities. I command you, Go into all the world, preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of Christ to them…Matthew 28: 19-20….
Opportunities to connect and reach out to the locals, came in like a clean-up set, through Surf Camp and Surf school owners, completely open to the idea of Sharing Christ and His Word with them freely. This all in a 95 % Muslim Community, with surf-crazed kids living for the next session, simply to escape their daily realities, on the streets of Dakar, Senegal, carving out a day to survival lifestyle, desperate for something to give them direction, hope and a future.
We started connecting with the local people in the surf, and offer them something way more valuable than the best waves or session ever, even outdoing their hottest tropical surf spots, and that being The Word of the Living God.
With the assistance of Christian surfers Africa, and France, we could walk straight into these communities and surf schools around Dakar, armed with the promise of God always going out in front of us, that His Word shared or preached will never return void ( Isaiaha 55: 11 ), few boxes of Surfer Bibles in the locals language, a 7’0 single-fin straight from the seventies, and lots of sunblock.
Our approach was simple, connect, start a relationship with them during our frequent visits there, and share the Gospel with them unashamedly and boldly,
The response was mind-blowingly surprising, and from young to old, whoever we shared with was so open to hearing The GOOD NEWS, of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There were many opportunities for prayer, speaking into their lives, and life changing conversations shared while enjoying coconuts and mangoes. Most of the local never had their own personal Bibles, or even seen one. Soon there were people from across the globe working on board the Africa Mercy, as well as Global Mercy hospital ships, that joined us on these surf outreaches, eager to assist in the mission of reaching surfing communities, spreading the Word of God
The impact of connecting with these people, being able to freely share the Way The Truth and Light from the Surfer bible with them was seriously humbling to us.
On the other hand, their lives were changed, transformed, and a new mindset for daily living was grasped at by the locals. It stirs me deeply to, be able to freely do these Surf Outreaches, to encourage, uplift, comfort, teach and share from the Word of God.
To hear and try to understand the huge challenges these locals face on a daily basis, having to carve, slice, chop, and force out a daily existence without having a solid foundation, backup plan, family, finances, resources or spiritual guidance in it all, was a huge wake up call to us, in the sense of how blessed we truly are, to be able to share The Word of God with them.
The desperate acceptance and openness for this NEW way, the Way of Christ, giving hope, healing, forgiveness, and most importantly salvation from their ways of surviving, changed many mindsets upon hearing the Good News. This is all through simply by gifting them with their personal handbook of life, a Surfers Bible, not just for daily living, but for eternal salvation. The all-encompassing Surfer Bible, it’s layout and surfers’ personal testimonies included, was the BEST GIFT these locals ever received, some immediately sat down and got straight into it….
Through God’s grace and favour and provision, we will continue reaching out to surfing communities around Africa, building relationships, spreading the Good News, handing out Surfer Bibles, praying, encouraging, teach, and letting the Word of the Living God transform, guide and comfort the hopeless, lost, sick and needy.
All the glory to God
Billa Engelbrecht