Meet Anton

Anton

It was no small task to get Anton to join the Oikos program. Alan had been talking to him for over a year, trying to take him to coffee or lunch. Every time he would refuse, uncertain of what his intentions were. “When someone calls you or messages you here, it’s because they want something,” he said. “I couldn’t understand that he just wanted to be my friend.”

The day before our first night of class was scheduled to begin, Alan happened to run into Anton at the gas station where he worked and asked him again to join us for our first night of class. “Come and just see what you think,” Alan said. We weren’t sure he would show up, but today, we’re all so glad that he did!

Anton speaks with quiet assurance. He is confident in who he is and is keenly aware of how God has protected and guided him throughout his life. Born in Malawi, as the 9th of 12 children, it was hard growing up in a country where work is hard to find. He was 12 when his mother passed away, and her death hit him especially hard—he has a deep love for his family.

The pain was compounded when his father married again and moved to another area. In his culture, it’s the norm for stepmoms to be unkind and even abusive to the stepchildren. His father, aware of the situation, talked to him and encouraged him to stay, but it was just too hard. One of his older brothers invited him to live with him at his house in town, and so he packed his belongings and left his father’s house.

With this move, he used his new-found freedom to skip school. School was easy for him, but he was bored by it. He preferred to be outside, so he would wake in the mornings like he was going to school but head in the opposite direction, learning to survive through stealing and drinking. “I was living a life wholly for myself,” he said.

When a friend in Pretoria invited him to stay with him, Anton was intrigued by the promising opportunities and left Malawi for South Africa. He was apprehensive and a wee-bit scared coming into a new city and country. In Pretoria he was still drinking, stealing and womanizing. Looking back now, he is incredibly grateful for God’s hand on his life. He admits that he could be in prison now which would have adversely impacted the trajectory of his life. During his time in Pretoria, someone else had caught his attention, too. Her name was Susan and she lived in Cape Town. So, he packed up and made the move.

Anton attended a house church. Even though he hadn’t attended for a while, he knew about Christianity and knew that he wasn’t a believer. He had no idea that the next two months would be some of the most difficult for him. With a baby on the way, both found themselves suddenly without employment. This was a pivotal moment for him because it was in this moment that he turned to God. He knew he needed Him.

Without work, he decided to stand on the side of the road as many do here, with the hope that someone would stop and hire him for a day. It’s South Africa’s version of day labor. On his first day of doing this, a gentleman walked up to him and asked him if he would like to be a barista. Anton told him that he didn’t have any experience, but the man assured him that he would train him. He immediately began working and has a great friendship and colleague in the man that trained him! Anton clearly sees God’s hand in this provision and others that have established a strong faith in him and hope for the future.

He knows God as the Great Healer after Susan suffered a life-threatening asthma attack. When health practitioners told Anton that they weren’t sure that she would make it through the night, he called the elders at his church who came and prayed with him. They continued to pray, and her condition began to improve. Anton praises God continually that she hasn’t had an asthma attack since!

With his life headed in a positive direction and a strong faith that God is watching over him, Anton is now dreaming, planning, and hoping to return to Malawi. There he has family land that his late brother once cultivated maise on—often storing up crops to care for his community in times of need. Speaking proudly of his brother’s legacy, Anton wants to impact his community through agriculture and the Gospel. And we believe he will do that and more because he has so much hope and Good News to share.