Rescue the Perishing: The Story of the Dorothea Mission

Introduction By Hans von Staden, B.Sc

In Matthew 5:48 we read: “Your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” Perfection is the mark of all God’s work. Not even the imperfections of His human instruments can mar the eternal perfection of His deeds. We have experienced wonders of God’s work in the Dorothea Mission, and through them He, the Perfect One, has been greatly glorified.

The desire was expressed strongly that there should be a record in book form of the testimony to God’s glorious deeds amoung us which might be a blessing and inspiration to the next generation also, after the human instruments have passed on. We hesitated at first. However, we were prevailed upon not to withhold this means of blessing. Besides, more than a decade ago, the story of the Dorothea Mission was published in Germany, entitled “Das Hat Gott Getan” (“This Is What God Had Wrought”). So great was the demand for the German edition that it had to be reprinted within a short time.

The author of this account of the Dorothea Mission is Miss Ingrid Otto. She joined our ranks in 1962 after she had heard God’s call in Germany. Since then she has been serving the Lord as a secretary of our Mission.

God had endowed her with rare literary ability and He gave her real spiritual insight into the subject of this book. She makes people come alive and the events real. We are convinced that this authentic story of the Dorothea Mission will captivate every reader – an account which pre-eminently speaks of God’s omnipotence and unending faithfulness.

Being written in complete dependence on God, this book, we believe, bears a Divine stamp. It is published with the prayer that His Name only may be glorified through it. “O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvellous things, things planned long ago” (Isa. 25:1).

Pretoria, South Africa
August , 1983