In last month’s installment of the saga of the miraculous radio tower, the equipment for the tower and for the construction “village” had finally arrived after a stormy sea voyage, a frustrating delay in customs at the port, and a disastrous truck fire just 30 minutes before reaching the tower site. The fire irreparably damaged wire meant to hold the tower in place long-term, and a frantic search for replacement wire had begun. Meanwhile, the volunteers were painstakingly cleaning the materials for their living arrangements while also assembling the parts for the tower’s construction.
Time was not on the side of our faithful adventurers. Since they were all volunteers with jobs and families to return to in a specified time frame, every minute of daylight was important. Project designer, team leader and Towers for Jesus founder Jim Hulse would rise before the sun to plan for the day and start preparations for breakfast. As he entered the big circus tent staging area one morning, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Moving slowly and staying in the shadows, Jim reached for a nearby hatchet and stood statue still as a black mamba snake made its way through the tent. Black mambas are the second longest venomous snake after the King Cobra, and their quick successive bites when threatened deliver neurotoxins that can kill in under 10 minutes. Like most black mambas, this specimen was over six feet long. Jim waited for his opportunity, calmly de-escalated the threat, and then removed the snake from the tent, but the tale of the rare black mamba sighting quickly spread throughout the camp, the radio station, the marketplace, and the surrounding villages, making Jim a local legend.
Back in the U.S.A., acting VA director Natalie Jones was actively searching for a source for the wire that had been damaged in the truck fire. Finally, the prayers of the faithful were answered, and she was led to a vendor who was willing to part with the wire for $15,000—much less than all her previous quotes. That was just half the problem, though. Getting it to Nigeria in time was an even bigger issue. Even with the fastest shipping option available, the wire would not arrive in Nigeria before the departure of all the volunteers. There was only one thing to do: put it all in the hands of God. The wire was ordered.
Meanwhile, the tower went up foot by foot as the experienced builders worked through every possible minute of every day. As it neared completion, Jim made the decision to use the damaged wire temporarily and trust God for the delivery of the new materials. Finally, the summit was reached. The tower was built, and the necessary installations made. The volunteer builders packed up and prepared to leave after six long weeks of work. One trusted member of the crew confided to Jim that he could arrange to stay a little longer and wait and pray for the new wire. There was no way that Jim could install it alone. Even for two men, it would be a physical and time-consuming challenge. So, they waited together, and they prayed together. Across Africa and the U.S., friends and donors prayed with them, but the clock kept ticking. Two days before the final volunteer had to return, a truck came rumbling down the road. The wire had arrived in the nick of time.
This stabilizing wire is coiled onto enormous spools. It is extremely thick and heavy, as it must be to hold a 500-foot tower in place through wind and storms. Two days and two men were the Davids to the wire’s Goliath. As the Bible frequently says, though, “But, God…” When we read those two words, we know that we are about to see some mighty works. In God, all things are possible, including two men installing stabilizing wire in two days, undergirded by the eagle wings of the Lord.
After the tower had been dedicated and was in daily service, Jim was interviewed by a Vision Africa board member about those trying months of planning and labor. “Nothing else in life really matters compared to answering the call of Christ,” he said. “All the challenges, all the problems just fade away when you know you’re helping spread the Gospel. There’s just nothing better.”
Watch some of the behind-the-scenes of the construction of the tower here!
Earlier this year, Jim Hulse was called home to heaven. But, his Towers for Jesus stand proudly across the earth, and Vision Africa begins a new decade of sharing God’s love across the airwaves.
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