Testimony of Rozanne Visagie (Singer, songwriter, author and motivational speaker) from South Africa
Clay-molded in His hand
“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” 2 Corinthians 4:7
The truth that lies hidden in this scripture became very much a part of Rozanne Visagie’s life in 2009.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in that year and because no one in her direct family was ever diagnosed with this disease, it came as a terrible shock.
It leads to many questions and soul searching and deepening of her relationship with her Heavenly father. In the months that followed after the operations and radiation she once again became very aware of her own fragility, mortality and Jesus’ amazing grace! She who was once the carefree girl and who had a stable and secure upbringing suddenly realized once again, how she needed God and His grace…
Conversations with God
“I already learned to trust Jesus from a young age when I, as the fourth of five children and much younger than my three older siblings (before my younger brother was born) was able to talk to the Lord. I could play and dream for hours in the gardens of the homes where we lived and it was a time where I could enjoy nature and God and write songs and poems about life and living..These were really (without me knowing it at the time)..prayers and poems for and conversations with the Lord.”
“Another turning point in my young life was the serious motor accident in which both my dad and I nearly lost our lives in April 1976.We were involved in a head on collision and the other two people in the other vehicle were killed instantly. They were under the influence of alcohol.
I was flung against the front windscreen of the motorcar and my spleen ruptured. Passing motorists took me to the nearest hospital in Mosselbay where I underwent emergency surgery and later on back in Cape Town also plastic surgery on my badly cut forehead. I remember that even as I walked into the hospital with terrible pain and blood streaming from my head, I knew that I was not going into the theatre alone- He was with me..I experienced the peace and presence of the Lord so intensely, that I just knew He would spare my life.”
Very lonely at times
Although Rozanne enjoyed normal friendships at school, there were still times when she was very lonely. She was however honored to be chosen as head girl of her high school by her piers and teachers in 1977.She did a year voluntary military service in the South African defence force at the SA army woman’s college in George and at the Castle in Cape Town in 1978.
Rozanne received her BA degree in Philosophy and Sociology at the University of Stellenbosch in 1981.
Some of her happiest years were at Stellenbosch University and she still has close contact with her best friend and roommate from those days.
Rozanne performed regularly during the 1980’s, worked for a film company as production co-ordinator, wrote a weekly column in a newspaper, produced musical shows for TV and travelled abroad, but she never lost her dream to record an album with her own music. In 1989 she was finally able to release her debut album “Rozanne” with the well-known Afrikaans hit song “Kan ‘n man dan nie?”(a song about fishing, which she sang with a Cape Malay choir) The song was a later also recorded by many other artists..Unfortunately the distribution company removed the full album from the music stores just before it got a lot of radio airtime..Through this situation Rozanne had to learn that things often don’t turn out the way one would like them to! She had to learn to wait for Jesus’ time.. He often does not say yes or no.. just wait… She had to wait for the right season for further musical breakthrough.. Something that would only happen much later…
She held on to these scriptures while waiting on the Lord:
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 and Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”
The right man at her side
In 1984 Rozanne met Schalk and things in her life took a very different turn. They were married in 1990. Their son (Schalk jnr) was born in 1993 and their daughter (Shanna) in 1997, just three months before Rozanne’s mother passed away.
She felt that God had blessed her with this little girl too, to make the loss of her mother a little easier to handle. When her dad passed away in 2006 at the ripe age of 90 years, Rozanne knew that an important part of her life was over…
The PAGAD (People against gangsters and drugs) year
During the nineties Rozanne focused on raising her children and being there for her family. Schalk (snr) was commander of the PAGAD unit in South African Police service with the rank of a colonel. They were investigating serious violent crime and especially the series of bomb explosions in the Cape Peninsula at the time. On Friday afternoon 19 February 1999 he was followed by three masked men in a kombi (van) they tried to assassinate him by firing 54 bullets into his vehicle on one of the busy highways, Blackriver Parkway, during peak hour traffic in Cape Town. Three pieces of shrapnel hit him in the neck and hands. When he jumped out of his vehicle he was wounded in the leg with a R5 rifle. The fact that he survived this attack was due to God’s grace and the prayers of his mother from Psalm 91 that same morning. A nursing sister used someone’s T-shirt who was also in the traffic jam, to stop most of the bleeding until a helicopter arrived to take him to the nearby Milnerton Medi clinic. Schalk (jnr) was released on the same morning from that same hospital after being on a drip for three days after contracting viral encephilitis. Shanna broke her arm two months later and both children got chickenpox at the same time while the family was guarded at their home for eight months. Shanna also got lost in a shopping centre a week before Christmas that same year and they found her twenty minutes later where she sat in a little car close to the movies!
“I was relieved when 1999 was over. It was a very difficult year for our family. The verses in 2 Corinthians 12:9 became one of my special scriptures in that period: “And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
Preparation for what was to follow
It was this grace that carried Rozanne again in 2009 when she had to struggle with breast cancer. It was then that she realized that our Heavenly father knows exactly how He should prepare us so that we would be able to handle whatever comes across our path.
During the six and a half week period of radiation treatment she sometimes only had the strength to repeat His name over and over..She realized once again how much power there is in the name of Jesus!
For some questions in this life there are no clear-cut answers. Why did she develop this cancer? Was it perhaps partly the result of the very stressful year in 1999?
In this difficult time she learned that one should try to remain creative. The doors remained closed for further musical projects, but she kept her eyes on Jesus, because she knew that our biggest stumbling blocks sometimes become our biggest stepping stones.
She wrote a children’s activity book in 2008. ”Melino Ant discovers God’s wonderful world” with an author friend and recorded an album for young toddlers “Jesus se soldaatjies” (Jesus’ soldiers) in 2002 and still performed countrywide wherever she was invited.
Shortly before being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 she started with recordings of her first gospel album “Broken Fence” She had prayed for 21 years for this opportunity. She sent the demo music of the album to five record companies and no one even replied!
Two weeks after her radiation treatment was finished at the end of February 2010 the news came that the one company will distribute “Broken Fence” Twenty one years of prayer was answered!
“The song in your heart is not only for a human audience, but especially a cry for and intimacy with God!”
Words of worth and wisdom
Her biggest wish is that she will speak words of worth and wisdom and that her deeds will confirm those of her words. It was during the time in hospital that she was able to speak to fellow patients and staff about Jesus and was able to hand out some Bibles. She asked the Lord to use the radiation treatment to destroy the bad cells in her body and protect the good ones. She knew that the Lord is light and that He does not need the photon light of the machines to heal her. But that we need to make use of whatever means that He provides to minister to others and to make use of medical doctors and natural treatments as far as possible for healing. God has also given humans wisdom to treat and help others in need. We are the extension of His hands on this earth and members of the body of Christ. She listened to uplifting music in her vehicle on her way to the sessions and God truly became her light during this time.
She was given a second chance in life back then.
In 2016 Rozanne’s breast cancer returned (this time in her neck) and she had to have bone removed from her hip and planted into her neck with a titanium plate and screws. (Neck fusion operation)
The operation was performed on 12 July 2016. This has become one of the most difficult times of her life, but she experienced the grace of Jesus in a totally new and wonderful way through very special promises in the Word and the love and prayers of friends and family. She completed her radiation treatment on 1 September 2016 and keeps her eyes on the King of Kings for the plans that He has for her life. She was given a third and another totally miraculous chance in life….
It is now November 2018 and Rozanne is still in remission..
God’s ways are sometimes not clear to understand, but His plans are often surprising and unique and He can use our biggest despair to His glory and our further growth towards a more intimate relationship with our Creator. Praise His Holy Name forever!
__________________________________
Rozanne has also started the Revival prayer initiative for RSA in Cape Town (2018) and their posts and
prayer gatherings and activities can be followed on the Revival prayer page on Facebook.
Rozanne – Music and book information: Rozanne has quite a few music videos on You tube – Some of the titles are “I’ll still be free”(written for Southern Africa and Zimbabwe in particular) and ”Broken fence” (Title track of her gospel album) ”Heer U ken my” (a prayer with Psalm 139 in mind) and her latest rhino conservation songs “I’ll be your voice” and “Emma’s dream”. There are also a few older music videos from her early musical career in the 1980’s like “Kan ‘n man dan nie?”, Waai Suidooster, “Liedjie vir die jasgesigte” and others.
Please also visit www.iwillbeyourvoice.co.za for more details about Rozanne’s various projects. All who feel strongly about nature and conservation and saving species as our heritage for our children and their children, might be interested to support them with this cause (“I will be your voice”), as well as the “Cape Craft Centre” project. “I will be your voice” is now an official NPO and in the process of applying for PBO status. The “Cape Craft Centre” of which Rozanne is vice-chair is also a registered NPO.
Rozanne’s children’s activity book with CD and two songs; ”Melino Ant discovers God’s wonderful world” can be ordered from the following website: www.kidsxpress.org
Rozanne’s career can be followed on facebook (Rozanne Visagie-artist) or or on her blog http://www.facebook.com/RozanneVisagie
Shanna’s latest tracks on YouTube Recorded when she was 17 – ( She is now 19 years – 2016)
SHANNA – “You’re MY IDENTITY.”