It would have been easy for Steve and Beth Gault to think, “God, how could you let this happen?” Just 16 months after arriving in the Central African Republic, the Gaults were forced out of the country during brutal uprisings. But in the midst of trauma, the Gaults experienced God’s greatness in ways that overruled the difficulties. It was an invaluable experience teaching them that—even when their plans get derailed—God’s plans never get shaken, and He will take care of those who serve Him.

An Unexpected First-Term

In 1995, with suitcases packed and their three young children beside them, Steve and Beth Gault eagerly anticipated their first term of missionary service in Africa. For Steve, the Central African Republic (CAR)was home. He grew up there as an MK, and he had long dreamed of serving therewith his own family. Steve’s family settled in one of BMM’s remotest mission stations,Kembe. A mission team from the US had completely refurbished the station’s homes, which previously had no electricity or running water. The Gaults and their coworkers, the Bakers, deeply appreciated having more comfortable homes. For Steve and Beth, Kembe was the place they expected to serve for a lifetime.

That goal was shattered the following year when the once-peaceful land of CAR was torn apart by civil war. Communicating with other missionaries by ham radio (in the days before email and cell phones), the Gaults and Bakers learned of rebel fighters streaming across the country to storm the capital of Bangui. Like locusts, the rebel fighters were stripping away everything they could find in villages along their route: fuel, vehicles, food, and money. It wasn’t long before the BMM missionaries in Bangui and Sibut began evacuating. With the Kembe station being along the rebels’ route, it was unsafe for the Gaults and Bakers to travel along the road to leave. They, along with their Bible school students, began praying and strategizing how they would give away their vehicles and money, hoping the fighters would spare their lives.

On a Wing and a Prayer

Several days later, Steve and Beth awoke to the sound of Bible school students shouting with joy. The rebels had passed through the night before—taking nothing. It was one of the first signs of God’s protection for the families. Many more would follow. Three months earlier, the Gaults’ MAF pilot friend, Bill, visited their station. He left behind an extra tank of fuel in case of a future need. When the fighting broke out, Bill and another pilot flew the Gaults and Bakers to safety in neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC), picking up several American Peace Corps workers at stops along the way.

In the past, CAR had had a few skirmishes, but nothing serious and long-term. Steve and Beth figured they would stay a few weeks in the DRC until the danger passed. But this time was different. Seeing the situation’s severity, BMM leaders asked that all CAR missionaries leave the country. Because they had no visas to depart from the DRC, the Gaults’ only way to get to the US was to fly to Bangui and leave from there. Once again, the families packed up and were safely flown into Bangui, where US Marines were helping Americans depart.

The stress was challenging for the Gaults’ and Bakers’ kids. The families were loaded into a C-130 aircraft, a loud, no-frills flight. When the kids started screaming from the noise and pressure changes, God sent a Marine who broke out a pack of military-grade glow sticks. The sticks fascinated the kids for the rest of the flight, to the relief of their parents. From the CAR, the Gaults flew to Yaounde in nearby Cameroon. They managed to find a travel agent who could get them to the US, but they had no funds in hand for their return. Then Steve remembered that months earlier, he received a credit card in the mail. Credit cards were unheard of in Kembe, so Steve had seen no use for it, but he stashed it in his go-bag anyway. It was another provision from God to help the weary family make their way home much sooner.

Learn the rest of the story

The evacuation from CAR took a total of 18 takeoffs and landings in small-engine and commercial aircraft, plus a harrowing bus ride. The journey left the Gaults exhausted but, in the end, stronger than they ever could have become. Seeing God’s protection and provision gave them spiritual strength like iron to sustain them through later ministries among CAR refugees in Ivory Coast and with the challenges of urban ministry in Cameroon. Today, Steve serves as BMM’s Administrator for Africa and Europe, where his insights support new generations of missionaries.

There is much more to Steve’s story, and you can hear him tell it in person. Sign up for BMM’s Advance Weekend October 11–12,2024, where he’ll share “Devotion, Risk … and the Greatness of God.” (https://www.bmm.org/advance-weekend)

Registration ends September 30th.

And if you attend Faith Baptist Bible College’s Global Reach Conference October 21–25, visit Steve at his booth or workshop (https://faith.edu/events/global-reach-conference2/)