Joann and Rishie – Mandeni, South Africa
Joann and Rishie – Mandeni, South Africa We are Rishie and Joann Govender from South Africa. We were married in 2001 and are blessed with three beautiful daughters. Our marriage was never based on the Word of God but rather a cultural and traditional marriage. We grew up in Hindu homes and were heavily involved in idol worship and rituals. In 2008, I, Joann, gave my heart to Jesus and started going to church. I began experiencing the mighty power of Jesus and was completely delivered from the kingdom of darkness into His marvelous light. This created chaos in our home as Rishie was still in the Hindu faith. I went through a lot of pain and rejection in the early years of our marriage, which made me harden my heart. I was not the gentle and quiet wife that God wanted me to be. I became bossy and demanding, and this created a huge divide in our home. Rishie and I became strangers and eventually enemies living in the same house. As the years went by, I became very frustrated and wanted to give up. I begged God to release me from this marriage, but instead, God told me to shut the doors to divorce. He showed me Jeremiah 29:11 and told me that He has plans to give me a hope and future. I stood on this promise and declared it daily. I began to trust God to restore and heal my broken marriage. In 2021, I was introduced to Jason’s ministry. It felt like God Himself had stepped in and gave me the encouragement and strength I needed to keep going. The 5-day Challenge and the Academy changed my life. I began to learn the truth and identify the lies of the enemy. I realized that my fight was not with my husband but with the devil. I cried and repented before God for not allowing Him to be God in our marriage. I laid my husband at the altar and began to stand on God’s promises. The biggest lesson I learned was the importance of forgiveness and surrendering all to Jesus. I learned how to allow God to fight for me while I kept still. I allowed God to search my heart and break off the things that were not of Him. When my heart began to change, I saw God work miracles in my home. In 2022, my husband surrendered his life to Jesus, and our entire family is now serving the Lord together. In 2023, we renewed our vows with our children present. It was the most emotional and joyous moment of our lives. Restoration happened suddenly. When I least expected it, God did the impossible. God is faithful, and He keeps His promises. His timing is perfect. There were many moments I wanted to quit, but I thank God for Jason and this ministry that always reminded me to Stand Supernaturally and not in the natural. I would like to encourage all the standers to put your trust in Jesus. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Keep standing no matter what your situation looks like because nothing is impossible with God!
