Fourteen years ago I started working as a trainee manager and fitness instructor in a fitness center, situated in a small coastal town on the east coast of South Africa. I felt called by God to this work as I had such strong convictions about healthful living, and I loved working with, and helping people. I was fortunate enough to take ownership of this fitness center a year or so after beginning my work there, and I directed this fitness center for twelve years successfully, thanks to God's continued blessings.

Over the twelve years the center prospered and it developed to a fairly high standard as for a privately owned center. Then it happened. The dreaded bomb that I had feared throughout my whole business career, was dumped on me. "What could be so devastating?" you may ask. Well, news began rippling through the small coastal town that a brand new branch of a massive national chain of fitness centers was opening up across the road from my little fitness center. It just couldn't be. How could a massive chain come to a small coastal town? How could they dare to open up across the road and deliberately put us out of business? Well, to cut a long story short, they were coming and would be opening their doors in about ten months! Unbelievable! My stomach turned as I thought of the prospects of closing down, sitting with many unpaid debts, and losing the twelve years of blood, sweat and tears that I had investing in this project. I prayed earnestly about this dilemma that I was facing and pled with God to show me a possible way out of this dead end street.

There's Just No Way!
My staff and I were overwhelmed. We just couldn't see ourselves making it under these circumstances. How? There was just no way. We had heard rumors of countless other small, privately owned fitness centers "folding" under the pressure when this very same chain moved into town. There was another privately owned fitness center in town that had been my direct competition. In the past, the owner of this fitness center, Charles, wasn't very secretive about the fact that he was out to hurt us. When he opened his new fitness center--after having been a trainer in my center--he called it "New Attitude," with strong undertones that my center had the wrong attitude. Six months before the new state-of-the-art "Health and Racquet Club" was to open, Charles called me up and asked if he could come around and meet with me. Well, I agreed and he came over, really friendly, and as I had thought, it was because he was also frantic about the effects that Health and Racquet would have on his business. "We need to combine our centers," he said, "buy me out or let's establish a partnership or something." "Sorry Charles," was my reply, "it wouldn't be wise to combine our centers before we really know what the true outcome will be when Health and Racquet opens. Besides, if we combined now, both our sets of members will be upset and probably leave anyway due to overcrowding in my premises--we're simply not big enough to cater for both memberships." Charles left and we both just continued operating as best we could. We spoke from time to time, but I was not prepared to talk a deal with him.

A Glimmer of Hope
I was stressed, I was restless, and I was in turmoil. How could this be? Why would God allow me to start and run this center if He knew that I would just close down at this point. "Oh well, it must just be another lesson in humility," I thought. The countdown began. Newspaper advertisements appeared, massive display boards were erected and sales offices were opened to begin selling the new "upmarket memberships." The spirit in our center changed, as staff and management anticipated the approaching defeat. "Oh God, let your will be done in this situation," I prayed everyday. Then one day something happened. In retrospect it was the turning point of this whole dilemma. Get this. One of our members, a very friendly, redheaded, outspoken kind of fellow by the name of Roger, was standing talking out loud about the current events in town. "I don't need no Health and Racquet," he blurted out, "I have everything I need at this fitness center and at the country club where I'm a member--and at half the price! I have the aerobic classes, weight training and cardiovascular equipment here, and I have the swimming pool, tennis and squash courts at the country club." Enough said. This was enough to send my mind was racing at the speed of sound. "Do you think there is room for a fitness center on the country club grounds?" I asked. "Sure," he said, "I know that they're having problems with renting out their community hall. People are just trashing the place when they rent it on the weekends. I'm sure they'll be interested in a permanent tenant. Here, let me give you the chairman's telephone number." Well needless to say, an idea was born that was just too amazing for words. What better way to make a comeback at Health and Racquet. The country club had all the facilities that Health and Racquet had to offer, and more. Another plus would be that my rent would be minimal in comparison to what I was paying at the moment. In the following weeks I met with the country club committee, and to summarize a few months into a sentence, soon after Health and Racquet opened, I negotiated a lease for the community hall. I had one major problem. Money. The community hall was forty three years old, and very run down. How was I going to keep my fitness center running, pay to renovate the new premises, and then move my members over to the new facility? I was cash strapped "big time." I had overspent on improving many aspects of my fitness center and in advertising for new members. A big obstacle indeed, in spite of the marvelous way out of this insurmountable dilemma.

Oh Yes, There is Always a Way--God is at Work
Can you believe it? What used to be my fiercest opposition now became a miraculous stepping stone to surviving the storm staring me in the face. Charles gave me another call. By this time Health and Racquet had opened and the pressure was on both the two small privately owned centers. "Andre,' please, we need to do something together. I have lost most of my members. I have about seventy five members left from over five hundred. It is over for me." It was then that the next major piece of the perilous puzzle was pushed into place. My simple answer to him was this, "Charles, I have a lease for new premises on the grounds of a country club in our area. If you are prepared to set it up and move all your equipment over there, I will buy out your equipment." The plan was just too easy and too simple to be a coincidence. This was a divine masterpiece that was carefully engineered long before the crises had closed in on me. I was overwhelmed. This was a solution that I would never have dreamt could come about. Now, I won't waffle on about how ecstatic and relieved I was. Let me tell you what happened. I got a letter drafted by the country club that we could proceed with the renovations and Charles, being a very, very practical man, along with his son, came in with cannons blazing. Needless to say, our relationship improved a hundred fold and I decided to chip in as often as possible to help Charles with the work. Charles and his son Tyron did everything I wanted done and they spared nothing to make the project top class. What miracle! A stage was broken out, change rooms and ablutions built, old doors and windows replaced, walls and ceilings painted, new carpets put in, the old hardwood floors sanded and varnished, and on and on. It was real history in the making. God worked in that situation to answer that what was a totally impossible in my mind.
Wow!

The Miracle Today
Yes, today there is still a cozy, friendly, family fitness center in a small coastal town on the east coast of South Africa called Fifth Factor Fitness Center. The director, Willie van Heerden, is a personal friend of mine that came in to take over the operation so that I could come to the United States of America. The health work and the vision of how it can minister to the urgent needs of the people in that community still goes on to where God wants it to go. I praise Him for being 'at work' even though I thought it was all over.