“It’s Not Who I Am But Whose I Am”

Abigail Hoc: Missionary in Belgium                     

By Selma Komisky

Abigail Hoc, a missionary currently serving since 2013, works alongside her husband Guillaume  in Namur, Belgium.  She is a P. K. (preacher’s kid). Her dad is a pastor within Calvary Chapel and her mom is involved in women’s ministry.

When Abigail was sixteen, her sister Ashley passed away at 19 after being involved in a relationship of domestic violence; tragically her boyfriend ended up killing her sister. She blamed God for her loss. Later she began to hang out with the wrong people and party. Abigail says, “I had the head knowledge of God, but I didn’t have Him (Jesus) in my heart.” Abigail continued partying and when she was nineteen, while working, received a text message about a big party her friends were having. She quotes, “I lied to my boss, that my mom got into a car accident so that I could leave.” What Abigail didn’t know was that later that evening, her dad came by the store asking where she was. It was then her boss understood that she had lied. The next morning she was fired. Abigail said, “This was the catalyst that God used to wake me up.”

As a result, Abigail decided to leave the area and go to Bible College. Her dad, who also taught at a bible college in Murrieta, California, arranged for Abigail to attend bible college in York, England. And Abigail was ready to go to England. During her first week she said, “God completely broke me of my sin and showed me I needed Jesus to save me.” That semester studying Ephesians 2:1-10 (NKJV) really spoke to her about the fact Christ loved her so much !  For the first time she truly believed in Jesus. Abigail declared, “At that point, all the head knowledge had penetrated my heart.” In England, Abigail first met her husband Guillaume in Bible College. A year after he proposed they were married. As time passed ,the Lord was putting that desire on her and her husband’s heart to go to Belgium. Her husband, Guillaume, was Belgium and grew up there. Guillaume was constantly talking about the lack of churches and their desperate need for someone to proclaim the gospel. “He never thought the Lord would call him to go there.”  But God confirmed Belgium to them through the book of Jonah.

Once a month Abigail teaches a girl’s bible study. She plans to hopefully work with an organization that reaches the prostitutes and girl’s being trafficked in Belgium. It is called “Breaking Chains Ministry”. In September, Abigail will  start  courses to learn French, (many speak French in Belgium.) The Lord has opened the door for a student ministry, called Belgium Harvest, about five to ten students come each week. Together Guillaume and Abigail are teaching and equipping students to read the word of  God on their own. “We have had a student bible study for two years, and I can honestly say I am so blessed to see these students grow and mature. Many of these students came from Christian backgrounds, but had never read through the Bible for themselves. We are going through the book of Genesis, and many of them were only taught evolution. To hear a biblical account of creation was difficult at first. Now they see, believe and are reading Gods word as complete truth.” Additionally, they are doing street witnessing with the students on campus at the university.

Our pastor said something that spoke to my heart. He said, “It’s not who you are that’s important, but whose you are.”  Living in a country where you don’t speak the language  has proven very difficult. Abigail was feeling out of the loop and felt that she was not contributing and wasn’t her own person. “The Lord showed me right then and there that I have always had an identity. He has always seen me, known me, and put me where he wanted me to be. For the first time in months I felt peace and knew that it’s not up to me to figure my next move, because God already has done it.” Abigail quotes.

I asked Abigail how being a missionary in Belgium has made her faith stronger. She replied, “Yes, Yes, Yes, and I am even more in love with Christ than I have ever been, knowing His grace and compassion. Living here has taught me to cling to Jesus in a way that I have never done. The Lord has truly provided all of our needs and way more, but it’s not the stuff I treasure but the lessons. I learned as we went through trials, following Christ.’’ She also said , “I love serving with my husband, he is such a gifted teacher and has a burden for people to know Christ. Our strengths and weaknesses are opposite. I have grown so much in my own devotional life and also in our marriage. For two years we did not have a church, so reading the bible on our own and together became our lifeline!”

Abigail also shared her thoughts with young women about purity. Abigail stated, “I once heard that purity is looking to God for our standards not to the world.” When my husband and I got married, we were pure with each other before the Lord and I can honestly say that we have been blessed by it! God has a reason and a purpose to keep us pure, to protect us from pain, hurt, and even disease. If a guy truly loves God and you, he will wait, and by him waiting you will see his character. It’s easy to have sex, but it takes discipline, devotion, and love to wait.”

Pray for Abigail and Guillaume and their student ministry, Belgium Harvest to grow. Pray the gospel will be proclaimed in Belgium and seeds of salvation will be planted.

Follow their blog at: http://belgiumharvest.blogspot.com