The following
story means a lot to me, as the young man's parents, Dick and Audrey, were
devout and faithful elders of my church, Trinity Presbyterian Church,
Greencroft, Harare; and regardless of the political rights and wrongs of
the Independence War, it shows that God is moving and working even in the
midst of the greatest human sin - war. You might want to share it...
"Graeme Fanner was 19 years of age when he was called up to do his national
service in the Rhodesian Army at the beginning of 1976. On completion of
his military commitment, he was to have gone to the medical school at
Salisbury (now Harare) University.
Graeme, a devout Christian, excelled at everything he undertook. He
received the Gold Medal in the President's Award Scheme, designed to
develop the character of young people of all races and similar to the Duke
of Edinburgh Award.
Graeme was a medic with a unit of tough professional soldiers who respected
this young national serviceman for his determination to be every bit as
good as they were in the war. They took note that he had an added
ingredient to his life, which removed the fear of death.
Graeme loved his trooper friends and witnessed to them. While on leave for
a few days rest after his training was over, he told his mother, 'Don't
worry about me. I'm not frightened to die to be with the Lord. I would
rather that I be killed than one of my unsaved friends.'
While his unit was operating in the north-eastern border area, Graeme was
mortally wounded. Our Lord was good in caring for the last hours of his
life. He did not die immediately alone in the bush, but in a Christian
environment. He asked for and held his Gideon New Testament while he was
carried to the helicopter which flew him to Karanda Mission Hospital.
The American Missionary surgeon worked on him for nearly six hours during
which time servicemen and African student nurses gave him 17 pints of
blood. Although much prayer was going up for him all that day and
everything humanly possible was done, the Lord took this young Christian
home to be with Himself.
The Pastor mentioned Graeme's words about dying rather than his friends at
the funeral service and this had a profound effect on all, particularly his
soldier colleagues. They remembered how he had told them, 'If anyone has
to die, it will have to be me because you're not ready to die.'
Later, in his well-thumbed Testament, his parents found a slip of paper on
which he had written, 'bear one another's burdens and so fulfil the law of
Christ - Galatians 6:2' This was his personal text for which he died in
serving his country.
It seems that the Lord used Graeme's witness in death far more effectively
than in life. Many soldiers heard and responded to his testimony. Others
will continue to hear of it as a library which was started in his memory at
the mission is used by both patients and staff. This tragic death has
become a victory for faith."