Awesome Footsteps

A Missionary's Memoirs

In his thirty years as a missionary, Michael J. Hawron encountered plenty of danger, from a knife-wielding mugger to the ravages of a fire. In each instance, God provided Michael with safety and security during even the most trying times. While some people may insist these events are just coincidences, Michael sees the hand of God at work.

In the instance of the fire that threatened Michael’s life, the Hawrons were serving as missionaries near Hong Kong. It didn’t take long for Michael to learn of the local tradition of lighting candles at gravestones to honor deceased loved ones, an act that inevitably resulted in chaos. Each year, strong winds blew in, spreading the flames all over the bone-dry hillsides. Michael did his best to prepare his family and his home, but during the final preparations, he got his leg caught between two rocks—and the flames were closing in.

All Michael could do was cry out to God. And God did not disappoint. Not only did God rescue Michael, but when the fire passed, it scorched everywhere within sight—except Michael’s house. In this instance and many more, Michael saw the power of God in his life.