Johan Gous
Johan was born on a farm in the western part of South Africa to parents who both were not very young anymore – his dad was 50 when Johan was born. There he grew up helping the huge hogs to give birth, learnt the day-old-chickens producing business, drove tractors before he could reach the pedals and played with the sons of the farm workers, speaking Tshwana before he could speak Afrikaans properly. He attended a two-man farm school where every year he won the prize for going through the severe winters bare foot on the most days – nobody is born with shoes on anyway…!
When he finished grade 7 his parents moved the family to a coastal town for the sake of his dad’s health. The only high school was English speaking and he struggled with what was known as the “red language” for two years until he went to a Commerce-focused high school where he was the head boy in his senior year. This was also the time when he developed a relationship with Jesus as his Savior and it became the anchor and strength of his life, defining him for who he was.
He was on his way to law school when he realized he could not deal with the dark criminal side of life every day and started a career in electrical engineering. Working for Siemens in ship building was his passion – if anyone asked him about a ship and it’s specifications, he could not stop talking about all the detail. When the Lord called him out of that profession to work full time for Open Doors with Brother Andrew, it was more than just another job – it was as if he had to die to what he so loved to do – to take up another mantel. But the call was very clear and he was obedient. He never once regretted it.
The years with Open Doors gave him the opportunity to travel into Africa, encouraging and strengthening the believers during times of war and unrest – always aware of the Lord’s protection over him. Out of the knowledge and experience of those years he led the development of Timothy Training Institute that trained the leaders of the Africa Independent Churches in the truths of Scripture and how to lead their people into a relationship with Jesus. He loved that. He loved the ordinary African people. He loved to eat what they served him: pap and chicken feet. He loved to celebrate with them their successes. He loved to raise the money to be able to help even the poorest of the poor and find a way to help even the illiterate ones. He loved to pray over all the needs – financial and otherwise. Many of the students only knew him as Mr. Timothy.
When the call came in 2000 to become the Africa Director for Christian Aid Mission here in Charlottesville, the Lord spoke very clearly from Phil 2:19,20 – “But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.” Mr. Timothy was sent and he moved…
The move to the States was not without hardship but again Johan loved to advocate for the people in Africa who loved the same God as he and with unrelenting dedication are spreading the Gospel as they understand it. He also knew they needed help on all levels: Financially and in more training. When Hope Builders Ministries was started as a result, he was in his element: Guiding people as the Lord had given him insight, raising money to help them with training, and whatever else they needed in order to be successful in their quest to spread the Gospel: Bibles, bicycles or motorbikes, training. Bibles had always been priority for him. From what the Lord showed him personally, the one-on-three Disciple Making was developed and implemented in Africa and the results of that was phenomenal – To God all the glory.
Johan always loved to relate the many experiences he had traveling in the bush in Africa or even in South Africa during the time of unrest: running back to the car after they bumped into a pride of lions or praying over the long-dead fish that was served to him as guest during severe famine or the time the car ran many miles on the “smell” of gas when their money was stolen or the time he “slinked” into a township during a riot and upheaval, with only his nose above the steering wheel.
Johan loved to discuss theology with friends, discussing the different ideas people have about the Scriptures. And he loved to impart and inspire the younger generation. He loved to talk politics, coming from the experiences he had in South Africa during the tumultuous years which gave him insight that many others could not see.
When the cancer diagnosis came, the Lord gave the promise from Ex 15:26 – I am the God who heals you. The three months the doctors predicted stretched into nearly 2 ½ years. And now the Lord kept His promise and healed him completely and for eternity.
Johan and Lida have been married for 49 ½ years. They have three married daughters and 11 grandchildren: Ilne and Carl Paalman (Rashelle, Tim, Simon and Isabel), Mareli and Nico Benade (Alène and Marco), and Hanri and Peter Kaya (Ester, Hamza, Yusuf, Elif and Emel). He loved the last years living again on a farm and close to his grand kids.
Not one for sitting idly during COVID, he got involved in our kid’s gun factory, using the skills he acquired over many years – until he could not do that anymore, while at the same time presiding over the Ministry. (The Lord provided a successor for Hope Builders and Johan was excited and at peace that this was from the Lord – someone with a different skill-set.)
Jesus came to escort Johan to his eternal home on May 27, 2025. Well done, good and faithful Johan, Dad and Oupa! Rest well – you deserve it after 74 years, living a life of fullness, living for others, living to God’s glory.
Celebration service at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday June 7, 2025 at RiverStone, 1515 Insurance Lane, Charlottesville, VA 22911.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Hope Builders Ministries and specifically to the “Bibles and literature” project. P O Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943 or online at www.hbmin.org/projects.
