The Defining Moment
Today is the 4th July 2006, I am sitting in my office and remembering how wonderfully the Lord has worked in my life. It is exactly 30 years ago today that I celebrated the Bicentennial in New York. The year was 1976 and that's where life changed for me completely even though I was not aware of it until much later in my life. I am totally overwhelmed at how the Lord planned and executed His will for my life to be here in America at this precise time. Some of may say, what do you mean? Well let me begin at the beginning. For me it began in June 1976 when one day I was suddenly drafted aboard one of our warships SAS. President Kruger with orders to travel abroad to participate in the 200th Anniversary of America's independence known as the Bicentennial.
South Africa at this stage was in the grips a full-scale border war and was experiencing tremendous rejection from world powers. These were troubled times for South Africa and relations between America and us was at an all time low.We sailed out of Simon's town Naval Base off the Western Cape coast on the 3rd June 1976 on an expedition that would set the course for my life even without me knowing it.We sailed from Cape Town to Walvis Bay and then to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast, where we refueled and then we crossed the Atlantic and stopped halfway to visit Las Palmas, The Grand Canary Islands. We docked for 3 days in Las Palmas before we proceeded to Naval Station Norfolk Virginia.
We spent a week in Norfolk while we waited for the fleet of 53 vessels from 22 countries to sail to New York harbor where the full Naval Revue took place on the 4th July 1976 - many tall ships sailed by into the harbor - It was like being in a parade of sailing ships - the harbor was full of small vessels - horns were sounding and sails were flapping then they sailed by majestically with sailors in the out rigging and ships bells ringing. Once the tall ships sailed by we all docked in New York harbor - Liberty was given to all sailors - you can imagine free travel - free everything in New York for a solid week - everyone we went crazy!
Later that afternoon on the 4th July 1976 some of my crew mates and I toured Ellis Island and we spent the afternoon into the early evening visiting "Lady Liberty" and we waited for the fireworks display in the harbor that evening. It was beautiful being there seeing the broken chains on her feet signifying "Freedom" and I was overwhelmed by such a sense of destiny. I looked over the Hudson River into Manhattan and was overcome by such a sense of awe; it was very difficult to explain what I felt and how at the age of 19 I could even understand what I was feeling. All I knew is that I will be back here one day!
We stayed on board the ship in New York harbor and on the 6th July 1976 we paraded through the streets of New York, as a good bye - but I knew this wasn't good-bye just au revoir!
We then sailed to Charleston, SC and spent a week in the Naval Station Charleston and visited the beautiful city where the first shot was fired that led to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783).
I felt a real close bond to this city with all its history and made a close bond with this city as well. We sailed from Charleston, SC to Las Palmas - Grand Canary Islands and the back home, where we sailed into Simon's town on the 6th August 1976 to a warm welcome from our country. For me something was lost when I returned home and I could never quite explain it.
In 1985 I had an encounter with the Lord and was saved and once again I had that sense of hope and destiny restored to me. I heard how the Lord had called me to be a Prophet to the nations and I never understood what that meaning was at the time but I was delighted. 
On many occasion in our church prophetic people would come through and would call me up and prophecy - That I was called to the nations and that I would sound the trumpet. Eventually in 1988 the word of the Lord came "I have spoken to you at the gateway of that nation and I will take you back there and you will reveal my glory to my people".
It then began to make sense to me. The person that spoke the word over me had no clue what it meant. But the floodgates of my memory opened up to that day on the 4th July 1976, standing at the foot of "Lady Liberty" where I was overwhelmed and felt such a connection with destiny. That day I was in the middle of something that the Lord was imparting for America and was on the actual Island where so many immigrants had stood years before seeking freedom.
I realized that the Lord had waited for that historic moment to secretly impart His plan in the gathering of all those facets of history - the new and the old met and the Lord impacted the event with His purpose. Even in my unregenerate state the Lord still spoke His will and desire and His plan - even thought it was not understood by me at the time - It has been revealed now and I understand His amazing goodness. He a plan for America that is being revealed and He has always had a plan for this nation even when men are unable to hear or see it - God has a plan - and it is getting ready to break forth right in New York the historical gateway to America where He first revealed it all those years ago.
The confirmations that preceeded that time was amazing - from every corner people would come and say - You are going to America! - God confirmed His word and watched over it.
Someone felt prompted to give me a CD with trumpet music on it by Phil Driscoll without even knowing what had been said before. For me even then it was so exciting, that all those years ago the Lord had a plan for me even though I never knew Him - He had a calling for me and a purpose for me.
I felt as though I was actually Born on the 4th July 1976 - The day when God spoke to me for the first time!
A tribute to the SAS.President Kruger - 18th Februaury 1982
I remember all my crew mates who served with me on the SAS.President Kruger. In the early morning hours of 18 February 1982, the South African Navy experienced one of its most devastating disasters when SAS Tafelberg collided with the frigate SAS President Kruger, which sank "PK", losing sixteen crew members at sea.
To my crew mates.
God Bless Ron
Ron Campbell ~ (C) 2006 Sound the Trumpet Ministries, Inc ~ www.soundthetrumpet.org
