Miracles and God’s Faithfulness
Warren and Velma Hardig Serve OMS for Nearly 50 Years!
Like many, Warren and Velma Hardig received their call to missions because of their relationships with other people … specifically missionaries. Velma said she watched them live their lives for the Lord, and it appealed to her. Through this, the Lord drew her heart toward missions.
Warren shares, “Ever since I got saved on my 28th birthday in my fertilizer plant in a little town in southern Illinois, my number one goal in life has been to see people saved. So, when Velma and I received tickets to attend a One Mission Society (OMS)/Men for Missions (MFM) banquet near us, we went. The speaker was Harry ‘Burp’—really Harry Burr, but there was a misprint in the program. That became a running joke. There was an Action Magazine beside my plate. I turned it over and saw the trips (in those days called ‘crusades’) that MFM had planned. Long story short, I had no intention of going anywhere out of the country as I was a new believer, but, lo and behold, six weeks later, I was in Haiti. I asked the Lord to allow me to lead someone to Christ while I was there.”
Warren recounts how the Lord answered that prayer: “We were walking on a mountain trail?one of the OMS missionary nurses and a couple of Haitians. One of the Haitians approached me and said, ‘This man wants to know Jesus.’ I looked down, and there at my feet was a Haitian man on his knees, dressed in dirty rags and with an unshaven face. He looked up and asked if he could know Jesus. The missionary and I shared the Gospel with him and prayed with him, and he accepted Christ into his life. I got to see him on several return visits to Haiti. That experience began the end of my work ambitions, and OMS was my future.”
When asked if the Hardigs had witnessed any miracles of God in their time with OMS, Velma was quick to share about a time when Warren was diagnosed with severe diverticulitis. Doctors explained that the infection was so bad they couldn’t do surgery, so they put him on heavy antibiotics. One day while Velma got ready to visit Warren, he called and asked if she could come quickly. “I’ve had a very difficult night,” he said. When she walked into the hospital, Warren was as white as a sheet and perspiring as if someone had sprayed him with a faucet. She ran to get the nurse. It appeared his severe fever was breaking. Sure enough, his temperature had gone from 103 to 101 in minutes. The Hardigs later found out that their OMS family had been praying for Warren right at that time!
Warren recalls one particular miracle that might help us all remember that God’s timing is always perfect! He shares, “I took a group to Spain years ago, and the plane was delayed going into Madrid. We felt bad since the OMS missionaries on the field had this whole itinerary planned for us, including eating lunch at a particular restaurant. The restaurant that we were supposed to eat lunch in was attacked and blown up by a group of terrorists. If we had arrived in Spain on time, we would have been in the restaurant when it blew up.”
When we asked Warren why he thought OMS has lasted for almost 125 years, he responded, “Oh, that’s easy. It’s because OMS emphasizes holiness and prayer. OMS is also about evangelism and training the national people. I think God’s going to bless OMS as long as we stay true to him. The need’s greater today than it ever has been.”
If you want to be a part of our 125 by 125 campaign (gaining 125 new missionaries by our 125th anniversary in 2026), email us for opportunities today at go@onemissionsociety.org.