Great changes have come to South Africa in 1901. Though the two former Boer republics have been annexed by the British, the Second Anglo-Boer War is still raging, scarring the land and its people. Into this upheaval step John and Helene Whitting, along with their friends the Eldridge's, ready to do the work they have been sent to South Africa to do.

The two couples are themselves facing tremendous changes as they enter into their new lives as missionaries in Cape Town. Gone are the grand homes, servants, and society circles they grew up with in Great Britain; in the place of these are modest homes, daily chores, and the sometimes rough-edged lower classes of Cape Town. Yet they choose to embrace their new world and its challenges with joy and faith, knowing they are exactly where God wants them to be.

The eventual end of the war brings further changes to their lives. This next set of circumstances stretches the faith of the Whitting's and Eldridge's in ways they never could have anticipated. When a wave of tragic events threatens to overwhelm John's faith, Helene and their friends suddenly find themselves fighting to keep John and what God has used to him to build from being destroyed.

Through a painful process, John must choose whether he really believes that God has called him to South Africa. Meanwhile, Helene must cling to the strength God gives her morning by morning, believing that their marriage and mission will still be standing when the storm has passed.