Dear friends, prayer partners
and supporters!
It is time to recap what God has done here in Cape Town and what you have been apart of. Thank you for your support in prayer, in being a friend and lending me an ear, or in sending me a care package or a postcard. You all have been of great support here to me so that I can do what God has called me to do.
What did God call me to do? My heart is to help people to find their identity in Christ, to walk with them and help them to spiritual health. God has stirred me to pour myself out to the people, to serve and to give. Matthew 7:12 inspires me in that: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophet (NIV)
June 2006, God began to stir my heart for South Africa. Back then, I was still an intern in training at East Hill in Restoration Ministry. A year later, I followed God’s call and Pastor Xavier’s invitation to help him and his wife to build a restoration ministry in their church in Cape Town, South Africa. I was sent out by East Hill as Long Term Missionary in July 2007. My time here in Cape Town started the following year in February of 2008. I have been serving here as a long term missionary since then. I started out by connecting with people. Relationship is the key and through relationship I can build trust with people. During my first year, I started to walk alongside Pastor Xavier, go with him to minister in an old people’s home every month, even preach there.
In my second year (2009), I helped out with the Youth every week. This has been a constant area where God has been using me in the last 2 years. I lead the Youth (teens aged 12-15) together with Zakhele. We try to bring God’s truths on their level and in a very practical way. Recently, we transformed our room into a tabernacle and let them walk through every step. One of our teens got baptized this year and 3 of them received the gift of tongues. Our heart is to invest into the next generation. Throughout the first two years I was able to walk with Coastlands Community Church into their new building. We all pitched in: painting, patching, plastering, cleaning…the list goes on. I am privileged to have been here at such a time as this. Every day there are new miracles to experience. I learnt a lot of how a building is built as well. All in all, my ministry is quite hands on: HIS hands extended.
This year (2010), God has opened up opportunities for ways to serve this community in healing and restoration which has been my heart from the beginning. Pastor Xavier, his wife Heather and I started Genesis groups in our church. The Genesis Process is a book of 10 processes where one is challenged to face his fears and his pain and as a result to change and become free from unwanted and unhealthy behavior. As leaders, we walk 3 to 4 people through in each group. I have two groups right now; all in all I walk 7 women through the stages of inner healing. We see this as the foundation of the healing and restoration aspect in the church here. The vision is to start more groups in this community.
During my time at Coastlands, I have been part of the intercession team, which has helped me to follow God’s heartbeat with our church. Moreover, I am at the church office during the week to be a blessing to Pastor Xavier and Heather in any way I can. I feel God has called me to love on the people in this church, to listen to them, to be with them and to be God’s hands and feet to them. Lots of things are happening and I don’t see my time ending here. I believe it has just started. We just started the foundation of the healing and restoration ministry this year. The 3 pillars of this church are: Reach, Restore, Release. Restoration is a big part of this ministry. We are getting started but it is important that we train up leaders and we help them understand the vision, too.
Within this past 2 years, my financial support has gone down substantially. My prayer is that I find more people who can support me financially. I am praying for a broader base of people in that regard.
I would like to ask you to consider being a partner in this ministry. I will always need people who pray for the needs that arise on the mission field, and people who cover me in prayer. Likewise, I would like you to consider being a partner financially towards this ministry of healing and restoration. Please bring this before the Lord and see if HE puts it on your hearts to give towards the long term mission God has called me here in Table View, Cape Town. If you are able to participate financially in my ministry, if it is a one-time gift, a monthly or a yearly gift, please let me know. I know that times have not been easy.
Any gift from $ 20 onward helps me to reach out to the people here and touch their lives... to be a blessing and to change lives.
This is how you can do it:
Please send a check to East Hill Church, PO Box 650, Gresham, OR 97030 with the memo line: South Africa- Long term Missions
Let me know your thoughts, your feedback and know that I appreciate you. I am blessed by your interest in what God is doing here.
Much love to you all and may this day be filled with the soothing, joyful, tender voice of our Almighty Father, the one who made the Heavens and the Earth.
Seek the Lord and let HIM hold your heart in HIS big hand. He is in control and HE will do what HE has promised!
Count your blessings and feel a hug coming from far away
God’s abundant peace be with you
In HIS tender grip, Kerstin
@-mail: kerstin.berthold77@gmail.com
my blog: http://lightonlichtan.blogspot.com
Kerstin Berthold c/o Coastlands Community Church, PO BOX 45, Table View 7439 C ape Town, South Africa
Dear friends, prayer partners
and supporters!
It is time to recap what God has done here in Cape Town and what you have been apart of. Thank you for your support in prayer, in being a friend and lending me an ear, or in sending me a care package or a postcard. You all have been of great support here to me so that I can do what God has called me to do.
What did God call me to do? My heart is to help people to find their identity in Christ, to walk with them and help them to spiritual health. God has stirred me to pour myself out to the people, to serve and to give. Matthew 7:12 inspires me in that: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophet (NIV)
June 2006, God began to stir my heart for South Africa. Back then, I was still an intern in training at East Hill in Restoration Ministry. A year later, I followed God’s call and Pastor Xavier’s invitation to help him and his wife to build a restoration ministry in their church in Cape Town, South Africa. I was sent out by East Hill as Long Term Missionary in July 2007. My time here in Cape Town started the following year in February of 2008. I have been serving here as a long term missionary since then. I started out by connecting with people. Relationship is the key and through relationship I can build trust with people. During my first year, I started to walk alongside Pastor Xavier, go with him to minister in an old people’s home every month, even preach there.
In my second year (2009), I helped out with the Youth every week. This has been a constant area where God has been using me in the last 2 years. I lead the Youth (teens aged 12-15) together with Zakhele. We try to bring God’s truths on their level and in a very practical way. Recently, we transformed our room into a tabernacle and let them walk through every step. One of our teens got baptized this year and 3 of them received the gift of tongues. Our heart is to invest into the next generation. Throughout the first two years I was able to walk with Coastlands Community Church into their new building. We all pitched in: painting, patching, plastering, cleaning…the list goes on. I am privileged to have been here at such a time as this. Every day there are new miracles to experience. I learnt a lot of how a building is built as well. All in all, my ministry is quite hands on: HIS hands extended.
This year (2010), God has opened up opportunities for ways to serve this community in healing and restoration which has been my heart from the beginning. Pastor Xavier, his wife Heather and I started Genesis groups in our church. The Genesis Process is a book of 10 processes where one is challenged to face his fears and his pain and as a result to change and become free from unwanted and unhealthy behavior. As leaders, we walk 3 to 4 people through in each group. I have two groups right now; all in all I walk 7 women through the stages of inner healing. We see this as the foundation of the healing and restoration aspect in the church here. The vision is to start more groups in this community.
During my time at Coastlands, I have been part of the intercession team, which has helped me to follow God’s heartbeat with our church. Moreover, I am at the church office during the week to be a blessing to Pastor Xavier and Heather in any way I can. I feel God has called me to love on the people in this church, to listen to them, to be with them and to be God’s hands and feet to them. Lots of things are happening and I don’t see my time ending here. I believe it has just started. We just started the foundation of the healing and restoration ministry this year. The 3 pillars of this church are: Reach, Restore, Release. Restoration is a big part of this ministry. We are getting started but it is important that we train up leaders and we help them understand the vision, too.
Within this past 2 years, my financial support has gone down substantially. My prayer is that I find more people who can support me financially. I am praying for a broader base of people in that regard.
I would like to ask you to consider being a partner in this ministry. I will always need people who pray for the needs that arise on the mission field, and people who cover me in prayer. Likewise, I would like you to consider being a partner financially towards this ministry of healing and restoration. Please bring this before the Lord and see if HE puts it on your hearts to give towards the long term mission God has called me here in Table View, Cape Town. If you are able to participate financially in my ministry, if it is a one-time gift, a monthly or a yearly gift, please let me know. I know that times have not been easy. Any gift from $ 20 onward helps me to reach out to the people here and touch their lives... to be a blessing and to change lives.
This is how you can do it:
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