Germany09

Here are some impressions from my time in Germany! Enjoy!!!

My time in Gresham/Oregon

All those wonderful 3 weeks in Gresham are behind me now. ALREADY! It was such a joy coming HOME again. I met friends and new people. I had time to relax while walking in a park or lying on the green green grass looking up into the sky. I felt extremely blessed to see friends that now live in Phoenix and Bend while I was there. God gave us an opportunity to meet. It all widened my heart, it made my heart swell. It made me feel so thankful of knowing all those people. Things that I had missed while in South Africa were Coffee from the Pacific Northwest (Star bucks/Coffee People/Seattle’s best/Silk etc.), Taco Bell (Yes, Taco Bell!!) and long chats with friends. I took lots of pictures but took even more with the camera of my heart. Many of my friends had a baby now since I had been there last. So every day a new Baby and were really great!!!! I loved and treasured my friends sharing their lives with me!!!! A weird little tummy bug got me for a day or two which made it hard for me to prepare for the weekend I was scheduled to share from the platform at East Hill Church. I gained new insights, was able to function in new gained truths and prayed with dear dear people. I won’t forget some really great divine appointments (Megan, blessings to you, Lady!!).

OUTREACH

It was outreach time last saturday! Zakhele and I were asked to bring our Youth. What a priviledge!! The outreach was a day for little kids in Paternoster, a fisher town 1 1/2 hours north from Cape Town. After some activities and a lunch the kids would be given LOVE BOXES (like shoe boxes filled with goodies). Because of the fact that we have exam time right now, only ow of our Youth were able to join: Sheldon and Mario, our youngest ones. I had been in total anticipation and in prayer for us to be God's hands extended there. As we arrived, the event started soon and Mario helped me painting the little one's faces. He did a great job and had a lot of fun. Sheldon was our camera man. He took picks and helped us. Both of them used their gifts. Later we had make sure that the kids sitting at 20 different tables would behave and listen to the program provided. Sheldon and Mario (both 12!!!!) did a great job in that as well.I was blessed watching them. During Lunch Time our Youth had been asked to entertain the kids. Sheldon and Mario were really nervous but they were a great part of a Pantomime that we showed. We also learned I love Jesus in Afrikaans and I taught the kids how to say I love Jesus in German. It was fun. Then came the highlight of the day, the giving out of the love boxes. Let me tell you something: Those boxes were packed with love and care and they came from....GERMANY!!! That was such a blessing and honor for me then to give each kid a love box and then to watch them open them. Look at the pictures. At the end of the day, the 5 of us coming from Coastlands Community CHurch (Becki Rusk, Zakhele, Sheldon, Maro and myself) were a blessing and were blessed as well. That's how God does things :) so great so great!

faithfulDETAIL

I call this blog post: being faithfull in the detail. I just came back from the shopping mall. There, I passed an older woman twice and every time I was stunned with her top. I thought to myself: What a great top on her!!! Before I could walk out the mall, I felt a nudge from the Holy Spirit to share that with that lady. Oh my....then I thought: Kerstin, come on...that would be so awkward telling her ...what would she think? After a few minutes of thoughts back and forth I told myself:

Oh well, let's try.

So I went up to her and told her how stunning that top looked on her. Her whole face lightenend up and she thanked me and said:

This made my day!!!

This would have never happened if I had not tried to be faithful in the detail. I know it is just a small small thing but I think that it is there where it starts! Happy New Year!

GERSHWIN

Gershwin This blog post is not about music, not about that music style that Gershwin the composer professed. It is a about a normal man, a man that suffers, a man that is desperate, a man that needs God. I am talking about Gershwin who lives near the area that I find myself these days: a suburb area of Cape Town. He lost his son of little age not long ago. Now he wants to give his son at least a proper place. He needs money for his coffin. He walks the streets to ask people for money. He walks the streets like so many people do. Some among them are not safe people……….but some are. One day, my doorbell rang. I went to see who it was. I kept the door closed for I did not know this man. He said: “Ma’am, I saw your car parked outside here and I thought I could ask you”. Then He went on telling his story. All that time, I am praying for insight, praying for wisdom. “Is this a safe person God or is this trouble?” My guts told me to step out of the door and pray with this man. SO I did. I prayed for open doors for him and for the money that he needed for his child’s coffin to come through. As we both said AMEN, I felt compelled to give 30 Rand towards that coffin. (30 RAND equals about 3 $ and 80 cents). The man started crying and thanked me. I encouraged him some more and he was on his way again. Gershwin was his name and I never forgot that name. In the nights I would pray for him asking God to bless Gershwin, to help Gershwin mourn his child’s early death and to provide for him. Three days later, my doorbell rang again. “Ma’am, do you remember me? I was the one man you prayed for a few days ago?” Surely I did. “It’s you, Gershwin?” I heard Gershwin start to cry. He was so touched that I remembered his name. He said: “This time I come because I need God and I want to be his child, Ma’am, can you please lead me to the LORD? Now?” I stood behind the door, still, praising God and in awe. I opened the door and came outside to lead Gershwin to Jesus. After the prayer, he looked at me with such shining eyes. “Now, I am a proud son of God, Ma’am!!” Hope filled this man’s face and heart and he showed me even the receipt of the funeral home where they had the coffin for his little child. I encouraged Gershwin in his new identity in Jesus now some more and off he went. At the end of the day I stand before my God, still in awe, thankful and praying for Gershwin that God provides for him, that God protects him and that now a new relationship between God and Gershwin can grow! Halleluhja!!! A new son in the kingdom, Lord please let Gershwin grow in you and give him hope for his every day life!

SweetRENEWAL

So here I am, I am moved by God, by HIs love and I know HE renewed me..just this last weekend, I cold feel HIM healing and mending things in my soul,my heart. It is still fresh that is why I am writing this note. I just walked down the street to come to this internet cafe and I felt different. SOmething has changed inside of me. Before I knew Jesus I never knew this feeling, this truth. Man Jesus is good, He grabs my heart again and again and HE whispers words of love in my ears. Really , you might ask...yes really and I am not crazy...well maybe crazy for God . funny. I have been in a relationship with Jesus for over 8 years and it still feels like yesterday that Jesus found me on a little road in Lausanne Switzerland...just like yesterday when I felt that peace for the first time...just like yesterday that I decided in my heart that this is God and that I would never let HIM go. Well, life is not easy with or without God, BUT is is easiER! it is and the love and healing that God has brought to me since then is amazing and HE never stops to love on me. I just finished reading a book by a good author (just like my other favorite author Francine RIvers) Karen Kingsbury. I read the book but allt eh time it brougth me back to God and I often found myself putting the book down and talking to God like I would talk to you, you know? It was in one of those last nights that God gave me a word, a promise , something that gave me hope in some recent frustration I had. Then I went and saw teh second movie of teh NARNIA serious and God swept me away. It is weird to describe but when I went to the theatre, I felt Jesus whispering into my ear ehile I was watching the movie. If you know Jesus and talk to HIM like to your best friend then you may know what I mean.. ANyway..the poin tof all this is that I just wanted to say that you can meet God anywhere, in a book, in a movie theatre and HE is real, HE is alive and I thank my God for loving me for wihtout HIM I would not be here , without HIm I would not feel teh hope and peace and love and without HIM...I guess I would not be alive anymore. Thank you my God, this one is for you!!!

Divine encounters

I am thankful and thank God for a weekend that HE gave me: I was invited to a prayer and encouraging weekend by a dear friend. Another lady joined us and I feel that it was a divine encounter. God led us into prayer and fellowship with HIm and HE directed the weekend!!