3DAYS!

3 days to go and I will fly out to be with friends and supporters from my sending church in Oregon and after that I will fly to Germany to see my family and friends there. I am excited and nervous. I haven’t been in Oregon for 2 years!! I haven’t been in Frankfurt/Germany!!! I cannot wait. However, at the same time, my heart is sad because I will miss my new home: Coastlands Community Church in Table View/ Cape Town/ South Africa. I am thankful to God for having 3 homes, three nations in my heart: my own (Germany), The States and South Africa!!! 3 more nights in my apartment that has been such a blessing to me in the last 2 months!

my own MINISTRY BLOG!!!!!

Dear YOU, I created an own space, a blog just for my ministry. Go ahead and visit my MINISTRY BLOG. I always have a link to it on the left side under all the other blogs. Read mroe about my vision and how God called me to this minsitry of healing and restoration! A broken servant of the most HIGH God! Kerstin Sunshine

H.E.A.L. with Jesus- the five finger mission statement

The following will help us all to focus on what God has called me to in South Africa and beyond. As simple as a hand, so is what I believe the Lord is showing me for my life. A hand has 5 fingers, four fingers and one thumb to bind them together. When I see a hand, I see four fingers showing the mission statement and one thumb to bind all together symbolizing Jesus through whom I am able to do this. Only with Jesus I am able to point to healing and restoration, to encouragement and accountability and to healthy leadership as well. The hand is only complete with the thumb.

One finger stands for H.ealing and restoration- this means the process a person needs to get unstuck, to see change and to be restored inside out. Another finger stands for E.ncouragement and exhortation- this means the importance of giving encouraging words during a healing process. Another finger stands for A.ccountability and Application- this means to stay in reach of others, to share deep thoughts and emotions with others and to let specific people talk into our lives. Application is a very important component. It means that I need to be practical and to have tools ready to be applied in real life! The fourth finger stands for L.eadership and constant learning- It is important to know what healthy leadership is and also that we need to learn constantly. The thumb symbolizes Jesus and HIS role in this mission. He is the beginning and the end and through Him I will be able to be God’s hand extended.

This hand shall be extended to an aching world in need of healing and restoration, in need of a change, in need of life, in need of JESUS.

JUST KERSTIN, BUT KERSTIN!

HI, my name is Kerstin Berthold. I love my name. It means: Belonging to CHRIST! My name is the program of my life! I am glad to be Kerstin and not anyone else! In the past 2 weeks, God has renewed my mind and soul and I feel He gave me new and fresh water to drink. I realize how much I felt overwhelmed with the idea of being a missioanry sent to a different nation. Now, not only my mind, but my heart udnerstands what it means to be called, sent and loved in all the processes. God called me, Kerstin, with all my good and all my bad traits, feelings, thoughts. I am glad that I am not a superwoman...just Kerstin. God has called me to bind up broken hearted, to point to HIM and talk about HIM, to be a living testimony of HIS love, hope and strength on this earth. I am ready! I am ready to be Kerstin, be renewed on an ongoing basis ........

My plane to embark with: missionary!!!

Today as I went to be in a sunday service again, I was so encouraged and there is one aspect I want to tell you of. We were talking about how the two disciples walking to Emmaus were surprised and filled with joy when they finally reallized that the person who had interpreted the Scriptures to them was their and our Lord Jesus. Jesus appreared to them being intersted in their concerned faces while they were discussing the past events that had so shocked them. Furthermore, he stayed with them and taught them out of the Scripture without revealing himself yet. Our pastor talked about a very good metaphor this morning. He said:

"Someone once told me to compare out lives as a Christian with a journey on the plane. The plane is the metaphor fo the word, the Sciptures, the truth. We need to be in the word, in us to the plane, although it we need to trust and believe that this plane will get us to where we want to go. Armed with courage and all, we go and sit down in the plan, we go and sit in the word, we are int he word and let the Holy Spirit serve us as we are flying, as we are reading. The Holy Spirit shows us the truth and comforts us. He makes it comfortable in the word, in the plane. We cannot or should not get out of the plane before our destination- that will be painful!!!! We need to hang in there until we arrive at our destination."

We talked about our personal plane right now, where do we need to seek God's revelation through HIS word like the revelation the two disciples from Emmaus got through the word by Jesus. My plane is called : Being a Missionary. It took me a lot of courage and more than half a year for God to free me a bit more of my anxieties, but now I am on the plane, I am ina the word and reading about Paul and how things hapenened, how he had to work and what needed to be done. I am learning but by flight is in turbulences right now and I feel a little sick. I need new joy and hope in areas of this calling and I am thankful that the Holy Spirit is flying with me and He will help me understand He will help me change and look forward.

Dear Lord, let me be a missionary worthy of the calling you gave me, knowing that I cannot do it on my own but through you and in fellowship with teh ones you gave me as brothers and sisters. Help me to understand, help me to learn, help me to grow and help me to keep on walking!