Provision

I have blogged on that before and I will say it again: God provides and HE promises me HIS provision...and then HE is soooo sweet to confirm this promise again and again. It is like the cherry on the cake. He knows me through and through. As I took my SNowflake (my car) to have a wheel alignment this morning, I turned around and found a 5 cent coin on the floor. This is the way God has been speaking to me about HIs faithfulness and His promise to me in the past year! So amazing. For those of you who read about this for the first time: here is a quick recap: Last year, I would find 5 cent coins on the floor, on the gravel, in the dirt...always shining and waiting for me to pick them up. An assurance would flood my soul, a knowledge that God is able, God is for me and God is going to provide....so I should not worry. God has humor and HE is awesome!

Pretty amazing to think about it

Last week, I went to join Pastor Xavier and Jason and Ryan on a day out. We drove to Hout Bay and to Simons Town. As we stopped for a cuppa coffee after some great Fish'n'Ships, it hit me. We stopped at a place that I had been to nearly 4 years prior to that day. 4 years ago, I went on a short missions trip with East Hill. Part of that trip was to establish if I should really go to South Africa as a Long Term Missionary from East Hill. I was in a pretty hard place that time. To be honest, I was afraid...very freaked and anxious about even thinking to do it. We had stopped at that place to have a cappuccino and Paul took this picture of me. Then, last Thursday it hit me. I set only one table away from the same spot that I had sat in 4 years ago...and this time, I thought, :"

I am a Long Term Missionary! I actually did it! I am not afraid anymore! I have been living here for 3 years and this has become my 3rd home!!!!!

" Wow, how amazing is this!!!!! Looking back I can see God's fingerprints...well, handprints...footprints..... I am amazed and I stand in awe

Servant Heart or The Upper Room Attitude

This has captured my heart for several months now and it is time to blog about it. The servant heart is precious and tender and very guarded and protected and yet authentic and open. I have been challenged by Matthew 7:12 "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets". A servant heart is to pour myself out and do to others what I would want them to do to me YET without an agenda, without wanting something in return. That is not easy to be honest, but it is sooo sooo rewarding.It all comes down to Jesus' statement to his disciples before the Last Supper: I will show you now THE FULL EXTENT of God's love! The love of God is one thing but THE FULL EXTENT of that love is even mroe, even deeper. Jesus is always about the deeper stuff if you have not realized that yet. Just look at the sermon on the mount and how Jesus tells us what Moses had said and how Jesus brings even more depth to it. So serving with the right attitude is the full extent of God's love. Serving means washing another person's feet, either literally or figuratively. It means to be ready to serve in and out of season. God has been stretching me in this area and HE has purged me. I get it wrong often enaough but then I also get it right and I grow in my attitude.

2011 Fruitfulness - Fast

This new year is all about Fruitfulness - that is what God told us here in Cape Town. In order to be fruitful, there needs to be pruning, too. We are in a 3 week Daniel Fast right now. Today is day 9. We pray for God to do a new work in us, in our church family and in the country of South Africa. It is amazing to fast and pray. I have come to love it! See, I was diagnosed to have a sensitivity to bipolar and I have been suffering form depression since I was 17. I am on good medication that balances me out in every way. However, I did not like to fast when I became a Christian. My medication requires me to drink a lot of water and I did not want to interfere with that medication. When I came to South Africa, I learned about the Daniel Fast. Now in my 3rd year, I do the fast and I am fine. God is really awesome. He helped me to grow in discipline in the last 2 years. I am so thankful. I am ready to be pruned because I want to be fruitful this year and int he years to come! Sunshine K

my friend Carol Tink

"Who wants to be my pen pal? Email me!"

These words were the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Back then I worked at the Disney Store in Frankfurt as a cast member aside from studying French and English. It was my dream job. I loved it. As I read that message from a cast member named Carol Scarpino in Massillon/Ohio, I decided to answer right away. Carol told me later that I had been the first to answer her. We started emailing and getting to know each other. Soon we emailed every other day. I really enjoyed getting to know her. She had such a caring open heart full of joy. I had my first online instant message experience with her. It was the aol messenger (grin). SO fun. We also called each other and sent each other care packages. This all started in 1999. I went overseas to study for 6 months and it was Carol who sent me a care package as I went on to my adventure. Her favorite Disney character was Tinkerbell and mine was Tigger: so she was Carol Tink and I was Tigger girl. One year later I became a Christian and as we chatted, she told me she was too. What joy, now we could even pray together! My highlight was in 2004 when Carol was able to come for a tour with her church choir to Europe. We met for precious few hours for the first time after 5 years of friendship. It was wonderful and I prayed with her in person. Since then I have not seen her again. We kept in contact via email and phone. 2 Years ago, my dear friend told me that they had found colon cancer in her and I have been praying. Sunday the 12th of December, she lost the battle with cancer and went home to Jesus. I am glad we emailed in the month of November. My heart is soar but also really happy for her - no more sorrow, no more pain...she flies on eagles' wings now. FLy Carol Tink, fly......

Another way of supporting me - I sell my art

Dear friends, I found a way of "tent making". This link brings you to my profile on a website that features artists and their work. You can buy my art through PayPal and bless friends with cards or prints etc. In this way, you would support me in the mission God has set me to here in Table View, South Africa!!!! I am excited. I am busy setting up the page and sharing lots of pieces of art work from my recent and early years. You can purchase gift cards with my art on, or canvases etc. Have a look at the site and tell your friends about it.

Courting....

Kerstin, I am courting you! I am on a great journey with Jesus these days. I’ve had some rocky weeks but last week it turned a corner. It all started with me reading in Psalm 40. I was touched by the fact that God hears my cry, HE hears my prayer. I had been contending for something in those rocky weeks and here was HIS answer that HE HEARS me. It touched me deeply. I love the way God moves me and the way HE helps me deal with things. In all this, HE rekindled my love for my God so much more.The next evening as I felt taking a walk around my safe complex, I felt HIS hand touching my hand and I could see us walking hand in hand. That felt so good! I walked with my Jesus. The day after I saw my favorite roses in a store. As I walked in, I saw one rose bud on the floor. I picked it up and asked the security guy if I could have that one. YES, of course! I walked home and I felt Jesus HIMSelf had given me that flower. He is indeed courting me.

FineArt

I am excited about this part of my journey. I signed up with a website that displays art work. In the future, I am able to share my artwork on a broader basis. This could give some people the opportunity to support the mission work that God has called me to here in Table View Cape Town South Africa. I am busy creating my profile but can already have a look if you like http://fineartamerica.com/index.html When you go on FINE ART AMERICA type in my name int he search engine :) God has created me as HIS masterpiece with beautiful talents. I am excited to share this talent with you

FUNDRAISING TIME - gearing up and interesting report on my 2 1/2 years so far

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

God's tender walk with me

I am amazed at our GOD, my God. I just come back from a short walk around my apartment complex after a great thanksgiving day. I was able to spend it with dear friends (old and new).I was able to laugh and share….and I got my toenails done in such a cool way . As I came back from the gym, I felt I needed to walk outside for a few minutes before turning in for the night. I could see the stars so brightly – how beautiful! As I walked, I talked to Jesus. I knew, He was walking right beside me. After a while, something shiny on the floor grabbed my attention. It was a 5 cent coin. Those who follow my blog remember maybe the post on 5 cent coins – guys this is really cool stuff. In the past half year, God lets me find 5 cent coins…randomly. Every time, He reminds me of the truth: Kerstin, I am faithful and I provide for you, in every way! So I’ve become aware of this, I can see a pattern in it and I know it is God – I know it is my Jesus. He knows my heart, He knows my desires and He provides…all the time. Thank you Jesus for reminding me again!

YOUTH work - the Tabernacle

This is pretty amazing. Pastor Xavier preached about the tabernacle a few weeks ago. He led us through explaining each thing in it. The tabernacle is the temple and it is explained in great detail in the Bible. Everything has a reason and deep meaning. I am amazed at it. A few months ago, God showed me a part of the tabernacle and talked to me about it. As Pastor Xavier spoke on it, I felt the Lord say:

Why don't you do something for the Youth? Why don't you let them experience a real tabernacle?

The idea stirred in my heart and a few weeks later we had the plan for the teens. We took 3 consecutive weeks. The first week, we led them through the courtyard. The first station in there is the altar of burned offerings. In the old days, the priest would have to kill an animal and burn it as an offering to ask forgiveness for the sins of the people. Forgiveness was only given and possible through the shedding of blood. Because of Jesus' offering on the cross, because of His blood that was shed once and for all, we can come to cross and bring our sins and burdens. The second station is the tank of water or Lavar. That is where the Priest had to wash and cleanse himself. This symbolizes that we don't stop by forgiveness. Our relationship with Jesus goes beyond forgiveness. We give HIm our heart and ask HIM to cleanse it. The 3rd station in the courtyard are the 2 Pillars where we go through in order to go into the Holy Place. The following YOuth meeting, we walked them through the Holy Place and right into the HOly of Holies. It was a great time. The third time we met, we actually transformed our room into a real tabernacle. It was an amazing time. As the 1st station, we had a big cross and bowls where the kids could burn all the sins and burden they had written down on paper. Then the 2nd station were two big bowls of water and soap - they could wash their hands and think about preparing their hearts as they would prepare for a date. We wanted them to think about meeting Jesus and preparing for it. We then had two pillars where they had to go through and proclaim God's truth out loud. Those are the only two pillars that have names in the Bible. Jakin (=He establishes) and Boaz (In HIM is strength) - both together they could mean: God establishes my strength. We let them say that out loud as they walked through. In the Holy Place was the table of SHowbread. We had real bread and the Bible and a lamp (as the Lampstand). As they ate some bread, they switched on the light and prayed that the Holy Spirit may help them understand God's word, then they read some Scripture verses. There was a table with incense on it. They had to smell it and think of that fact that they are a well pleasing aroma to our God. Now they stood in front of the Holy of Holies. The High Priest could enter that place only ONCE a year. Because of Jesus' death on the cross and HIS resurrection the curtain is torn and we can enter the intimate place with God. We asked the Youth to stay int he Holy of Holies thinking about who God is to them in this season. Let me tell you, it was a special time. I really treasured it and could only encourage you to try it too....with your YOuth or small gorup, with your friends. We do have an experiential mind and God's deep truths sink in much better with an experience that goes with it!

PRAYER - I fly to Frankfurt in 2 days

You can support me by praying over me and / or by asking God how you can be part of this adventure. You can send a check to East Hill Church, PO Box 650 in 97030 Gresham, Oregon and on the memo line put: South Africa - Long Term Missions. If you want to be part receiving my newsletters, let me know as well, kerstin.berthold77@gmail.com