Participant Blogs

Last year I was apart part of Global challenge and I knew Jesus wanted me to do a second year, but I didn't know how it was going to look like. On the 1st of March we left for Zithulele Transkei. Our team volunteered at the various NGO's for a month. The drive there was beautiful, full of excitement and expectations for what this small rural place in the middle of nowhere might hold for us. My biggest dream is to be a full time missionary in the underground churches in Iran. I always had this perfect Idea of how...

Frankfort Echo Farm in the Free State was a jol ! Our team served there for two weeks and it was incredible to contribute to something way bigger than ourselves. The farm is almost entirely off grid, which meant no signal (unless you walk a few kilo’s to a random bush at the top op the farm), no electricity, rats and bats as roommates and often lekker cold showers. Oh yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about ! In between the dirty feet, callused hands and a little sunburn, I really experienced true freedom. Our team is closer now than...

Its early hours in the day, sitting on a hill, on a flat rock bed, I can see the sun slowly rising on the horizon and my whole being is filled with a peace and an excitement for the day. What a blessing it was to have stayed on the beautiful farm! I exchanged my shoes and the paved paths for dirty feet and a dusty brown dirt road. And during that simple but joyful time I realized just how deeply the love of Abba Father runs, whether it was in the gentle breeze on a hot day, the breathtaking...

Somewhere close to nowhere a river bends and flows freely through a remote dryland. It’s a place where the hot summer sun makes the earth pay its tax in the form of water in exchange for its energy and promise of growth. It’s a place where insects rule the ground and the call of the fish eagle sounds.   It’s a place where God uses the dusk air as a canvas to paint a new masterpiece every day.   With every sunset comes a new promise of a cool night. It’s a place where the stars rule the night sky...

Work your Way, aka a year traveling the world with a bunch of guys, sounds like Neverland...because it is! Corona aka villain aka my arch nemesis sounds like captain Hook trying to ruin my fun...because it is! Ticking crocodile reminding me that time is running out and the year is coming to an end...because it is! Then there's Wendy, a woman, the one that convinces Peter pan to grow the hell up, leave Neverland and become a real man with responsibility... well damn. Looks like God used women this year to turn me into a better man. Deal with conflict,...

I've heard people say South Africa is such a wonderful country and it's so diverse, in fact I've said something similar, travel magazines and tourists too. It's even in our De facto slogan, the rainbow nation. Diverse in people, nature, culture and heritage. It's one thing to think you know something and a whole lot different to know you only know a little. Naively I thought I knew. Since we've been expropriated from Brazil the team has actively served in 4 of our 8 provinces and not even lockdown has been able to impede our travels. Where's the truth in...

Who would have know that a small dusty town in the Free State would become such a big part of my walk with Jesus. I found Jesus in the routine and day to day working life. From building a stone floor with the girls to planting over 10000 spinach and onion seedlings in 2 days AND setting up TWO microgreen tunnels from scratch...all in the Freestate heat. Jesus really challenged me with endurance and working with excellence in all I do unto His name and for His glory. Endurance and finishing with excellence has always been a struggle for me....

From the 7th to the 23rd of September we visited the Echo farm close to Frankford.   At our previous ministry point I was wondering what my next challenge will be for the new ministry point. But Jesus really came and poured His blessing and joy over me.   Jesus really gave me so much joy on the farm where we worked. We prepared the soil for spinach, planted the spinach, made a stone floor and we helped built mashroom houses.   In al the hard work, tired nights and stiff bodies I really saw and felt the joy that...

Hogsback, a place where nature envelopes you, where the forest aroma fills your nostrils, where the earth is alive, rivers flow and God’s creation worships Him. However, Hogsback isn’t known for any of that but rather for it’s heavy spiritual atmosphere, but God used us to represent His kingdom there by using us as His light in the darkness.   We could really see God working in people’s lives despite us and using us as the broken vessels we are to lead people into His Kingdom.   Being surrounded by Nature really reminded me that God is Lord of the...

When Jesus sets you free from all the lies you believed about yourself and about Him, its like the best day of your life, because you don't feel trapped anymore. You know you can face the world again without the feeling that everything is against you.   In our time at Elim, Jesus really came and broke every lie that held me down and it really "destroyed" my relationship with Jesus without me even noticing it. I always knew my identity is in Christ but I did not believed it. He came and spoke truth into my life and set...