Sri Lanka - A lot about love

What a day. Flying from Hawaii to Japan, we crossed a timeline which pushed us 15hours ahead in time... Crazy! Who said time travelling is impossible?

In Japan we stayed for one night in a little town called Narita. Japan is probably the place I saw who is the most “culturally active” – they have a very rich one. We wanted to sleep at the airport, but they actually closed for the night! So we were forced to get lodging. After treating the team to a very nice meal at an Italian restaurant in Japan (ironic), we headed out for a 24hour McDonalds... I experienced in my heart that I want to treat the team to a four star hotel I saw earlier the day and after confirming with Marisa we decided to do it. God had blessed us with some extra money that remained unused in the previous 3 countries so we could afford it.

Now, as I wrote in the previous letter, I am currently in a place where I don’t want to “make things work”. Thus, I want to see that God is doing what He wants to do and not interfere or try to help Him in that. A great example is the hotel. I experienced prior to our booking in that me and Marisa will not be staying in the hotel... It was a little sacrifice to be made for the team’s luxury. They have had a great LUKE10 journey and needed a good rest. So when we wanted to book the rooms, we needed more money than we actually had on us, to pay for them. We already reached our daily withdrawal limit, but amazingly enough were able to draw just enough money to pay for 9 people! It worked out perfectly! The team really enjoyed the gowns and nice rooms. Praise God.

Hawaii was obviously about FAITH.

Cambodia is about HOPE. (We are here now, so more of this to come)

Sri Lanka was about LOVE!

Everything the Bible teaches rotates around this theme and without it, it would be impossible to grasp any other concept the Kingdom of God communicates.

It is only once one individually has an encounter with True Love through revelation of Him and His unexplainable yearning to be with that one and respond to that revelation that one can experience Truth, Liberty, dignity and the fullness of destiny.

Once that happens one cannot, but also love in a like manner, those around you, in order to introduce the ignorant, immoral and indignant to this kind of Love so unique, precious and powerful to transform and conform to Love yet again.

It is not something you strive to do though, it only shines through.

Our time in Sri Lanka was a time when I realized more than before how forcefully gentle This Love uplifts, unites, encourages and empowers. It even entangles us into relationships to build us and not break us.

We lived with beautiful people – South Africans, that have now lived in Sri Lanka for almost longer than I live. Especially their two girls really captured my heart! Oh how I grew to love these people!

Pieter Ter Haar and his wife, Louise, with two daughters Chantelle and Sonia.

Upon arriving the Sunday morning just after 12 at night, we still had a 3 hour drive to a little town called Kandy, where we were going to stay for a few days on Pieter’s coconut farm.

That Sunday morning, having lost some sleep, we ministered at the local church service, which was really fun!

During the week we served in the children’s home the Lord gave them where 23 lovely ladies (teenagers) reside. These girls has been through the trenches of life and suffered violent abuse in one way or another, even most of them have a background of being molested or raped by relatives...

We had the privilege of painting the kitchen area inside and out, as well as the garage and the outside residence rooms of the girls that week – with the best paint on the market, provided by the Lord!

Every day after work, we had the opportunity of playing with the girls, in recreational manner (i.e. camp activities) and then to share with them in a time of devotions.

The language was a bit of a barrier, so we spoke mostly in parables. The first night I shared with them the story of Pinchanola (the wooden little boy that is a character of Max Lucado). The story communicates how special one is in God’s eyes as opposed to what people might say about us – plainly the “Fatherheart of God”.

The second night on Tuesday, Jana shared with them about the concept of sin and how it builds a wall between us and God.

The third night, on the Wednesday... Oh this was a night! Chantelle shared with them about forgiveness in telling a beautiful story, Marisa testified, Fran explained about worship and then we engaged into praying and worshipping the Lord. Eventually God led us to make a circle around them as a team with them in the middle. We sang over them and them... The Spirit FELL upon the place in a manner which I have up to yet not experienced in my life. Now, what was remarkable is that only about 2 of these girls can understand some words in English, the others are completely English illiterate... We actually even sang in Afrikaans when it happened: “God is Liefde” was the song... Then I personally felt an exhilarating anointing of the Holy Spirit giving me a revelation of God’s LOVE for these girls. It was so intense I could not do anything but respond in BREAKING out in crying.

The rest felt it too, the Lord was PRESENT! Every one of the girls started crying! The power of God was moving. Some team members kept on singing, some continued to pray aloud, others praying in tongues. Some of the girls fell out and the team ministered to them without ceasing. This all went on for more than two hours. What a night. God really broke strongholds and introduced Himself to these girls, AND to us His power and might – He become more of a reality to us than ever before.

The Thursday we all went for a picnic at a nearby, river, so beautiful!

That night was the last night we were with the girls. Zania shared on them being princesses without knowing that most of the girls’ surname in their language actually means princess....

In a very creative way she shared how they were princesses in God’s Kingdom.

The girls, out of own initiative made bookmarks for our whole team, getting us in tears as they cried because of us leaving. In just such a short time we had grown to love them and they us.

Not all of them are Christians, some coming out of a Buddhist background, because that is the state religion. When we asked them if they wanted Jesus to live in their heart, after Pieter explained a great part of the Gospel to them, almost everyone responded that they do want Jesus! Amen!

The Friday night we went to Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka for ministry there with Louise’s father, uncle Christo van Eeden and his wife Louise and their other daughter Estelle. Very warm and lovely people, obviously also South African, living there for quite a few years already.

We had quite a variety of ministry work here for the weekend. We visited two old aged homes, one for elderly men where Ethan shared with them, and one for elderly women, where Etly shared with them the Word. We attended a prayer meeting where there was a Buddhist also attending the meeting, seeking out the Living God. We had a gathering with the local church& rsquo;s (which was planted/built by a South African missionary) youth – playing a whole afternoon and Jana shared a Word with them. The last day in Sri Lanka we attended the evening service and Jaco (David) shared with the congregation. Awesome to see the team so active and bold.

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have

love one to another.

Also see 1 Corinthians 13; Romans 12>9-21; Romans 13>8-10 and 1 John 4>7-19

PS: Did I mention I climbed a coconut tree?

One of the craziest things I ever did and never again will do again – Me and Fran climbed the thing and got a coconut, but boy, I almost died, that thing is HARD to hold on to... My arms were so tired, especially upon descending, I slided down, rather than climed and bruised my arms and thighs... Eish, sorry mom :)