Participant Blogs

  I think it's important to remember that God didn't create religion. People did. It's funny, we run around placing little labels on all sorts of spiritual things and calling it OUR RELIGION. Isn't that just what we do with people as well? See we meet people. We kinda talk to them for a while, "get to know them" without getting to know them and then we slap a sticker all over what we "know" about them and we file them in a box with a lot of other stuff with the same stupid label. Our own little factory if...

Istanbul! How cool was it to be in one city on two different continents!!!! That blew my mind! But what caught me first is how alive everything was. Driving from the airport in Asia to our guesthouse in Europe (I know.. It sounds quite cool.) I saw that this city definitely never sleeps. Buildings light up and dance, all around amazing tulip plantations show you which way to go. I was captivated by the beauty of Turkey. My heart ached at the sight of everything. I knew that this would be my favorite country! When we reached Mavi Guesthouse we...

We departed from Turkey almost two months ago already, but it was such an overwhelming experience to be a pilgrim in the country where a big part of the new testament plays off that I struggled to put it into words. Here is my attempt at celebrating the highlights! We arrived in Istanbul, a cosmopolitan city located halfway in Asia and halfway in Europe with a strong Middle Eastern influence. The streets smell of incense and turkish delight and various kinds of fruit teas can be found in every sidewalk cafe and street market. Here I found that Psalm 16:5...

Our first few days in Turkey was resting and exploring with our hostel being right behind the Hagia Sophia museum. We had no ministry point here so we were trusting God to open new doors for us. So between just trying to process Israel and trying to soak up Istanbul, we took it pretty slow, praying on where we should go and what we should do. Our only other mission was to apply for our Macedonia visas, which we prayed about a lot. But God is good and the application process went super smooth, something that is impossible according to...

I am so thankful for:  African time; it is better than Turkish time, free public toilets, the SPCA, understanding Afrikaans, 'n lekker Braai, wearing shoes in the house, western toilets, Yum Yums double crunch peanut butter, google translater, an open window in a truck with a smoker driver for 7 hours, not having my pasta taken and hidden away by my team, not waking up to the sound of ziplock packets opening, not being called the spice girls or Charlie's angels by every merchant in the market but above all, I am so thankful for these things because they have...

What? How does that work? It does, if you're a sinner. I am a very honest person and I want you to fully understand my journey, so yeah, sometimes you're going to think I am an absolute fool. Great! Please think that, because my friend, that's exactly how gross and sinful and foolish I am, without God. Great thing that God doesn't leave us in our sins. Thank God He doesn't. Now of course, you want the juice (news) of what I have done. I thought that I had the right to want. I started to want the things other...

After an amazing time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Northbound recently arrive in Istanbul, Turkey. Our team is filled with excitement as we are heading into a new season of our journey. In Turkey we will not be having hosts and set ministy points like we normally do, but will be following in Pauls footsteps, going to places like: Cappadocia, Ephesus and Troy.   Within our team we have faced a few challenges as well. We have shuffled porfolios, people on food team are now working on the teams communications and the people previously on communication have joined the finance team....

Wow... its how I can sum Turkey up... wow... Jesus you made Your pressence known, You came and show me what it is like to love your neighbour as yourself, you have blessed me in abundance. You have blown my mind and captivated my heart. 

On the fourth of march we arrived in Istanbul, a city with about 10 million people. By God's grace we found a very cheap hostel right in the centre between the famous mosque "Hagia sophia" and the sea (Bosporus)! Already at this place we experienced the hospitableness and kindness of turkish people, just amazing! A week later we arrived in Izmir. For the first time in my life I saw Christian believers worshipping God in an underground church! An incredible experience! So many different nations, but all having the same father! A completely filled church! A lot of joy!! Our...

This is a done deal!! Jesus is in me and I am in Him. This is who I am!! I am everything God said me to be. I don't need to search for it, I don't need to do something to get it. He already gave it all to me with the cross. All I need to do is release it! Release God in me trough His Holy Spirit.