I am not a very good musician yet because I’m too lazy to practice. I am trusting God that I will learn how to worship more with my instrument. Last year in study time, I felt that I should practice on my guitar. I had gone through all my exercises, and when I was done, I played one chord. Immediately, the lyrics of the song, Open Up the Heavens, started coming into my mind, and I started singing along, even though I have never played this song on the guitar before. I started getting the chords right on my own, without looking them up. I was so surprised! I ended up searching for the words anyway and started to worship with the song, because I felt Father God laying it on my heart for a reason. As I was playing, God started speaking to me and I experienced a word for our family for this new season we are in. It was so wonderful and so encouraging for me to play. I only wanted to worship the Lord, and He came and helped me in a special way – just like He always does.

Two weeks ago, Lourens and I were preparing the things on the farm for the cell celebration braai. It was around 5 o’clock the evening. A few minutes later, he asked me to do a few more things, and I told him it was no problem. In that moment, I started speaking to myself saying: “Wait. Is this really me speaking and understanding English?” And I could hear God’s voice saying to me: “WELL DONE” and “I AM PROUD OF YOU MY SON.” In that moment, the Holy Spirit started to remind me of how I came to South Africa. When I came to South Africa , I really couldn’t speak English at all and I was so hard on myself. But I’ve committed myself to the Lord and surrendered all to him,allowing him to come and have His way in me. So, I want to encourage you, while you’re busy reading this, that no matter what situation you’re going through now, remember that God is always there for you. You just need to commit yourself to Him. And one day you will stand strong, looking at your life and be able to say, “WELL DONE”.

In one of the sessions in Retreat time, they called all the children to the front. Usually, my children will not go forward at all, but they did (not knowing what they will be doing there). They then asked that the children would pray for the adults & minister to them. I got nervous, expecting them to come back to their seats, but they stayed and prayed wholeheartedly for so many people. I even went to my eldest son, asking that he prays for healing in my back as I hurt a muscle badly the previous day and I struggled to move without severe pain, even affecting my breathing at times. The pain did not leave immediately, but I did not tell him. Later when we returned to our seats, my middle son asked if he can pray for me for something. I asked him to pray for my back also, which he did. Still, the pain was not gone immediately. I did not tell them, but have told them in the past that just because you don’t see results immediately, does not mean God has not healed you, sometimes you only see results a bit later. Throughout the day I felt how the pain was getting less and less by the minute. The next morning when I woke up, the pain was completely gone!