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30 September 2009

Hallo my Friends all over the Globe.

We continue to walk in the fullness of God’s blessing in our lives; so much for which to be thankful.   I know that long newsletters seldom get read, so I will keep this as short and condensed as possible.

I am still involved in helping with the choir and orchestra at our local congregation -The Bay Christian Family Church - here in Somerset West. It is great to be able to do some voice training with the group of about 30-40 choir members. We have a 10-piece band and love to see how all comes together under the worship leader, Raymond Cilliers. It’s wonderful to be at a place in my life where I can give back and sow in the young lives who are willing and able to worship God and so usher in the presence of God – in every service. We know full well that it is not about the performing of the songs and music but our attitude of worship and our hearts that are focused on God!

Earlier this year I believed that God laid it on my heart to present a “Taste of Tabernacles” here in the South of Africa for the people in the Cape Town area.   So many people want to go up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem, but we can’t all go, every year.  When I mentioned it to the leaders who did the Feast in Cape Town 2 years ago – they encouraged me to go ahead but that they would not be able to assist me in the organization of this event.  Two years ago it was a major task for them and they suffered a great financial loss.   Yet I knew that we had to give the people an opportunity to experience this feast – a feast where we are commanded to be joyful. You can look it up in the Bible.  Deut.16:13. “Celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days after you have gathered the produce of your threshing floor and your winepress. : 14. Be JOYFUL at your feast- you, your sons and daughters…

 So I asked my group at our prayer meeting if they will run with me and this instruction of the Lord. They were 100% behind me. We formed a small committee. I kept going back to the leadership to ask them to guide me and give direction if they saw me make mistakes. It was important to me to be accountable to the leadership of the ICEJ here in South Africa.

Things started to happen – we got a small 10-piece band together and the group of singers was also smaller than previous years.  The music was placed under Gerrida Dickason who did a great job 2 years ago. We had a limited amount of days to rehearse – in fact the band only had 4 rehearsals and the singers 3. The dancers under the leadership of Gaynor Schiff and Ronel Brink got under way and they rehearsed faithfully for a number of weeks.

The tickets were available and we saw a great interest growing. We had posters and a few radio interviews but the rest was done by word of mouth.   We had great opposition from some areas – but we knew that God was in this.   We got an 850-seater auditorium for free and the musicians and singers and dancers were all volunteers. 

Now I have a small taste of what the music director of the ICEJ, Chuck King, and those guys at the Feast in Jerusalem, must experience in order to put something of that magnitude together! All the people involved with the Feast in the Holy City have my greatest respect and admiration! I have been a choir member at the Feast in Jerusalem for 10 years and after that a few odd years just doing some solo work; what a tremendous privilege it was to gain experience just watching how the rehearsals went and getting ideas from my years at the feast itself.

So God knew why I had to be there for so many years - it takes a long time for me to learn and understand things! Ha-ha!!!!

I do not think people believed that we would have that amount of people interested - but 900 people came and we were sad to tell people that we were sold out! Many Jewish friends joined us and we hope even more will do so in years to come.

Many people that I have never met – just came forward and offered their help and expertise – it was a God thing!  He gave me the best of the best to work with.   We did not forsake to come together every week to pray for this event.  He heard our prayers and guided us so beautifully.

There were three things in which I had put my human trust and really depended on those things for the success of the evening – God removed all 3 of those things and showed me that He is in control and what He has in mind will work! The music director’s father died two weeks before the date of our event so naturally she had to go and be by her mother’s side. We felt for her in her loss and understood her situation.  She was such a help right up to the point where she had to leave.  I was shocked - I had to pull this thing together without her! 

I regained my shalom with the encouragement of my daughter Hanel and husband Danie – I was to go on and just do what I could.   My two music leaders were great in their enthusiasm – I do not think they knew how great a task it was and how little time we had to rehearse.   But – God did it. I do not have time to share the other two incidents –but God far outclassed my ideas. He is such a good God – He is Great and greatly to be praised!  

We invited Malcolm Hedding, the international director of the ICEJ (International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem) – to be our keynote speaker - and he accepted - praise God - He spoke wisely and with truth and clarity.  So apt for the needs of the people.

We thank you Malcolm for your obedience - you touched our hearts.

What a joy it is to tell you that we had enough money to cover all costs and we were able to bless people and organizations - Glory to God. He wanted it to happen and He gets all the glory and the honour.  We showed Him our dependence on Him and He gave us His unmerited favour and He honoured us by being the instruments of making people aware of our Biblical responsibility towards His feasts, the land and the people of Israel.   And foremost to honour and obey the God of Israel who made us a part of His eternal plan for His Kingdom.

Our children are all well.   Hano and Lorraine in Scotland doing well – we just miss them so much as little (he is rather big) Noah is growing up and we do not see all of that.   His mom is wonderful in sending us photos and tells us all about his whereabouts.   Hanel and Clark are expecting their little girl in Jan. All is well and they are blessed. Hanel took part in the vocals at the Feast and Clark portrayed Jesus in the song “The Hem of His garment”   He did it well.  
Nicolaas and beautiful Rachelle have moved into their new home and he is flying regularly into all parts of the world.   He mainly flies top executives and politicians around to their different destinations.  Rachelle does not operate as a pilot at the moment as she ventured into the bridal section of the fashion world.  She is also modelling whenever the opportunity arises.

May God bless you as you read this letter and be encouraged that – if God places a dream in your heart – He will equip you for that task.  Do not be discouraged by people saying that you can’t do it.   Have the attitude and mindset of a Caleb who saw the power of His God and not the numbers of his enemies.  In the Book of Numbers, God mentioned that Caleb had a DIFFERENT spirit within him and God could go places with a man and a woman like that!    David was told that the giant was too big for him – he saw that the giant was very big –too big to miss him!!!!!   Let us be the light in this world and let your light shine wherever you go.   You go out there and be the one that is positive about everything even if people come up with negativity all day long.   He is our strength and our salvation.   His joy – is our strength.

Amen and remember – you are blessed in order to be a blessing to others around you!!!!

Love in Christ Jesus our Messiah.

Hanli