By Dennis Richter

By Lauren Waller

Fighting fires in the Overberg

Last Sunday during our corporate prayer time, God gave me a picture to share with the church.  It was very special for me for a number of reasons, and I’ve been encouraged to share it with you.  To confess, I don’t always feel like going to the corporate prayer times.  My head knows that I must be there as a functional part of the church family, but my heart is not always in it.  I’m not yet in the habit of asking God beforehand to speak to me in these times, nor do I always come to the meeting prepared or expecting to hear Him for myself or for the church; thinking that I’m there to only pray into what the leader is calling us to pray for.  So being given a picture by Him, was such a wonderful reminder from Him to me, that corporate prayer times are important for us as individuals too; that we also have a role to play in these times, and need to be expectant for how God speaks to us through what He has placed on the heart of the one leading the meeting.

Anyway, enough of the confessions, here’s the picture!

A fire started in the mountains around Hermanus the Saturday before the prayer meeting.  The fire fighters had had a rough time dealing with the fire, and this was largely due to the fact that the mountains are heavily infested with invasive alien plants.  Fynbos is a fire driven system, many of the plants needing fire to stimulate seed germination.  However, fynbos is predominantly a shrubby type of vegetation.  Replacing this with woody invasive plants adds to the fuel load, i.e. the amount of material available to burn.  Since these particular aliens are more woody than fynbos, the fires burn with a higher intensity than that would normally happen.  If the alien spread is large, so will be the extent of the fire, fanned by the wind, and by updrafts created by the fire itself.  The result is that a fire on your alien infested property will be more dangerous, the impact more significant, and will not only affect you, but your neighbours as well.

Now the thing with aliens on your property is that they don’t just suddenly arrive there and take you by surprise.  Nor do they immediately become this dense mess of vegetation that you can’t deal with.  They arrive there gradually, so gradually that they don’t seem to be doing much harm and they get left alone.  You can see them growing, but you get used to them, and because there’re only a few of them, you know that they are manageable so you leave them.  You’d rather spend the effort a bit later when there are more of them as you feel like you get more return for your effort.   You get so used to them being there, that they become a part of your property, and you end up not seeing them anymore.  Before you realise it, you have a completely invaded property, where the alien plants have completely outcompeted the natural vegetation.  They are a fire risk to you and your neighbour, they’re going to cause an alien invasion in your neighbour’s property, and it is going to cost you a fortune to clear your land of them.  And you think to yourself, “How on earth did I let this happen?  If I had dealt with this earlier, it would have been so much easier, the impact would have been less severe and extensive, and it would not have cost me so much to sort out.”

Volunteer fire fighter

So the picture that God challenged me with was what about the aliens in our lives?  Are there sin issues that we’re not dealing with and just letting fester?  Are there attitudes in our heart that are not right that need to be sorted out?  These are the aliens.  If we don’t deal with them immediately and rip them out, they will grow quietly on their own and fester there.  We’ll become used to them, and with time we don’t see them as a big deal anymore – we’ll get to it later.  Eventually the sin or heart issue grows and becomes so huge and out of control that it wrecks devastation on our lives, and to the extreme, can become life threatening.  We’ve left it so long, that it is that much harder to deal with.  And it is not only us that it impacts.  The consequences of what we haven’t dealt with can have devastating effects on others around us, innocent people that may not even have been involved in the original problem.  The consequences can be severe, destroying us and/or our relationships.  It is so big in fact, that you simply cannot deal with the problem anymore on your own.  That fire could not have been dealt with alone by the landowners affected.  A fortune was spent on fire fighting teams and helicopters.  Hundreds of other people were involved helping friends and neighbours as the fire spread to property after property.

So the message for us is to deal ruthlessly and immediately with the nonsense in our lives that must come out. We all know what it is.  Do it before the impact becomes too far reaching and the consequences overwhelming and the costs debilitating.

And lastly, what if there were no aliens?  Would there still be a fire?  Or as Rudy preached last Sunday, would there still be storms in our lives?  Absolutely.  But they will likely be more manageable, the consequences less severe, and the cost to us less painful.  And like fynbos needs fire, we’d need that fire in our lives to help stimulate growth in areas that have stagnated and are no longer productive.

Burnt fynbos

This week one of our members, Kayleigh Moller, came across these two pictures which reminded her of a prophetic word for Live the Life Church from March 2011:-

“I saw a picture of a giant lying down, but the giant was pinned down by strings – lots of strings pinned into the ground and he could not get up. I heard these words: ‘Live the Life is a sleeping giant.’” (Rhoda Kotze, March 2011)

Kayleigh went on to say:-

“And at prayer tonight, Rudi was on the wavelength of being impregnated with expectations and a love and passion to share the Word with others. Seeing these pictures made me imagine what it would be like when the things God has planted in each of us are born. And “the church”- sleeping giant -wakes up and embraces the children we have birthed.

I’m just so excited about what the Lord is doing. And it’s so close to home.”

Last year, one of our friends from Live the Life, Natasha, left to work in a hospital in Malawi. We were sad to say good-bye, but Malawi has gained a wonderful doctor. Here is her latest news.

commstipation (noun). an uncomfortable delay in communicating news

It has been rather a long time since I sent out any news, more than three months. In that time I have moved house three times, moved ward twice, been to Zambia for the first time, bought a car, made some friends and started to settle down.

I have also had some very difficult times and feel as though I am emerging from a dark hole (where I left the other newsletters, unsent).

The hospital is a lovely place, although it has provided me with a fair number of struggles. It is busy, but except for the nursing corps, is very well staffed, just not as we know staffing. There are not many doctors, but many Clinical Officers who have a three year diploma. They perform many of the functions that doctors perform in other places (e.g. caesarean sections) and some are specialised to do anaesthetics or surgery. A Clinical Officer is a very useful sort of person and some of them are very good. Some can do operations that I can’t do, e.g. hysterectomies. There are also Medical Assistants who cover the out-patients department; they have a two year diploma. Because of this a hospital can run completely without doctors, although doctors do provide a depth to clinical decision making, so we are not totally superfluous.

Patients' guardians waiting outside the hospital

There are very few nurses. But nursing here is not the same as in South Africa. Each patient must be accompanied by a “guardian”. The guardian is a relative who will bring food and cook for the patient and wash them, deal with bedpans, etc. They also call the nurses if there is a problem with the patient. Row upon rows of guardians sleep outside in the covered walkways, on the cement floors or on the floor next to the patient’s bed. In the children’s ward there are often three children to a bed with at least one guardian per child. Guardians will do this for sometimes weeks of even months without complaining.

I am in charge of the medical wards and spend a lot of time teaching medical students and nursing students, a task I enjoy. My bad record with South African medical students in Hermanus (utter neglect), was in retrospect just a case of being too busy there. The medical students are all foreign students, but in February I will get my first batch of Malawian medical students.

The area around the hospital is very beautiful, especially now that the rains have started and everything is becoming green. The weather is also cooler now after the last three hot and dusty months.

I bought a car in September, but have not driven it much because of the fuel crisis. For much of the time it is very difficult to obtain fuel. Most fuel stations are dry most of the time. When there is news about a tanker coming then people will queue at the fuel station for many hours in advance. Then the long queue of vehicles and jerry cans will get fuel until the station is dry. Sometimes people will queue for over 12 hours and by the time they get to the front of the queue, the fuel runs dry! Can you imagine?

The price of fuel has just gone up dramatically so that is now costs the equivalent of R16-19 per litre depending on the exchange rate. On the blackmarket, fuel costs about R30 per litre. Also, you run the risk of buying fuel diluted with water, cooking oil or paraffin. But sometimes people resort to blackmarket fuel when they are stranded. Because of the fuel situation I have done very few long trips to explore more of Malawi. But I did go to the amazing South Luangwa game park in Zambia, Lake Malawi, Blantyre and Mount Mulanje.

Natasha's house

We have also had major problems with the electricity supply with many weeks of having power only 50% of the time. Sometimes we have had no power for 30 hours at a time. We have also had problems with the water supply, (especially in the last house where I stayed) so that I have had times with no power, no running water and no cell phone signal because there is no diesel for the generators of the cell phone towers! Because the cell phone signal is very bad here my Internet connection is mostly unusabley slow and I can’t Skype. This lets me feel very, very cut off from the rest of the world and very sorry for myself at times when I just want to talk to someone who knows me well.

Having said all of this, I love living here is a rural area. It is incredibly beautiful and quiet. I love walking to work and to visit people. My car spends most of its time in its garage being gently poo’d on by its pet bat (I have never tried to spell poo’d before!). At night I love walking by the light of the stars around the mission station from friends or the hospital and using my headlamp if necessary. I love occasionally hearing hyenas at night and all the birds and insects. I love not having to sit in traffic or go to shops. I love walking around here and feeling as though I am in the middle of nowhere.

A big part of feeling more settled here is moving into my wonderfully quaint one-bedroom cottage. I feel very much at home here and completely safe at night. It is very close to the guest house where there are always lots of people and there are also watchmen. It is very close to the hospital and is also not on a thoroughfare so that I don’t get a lot of passersby. The matron is my next-door neighbour; this can only be a good thing.

I am on call five nights a month (I do anaesthetic calls at the moment) and also have to do weekend ward rounds often. When I am free on a Sunday, I like to visit a very nice church in Lilongwe (an hour away) called Flood Church. It has a nice blend of Malawians and ex-pats and I feel at home there. I sometimes go to the beautiful Presbyterian church on the mission station that has an English service at 07h30 on a Sunday morning (ahem…). We also have a Bible study on a Tuesday night that is a great source of fellowship.

Natasha

I suppose that this is enough news for now. I have to exercise my news-giving capabilities, not having much stamina for that!

Thank you for reading my newsletter.

May God be close to you in 2012.

Natasha

Written by Christine Barnardo from their Barnardo Trio blog:

They take the form of soldiers like King David – who fought many battles and conquered kingdoms.

Or queens like Esther – who risked her life for the sake of God’s people.

And we see a preacher like Paul – who boldly preached the gospel in the face of persecution.

As time passed heroes of the faith took the form of martyrs – who would rather die than to deny Christ. Men and woman who risked everything for the cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We talk of Charles Spurgeon and  Johnathan Edwards who preached the gospel with great zeal and saw many lost souls saved. Men and woman who go down in history books, who pop up if you google “Hero”. And they are all great. Their lives and their faith have stirred many and have taught us wonderful things. We salute them!

But there are those precious heroes…

Those who won’t go down in the history books of the world, but whose faith will be penned down on the hearts of individuals. Seemingly ordinary saints – who aren’t at first glance soldiers, queens, martyrs, preachers, evangelists, prophets or the like. Their faith will speak volumes, their courage will inspire and their absolute love and commitment to Christ will leave you breathless. Their journeys, battles, victories and losses will stretch your theology and widen your view of the All-Knowing, All-Powerful, All-Sufficient, Sovereign –  Great I am! They point you to Him, they call you to worship, adore, praise and give glory! They show you His peace, His love, His grace! They do all of this with few words and great humility. In their desire to live for Him alone, they don’t realize the impact they are making on those around them. For they do not live for themselves, their eyes are firmly fixed on Christ – the author, perfecter and ultimate hero of our faith and it is to Him that they are surrendered. To His will – whatever that may be.

These heroes have come to me in the past year in the faces of the Moller and Gernetzky families.

Beverly, Kayleigh and Olivia Moller – who had to say goodbye to their husband and father, Hein, who passed away suddenly, without notice – just like that. Having to trust God that He truly is all He says He is. Having to trust that He will be their Father, that He will be the husband and that He will lead them into His preferred future for them even though it contradicts what they had in mind of “ life in abundance”.

They are open, vulnerable and humbly share their difficulties, but in all of it you see Christ shining through and they are satisfied in Him. Their testimony reminds me of John Piper’s famous saying – “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him”. And it’s only by grace that we can be satisfied with the loss of loved ones so seemingly untimely.

Yesterday, we saw another hero enter into eternal glory. Diane Gernetzky! Thinking of her brings such joy to my heart. I feel privileged to have known her to have shared in the fellowship of Christ with her on this earth – and I long for the day to worship our King together. Her battle with cancer was won – but not in the way the world would count victory.  What we have seen in the lives of the Gernetzkys as they have put their trust in Christ, have looked to Him for healing and have found peace and joy in whatever the outcome may be -  has truly been a great journey of faith. It has been a journey of glory – all glory to Christ! Their faith wasn’t flawed because the end result wasn’t healing – their faith has proven God to be real, powerful, mighty, gracious, good, sovereign and has lifted His name higher than they realize. There is something so beautiful about that kind of faith.  That is faith that works. Their journey has taught me so much of God. What am I afraid of? Where does my hope lie? How is my life counting for Christ? They have continually pointed me to Him who sits enthroned. Diane’s was not a wasted life – it was a life that brought glory to God in ways that I could only hope mine will. To day by day fight the good fight in the face of the unknown. To fight against unbelief and fear so graciously and gently as she did – that is a victory! To praise God in suffering, to rejoice and have peace in the pain – this is a victory! To say boldly, “Oh death, where is your sting?” – this is a victory that the greatest of soldiers, kings and queens could only dream of: a victory I hope to see one day as I breathe my final breath. Great is the victory also of those left behind. For Nathan – being satisfied with the will of the Father even though it makes no sense, even though there are no answers to the many questions, even though the journey that lies ahead is painful and to rejoice in the Lord always – it is a victorious journey that makes much of our Father and will continue to speak to many souls. The fruit of their journeys will be lasting, and with each passing year, sweeter.

I feel like I could write for hours of their faith.

I thank you Beverly, Kayleigh, Olivia.

I thank you Nathan.

I thank you for honouring Christ, for loving Him above all, for sharing your journeys and for always pointing us to the Father.

I thank you Hein.

I thank you for being a man of God, for being a father and a husband who put Christ first.

I thank you Diane.

I thank you for your faith, your gentle and kind spirit, your courage and your life not wasted.

And I thank you Father that I can know these men and women. These heroes. These whose lives urge me on to know You more, to die to self and live only to You.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Hebrews 12:1,2

By Lauren Waller

I know, I know, it appears to be an incredibly morbid title, but please bear with me a little while I explain my question.  The lives of two people in our community have caused this question to float in and out of my mind over the past few months.  Can we prepare for death and dying?  Actually the question should be why we are not, for John Piper says if we know how to die well, we will know how to live well (from his book, “Don’t Waste Your Life”).

Hein and Olivia Moller

Hein’s seemingly untimely death certainly rocked us.  It was so unexpected and devastating and hit too close to home.  Married women were shocked to the core knowing it could have (and may) happen to them.  Much was said about Hein’s love for the lost, his father’s heart for his staff and many other ‘adopted’ children in his life, his life-change after experiencing Madagascar and his challenge for men to be men.  There was a realisation too that we had underestimated and underappreciated this deep, quiet man of God.  Sons and daughters, no matter what age, were challenged to appreciate their fathers, pray for fathers who did not yet know Jesus, perhaps pursue broken relationships.  Perhaps for some it was the reminder of the brevity of life, and that the end of it cannot be predicted.

What thoughts did you have? How did Hein’s death affect you?  Were there areas in your life that you felt God challenge you?  Do you know that as I write this, Hein has been gone for seven, months?  Seven months!  Has much changed in your life since then?  From the heart breaking yet hope filled, memorial service on 8^th April and for all that we went through and experienced on that day, what has changed in your heart?  If I look at my own life, I’m saddened to see that I’ve become complacent about things I know God spoke to me about.  I know he has been working in my heart, and I am so grateful for that, but I also know that I need to step things up.  Life is short and can end unexpectedly.  It is so easy to be caught up in the day to day hassles of life, that before we know it, we’ve done nothing about what God spoke to us two months previously.  I wanted to post this at the six month passing of Hein – and look, another month has gone by.  If I want my life to count for God, I need to be pro-active in working it out, living everyday as if I were ready to die.

Hein’s death taught me something else about being prepared for death and dying.  Bev and her girls allowed a few of us the privilege of walking closely with them those first few days after Hein’s death.  After the funeral, reality hit that he really was never coming back.  The desperateness of it was overwhelming.  How do you provide words of encouragement and comfort at time like that?  What do you say to unanswerable questions?    What do you do with those tears, pain and shock they are carrying, which seem too much to comprehend?

Do you keep visiting, or are you intruding on a family who may need privacy?  Do you call, but what do you say?  Do you sms, or is that not personal enough?   Do you talk, but what if you say the wrong thing?   And for how long do you actively provide support to the family, one month after, six months, a year?  It is such an awkward situation and the temptation is to avoid it all together.  It’s just too hard and painful to deal with because it makes us look directly at our own lives and shortcomings.

Make no mistake, this situation is going to come into our lives more times than we would like it to.  It’s times like these when we need to show the tangible love and compassion of the Saviour to the hurting so that they can sense His nearness.  We can only do that, however, if even in uncertainty, we are sure of the hope that we have and the inherent goodness of God.  People know when we are saying  something we don’t believe ourselves, but are doing so because it is the ‘right’ or expected thing to do or say.  What is the current status of our hearts, and do we have enough in there, that it can overflow to other people?

And if we say the wrong thing?  Well, I’ve learnt that it doesn’t really matter as long our hearts are right before the person.  It’s not about us anyway, God can use a donkey if He needs to.  So we need to get ourselves out of the way and allow Him to use us in obedience to His instruction.   Talk to people who have experienced tragedy – that is how we learn. I know that one day, when she is ready, Bev will be able to teach us a great deal about supporting those who are hurting – some things she has mentioned to me are:-

The fact that you care enough to show up, to be there, is what ministers far more powerfully than the words you can’t find to say.

Don’t say call ME if you need anything – 30 people are telling us that and you can’t remember who has said what?  Just pick up the phone and make that call and ask if there is anything you can do at that time – leave a message if you have to – they will know you cared enough to call.

If you SAY you are going to help with something, then do it!  Keep your word; they are depending on you to!

Prayers, prayers, prayers – nothing is more important than praying for the family – because God is actually doing the carrying by His grace – not us humans.

Simple, small, practical forms of assistance are huge!

Hug us – hold us, be God’s tangible presence to us. We do not have the plague – we have just lost our beloved one!

Talk to us – don’t ignore us.  You are welcome to mention our loved one – he may not be with us on earth – but he is more alive and whole than he has ever been!

It’s not only in the time of death that we need to be prepared, but there are those who are suffering through illness that also need love, compassion, and someone who is strong enough to be with them in their bad, difficult days.  The reality may also be that we may be those who experience the hardship of sickness or terminal illness.  Will we be able to glorify God in those times too?  John Piper says that suffering is a means of magnifying Christ, not only the result of it and that His beauty shines most brightly when treasured above health and wealth and life itself (“Don’t Waste Your Life”).  Could we live like that while we suffer?  Will we be able to be a source of hope and encouragement to others while we are in that difficult place?  It will not be possible without the grace of God, and if we don’t start, in a sense, preparing for it now through building a strong love relationship with God, and a faith that is grounded in His Word.

Diane Gernetzkey

I am in awe of Diane Gernetzky and the grace and peace she displays as she fights cancer.  Through her love, faith and trust in God, she has been a blessing and source of encouragement to so many other people, despite that she is suffering so much herself.  If I shared Diane’s condition, I am not sure that I could do it with the same strength and peace that she does.  This doesn’t happen overnight.  God gives us the grace to deal with circumstances that come our way, and He promises us that He will not let us go through something He knows we are not able to handle.  But the knowledge of and faith in this, and what Diane displays to us, comes from years of her knowing her Saviour and through hours and hours spent studying and meditating on the Word and applying the truths to her life.  God’s Word has been her hope, peace, promise and comfort.  She has also had the opportunity to give all of that to so many other people whose lives she has touched in this time.

For us to have the strength, peace and dignity like sweet Diane, be a helpful companion to those who are suffering in illness or grief, we need to be people strong in the faith and in the Word, with a rock solid faith in our Father who loves us.

A note from Mike:

Personally, I learned some of this the hard way the other day when I took Livvy, Bev’s daughter, for a long walk on Onrus beach. I am not touchy with her as it is a bit weird for me, but when we sat down on the rocks to chat, she hugged me and hung onto me for ages. It just shows how ‘touch’ from a dad can be missed. I didn’t even know it. So the ‘hug and hold’ part is true and essential. It needs to happen from time to time that some of the older men just hug and love those around us who have lost husbands and fathers. We all need to learn “practical religion” like how to care for “widows and orphans” in a real way, today, in our times and in our communities.

Ronel with her grand-daughter

When I think of our friend, Ronel Lee, this scripture comes to mind:

Php 2:14-16  “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life…”

There is so much we can learn from Ronel. Without drawing attention to herself, she quietly allows God to be displayed in her life. Being restricted to a wheelchair does not stop her from opening her home to people from all backgrounds, from taking time to talk to children, or from doing what she can, such as the encouragements she sends out on Facebook. She has an effect on people who are watching her and who see what God has worked in her heart: a joy which cannot be explained by “externals”.

She said to me, “I’m not looking for the lime light. It’s all thanks to God that I am what I am today. I want everyone to know what an amazing God I serve. I want my life to glorify Him.”

This is her story in her own words:-

“I was 17 years old when I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. I married my very loving and supportive husband at the young age of 21. I did not want to have children unless I was 100% sure this is not transferable. My doctor gave us the green light and said we could have as many children as we want, but that I’m not going to live longer than 40 years. Wow, I’m 50 now and still as healthy as a horse. Although I can’t walk, I’m living a full life with the grace and love of my amazing Father.

Ronel with her husband William, daughter Christine and son-in-law Rudi

My daughter, Christine, took me with her to Live the Life church for the first time on 2 April 2006. I stopped smoking the previous day. She said she will take me with her to church on one condition – I have to quit smoking. And all the glory to God, I did. The moment I “walked” into church, I immediately felt this awesome feeling…as if the Lord wanted to tell me, “Welcome home, my child”. And I haven’t look back since that day. I repented at one of the God Sessions and can now truly say that I’m a part of God’s family. I lost a lot of my worldly friends and family, but I gained so much more with my spiritual family.  I lost it all to find everything!

I have my valleys, deserts and mountains in life, but being in a relationship with Christ helps me to keep my focus on the Cross and sitting at Jesus’ feet. There’s no other place I would rather be. My faith in God helps me to see things from a whole different perspective. My sufferings…well, what sufferings? I’ve so many blessings in my life – my Jesus helps me to make suffering my servant- all to glorify Him! What once looked like a mountain, is now just a hill from heavens’ point of view!

I won’t let anything or anybody keep me from following Christ. I’ll always be passionate in what I do for the Gospel – keep heart and be brave!  I won’t be put off by anybody (thing). Jesus had to suffer, why can’t I? Satan is just waiting for a tiny, little space to do his work – I won’t even give him a little chance. I will do ALL I can to serve Christ, He is my very existence, He is my every breath. It’s because of Him that I can be fully alive in Him, that I can be free to give Him my everything. Nobody/nothing can give me what Jesus has to offer: life!

All things are possible (if it’s in God’s will) through Christ who gives me the strength and hope!

Php 4:12-13  “I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Psalm 139:1-3 ”LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.”

How amazing it is to know that God knows EVERYTHING that’s going on in my life.”