Liesl Roos - The World Race 2006

Beat the Drum

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our country is stricken with the AIDS pandemic because of lack of knowledge and low moral values. These past two weeks we have given ourselves to serve the young people of Uitenhage with a program called Beat the Drum.

We start off by showing the Beat the Drum movie, a Hollywood production, to the group of kids we will work with for the week. The rest of the week we discuss various issues and topics such as relationships, values, sex, AIDS, rape and God's love for each of them. Every person gets a workbook in a magazine form which they work out of. During the week we also show a shorter video called In Your Face. It is informative on AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases, and challenges young people to abstain from sex before marriage.

The first school I went to was McCarthy High. We paired up and Ashley and I got to work with two of their Gr 8 classes. Iit was truly a blessed time. The kids wrote us letters about their situations and problems, and it was an honour to be a channel through which God can help them. The last day more than 40 kids in the whole grade came to the front when we asked who wanted to dedicate their lives to Christ. And I know that a great number of the Gr 8 group chose this week not to sleep with anyone before they get married.

This week we are ministering to the Gr 10s of Limekhaya High School. On Monday we showed them the Beat the Drum movie, and it truly touched a lot of people. Some girls even cried during the parts in the movie that is so sad, but so real in South Africa. The next day we met our classes, handed them their workbooks and shared with them some stories and teachings on the movie, values and actions. We encouraged them to write us letters on any questions, problems or situations that they need help with. Some letters broke my heart as these young people shared their deepest secrets with us, asking just to be helped and to feel loved and whole again. Today we had a seperate guy and girl talk. Ashley and I spoke to the girls about some serious girl stuff such as relationships, love, AIDS and rape. God put such a love in my heart for these pretty, special girls who are afraid to love, afraid to care and afraid to dream what they want to become one day. I pray that God will surround them with His arms of love, healing their broken hearts and whispering in their ears the amazing and colourful dreams that He has for their future.

During our time in Uitenhage, Cathy and I stay with a lovely lady named Hanna. She blesses us every day with a home filled with friendliness, tasty home-made meals, coffee and company.

Here I am with her two granddaughters This photo I took just outside of her house

Miracles and much more...

Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Jambo! (Hello in Swahili) We are in Arusha, Tanzania, having a truly blessed time here. Staying in the community at the church, we are meeting so many amazing people and we are able to share the gospel and God's love with a lot of adults and kids. The scripture verse about the harvest being plentiful and the workers being few is so true of Arusha.

God has done many miraculous things these past few days. We have seen a few people come to Christ, and some of us and the local church members are discipling them to grow closer and closer to God. A little girl who is crippled was brought before God through our prayer and fasting, and she is getting better and better. She recently were able to stand up on her own and walk! Another boy prayed with us for his father, an alcoholic. He has reported that even though his father is still not a Christian, he has stopped drinking. I just want to give God all the glory. He is blessing His people in Arusha with so many blessings out of heaven.

We are experiencing so much of their culture: here we are stripping corn for samp for us to eat. We were also invited to a wedding, which was very interesting and fun, with choirs singing, ladies dancing African dances, a marching band, and of course a beautiful bride and bridegroom.

A wonderful lady we met, Alice, runs a daytime orphanage for kids who lost their parents because of AIDS. Many mornings I went there together with some of the locals and the World Racers. In the mornings the kids are just as excited to see us, as we are to see them. We would fill their days with songs, games and stories, and in return be filled with love and joy beyond measure as they begin to smile, laugh and just enjoy life. God is using me as a medium to love these kids with His abundant love, and they thrive on that. Just to sit on your lap, or hold your hand or hug them, brings so much joy into their lives.

Thank you for your support and prayers. Keep on praying that God's will may be done in Arusha, that many more people will be added unto God's kingdom and experience His love.

And be assured in your faith that God is truly God, still able to do miracles, and interested in every intricate detail of your life, and the lives of those around you. Do not miss out on any oppurtunity you have to share God with others.

Blessings in Christ

Liesl

Deeper into Africa, deeper into God

Wed, 6 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Before coming to Tanzania, we decided on simple community living this month - as cheap as possible, and sharing resources. We also decided to trust God in providing and caring for us. Little did we know how much of a reality these two statements would be...

In the early hours of the morning of 2 September our plane landed on Kenyan soil. We waited excitedly for our luggage, so that we could walk under the African sun yet again (Egypt felt more like Middle East) and meet the people who would tell us what God is doing in the African church, and how we could serve them. Our fellow airplane passengers came with empty trolleys and went away happily with their bags. And we waited. And the conveyorbelt became empty. And we waited. And the sign changed to read another flight number. And we waited. Only three of the 12 World Racers going to Tanzania received their bags. The other nine bags? Probably somewhere between Iceland and Gordonia by now.

At the Lost Baggage counter we were told our bags could be here maybe tomorrow, maybe in 4 days, maby later. So we decided to go on ahead to Arusha, Tanzania, to start our ministry, and then let them send our bags to the airport closest to Arusha.

That meant that Estee, Clara, Anna Marie, Jessica S, Kim L, Sarah R, Lana and I have to live out of Lana's bag for an unknown period of time. Lloyd and Stefan have to share all their belongings with Dude and Jacques. (thus we are forced into simple community living). The airlinealso gave money for every person missing a bag, so that they can buy what they need to live on. (thus God provided)!

Later that day we met up with Piniel, a Swahili brother in Christ. We were then taken to a church in Arusha - our home and ministry base for the next three weeks. The next morning, Sunday morning, all 8 girls were dressed in Lana's clothes, ready for church.

The church service was filled with emotion as Africans sang, dances and laughed because of God's joy; and wept because of their sins. We sang to them a few of our English songs. They replied with a Swahili worship song as their choir danced to the beat.

We also visited the Bible school at a nearby village. Their course is 6 months long, and teaches students everything from Bible knowledge to church planting. At 3 am every morning they wake up for 3 hours of prayer before their teachings begin. 5000 people have already been trained here, all in Swahili.

Luckily we received our bags on Monday night, and through this we came closer to one another and really experienced community living where if one person finds a useful item in their daybag, everyone rejoices and uses it. God is faithful!

Our main goal here in Arusha will be helping the local church, a very young church, in growing, evangelizing and serving the community. The last few days we have gone door-to-door sharing the gospel and encouraging believers.

Please pray for our time here, that we may walk in the will of God, and hear His voice. Also for our protection and health.

Greetings in Christ

Experiencing Egypt

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

       Experiencing Egypt!



The great desert heat greeted us warmly, "Welcome to Egypt". In Cairo we met up with a missionary, and as an introduction we got our first traditional Egyptian meal, take away, to eat on the Nile. We were also prepared for our time in a town called Qussia, where we will be spending the next ten days.

In concern for our safety, a police escourt accompanied us to Qussia. The endless desert, and a few camels and donkeys reminded me yet again that I am in Egypt, the country where Moses and the Israelites wandered through for 40 years. Since then this Biblical country has changed a lot. The remaining Christians are even persecuted and treated unfairly because of their lasting faith.

We stayed in the bishop's house, or rather palace, and were treated like kings and queens. The youth of the church were busy with an art project on Revelation, so I helped them as they painted and drawed, shaped and cut, chatted and laughed. I made some good friends, and learned a lot from them.

In the evenings I taught an English class at the church, together with 5 other World Racers. We also went to the ERC meetings, which is the English Readers' Club. Amongst the discussions we had, was an interesting one about freedom, what it is and if all Christians are free in Christ, even though they are slaves to righteousness. I enjoyed it so much to hear the Egyptian Christians' opinions and views on different subjects, to share my own opinion, and to teach them English.

Our group was taken on a tour through the old monastery and church, experiencing their culture even more. Their summer program was running, so we saw the kids choirs practising their Arabic songs for the finals.



We had the privilege to attend 3 church services in the time we were there, and also to listen to two sessions of teachings from the respected and honoured bishop Thomas. It was amazing to be able to see the life and culture of these people, and to help and encourage them in their walk with Christ. God truly touched both their hearts and ours, joining us all together as a united body of Christ with the main purpose of loving and serving God.

From Croatia to Israel,and all in between!

Sun, 13 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

From the time of Bosnia we've been to five more countries up until now. God has blessed us abundantly with His provision and grace, really spoiling His children through everything He showed us in these countries.

In Croatia we rested and refocused on God as we had our debrief on the island of Brac. There God lured us closer to Him with His breathtaking creation. At night it looked like the stars joined us in the calm sea, as phosphorite sparkled underneath the ocean. A Croatian brother in Christ, Vijeko, did some amazing teachings, very inspiring and filled with wisdom.

From there we went on to Ancona, Italy. It was only a stop over for our ferry, so we had a single day to see and experience Italy! It was so cool to walk around in the narrow streets, with washing lines colouring the blue sky, locals deeply discussing some topic in Italian on the side of the road, and the air filled with the aroma of good Italian cooking. My day ended with eating genuine Italian pizza at a small Italian restaurant, chatting to God about the day and about the memories of the ministry so far this year.

The ferry then took us to Patra in Greece. A lot of amazing things happened during our visit to Greece,which you can read about in our team blog. But there is one more memory I want to add: The one afternoon I started chatting to an old lady who was a shopkeeper in Patra. After a while the conversation turned to religion, and it was a privilege to share the gospel with her. She gave me a silver charm with a little cross on as a present, and I in turn gave her a little beaded South African flag. She touched my heart dearly, and it was as if we knew each other for years as friends.

After a few days we were all off to Turkey! Our main focus was to study the book of Ephesians, as Ephesus is in Turkey. We visited 3 of the 7 churches as mentioned in Revelation 2 and 3, and even more Biblical sites. God took our thoughts back to the days of Paul, when true Christianity cost your life, and Christians were radical in all they did. We made a written out copy of the letter in Revelations to the church in Pergamum, and walked to the ruins of the ancient church to leave it there. As we prayed over the site, an old man started talking to us, telling us that this is one of the 7 churches mentioned in Revelations. He knew the Bible! After a conversation with him, we found out he was a Christian, one of the only a few left in Pergamum. He shared his testimony, and we handed the letter over to him, encouraging him and praying for him. It was so good to see God bringing him over our path, to mutually encourage one another in faith.

And now we are in Israel where we will be spending a few days to visit Jerusalem and see even more ancient Biblical buildings and places. From there we will go to Egypt where we will be ministering.

Emek Beraka Camps

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The summer camps in Bosnia has come to an end for 2006, but the works of God will continue in the many people He touched during these few weeks.

We started off with setting up camp five weeks ago, in a beautiful valley near the town of Konjic. The long term team prepared the campsite physically and spiritually for the camps. Showers, toilets and tents were set up, a coffee shop was built, a kitchen and office was set up, God's blessings were prayed down, we seeked His face and His will, and we worshiped and praised God for all that He is going to do in the camps.



Then we had a prayer camp where more people from all over Bosnia and the rest of the world joined us by dedicating the camps to God, truly seeking His will. God blessed us with many promises of doing a new thing, and that the time of revival in the church in Bosnia is near.

After prayer camp the camp site were filled with youth from ages 18 to 25. It was wonderful to see the fellowship between young people from around the world as the sing to one God, dance before Jesus and dedicate their lives to Christ. I made many close friends, and I will miss them a lot. But I thank God for uniting His bride, and for blessing so many people to worship Him as one body of Christ. The Bosnian Worship Team filled the air with praise, we danced before God with traditional Hebrew dances we learned, and listened to powerful teachings from pastors all over Bosnia. In our teams we did a lot of fun team activities, we all had amazing fellowship around the camp fire, and I percieved many lives as God changed, healed and captivated people with His beauty.

Then came the teenager camp (ages 13 - 18). The theme was the Olympics, and the country we chose for our team was Israel. As the campers got you nger, the language barrier got bigger, but God taught me how to show His love without words, and just to pray to Him when everybody started speaking Bosnian. We did a lot of sports and adventure activities, sometimes really challenging the teenagers, and through that God did amazing things as well. A lot of them overcame their fears and really started to open up towards us and God. One of the highlights would be the Ironman Competition where they were paired up and had to go through 17 challenges like building a fire high enough to burn a string put up above the ground, crawl underneath a net, and figure out a brain teaser. God says that His Words will not return to Him empty, and I believe that He will finish the work He started in the lives of some of these teens.

Kids camp!!! The theme of our last camp was Jerusalem Marketplace. We were divided into the 12 tribes of Israel, and I was in the tribe of Dan. Every day we held a Jerusalem market for the kids, with a Biblical drama, as well as activities such as harp making, pottery, weaving and carpentry. We had a chance to share the gospel with all these kids, many who come from non-Christian backgrounds. The kids enjoyed going to the lake, playing sports and doing activities. Also worhiping God, learning new songs and making new friends. God blessed our time with the kids, and many of them went home changed by the Creator.

In the Valley of Blessing

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The camps at Bosnia are really awesome so far. God is doing amazing things in people's lives. Here is just a few photos of Bosnia:


Me and Dude at the lake near the campsite                Some members of the team from Virginia, USA, at the youth camp


Konjic, the nearest town to the camp                                                          One of the trust activities on the teen camp

Please keep on praying for the camps!

A tale of two cities

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

While on my way back from South Africa to Bosnia, I spent a day in Vienna, Austria and a day in Split, Croatia. Travelling alone, I had a great time meeting people and doing sightseeing with only God at my side.

Vienna is a music town, where the cobblestone paths and majestic old buildings give the town a Middle Ages feeling. Horse carts and roadside cafes with colourful umbrellas, add even more to the old, almost magical, feeling of the town.





A train, plane and bus took me to the next city, Split. The city captivated me with its beautiful ocean, narrow cobblestone pathways and impressive buildings. After walking through the streets, climbing to the top of St Domnius' Bell Tower and later drinking coffee in a street cafe looking out over the ocean, I had to say goodbye to beautiful Croatia, and take a bus to Bosnia to meet up with my fellow World Racers.

Busy in Bosnia

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

At last our World Race family is together again!

We are staying in Mostar, Bosnia at the moment. Tomorrow the Yellow, Lime and Brown teams are leaving to set up a camp site and after that to lead 3 week long camps in the bush. During that time we will have no internet access, so I won't be able to post articles.

Please pray for our safety and that God will do amazing things on these camps. A lot of people in Bosnia still live without Christ's love in their life.

Greetings in Christ and may God bless you this month!

Crashing on homeground

Tue, 30 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Home sweet home, Suid-Afrika!

These three weeks I'm spending with my family and friends in South Africa before I return to Split, Croatia to join up with all the World Racers again.

At the airport I was greeted by 3 very excited people holding up huge banners with my name on, aka my mom, dad and sister. It was awesome to see them again, and to get the chance to tell them all that God has been doing in my life and the lives of others around the world. Since then I have been blessed with hot bubblebaths, delicious home-cooked meals, a soft bed, etc. (just to make my fellow World Racers jealous as they stand outside in the cold in front of the Eiffel Tower, or have to sleep on the Eurail while having to look at the beauty God created...) ;-)

I think I almost gave my guardian angel a heart attack this week, as I was in a car accident on my way to a friend's house. At a crossing a light truck drove into the front right side of the car, where I was sitting. I was the driver and luckily had no passengers. The car was written off, but God preserved my life and I got away with a few scratches on my face, bruises like a giraffe's dots on my right side, and a small neck injury where I had to wear a neck brace for a few days.

I have no idea why this happened, but I trust that God is in control and that He will use the accident in His broader plan for my life. Please pray for my safety and ability to follow God, but above all, pray that God's will be done, and for my understanding when certain things happen in His will.

The sun-scorched country of India

Mon, 29 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Arriving in India, I remember the temperature being 40 degrees Celsius nine o'clock at night. But even in the heat I had a great excitement to meet all the little guys at the orphanage. As the van stopped, 80 kids were already standing outside, waiting for the aunties and uncles that they knew were coming just for them. To me they were just a sea of beautiful faces, but every day their faces would become stories, the stories would become personalities, and the personalities would become pieces of my heart as I came to love and cherish every single one of them.

Each of us recieved three special friends, who would get special attention and care from us. My special friends were Arti, Reena and Jugni - the three most adorable little girls in the world! So many memories still clamour my thoughts as I think upon all the fun we had, the games we played, the English lessons, the Pizza Party and just simply being together. I can write pages and pages about my time at the orphanage, but here is just one story:

After being confronted with numerous "When are we going to the outside, Auntie?", the Pizza Party day arrived. With the teams waiting at Pizza Hut, two van-loads of kids arrived with expressions of awe and excitement. Inside the restaurant they were greeted with lots of balloons, cookies and candy. Everyone was running around and chatting happily as the nervous waiters tried to figure out who is sitting where, and what who ordered.

The glasses of Pepsi with ice were eyed with suspition, and Arti was the first one to be bold enough to taste it. Liesl Auntie ended up drinking 3 glasses of Pepsi as both Arti and Jugni didn't like this very cold, very sweet drink, compared to the lukewarm water they're used to. The garlic bread were luckily enjoyed by all! When the pizza came they didn't quite know how to eat it, but after showing them how, they enjoyed it a lot! Then the best part came - ice-cream!! But yet again Liesl Auntie had to eat one extra ice-cream as it was too cold for Jugni to eat.

In Pizza Hut there is also a small playground. No-one thought that the small playground could host about 40 kids at one time... But everyone had a great time! An amalgamation of balloons, smiles, feet, hands and cookies was all to be seen.

When the time to go home arrived, the kids were still hyper-active because of the sugar in the Pepsi, cookies and ice-cream, so the ride back was quite interesting as they bobbed around, shouted and sang. The excitement of the day was too tiring for little Reena, so I could only smile as she fell asleep on my lap on the way back to the orphanage. This is truly a day neither I nor the kids will ever forget...

I already miss every single child I got to know in this amazing orphanage in the sun-scorched coutry of India.

Orphanage at Khok Kloi

Wed, 26 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Our team was taken to an unfinished orphanage in Khok Kloi, and as I saw it for the first time, I also saw the following: a bunch of young Thai boys and girls running around, playing, with huge palm trees surrounding them, seeming like God's precense as He closely watches over every single child, delighted in their smiles and laughter. I saw them growing up happily, trusting in God for every step they have to take.

The last week we helped to finish the orpanage by digging a hole for the watertower, clearing rubble and mixing cement. I enjoyed it so much to work for God, speaking to Him the whole time and enjoying the company of the builders and their kids.

After every day of hard work, we all would go for a relaxing swim in the ocean. I truly felt part of this community of Thai builders as they shared their lives with us. We even had our meals with them. What an experience! Everyone sits on the ground, cross-legged, around communal plates of different Thai dishes. It mostly consisted of sticky rice, fish, soups and the top of coconut tree, and a LOT of chilli!! We were on fire for God the whole week!

The time really was blessed and I hope that the kids that will live there, will also just have a blessed time with God and family and friends.

It's my birthday!!

Mon, 24 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

My morning started with some great quiet time with God, then I had a special breakfast together with Sarah C, Tauna and Ashley. My first bacon and eggs since Brazil!!!

Afterwards we had some time with debrief sessions and games, then lunch was served:

Clara told me that the two of us had a lunch date, so we took our food at went to sit on the beach. While still praying, my team came, singing and shouting, having organised a little party for me! They brought me sushi for lunch! That was so special since they knew that I was searching for sushi since Hong Kong and China, and never found some. They brought me a cake and some chocolate brownies as well!! And a gift bag with presents! I enjoyed the party so much, it was very special!

In the afternoon I went for a Thai massage and then sat on the beach in God's precense, enjoying the tropical view, while drinking ice coffee and eating a Thai pancake with banana, coconut and chocolate sauce. My swim in the ocean afterwards I also enjoyed a lot, with the lukewarm blue water and the playful waves.

All the World Racers met for praise and worship on the beach later, so we got the see the most beautiful sunset!

For dinner we all went to a place called Katanoi Seafood and Restaurant for my birthday celebration. My food was served in a pineapple, truly island style! My World Race family really made it special for me.

My stunning day was ended off with a girls nite in our room, as Ashley, Sarah and myself watched a movie on a laptop into the early morning hours...

Thanks to everyone for making my birthday so special. I love you guys!!!

Thailand!

Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Wow...   That is all I can say to God when I see the breathtaking wonders He created in Thailand:





For three days we stayed on an island of Thailand, camping out in front of a medical clinic. We prayer walked throughout the island, seeking God's heart for these people and just beind stunned by His beauty in creation. Our team decided to serve the community by picking up trash on the beach and between the houses. The locals were amazed by white people picking up trash, so we trust God to open their eyes to seeing the love of Christ reflected in what we do. Our main focus was just worshiping God in everything we do, following Paul's example while he was in jail, where he worshipped God and the walls of the jail was broken down. In worshiping we hope to give these people a glimpse of God's heart, wanting to love them and to carry their burdens.

We also worshiped God by enjoying and praising Him for creation. I went to sea kayak and snorkel for the first time. It was amazing!! All the neon coloured fish swimming around you, the bright lime, orange and rainbow coloured corals beneath and the burning sun on the turquoise water. I fell in love with my Saviour once again.

All the World Racers also went on a boat ride to near a cave in the sea. From there we swam through the cave, which is only accessable in low tide, swimming in pitchblack darkness. Then this is what we saw: A hidden beach with white sand and lukewarm turquoise water, enclosed by the most beautiful cliffs with palm trees and shrubs. I will really try to get a picture of it, because it is surely a piece of heaven.

God is truly amazing and wonderful! I thank Him for showing me His beauty and captivating me with His being!

Salvation, to the children of China

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

New teams were formed for the few days in Tibet, so Lloyd, Chad, Casey and I went to a little town (or rather a street) with the name Zhiduo. It is close to 14 000 ft above sea level, somewhere in the snowcapped mountains of Tibet.


                         Chad, Lloyd, me and Casey                                                                The only street in Zhiduo, Tibet province, China


                                     A herd of yaks                                                                                                 Our toilet at the hotel in Zhiduo

The town is beautiful with its people dressed in layers of sheepwool and colours, its homely little shops and restaurants, and its only street surrounded with soft snow from the heaven. But the people are so lost, trapped in the rituals of Tibetan Bhuddism, under a dark cloud of evil.


                                                   The local Tibetans with their colourful clothing and prayerwheels

God broke my heart while prayer-walking through the town. He showed me the desperate search for truth in an old lady's eyes, showed me the evil in a possesed person's soul as I saw a fear in their eyes while they look at our team. God shared His heart with me as His Tibetan nation walk around and around, circling prayerflags and temples, repeating prayers to non-existant gods while their fingers count the prayerbeads in their hands. He revealed to me His sadness as little children are pushed into the box of Tibetan Bhuddism, without even hearing once the name of Jesus Christ in their ears.


                                         Prayerwalking through the town, on a playground and around Bhuddist temples

Lloyd met a young guy who was studying English and got invited to his family's home. There he found out about a big Tibetan Bhuddist monastary nearby. The guy's dad, a police officer, offered to give us a tour the next morning. The monastary turned out to be more like a whole town, with lots of different "God rooms" and places to offer or pray to the gods.


                                                                              The Tibetan Bhuddist monastary near Zhiduo

Our plan was to tract bomb it the following night, but it turned out to be a 4 hour walk to there and everything would be locked up. So... we did what kept quite a few angels busy distracting people, keeping us safe and directing us with God's wisdom: We tract bombed the monastary in clear daylight, with monks watching us the whole time and a police officer escourting us to all the temples. With the officer we got the chance to see the inside of different "god rooms" where monks worship and offer, people walk in circles to pray and even to a nine storey bronze Bhudda.

Wherever I could I planted tracts: at the places where beads or food are offered to the gods, in monks' shoes, under scarves and a lot of other places God lead me to. Meanwhile Casey would distract the boy with asking lots of questions and teaching him English. Lloyd and Chad climbed up the nearby mountain to where some prayerflags were. There they planted a wooden cross with the words of a poem God inspired me to write, Salvation, which is prophetic for China and Tibet. They prayed it over the monastary town and claimed the area for God.


                                                               The cross planted on a mountain overlooking the monastary

This is the poem which shares God's heart and plans for Tibet and China:

Salvation
to the children of China

                                                                  A     cross        burning
                                                                  in      a       secret core
                                                                  a         love      yearning
                                                                  to       burn       brighter
                                                                                more
                                        Holy   oil anointing    a rushing river flowing flames
                                        little children the disciples of the Name above all names
                                        Godly passion burning, heating hardened hearts for Him
                                        servant soldiers melting molding pure and Godly gleam
                                                               When   readiness is here
                                                                burn    evil   without   fear
                                                                Exploding   fire      flames
                                                                faultless     as      it    aims
                                                                Lighting   streams   of    oil
                                                                spreading with all might
                                                                Flowing   over   mountains
                                                                bringing        Holy     light
                                                                every        shouting      city
                                                                every      talking      town
                                                                every   whispering   village
                                                                will bow before His crown
                                                                Sinners   will   be   saved
                                                                broken    become      one
                                                                salvation they all craved
                                                                will then   exclude   none
                                                                All the children of China
                                                                will   turn to God above
                                                                and the Father of that fire
                                                                will unite and heal and love

China and Tibet were created by God. The mountains burst into song and nature rejoices. He created the people and has compassion on them. Please pray with me that a holy fire will spread through the country, burning evil and warming hearts with the Holy Spirit.

Pray for the salvation of every child in China.

From the heart of China

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

It was such an experience being in Dongxiang! The people there do not see foreigners very often, so we were looked at and stared at whenever we walked in the streets. I just smiled and waved at everyone, feeling like a celebrity because of all the attention! Once the people get to know you and see that you are just a normal person except for being a big taller, having a bigger nose and rounder eyes, they are such a friendly nation!

The mountains and buildings are beautiful, especially when it snowed. Here is a few pictures:

Our main focus was praying for the people, and it was an awesome experience as God made known to me their specific needs, and shared His heart with me concerning the people of China. The locals honoured us with a meal together with the elders of the village. Even though we couldn't speak Dongxiang or Chinese, I have faith that God touched hearts and revealed Himself to His people in China.

Walking on water

Tue, 21 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Yeah! I walked on water! The lake in Dongxiang was frozen, so I put my faith in God and tested it out! I slid in the mud while trying to get on the ice, but luckily no casualties after that. It was an adrenaline rush not knowing how thick the ice on certain places was, but it was worth it!

The far far east...

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A very very long flight took us to the countries of the Japanese and Chinese cultures. The airport shops in Japan were filled with things like little dried octopuses, boxes of oriental sweets and Japanese books and newspapers.



To welcome our two new teammates, Francois and Sanru, we bought a box of quite interesting looking sweets!

From there, we took a 5 hour flight to Hong Kong! The city is amazing, with colourful signs, unending shops and so many people in every street.



There we went to look at the show of lights, with lasers and colour changing lights on buildings colouring the nightsky. We also went shopping in the busy streets, what an experience!!



After our few days' stay, we took a 3 hour bus to the station where we climbed on a 36 hour train to the town in Northwest China where we are going to stay. After that a taxi took us on an amazing ride through the snow topped mountains of China. As the soft snow were falling down on the Christmaslike trees and the Chinese buildings, it felt like being in a fairytale...

China is an amazing country, I'm really looking forward to the great things our Father is planning for us to experience and to do!

Guatemala

Tue, 7 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Guatemala

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace." - Isaiah 54:10-13

The hills of Guatemala were shaken with earthquakes, mudslides removed parts of their hills, and their cities were lashed by the storms of the hurricane in October 2005. The people obviously suffer: their houses are gone; some have lost their family, their friends; New Agers and Hippies fill their country in search of more powers; their churches are devided; and people are torn between their ancient Mayan beliefs and Christianity.

But God gave them a promise. A promise of upliftment, hope, unfailing love, peace and beauty. They just need to hear it.

My time in Guatemala was blessed. The Lord did great things through me and for me, but my teammates and I could only reach a few of the unreached. We could only give God's amazing promise of love to the limited amount of people we met. The rest of the Guatemalans are still dying in spirit, desperately searching for love and hope, some still homeless and without the living water which quenches every thirst. And they are not the only nation. The WORLD needs God. And God needs YOU. I will pray that God will give you a heart for the nations and a longing to follow Him wholeheartedly, be it His will. If the Lord speaks to you now, answer Him. Tell Him "Here I am. Send me.", and go out to where He leads you to change lives radically. You do not need experience, I am only 18 years old. You do not need training, you've got the best Trainer in your heart. All you need is God and willingness to serve God.

Wonderful things happened in Guatemala: lives were changed, houses were built and brokenness were healed. And God were pleased. In Isaiah 52:7 it is written, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation..."

In return for pleasing God, He blessed me with His holy joy and peace. In 2005 He gave me a scripture which came alive for me in Guatemala. "You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands." - Isaiah 55:12.

When walking in the streets of Guatemala because God sent me there, I did not merely see people, nature and buildings. I saw His faithfulness in a person's face, His blinding glory in the sun, His amazing greatness in the mountains and volcanos. I felt His precense in the wind, sensed His love for me in the secret moments where He unlocked a piece of heaven to show me. I felt His anger as He and I looked upon a perfect baby who was abandoned and is now in an orphanage. He shared His joy with me as we touched people in our ministry and gave them God's love.

I will miss Guatemala. The colourful country with its breathtaking nature and friendly people I will keep in my heart and I will treasure it.

"Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. " - Romans 12:1-2. Renew your commitment to God and follow Him where He sends you. You will be blessed by God if you live in His will. God blessed me so much in Guatemala, and I can't even describe in words the love, peace and joy that He put in my heart.

Getting visas, getting blessed

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hallo! Yesterday we went to Guatemala City to get Mexican Visas. At 5:00 we were up and ready to go! On the way there the sun rose over the mountains and volcanos, blending together all the little lights on the hills, of the peoples houses. There was a blanket of mist between the lake and the top of the mountains, which was breathtaking. Even though we didnt do missionary work today, God blessed us with the riches of His glory through His creation. God inspired me to write yet another poem...

Hemelskinders

Gespikkelde sprokie
Die liggies van die nag
Swart is die skilderdoek
wyl die son op die Skilder wag

Soos skapies in n skimberg,
liggies wagtend op Sy Woord
met o vredeloos en soekend stil
na die weiveld van Sy oord.

... Swart word blou
so saam met moredou
dan donsies dansend kuikengeel
met n hoenderhaan wat die stilte steel.
Die donsies word vere
van vlamme vuur gekleur.
n Mistieke geheim wat God my wys
soos Hy die mis vir my laat wals oor Sy meer.

Here, sen elke skapie,
was sy wol wit-wit skoon.
Laat skitter elke liggie,
laat U son in harte woon.

Laat die renboog van U horison
hulle vreugde wees van gees
na die waters van verwoesting
hulle nou U hemelskinders sal wees.

I pray that God would show each one of you His glory through creation today, so that you may know the abundance of love He has for every person He created.

Gods love and peace every day

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Eendag
Na die modderstortings en baie reen agv die orkaan in Oktober 2005.

Hopie grond in die hand van ons Heer
trots geplaas langs Sy Atitlan meer
Goddelose woorde van vlam vroeer gespoeg
Vergewe, stilgemaak. Sy genade was genoeg.

Trotsregop bome nou gebukkend blaar gerook
Edelgesteentes eerloos amulette van n spook
Tevrede, gelukkig, n dwarrelende fees:
Vredeloos. Gebreek. Deurdoring in hul gees.

God stap seergemaak, gebreek deur ieder stofstraat
Woedend, stukkend oor elke eerlose daad
Laat My trane val, laat My woede uitstroom
Laat reen hulle wegruk uit hul onheilige droom

Water stort neer, blou word bruin
Huise en paaie vervalle in puin
God is teenwoordig in liefde en mag
San Pedro sal dit nog aanvaar,
eendag.

This poem was written in San Pedro before we came to live in the house in Panajachel. After I wrote it, God gave me a Bible verse to confirm what my poem said:

Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you. O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted, I will build you with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires. I will make your battlements of rubies, your gates of sparkling jewels, and all your walls of precious stones. All your sons will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your childrens peace. - Isaiah 54:10-13

The mountains shaken are the earthquakes. The hills removed are the mudslides. The storms the city are lashed by are the hurricane and rain. But the Lord still cares for His people. His love and peace will be with them forever more.

May you experience Gods love and peace in your own life, so that He can build you up as a temple that shines out the light of God, reflected through the sparkling jewels of His gifts unto every person you speak to and every unknown face you pass.

To the glory of God

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

To work together as the body of Christ, serving the people of Guatemala, is a wonderful experience! Ive grown to really love the kids in San Jorge, where our two projects currently are. Even though we dont understand each other bacause of the language barrier, weve enjoyed some great times together. Theyve helped us to paint stars on the wall, move and wash oumas (the old lady in San Jorge) rocks, helped with the building and followed us around everywhere, blessing us with their smiles. They are truly colourful people, with their traditional bright clothing and their warm personalities, always willing to help.

A few days ago I wrote apoem about Gods glory, bacause of the breath-taking nature and the amazing people He blessed Guatemala with. It is in Afrikaans, so I would like to apologize to all the English readers!

Tot U eer

Heilig heilig heilig
heilig is die Here God almagtig!
Die woorde van die engelelied
weergalm elke dag dieselfde, opnuut

In totale verwondering in die hemel sing
legioene engele om eer te bring
aan God die Almagtige op Sy goue troon
met die sterre wat skitter, die weelde van Sy kroon

Die verblindende son op die agua azul
n Skrefie wysheid van jou Godsgeheime doel
Gods-aanraking in die wind wat vrede deur jou waai
Sy gietende reen oor die saad wat jy saai

Verwonderd verby die wonders van wees
In liefde, in blydskap, in vrede van gees
My God, my Vader, my Vriend, my Heer
My lewe is n offer in liefde tot U eer.

(NOTA: agua azul is Spaans vir blou water)

The poem was written at about 2:00 in the morning, inspired totally by God, for His honour. May God touch your heart with this poem, as well as with our work in Guatemala, so that the body of Christ can come alive with new energy, to change the nations and bring them back to their Father.

Panajachel

Sun, 12 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Goeiedag aan almal in Suid-Afrika! And good day to the rest of the world! Thank you for your contributions to our team. We have recieved $800 for our projects in Guatemala and are trusting God for more blessings. Everything is going so well! We are planning to help as many families as possible and will keep you updated. God has blessed me with joy and peace while here in Panajachel. I am enjoying every second with God: living, relaxing and doing missionwork to His honour.

Id like to thank God for my good health and ask you to continue in praying that I may stay healthy and focused.

Que Dios le bendiga! (May God bless you)

Volcano!!

Sat, 4 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Hallo from Guatemala! Volcano San Pedro is conquered!!! Yip, this morning we climbed to the top in 2 hours 45 minutes! A tourism book said it is a 5 hours climb up the mountain, but we did it in almost half the time, it is also only the second time in my life that I climb, so if it wasnt for God, I wouldnt have made it. I have never prayed so much in my life!

It was like the time that Jesus told His disciple to walk on the water. Only for the time that he had enough faith, he stayed on top of the water. When he doubted, he sank to below. I constantly prayed that Jesus would give me strength to continue to the top of the volcano. Only when my faith was strong enough to only focus on Him, also praising Him even in the toughest times, I could give another step, conquer another piece of the journey. He made it very easy for me to climb even the steeper parts of the mountain. When my focus shifted to my tiredness and lack of strength to continue, I could literally not give one more step. I also then began suffering to breathe because of the thin air and my exhaustion. But God carried me and the rest of the team up the mountain, letting us finish second fastest of the five teams up the volcano, only 8 minutes behind the Lime Team.

God is really blessing our team with people helping us, we are currently camping at no cost at the place of a Guatemalan guy we met on a bus, in every travelling situation we have had a translator, and we have met the most precious people everywhere we went.

Sorry for the lack of photos on my website! I dont have a digital camera, so if the Lord speaks to you concerning that issue, please let me know and I will send you the postal adress in Guatemala...

Prayer requests: Our team still needs money, please pray for obedience of the people God planned to bless us with. Pray for the safety of our teams, also that the locals do not overcharge us with everything because they think all white people are rich. Please pray for a strong bond between our team members, and for wisdom for our ministry.

Thank you for your prayers and for taking the journey of World Race with me through the website. May God bless you all with His glory and precense!

Guatemala!

Fri, 3 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A big hello from Guatemala! Thank you for all your reader comments and prayers! The Team Blog is keeping me a bit busy, so please read about all our adventures on there! Here is a very quick summary from Brazil, Texas, Mexico and Guatemala:

Brazil: Breathtaking beauty, blue seas with islands, green tree-covered mountains, friendly locals
Texas: Like the Free State- flat and dry, Wal-Marts with the most interesting sweets and articles
Mexico: Colourful, friendly, jolly, amazing
Guatemala: Interesting, colourful locals with colourless surroundings

Sorry for the short update, please continue to pray for me and the other teams! God has been really amazing to us!

Blessings en baie liefde

Introduction

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

Eighteen years ago God had a plan to create a woman who will seek His face and have an enormous passion for His lost nations. He wanted to create someone who won't conform to the pattern of the world (Rom 12:3), but who will pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace (2 Tim 2:22). Someone who isn't perfect, but willing to serve Him regardless of her imperfection. So I was born on 24 April 1987.

My name is Liesl, which means consecrated to God. I live in Centurion, Gauteng and finished matric at Horskool Eldoraigne last year. My dream has always been to become an actuary, but God had bigger plans

God's plan for me is to open an upliftment centre called God's Village. I will take in people from the street and provide to their physical and emotional needs, share God's love with them and provide them with the training to become all that God planned for them to be, whether it be a missionary, a cleaner, a doctor or anything else. Thus they will be transformed from broken, lost and underprivileged people to God-seeking, life-loving, competent individuals with a job, a family and a home. God's Village will be based upon Isaiah 58 and will be run by God, assisted by His servants.

This year I will travel around the globe with God as my travel companion. He will show me His awesome creation, teach me His will and share with me His compassion for His people as He and I care for the lost, the lonely and the loved of this generation.

You are welcome to undertake this journey with me in the spirit and on the website as God touches hearts and heals the nations.

Please pray for my safety and my ability to hear and follow God in everything I do.

Greetings in Christ

Liesl Roos