In this final 2019 News Letter:
1. Finally the Game... after 1 major tweak.
2. The boy, the devil and the snake
3. Picking up a tiger (For Real)
4. 2020: Staffing the Masters until 2023
5. Split personalities: Stretching myself with more training
6. My dogs, My pleasure
7. Sand Box Bible testimony
8. Twins (July) & Baby Boy (March) in 2020
9. Random
1. The Prayer Game
Remember I tried to fund-raise for the Intercession game, teaching families how to pray for one another, for UPG's (unreached people groups) and more?
Two families responded by giving and I told God - You gave the dream one night, the dream came true but putting it in the hands of people, is Your baby.
This is what happened.
In the wake of our electricity going off for hours on end, caused many of us to come out of our hiding places, talk to our neighbors, play with our children, and simply... to sit in silence.
It is amazing how the brain, in that specific wake of silence, starts to re-think and ponder things in the sub-conscience mind. I am actually so grateful at times for the very in-convenient shut down of electricity (infamous load shedding). I face my electronic addiction and workaholism at a deep level!
One day, during such silent pondering I suddenly thought:
Make The Game out of wood!
YES!
Do it all in wood,
including the play-cards.
I sat for hours, reconverting files, words, sentences and amount of cards for a game in wood. There you go! It takes two days to laser and cut the 3mm wood, with 156 wooden play cards and spin board. I still need to work on a box to put it in.
THE FIRST NATION that will be receiving this game January 2020 is UGANDA where YWAM International Discipleship Training Overseers (Uniquip) will gather to train DTS School Leaders and staff. I am stoked about this one!
2. Meeting the Rangers
that saves MISTREATED LIONS & TIGERS
My set of answers in high school to "What do you want tobecome one day?" was always the same:
1. Go to the army in George - my dad simply said no.
2. Study to become a Psychiatrist - circumstances in 1995 stopped that.
3. Become a Game Ranger - that never happened.
My road ended up in YWAM which in a strange way through the Masters helped me to end up helping people with their fascinating and wide range of issues anyways - and that in a sandbox. (See testimony below)
You can just imagine how super happy I was when, on the spur of the moment an invitation to stay overnight with two rangers that rescue lions from abroad came my way.
First we drove to the airport, picked up the most beautiful neglected Tiger, who by then had traveled over 60 hours, and we still had 3 hours to go.
"INTERSPIECES COMMUNICATION ?"
Here I am, 4th picture above, with Jurg, who saved the Tiger, and Diabolo. Well... you might think twice after watching the nearly 7million viewed Youtube video story of the Black Leopard Diabolo and his name change when it comes to "talking back and forth with animals" You might even shed a tear or think differently about Balam and his donkey.
Click here to watch this very fascinating video on Youtube. He told me the Diabolo story in person... and I cannot but wonder how the Garden of Eden might have been before The Fall. It is up for speculation... but this surely makes me think.
The counseling session
This story is the story of every child I have seen except one. I tell it in a way to hide the real incident and identities - but would like for you to hear this testimony because it happens over and over in my house.
I took this photo from above to show the mom what took place. This little boy's mom Whatsapp'ed me and said she heard that I help kids with problems.
The boy's friends played a horrible trick on him at school and since that day he changed. He is so gentle and soft and kind. Sweet kid!
The turmoil he was in, became quite obvious in the sand. He placed so many things in the box and suddenly the threw everything into chaos.
Then, in the end, I did what I do with the kids, that normal psychologist are not allowed to do. I found my Jesus figure and asked the boy where he thinks Jesus was. Long story short - when he decided to forgive, the change was immediate.
It actually caught me off guard. He said: "OK, I have to fix everything now!" I watched as he fixed his story. Then, out of his own, the snake and the devil had to leave his box. There was no more place for them. Then - once again not initiated by me, he "walked over to the bad boy, shook his hand and said: I forgive you" I asked him how he felt after doing that. He said - I feel so much better now. WOW
Controversial in the church but this happened:
The only child (I think 11 yrs old) that could not listen to Jesus, was the child that was discipled by Harry Potter and his witchcraft stories. It was a brick wall. Regardless of the background of a really strong Christian family... the characters of Harry Potter that came into the sandbox won the day - not Jesus. It formed a stronghold in the mind of the child and once again showed me how important it is for children to meditate on Jesus and the Bible stories, not witchcraft stories. What our kids read and meditate on (think a lot about), disciples them.
Fortunately both parents took this to heart.
3. Staffing the Masters 2020-2023
February I will be in Cape Town to staff the Masters with YWAM's University. During the next 3 years, 50% of class will be in Cape Town and 50% will be in the UK.
My main reason among others for not saying yes to staff for so long was finance.
Proverbs 16:19 really came true for me in regards to this: "A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." I did not plan on staffing! But then, as I kept submitting my plans in prayer... He determined the outcome.
To be honest, I am quite tired of living the life of a full time volunteer for 23 years but I will follow Him with joy, regardless.
Someone asked me:
"Will you now receive a salary?"
Nope. In YWAM, from the Int'l leadership, base leaders, and staff, NO ONE receives a salary. We are all volunteers. There are no exceptions. We are here to disciple all nations as Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew and co-work with business men and woman that wants to be part of answering this command.
Thank you so much for all my sponsors that so faithfully obey the Lord as He directs you in this. Please do keep me in your prayers as the next 3 years will be costly.
There will be a few flights and expensive UK Visas to apply for, never-mind the costly fuel, and living in Cape Town when I go down there with my car.
At least I drive the 16-17 hours to Cape Town via Colesburg and Stilbaai to drop Maycee and Lilly at my parents place and to say hi to family and my Janco & Alexander boys.
Please also keep my back in prayer - it is quite fragile. I will be seeing a bio-kinetics instructor in January to do deeper tissue work in my right hip that is carrying much of the displaced pain.
I saw how the Masters changed and enhanced the ministry of the Leaders who finished it. I know it is really worth staffing this. I myself will be stretched on new levels too - both in ministry and leadership-growth.
I really thank you with a deep appreciation.
4. Split personalities:
Stretching myself with more training
I am nearly done with the massive amount of reading after watching hours and hours of training sessions. How do one diagnose and treat someone who has multiple personalities due to Satanic Ritual Abuse or massive ongoing trauma?
How do one "merge" a broken person again?
Most of the time I felt sick on my stomach while working through the material. In my life, not even in movies have I seen or heard the torture that a human being can practice on babies and children in order to split them on purpose before the age of 6.
My first exposure in counseling a DID fractured person due to ongoing sexual abuse was in Thailand. The different personalities would talk and THANK GOODNESS I had TPM training, and did not go wild "chasing demons" when actually it was not demonic but the mind protecting itself, creating alter persons to deal with traumatic situations.
I also understand now why a person cannot remember a sever rape or traumatic event. The brain truly is a fascinating part of our body.
I also really enjoyed helping adults and children with SandBoxTherapy this year. I never in my wildest dreams would have guessed my M.A. would lead me down this path.
I experienced preparing a 6/7 year old for a court case. Unfortunately I will be in Cape Town in 2020 when the hearing takes place - I am so sad about this. But to look back, remembering the Mom crying when the little girl could finally call a spade a spade with no shame... oh - that was a moment!!
5. DOGGY PLEASURE
50% of the time Maycee growl-moans, is because she is either not laying on my shoulder or... I have not thrown the ball to Lilly so that she can chase Lilly's Tail! No, that has never stopped and is still funny beyond words!
6. Sand Box Bible
A participant said:
"It not until you finished reading the story,
placing yourself visually inside of the story,
answering the application questions,
that you can appreciate
the depth of this Bible Study Tool
I finally GET IT "
SandBoxBible went to families, 5 different nations, Men Bible study, Woman Group, and more.
ONE TESTIMONY from YWAM's International Registrar Team.
They were 10 from 10 nations meeting in the USA. On their very first morning they started with a sandboxbible devotion in the sand (sand of the beach volleyball court in an oven tray)
The pieces they had were the story of the Prodigal Son. When they got the application part, they cancelled the rest of the day's agenda and prayed until 5pm for one another.
PICTURE BELOW: My group of ladies that walked through the SandBoxBible since end July. It has been such a pleasure to host this.
7. THREE Babies coming in 2020 - I am the happy auntie!
Both my sis-in-laws lost babies the year Zarias passed away. 2016 was a rough year on many levels for the family BUT
SUPER HAPPY NEWS
F.C. and Corine will, after 7 years have another baby boy in March. He is already a stunning baby! Look at that profile :-) He looks exactly like his Brother Janco!
Jacque's & Mirjam
TWIN ARE COMING IN JULY and it might even happen on my b'day. Oh, I hope so!
They will not be identical twins seeing that each of them are swimming solo in a bag of their own. I simply cannot wait...
Cat with the shiner.
I simply call her "KAT" (cat). She lives in my garage and was wild beyond words for over a year. One day out of the mysterious blue she came to me and did not run away. She even rubbed against my legs! Like WHAT?
The garden man and I disliked the cat cause she damaged my black garbage bags every night. When I told the garden man that the cat suddenly turned tame, he did not believe me. I bought cat food and placed it in the not-used open fridge in the garage.
Since then, the cat leaves my garbage with chicken bones alone and she CALLS ME in the morning when I forget to put food in her bowl. I try to brush her now and it is kinda working. She has a bit of a life with all the dogs on the property... and mine leaves no excuse to first run to the garage before going to the grass for our daily ball-ball.
Penny arrived
Of course I have to have one Braai (BBQ) photo. I finally got to see Penny again and of course we caught up over lots of coffee and meat and turned couch-potatoes for hours... no for days when she was here.
Enjoy a wonderful Christ-centered feast the 24-25th
& lets press in, in prayer, giving 2020 to Him.
Bless you,
and thank so much for your support
Sarah Anna-Lise