Wow! It’s been four years!

By the end of this month the Van der Merwes will have been in the ministry full-time for four years. Wow, time flies! Looking back, we can only say: There must be a God! Yes, we were really afraid to let go of the business, but now we can witness how generously God has treated us.

I’d like to give you some feedback on the Crossroads Ministry – all glory to God.

Growth

During the past four years the Crossroads Ministry has grown beyond expectation with thousands of new users. Initially, we started with e-mail, but today Crossroads is available on Facebook, Twitter and LinkIn. An App (for Android and iPhone) was developed specially (download via the App Store or Play Store). The weekly Crossroads messages are now also sent via WhatsApp. If you would like to receive them on WhatsApp, please click here.

Users had the following to say about the App:

• Thank you! This is truly a light in the darkness.
• It is awesome!!!
• Great App! Love it! Very compact and user friendly!
• Great work guys. Great design and good native feel.
• Life changing!

Due to the large number of e-mails being sent, some get caught in the recipient’s postmaster filters. To ensure that you receive every Crossroads message, download the App, or ask for your messages to be sent via WhatsApp.

Pastorate and Prayer
There is so much hardship out there. Relationships break up, families fall apart, businesses are hanging by a thread, depression, suicide tendencies and attempts, etc. The problem is that people in crisis do not always have a relationship with a pastor or minister and then come knocking on our door.

It is a great privilege to take these people by the hand and walk with them through their suffering.

We are grateful for more than 200 intercessors who intercede in response to all the prayer requests. Each of the prayer requests is dealt with personally by the response team.

Please send prayer requests to: prayer@crossroad247.com

Feedback
I am so grateful that our Father is still using Crossroads in his Kingdom to make a difference in people’s lives. Some feedback from readers:

• Oh, I have no words to describe how much I enjoy and appreciate the daily Crossroads! This one is so true! If I just think of the many times we have to count every day when people do stupid or hurtful things to us – consciously or unconsciously!
Your way of writing is so applicable to our everyday lives here on earth, one can identify with everything. Because it’s our reality!

And about Saamloop:

• Today my husband and I have been married exactly one month. One of our most important priorities before being married was to do Bible study together. We’ve tried a variety of books, but started struggling after a couple of pages. One day I bought Saamloop and we just love reading it together. I love the way you explain the stories and bring it to our level. Thank you for your awesome books and material. We really appreciate your work!!!

And about the radio talks:

• I often listen to you and Renata on Radio Namakwaland. Just want to say that you really bless me with all that you’re talking about. Thanks for that. I often use your Crossroads writings in our cell group in Vanrhynsdorp. I choose one randomly and when I start reading, find that it is exactly what God is busy with in my life. Thanks for your sacrifices, messages and simply your tone of voice!

Radio
Talking about radio. Every morning at 06:50, Renata and I have a three-minute time slot on Channel 7, one of the biggest radio stations in Namibia. We record the talks in our storage room, do the arrangement and then upload it to Dropbox. Amazing what one can do with technology today.

We also have the privilege of talking on Radio Namakwaland Thursday mornings at 07:35.

Staff
Last year in March Johan Laten joined Crossroads full-time. Johan is responsible for all the performances and writes plays to convey the message visually.

The latest project is aimed at children to highlight depression, especially in schools. Learners are taught to better understand the illness and how to act towards those fighting depression. Via die website d.247.org.za, assistance is offered to those fighting depression.

If you know someone who needs help with depression, please contact Johan at johan@kruispad.com.

You may also contact Johan if you would like to invite myself and/or Johan for performances or events in your area.

Marika Möller joined us mid-year to assist with the administration. For any administrative hitches, please contact her at marika@kruispad.com.

Please remember to recommend your friends. You can also send their details to Marika and she will ensure that they’re put on the correct platform so that they can receive Crossroads.

Namibian tour
I am so grateful for the very successful tour through Namibia. Eddie and Linda van der Merwe joined us in Keetmanshoop as guest artists. The first half of the evening comprised a light programme, with the second half being more spiritual, focusing on forgiveness through Jesus’ crucifixion. Johan again performed the moving drama of the man who nailed Jesus to the cross.

We gave people time to reflect on their lives, and invited them to write prayer requests on a piece of paper and to give those to us. It was so moving to read those true stories and it was wonderful that people gave their hearts to the Lord.

For the last four performances, we were joined by the Manne wat Glo (Men who Believe), namely Jan de Wet, Leon Ferreira, Dewald Gouws and Willie Joubert. Together with them, the theme of forgiveness was explained further, especially through one of Jan’s songs on how we should forgive others.

Feedback on the tour:

• Thank you for obeying God’s calling and sharing it with us.
• You were an “eye opener” for all of us. Thank you for again making us aware of God’s unconditional love in such a beautiful way.
• You did wonderfully well! The Lord was definitely present. Thank you for last night in Walvis Bay!
• Lord, I know I’ve made many mistakes in my life. Lord, I’m like a pencil: I can write and delete it, but the mark I made remains. Lord, I ask You to please forgive my sin now. Lord, please help me never to do it again. Lord, I open my heart to You. Come and live inside me and help me by changing my life. I ask it in your Name.
• I enjoyed you very much. Wonderful to praise the Lord with other believers. Tonight I want to ask forgiveness. The woman whose marriage I broke up is also in the audience. I want to ask forgiveness from God and from her.

It is really going well with the Van der Merwe family and we praise the Lord for it. We had the chance to go away in the June holidays and enjoyed a wonderful rest! Alet-Mari is preparing for the final straight in Matric and Mia showed what she could do after starting the year (Grade 11) with two new subjects (Biology and Science) and achieving good marks in both. Benno is still swimming strongly at Maties and adjusted well to Paul Roos.

It is such an ENORMOUS privilege for Renata and me to be able to live our dream. I always say there must be a God, because only He can hit a straight shot with such a crooked stick like me. ALL GLORY TO GOD!

A heartfelt thanks to all those working hard behind the scenes translating, editing and doing administrative work, and all those who intercede for us. Thank you so much to everyone who supports our ministry. We could not keep it going without your assistance. (If you feel led to become involved or wish to support the ministry, please click here.)

May you have a wonderful day.

Gerjo Ben, Renata and all the others in the Crossroads family
gerjoben@kruispad.com