Thrive Ministry
My little bits for an online community called, Thrive.
Connection is the online magazine for Thrive Ministry. An online community of women serving globally.
Global Woman Highlight/Amanda du Plessis
Read here
Picture Praise
Entrusted here
Eager Expectation here
The Gardner here
The Palms of My Hands here
The following contribution for Picture Praise appeared on the first online magazine of Thrive, then called Women of the Harvest.
Shaming the Strong
1 Corinthians 1:27
New International Version (NIV)
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
The story behind the picture
This little girl (now a young lady of 19) entered our lives like all children do. Through prayer, anticipation and love she was pushed into this world. She turned out to be from another Kingdom. Someone once called her, ‘The Breath of God’.
Feeding herself, dressing, taking a bath, going to the toilet proved to be almost impossible tasks for her. But what comes naturally to this gentle spirit is loving people unconditionally. She would enter anyone’s private space and start up a conversation in her own foreign language. Strangely, people allow it. She is greeted in shops, on the streets, in the forest, in the ladies’ toilet at the hospital, on the bus. And so, we end up having interesting conversations.
Journeying together, at a slow pace is more important than reaching the destination. Her enthusiasm and joy are contagious. She would giggle at the dog, at paint spilling when the pot is knocked over or someone swatting flies.
She will never grow up to be a teacher or a doctor or a professor. Her gift is to be alive, demonstrating the art of exuberant living in the moment. Tomorrow does not exist. Someone will take care.
She is her ministry.
We assume to know the answers to life but she shames us at the simplicity of the important. Love. Life. Our neighbor.
The missionary: a breath of God.
The photographer: Amanda du Plessis, Belgium
Eleven years ago, we came to Belgium with a message. But Belgium presented us with a message which we were not ready to receive. To unlearn our Africaness, took time. The Father used us in our brokenness. We now share encouragement and hope as we receive on our personal journey.
Our time is divided between our local church and the mission organisation we work with.
