Derick & Celeste de Klerk: Newsletter April 2009
Dear Friends, Family, Prayer Partners and Supporters, we greet you all in the beautiful name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the name above every other name!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Personal – Weather, Saying good bye, Family, Birthdays, Forty, Renewing of our wedding vows, Enter into His rest, Visa testimony.
- South Africa – Glorious time in SA, Dear friend
- Russia – Back in Russia, Easter, Easter Sunday service, Clean air, This year in Russia, Relationship with God.
- Prayer requests – Please pray with us
1. PERSONAL
Weather:
Family and some of our friends at the airport
we are back into winter – well, at least South African-type winter. We’ve had temperatures from -5 to +10 degrees Celsius, all around lies snow that hasn’t melted and there are no leaves on the trees yet, but any day now summer will burst forth in Russia.
Family: We are doing great; we have already recovered from a little jetlag and are on the go again, ready for the new season God is taking us into.
Saying Goodbye:
Many friends visited us at the airport and we prayed together before we left. What a blessing to have Godly friends and family.
We had a wonderful flight and as always the children enjoy the excellent service and multiple blessings of flying with Emirates. I spent a good time with my Lord working on my laptop reading through some of the revelations God gave me while in South Africa. We received so many prophecies, Word confirmations and much more about God’s plan for our lives; it certainly was a blessed time in many ways. Arriving at the airport in Moscow we were very warmly welcomed and it is good to be back in Russia.
At this stage are we in a time of waiting on the Lord, to receive fresh insight into His plan for this year, please pray with us for that.
Family:
Abigail had two birthday parties in two different cities in South Africa
One important aspect the Lord spoke with us about while in South Africa is about us as a family. We are certainly going to invest more time in our children. Russia doesn’t have very many healthy and whole families and that’s why we know that God wants us to be sensitive and to be a example of a healthy family.
Abigail had her third birthday on the 14th of March. This little lady is growing up so quickly!
I had my 40th birthday on the 12 of April, resurrection day, and what a great day of victory over death and hell for all mankind! Needless to say that this day was very special and of much significant value for me.
Forty (it suggests completeness and conclusion): For me a significant day in many ways especially because we also celebrated Jesus’ resurrection on Sunday the 12th of April. This day symbolises for me a period of walking out in the authority and the resurrection power of God during this new season.
Renewal of our wedding vows: After watching the movie Fireproof we decided to renew our vows especially because we weren’t really married in South Africa and we didn’t have a ceremony and opportunity to invite friends and family. As we started with the arrangements we decided to let it go until we return to South Africa again.
Well, some of our dear friends thought otherwise and arranged the whole things for us, all we needed to buy was the drinks and arranged the tables and they paid for almost everything and several other people added money for everything else needed including Celeste’s dress.
We also celebrated my birthday together with the renewing of the vows, it was a very special occasion and we praised God for many wonderful friends with which we could share these two precious events together, thank you Lord.
Enter Into His Rest: “My yoke is soft and my burden is light,” says the Lord. In spite of a much greater understanding and experience of a lost world that is going astray and stepping into hell forever – lost and separated from the love of God and totally given to the wrath of the almighty God, the God who is a consuming fire – our Father came and lavished us with His love, drawing us closer into His embrace.
I know His heart is broken for a lost world and He has given everything possible not to lose one person. More than ever before I saw and understood the love of God for me and how absolutely privileged I am to be His child. So many times I ask my Lord “why me, why have you chosen me why have I answered your call when so many others are denying you? thank you God for opening my eyes, thank you for your grace and above that thank you Lord that we are called and so privileged to serve you full time.” There is no greater honour than to stand in the service of the living God.
Visas Testimony: On the day that we went to do our visas we had an idea of how much it would cost and together with insurance we realised that we didn’t have enough money. We thought of only getting six months’ worth of insurance but the Lord told us that He would come through for us.
We bought insurance for one year – seven thousand rand later – and thereafter went to the Russian embassy just to find out that on that specific day the visa prices had changed and if we had four days or more (which we had), we could get our visas for nine thousand and not the twelve thousand it would have cost, making up for the outstanding money on our insurance. God is so faithful!
We applied for one year visas and got it – then we applied for one year registration here in Russia and everything went OK, so we believe that we are in Russia for the next year. Thank you for praying with us and praise the Lord for His faithfulness! “Those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.” He is faithful to keep His word if we will just believe His word to be true.
2. SOUTH AFRICA
The greatest dad in the entire world!
What a glorious time in South Africa – Three months of great blessings in many ways. We had seen the hand of God move on our behalf in a great way. It was a wonderful time of building relationships, restoration of broken relationships, meeting and connecting with new friends.
A time of ministry and being ministered to on many occasions and certainly also a time of extensive travel and a lot of changes. It was a time of challenges, battles and great victories. So much happened during these three months but the greatest of all certainly is a greater revelation of the Father’s love, greatness and holiness.
A Dear Friend: Towards the end of last month one of our friends died and Celeste and I attended the funeral. He truly was a man of God. He was also one of our intercessors and partners. I had the wonderful privilege to pray for him on several occasions while he was still alive and in giving in prayer God came and gave so much back unto me. On one occasion there was such a flow of anointing from him over to me; every time after praying for him I was so stirred and strengthened in my faith. God taught me so much through praying for him.
After the funeral Celeste and I went to Alexander’s grave a few metres from where this dear friend of us was buried. It was the first time Celeste visited our son’s grave after his death more than 8 years ago.
I am so thankful to God our Father for bringing such incredible people across our way, and we know that Tony is interceding also for us and Russia in the same way as Alexander from heaven while in the presence of God our Father. Thank you Lord for your incredible wisdom and wonderful ways that we don’t know so well; You truly have a sovereign plan.
3. RUSSIA
Back in Russia, it is good to be home and we can honestly say it. We were welcomed very friendly at the control points, and thinking back of how it was several year ago I realise it’s maybe a thousand percent improvement. This nation is catching up so quickly and we know that the fervent continual prayers of the saints plays a very important role in the change of spiritual atmosphere in Russia. Our God is so faithful.
Easter: The Russian church had their Easter a week later than South Africa, so we twice celebrated the death and resurrection of Christ. This is a very important time for the Russian Church and many of them fasted and prayed from Friday until Sunday evening.
The Friday service was very special and there was such a genuine solemn atmosphere during the service. Everyone wrote their sins, sicknesses and everything they desire Jesus to take away on a piece of paper and placed it on the cross. Afterwards they burned all these pieces of paper. Thank you Jesus for your cross, but even more for your resurrection from the dead; we always will be grateful for your sacrifice.
Easter Sunday Service: The Russian people love plays, singing and dancing, so this service was filled with giving something back to God of themselves through their gifting and talents. It was really special.
Clean Air – a small testimony: As I went to jog the first morning the reality of polluted air void of oxygen struck me in the face and I understood why everyone sleeps more in this place. There are no leaves on the trees, so no extra oxygen can be produced. Normally when I jog to the park in summer I am revived after running through the green trees but now during this time of year it is the most difficult to breathe.
As I was jogging I asked the Lord “please let it rain tomorrow morning.” By four o clock the next morning it rained – not much, but enough to clean the air and what a blessing it was to jog that morning! Thank you Lord for revealing your love to me even in such a small matter.
This Year in Russia: It is a pivotal year for Russia but also for us in Russia. We walked out into freedom while being in South Africa and we know that this freedom is going to help us overcome and be victorious in a much deeper dimension than before. We are much more dependant on God than ever before but also with a much greater understanding of His faithfulness and love for us. Please pray that we will keep on growing in love with Him.
Relationship with God: Possibly still the greatest need for the Russian believers is to enter into a vibrant passionate relationship with the living God, to really know Him and to fellowship with Him. This will be one of our main focus points in ministry and prayer for this year.
Intercession Missionaries: Is.41: 10 “See I will make you into a threshing-sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them and reduce the hills to chaff.”
Watchmen: Is.62:1&10 “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet till her righteousness shines out like a blazing torch.
Forerunner: “Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.”
On Monday we met with our group that prayed weekly in our apartment while we were in South Africa. They had tremendous times in the presence of God and we will continue praying on a daily basis until Pentecost.
We trust Father to break through mightily into our lives, circumstances, the church and Tula during this extended time of prayer and partial fast. Please pray with us for perseverance, unity, faith and a revelation of His love.
4. PRAYER REQUESTS
Please keep on praying with us for the following important points:
- Us as a family – for powerful breakthroughs during the next period of time, especially in finances. We know that our God is faithful and will come though for us, that we will faithfully trust in Him.
- Our intercession and prophetic group that is going to meet regularly during the next 40 days.
- Vine church here in Tula and the Church in Russia for continual growth, unity and a revelation of God, His love and greatness.
- Government – for wisdom, grace and favour with God and for a growing healthy economy. The fervent continual prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective and avails much, accomplishes much; please keep on praying!
We want to say a great THANK YOU to everyone that made our time in South Africa very special, we are so grateful to God for you and for your continual LOVE, SUPPORT and Faithful PRAYERS; we cannot be effective in God’s calling upon our lives without your contribution. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
We also keep you in our prayers especially during this time and bless you with the richest blessings from our Father.
Jesus’ love
Derick, Celeste and Children
300012, Russia, Tula,
Prospect Leniena, Dom 52, KB39
Tel: 7 (4872) 36-20-97
E-mail: sharath@absamail.co.za / derickceleste@hotmail.com
C de Klerk
ABSA save; 9052775240, Kempton Park Branch.
J.F de Klerk
ABSA save; 9093271192, Centurion Branch
Posted in: Missionaries, Prayer Requests, Travels
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