• Divanir and Tilanie

    Walking on the beach in Ponta do Ouro, Mozambique...

  • Village children
    we had the opportunity to minister to many children in a small community in Chaquelane

  • Mozambique children

    Mozambique children playing in the street. Experiencing the freedom of being children ...

  • Children playing soccer

    It is amazing to see the kids playing soccer and just enjoying life. They are very kind and friendly ...

  • A blockquote inside of a blockquote? It can’t be!

    But it CAN be :) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce scelerisque, elit id vestibulum vestibulum, orci ...

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Saturday, January 12, 2019

We are very Grateful

We are very Grateful 


We are very grateful to our God for another year of being able to serve Him in missions.
And although there were many battles, the Lord gave us victory in all of them. We are also grateful for the privilege of seeing lives touched by the love and power of God. Many nations have being blessed by those we have being training over the past year.
We have had a lot of challenges, Jesus knows each one of them, being in missions is not easy, but there are no words to express the joy and privilege to touch and transform lives in the nations. It is wonderful to dream with God and with those He sends to us in every season.

New Home
Finally, we got a new place to live. A place we can call “home”. 

We are renting a two bedroom apartment in a secure area and it is perfect for us in the season we are in. We are still organising all the details for the arrival of our little princess’ who is coming soon. 
And we are still trusting God for some furniture to complete the picture and to make life easier for us. We still need a couch, a new fridge (the one we have keeps on giving problems and at times stops chilling which means food spoilage), a baby compactum (to keep her clothes, nappies etc in and to use as a changing station), a stroller with a car seat, a washing machine and lastly a portable air conditioner for our room (the peak summer weather in Worcester will be arriving along with our baby girl and our new place, being a top apartment gets sun exposure almost the whole day and it gets unbearably hot.)
Friends, please pray with us for these things and trust with us for breakthroughs in these areas.
We are extremely grateful to God who blessed us with our first stove in 10 years of marriage, a missionary couple gave us this gift, and we are so happy about it. It’s beautiful and we really saw God’s loving provision through receiving this stove.
We have taken a big step in faith by moving into our new home, as we do not yet have the monthly rent amount, we are trusting for His provision monthly and we are looking for friends to join us in this monthly challenge, if you have the desire to help us please contact us.
My Pregnancy Journey

Oh, what a year it has been…we were so blessed when we discovered that we were expecting a baby. We have been faithfully and prayerfully waiting for this little miracle for almost 10 years…and we are very excited to soon meet this little princess that the Lord has entrusted us with!
Throughout my whole pregnancy, I’ve been so aware of God’s faithfulness and His love for me, for Diva and for our baby!
The first trimester was full of new things, a lot of naps and “morning sickness’! Praise the Lord the sickness was only short-lived…
In my second trimester, I was blessed with an extra burst of energy and enjoyed the benefits many women do during pregnancy namely; “the pregnancy glow” - strong hair and nails, flawless skin and the joys of seeing my baby-belly growing..
My last trimester reminds me a lot of the 1st…as it’s filled with a lot of naps…hehehehe…yet, it has also brought along a tremendous amount of excitement to meet our little girl, our little girl with whom we have bonded so dearly over the past 33 weeks. 
We have fallen in love with her, with her little ways and we have learned quite a few things already about the perfect personality that the Lord created her with…
For example: she is clearly in many ways like her daddy…She loves going to bed late yet struggles to wake up early in the morning…hehehehe…she dislikes warm water yet she loves to swim!
When her daddy speaks to her…she instantly reacts to His voice…she moves, jumps, gives little kicks of excitement and pays close attention when he speaks to her….
This so reminded me of our relationship with God…He speaks to us, all the time…sometimes we do not recognise His voice…yet when we continue to pay close attention to His voice and remain in “that” place of constantly listening…we will recognise His faithful Father voice…and we too, will leap with excitement and jump with joy as the Shepherd, lovingly shares His heart with us…!

How amazing and special is that!!!
News About My Mom

In the last newsletter I wrote about my mother's situation, that she would do a second biopsy to see if she has cancer or not.
So, she got the results and it really wasn’t good and it was a big shock for all of us. It has been confirmed that my mother has got cancer at a very advanced stage. The doctors said that her situation is very serious and they can’t do anything else for her. Chemotherapy, unfortunately, didn’t work, it just made my mother suffer even more with severe side effects. My mom; Dona Olivia; is a real warrior and she has being fighting against this cancer. It’s so encouraging to see that this cancer hasn’t taken away her contagious joy, or even stolen my mother's hope of meeting her granddaughter, who is arriving in February.
The doctors only gave my mom a few months to live, but her life is not in the hands of the doctors or in that illness, her life is in the hands of the living, almighty God, creator of heaven and earth, the doctor of the doctors. And in that truth, we choose to rest in, daily.
Thank you, dear friends for all your prayers and support during this time, thank you very much for also encouraging us, for asking about my mom and for just being there for us, all the way. 
Please continue praying with us for my mother.
We have seen so many miracles in the almost 10 years that we have been married, and the greatest thing about it is how God uses it to bless those around us…It’s amazing how these miracles encourages others, to trust in Him, to life a live of faith, to not give up, to continue trusting Him for the “big” or “small” , the “possible” or the “impossible” , in the “easy times” or even the “hard times” … and it always testifies about how great, oh how great, our God really is.

Thank you very much for your prayers and support.

May the Lord bless you.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Now We are Three

A new season is starting

I wish I could express just how much I would like to spend some time with each one of you to share our experiences and be able to listen to your life experiences, your dreams, challenges, disappointments, achievements and joys.
We have the privilege of sharing a little bit of what the Lord has done in and through our lives in the last few months in South Africa.

We are very grateful to the Lord for our friends and partners that He has placed in our lives. Yes, you have been praying with us and also offering into our lives.Thank you very much for taking part in this journey, thank you very much for all your sacrifices and your generosity towards us.



A dream come true

We are celebrating the fulfilment of God's promise in our lives, we dreamt a lot about becoming pregnant. Since we got married 9 years ago, we planned when we would like to get pregnant, we had a few things in mind and we prayed a lot to have our first baby. 
Faced with our way of life in missions and being a transcultural couple, we wanted to wait at least 5 years before getting pregnant, and then when five years arrived, many things were happening in our lives and we decided to wait a little longer and a little bit more and a little bit more... .hahahaha ... and we needed a medical aid since public health service in South Africa is very different than in Brazil. Unfortunately we could not afford a medical aid so we decided to take a step of faith and have our baby without having a medical aid. It has surely been steps of faith, every month and every medical consultation, sonar but the Lord has blessed us so much.


Tilanie is the most beautiful pregnant in the world, she is well and healthy, the baby is also very well and growing every day. We are very happy for this moment and dreaming of the arrival of our baby. We still do not know if we will have a boy or a girl but we already love this baby very much.

The Search for a New Home

As I have shared with you we are looking for a new place to live, this has been a great challenge because here in South Africa rent is very expensive and there aren’t many good places available to rent. We are looking for a 2 bedroom house or apartment, please be praying with us about it. We still need an amount to complete the monthly rental costs and the deposit amount which is 2 months in advance.
The one-bedroom kitchenette we are currently renting, we pay R1.200 reais per month (or 4,200 rands), the value of a 2-bedroom place costs R1,800 reais (or 6,500 rands).


We are tempted many times to do what is easier and more comfortable, but when we obey Jesus the Great Commission is not always the most comfortable, the easiest and the cheapest option, because let’s be honest, being in missions is very expensive, and we really need friends, partners, people willing to walk together with us. In moments of struggles and challenges we need to have faith and perseverance to continue doing what God has directed us to do.

It is very difficult being far away from our families and even more so when one of them are sick. This year my mother was very sick, and it was very hard knowing she was hospitalised and I could not be with her during these moments. My mom has 4 nodules in her lungs and the biggest problem has been that the lungs kept on filling up with water, so my brothers had to go with her to the hospital, many times, where she usually stays for one to two weeks.

Time In Brazil With My Family

I had the privilege of going to Brazil for a month to be with my mother during this difficult time of sickness. I’m so grateful to God for opening the doors to make this possible and for each and every one of you who sacrificially gave towards buying my ticket. My time in Brazil was very special with my mother, the biggest part of the month there was spent with my family. Unfortunately it was not possible to visit many of you during this trip, but it was very important for me to spend these days with my mother. She is better, the doctors were sure that she had cancer and thank God it was not proven, she will have to undergo another biopsy and then the doctors will decide if they will remove the nodules from her lungs or not. Thank you very much for all your prayers, thank you to everyone who responded to my messages and encouraged me during that time.


Ministry with Children

The work with the children in the community is still going from strength to strength, we have been investing in the lives of these children, and we believe that Jesus will change their history. Crime in this community has also been intensifying and almost every week we receive news that someone was murdered due to their involvement in crime and gangs.
We have been praying and asking God for ways and ideas to change this reality.
Every life that we ​​touch through sport, is a seed of hope that we envision growing and transformation this community, a family that may have a better future from what is the reality at the moment.

This week we had a very challenging day in the community, while we were trying to do our program for the day with the children, many older kids came to the soccer field and they were using drugs next to the field where we were busy teaching our children. These young people are very involved with drugs and gangs. We really need wisdom on how to deal with these kinds of situations, and we frequently pray for God's protection over our lives. It is very sad to know that these young people are responsible for the crimes that’s happening in this community. They are very young and we really need the favor and grace of God to impact these young people and at the same time to continue our work with the other children.
We dream of a community that’s overflowing with the full knowledge of God's glory.


Prayer request


  • Please pray for Tilanie's pregnancy, for her health and for our baby’s health.
  • We need to organize things for the arrival of the baby, nappies, clothes, crib etc ...
  • Pray for our new home, protection and for provision for our rent monthly.
  • We need at least 12 new people helping us with R$100 (reais) a month to pay for our new rent and electricity.
  • We need to pay for Tilanie's monthly medical appointments.
  • Please pray for my mother's health and for wisdom for the Doctors to know which treatment to follow.
  • Pray for our work with the children in the community, for wisdom, protection, for transformation in the lives of the children and teenagers.
  • Pray for the me teaching the Course Destiny by Design, for new opportunities and for the students who partake in this course.
  • Please pray for this new season in our lives, as father and mother, that the Lord will give us  the necessary wisdom and grace.

Thank you very much for walking this journey with us… Please remain in contact with us for more information.


May God bless you a lot…

Monday, May 16, 2016

We have some very exciting NEWs schools launching next quarter:

Passion and Pursuit DTS - is a 6-month YWAM Discipleship Training School creating a platform for you to step into a lifestyle of wholehearted pursuit of God, seeking Him through teachings, prayer and worship to establish a life of intimacy with Jesus.



Passion and Pursuit DTS is a 6-month YWAM Discipleship Training School creating a platform for you to step into a lifestyle of wholehearted pursuit of God, seeking Him through teachings, prayer and worship to establish a life of intimacy with Jesus.
God is awakening people all around the world who seek to follow Him in a wholehearted pursuit, refusing to follow the status quo of religion. We were created for relationship and intimacy with the people around us as well as with God, and He is raising up men and woman whose primary desire is to change the world through their relationship with Him: To be forerunners for the kingdom of God.
It’s not enough to solely desire more of God, but we must make the choice to radically pursue Him. This school will provide a platform for you to explore the depths of God with teachers coming from across the world to share their experiences, with staff walking with you, creating a safe place for your growth. It will have a focus on developing a close relationship with God, as well as bringing restoration and healing to mind, body and soul. This school will give you tools for a life-long intimacy with Jesus, and a foundation for anyone who desires their hearts to be set ablaze with a fire that cannot be put out.
The YWAM-DTS is a hands-on Christian training course starting with 12 weeks of lectures, followed by 11 weeks of a practical field assignment. It is the entry point to Youth With A Mission, but primarily a time set aside to know God and make Him known.

Monday, March 30, 2015

We have been back in South Africa since September . We had a very good time in Brazil, it was amazing to meet my family after 5 years. It is never easy to be far from the people we love but God gives us grace and help us to do it. 

We are back at Ywam Worcester in South Africa where we are involved in different ministries. I have been working with the DTS (Discipleship Training School) and Tilanie is working with the English Language School. I will be sharing a little bit about this quarter and what God has been doing in our lives.

Discipleship  Training  School

I have been working with the RDTS (Radical Discipleship Training School). It has been a huge pleasure to work with this school. We have a great team of Staff led by Ludmila as the leader of the school. We have 10 students from 6 different countries. 
We have had amazing Teachers that have been empowering us with their teachings. We have seen so much healing and growth taking place during these few months in the students and staff member's lives. 

Our School went on outreach to serve the people of Swaziland . It was an amazing experience for all of us, our team had the opportunity to serve the local church, youth group, evangelism, hospital ministry, pre school and help the orphans.
Our team had huge impact in that community, God really used them to bless many families. Where there was a old and unfinished building they left a pre school, with windows, painted and with a teacher to work with the orphans.

We are very thankful for everything God has done during this time in our lives and through us.

Teaching English 

The past few months I had the privilege to teach English to 6 amazing students from both Brazil and South-Korea. 
It was wonderful I see God's favour upon my life when starting my classes and while building relationships with the students and teachers.

As you could imagine, we had a lot  of fun in class with presentations, skits, oral assessments and the students even had the opportunity to do some research about the "do's" and "dont's" when meeting the Queen. What a blast.

And of course, with the fun also came the challenges of learning a new language in a foreign culture, but still our God was so faithful to share His heart with us and He encouraged all of us to continue running the race, with Him as our biggest supporter and to finish the semester well. 
I'm proud to announce that all 6 students completed their English studies and went back to home to pursue the dreams that God had placed in their hearts, using English. 
What an amazing journey!


Prayer Points:

Please pray with us...

for our health, emotionally and spiritually.
for our ministry that God gives us wisdom, strength and growth.
for our financial needs as we still need people in our support team for this year.
for accommodation. We have been looking for a flat to rent and also for furniture.
for a car. We have been trusting God for this miracle for the last few years.


Thank you...

We would really like to thank you for your faithful support in our lives, for believing in us and investing in our lives. 

May God bless you abundantly and may the new year bring great healing, breakthroughs  and fulfilment of God's words for your life.

Monday, September 30, 2013

Be Intentional in our Goals and Purposes


English Camp
During this period we had an English Camp with some churches from Seoul. Many children and teenagers attended the 3-day camp at our school and they had a lot of different activities such as; worship, dynamics, soccer training, art, music and dance.

It was a great opportunity for us to serve them in many ways and at the same time impacting their lives through these activities. My involvement during this camp was teaching soccer in the afternoons, I could teach them more than soccer but also some values ​​that might be important for their lives. Tilanie had been teaching Art and English, her classes were the most interesting class for them. The participants had the opportunity to learn a lot things and the same time learn English through all activities.

Period of vacation
We had two weeks of vacation, one week in August and one week in September. It was a very special time for us, where we had opportunity to rest. During this period we travelled and visited our friends Frances, Sujong and their daughter Lily in Busan. It was a very precious time for us, where we had long conversations and time of prayer and the opportunity to encourage one another.
They are a great example for us; they’ve persevered day after day in God's promises for them here in South Korea, the story of their lives inspired us and increased our faith. God has used their lives in a very beautiful way to bless us and so many other people.
This week went by very fast; it was an amazing time for us. Thereafter, we returned to Seoul with more faith and expectations of what the Lord will do in & through our lives.
We already miss Frances and Sujong and especially their daughter Lily.
It is a new semester
It is September and the beginning of a new semester. It’s not just a new semester but also our last semester here in South Korea. After this semester we will return to South Africa.
Our focus during this semester is, TO FINISH WELL. We realize that so many great people in the Bible have started well, but so few of them actually finished well. So, we want to give our best in everything that we do – until the end. We have been obedient to God, that’s our comfort and our joy and we really hope to see some fruits in the future. We have great students in whose lives we have been investing daily, but now it’s time to be more intentional in our goals and purposes so that the word God gave to us, can come into fulfilment.
We thank God for this opportunity to be able to do missions in South Korea. God has placed a very special love for this nation and continent into our hearts. Considering all these situations during the past two years we are honoured to be able to learn from this people and to serve them by using our talents. But, it isn’t good bye yet ... because we believe that we will still learn and experience a lot of things in the remaining three months ahead. And who knows, maybe we will come back in the future.
We want to say thank you once again to all our friends, family and supporters who have paid a high price through prayer, encouragement and even through financial support so that we could develop our ministry and our call in missions. We pray that the Lord bless each one of you greatly. We are very grateful for everything you guys have done for us.
Thank you very much.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10


Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10.
It’s been a time where we have sought the Lord intensely. It hasn’t been for answers, even though we have numerous questions but it has been because of His presence, in order to reflect his character before all the situations we have been facing.
We have reflected a lot about the word of God and his power in times of adversity, how the word of God becomes alive impacting people and generations.
The month of July was the month of Surgeries.
After a long time of treatment for my knee and no improvement, my new doctor strongly suggested for me to undergo a Magnetic Resonance Test (MRI) in order to see what was wrong. The results though were not the best and the doctor decided as a new solution, that I have to undergo another knee surgery named Ligament Reconstruction. Basically, do the exact same operation all over again. That was really a huge shock and I felt so deceived to think that all the previous treatments were in vain.
But one week later in the operating room the doctor inserted the camera into my knee and discovered a huge cyst inside of my knee. (The first surgery, which was done last year and by another doctor – had been done using a different method for the reconstruction of the ligament; he used two ligaments rather than one.) One of those ligaments had ruptured and developed a cyst. I had excruciating amounts of pain, daily, weekly, monthly and my knee just didn’t get any better. But good is that one of the ligaments was intact and it wasn’t necessary to do the whole reconstruction surgery again. Praise God!!! The doctor just removed the cyst performed a general cleaning.
Two very important things in all of this: Firstly, is the recovery time would’ve been between 7 to 8 months (if he had to perform the ACL Reconstruction Surgery) but now it will only be 2-3 months. Secondly, the price of the operation would’ve been $5000, but it was reduced to $2000. We are very grateful to God for all his care and provision through friends and family who have blessed us with prayers and offerings.
I was hospitalized for four days, my surgery was on Monday and I went home on that Friday, so we were extremely happy.
Then, all of the sudden, the unexpected happened. Two days after leaving the hospital (Sunday night), Tilanie started having an extreme abdomen pain, so much pain that she couldn’t sleep that night. The next morning, which was Monday morning, she was rushed to the hospital. The doctor said that she had Appendicitis and needed an urgent surgery. That was again a huge shock and challenge for us, because I was still recovering at home and my wife was going to the operating room. It was very difficult day for us, without understanding why everything was going wrong. We had to trust that God was in control and everything was going to be fine.
The appendix surgery was very simple and two hours after the surgery, Tilanie was ordered by the Doctor to get out of bed and start walking. (No time to rest…haha…) but I guess that contributed to her speedy recovery thereafter.
We give thanks to God because the surgery was a success. Tilanie already recovered and she is now 100%. I 'm also doing well, even though my knee is still not 100 % it’s improving a little every day and I don’t have so much pain anymore.
Praise Jesus for His touch, His healing and His faithfulness!!!

Monday, April 15, 2013

A New Season

Our Time in South Africa
  
Our time in South Africa was very special; we had the opportunity to spend time with Tilanie’s family and also with our friends. Even though our two months there passed very fast, we could rest a little bit. We had the opportunity to share with our friends and family our experiences in Asia and what God has done in and through our lives.
During this short time we could reflect on some of the things that happened during 2012 and we could really see God's faithfulness and His care in every moment of our lives.

One of the things we saw was the power and importance of prayer. The prayers of our friends and family impacted our lives during times that we thought it would not be possible to continue, and the prayers carried through those times.

Highlights from the past Month…

20130316_122033Many things happened here in South Korea since we arrived. We are still serving at the same school; the only thing that has changed is the ministry with the church on Sundays.
We've been praying and we decided to stop for a while with the ministry on Sundays because we would like to become part of an English church with English services. We are really excited to be able to receive from God…in a language that we can understand. This is very important for us, because we believe that we really need to receive from Him, in order to give our best to others.
The Lord has been blessing our school really a lot. In 2012 we started with 20 students, this semester, 2013 we have 40 students and two new teachers. It is a great opportunity to impact this generation and we want to give our best, so that we can see many fruits when we leave this country.
It is a great opportunity that we have to invest in relationships and influence the lives of many young people. We are grateful to God for this privilege; we have high expectations that the Lord will use our lives to bless many people in this nation.
Tilanie is teaching English 4 different English Level classes 16 times per week, she is teaching them English and at the same time investing into their lives.

New Opportunities
Our school Principal met a famous Korean ex-football player who played for the National Korean team in 2002 World Cup and he is now opening a Football Academy near our school. When we returned from South Africa we had a meeting with him and I was invited to teach football two times a week at his Soccer Academy. He also offered and called a famous doctor friend of his to see if he could help me with the recovery of my knee. This doctor was the physician of the National Korean team in 2002 World Cup. And I’m currently receiving treatment at his clinic. It is a great opportunity that God is giving me, I really feel so thankful for His love and faithfulness.

Still Facing a challenge
I’m still facing a challenge with regards to my knee. Even though it has improved a lot over the past few months, I still need to improve a lot more in order to get the “go ahead” from my Physiotherapist to run and do practical soccer demonstrations. I have one or two months of treatment left at this clinic and we believe and trust in the Lord that my knee will recover fully.

A wonderful beginning
We are delighted to see how much God care for us and also how interested He is in the big and the small details. The Lord has surprised us with his love and faithfulness. It has been a wonderful beginning of the year and we are excited to see what is ahead. May it be a year of seeing many fruits…

Thank you for being part with us in mission, we really appreciate your support and prayers.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Season’s change

Season’s change
The summer is gone and with it the heat and humidity… We are now in autumn, this is a very beautiful season, it is fascinating to see how the colours in nature has changed. God has so much creativity…we are in awe of His creation.
As the seasons have changed from Summer to Autumn…So also is our time here in Korea changing. After a Summer of many struggles and difficulties, we are now experiencing a new refreshing season,  with many new exciting things and expectations.
We have had a very difficult time here in Korea, during that time, we had so many questions and a lot of it are still unanswered questions. It was a time where we had to hold onto to God’s word, His promises and His character.
One of the promises that have been constantly in my mind…Is when Jesus said that He will be with us, every day, until the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20. I have been reading this word over and over again, praying this truth into my life. Even though we experience those moments where we do not feel God’s presence, or when we can’t even hear his voice, we have to remind ourselves that He is with us; He will be at our side taking care of us.

Moving to Suji
Our school moved from Gapeyong to Suji, we are well nearer to the capital, Seoul and at the same time we are not as isolated as before when we were in Gapeyong. In Suji there are many shops, markets, banks, etc , if we need to buy something, it is so much easier to go out and buy it.
The only challenge to move to Suji was to transform a big empty 3-storey building into a school with; classrooms, dormitories, offices, cafeteria etc. But, yet again our God has surprised us so much during this month, Principal (Pastor) Daniel took a big step of faith when he decided to move the school and after that step of faith we have seen so many miracles happening.


Like Moses, the sea opened only when He stretched out his hand and touched the water, We have to take a step forward in obedience to what God has spoken, for us to see God's miracles.

One week before the new semester started, the classrooms still didn’t have any desks, chairs and the offices were very simple, just a few tables with chairs, the school didn’t impress anyone. Then the Lord blessed us by sending people who gave donations and offerings.
When the students arrived one week later, everything was organized. One person decided to bless us with the furniture for the first floor, remodel the offices, the counsel room, the hall, music room etc. It looks wonderful and in two days our school were totally transformed. Although we still have some challenges with monthly payments because of relocation and reformation, we continue to trust in our God's provision to pay all the bills.


Our activities in South Korea
Our activities have been virtually the same as the previous semester. Tilanie is teaching English; Grammar and Literature, 3-4 classes per day, four times a week. It has been a very busy time for her,  we had the expectation that we would have another English teacher to help her, but unfortunately, at the last moment just before the opening of the new semester the teacher had some unforeseen circumstances and then couldn't be part of our school.



I'm teaching football again, every Wednesday and Thursday we go to a field where we do the training, it is two hours of training. It’s very nice to be able to teach again, to walk everywhere with my crutches and spend time with the students. On Mondays I also teach the Bible, we speak about Hearing God’s voice, Relationship with God, Missions etc. On the first day I asked the students to write on a piece of paper what they would like to learn, or questions they have about God and the bible, I will select some of  these questions and bring it to class to study in groups.
And on Sundays we have a time of  ministry in the Church where Tilanie teaches English to 3 classes. In the beginning I was teaching football but since I hurt my knee I could not continue the work.


The challenge to walk again
Four months ago I had the knee surgery, I have been doing Physiotherapy twice a week and my knee is improving every day. I see that my muscles are becoming stronger than before and I can bend the knee more than 120 degrees. My challenge now is to walk without crutches, even though I have improved a lot I still have the greatest challenge ahead, which is to walk without crutches. When I'm at home or in the office I can walk without crutches, but when I am out on the street or in places with lots of people I do not have enough security and balance. The doctor said that I have to start walking this month, because in December I will be doing further tests to determine when I can start running.
It's been a challenge to learn to walk again, the fear of falling and getting hurt, the constant lack of confidence; I am fighting against fear and insecurity daily. I want to walk as soon as possible and for this reason I am giving my best in Physiotherapy.

Another decision
The month of November is a very important month for us, because we have to decide if we will return to Africa in February 2013 or if we will stay for another season in South Korea. Please pray with us that the Lord will direct this decision.
We would like to thank our friends and family who have been walking this journey with us in missions. We’re sure that you've have seen that even though the journey is most of the time, not so smooth or easy…Our Precious God still remain Faithful!!!

Thank you for investing in the Kingdom of God through our lives, we are very grateful to the Lord for your life.
May our God bless you abundantly
Divanir & Tilanie

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Our God is faithful



During the month of August we had 2 English Camps, each camp was 3 days. We spent a week in Gapeyong. We had children from the ages of 9-14 years old. It was a very good time, Tilanie was teaching arts and English, I was just giving instructions in the football classes and I had the opportunity to share a message in the service. It was a very good time for us, we had the opportunity to leave our home and be with some friends serving the Lord. It was the last activities in Gapeyong.

Moving closer to Seoul
We were praying asking the Lord to provide a new place for the school closer to Seoul and thank God it happened. We are starting the new semester October and it is going to be in Suji, it is in the Metropolitan region of Seoul. So this means we are much closer to the city and also not so isolated in terms of location. I’m sure though that we are going to miss the beauty and peaceful surroundings of Gapeyong.

The New Semester
Our students travelled 2 weeks ago overseas, one team went to UK and another team went to the Philippines, this will be an opportunity for the students to practice and study English and also to give them some exposure of living abroad. The UK team will visit some universities because several students would like to study overseas in the future. We wanted to travel with the students but because of my surgery it was not possible. We are in Seoul at the moment. I’m doing physiotherapy in the hospital twice a week and Tilanie has been involved with the church on Sundays and she is also preparing for the new semester.

 

“God is in control…even though sometimes in our eyes it doesn’t seem that way.”








God is closer than we think
Two weeks ago when I went to the hospital for physiotherapy, Tilanie was waiting for me outside and during this time she saw a woman coming out of the physiotherapy room feeling very bad ... the woman fell to the ground numerous times while complaining about severe stomach pains ... Nobody really knew how to assist her…or what exactly was going on… After quite some time on the floor, this woman finally managed to pull herself up and then she sat next to Tilanie…..still exclaiming in pain. Then not knowing what to do or say,  Tilanie asked the woman if she could pray for her, but the woman did not respond, then Tilanie stretched her hand out and began to pray. Nothing happened. Then after a few minutes the woman suddenly turned to Tilanie and asked: Did you pray for me?
Tilanie said yes I prayed for you, and stretched out her hand again…and prayed yet again. The woman looked at Tilanie and said: Thanks, Thanks, I'm feeling much better.
Then the woman stood up…left… (as if nothing was wrong with her) and told another person what had happened to her.
It is wonderful to see how the Lord uses us in times that we do not expect; it strengthens our faith and gives us more hope and expectation to serve the Lord even in times of difficulties.

Learning how to walk again
I had an appointment with my doctor last week; the doctor said that I can start walking without crutches…HALLELUJAH!!!! I’ve already tried to give the first step. It is still very scary because my leg is very weak, and my knee is still painful...but it is only a matter of time and  I will be walking soon. I am exercising very hard to make my leg strong.
We are really happy for the new season that is coming for us here in Korea. God is in control…even though sometimes in our eyes it doesn’t seem that way.
We would like to say thank you to you, our families, our friends and partners who have been walking this road with us…through prayers, words of encouragement and even finances.
Thank you very much…We appreciate each of you dearly…and we wouldn't have been able to do what God has laid on our hearts..without you cheering us on!!!

May God bless each of you abundantly.
Lots of love
Diva and Tilanie

Saturday, July 28, 2012

My operation went well!!!

For I know that the sufferings of this present time cannot be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18. 


We would like to thank all our friends and family who have been praying with us during this time and especially for my surgery.


The surgery on my knee had duration of 3 hours and it was a success, thanks to God. The doctors left to decide hours before the surgery what would be used; if one of my other tendon or tendons of another person for the reconstruction of the ACL ligament. The decision was taken to use the two tendons; with this option my knee will become stronger.


They have placed a screw to hold the tendons, which will be removed after 1 to 2 years.
After surgery I was hospitalized for one week and during this time Tilanie stayed with me in the hospital.
 Something very interesting here in South Korea is when a family member is hospitalized, someone from the patient’s family move to the hospital with the patient. In my room were 5 beds for patients, but under every bed had a mattress for the family member to sleep. Pretty cool!!
Since the surgery I have done physical therapy in the hospital twice a week and i have daily exercises to do at home. The doctors said that I will walk again in 6 to 8 weeks and I will be able to do physical activities after a year.

During this time we were blessed with the School’s holidays and Tilanie had time to help me with everything I needed, we are grateful to God for taking care of us in that way. Tilanie has been serving the church on Sundays. She has an activity with the Youth and she teaches English to 2 groups after the service.
These four weeks have been a very challenging time for us here in Korea, we miss our family and our friends, but we experience God’s love and care every day. We received visits in the hospital; our students, the people who work with us and some people from our church. One of the students slept in the hospital with me on the first night and it was very special to see his care for me, Joseph was almost up all night to see if I needed anything.

 We have experienced God’s grace daily, God has loaded with his supernatural power, has no other explanation. We have been praying and declared that the Lord is exalted and glorified through everything.

For I know that the sufferings of this present time cannot be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Romans 8:18 
This has been one of the words that God has ministered in our hearts; we believe that the glory of God will be manifested in us and through us by His Spirit. Through all this situations we can grow in our knowledge, revelation and intimacy with Jesus Christ.
In the month of August we will have two camps in our school, we will have young teenagers and some churches along with us. The camp aims to minister the word through activities such as sports, games, arts, Bible study, all activities will be in English.

Thank you for all your prayers and your support.  

May God bless. 

Divanir & Tilanie


Sunday, July 1, 2012

God’s ways are higher than our ways!!

Isaiah 55:8-9.   For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
We would like to share a little bit about what we have been experiencing during these past few months here in South Korea.
Tilanie had one of the most challenging months in June. It was the end of the semester and she had to compile tests for 4 classes, grade it and take care of me. It was really busy for Tilanie. But, Praise God…He strengthened her and she could finish everything in the right time.
In our last newsletter we were asking prayer for my knee, we really expected that God was going to heal in the way that we wanted and that we were praying about, but it did not happen. We now have a lot of peace that God wants to use the operation to bring healing to my knee and I am going for the operation in few days on 03/07/12. I will be in the hospital for a week and then I am going back home.

I’ve injured my knee really bad, even more that I thought. I’ve torn the lateral ligament and the ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and I will have an ACL reconstruction on Tuesday.
It is difficult for us to explain what is happening at this moment… because we don’t understand what is happening, but we just trust in God and that he is in control of everything (even when we don’t have any control).
I’ve previously wrote about “Soccer was just a Bonus”    
 http://tilaniedivanir.blogspot.kr/2012/05/impacting-and-being-impacted.html .
It’s challenging to be in a country where you don’t know a lot of people, you can’t communicate because of the language, a different culture, and at the same time you feel like all the dreams you had just died in front of you.

The most challenging thing is that it is not first time that we’re going through this, it the second time that I injured my knee.
But, through all of these things…God has been speaking to us about who He is. It is not about how we feel, because our own emotions will not take us to Him but just His words and promises towards us will take us to him. And we have just seen again…the Power of Prayer…and of Faith!!! We Praise God that He is using so many of our friends, family and people whom we don’t even know, to pray for us….We really, really appreciate your prayers and we could/can feel that Jesus was /is carrying us through this time!!!

I really thank God for my wife… she is really amazing, she helps me with everything. She is always praying for me and with me and I love my beautiful wife more than ever. And I really thank God for giving me her.I love Tilanie so much.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Please Pray for it!!!






Hello Friends,


How are you guys doing?


We are just writing to communicate what is happening with 
us and to ask your prayer.


WE have been going through a very difficult moment and 
we really would like to ask your prayer.



On 19/05 we as school had a soccer game against another team just for fun.


 I was running when suddenly  I twisted my left knee, I was in so much pain that I can't explain it.
They took me to the hospital. They did X-ray and with the bones everything was fine but I had to go back after one week to see the knee's specialist .
They sent me home with a cast in my leg and a lot of medication.

We went back on Friday (25/05) to the specialist and the Doctor said that I need to go for MRI in 2 weeks . The doctor said , it could be one of 2 things:

1-My lateral ligament is injured which means, it can heal without an operation.
or
2-My cross ligament is injured, which means the same operation as before.

Please be praying with us, That when I do the MRI (08 of June) it will show that my cross ligament is 100% and that I don't need an operation.
 It is a time that We are very scared and also a little frustrated. We don't really understand what is happening and why?
At this moment we don't ask God so many questions, we are trying to remain focused on God.


We need a miracle from Our God and we trust Him.

Please if you guys have any word of encouragement or any thing, send to us.

We really miss you guys and appreciate your support.

Thank you.
Bless you.

Divanir & Tilanie