Leap of Faith 2018

Hello everyone,

This year a lot happened to me(Recap of my year). Like I mentioned in that post I had to make a big decision of what I am going to do in 2018.

 The beginning of 2017 was where it all started, I did a subject through Akademi at Mosaiek church. It is called New Generation Leadership. It is basically about how to be a leader, different types of leaders, and why does young adults and teens leave church. This opened doors I didn't even know existed (I just did it because I was a leader at a church youth and wanted to know more).

 Early in the year there was a woman's conference I went to and as I sat there a random idea popped into my head. I want to go into ministry with teenagers specifically girls, and there the New Generation course I was doing for use at church, unknowingly had more meaning than first thought.

 A few weeks after the conference I went to a workshop, where I got prophetic word which just confirmed everything once again. I didn't have any clue what all of it meant. At the stage I felt like a tree, with only leaves no branches or roots. The leaves were all the ideas, but the tree didn't have the branches, which to me is the how, what, where and when and lastly my tree didn't have the roots, the foundation or the knowledge.

  A few months later I got to know three guys who were doing TYO (more info here), now since I found out about TYO I never saw myself doing it. Getting to know them and seeing the journey they went on, how they have grown spiritually, I started to wish I could do something like that. Me being this independent I couldn't just leave my job and go into something that required me to ask people for money to help me pay the monthly fees of TYO. I love my job, I don't ask for help, I am independent.

  As the time passed the longing for something bigger grew. The more I thought about it the more I started thinking about the things that happened in the beginning of the year, the leaves of my 'tree'. If I do TYO I will grow and then maybe the tree's roots will start to grow and  maybe then I will start to figure out the branches too. I can only become stronger in my faith and have a stronger relationship with God. I have nothing to loose.. Well I have a lot to loose, my income, a whole year of my life, what if its not what I expected? I know it's selfish but in that time those were my biggest struggles. Do I risk it and maybe complete my tree??

  This is where my inner struggle started. A struggle of staying at my job and having a stable income, my comfort or leaving my wonderful job and not knowing how I will be able to pay for TYO, the unknown, the risk. This wasn't an easy decision, I am independent... and that's where I realized maybe I'm to independent. With me being this independent I didn't depend on God much because I can sort it  out myself you know. This lead to lots of prayers and depending more on God, listening to him and not to myself. All the signs showed I have to take a leap of blind faith and do TYO.

  Even though I made this decision fear still had its way of creeping in, a lot. Things like, finances, the unknown, leaving things behind, the risk of starting something new scared me and sometimes even made me want to pull out and just stay put and keep what is familiar to me. But as soon as fear creeps in something happens just to confirm once again that doing TYO is the right choice. Confirmation on confirmation.

  After two big confirmations I knew I just need to go with it and trust in God. I left everything in his hands and since then I felt a calmness over me, slowly but surely my fear started to melt away. Yes, I still don't know how I'm going to be able to pay for every month and yes that scares me but every time I start to stress I just let go and let God. Slowly but surely I'm getting sponsors and I know God will provide the exact amount I need every month.
  2018 is a year of new beginnings and I had to say goodbye to a lot of things this year but I know it is going to be good. Sometimes you have to let go to really experience God's Glory.

  Here is too an exceptional 2018. May you experience your own new beginning in 2018. May you experience joy and blessings through the year. Don't let fear keep you from your dreams. Take that leap of faith. No matter how big or small you think it may be. In your journey this is your leap and it is valid to where you are right now in your life.

  I would love to hear from you, what is your new beginning going to be or what is your leap of faith going to be?:)



Stay humble and live with no regrets.
Xx Anschke

What the year is almost over?

Hello everyone,

Wow what a year it has been...

I started 2017 positively happy at work and in life. That soon changed when circumstances changed at work. This took its toll on me. I was miserable to a point where I couldn't stop the tears from just randomly falling down my cheeks at random times like driving in my car. I started looking for something new but just couldn't find anything suitable for me.

One day I shared my worries with people from church and together we prayed for a new opportunity, that very next day the one lady asked me if I would be interested in a job opportunity at a school of someone she knows. I was over the moon and long story short I got the job. I felt a change in my being and felt instant joy when I started and I knew it was sent from God.

In the year I got a new calling well at first I was like whaaattt?? Then after a while I started to put bits together. With this I had to start making big decisions in my life (more on this in another post).

Then there was Mozambique in July, challenging but fun:

Lessons... don't live life with expectation. 

Fell in-love went to Mozam again. 

This journey taught me a lot! I think in the moment I felt a bit lost and unsure. but looking back all the things I didn't know how to handle, every challenge every fight, in the end was worth it and made me stronger.

I then got Malaria... yea Malaria.. I'll tell you more in another post as well.

Then got challenged by a brake-up and had to fall out of love. But looking at it now it was the right thing. Maybe at the time my hart was broken but you know what? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And you know as they say God has something bigger planned and I am excited to see what he has planned for me. 

In-between all of this I made a big decision and quit my amazing job to take a GAP year. This was probably the hardest decision of my life but was fully supported by so many people.

My last day at work was last week Friday (15/12/17). My hart was sore but I know what is coming is big, and having that support from all my colleagues and the parents at the school made it easier. And like my boss said it's not goodbye, it's till we meet again.

Now I'm on a lovely brake and enjoying the last bit of the year with my family. 

I want to thank everyone who was part of my year, good and bad in the good and bad. Everyone who supported me, prayed for me, helped me, wiped my tears, hugged me and reassured and encouraged  me, thank you thank you thank you!!!!

This is a much shorter version of my year hope you enjoyed it.

Stay humble, enjoy life and live with no regrets

Xx Anschke

Dragonfly.

 Hello everyone,

I've accepted the fact that I'm absolutely terrible at blogging and need to stop making promises on when I'm going to blog. Lets just say it will happen when it happens. I did start to write a post on my malaria episode but it got quite lengthy so I need to sit and shorten it. I'm sure you din't want a whole book on what happened. I might even make a YouTube vid on it. It is just easier to tell the story rather than write it..

Anyway today's post is going to be short. I just wanted to get the ball rolling again. I was looking through my photos for something to blog about. I realized that most of what I've done is in Mozambique. So I wanted to mix it up a bit. I came across my vlog footage and there was a few photos where this was one of them:

Now you might think oh its just a dragonfly. Let me tell you this was probably one of the coolest dragonflies I've ever seen. Why? Well we went on a hike and one morning early a few of us decided to climb up a little hill too see the sunrise. Let me tell you it was flipping clod and unpleasant , but it was worth it.  (I do have a vlog on this HERE). We came across this beauty. Now you must be wondering how did we get it to sit still  for a photo, it was actually frozen. and as it got hotter it basically defrosted and after a while it flew away. 

Things like this that make you realise what a great God we have. He cares for all living things even a little dragonfly.  

Always remember you might feel like your frozen and can't get out of a situation. But God is there with you, you just need to wait for the sun, be patient defrost when the time is right you just need to move your wings and fly.   

Stay humble, enjoy life and live with no regrets.

XX Anschke

It's a little baby

Hello everyone,

In July 2017 I went to on my 12th mission trip with Ruimsig Gemeente. My first mission trip was with them in 2006 and a was 9 years old. It has shaped me into the person I am now. I think I'll write a post on it's own one day.

Each year we do woman's ministry which only in recent years (as I grew up) started meaning something to me and it has been my highlight of the trip the past few years. So if you know me you'll know I love kids, And if you've been to Mozambique with me you'll know that I almost always have a little one in my arms. Well.. I saw this tiny little baba (two weeks old)and thought to myself when we are done with woman's ministry I need to give some cuddles to the baby. Lets just say I had the baby in my arms before we were finished.

I think I was in a strange place where we were suppose to wash there hands and pray for them I just didn't feel up to it on that day. I think (and maybe I'm wrong) I was meant to be there just to hold the baby so that the Mommy and other ladies who was babysitting the little one could be fully present to what God had planned for them.

Look at that little face cute right??

And right there where I fell in love.

Okay, lets be honest it wasn't all sunshine and flowers. Why you ask?  Well so in rural communities like these you don't tend to get nappies and  well   apparently a baby needs to pee. So it was all sweet until the baby decided I look like a wonderful nappy. And I was wet. This was still quite early in the activities and mommy didn't look quite eager to have baba back yet. So I put my feelings aside and kept the baby. You think it stops here ?? OOH no it doesn't!! Later when everyone was lining up to get there hands washed I readjust my hands, the baby was wrapped in a bunch of fabrics and well the fabrics moved. As I put my hand under her bum I just feel two little naked bums and well as I felt that, I felt a little stream of water on my hand.. SHE PEED again!!  So I started to look for the mommy to give little one back but alas she was just about to get her hands washed. I waited patiently to return the wet baby and I finally got the baby to the mommy (she didn't really want to take her back at that stage).

Looking back at the moment I don't really know why I didn't to partake in the woman's ministry activities like helping with bath salt, helping thread the beads, washing hands or even the preayers. But I do feel like God works in mysterious ways. Maybe me being there was just so that the mommy can really enjoy being served without worrying about a baby on the back or being peed on. Haha. Or maybe it was for me to realise once again that God really works in you in strange ways like just holding a baby, or to really letting go and lettting God, let go of your comfort and be okay when stuff happens like being full of baby pee and not being able to get new clothes. Or maybe It was for me to be fully present in the moment and actually see what happens in the woman and see the special moments which I think is easy to miss as you are so busy in your activity be it washing hands, helping mix bath salts, threading beads, or prayer. I think in your activity yes you experience God but in actually seeing everyone at work in God is something completely different. The more I think about it the more grateful I become for how I really experienced the day..

Okay that's enough rambling from me for one day. I really hope you enjoyed to get a little insight on my experiences and I hope to see you here next time.

Stay humble, enjoy life and live with no regrets.

XX Anschke

I'm Back

Hello Everyone,

I know I know I've been quiet. Where was I you wonder?? Well in SA but with the hustle and bustle of city life I barely get time to breath let alone write. Oh why start again now? Well in Afrikaans we have a saying 'die gogga het gebyt' (translate directly it means 'the bug bit' but it really means you have a urge to do something and you start doing it ex. the cleaning gogga bit and you start spring cleaning your room) and well die skryf gogga gebyt. I just started thinking of how I have so many pictures and stories I want to share and then I remembered I have a BLOG!! OH yes!! Then it hit me.. and well here I am a few minutes later writing...

Okay, so don't expect big things from me here. I'm no professional and personally I  like talking more that writing but I'm going to try my best. I'm not going to make promises but I'll try and upload at least once a week.

 Thank you for reading hopefully  next post will be up soon :)

Make a wish and enjoy the Paper Plane. See u soon :)