Ministries
We are involved mainly with two ministries: The "Hope to the Hopeless Ministry" currently running in Zimbabwe and "Creative Arts Ministry" in Durban, South Africa. We have a passion for giving hope to the hopeles through presenting God's love, building up relationships and creating a safe environment. We want to help people, especially the youth, to see themselves as God created them and to discover and develop their lifeskills and talents.
Below the photo gallery you will find more details about the ministry.
We believe missionary work is team work. Some go, some pray and some give by supporting financially or by encouraging. Through that we are responding to the Great Commission Jesus has given to us. If you feel like supporting us in any way please let us now and we would love to get in contact with you.
God bless
Yookie and Sarah
Ministry Photo Gallery
Creative Arts Ministry
God has given each and everyone of us various talents. Some of them are never discovered. Some of them are pushed away by not beliving in yourself or others not believing in you. When I started to dance people told me "Yookie, you suck." But I have known that there is a talent inside of me which needs to come out through faith and confidence. I believe that dancing and improving your skills is all about attitude.
When I became a dancer God laid on my heart to build up a Creative Arts Ministry to reach out. We are mainly working in Durban at the moment establishing "Creative Arts Ministry" in the church as a tool to reach young people. We believe that God is busy rising up a generation with a creative mind, full of energy and passion to use their skills for his Kingdom. It is about helping and equipping young people with music, dance, evangelism, drama and missions.
Hope to the Hopeless Ministry in Zimbabwe
How it started...
It is amazing to see God’s work in our own lives – especially when you don’t expect it... When Sarah came down to South Africa we had a couple of weeks off before the Bible college started. After Sarah doing her diving course we were planning to go to Mozambique for some diving. But somehow we felt a big burden on our hearts to go to Zimbabwe instead along with some bags of food. We heard about the crisis, the famine and the spreading cholera in Zimbabwe but we didn‘t know how bad and hopeless it was in fact.
After planning we also felt on our hearts to inform people about our trip and to ask if they want to reach out together with us and so the whole thing started… God was really touching our hearts while we where in Zimbabwe (more about Zimbabwe‘s current situation below) Especially in the village where Yookie was about 15 years ago. The food we brought along came just in the right time for some of the families who were completely out of food - no salt, so flour, nothing… Hopelessness, poverty and a growing famine were just some of the things we were facing during that time. Our gathering with the people of the Mangenge village at Christmas was a big surprise and a big blessing for them and it brought a lot of hope.
Our burden for the people grew so that we decided to come back as soon as possible - in January 2009 - just three weeks after the first trip. This time with a car and a trailer full of food, seeds and clothes. We were able to reach out to more people and to cover more needs. God was providing in everything: enough money for the costs, food and seeds; three fields for planting the seeds, second-hand clothes donated by people, food donated by people, blessings upon blessings… We started our project: Hope2Hopeless. People got employed to work for the food and the clothes and some of the harvest.
We believe in helping them to become independent to help themselves as well as others.
Zimbabwe's current crisis
Zimbabwe's current crisis
Cholera
An ongoing outbreak of cholera has been reported by health officials in Zimbabwe. The country is not able to supply safe water to its citizens. The latest news: 94.443 suspected cases and 4.127 deaths. The worst affected areas are the capital city of Harare, Mashonaland West and Manicaland. Cholera is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. The disease is spread through untreated sewage and contaminated drinking water.
A famine on a scale never before seen in Zimbabwe is quickly and quietly overtaking the country. “ Half the population of about 13 million is facing hunger. About five million people in Zimbabwe are facing starvation, two thirds of the country's children cannot attend school and water shortages have led to daily cholera outbreaks, the Times reported.
Malnutrition is a silent emergency that affects young children and they die quietly. Food shortages started in 2000 when president and dictator Robert Mugabe began confiscating white-owned farms for political reasons and restrictions are still severely handicapping relief delivery. The students of the government-owned University of Zimbabwe lost hope of going back to school. The university has been closed since last year. The government is too broke to inject funds into the institution.
Life is expensive and unbearable for the unemployed - who constitute more than 85% of the working age population. Yet there are bills to pay...
Plans for the future
Our plans for the future
Our passion and our plans for the future are:
1. To have a stable employment structure with the field workers and for them to be independent.
2. To educate them about sanitation.
3. To establish a church at Mangenge village.
4. To help them become strong and for them to reach out and support their neighbor villages.