This article was adapted from the original article which I wrote on 11 January 2004. It was at the beginning of the financial collapse of the Zimbabwean dollar, which followed the iniquitous farm invasions. The Reserve Banks’ policy statement on 12 December 2003 had caused interest rates of overdrafts to rise overnight to an astronomical figure of 600%. Many companies went bankrupt overnight, and my company and farm also faced imminent bankruptcy. It was only by the grace of God that we were saved from bankruptcy through a supernatural intervention by God and wisdom which He gave me.

Hierdie artikel is uit die oorspronklike artikel wat ek op 11 Januarie 2004 geskryf het, aangepas. Dit was die begin van die finansiële ineenstorting van die Zimbabwiese dollar wat op die onregverdige plaas besettings gevolg het. Die Reserwe Bank se beleidsverklaring op 12 Desember 2003 het die rentekoerse op oortrokke rekeninge oornag van 45% na ʼn astronomiese 600% per jaar laat styg. Talle maatskappye het oornag bankrot gespeel en my maatskappy en boerdery het ook amper deurgeloop. Dit was net deur die genade en bonatuurlike ingryping van die Here deur ‘n woord van wysheid wat die Heilige Gees my in daardie tyd gegee het dat ons bankrotskap vrygespring het

In 2002 as ‘n bemoediging aan boere gedurende die Zimbabwiese plaasbesettings geskryf

Mat 6:22 “Die lamp van die liggaam is die oog. As jou oog dan reg (enkelgesind) is, sal jou hele liggaam verlig wees. 6:23 “Maar as jou oog verkeerd is, sal jou hele liggaam donker wees. As dan die lig in jou donkerheid is, hoe groot is die donkerheid nie!

Written in 2002 as an encouragement to farmers during the Zimbabwe farm invasions

Mat 6:22 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. 6:23 “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness.”

Die oorspronklike artikel is geskryf een maand ná die verpligte besetting van ons plaas deur die Zimbabwiese regering.

Ons is drie maande gegee om van die plaas af te wees; hierdie was dus ‘n maand in daardie tyd in geskryf. Ek het hierdie geskryf om mense te help verstaan watter diep geestelike stryd ‘n mens tydens so ‘n traumatiese tyd deurgaan.

Ek vertrou dat hierdie ‘n bemoediging vir jou sal wees, waar jy ookal in jou persoonlike stryd mag wees.

The original article was written one month after the compulsory acquisition of our farm by the Zimbabwean government.

We were given three months to move off the farm, so this was written one month into that time. I wrote this to help people understand the deep spiritual battle that one goes through at such a traumatic time.

I trust that it will be an encouragement to you, whatever your personal battle might be.

Ek en my gesin het Hwange Nasionale Park vir ‘n paar dae besoek. Wat ‘n lieflike, ontspanne atmosfeer – byna asof ‘n mens in ‘n hele ander wêreld weg van die probleme was. Soms het mens net ‘n breuk nodig om jou fokus weer reg te kry.

Afgesien van die tyd saam met die gesin, om wild te kyk en voëlbespieding te doen (ek het 93 voëlspesies opgeskryf, insluitend twee nuwes wat ek nog nie voorheen gesien het nie), het ek die tyd benut om Skrif te lees en te oordink.

Ek het ‘n outobiografie van Gypsy Smith gelees, ‘n groot evangelis wat gedurende sy lang leeftyd nie net in Engeland nie, maar ook in die VSA, Frankryk, Australië en selfs Suid-Afrika in 1904 bedien het. Dit was werklik inspirerend om te sien wat ‘n eenvoudige man met eenvoudige geloof in God in sy leeftyd kon vermag.

My family and I went to Hwange National game park for a few days break.

What a lovely, relaxed atmosphere - almost as if one is in a totally different world away from the problems. We need to take a break sometimes just so we can get focus again. Apart from spending time with the family, game and bird walks, (I clocked up 93 bird species including two new ones I had never seen before) I used the time to read and meditate.

I read through an autobiography of Gypsy Smith, a great evangelist who in his long lifetime ministered not only in England but also many trips to the USA, France, Australia and even South Africa in 1904. It was inspiring to see what a simple man with simple faith in God could accomplish in his life’s work.