Who, What, Where, Why

Jon, Donna & Eli Terpstra

Ministry of Serving OthersMinistry of Helps & Hands

Ministry of the Word

Africa : Current focus – Nigeria

God has given us a burden to live beyond ourselves and to be the

hands, the feet and the heart of Jesus to those less fortunate.

Helps Ministry

There’s no one quite like Jon. Life in Nigeria

is an adventure he simply loves.

Jon’s giftednessis the use of his

hands.He shares that

giftby teaching

othersin repair and maintenanceof their daily needs in life.

Here he is teaching how to

repair a motorcycle.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven…

Ecclesiastes 3:1

In Matters of the Heart Clinic Construction at Ekang

Anaku (Village of Kitok)2009

Kitok clinic site -- plan review03/09

Peter, the contractor for this project

Brick Molding on Site

Brick Molding on Site

Okor Bassey-Duke --

our good fr iend and

‘benefactor ‘ of God’s choosing.God brought us

together fora purpose and we

are so very grateful. Okor

has beeninstrumental in

gettingthis project completed.

Jon’s fi nal day at the site before

returning to the US in January 2010

To be continued….this project wil l be completed this after his return

in July 2010

May the beauty and favor of the Lord our

God by upon us; Establish the work

of our hands for us,

Yes, establish the work of our

handsPsalms 90:17

Helps Ministry

Ceiling Renovation Project Bible Christian Crusaders

Mission

Rev Joseph Okoro and Pastor FrancisBible Christian Crusaders Mission (BCCM)

BCCM (Ceiling before renovations began)

BCCM renovation project near completion

BCCM ceiling fan installation

Here Eli is working on the ceilingfan assembly…..they put together over 150 ceiling fans for this project

Eli doing floor preparation at BCCM

Jon overseeing electrical work at

BCCM

Painting audio shelf

Jon oversaw this project renovation.

Here he is reviewing the

project at BCCM with

his friend, Cheneydu

BCCM clean up day…

for all ages. The entire

congregation came to clean the church after the

painting and ceiling renovation was completed.

Although the picture is very dark, we wantedyou to see the women of the church as they weremopping the cement floors with brush booms andbuckets of water.

There were non-running vehicles parked in front of the church. Jon suggested they move them…but they didn’t

know how. Jon gathered the men and showed them how to move this vehicle…..many hands made for lighter work….

After the large vehicle was moved…they were excited to move the others. ”PUSH ….” they would cry…..and the

vehicles were relocated.

BCCM finished renovation

Teaching~

Preaching

The Power

of Our

Words:

Blessings

Vs

Curses

Calabar

Nigeria

Efik

Interpreter

Releasing a

blessing over those

attending

Instructional

teaching/ workshops

This teaching

was on the

power of our

words and

releasing

blessing.

After the

teaching,

each

participant

would speak

out blessings

upon their

eyes, mind,

hands, feet

etc.

Declaring

they have

the mind of

Christ…

…that their

minds are

blessed…

…choosing

to take

control over

their

thoughts.

Here they

are laying

their hands

upon their

feet –

and asking God to

order their steps.

Johannesburg

South Africa

This is a

Congolese

church

consisting

of refugees

from the

country of

Congo who

are now

living in

Jo’burg

It is a

French-

speaking

congregatio

n.

Basic

instruction

and step-

by-step

teaching is

translated

by their

pastor.

Wounds

from the

war and the

loss of their

homeland

and families

dictate the

type of

teaching for

such as

these.

Forgiveness

is the

theme.

Assemblies of

God

Women's

Meeting Calabar,

Nigeria

AG of Nigeria

requires head

covering for the

women.

Men and women

sit separately in

church services.

Pastor David and his wifeFollowing the weekend of teaching at their Bible School Leadership

Training

Teaching in

Bible training

schools or

ministry

centers is

always a joy.

80% of all

pastors in

Nigeria have

no formal

Bible or

ministry

training.

Click icon to add picture The most

important

thing:

THE WORD

All teaching

based on the

Word – they

must

understand

how to live

according to

the Word…

after you’ve

left…the Word

remains.

Village Work

These next village shots are in a remote, small church with about 250 women seated on small wooden benches. They

had never seen a white woman before.

SMILE

The

internationa

l language

of a smile

will make

all the

difference.

I always

come away

from any

podium and

go out ‘into’

the women.

We love

and serve

the same

God.

I touch

them and

let them

know that I

am a

woman –

just like

them.

I let them

touch me…

…they have

never seen

a white

woman

before.

Story Telling

They live in

a oral

tradition

culture and

so story

telling is

how they

listen and

learn.

Notice the

young girl

behind me

respond.

My

interpreter

walks with

me as I tell

the story

from the

Word.

I stay away

from the

podium

until I know

they’ve

received

me.

No electric meant no microphone but God allowed the message to be heard by all. We were at this meeting for over

four hours.

After the teaching time, the women would come forward and kneel at the altar to receive prayer.

Personal Prayer and Impartation

Prophetic Listening

Click icon to add picture

….he who has

ears to hear,

let him

hear…..

God is faithful

to speak to

His children…

Personal MinistryGod moves

through the

hands and

hearts of His

servants when

we are obedient

to submit

ourselves to be

used of Him.

We are to be

the hands, the

feet, the heart

and compassion

of Jesus on this

earth.

A mother’s ear

A

mother’s

words….

A

mother’s

embrace

Inner

healing…

through

physical

touch and

impartation

Ezra 9

Daniel 9

Nehemiah 9

Ezekiel 22:30

And I sought a

man among

them who

should build

up the wall

and stand in

the gap

before Me for

the land, that

I should not

destroy it, but

I found none.

Confession & Repentance

Coming

alongside a

pastor to

lead a

congregatio

n through

the process

of

confession

and

repentance

…..

Once the

teaching is

given, the

Holy Spirit

moves

amongst the

people and a

spirit of

brokenness

and

repentance

opens the

way for God

to move.

The heart of a Servant:

I preach barefoot as a symbol of servant-hood

humility. This very

often brings a move of

repentance among the

leadership which then flows out on

the people.

At this large international conference, after I finished teaching, a move of the Holy Spirit brought a spontaneous

move of repentance among leadership.

We were kneeling and weeping as people were confessing and asking forgiveness.

This is the head of the

ministry who organized

this conference. She

was moved by the Holy

Spirit to repent and ask

forgiveness publicly of

secret sins of the past.

After this, the altar

became filled with those

attending who came

forward for confession

and prayer. This opened

the way for the rest of

the week’s meetings to

be filled with the power

of God.

…kneeling behind the pulpit praying during this service.

Repentingon behalf

of churches and believers moves others to examine their hearts.

Jon & Eli's Children's Ministry

(Jon & Eli assist in the 4&5 year -old class with over 100 kids each week)

Click icon to add picture

Praise and worship…..singing and clapping with the kids

The electricity is powered by a gas generator for the service. Jon and Eli brought a Veggie Tales movie which helped to pass the time in this class of 4-5 year olds which begins around 8am and concludes

at 1pm after the service concludes in the adult church.

Eli is sitting

in the front

of the class

as the kids

are seeing

Veggie

Tales…

during the

class on

Sunday

mornings

Everyone loves Eli!

Everyone has

a heart for Eli.

Notice the

face of the

young girl

behind him.

Many of the

young girls

want to get

next to him as

he helps in

the class on

Sunday

mornings.

Girls will be girls !!

These young

girls are

gathering

behind Eli’s

chair as he

assists in the

Sunday

school class.

Often too shy

for talking to

him, they will

just gather

and giggle !!

This young

boy is very

fond of Eli.

He doesn’t

speak to

anyone but

makes sure

he finds his

way to Eli’s

lap each

week. Here

he is sitting

with Eli

during class.

Our friend

Cheneydu

is the

teacher of

this class of

4-5 year

olds. They

have

around 100

kids in this

one room

classroom.

The kids

are taught

at an early

year how

to pray.

They are

encourage

d to pray

for their

parents,

for health,

for

wisdom

etc.

Jungle Missions BaseThis is our work with Missionary Ray Oben. We will be assisting him in getting started with the audio players for the remote village churches and in advancing his

move out into the unreached peoples of the Nigeria/Cameroon jungle.

The Jungle

Missions Base

is near the

border of

Cameroon. It

is about 6-7

hours by road

from us. Once

at the base, it

is necessary

to walk a

day’s walk out

to the

different

villages.

Jon is standing

with the village

chief in one of

the remote

mountain

villages served

by the Jungle

Missions Base.

This chief was

the first convert

in the village

and has seen to

it that the

villagers are

now all exposed

to the Gospel

and live by the

power of the

Word – not the

tribal beliefs.

Celebrating VisitorsNigerians

celebrate

visitors. ...an

d that meant

killing a

chicken for

food. When

food is

available,

you eat

when and

where you

can…..these

boys enjoy

the blessing.

Nothing Goes

to Waste

This boy is

using a

small stick

to get at

the marrow

in the

chicken

bone…once

that’s

gone….he

will eat the

bones.

The guests

have been

served and

now the

women slick

the bowls

clean…

eating

without

utensils or

dishes, they

share

amongst

themselves

so everyone

gets the

blessing.

Hand Dug Well

This is the

hand dug

bore hole

(well) at the

Jungle

Missions

Base. It

provides only

a few gallons

of water a

day. A new

source is

necessary.

Jungle MissionsWater Project

Once the finances are available, Jon will be returning to the

Jungle Base to repair the current water project. The current

hand-dug bore hole is now nearly dry and trekking of several

miles is necessary throughout most of the year.

Relationships

Walk with me…….

A great deal of our work in Africa is built around relationships. There is much to be said about coming alongside of the

people and living within their conditions. We put a great deal of value on the time

spent stepping into the lives of the people…living their lifestyle, eating their

foods, sharing in what they feel is important. Our heart’s desire is for them to see the “Jesus in us.” For us, that is accomplished as we ‘walk along with

them.’

More than words….

Eli would sit

next to the

young girl in

our

compound,

Blessing, each

morning.

Here they are

watching

Emmanuel

play with a

stick. It’s not

about

conversation –

it’s about

companionshi

p.

Eli and

Prince

stand out

front of our

place.

Prince lost

his family in

the Liberian

war and has

become a

son in our

family. He

lives with

us in

Calabar.

Royal Dominion Ministry Bible Training School , Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Our Daily Life

Typical

shacks/home

s stand next

to more

modern

construction;

No municipal

water or

electric is

available –

personal

generators

and bore

holes supply

individual

needs

Street

shops all

look

basically

the same –

Street

vendors

work the

streets

carrying the

products in

wheel

barrels or

carts

With no

infrastructur

e, public

sanitation is

not

available.

Garbage

pick-up and

collection

doesn’t

exist.

Education in

individual

responsibility

is crucial.

Typical city

street with

vendors

under each

umbrella

selling their

wares.

Electrical

lines exist

but utility

power is

not

released to

the people.

City Streets

With no

public

sewer

systems in

place,

water

collects on

the streets

during the

rainy

season.

Public

transportati

on and

safety is

not

addressed

…

If it can fit,

it will

travel!!

Public

transport

vans will

carry

anything

that pays

the

fare….these

goats are

being taken

to their new

home !!

Home Sweet Home?

This was our home

for two months.

The three of us

shared one

mattress in this

room. We had

saved to purchase

a fan but there was

no water or electric

for more than a

month.

Cockroaches and

house rats were our

constant

companions. This

period of time was

challenging.

This spider is about the size of a small grapefruit.

GroceriesUpon arrival in

Calabar, our first

hosts greeted us

with groceries:

potatoes, peppers,

cucumbers, onions,

cabbage, and

plantains.

The local practice is

for food to be left on

the floor – thought to

be cooler – which

we quickly moved

off the floor and

away from roaches

and houserats!

Nature's Bounty

Snails…..easy to raise

and free !!

Jon and Eli

raise and eat

snails. It’s

cheap and a

good source

or protein.

With no water

available in the

flat where we

were staying,

rainwater was a

treasure indeed.

Buckets were left

out to collect

rain so we

wouldn’t need to

trek and carry

water back from

the community

pump every day.

It was amazing how the rain could fill one of these in the rainy season.

Showers of blessings, indeed!

Candid ShotsSht

Very often, before I would be introduced to speak, Jon and Eli would be asked to greet the church. Here, Eli is greeting

a church of about 1500. He was amazing!

Jon in front of our new ‘home’: After four months of living as guests in other people’s homes, God provided us with more

than we could have ever imagined…..a place of our own. Our good friend Okor asked us to move into an empty flat on his

compound. We would have our own living quarters, a security gate, a guard dog, running water and a flushing

toilet……Could it get any better than that???

This is Eli’s breakfast of dried fish before embarking on the 7-hour trip into the bush. We put his hair in braids due to the

harsh conditions of their week -long stay in the bush…what a great sport he was!

Eli is resting in front of one of the buildings in the village they walked out to. These villages are many hours out from the Jungle Missions base and can only be reached by walking

serveral hours.

Dozens of bites of sand flies……

That’s our boy……at home in the village…..quite a sight for these folks who have never seen a

white person before !!

Overlooking the river at its banks in Calabar, the city we live in.

Eli and his motorcycle….it was great for running errands

On the rocks at the nearby quarry

Jon overlooking the river in Calabar

No internet…….AGAIN

Trying to sleep on the way to the jobsite at the clinic

Eli learned how to ride a motorcycle

while in Nigeria….it

became a greatpass time for

him….here he’s riding

on the ‘bridge to nowhere’…

it simply dead-ends on the other

side ofthe river.

We are so very proud of Eli. He was such a blessing during his time in Nigeria. He made an impression on every one who met him- that long golden ponytail will be remembered….but so will his quick smile and heart

to serve.

Cost of Living ( converted to US dollars)

Peanut Butter: $7-8Breakfast Cereal: $7-9Can of tuna: $1Shampoo: $4Toilet paper: $1 a rollGas $3 a gallon:Drinking water: $2 a day (for 1 person)Eat Out: rice and chicken thigh $5 (for 1)One night’s power: $5 - $7.50

Generator fuel $200 Vehicle fuel $200 Food $300; Communication $100:

internet $45 phone credit $40-50

Offerings we give at church services $100 other giving to individuals we meet/or assist $100

TOTAL: $1000 a month

Monthly Budget (for 3 of us)

Various Opportunities: women’s conferences; leadership

training children’s ministry - orphans and

vulnerable children; abandoned babies’ home

village/bush ministry medical teams needed for basic care or

instruction clinicsbasic construction skills

What About You? Ministry Opportunities Abound !!

Approximate Costs:Airfare $1500-2000

Passport $110Visa $175

Required Immunizations $200

Trips can be customized according to your needs/abilities

Share with us what God has laid upon your heart and let’s see what He will do !!

As believers, we stand together in the vineyard of His kingdom. Some stay…..some

go….others send. This verse is a great comfort:

“For as is the share of him who goes into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the supplies. They shall share alike. “ 1 Samuel

30:24

We’re all in this together!Jon, Donna & Eli

  

For financial contributions desiring a tax deductible receipt from a 501(c)(3) charity, please make check payable to:

In Matters of the Heart 6899 Kenowa Ave SW Grandville, MI 49418

Please designate TerpstrasInAfrica in the memo area