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Copyright 2014 Yolandi Isabella Kruger

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Foreword

They say that incredible stories start with small beginnings. My
story is a long one and it stretches far and wide over continents
and constellations, but if anything it started in a small town in a
beautiful country called South Africa. I know that my story like
many other well told stories, is not my own, a big part of this story
belongs to you the reader and it belongs to the others I met along
the way. The kind of people you would find Jesus with in the
Bible. During this journey I found that no one persons story
belongs solely to them, stories are to be shared , to be embraced
like an old friend , to be retold around a campfire or a coffee shop
at the airport , or wherever you may find yourself in this great
universe called earth.

Each story in this book tells of Gods heart for His church. Each
story represented in this book tells a tale of Gods abundant grace
to transform lives and to reach each living soul alive. My hope is
that you would be inspired to find Gods heart in every person you
meet. And that you will be inspired to equally enjoy the process
and journey of life Alas let the journey commence.










So when your hope's on fire
But you know your desire
Don't hold a glass over the flame
Don't let your heart grow cold
I will call you by name
I will share your road

Hopeless wanderer Mumford and Sons













1.
Hopeless Wanderer
I was in Washington over the summer break visiting a friend in
Olympia. In Washington summer feels like fall. I like to think of
Washington as some sort of paranormal paradox, its cold when the
rest of the world is warm. Or warm when the rest of the world is
cold. If youre ubber spiritual and attend Evergreen University you
would probably argue that some mystical force is behind all of the
weather patterns that Washington seems to have. Im sure there is
something prophetic in there somewhere if you search long and
hard enough.
I had just had my heart broken by a Christian hipster with torn
jeans, a semi Mohawk, an addiction to clove cigarettes and a keen
love for progressive Christianity. He was the kind of guy I swore I
would never fall in love with but did anyway. I guess I need to
still learn how to practice what I preach to never fall in love with
hipsters or boys with rimmed glasses and Australian accents but
thats a whole other story.
My obvious faults aside my friend Alex who is Canadian (another
country I always swore to never associate with , next to Germany
that I now love ironically) offered to drive me to Olympia on his
way back to Canada. I honestly hated Canadians in my fickle
youth and thought that they were way too administrative and
robotic, therefore I would never converse with them unless I was
in a life threatening situation or close to death. Again feel free to
judge my prejudice, but we all make mistakes when we are young.
My first year at Bible college I roomed with two Canadians who
talked a lot about people and I associated Canadians with the
movie means girls. Growing up in the Lord has done me tons of
good I no longer judge people on their culture, I look instead to
the heart. Alex has a great heart, and hes one of those faithful
friends that carry so much safety and wisdom that you would just
be ridicules to not have him as a friend. He looks kind of like a
Viking and plays the guitar like hes done it for over a thousand
years. Hes that good.
Our trip was marked with me sleeping tons and an easy silence
that well weaved friends carry. That trip to Washington was
probably one of the most significant trips of my life thus far.
As we drove through Portland the home of Blue like Jazz and
Jesus, I knew in my heart of hearts what I wanted out of life was to
encounter people everywhere I go with the love of God. Its
amazing what stepping out of your own familiar surroundings
and into the heart of the unknown can do to the human mind and
heart.
I think that was the first road trip where my heart was fully paved
in Gods heart. I had always loved evangelism, but I never fully
embraced it as something that was a part of me. I wanted the
entire Washington trip to be a trip that would draw me closer to
God, it was meant to be a pilgrimage set up so that I could move
even closer towards the fathers heart. But as they say be careful
what you wish for, because God always gives you more than you
bargained for. And He often teaches you the greatest lessons ,
before you can receive the greatest miracle. Alex introduced me to
the art of thinking brilliantly by Graham Cooke and it smashed my
entire mind set of connecting both the heart and mind and letting
go of all earthly logic.
When I reached Olympia , with one capital building that
represents a typical political town , with army officials and
politicians and hippies who are there purely to debate every
political and religious law ever made to man kind , I instantly
realized my life was never going to be the same again. Logic told
me it was going to be normal , but the Holy Spirit told me that this
was the beginning of revival. And I was ready as ever

My friend Su greeted me with the most energetic smile that you
would find that side of the world. She welcomed us into her home
as if we were old family even though all of us had only known
each other for a few weeks at best. Family doesnt have a time
span , you can know someone for a day and they could feel like
youve known them all of your life and I think theres so much of
Gods heart in that , He knew us in a second and loved us in a
second anybody who tells you that , thats not God needs to
reexamine their own humanity. You cannot create something so
integrate and not love it at first sight.