14 January 2021

Vandag presies ’n jaar gelede het ons op die vliegtuig geklim na ’n vreemde land. ’n Land wat ten minste vir die voorsienbare toekoms ons nuwe tuiste gaan wees. Maar nietemin ’n land waarvan ons nie eintlik vreeslik baie geweet het nie. Jy doen navorsing, jy praat met mense, jy Youtube, maar niks kan jou vir die realiteit voorberei nie. Dit was gelyktydig so seker en so onseker.

’n Jaar in ’n ander land laat jou baie nadink, bevraagteken, en vergelyk. Jy kom tot vele gevolgtrekkings en dis seker maar 'n manier om met al die verandering te deal. Een ding is vir seker, ’n jaar in ’n ander land los ’n blywende impak op jou. So sit ek toe en dink aan die eerste herdenking van ons groot skuif en ek besef om ’n immigrant te wees in ’n vreemde land is eintlik 'n metafoor vir my geloof.

Jy is eintlik van ’n ander plek af, maar jy is nou in hierdie plek...

Die Bybel herinner ons dat alhoewel ons, as die Here se kinders, in hierdie wêreld is, behoort ons nie aan hierdie wêreld nie, want ons is die uitverkore volk. (Johannes 15:19, Johannes 18:36)

En dis vir my dieselfde in ons huidige situasie. Ons is in NZ maar ons klou vas aan ons eie kultuur, ons eie waardes en geskiedenis. As ons dink aan hoe ons eendag ons kinders wil groot maak, is dit as Afrikaners, soos ons groot gemaak is. Ons wil kommunikeer in Afrikaans, ons wil kuier in Afrikaans, ons wil leef in Afrikaans. Nie net die taal nie, maar alles wat daarmee gepaardgaan.

Al het ons wonderlike Kiwi vriende, kollega’s en bure, bly ons Suid-Afrikaners in ons hart. Hier bly ons dan seker maar altyd uitlanders. En dit is soos die lewe van ’n kind van die Here. Al bly jy op aarde, klou jy vas aan die belofte van jou ewige tuiste, praat jy die taal van jou geloof.

Jy leef saam met almal op hierdie aarde maar jy, saam met al die Vader se kinders, is anders. Jou gees is van ’n ander plek af. Jy is trots op daardie herkoms en erfenis. Jy is trots op jou nasie en jou stamboom. Daarom sal jy veg om dit te laat voortleef, maak nie saak waar jy jouself bevind nie.

En diep in jou hart wil jy onsettend graag eendag terugkeer na jou geboorteland.

Die Hemel.

(en ook die klein stukkie Hemel-op-aarde, diep in die Afrika bosveld, saam met jou geliefdes.)

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14 January 2021

Today, exactly a year ago, we boarded a plane to a foreign country. A country that will be our new home, at least for the foreseeable future. But nonetheless, a country we did not really know much about. You do research, you talk to people, you YouTube, but nothing can prepare you for reality. It was so sure and so uncertain at the same time.

A year in another country makes you think, question, and compare everything. You come to many conclusions and philosophical ideas. One thing is for sure, a year in another country made a lasting impact on me. As I sat down to think about the first anniversary of our big move, I started to realize that being an immigrant in a foreign country is actually like being a child of God.

You are from another place, but you are in this place now.

The Bible reminds us that although we, as children of the Lord, are in this world, we do not belong to this world, because we are His chosen people. (John 15:19, John 18:36)

And I find it's the same for me in our current situation. We are in NZ but we cling to our own culture, our own values ​​and history. When we dream about how we would like to raise our children, it is as Afrikaners, as we were raised. We want to communicate in Afrikaans, we want to celebrate in Afrikaans, we want to live in Afrikaans. Not just the language, but everything that goes with it.

Even though we have lovely Kiwi friends, colleagues and neighbors, we remain South Africans in our hearts. Over here, we will probably always remain foreigners. This is also like the life of a child of God. Although you stay on earth, you cling to the promise of your eternal home in Heaven, you speak the language of your faith.

You live alongside everyone on this earth, but you, with all of the Father's children, are different. Your spirit is from another place. You are proud of your origin and heritage. You are proud of your nation and your family tree. Therefore, you will fight to keep it alive no matter where you are.

And deep in your heart, you desperately want to return to your homeland one day.

Heaven.

(and also the little piece of Heaven-on-Earth, deep in the African bushveld, with your loved ones.)

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John 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."

John 18:36 "My kingdom is not of this world."

1John 2:15 "Do not love the world or the things in the world."

John 17:14 "...and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world."

Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth."

Philippians 3:20-21 "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like this glorious body."