Karibu: ELRIKA VAN HEERDEN

04 March 2009

ELRIKA VAN HEERDEN

Elrika van Heerden, is a young lady who was raised in a Christian home. Although rebelious as a teenager, she accepted the Lord in 2002 and dedicated her whole life to Him in 2006. The Lord directed her to study for youth ministry and now, on completion of her studies, she has accepted a call to the Roberson East Dutch Reformed Church. Her greatest passion is to be an instument through which the Lord will receive glory and honour. He has blessed her with a singing and musical talent, which she is using in the ministry.

During November 2008, Elrika was given the opportunity to attend a Educationl Outreach program in the Netherlands. During this outreach, they spent a lot of time working with young people. Elrika’s heartfelt desire was to know what the Lord wanted her to learn from the experience. She discovered that the Lord oftens sends one to places where one is a stranger and not comfortable, but He will always keep His promise to never leave us alone. This gives one the strength to face each day, with all joy and to overcome. The Lord also gave Elrika revelation regarding a number of things she already knew but had not yet understood.

Alta and I know Elrika personally and are indeed blessed to see that this young lady is outright committed to serving the Lord with her whole life.

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ABOUT US

Johan was born in Bellville, Cape Town and spent most of his childhood in Pretoria, where he matriculated in 1968. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour in 1971 and was baptized in the Holy Spirit. It was here also that the Lord placed a calling on his life, which took him to the Apostolic Faith Mission’s Theological College.

Alta had accepted the Lord as Saviour at the tender age of 8 years old. From an early age, began to experience the Lord’s guidance in her life and she developed a love for prayer, especially praying directly from the Bible.

They were married in June 1975 and were blessed with three wonderful children, Jean-Pierre, Tanya and DeWett. Jean-Pierre is married to Genevieve. After a long battle with ill-health, Tanya went to be with the Lord in November 2006. The Lord’s faithfulness throughout her ordeal has increased Johan and Altas’ zeal to serve Him.

MINISTRY

Since completing Theological College, Johan have pastored various churches throughout South Africa. They were also involved in Christian education and Johan was Administrator of Psalmody Christian School from 2001 to 2003.

Johan met Tom Ingles of Psalmody International, in 1984 and began presenting this praise and worship course in various places. Teaching praise and worship as a lifestyle became the foundation on which their ministry was based. As a result, Johan and Alta foundered Praise Vision Africa, an organisation whose vision is to present praise and worship seminars to pastors and church leaders, throughout Africa.

In 1993, Karel Saunders invited Johan to minister on this subject in Zambia, Malawi and the DRC. Thus began their association with AFMIN. In 2006, the Lord clearly directed Johan to resign his associate-pastor position in the church in Cape Town, so as to concentrate fully on the ministry throughout Africa. Today Johan and Alta head the Tanzanian, Kenyan, Ugandan and Namibian projects on behalf of AFMIN.

Besides their work with Afmin, Johan and Alta lead a “household” ministry consisting of a group of spiritual sons whom they are fathering and raising through Biblical teaching and practical ministry, so as to prepare them to later father spiritual sons of their own. They also visit fellowships and other households within South Africa and Namibia, where they minister on subjects such as the Kingdom of God, Father/Son relationships, and the Orphan Spirit.