Being a mother has always been a desire of my heart from a young age. When people would ask me how many kids I’d want one day, I would say “six.” Since actually becoming a mother, this number has decreased significantly but my desire for a big family continued to increase and God, in His kindness, has granted more than I ever could have dreamed. A very big family at LIV Durban!
Today, my husband and I lead LIV Durban – a village situated in rural Durban, where orphan and vulnerable children find a home and somewhere to belong. Currently we have 35 phenomenal mums who care for and love almost 160 children. Each household on the village fosters 1 to 6 children and foster mums have the option to bring their biological kids to live with them.
LIV was founded by Tich and Joan Smith. The Lord gave them a vision of “a village on a hill, where children would have a mum who loves them, a school to educate them, and where they would come to know God as their Father in Heaven. Furthermore, the village would create jobs for the local community so that they can sustain their families. The government will come and see why it works, and we will point them to the cross…”
Today this vision is a reality. Here is a video about LIV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5nQ_vR5vkg
Over the last 13 years since we have opened our doors to the first mums and children, we have released over 50 children who are now at university, or doing gap years or internships, in work spaces; and LIV is and will always be their home.
So, as I desired ever since I can remember, I have a BIG family. I love each mum and child deeply, and they bring such joy to my heart and count it as the biggest honour and privilege to be part of this community. Now you may wonder – how did I end up at LIV? It is a question I get a lot and I also stand in awe and wonder of how the Lord directed my steps over the last few years.
I grew up in the Boland and matriculated at Hoërskool Swartland in Malmesbury. BAIE AFRIKAANS! My dream was to work for Sarie Magazine – this shows exactly how Afrikaans I am. I visited Sarie in my matric year and they recommended I study Public Relations, as I wasn’t interested in journalism. I went away hoping to one day join their team and opted to study at CPUT. I was the life of the party and enjoyed Cape Town and all it had to offer a student thoroughly! Three months into my first year, my brother got saved at Shofar Christian Church in Stellenbosh, and convinced me to attend their Foundations course. On the 5th of March 2005, I radically encountered the Love of my Heavenly Father and gave everything to Him. For me, coming to Christ was a very significant moment. I felt deeply changed and had an instant desire to earnestly follow Jesus. I found an amazing church in Cape Town called Life Church where I got discipled and was introduced to outreaches and mission trips.
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” 1 John 4. As I grew in the Word, it taught we how I should live my life.
One Sunday, I had a bag of leftover Bar Ones and I knew this lady, Carryn, who did outreaches to Khayalitsha. I walked up to her and said “Here are some chocolates for the children you work with”. Looking back now, what was I thinking… chocolates?!?! Anyways, she looked at me and said “Why don’t you come with me and you can give it to them yourself”. A few days later, Carryn and I were on our way to the heart of Khayelitsha…in my tiny Corsa Light and, lo and behold, my leftover bag of Bar Ones. A flame was ignited in my heart. I will forever be grateful to Carryn for taking me along that day because it was the start of discovering my calling. Never underestimate your influence on the next generation!
I started joining her often and she also introduced me to an amazing orphanage for children with Cerebral Palsy. The first day I visited this orphanage, as we stood in a circle and prayed, I burst out crying. Like, really crying… It was a moment of utter overwhelm by the love of our Father and especially the love He has for these children. That is when I knew in my heart that my life would be dedicated to express the love of Jesus to children who is precious to Him.
Mission trips to Mozambique followed, and outreaches to Khayalitsha became a regular occurrence, all whilst growing in Christ and serving in church.
At the end of my studies, I met the fashion photographer of Marie Claire Magazine. She was world famous and offered me a job, which was out of the blue. She said she has never done anything like it before but saw potential in me. I was blown away! We arranged to meet again the following Monday, but over the weekend I volunteered at my church and my pastor pulled me aside and said there was a major need for the church to start our own NGO. He needed someone to be a bridge between the church and the community and offered me the job. There I was, standing at a crossroad, having to choose between my- dream job before I met Jesus, and my dream job after I met Jesus…
I went to that meeting on the Monday and everything sounded amazing. You can just imagine the look on her face when I asked for time to consider my options, because my church offered me a job too. As I got into the car, I felt the Lord say to me: “The choice is yours, but if you choose to work for the church, I will take you on the greatest adventure you can ever imagine…”
True to His promise, what an adventure it has been! During that time someone prophesied over me that I will get “my degree” at Life Church. After 4 years of working for the church, the time it takes to obtain a degree, on the 4th of November 2011 the Lord woke me up at 2am in the morning and told me that it was time to move on. I just knew my time at Life Church was done and I had to be obedient to the voice of my Father. It was an incredibly hard moment because this church has been my home, and I deeply loved everyone there. A few days later I handed in my notice while sobbing, but both myself and my pastor knew that I have heard from the Lord. Many amazing women interceded with and for me, trusting for the Lord to show me where I need to go.
One day during my last month at the church, my colleague shared with me that she had a dream that I will work for Tich Smith (the founder of LIV Village). In 2009, Tich came to visit our church and shared the vision of this village the Lord has showed him to build. I thought he was crazy, but over the years we either visited them in Durban or they visited us in Cape Town, and so we build a strong relationship sharing a passion for vulnerable children and uplifting impoverished communities. So, when Tich found out that I resigned, he called me up. It was obviously a clear “yes” from the Lord!
A few weeks later I have packed up my life in Cape Town and moved to Durban. I knew no one but had peace in my decision because I was being obedient to the Lord. Today I am so grateful I said “yes” to the unknown, because I am walking in my calling. It is not always moonshine and roses, but the Lord sees me through because He has told me to go.
Follow my journey as a girl from Malmesbury with a heart for the Lord living in a Zulu Village with my family. My blogs will be filled with testimonies, what we do on a daily basis, how I am raising my children on this village, but most importantly I trust my blogs will give you glimpse of the amazing King and Father we serve. Our steps of faith shape and form us into the women (wives, mothers, friends, sisters) God is raising up to change the world. We are in this together!
