Read Part 1 of my travel blog HERE. * Kazan Mall & Photoshoot It’s the beginning of our second week in Kazan, and we go to another mall. We eat at the most amazing restaurant again, which is called Milovita Organic Kitchen. We each order a pasta on the menu (spaghetti bollonnaise, lasagne, etc.). We …
From 2021 to 2022, my sister Zoë and her husband Ryno worked as teachers in Vietnam. Last year, they wanted a change of country – and colder weather – so they moved to Kazan, Tatarstan, in Russia. My mother visited them last year, and she returned with wonderful stories of how she experienced the country. …
Last week, I read a beautiful, powerful, and haunting work of fiction written by Hannah Kent. ‘Burial Rites’ tells the story of Agnes, a servant in northern Iceland who was condemned to death after the murder of two men. Agnes was also the last woman executed in Iceland in 1829. This book made me realize, …
A few weeks ago, I attended a gathering of believers. For the first time in my life, I was acutely aware of just how out of place I really was. It was highly uncomfortable, and I knew I didn’t belong at all. It wasn’t the race, culture, or even the language that was different. All …
We kicked off the weekend with an alumni meeting, then an Encounter Evening at Global Leadership Academy. The next morning we did Treasure Hunt on the streets of Jeffrey’s Bay. On Sunday afternoon, we had a gathering at Grant’s place. It was a weekend filled with Spirit-led moments, radical encounters, prophesying, worship, etc. Herewith, a …
Last year, I posted two blogs in total. The first blog was focused on the books and writers that have shaped me as a person. The second blog was based on the music and magazines that have influenced me up until today. Today, I am concluding my ‘Things I Have Loved’ series. This blog will …
In my early twenties, I saved up money so I could tick off two things on my bucket list: Israel and Masada. I booked my tickets with the Lééf magazine tour group, and in early 2012 I set foot on Israel soil. Initially, I was disappointed by the whole experience. So I never wrote about …
I got my first chore chart when I was six years old. On this chart was a list of things that I need to accomplish every day, some of them once a week. Because I had just started learning to read, my mom drew pictures next to every chore so that my sister and I …
It is inevitable, but undeniable. We are constantly being shaped by the things around us. Music. Books. Television. Films. Magazines. It influences us and the way we view the world. It moves us, makes us come alive, changes us. We’re not always aware of it. * Lately I’ve been pondering about the things that has …
I’ve been driving cars for ten years now. I got my learner’s license after passing the test the second time around, and my car license shortly after. My parents really spoiled me; they almost instantly bought me my first car to celebrate getting my license. It was pure bliss having the freedom to go wherever …