Background

My name is Petro du Plessis. My maiden name is de Villiers.  I was born in South Africa in Cape Town and grew up in Beaufort West. When I was 7 years old, my one desire was to become a teacher one day and teach children.  I was trained at Denneoord Training College in Stellenbosch. I specialized in teaching “Kindergarden” children Gr. 1-3.

After I married my husband, Dan du Plessis, a pastor, it was my privilege to have a ministry among the children in all our congregations. Our first congregation was in Harare, Zimbabwe, then in Aasvoëlkop, Johannesburg, then in Grimbeekpark, Potchefstroom.  We have 5 children and they were part of my ministry! We have 7 grandchildren.

In 1989 somebody suggested that I take the Child Evangelism Fellowship Course in Switzerland to enrich my ministry among children.  My husband and I attended the 3 month course in 1989 and what a blessing!  I realized that the CEF training course was an excellent course and changed my whole way of teaching.  With CEF’s methods, the Lord taught me:

·         how to teach Bible Truths to children in the right way

·         how to teach Bible lessons in stead of Bible stories

·         how to lead children to the Lord with the Wordless book

·         how to help children to memorize Bible verses

·         how to revise Bible lessons and many more 

For 5 years (1992-1997) we had the privilege to stay in Kilchzimmer, Switzerland,  the headquarters of Child Evangelism Fellowship, where we were houseparents, student super visors and also teachers.

After our return from Switzerland in 1997 – 2012 I was involved in children’s ministry in Somerset West and surroundings. My husband worked among the seniors in Helderberg Dutch Reformed congregation.  With our ministries we reached people from the "cradle to the grave"!

Our eldest daughter took over my CEF responsibilities. I am retired now and want to share what  the Lord has taught me about reaching children with the Gospel of Christ by means of this blog. We need to be like fishers to show the unsaved children the way to a saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (by hook) and by taking care and feeding the saved children like a shepherd with his crook, helping them to grow spiritually. (Mr. Sam Doherty, our one teacher at the CEF Institute in Switzerland said:  “As a children’s worker your task is to reach the children “By hook or by crook”!)

My husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February 2015 and died four months later.  Before he died I asked him: "what am I going to do when you are not here anymore?"  He told me: "Keep on writing and keep on making bags"!  

My prayer is that this blog – “Reach the children by hook "and" by crook” will help people to reach children more effectively and help us to fulfill the command of Christ in  Matt. 28:19: “ go and make disciples of all the nations... and teach them to obey everything...”   

Agtergrond:  My naam is Petro du Plessis. My nooiensvan is de Villiers.  Ek is gebore in Kaapstad, Suid-Afrika en het grootgeword in Beaufort-Wes.  Toe ek 7 jaar oud was, was dit my begeerte om eendag ‘n onderwyseres te wees om vir kinders te onderrig.  Ek het opleiding gekry by Denneoord Opleidingskollege in Stellenbosch.

Nadat ek getroud is met ‘n predikant, Danie du Plessis, was dit my voorreg om vir 21 jaar betrokke te wees by die kinderbedieninge in al ons gemeentes. Ons eerste gemeente was Harare, Zimbabwe, daarna Aasvoëlkop, Johannesburg en toe Grimbeekpark, Potcehfstroom.  Ons het 5 kinders en hul was deel van ons bediening!  Ons het 7 kleinkinders en al 7 is 'n groot vreugde in ons lewens!

In 1989 het Ds. Chris fourie voorgestel dat ek die Child Evangelism Fellowship Kursus in Switserland deurloop om my beter toe te rus vir ‘n kinderbediening. Ek en my man het die 3 maande kursus deurloop en ek het besef dat CEF se  metodes baie doeltreffend was!  Met CEF se metodes, het die Here my geleer:

·         hoe om die Bybelwaarhede aan kinders oor te dra op die regte manier 

·         hoe om van ‘n Bybelstorie ‘n Bybelles te maak

·         hoe om kinders na die Here te lei met die Woordlose boekie

·         hoe om vir kinders te help om Bybelverse te memoriseer
        hoe om Bybellesse te hersien en vele meer

Ons was bevoorreg om vir 5 jaar (1992-1997) in Switserland, in Kilchzimmer, die hoofkwartiere van CEF te bly waar ons huisouers en studenteleiers was van die studente wat jaarliks van verskillende wêrelddele die kursusse kom bywoon het.  Ons het ook later klas gegee.  Na ons terugkeer in 1997 was ek betrokke by kinderbedieninge in Somerset Wes en omgewing. My man was betrokke by die seniorbediening in Helderberg se N.G. Gemeente en ons bediening was:  "From the cradle to the grave".

Ons oudste dogter het nou my CEF verpligtinge oorgeneem.  Ek het nou afgetree en wil graag deel wat die Here my geleer het oor hoe om kinders te bereik met die Evangelieboodskap van Jesus Christus deur middel van hierdie webjoernaal. Ons taak is om vissers van mense (kinders) te wees en vir ongeredde kinders die Weg na die Here Jesus Christus te wys en vir die geredde kinders te versorg en voed soos ‘n herder sy skape voed en oppas en help groei. (Mnr. Sam Doherty was een van ons leermeesters by die CEF instituut in Switserland en hy het gesê: “As kinderwerker is dit jou taak om kinders te bereik “by hook or by crook”.
My man is in Junie 2015 oorlede.  Voor sy dood het ek eendag vir hom gevra: "Wat gaan ek doen as jy nie meer daar is nie?"  Hy het geantwoord: "Hou aan skryf en hou aan sakke maak"!  

Na my man oorlede is, is daar nog 3 kleinkinders gebore: Danie, Lyla en Luca. Ek loof die Heer vir hierdie 10 kleinkinders en bid dat hul elke dag tot eer van ons Hemelse Vader sal lewe. Ek bid ook gereeld vir hul vriende en uiteindelik lewensmaats wie die Here ken en liefhet.

My gebed is dat hierdie “blog” – “reach the children by hook "and" by crook” vir baie sal help om meer effektief kinders te bereik en die groot opdrag van Jesus in Matt. 28:19 uit te voer:  “Gaan dan na al die nasies toe en maak die mense my dissipels... en leer hulle om alles te onderhou...”