UPFSA

Ransomed Roots
(Apr 2006)

Restoring God's Heritage
(Oct 2006)

"Ransomed Roots Prayer Trip"
Dates were 18-24 April 2006

A Prayer Trip to the Cape held for the French and South African believers that attended the first International Gathering for France in April 2006

Purpose of this trip was:
To Expose the French to the history of the Huguenots in South Africa and give them an opportunity to strategically pray for the descendants of the French in South Africa. Secondly the purpose was to encourage South Africans to take up their responsibility to pray for France and to rise up with a commitment to help bring France back to God.

Itinerary - This trip included visits to:

The Pilansburg National Park for some wildlife viewing.
Flying down to and visiting Cape Town.
Visiting Franschoek, an area with a predominantly French history as well as the location of the Huguenots museum.
Visiting Huguenots descendants on their farms and praying with them on their properties.
Praying at other sites connected to the French Huguenots.
Visiting local congregations and meeting with South African believers to stir Huguenots descendants to start praying for France.

The Objectives for the “Ransomed Roots” Prayer Tour were:

To Reconnect the roots and the cuttings

As many of the South African believers stem from the Huguenot roots in France, we believe that God wants to prophetically rejoin the offshoots back to the original root of God’s work in France.

Rom 11:16-18

Is 11:1-2

Is 37:31

To Reconnect Generations

More than 300 years have passed since the Huguenots left their home country for foreign lands. We believe that the different generations descending from the French believers need to be rejoined in order to experience Gods wholeness again.

Mal 4:5-6

Is 65:23-24

To Reconnect Bloodlines

Physical ancestry connects us as South Africans to the French. It is time that these connection be recognized and be empowered to further the work that God started in family lines.

1 John 5:8

To Reconnect Nations

We believe that South Africa and France needs to be reconnected to one another through the Huguenot connections in order to empower both nations to fulfill their end time calling.

Ezek 37:19

To Reconnect Spiritual Purposes

God started a work centuries ago in order to fulfill His kingdom purposes on earth. Many of these purposes were lost for a season, but we believe that God is raising up a remnant descending from the original believers in order to connect individuals and nations back into those godly purposes so that it can come to fulfillment and manifestation.

Lev 26:45

To Reconnect Inheritances

Both the French and the South African believers has lost parts of their inheritance due to the violent events in the past and the scattering of God people. Neither will be able to attain their God ordained in heritance if they are not reconciled and reconnected to one another.

Ex 6:8

To Reconnect Past and future plans of God

The work that God has started in France more than 300 years ago has to be carried into the future plans of God. God work today and tomorrow never stands isolated from the works He did in the past. We want to restore the streams of God Spirit work that happened in the past to flow powerfully into the future.

Hab 1:5

Ps 102:13

TOUR FEEDBACK SUMMARY:

For a feedback document written by Marylise Kelemen,
one of the french visitors (in french) click here....

Day 1 – Monday, 17 April 2006

As we finished the Gathering the tour group drove to Muldersdrift to visit an Afrikaner family that stays on one of the first farms that were proclaimed in the Transvaal in the early 1800’s. The present owner has brought vines from Huguenots farms in the Cape to his farm as a prophetic act. He is also part of a group of Christians in the area that built a 24hour prayer watch for the community.

After being informed about the history of the Afrikaner and the area the tour group members prayed for the family and the region.

The team spent the evening together in Pretoria at Rina Smit’s home where we enjoyed a lovely biltong stew.

Day 2 – Tuesday, 18 April 2006

The day was set aside for the French to visit to the Pilansberg Nature Reserve by bus and see some African wildlife. Though we did not have many hours to spend here, the French were able to see some giraffes, elephants, many different kinds of antelope, zebras and several other animals. Unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to see lions.

After our visit we had to travel to the Johannesburg International Airport where we took a flight to Cape Town. We arrived in Cape Town at bout 20h00 and traveled from the airport by car to the “Van Riebeeck Hotel” in Gordonsbay where we spent out first evening in the Cape.

Day 3 – Wednesday, 19 April 2006

In the morning we drove, through the beautiful mountains of the Cape, to the town of Franschhoek – where many of the Huguenots settled themselves after arriving in the Cape in the late 1600’s.

First we visited the Huguenots monument and museum after which we went up the mountain to pray over the town and Franschhoek valley. This special time of intercession was followed up by lunch with local believers and settling at the overnight camp site called Eagles Nest.

The evening we were received by local believers from the Dutch Reformed Church of Franschhoek and the Shofar Christian Church; where they served us a true South African supper with heartfelt hospitality. Finishing off the day with a service at the Shofar Christian Church where the group shared their vision and purpose of the prayer tour with local believers and challenged them to take up responsibility for their French bloodlines and godly heritage.

Day 4 – Thursday, 20 April 2006

On the Thurdday we went to the town of Paarl and spent the morning on Paarl mountain with representatives of the Church in Paarl to pray for the region and its people. After we had a sumptuous lunch at Fairview wine Farm we met some other believers from Paarl at the old “Strooidak” Church – a Dutch Reformed Church that grew out of the French congregation that was situated here in the 1700’s. Here we spent time in prayer for the local church and body of Christ, that God would bring new life and revival also to these French Huguenots descendants.

The time at the Church was followed by a visit to the farm of one of the local believers where the group prayed earnestly that God would meet the needs of the family and that His purposes and life would become their full inheritance.

In the evening the group visited a colored congregation in the Paarl, spending a memorable time in praise, worship and prayer after which we enjoying a time of fellowship over a plate of food.

Day 5 – Friday, 21 April 2006

The Friday was a cold cloudy day that started of with the group praying at the local Dutch Reformed Church in the area in Paarl where we stayed with believers in their homes. We then traveled to another farm owned by people with the Huguenots surname of Theron. Here intense intercession was done for the salvation of family members and for God’s grace to become visible in every area of their lives.

By this time it started raining – the first seasonal rainfall for the Western Cape. The group traveled to Hillcrest Berry Farm where they had a wonderful lunch, after which they did some shopping and then visited the Pepler family in Franschhoek who invited them for tea and eats a few days earlier.

In the evening the group was entertained with a slide show on South Africa for the benefit of our French guests after which the team retired to “Hollandse Molen”, their self catering accommodation for the next 3 night.

Day 6 – Saturday, 22 April 2006

The Saturday was still rainy and the prayer group set off to go and pray on the Retief family farm (also a Huguenots surname). Here we were met by individuals that represented several other Huguenots family names such as le Roux, Labuschagne and Celliers. The time in prayer and prophetic ministry in this old family farmhouse, surrounded by 300 year old oak trees, was very special. We held communion with wine that was produced on the farm and God really blessed us with an opportunity to see the French and South African believers share intimately from their hearts.

Leaving the farm the team traveled to Beulah Retreat Centre, a Christian facility, up in the mountains close to Wellington, often used for retreats and different prayer activities. The team ate lunch here after which time was spent in prayer with Jacques Truter (the owner), his wife and other believers to pray for the vision and work that God has called them to.

The team spent the evening together with some local believers in fellowship, enjoying a typical Cape fish ‘braai’ (barbeque). The rest of the evening was enjoyed in Gods presence with praise and worship as we set our hearts on the Lord acknowledging His goodness and faithfulness.

Day 7 – Sunday, 23 April 2006

According to the planning done before the tour this day was supposed to be set aside for a prophetic boat trip into Table Bay to pray concerning the arrival of the Huguenots in the Cape more than 300 years ago. Due to bad weather this trip had to be cancelled and the opportunity was utilized to take the French onto Table Mountain, even though the weather did not allow for much viewing from the top of the mountain.

The French were taken to the Victoria and Alfred Water Front in order to have lunch after which the team had an appointment with representatives of the Global Prayer Watch in Cape Town. The meeting was set up with the purpose of spending an hour in prayer and worship with the prayer watch team.

Here the group also met a intercessory group from Europe that has been praying in the Cape concerning reconciliation issues between Europe and Africa. After spending the afternoon in the prayer watch the prayer group went to the evening service of Lighthouse Christian Church where the French were exposed to the South African Church setting. After the service the team returned to the Global prayer watch where they spend time with the interns having soup and bread for supper.

Day 8 – Monday, 24 April 2006

This, the last day of the prayer trip was set aside for the French to go and pray at the Huguenots monument in Franschhoek as the visit of the 19th did not allow enough time to pray at this site. Here we experienced a strong time in prayer, praying that God would send South Africans to help bring France to God and that God would cleanse the South African Huguenots descendants and restore them to the fullness of their calling and godly heritage. The rest of the day was set aside for the French to do their last shopping at the waterfront in Cape Town after which we traveled to Cape Town international Airport in order to take a flight back to Johannesburg.