28-30 July Alice Springs Event Flyer Illustrated Letter
To our Indigenous brothers and sisters who took part in the 40 stories and all of you who have a story to tell.
We, Iris Bouwman and Janny Holster, would like to add our story:
On the 1st of Nisan the Jewish year 5776 (the evening of 8 April 2016) we arrived in Australia with a special mission to “seal the land for His Kingdom”. Why on the 1st of Nisan, just after the 40 stories came out? What does it mean to “seal the land” and whose Kingdom is this about? Why were we called to do this? Who are we? We are two women from the Netherlands, called at a young age to take the gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth. The Kingdom in this context is very important, because after the death and resurrection of Yeshua (the Hebrew name of Jesus) the disciples expected Yeshua to restore the Kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:3-6). Only after they were baptized with the Holy Spirit, they began to understand that it wasn’t the time yet for the Kingdom to be restored (Acts 3:18-21). The gospel of the Kingdom needed to be preached in the whole world first and then the end would come (Mat.24:14). To this He added and said to Iris: “You will see the end come and you will see that Israel will play an important role in the end times.”
After many years of service in West Papua and many visits to Israel, we now see that the time is near when He will restore the Kingdom to Israel, but before that can happen Israel herself needs to be restored. This is a mystery that is being fulfilled today. Just as Yeshua said to the disciples: It is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom (Mat.13:11), it is given to us today. They won’t be parables to us anymore, the time has come to eat from the hidden manna, that has been kept for the future generations (Rev.2:17 & Ex.16:32).
Why were we called to “seal Australia for His Kingdom”? This has everything to do with the time we came to Australia. We arrived on the Biblical date, the 1st of Nisan, which on God’s calendar is the first day of the first month. It is the month of Passover, when the firstborn of Israel were “passed-over”, when judgement came over the ones that held them in captivity and slavery in Egypt. Many of us have experienced this spiritually, but also physically, especially First Nations people. Being called First Nations of Australia means that you were here first, and the people that came later, did not come to a Terra Nullius. Maybe this has not been acknowledged by the World, but recognized by God, because the very first commandment was to multiply and fill the earth. In that sense, you are firstborn among the nations. That was the reason why we were told to apply the symbol of the blood of Yeshua on the “doorposts” of Australia, to save the firstborn of this land for their role, your role, in His Kingdom.
We did this by traveling around the circumference of Australia and took “bread and wine” to have “communion” with Him and with the people and the land. One of the most profound meetings during this journey related to the past. We visited the historical Aboriginal settlement Coranderrk, north of Melbourne. We learned that after 58.000 people of the Wurundjeri people were killed, a small remnant of the people, under the leadership of Simon Wonga and William Barak, with the help of John Green, a missionary from Scotland, established Coranderrk Mission. For many years, the mission ran successfully as an Aboriginal enterprise, selling wheat, hop and crafts on the Melbourne market. But in 1874, the Aboriginal Protection Board was looking for ways to undermine Coranderrk by moving people away, due to their successful farming practices. Neighbouring farmers also wanted the mission closed as the land was now deemed “too valuable” for Aboriginal people to occupy. Most people were evicted and moved to a more isolated mission. After his death, Barak, who had become a godly and anointed leader, was buried at the original site of their settlement. This largely unknown grave can still be visited today. As we stood at his grave and remembered the great number of people that had died as victims of colonialism, we let the blood of Yeshua speak louder than the blood of Abel and all other innocent blood that was shed in this land. In that profound moment, we realized that William Barak would also be raised from the dead to reign with Yeshua during the restoration of all things, when His Kingdom will be established on earth. Ultimately Barak will see justice restored to his people, and so will many other people, including the Papuans, who are so dear to our heart. It made us aware how the past is connected to our future in God’s plan. What we learn from the past, we can apply in the present and will determine our place in His Kingdom.
The 40 stories, that came out just before we came to Australia, helped us connect to the people of the land at this present time. It was our desire to celebrate Passover in an Aboriginal community. For Richard Evans and his people, it was the first time they celebrated the Seder meal, which not only reminds us of the exodus of the Israelites in the past, but also points out to us what the Lamb of God means for us in the present. During the meal, several cups of the fruit of the vine are drunk. There are two cups at the end of the meal that point to the future. Yeshua longs to drink the last cup with us in His Kingdom, but there is one cup that is put aside for Elijah. He is an example of the one who prepares the way for the coming of the Messiah. It was very moving when we asked Richard, if he was willing to drink the cup of Elijah, he confessed that he knew the Lord was asking him to drink that cup, to prepare the way for his people. At the beginning of our journey we realized that Aboriginal people are called to prepare the way for His coming, which will ultimately bring righteousness to your people. However, you need to realize that true righteousness can only come when the nations have been judged, because of the blood that has been shed (Is.26:9 & 21).
That is why we also stood in the gap for you in Rome. We went all the way back to the roots of Colonization, first in Australia itself. We started our journey in Western Australia, which was originally named “New Holland” by the first explorers. Besides Dutch explorers, French and English explorers also came to this land and put the south lands on the map. Captain Cook has left the most comprehensive information about this part of the world, after he found the way around the continent via the Torres Strait Islands. One of those islands he called Saturday Island, because on that day, he took possession of the land for the King of Great Britain and proclaimed it Terra Nullius, uninhabited land. No account was taken of the original inhabitants when thereafter the first fleet of “ambassadors” of the British Empire and a large number of “convicts” arrived in Botany Bay where Sydney was founded. We took time to visit and pray at the places, where the first contacts took place. We marked those first encounters and confrontations with the people with “bread and wine”. Many of these now called historical places, have been marked with memorials in the form of statues and obelisks. We marked them by symbolically burying the bread, not only in memory of the death of Yeshua, but also of the blood of many innocent people that was shed in this land.
As was shared by Pastor Michelle Tamwoy from Bamaga: The blood of our families cries out from the land; seeking justice, reconciliation to the Father restored through the Son. Because we know that the blood of Yeshua speaks louder than the blood of Abel, we symbolically poured wine over the bread and closed those “graves”, knowing that at the Day of the Resurrection the righteous in this land will also be raised from the dead to reign with Him. These “blood markers” became as it were a blood trail around the land.
In Rome, we went to the Office of Inquisition, that still exists today. It was founded in 1542 to protect the doctrines of the Faith, but led to tremendous bloodshed. It is mostly remembered because of the inquisition of the Jews, but indigenous people all over the world suffered because of it. Already from 1452 till 1493, just after the discovery of America, several Papal Bulls became the basis and justification for the Doctrine of Discovery. It gave the Christian explorers the right to claim the lands they “discovered” and lay claim to those lands for their Christian Monarchs. Any land that was not inhabited by Christians was available to be “discovered”, claimed and exploited. If the “pagan” inhabitants could be converted, they might be spared. If not, they could be enslaved or killed.
Agreeing with another word received by Pastor Michelle: We need to see the Indigenous peoples of every nation break through the generational curses that have ensnared their families blood lines since the days of old.
That is why we put a “blood trail” on the threshold of the office of the Inquisition and stood in the gap for all the people that have come under the curse of the Doctrine of Discovery, that is keeping many of you in bondage. As we know from the reports we receive from Rev. Lyndsay McDowell and his team about the desire for a National Act of Recognition, not only the effects of the confrontation between two “civilizations”, need to be addressed, but we also need to deal with the root and not just the “fruit” of the condition of the people in the land. Not only a physical confrontation took place, but also a spiritual battle began when the First Fleet arrived. This became clear when a team of intercessors from PNG was visiting. Their prayers were continually disturbed by an evil spirit. One of them addressed the spirit and asked, who are you and where did you come from? The answer was: “I came to this country on the First Fleet”.
After Rome, we went to England to visit the places from where James Cook left. We also visited the places where the convicts were kept, while waiting for deportation to the penal colony. Even those convicts suffered a lot of injustice from the elite in power at the time. We were very moved, when we stood at the harbour from where the First Fleet left. There was no mention of that historic moment, which had such an effect on so many people in your land.
Confirming another word from Pastor Michelle: The Torah of old will be declared across the land and families will be delivered and set free as they surrender to the teachings of the Ancient of Days. We believe that returning to the Torah will help us to understand our place in the plan of God. Sometimes we only see the Torah as instructions or laws we need to live by. But that is only the latter part of the Torah, which is meant for our protection and shows us how we can obtain forgiveness, when we have sinned. But the Torah begins with a family and their offspring. Even after they sinned and rebelled against God, He saved a remnant which He has sown among the nations. God has made sure that the seed of Abraham has been scattered among the nations, so that through the preaching of the gospel that seed will come to life and bear fruit. By being born again, we too have become part of His family. Now, the time has come for the families of the earth to reconnect with the rest of the family. As a people, who were not loved (Lo-Ruchamma) you are now beginning to understand you are loved (Ruchamma). Instead of being denied as a people, God is saying: You are My people (Ammi). (cf. Hosea 1:10-11 & Rom.9:25-26)
A last word from Pastor Michelle is confirming our story and why we have been sent to you: He has created a chosen few, to usher in a new call across the waters, a new sound upon the mountains and a mighty trumpet resounding across the nations, demanding us to acknowledge the Almighty Power of a living God.
Yes, there is a new call, a new sound.
We know that there is not much time left. When we were sent on our journey around Australia the Father already told us, we are in the sixth day of His calendar. It is almost dark; the seventh day is dawning. We need to prepare for Shabbat, we need to be ready with bread and wine, because Yeshua is longing to drink that cup with us in His Kingdom. But on a sixth day we also collect a double portion of manna. Eating from that (hidden) manna, which has been kept for the future generations, gives us understanding about His times and seasons.
A vision to have a National Shabbat with our Aboriginal brothers and sisters in Australia was birthed last year in Samaria – the Biblical Heartland of Israel. We have been asked to lead this Shabbat in Alice Springs from Friday 28 till Sunday 30 July 2017, focusing in on the 6th, 7th and 8th day of God’s calendar. Will you come to listen to the sound of the shofar?
Yours sincerely in the love of the God of Israel, who desires to gather His people as one, Janny Holster & Iris Bouwman
Please share this message and enclosed invitation with your congregation and your family, we would love to meet as many of you as possible. We will be praying God will make a way for you to come. For registration and further information about accommodation and the place to meet contact: David and Deborah Morris (Harding), werprecioustohim@hotmail.com or Tel. 044 77 444 75
