In 2009, a young woman set off for an adventure that would change her life forever. She did not know the radical way that God was going to interrupt her life, but she trusted Him. Many lives have been changed and it all started with a mission trip and a prayer for God to “break my heart for what breaks yours.”
That young woman is Christina Terpstra (Terp). She came to Beautiful Gate Lesotho (BGL) in October of 2009, and then returned in April of 2010 to serve the house mothers. She became close to the house mothers and the children as she lived and served them daily for 4 months. It broke her heart to leave that year, but God had other plans.
Terp led a few teams from Holland Christian High School as well as Haven Christian Reformed Church. It became clear that she still had a purpose with serving at Beautiful Gate. She became our North American Ambassador in 2013. For 6 months each year, Terp prepared teams and volunteers to come to BGL, fundraised all over United States and Canada, had weekly meeting with people interested in coming, donating or leading teams, spoke at churches around North America, and took every opportunity to share the story of Beautiful Gate. Then the other 6 months a year she came to BGL and served.
Her time at BGL was different each year, but much of her time was spent leading teams from work projects to devotions. She also worked in the office and would volunteer for whatever projects needed to be completed. She cared for sick kids, visited children in the hospital, drove our nurse and social worker around when needed, played with the kids, made everyone laugh on a rough days, and shared her love for Christ to everyone she met. There are so many things she did for Beautiful Gate and we have all been blessed by her service to God.
In 2015, it became clear that she was being called to leave Beautiful Gate, and with a heavy heart, she gave her resignation. Her time in Lesotho came to a close on May 25, 2016, but she is still working hard for Beautiful Gate until the end of December 2016. She is taking a furlough for the month of June, but then she will continue to meet with people, speak at churches and train Tyler Robbert who is stepping into the role as the new North American Ambassador.
We are so thankful for all you have done, Terp. You have made a huge difference in our lives. We are praying that God will reveal the next plan He has for your life. We wish you well as you finish the year, and thank you for letting God break your heart for the things that break His heart. You have done well as you served His children. We all miss you so much and we don’t tell you that to make you feel bad for leaving, we tell you that because you are loved by many, and you made a difference!
Anita Geurink
