Laerskool Kameeldrift
LAERSKOOL KAMEELDRIFT from the desert valley to the highest mountain top
Laerskool Kameeldrift is synonym with GOD’s grace! At the beginning of 2007 there were two urgent meetings where we as parents and school governing body had to decide whether we are going to fight for the survival of our beautiful school, set between the majestic Magalies mountains between Pretoria and Hartbeespoortdam. The whole community, the teachers, the parents and the learners of the school spoke out of one mouth that nothing and nobody will close down our school. Immediate actions started to save our school. Unfortunately some parents decided that this fight was not for them.
New SGB-members were chosen and committees were set, everyone with only one passion in their hearts, and that was to save Laerskool Kameeldrift from the enemy. Fundraising projects started, new plans were made to generate money to pay all the accounts that were in arrears. It was only by the Grace of our lovingly FATHER that we could, after only 5 months pay a third quarter of all our debts. (R70 000.00)
There was a burning passion to offer Laerskool Kameeldrift to GOD and to declare our school as Jesus’ school. A man of GOD was sent to our school to talk to the principal at that time, Mr. Bothma, the staff and the SGB-members and to preach the Word of God. I believe that most of the people that were in that room made these words of GOD their own. One thing that I would never forget was that JESUS challenged us that evening to bring unity into our school. Our school is an Afrikaans (white) and English (black) school. At that time there was no unity amongst the learners, amongst the staff, and amongst the SGB-members. There was a definite line between black and white and between the school and the SGB members.
Between right and wrong according to the Word of God. One of the teachers that was present that evening had a vision from the Lord later at home while reading a bible story to her children. The following day she got all the children (black and white) together and accompanied by most of the staff members walked around the school 7 times, just like they did before entering Jericho, singing gospel songs and gave praise to GOD. On that day that proclaimed that Laerskool Kameeldrift was Jesus’ school. A stone was specially made for our school with the words „Hierdie is Jesus se skool“ engraved thereon. The stone was put at the entrance of the administration block to always remind us about the grace and majesty of our Lord Jesus! God gave our school a promise from his word on that day, and until today we cling to that promise in Isaiah 49:17-23! At that time we only had 82 children in our school, which are mostly poor and under privileged children (black and white).
The same man of GOD was sent to our school again. There was a prayer meeting in our
staff room while the rest of our community (very bruised, poor in spirit and in finances, families that were divided by alcohol, divorce, harassment, assault and molestation) held a huge, unfriendly meeting in our school’s hall with political leaders and the city of
Tshwane’s members. This was the first meeting of our community in our school’s hall in years. There was always a division between the community and our school because of
wrong doings in the past from the school’s side and unnecessary fights between the community and the school. While praying desperately to GOD to help our school in helping our community, GOD gave a vision to one of us. He showed us how a drop of JESUS’ blood fell on our school (which is centered to the whole community). And this one drop of Jesus’ blood made a circle effect that grew wider and wider and in the end covered the whole
community. We asked the LORD what this vision meant and HE was faithful in replying
that the school’s purpose was to go down, so that GOD will rise it up,
heal the school so that there will be a testimony that must be spread with our mouths to the rest of the community, and the community will see with their own eyes that GOD is really in control. God also said that as HE healed the school, the blood of JESUS will flow over to the rest of the community, healing all their wounds and brings them back to each other and to GOD! This was a night that I will never forget in my whole life! GOD’s presence was so near I could almost feel HIM next to me – how awesome!!!
We started a prayer group who got together every month to pray for GOD’s help and seek forgiveness at HIS feet. We kept a journal of every prayer gathering and when we look back into that journal, it’s amazing to see how GOD provided with each prayer.
The disposition of the staff members, learners and parents changed dramatically. Projects that were started at the school began to show success and profit, our finances began to turn and the spirituality of Laerskool Kameeldrift grew stronger as we started to walk the road to recovery.
As part of new beginnings a decision was made to privatize the crèche on the school grounds. Kammieland Kleuterskool and Naskoolsentrum’s story of mercy started at the beginning of January 2008.
We started to pray for transport for our children. A bus was needed urgently for the transport of children that were far from our school. (Our school is situated in a rural area, and the nearest schools to both sides of us are about 15 minutes drive by motor vehicle. We knew
that a bus will bring more children to the school. One day, I stopped next to a huge school
bus of another school at a robot. I began talking to GOD about a bus for our school. I said that I could not understand why so many schools have everything their hearts desired, and
our school has so little. The Lord answered me with Mathews 6:33 „ .... Seek first the
kingdom of GOD“. I sat at the Lord’s feet with this verse as I could not understand how our school must seek the kingdom of GOD first. God gave me His answer ... Look in my Word“. Then I knew I must start with GOD’s Word. The next day we took a senses of the, at that time 102 learners in our school, in finding out if they had bibles. It came as a shock to me that only 10 learners out of the whole school have got a bible of their own. 92 learners were without a bible! We immediately began to make plans on how we are going to get bibles for the
learners, as our school’s finances were not in the position to buy the bibles. GOD’s grace
was more than enough again! He provided our school with 100 bibles in different languages, just as we needed them! WOW – OUR GOD IS REALLY AWESOME, and HE KNOWS OUR NEEDS ... The LORD used children to spread HIS Word in all of their homes – we serve a
really phenomenal GOD!
Mr. Coen Bothma, Laerskool Kameeldrift’s principal resigned during April 2008, and the Lord sent a woman, a positive, warm hearted, child of GOD to our school to lead us as principal! Marina van Niekerk was sent by God from a small farm school in Gluckstad, Natal. As she stepped into our school’s ground the LORD set HIS grace, mercy and blessings with her. The Lord created her as a work-person, a persons-person and a caring person. She has only one dream and desire, and that was to bring the community back together through our school, and to reach out through our school to our broken community to show the love and care of JESUS. She was permanently assigned by the Department during June 2008. Her assignment was on
itself a huge miracle. After a whole year of not being in the education anymore and
coming from another province, it was only the LORD’s hand that was upon her to be assigned at our school. She was one of 49 candidates for the principal’s post. The LORD had done a miracle before our eyes in letting her come out as the number 1 candidate!
New teachers were assigned – from only 5 teachers to 14 – English and Afrikaans! Finances came in from all over. „Strangers“ from all over, not even from our community, but as far as Johannesburg, came to our school saying that they must help our school and asked how they could help. Donations were made to our school without even asking. The right things happened at the right time – because it was GOD’s timing! WHAT AN AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!
Our Department of Education’s hearts and disposition changed dramatically toward our school. At one stage our school was classified and labeled as a „non-performing school“ and was at one stage on their „wall of shame“. Up to date the sluices of the heaven has been opened by GOD upon our school by the Department! At this stage our school has THREE buses that provides transport FREE of charge to all our school’s learners. Hand books, tables, chairs, stationary, etc, etc, were given to our school by the Department. They said that they have registered our school’s name as a „new school“ in their books! All of this ONLY by the grace of our Lord Jesus!
Our school’s learner amounts grew rapidly form 82 during April 2008 until 240 in January 2009. The disposition of the community changed dramatically from negative to positive. People started to speak life into our school and remembered the promises and script that GOD gave to our school at the beginning of 2008: Isaiah 49:17-23, Hos 5:15, Hos 6:1-3, Matt 6:33,
Num 23:18-26, Isaiah 54:13-17, Ex 14:13-14, Isaiah 65:15c and Ezek 36:22-38.
Until today we still remember the vision of the drop of blood of JESUS that fell on the school. We still believe that GOD has a bigger purpose with our school. We believe that GOD had to let the school go down so that the whole community could be healed. The Lord daily uses our school to serve the community, to have empathy, to give food to the poor and clothes to the people that have got nothing to wear. Sometimes it is only a hug or a friendly smile that some of the children at the school needs. Sometimes it is the only love and care that these children know. We do our tasks in humbleness before GOD because we know that we are only instruments in HIS hand!
Laerskool Kameeldrift had its centenary during the weekend of 7 – 9 August 2009! What an amazing three days it was. We worked hard during the two months prior to the centenary fest – from getting the gardens in shape to painting and renovating each and every class room at the school, without having spare money. Testimony upon testimony we have during that time of the school. The Lord literally sent people to offer their help – many people from our own community! 100 long, white Ice Berg roses were donated to our school – a sign of God’s
grace and mercy upon our school, peace that is beyond our highest thoughts. We received the peace of our community during our festival time.
Laerskool Kameeldrift’s image truly stood out during that weekend as a school that serves the Lord Jesus!
Laerskool Kameeldrift is going from strength to strength – from where we as normal people’s strength can no longer go to the GREAT strength of our GOD, that knows no boundaries. A strength that we will always love, serve and sing praises to and favour that we will never ever
forget. We will testify about GOD’s goodness and love as long as we shall live! He NEVER EVER lets us fall out of HIS hands!
On Thursday, 20 August 2009 a small group of us came together with a stone for each of us. On the stones were written in celebration of gratefulness, things that we want to give honour and praise to our GOD. All the stones were put together on a pile and annointed it with oil where after we had communion. We will always remember what GOD had done for our school and in every one of our life’s. He took Laeskool Kameeldrift from the valley and the desert to the highest mountain tops for HIS glory and honour!
We had started to walk the path to the mountain top, every day we get enough strength to climb steep hills, stand up when we slip and fall down, caring and understanding, when we
cry and think that we can no longer walk this road. God is there every step that we take to guide us on the right route and to stay humble by giving HIM all the honour and glory ..... for ever and ever!!
AMEN
(Written by Marlet Botha – humble instrument in the caring hands our my Father GOD)