Back from a month in Holland and England

May 2026

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“Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Dear Friends,

Greetings from a beautiful Nsoko.

Recently I came back from a month in Holland and England, to speak in churches, to share and do presentations. To tell about Africa, some of the history, what is happening today and plans for the future. It has been an amazing and blessed time.

I’ve been travelling by plane, train, metro, bus, car, and hours of walking. I slept in 14 different beds, visited over 25 cities / towns and met the most amazing and wonderful people.

Travelling with Gerda

It seems a long time ago that I travelled to Amsterdam with Gerda Potgieter. Gerda is a writer and editor of Devoted Magazine. Gerda came to Holland as she is writing a book about Jesus Messiah; how it all started, how it developed and the impact it makes in the world. She spent time with Willem and Marian de Vink, who wrote and illustrated Jesus Messiah, the man who changes the world.

I travelled with Gerda to meet with people who are involved in making Jesus Messiah possible, and are part of it in one way or another.

We’ve heard most incredible stories, especially the story how we received the first 50.000 books from Holland for Eswatini. Stories I never heard, but now it makes impact to hundreds of thousands of people here in Southern Africa.

Every day Gerda heard new stories and each one was like a pearl who was shining with faith, hope and love.

‘How is it possible that a small book has such a great impact?’

Gerda says, ‘I want to show how this graphic novel in the furthest part of the world touch and changes. I also want to make clear how it helps mission workers to be more effective in their work, and inspire people to help so we can print more books.’

Sharing in churches

At every church I spoke about Matthew 11: 28-30, because this was the verse that was the motto of those who made such an impact in Africa, especially Dr David Livingstone and Mary Slessor, but many others as well. It was a practice for them and such a reality.

You are able to watch the churches where I spoke this last month:

• Soest: watch on YouTube
• Trumpington: watch on YouTube
• Wareham: watch on YouTube
• Harlingen: watch on Facebook

The impact and plans for Africa

The sermon has probably inspired me most to continue here, and I look very much forward to see what the Lord is going to do the coming years in Africa.

According to Operation world there will be an enormous growth of Christians in Africa: By 2050 it will double from 680 million to over 1.2 billion. The challenges will be to provide new Christians with Bibles and literature and also to provide training for them.

This is one of the reasons that we are going to build a mission house and a training center in Nhlangano, where we can welcome mission groups, missionaries and individuals to stay for a longer time. The training center will provide training for thousands of pastors, leaders and teachers for years to come. (and of course a sexual purity program for the youth, about sex, sexuality, relationships and marriage)

Once again, we are blessed to get support to print over 50.000 books of Jesus Messiah. However, the demand is so great that we have to decide where and how many we are going to print and where we going to distribute the books. Later this year there will be an outreach in the George area where 25.000 students will be reached. In Cape Town we’ll need 250.000 books. Books are needed for Eswatini, Namibia and other countries.

We are looking forward to the day that we have unlimited resources to reach every area of Southern Africa.

A look back to the trip

In Holland and England, I’ve met with most wonderful people. Everywhere I went the hospitality was absolutely brilliant and enormous. I enjoyed the fellowship with churches and friends.

I was especially grateful to meet a friend in Oxford who meant so much for Swazi Vision during our time here in Eswatini.

During the trip there was nothing to complain about. It was just a privilege to do this and to go where I could go and share about the amazing things the Lord is doing and to share about the hope that Africa has, and for all of us to be part of it.

I would like to thank all of you who have been part of this trip; many of you have been praying for this, the moral support has been amazing and encouraging. The financial support has made it possible to do all this and to continue and to print more books and to go where we need to go, and further into Africa. Like Dr David Livingstone said, ‘I’ll go anywhere, as long as it is forwards.’

May the Lord continue to be your joy and strength

Leo & Jill

Prayer requests

• The printing of the books of Jesus Messiah. We just want to print more books than we get at the moment via the secular world. We need a company to print these books without profit, but who is willing to help to extend Gods Kingdom.
• The building of the Mission House and Training Center in Nhlangano. Funding and practical help is needed to make this possible so this can make an impact in Africa for at least the coming 100 years.
• To pray for Gerda who is writing the book about Jesus Messiah. It will be a most inspiring book. We pray for each detail of the book and that it will indeed touch millions of lives around the world.

“Bare heights of loneliness…a wilderness whose burning winds sweep over glowing sands, what are they to HIM? Even there He can refresh us, even there He can renew us.” – Amy Carmichael

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