September 2026

Holes in the Floor of Heaven

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”

(Colossians 3:2, CSB)

Jannie and I love lying outside on the farm in the evenings, watching the stars. In these moments, we can lie for hours and talk. Every time we look up at the stars, I think of a story Billy Graham once told. He tells of a little girl walking outside with her father one evening. When she looked up at the stars, she said, “Daddy, if the underside of heaven is so beautiful, it must be very beautiful in heaven.”

I always think back to my own picture of heaven from when I was little. I imagined that the blackness was the floor of heaven and that the little stars were holes in the floor through which the light of heaven shone. I would then try intensely to see whether I could catch a glimpse of an angel or Jesus through one of the holes.

Randy Alcorn writes in his book Heaven: “We’re told how to get to heaven and that it is a better destination than hell, but we’re taught remarkably little about Heaven itself.”

He goes on to write: “… in order to get a picture of heaven—which will one day be centered on the New Earth—you don’t need to look up at the clouds; you simply need to look around you and imagine what all this would be like without sin, death, suffering, and corruption.”

Can you imagine how beautiful the earth must have been before the Fall?

I invite you to look forward with me and dream about the place to which we are headed. May the stars always remind us of the eternity that awaits us.

Retha de Villiers

From the Director’s Desk

When Seasons Change

Change is part of life. Sometimes we welcome it. Sometimes we resist it, and other times, if we are honest, we feel a little of both.

As I step into a new season as Director of Revive Our Hearts South Africa, I find myself carrying a mixture of emotions: gratitude, excitement, humility and, yes, a little uncertainty too.

There is something deeply meaningful about stepping into a role shaped by someone you know and love. For many years, Retha and the pioneering women faithfully carried the vision of Revive Our Hearts South Africa. They gathered women, built relationships, opened doors, prayed through challenges, and trusted God in every season. 

I do not take that lightly.

There are moments when I feel the weight of following in the footsteps of someone who has poured so much of herself into the ministry. There are also moments when I wonder whether I will be enough.  Perhaps many of us feel that way when life asks us to step into something new. The Bible is full of people who faced similar moments.

Joshua had walked alongside Moses and witnessed his leadership, but when the time came, Joshua had to lead in his own way. God did not ask him to become another Moses. He simply called him to be faithful in the next season. Perhaps that is why God repeatedly told him, “Be strong and courageous” (Joshua 1:6–9 ). Courage is not the absence of fear. Sometimes courage is simply taking the next step while trusting that God is already there.

Elisha stepped into the place of a respected leader. He honored Elijah, but his ministry was not an exact copy of Elijah’s. The mantle continued, but the person carrying it was different (2 Kings 2:9–15).  This truth brings me comfort. Honoring what has been does not mean trying to reproduce it exactly.

David prepared Solomon for leadership, and when Solomon saw the responsibility before him, he asked God for wisdom (1 Kings 3:5–12). He did not pretend to have all the answers. Neither do I!  

My prayer in this season is simple: “Lord, give me wisdom. Help me listen well. Help me lead faithfully. Help me honor what You have already begun while remaining open to what You still want to do.”

Change is inevitable as we encounter it in our homes, relationships, churches, and workplaces. We do not always get to choose when a season changes, but we do get to choose how we respond. For me, embracing change does not mean forgetting the past; it means carrying its lessons, its testimonies, and its evidence of God’s faithfulness into the future.

A new season has begun, and I may not have every answer,  but I know the One who does; and that is enough.

Kind regards,

Theresa

Our New Website Is Here!

Designed to help women thrive in Christ, our updated website offers a fresh, inviting space to discover biblical encouragement, trusted resources, and practical tools for authentic Christian living.

Whether you're looking for Bible studies, articles, devotionals, challenges, or opportunities to connect with our ministry, we invite you to explore everything the new website offers.

Visit us today and discover what's new! 

New Resource: What is a Woman by Mary Kassian

What is a woman? It’s a question our culture struggles to answer. But the truth has not changed. From the very beginning, Scripture has spoken clearly about who women are and why they matter.  Messages come from every direction: what our world says a woman should be, how she should live, what should define her. It’s easy to feel weighed down by standards that never satisfy.  God’s Word offers something better. His design for women isn’t confusing or restrictive; it’s breathtakingly beautiful. 

That’s why Revive Our Hearts exists: to call women back to God’s Word and into the beauty of His design.  In her powerful new book, What Is a Woman?: The Question Our World Is Afraid to Answer, Mary Kassian invites readers to discover the beauty, purpose, and freedom found in God’s design for women.

Watch this short video from Mary:

To receive your digital copy, please follow these simple steps:

1. Make a minimum donation of R250 via EFT to the following bank account:

Bank: ABSA

Account Name: Revive Our Hearts South Africa

Account Number: 4093005837

Account Type: Current

Branch Code: 632005

2. Use the following payment reference:

Woman [Your Initial & Surname]

Example: Woman RBOAZ

3. Email your proof of payment from your own email address to sainfo@reviveourhearts.co.za.  This email address will be used to forward your electronic copy.   Once your payment has been confirmed, we will email your digital resource to you as soon as possible.  For additional free resources, follow the link below.

Thrive

Have you ever read a book and known that this content has the potential to anchor or give direction to many lives? That is how we feel about the newest Revive Our Hearts booklet, published in August 2026. The booklet's name says it all.

Geroep om te floreer: Vind Vryheid, Vervulling en Vrug in Christus.

Called to Thrive: Finding Freedom, Fullness and Fruitfulness in Christ

Called to Thrive captures the heart of Revive Our Hearts: inviting women to experience gospel transformation through freedom, fullness, and fruitfulness in Christ. Drawing from Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth’s biblical teaching, nine short, Scripture-based devotionals explore what it means to live free from what entangles us, filled with the Spirit, and bearing lasting fruit for God’s glory.

It is our prayer that this little booklet reaches as many young girls as possible, free of charge. The booklet's content is simple yet powerful and can help any woman move forward in life. There is such a big difference between thriving and surviving, and we know thousands of women are in situations where they are just trying to survive.

We would like to invite you to become part of the THRIVE project. Here are a few ways you can get involved:

1.       Create an opportunity where the WORD can be ministered to young girls or where they can be prayed for and then give each one a booklet. For example:

• Prayer gathering before final exams at school

• Ladies' evening at school

• Youth gathering at churches

• Family gatherings

Get someone from the school community to sponsor a booklet for every girl. Each booklet costs R20. (We make no profit on the booklet.)

2.       Buy a number of booklets yourself and distribute them.

3.       Please prayerfully consider making a donation to the project. All donations marked "THRIVE" will go toward printing more booklets so that we can give them to as many girls as possible. Our prayer is that this will remain an ongoing project.

4.       Tell your Bible study group or friends about Project THRIVE, and donate as a group or buy booklets for the girls in your area.

5.       Please pray with us that the young girls of our country will thrive in Christ and that the project will grow and bear much fruit.

Into His Presence Worship Event

On Saturday, 12 September, we hosted a worship event in Pretoria. The heart of the morning was to gather in song and praise before the Lord, as a way to say thank you for 10 years of ministry.

The morning opened with a brief overview of the last 10 years, followed by our first worship set. We had a teaching session titled “A garment of praise for a spirit of despair”, based on Isaiah 61. Jackie broke open the word on praise and worship, showing that worship essentially leads to a life of surrender and saying "Yes, Lord!”. This led to our second worship set, filled with a new song of renewed surrender and hope! We raised handmade worship flags, and the sanctuary turned into a heavenly place … it was a beautiful sight.

We heard testimonies from Dudu and Theresa, that encouraged many hearts through their stories and pointed us to Christ, even when things are not easy.

Retha closed us off with a special moment of praying for each other and sharing one-on-one, from the older to the younger generation.

Our celebration was truly special! We received wonderful feedback from attendees. We give God all the glory for the opportunity to lift His name in song! We give Him glory for the lives that were impacted. We give Him glory for 10 years of ministry and eagerly await the next season as He leads the way.

Read Through The Bible: Feedback and statistics

Are you still reading through the Bible with us?

Read Through the Bible—is more than a daily reading plan. It is an invitation to consistently open God’s Word, understand the unfolding story of Scripture, and grow in knowing and loving Him alongside women around the world.

29 September we turned the page from the Old Testament to the New—and meet the One toward whom the whole story has been pointing.

If you’re not reading with us yet, come join us in Matthew! Open God’s Word with women around the world, meet Jesus in the pages of the Gospel, and begin this new chapter with us today.

Here are some interesting statistics from around the world:

A total of 30,141 emails have been sent each day in September to date.

Study Through The Bible

Study Through the Bible is part of Revive Our Hearts’ Wonder of the Word initiative, a year-long journey through the entire Bible with Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, tracing Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. The program includes 260 teaching sessions that help women see how the Bible fits together, tells the story of redemption, points to Jesus, and transforms our lives. The teaching is being prepared for distribution in multiple languages worldwide as part of a broader global effort to help women study, love, and live out God’s Word.

Revive Our Hearts South Africa is preparing to have Nancy’s teaching available in Afrikaans in 2027, extending this Bible-teaching resource to more women in South Africa.

Our progress to date:

For years, Dudu carried a burden to see homeschooling mothers gather in prayer, but could never find an existing group. After years of praying, God opened the door for her to share the vision with several mothers. In April 2026, the first "Homeschool Moms Who Pray" group officially launched. Today the group is growing; women are joining RTTB, and the mothers themselves are sharing leadership. Dudu describes it as a reminder that God's Word never returns void and that He often fulfills long-held burdens in His perfect timing.

A message from Maureen in George:  The Holiness study was incredibly beneficial for our group of 25 ladies who studied together week after week, often taking two weeks on a chapter because there was so much food there to digest and be nourished by.  We’re so thankful for a godly and gifted woman like Nancy who speaks truth and understands women - to be able to apply the Word of Truth to hearts longing to be more Christ-like. The picture of us as the bride of Christ preparing for the wedding feast of the Lamb of God, our bridegroom, was powerful and impacted all our lives as we live, getting ourselves ready to meet our Lord and Savior.  We have met weekly for 11 years now as a group of ladies intent on growing in grace as we study the Word. We have done several books by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth and benefited through each one.  It’s not easy to find good, affordable material in South Africa. 

The Lord bless you in your ministry. 

Sharon from Langebaan writes: 

We started our group around the biblical principles of Titus 2:3–5, 10 and the teaching of Adorned. Now in our second and final year before branching out to form new groups, we can see the beautiful fruit of women intentionally journeying, learning, and growing together.

We meet once a month, and despite busy lives, everyone makes every effort to be there—often for fear of missing out! The wisdom, encouragement, shared stories, and growth from this journey have meant a lot to us.  Thank you for the hard work and care that went into creating Adorned. Our prayer is that these groups will continue to multiply, encouraging women in our church and wider community to disciple and walk alongside one another.

God bless, Sharon Hendry, Beacon Church, Langebaan

Dear Friends: In 2019, Revive Our Hearts held a conference in Pretoria, South Africa. At the time, I had never heard of Revive Our Hearts. If only I had known, I would have registered for the conference!  One of the ladies on the team, Meta, is a relative of the Principal of the Theological College where my husband and I serve. She was also a friend of a friend from our church. During a visit to the college, she told me about ROH and the conference. She was very enthusiastic, but I didn't quite grasp what it was all about, and of course, I had never heard of ROH before. The following Sunday, I bumped into Meta again at church, as she was visiting my friend. Fortunately, she gave me some literature and shared a little more about ROH. The literature ended up somewhere on my desk or tucked into the back of my Bible, where I had placed it and largely forgotten about it.  During the lockdown in 2020, I looked up Revive Our Hearts online and started listening. Being in my fifties and having been a true believer for many years, I was thrilled to discover such biblically sound teaching for women being taught today! The truths were familiar to me since my younger years, yet they are presented in a fresh way and applied meaningfully to the life of a woman in the 21st century. Absolutely precious!

Since then, I have often listened to a Revive Our Hearts podcast while doing household chores. I still regret not attending the 2019 conference, and I hope there will be another opportunity for Nancy to visit South Africa.

May the Lord continue to bless the precious ministry of Revive Our Hearts. May it continue to expand and grow while faithfully maintaining its biblical standards and teaching. Now I tend to share about ROH with ladies whom I meet and encourage them to start listening!

Wynie Malan, Pretoria, South Africa.  

Prayer

• Thank You, Lord, for providing for every aspect of our ministry.

• Please pray for our projects: Wonder of the Word and the distribution of the Thrive booklet.

• Pray for our team members: for protection, health, their families, and time management.

• Pray for our staff retreat taking place in November.

Copyright © 2025 Revive Our Hearts South Africa

 Revive Our Hearts South Africa, Loschplace 13, Moreletapark, Pretoria, Gauteng 0044, South Africa
All rights reserved.

sainfo@reviveourhearts.co.za 
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