Interview with Thirza Kruik - 1912

SPEAKER A Hello. SPEAKER B I'm Kaysie Butler, and I want to welcome you to healthy living around the world. I am on site at Landhause Die Arche which is a lifestyle centre in the Mecklenburg region of northeast Germany, about 2 hours from Berlin. And the name Diarche is actually means the ark, like the ark of Noah in the Bible. That's what the name is based upon. With me here as a guest on this program is Thirza Kruik. Welcome to the program, Thirza. SPEAKER A Thank you so much. SPEAKER B Now, Thirrza, you are here working at Die Arche. Where have you come from originally? Are you from here in Germany or somewhere else? SPEAKER A No, not at all. I'm originally from the Netherlands and I'm here since February this year. And it has been very interesting how God has led me so far. I'm actually a primary school teacher. I've been working in the Netherlands for seven years. But yeah, as a step of faith, I went out of my job and God led me to this job here. It was not my intention to come here at all. SPEAKER B Okay. SPEAKER A It was very funny how God can work and can open ways for us. I was here to a wedding of one of the colleagues of my twin sister. My twin sister is also working here and so we went to the wedding and like, nine different colleagues of my sister were saying yeah, I know you will come work here. And in different situations they have not heard each other talk. All of them said at like nine. And I was like, God, are you joking? SPEAKER B That's a lot, isn't it? SPEAKER A Yes. I was like, this can't be real. I'm a teacher. Who am I to go here to a health center? Does God really call me there? Well, he did, apparently. Because in that weekend I was also asked to come to a New Start program. They do many New Start programs for people and they have a winter break and then in February they start again and they didn't have enough people who were health coaches. So then they asked me if I could come. Well, I came. Then many people went ill of the colleagues and then after like one and a half week they asked me if I could stay longer. I said, Well, I have to pray about that. And then in the end, before this time, I pray to God. You know that I really want to serve you and I want to know how I can combine true education together with the medical missionary work because both are the hands of the Gospel but it should also come fluently together like a puzle. And how do I do that? I read a theory, but I was not really sure how to do it practically. And I believe that God has called me here as a preparation to prepare myself. SPEAKER B Okay, so what kind of things are you doing here? SPEAKER A My work is very broad. Okay. Many other colleagues are just in the kitchen or just behind the desk. But I have many different jobs I am doing. Most of the time I'm making special spreads for unbread. Then I make it nice for the breakfast. That's one job. So a bit of kitchen. On top of that, I serve people the lunch or the breakfast. So that's what I do a bit. And on top of that, I do like health treatments. So like water therapy, like hypnotherapy. And together with that also massage. SPEAKER B Right. SPEAKER A So that's brought in different areas and sometimes also planning. Planning from okay. What kind of treatments do people get? It's a bit broad. SPEAKER B Yes. So that I think might be like you were saying, you're wanting to get trained up and get experience in this kind of work. So the fact that it's broad is probably quite useful for you. What are you wanting to do after you go from here? SPEAKER A That's indeed a very interesting question because God's preparation school was very clear. I was like, God, how can you want me to come here? I'm a teacher to be sent here. But he wanted to prepare me to be able to combine through education with medical missionary work. And already some years ago, I think now, five years ago, I heard Wayne Lemon speaking. SPEAKER B I don't know if you know him, but I've heard of him. SPEAKER A He was talking about country living, about tredication, about the health message and all that. Just yeah, it touched me deeply and started like a little fire started burning inside of me. And God really called me and said, start a school for me. And I went like, Moses. Like, where am I? And again the same voice came, start a school for me. I said, but, Lord, where do I find the people? You know, I can't do that on my own. Start a school for me. So the message was very clear and that calling has been there. I tried in the Netherlands, but or really closed. Yes, it's not easy in the Netherlands as well with the law system, new laws coming up and stuff like that. And also finding the right people because you can't do it on your own. And then came this. On my path, in my church, there were other people who were saying, we want to start a project where education and medical missionary work will come together in Tanzania. So in that way, I flew twice to Tanzania to see what are the needs of people there. And recently this year, we started our foundation. Like officially we are called Advent Herald mission. Advent because we want to prepare people for the second coming of Jesus. Herald, like Heralding. It like bringing them there to be ready and the mission that is in any kind of way. So what our goal is, is to start a school, a health center, health shop and a chapel. So with those four components, those four locations and those four facilities we hope to bring people closer to God. And there was one really striking moment in Tanzania that really touched me. There were two girls, I think one was seven, the other was eleven. And they had no hope in their eyes. They had a baby brother or sister on their back and those babies were crying and I looked in their eyes and those girls had no hope. And I was like, no this can't be. And there I saw the calling and the calling to make a difference and give hope again for the poor and hope because they get knowledge, the head, but also in the heart with the Bible, with creativity, but also the hands that they learn how to help others help themselves health wise, but also get skills for life. And in that way I think poverty can be broken down in any way, just a simple way of simple education through education where head, heart and hands meet each other. SPEAKER B Yeah, well I think that combination is going to be an amazing have an amazing effect in that community. SPEAKER A I pray so and I hope so. And yeah, it's really wonderful to see how God has opened a way towards that and how he's preparing me here. For me to know more about medical missionary by doing it because the theory was there. Helps me also to see how can I do that with children, how can I do that with a little bit older children, how could we do that also with youth and stuff like that. I'm getting really inspired every day. That's so good. SPEAKER B So all the time as you're working here, you're thinking how am I going to use this when I go to Tanzania and work and develop this? Exactly. SPEAKER A Yeah. We also have a website so that is WW dot adventheraldmission.org and there you can also subscribe for our newsletter so you can be so praying for us please. Because we still need a lot. We bought 50 acres of land in region that is really beautiful, really green, and we hope to live from what the land brings. But that needs time of course, so we still have to start building houses and then the first classroom. SPEAKER B You'Ll build. SPEAKER A It up from there. Yeah, in simplicity we start, but we believe God will be fellows and when it's his plan, God's will his bill. So we pray for that. He will really work his miracle. And he has already done many things up to now even bringing me here in the Die Arche with you, talking with you. SPEAKER B That's amazing how he works. So tell me a little bit more about why you appreciate health and healthy. SPEAKER A Living principles so much. Well, that's really a very interesting question, what you're saying. I never really thought about it that way, but has done the health message for me personally, I think that's a very important way to answer a question. The health message has done much for me in my life. I've been a vegetarian all my life, also an Adventist all my life. Did take time to find God and really have a connection with Him though. But yeah, together with finding God and his holiness. It first started actually with music. I couldn't worship God anymore where I was in the church and I was looking for God's holiness. So together with my twin sister and other friends, we went church hopping and then I found really a good church where I could really have that communion with God that I had with Him alone. But I couldn't have in church anymore. So that was the first step. And together with that I started being more mindful on what I ate. I was very much of a chocoholic, like badly. Yes. And so I stopped eating sugar and also with that chocolate and then I started to be more mindful on, okay, actually when I eat cheese, like Holland and cheese, I also want more of that. So let me stop with that too. So actually I see how God works. It's not in one time. He doesn't say, oh, stop that for me. No, he doesn't say that. He takes you by the hand gradually and says okay, first step my child, then you go on that step and. SPEAKER B Then okay, it's definitely time. SPEAKER A Yes. And that's how it went actually with me. So then the last thing that I had to leave out was egg and then I stopped that and it had many health benefits. I saw really a big change health wise. I was really thankful for that. The nutrition part and music part also what I listen to, that has been one part and next to that the nutrition part. So mentally and what we take in our brain with listening to what we are listening, but also what we're seeing, what we're eating, it's all influencing the mind a lot. That change I really saw in a big way. SPEAKER B So did you notice in any way how making these changes in your health and your lifestyle, did it have any impact on your spiritual life that you noticed? SPEAKER A Yeah, definitely. I mean, I was finally able to really read the Bible before that time, my mind was so clogged I couldn't even really constantly read the Bible. So number one was concentration where I saw it in. Secondly, I felt also better in my body before that time. Really lots of stomach pain and really swelling up also and probably was like lactose intolerance or something like that. But yeah, since I've started eating vegan, that's not come up anymore and that pain was really incredible. By having this simple food, actually I learned to be vegan with all the outpro and all the brands and everything. But more and more you go further, you learn that simplicity is power. Gradually you learn and yeah, that helped me much. SPEAKER B So you've noticed that it's really helped you have more clarity in your mind and being able to connect with God through reading the Bible? SPEAKER A Pretty much, yes. So spiritually, it brought me much to have more time with God. And I believe that he wanted to have a deeper connection with me, but I had to give up this God, Mr. Chocolate. And when you give that to Him, then he gives you much more back. SPEAKER B Yes. So you're enjoying a deeper relationship with God now? SPEAKER A Exactly. And it's like that song for a closer walk with God, a calm and heavenly frame that comes and then that light comes in your heart and you can only shine for God to his glory. That's what he know, even through devotion time in that know, when I was really praying about my health, like, okay, how then? Yeah, but your body is a temple of the Holy Ghost. I never thought of my body as a temple of the Holy Ghost. So that kind of stuff. God was really feeling also to me like, my child, you're holy. You know that I bought you with a high price and I want you to treat your body with respect. I was like, how can I do that? And, yeah, gradually I learned more and more about nutrition, but also, of course, the other New Start principles. And that helped me in my relationship with God to draw closer to Him. Yeah, that's excellent. SPEAKER B So you've been talking about this New Start program and New Start principles. What does new start mean? SPEAKER A In a nutshell, it's something that has been written quite some time ago, like. SPEAKER B 100 years ago by Anna White. SPEAKER A And Anna White got revelations from God on how to have a healthier lifestyle. Her own husband was very ill, and by getting revelation from God how to treat Him, she adapted that into his life. And after a stroke, he was able to walk again by God's grace. And then the first health center was opened. So these New Start principles are not just coming out of my mouth. They're old, actually. New Start stands for nutrition, exercise, water, then sunshine, temperance, air, rest, and then trusting God. So all these components together, if you take them together, they can build health and they are altogether bringing a healthy lifestyle. That's actually what God wants for us, that we are very healthy and that. SPEAKER B We honor Him with our body by. SPEAKER A Eating well, by exercising, by drinking water, by having enough sunlight, by having temperance, by having enough air also, of course, and rest. And by trusting in God, it's all complete. Because without trust or without trusting God yeah, that's really such an important part for me. If we don't have trust, we have nothing to stand on. And then we can have stress and then we can eat very well, but it doesn't do anything. If we don't have trust, then I can exercise very well. But somehow there's something happening and I can't really have the rest. So the trust that's I think the foundation for all these start principles. SPEAKER B Okay, yeah. So it's quite comprehensive. Would you have a favorite lifestyle principle? SPEAKER A That's really interesting. All of them are so important. Yes, but I think it's the tea of trusting God, because if you do the new star, like Hollywood, they are also vegan and doing all their stuff, then they're in the end praising theirselves. But for me, following God's principles is honoring Him and trusting Him that he will heal. Trusting Him that he will do that not only physically, he will do that mentally, spiritually, in your soul, every part of you, you can reform. That has been my personal experience with God. SPEAKER B It's been like a whole your experience in a healthy lifestyle has touched all aspects of your life. Your spiritual, your mental, your physical, everything. SPEAKER A Exactly. SPEAKER B Okay. SPEAKER A And many times I also prayed, God, what of the new star principles? Am I still lacking? I ask Him and he gives a clear answer. Sometimes you even know it yourself, but you're not seeing it because you're too busy. Our mind can be clouded by many things, or even a person starts telling you something, you're like, oh, you know something too much. Okay, yeah. Perhaps I should exercise more, or stuff like that. So in that way you're mirrored or by reading God's word and just pray more, my child, stuff like that. Trust me more. SPEAKER B Very good. So I have another question for you. If you were to meet someone who was wanting to make some changes in their life and adopt a healthier lifestyle, what advice would you have for them in terms of moving forward? SPEAKER A Wow, that's a really wonderful question you have there. Again, I would say that God will help them, that he is their comforter, and he will strengthen them in every step to take. Because when we have a lifestyle change, it's not just a diet. A diet that's like a jacket you put on and then you leave again in your closet. No, this is a way that has to start from without, of course, but it has to be adapted within. So doing that, it's a step by step process. I wouldn't say it start from one day to the other, then you're done. Like, oh, person will say, I quit smoking in one day. Okay. Praise the Lord. But sometimes it goes gradually. With my addiction to chocolate, that went gradually. The way I see it is take one day at a time. Take one step at a time. So for instance, if you're still eating meat, try to do it less till you're like, okay, let me completely stop with meat products and let me go ahead and eat no more fish. Those steps you can take. I didn't have to take those steps. Luckily, I immediately went towards sugar and then without milk, and then without cheese, and then without any milk products, and then only the egg. So it was gradually and you also have to know how to do that, of course. So there are many advices I think you can get online on how to take care of your body in a very good way. All the new step principles are there. How to have also a balanced diet and stuff. I hope you're encouraged take it step by step. Yes, that's what I think. SPEAKER B That is a great encouragement for people. Because sometimes it can be daunting to try and do so many changes all at once. But they take it a step at a time. SPEAKER A That means they'll get there in the long run. Yeah, exactly. So one person starts focusing on nutrition and other says, let me first exercise, because that's more important at this moment for my health. Diabetes, for instance, if you have that, number one is drinking water, number two is moving and then comes the nutrition, of course. But those two are so important when you are having diabetes. So that's also there are at least one or two steps you can take easily that are easy. And then you see the benefits and then you're encouraged. You're like, yeah, let me continue with the next step. SPEAKER B Very good. SPEAKER A Yeah. SPEAKER B No, thank you so much for sharing that advice. I think people will be very much benefited. And thank you for sharing with us your experience on the program. We have been talking with Thirza Kruik. Thank you for being with us. We've been recording on site at a lifestyle centre in northeast Germany in the Mecklenburg region, which is about 2 hours from Berlin. Thank you for listening to this program, healthy Living Around the World. Until next time, may God bless you with your health. I'm Kaysie Butler. And goodbye.