Cape Town - Vanessa Goosen, who spent 16 years inside a Bangkok prison after being sentenced for drug smuggling, believes prison life prepared her physically and spiritually to be a beacon of hope for others and speaks of her new journey with Time2Rise SA, a people's movement.
Time2Rise SA is not a political group or party but a people’s movement where Christians get together to help rebuild the country.
Key role players who are part of their advisory include Zane Meas, Goosen, Dr Arno Van Niekerk, who is the Vision Bearer, Dr Pearl Kupe, Frans Cronje, Errol Naidoo, Freek Vermaak and Petrus Sitho, to name a few.
Goosen runs the Women Building Women programme.
She joined the movement earlier this year and began engaging with Dr Arno Van Niekerk.
Goosen, who was imprisoned in Thailand for drug possession, is a missionary along with her daughter, Felicia, and provides hope to prisoners.
Goosen was released from prison after 16 years and returned to South Africa in 2010, where she began rebuilding her life and that of others.
She believes her journey shaped her for her destiny, which includes running women empowerment camps and the movement which she has joined, which has over 100 000 members nationally.
“It wasn't easy. Everyone who goes through a difficult time in their lives, when you are in the situation, it is never easy, and when you survive it,” she said.
“What makes me happy is that through what I went through, it is really transforming lives.
“I am ministering in different churches.
“This weekend, I did a women's camp in Mpumalanga, and we saw so many broken women and through this camp and through my story, what stayed with them was that they were rebuilt within.
“I have a profile and programme, Women building Women.
“I was set free like that. I was restored like that. When you are free, you are able to understand what your calling is.”
Goosen explained as being part of the advisory for the movement, all of their talents would be used to help create a better society for citizens by rebuilding the different sectors, such as the economy.
“South Africa is in a state,” she said.
“We cannot sit back and do nothing. It is time for us Christians to rise up. It is time to unite and to trust God that South Africa will rise up again.
“This will be a country of great peace and unity again.”
Van Niekerk explained their movement was not to be mistaken as a political party but like an advisory, which began at the start of the year, where Christians are gathering and networking in their hundreds to bring about change using their different skills and professions.
“The initiative started when we began praying together, 300 men at a place called Camp Unity,” he said.
“We were called upon by God for the nation. The body of Christ to be organised.
“Many have become involved now. We were men in the beginning ,now thousands, which is growing by the day.
“It is about restoration in government, righteous change in our economy.”
“We are not a political party; we are a people’s movement, a kingdom building nation, collaborating to bring change.
“The change is finding solutions for the challenges South Africa is facing.
“In terms of practical change, revival, reformation.”
Goosen said, via this movement and her programme, she is working hard in changing the lives of others and, especially that of women and mothers: “There are a lot of women who are broken. Just the weekend, I sat with women. It was marriages, relationships, and most of their partners are narcissistic.
“With Time2 Rise, it will give people hope, for those who are looking for work, for women in this situation.”
Dr Pearl Kube, an author, attorney, international speaker and consultant who works in the Ministry, said their roles, together with Goosen, was to become active members of society.
“I have been a member since the beginning and am on the advisory committee.
“Time2Rise SA is about getting citizens to be active and to be mobilised.
“Too often, as citizens, we give up and allow politicians and political leaders to just rule the land, but there is a role that citizens can also play.
Goosen said they would be hosting a national event, which is taking place between 6 to 8 October at Wilde Als Farm in Bloemfontein.
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