Pippa Gerhard
Meet Pippa Gerhard.
I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa into a non-believing family. From the time I was a young child I had a heart to know God and remember begging my parents to let me go to the local Sunday School wherever we lived. Later in life I found out that both of my parents came from missionary lines - my dad’s family from Norway and my mom’s family medical missionaries from Scotland. It seemed the Lord’s gracious hand was on myself and my two siblings perhaps because of the faithful prayers of my ancestors.
I fully committed my life to Jesus as a senior in high school. My husband, Rob and I met at the University of Cape Town. Once married, we lived in Johannesburg and the Lord blessed us with 3 children, Michael, Christine and James.
When the Lord called us to leave South Africa in 2011 for a season to expand and diversify Rob’s business, we were very excited about the new adventure and thought it would be a couple of years at most. We first lived in Munich, Germany then Traverse City, Michigan before settling in the Woodlands in 2013.
This was a time of extreme change. We were stripped of the family and church relationships we’d built over 20 years and the “roots” we had grown over a lifetime. It was a season of obscurity and “death” mirrored by the freezing winter we endured in Michigan.
I was forced to dig deep in my walk with the Lord and seek Him apart from all the usual church sermons, Bible studies and meetings. Even though it was a really difficult and lonely time, it was also a beautiful time to learn to feed from His word for myself and experience the power of prayer in my daily life. I also learned to recognize His still, small voice which sustained me and gave me hope. He was so close and kind to me and I have grown in my love for Him and dedication to His kingdom and purposes. I now have such a desire for the REAL in my walk with Him – not simply going through the motions. I feel I can relate to Song of Solomon 8:5 ‘Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved?’
I have learned to never despise a winter or wilderness season in my life because the Lord is able to transform us in the trial so that we truly lean on and are dependent upon our beloved savior and emerge closer to Him than ever before. And His lovingkindness is truly better than life. Ps 63:3
I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa into a non-believing family. From the time I was a young child I had a heart to know God and remember begging my parents to let me go to the local Sunday School wherever we lived. Later in life I found out that both of my parents came from missionary lines - my dad’s family from Norway and my mom’s family medical missionaries from Scotland. It seemed the Lord’s gracious hand was on myself and my two siblings perhaps because of the faithful prayers of my ancestors.
I fully committed my life to Jesus as a senior in high school. My husband, Rob and I met at the University of Cape Town. Once married, we lived in Johannesburg and the Lord blessed us with 3 children, Michael, Christine and James.
When the Lord called us to leave South Africa in 2011 for a season to expand and diversify Rob’s business, we were very excited about the new adventure and thought it would be a couple of years at most. We first lived in Munich, Germany then Traverse City, Michigan before settling in the Woodlands in 2013.
This was a time of extreme change. We were stripped of the family and church relationships we’d built over 20 years and the “roots” we had grown over a lifetime. It was a season of obscurity and “death” mirrored by the freezing winter we endured in Michigan.
I was forced to dig deep in my walk with the Lord and seek Him apart from all the usual church sermons, Bible studies and meetings. Even though it was a really difficult and lonely time, it was also a beautiful time to learn to feed from His word for myself and experience the power of prayer in my daily life. I also learned to recognize His still, small voice which sustained me and gave me hope. He was so close and kind to me and I have grown in my love for Him and dedication to His kingdom and purposes. I now have such a desire for the REAL in my walk with Him – not simply going through the motions. I feel I can relate to Song of Solomon 8:5 ‘Who is this coming up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved?’
I have learned to never despise a winter or wilderness season in my life because the Lord is able to transform us in the trial so that we truly lean on and are dependent upon our beloved savior and emerge closer to Him than ever before. And His lovingkindness is truly better than life. Ps 63:3
Posted in Faces of Faith