I’m tired, dead tired. I suspect you are too.

If there ever was an unexpected year, it was 2020. I remember how excited I was about this new decade. With Crossroads turning 10 and Renata and I being in full-time ministry for eight years, 2020 was going to be a big one. And with the publication of Keep on going at the end of the year, we were planning a big party.

It never happened.

But the year still treated us well. People suffered and came knocking on our virtual door. What a privilege to be invited into other people’s lives and plan together to overcome enormous challenges. Thank you to everyone who allowed us to help.

The new baby in the Crossroads stable, KruispadTV, took a lot of energy and kept us on our feet. I never wanted to preach online, because I knew how much energy it takes. My excuse always was that it’s not my calling – my face was made for radio! 😊 But when six people asked us in the first week of lockdown to preach online, we knew the Lord had another plan.

The new platform showed good progress. The Lord provided very good equipment and helped Renata and I to prepare sermons and kept the creativity flowing. Sunday, we will be preaching for the 47th consecutive time and if it is the Lord’s will, we will continue doing it. Feel free to go to kruispad.tv or KruispadTV on YouTube if you haven’t seen us there before. On Christmas Day, we will bring a message at 09:00 as well.

My latest book, Keep on going, only arrived three weeks ago and then customs played a trick on us by keeping it in the harbour for one more week. I wasn’t planning on publishing the book, because I knew this was an otherwise year. But the Crossroads readers came to the party and said they would buy. Only 40% of the promises turned into orders, but I trust that the others will order their books in the new year. If you would like to order books too, please go to Kruispadboeke.com or send an email to boeke@kruispad.com. (We have a special offer going at the moment: No postage on three or more books and a payment vacation until February 2021.) If the year has put a damper on your finances and you cannot afford to order a book, please let us know. We would love to send you a free copy.

From the bottom of my heart I want to thank each and every one who sent a nice message, contributed or simply popped in during the year. There were times that I was very low, especially when I had COVID. Research shows that one out of five people suffers mentally as a result of COVID.

In the midst of all of this we remain deeply grateful to God who is still hitting straight shots with crooked sticks like us. Therefore, all the glory to Him.

Thank you that we could pop in three times a week. (Yes, I know you don’t always read everything – life is just too busy for that.)

It is a great privilege for me and Renata and the whole Crossroads team to bring you God’s Word in today’s world.

I pray you good rest. I pray that God will touch you and that you will have special moments with Him. I pray that you will experience the love of loved ones. I pray that in 2021 God will take your hand through his Spirit and give you loads of wisdom. I pray that Jesus will put his arms around you and realise your heart’s desires one by one. I pray that He will whisper peace into your heart and to the people around you, and I pray that He will shower you with his grace – that it will run down in streams and through you, fall on those around you.

Greetings until next year, and remember, go all out.

Gerjo Ben and Renata

PS You may have noticed that we’re still struggling with our email sending system. Next year, we will be using a paid system and they promise that it will work. Let’s trust and pray that it will do so!