Dear Bethesda supporters,
I am grateful for the opportunity to write you this note, to let you know more about my current health issues.
After struggling with my balance and coordination for 2 years or so, at the end of 2023, I sought medical help. A full year (and 4 doctors) later, in November 2024, a neurologist diagnosed me with a condition called Multiple System Atrophy after 3 days of intense, in-hospital testing. MSA is a rare neuro-degenerative disorder which causes the cerebellum and brainstem to shrink over time, and is usually fatal within 5 to 10 years from the onset of symptoms.
As odd as it may sound, I am thankful that a diagnosis has been made and I have an idea of what to expect, rather than not knowing. This is a notoriously difficult condition to diagnose, so the doctor did really well to pinpoint it early on.
What this means for Bethesda is that I will not be the person to lead Bethesda into the future, and someone else will need to lead this organisation as it continues to honour God by caring for these precious children that He has entrusted to us.
Thankfully, God has blessed Bethesda with a fantastic group of board members who are proactive in seeking His will. They have been working tirelessly to come up with a solution for my replacement, as well as taking care of my family and I through all of this. By the grace of God, and the board’s planning and generosity, we should all be well taken care of in time to come.
I specifically want to thank Michele Geurink for her willingness to help out with the leadership of Bethesda at this time when it’s most needed. I know that she will do an excellent job of leading Bethesda; and, with the support of our brilliant administrative team, our children and families could not be in better hands.
I do want to acknowledge that I fully believe that God can cure me if it’s within His will to do so, and I continue to pray for that; but, I also know that if it is His will for me to go through this, that He will sustain me for the duration. My desire is that He will be glorified in this, one way or another.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the care of orphan and vulnerable children in South Africa. May God have His way in each of our lives, to the glory of His name.
Rudi van Jaarsveld
