Curacao, part of the Netherland Antilles, is located in the southern Caribbean about 35 miles off the coast of Venezuela, near Aruba and Bonaire. They are in relationship to Holland as a territory or commonwealth what Puerto Rico is to the United States, but have just voted in November to receive their independence. The island is about 40 miles long and 2-7 miles wide. It is below the hurricane belt rarely experiencing one. Curacao therefore is a desert island – kind of like Tucson with an ocean, having large cactus trees like Arizona. The climate is very pleasant with trade winds always blowing. This is the rainy season, but when it rains it is usually in the evenings. Temperatures average 85-90 in the day and 75-80 at night.
HISTORY
After the Portuguese re-focused their slave trade in the 1600’s on Brazil, the Dutch took over the trade for that part of the world. Curacao became a major slaving center for hundreds of years, being the first stop for the Dutch ships bringing slaves form Africa. There they were off loaded from the ships, allowed to get their health and strength back, and then sold at auction and sent on to northern South America and other parts of the Caribbean. They say the best slaves were kept for Curacao to work some of the plantations on the island. In August 1795 a Christian slave named Tula (considered now a national hero) received a dream for the Lord that all human beings are created equal in God. That dream immensely affected him, and the following morning he led a slave rebellion that spread throughout the island from plantation to plantation. Unfortunately is was short lived and Tula and his accomplices were captured and executed. Just before his execution took place, Tula prayed this prayer:
“Father all powerful, I know all things about you and also the powerful miracles that your Son did here on earth. Father, you yourself can see how I have taught all my companions of all your works. On different occasions in their anguish, they ask me when God will help us since he is helping the soldiers to kill us. God all powerful, I die with faith in you. Help those who will continue to fight for liberty and equality on this island.”
Curacao is also known for having had a large Jewish community and the oldest continually functioning synagogue in the western hemisphere founded in 1732 and still having services today. Many Jews also sought refuge in Curacao to escape the Nazi holocaust. For many years the Dutch oil company Shell operated on the island the largest oil refinery in the western hemisphere. Venezuela now has the major refinery there.
So although Curacao is a very small island, it has been and is a very strategic place. Main languages spoken in Curacao are Dutch, Spanish and a Creole based Papiamento (a mixture of African, Amerindian, Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English), with English also widely spoken. Papiamento is a language that was developed by the slaves in Curacao during the slavery era, so they would have a language to speak to each other which not understood by the slave owners.
Curacao still has a strong connection to Europe through Holland (their citizens have EU passports), a strong relationship with the Caribbean of course, and also a strong relationship with Latin America being just off the coast with Caracas and Bogotá less than an hour by plane away. They also have very good ties with the United States, and the US has an Embassy there.
Divine Connection
Apostle Axel Sippach, the Executive Director of IMPACT and Apostle Andy Eduarda from Curacao first met at a conference where Apostle Axel was preaching in May 2006 in Guyana, South America. Since then, Apostle Andy has had the opportunity to visit Chicago in June for the IMPACT “Apostolic Initiatives 2006” Conference and also a Sunday service at Crusaders Church Chicago. He was so blessed and impacted by what he saw and experienced, he decided that this was what he wanted for Curacao, and later with Apostle Eckhardt’s blessing, changed the name of his church to Crusaders Church Curacao.
Since that time, preparations began for Apostle John Eckhardt and an apostolic/prophetic team from Crusaders Church Chicago and IMPACT to come to Curacao for a National Apostolic Conference. The conference would be hosted by 2 leaders: Apostle Andy Eduarda of Crusaders Church Curacao (formerly Yubia Bendita) who is also an affiliate of the IMPACT Network, and Apostle Orlando Balentina of Iglesia Lluvias de Bendiciones November 8–9, 2006.
Apostle Axel Sippach (left) with Apostle Andy Eduarda (right)
Conference
Most of the team arrived from Chicago on November 7th, and the conference took place as planned. The team consisted of Apostle John Eckhardt and his daughter Shalonda, Apostle Axel Sippach, Apostle Alvaro Robles (IMPACT Latin America Director), Prophetess Michelle McClain, Minister Jacque Cooke (Minstrel), Pastor Bobby Garland, and Charlene Washington. In the morning sessions, about 125 people gathered to hear Prophetess Michelle McMclain preach and teach on the prophetic ministry, and take the believers through various prophetic training exercises and activations. In the evening sessions, Apostle John Eckhardt preached powerful messages regarding apostolic reformation, with close to 600 hungry believers in attendance including other pastors.
Apostolic Ordinations
On the second night, Apostle John Eckhardt with a presbytery from the team ordained Andy Eduarda as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, along with his wife Charetti as a prophetess, and both received powerful prophetic ministry with the laying on of hands, and were tremendously blessed. Apostle Eckhardt explained that in his experience over these years in the apostolic movement, that many times it has been the case that the wives of apostles have a prophetic calling upon them to complement their husband’s ministry.
Apostle John Eckhardt with Apostle Andy Eduarda translating into Papiamento
Apostle Andy and his wife Charetti (right) with Prophetess Michelle (middle)
Prophetess Michelle McClain preaching
Elder Nel Cornelia translating for Prophetess Michelle
Minstrel Jacque Cook
Prophetic Activation
Prophetic Activation
Close to 600 believers along and church leaders gathered in the evening service to hear more about the apostolic movement
Redeeming the Land – Breaking the Curses
The 33 acre piece of land that Yubia Bendita, now Crusaders Church Curacao sits upon is called Mt. Pleasant. It used to be called the Badlands, and is the actual site of a plantation that had many slaves. The actual slave owner’s house, called the Landhuis, a couple hundred years old is still sitting on the property, currently being used for offices, nursery, kitchen and classrooms. As with most plantations during that era, slaves were terribly abused and sometimes killed. These kinds of historical traumas along with other factors such as witchcraft, idolatry, etc. can cause curses to be on a property, individuals, and even an entire people and whole nations. Just look at entire nations such as Haiti and Somalia and see the effects of these spiritual dynamics. Read Apostle Eckhardt’s book on Curses for a greater understanding in this area.
So we felt it was also important for us to take some time in between services to go to Mt. Pleasant with the team, along with Apostle Andy’s and some of his leaders, and have a time of prayer to break the curses off the property and to redeem the land for the Kingdom of God. Our IMPACT Latin America Director, Apostle Alvaro Robles has had experience in other nations doing this, so Apostle Eckhardt asked him to lead the team for our time on Mt. Pleasant. After Apostle Alvaro shared with those present the Biblical principles concerning what we were about to do and his personal experiences, we split up into 5 teams to pray throughout the property at key places, being led by the Holy Spirit how we should pray, and the specific areas in prayer that needed to be dealt with, along with making apostolic and prophetic decrees. Afterwards, we all gathered together for communion to seal what was done. We believe it is a new day for Mt. Pleasant, even as the church there has also a new name, Crusaders Church Curacao, with a new apostolic leader, Apostle Andy Eduarda ready to fulfill all the vision God has for it.
Apostle Alvaro Robles leading team to redeem the land and break curses
Apostle Andy Eduarda with his leaders and the Crusaders team
The team ready to break into 5 groups to pray over Mount Pleasant
Mt. Pleasant from the air
Original plantation house
Part of the property with sea view
Crusaders Church Curacao Chapel
Orphanage buildings on Mt. Pleasant
Plantation house used for offices
Crusaders Church Curacao Minstrels
Crusaders Church dance ministry
One of the youngest members with a big happy smile
The trip to Curacao was a tremendous success. It’s a beautiful island, with a very peaceful atmosphere that you feel immediately when you get off of the flight, and the people are so friendly. We anticipate a number of teams from Crusaders Church Chicago and the IMPACT Network for 2007 to travel to Curacao to help them see a continual advance of this apostolic reformation movement for Curacao and beyond to other islands and nations of the region.
A Special Thank you and Invitation from Apostle Andy
Charetti and I along with the entire Crusaders Church Curacao family want to thank Apostle John Eckhardt, Apostle Axel Sippach, Prophetess Michelle McClain, Apostle Alvaro Robles and the entire team from Crusaders Church Chicago and the IMPACT Network for coming to Curacao and having such an impact on our lives. We want to invite you to please come back soon and also send teams often to bless our island and help us move into all that God is saying and doing in this hour with the new apostolic reformation movement. We love and appreciate you all very much. DIOS BENDISHONABO RIKAMENTE DEN KRISTU!!! AYO! This is Papiamento for God bless you richly in Christ!!! Good bye!
