(Photo above) The luggage name tag of Bible teacher Derek Prince (He passed on in 2003 in Jerusalem.)
Derek Prince's Luggage Strap. In My Closet. “He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.” Daniel 2:22, NKJV On Sept. 30, 2025, as I was looking in my bedroom closet to see what else I had in our travel storage bins, for anything I could yet use on my 30th trip to Jerusalem, Israel, I was “shocked” when I found an extra luggage strap among several in the third bin of the stacked group. When I looked at the tag under the plastic area to make sure it had my current information (our address had not changed in 30 years) Derek Prince’s name and address were on it!
Wow! This luggage strap and tag are over 22 years old. I must have forgotten that this strap had been his and I now had it in my closet. To have served on Derek Prince’s international home base office with Derek Prince Ministries, as Director of Operations and Finance, for a total of eight years, first in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for three years (1987-1990) and then again in Charlotte, North Carolina (2000-2005), this has special meaning to me. The luggage tag has his Jerusalem address written on a yellow piece of paper, enclosed under the plastic cover. It appears to be his handwriting. (See comparative photo below.) When we are in Jerusalem for three months, Oct. 16-Jan. 12, 2026, we will be living in an apartment just a mile from his final home of 15 years in Jerusalem. He passed on to glory in 2003.
When I then turned the name tag over, just to see what was on the other side, if anything, it had a USA home address in the Fort Lauderdale area (Plantation, FL), where he also resided during the 1980s. The address written was 201 SW 38th Ave. in Plantation, Florida, a suburb. (This may have been David and Anna Selby’s home address, for security reasons.) It also appears to be printed in Derek’s handwriting. When we moved from Michigan to Florida in August of 1987, we lived in a rental home in Plantation on 17th Ave, not too far from this address printed on the back. David, the International Director of Derek Prince Ministries, son-in-law of Derek, and my boss for the total of eight years, must have given me Derek’s luggage strap after his passing. I will save this strap! So, what is the big deal?
First, to have in my possession a piece of history, a luggage strap used by my favorite Bible teacher, Derek Prince, whom I served on his staff, is priceless to me. To know that this strap went with him all over the world, and especially to Jerusalem, Israel, is a “sign” to me of the Lord’s hand on my life too, as I also travel to Jerusalem often. A part of his legacy I am living.
Second, to know that the Lord directs our steps, each of us, is heartfelt. The One who is so gracious to show us “small signs” of His blessings through directive actions, as ordained and conducted by the Holy Spirit, means a lot to me.
I bless and honor the legacy of Derek Prince, especially his love for the Land and people of Israel. He blazed the trail for many of us in the 1970s-2000s, in biblical understanding and especially the truth about God’s chosen people, as he lived what he believed as Bible truth.
I bless the Lord Jesus, Yeshua, for allowing my good wife Laurie and I to serve in Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel in Hebrew) as we have and will continue to do, even as the Lord leads.
Ahava (love) and Shalom (peace),
Steve Martin
Love For His People Ministry P.O. Box 1113 Pineville, North Carolina 28134 USA
Message #19 in my series (2025): “Derek Prince's luggage tag" – Oct. 7, 2025 | 
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Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your head from the Lord Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach.
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People
Charlotte, NC USA