Isabel

 

Isabel was born in 2015, as many of you know. As family we have walked a 5and a 1/2 year journey of doctor's visits, not because she is sick, but because she was just not growing at the same speed as the rest of our children. Many adventures over the years- operations, drowning incidents, beautiful testimonies- enough to fill a small book. Our hope was that in America we would find the answers we were looking for, and had already started on the tedious journey of seeing specialists when the doors on our immigration process would just not budge. I believe God lead us to the Netherlands in this way, since we have never had the courage to try and live here. Not because it is bad in any way, but living in Africa and then moving to Europe without any specific plans was an insurmountable ...well, mountain. We were forced, but I know that it was God-lead.

Another long story short, we finally were able to do genetic testing, without landing on the street financially. And they found a result. Isabel was diagnosed with a Rare Genetic disease called DYRK1a, charming I know, think I could have improved on the name;) It is just amazing how it explains every single one of her 'differences'. She has a tiny head (called Microcephaly), funny ears (straight from Star wars, or is it Star Trek), lots of fever convulsions, no speaking, slow mental development, autistic traits, and even her love for water. It is amazing, like we opened a door into another world. A sense of arriving somewhere, after being on the road for a very long time. A new group of people to help us know that we are not alone, but one of four hundred families so far diagnosed with this rather new diagnosis.

It brings along the necessary need for acceptance: this is not a short term disease that will be cured by a magic pill. This life was written on her DNA- a God-message, this is how this specific little angel is going to look. Nothing to change, just to develop into the little flower we always knew she was. It has changed the dynamic in our home for the better, made us all softer, more attentive and patient, more of a team. We can only enjoy today, because tomorrow is a picture that we do not design, can't even know what to expect, we can only colour it in, in loving colours.

Isn't that true for any child though?

1 March

 

In a fit of hope, I started packing the winter clothes away. We have had such lovely springy days, that both the field flowers and I were fooled. Back to blankets and boots we are, but the hope stays.

So, over the last weekend the same topic kept coming up. So, it is kind of stuck in my mind: judgement. Within both the Christian and non-Christian circles the modern consensus seems to be that you should not judge others. Seems pretty simple, but from this statement flows two very different thoughts.

Firstly, within every single one of us is the tendency to judge others. Whenever we observe someone from a different 'grouping' we tend to judge. The further from our own, the easier it is to smile and find it peculiar, BUT the closer to our own, we tend to see them as 'worth less'. So, we either laugh at, or hate on. My observation is that in many people this is because we feel threatened. And if this becomes a mind pattern, we can even talk about having a critical spirit. I have often seen this come down a family line. So, my first action for myself, is to really pray that God will renew my mind. So that I feel so secure in who He made me that I do not need to feel threatened. I can listen, I don't have to be swayed to and fro, and I can enjoy the differences. 

Secondly, in an effort to not judge, we make judge and condemn the same thing. We need to make certain judgements daily. If our brother is involved in sin, we can turn a blind eye in an effort not to judge, but this is not a loving act. We need to be able to go in love and speak what we see, in love. And I guess this is the crux: am I judging in an effort to be proven right, better, or am I judging in an attitude of love to make sure that no harm comes on my friend? Judging is not the same as condemning, or shouldn't be. So, my second action is to pray that God will make me a good friend, make a judgment grounded solely in brotherly love and then the wisdom about when and how I speak.

Rom 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free.

Let's be free.

Part 2

For many years we kept this blog up, reporting of all our adventures as we followed God's lead. Now, He has lead us to Carl's birth country, and are we considered 'home'. Today is our 6month celebration of being here in the Netherlands together as family. Much has happened, but they are much the same things that happens in your life- children, school, groceries, finances, housing, etc etc. Life as 'normal', in Corona, which adds to the lack of newsworthiness. So, as I was cycling along a very flat road this morning, my mind was flooded with oxygen after many days of hiding indoors for the cold. I realized that very few people want to hear about the every day events of others- that is what facebook is for. And I have no desire to bore you with even more detail.

But I also realize that after many years of always having an outlet for whatever comes into my mind, I now feel like a plugged pipe with nowhere to express myself. So, I decided to start the PART 2 of this blog. Instead of exciting African adventures, I want to now and then just share whatever I feel the Holy Spirit places on my heart. There are many people who do this, and I always feel that I have to encourage them and read as much as possible, but it becomes too much. So this is not one of those blogs. I need no comments, no discussions, no followers. I am going to just write whatever I feel on my heart, and then pray that random people will 'happen upon' whatever they need to read at a specific junction in life.

Here is my first such pondering:

“I do not accept praise (or glory) from me. How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?"( John 5:41-44)

Jesus is talking to the learned Jews, who were definitely not His fans. And He makes it clear that he is fine with not being liked, as long as he pleases His Father in Heaven.

This verse challenged me: what is my motive when I do things? As a permanent member of PPA (people- pleasers anonymous) I know that this is harder for me than for some of you. And to further confuse me, my child's verse at school this week, is:

"Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God — even as I try to please everyone in every way." (1 Cor 10:33-34)

Great, what am I suppose to do? Please people or not?

I guess the answer will always be in my heart. What is my heart motive? The only one but me that knows that heart attitude, is God.
Did I do this good thing to be seen and praised? Then Jesus says in John 5 that it was not the correct motivation.
Did I do this good thing to the benefit of another? Then 1 Cor 10 calls it the correct motive.

Out of this flowed another thought.

PLEASING.

Pleasing is a tool that I can use to steer my children. If they do something great, I allow them to see my pleasure. This confirms to them that they have done well. In the same way when they mess up, my face is one of displeasure. It doesn't mean I don't like them, I am steering in an effort to get them to what is best for them.

So, if the Bible says that "it is impossible to please God without faith" (Hebrew 11:6) it is not to make Him sound like an angry Father who picks the ones with the most faith. It is His way to steer us towards what is best for us. He allows us to see His pleasure, and this leading comes out of His love.

Some more examples:

2 Cor 5:9 "So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it."

Col 1:10 "so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work."

2 Tim 2:4 "No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer."

My question: how do we know when we please God? 

 

Three months of Dutch life

 I am hoping that my English is still intact after three months of improving our Dutch as intensely as possible. So, any spelling mistakes, please write it off to that. We have finished our first three months in a new country, incredible. This is often the hardest part, I hope. It has physically not been hard, after long days of no power and heat, this is easy; but emotionally there are a lot of switches to flick. 

Carl has been enjoying his work, working hard. He comes back at night, very tired. Myself and the children have been living up the home life. With corona getting worse as the winter creeps in, we are very limited to where we can go and who we can meet. So, we'll take you through the last few months with some pictures. Most of our normal people pictures have been replaced by tree pictures, beautifully changing from deep green to sticky fingers reaching to the sky.

We were just in time to see the last of the hearth- plants the grow in poor grounds. God makes it possible to grow even when the spiritual food we receive is scarce, His Spirit lives in us. Rom 8:5-6

The tenacity of trees is a good example to us- keep drawing close to God. James 4:8

When we draw near to Him, He invites us to come spend time with Him in the secret place. Mark 6:31

from this place and time comes our strength and our Hope for the future. Pro 23:18

Praise God (I am 5)!

He is our Good Shepherd. John 10:10

And our Father (Rom 8)

and our guide (Ps 48:14)

and our Joy (Neh 8:10)

and Light (John 1:1-14)

the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6)

Therefore, walk in my way. Micah 6:8

We have also tried to enjoy some of the more dutch traditions:

Out and about on the farm- where we are blessed to live.

on the bicycles

on our feet

even on our backs;)

and when we are naughty, even on our bottoms.

Only kidding. This was from a special trip the kids and I made to an exposition on the freeing of the Netherlands at the end of the Second World War.

All made with sand, was great to see.

If you are scared, after all those pictures, that these children are running ragged, not schooling. Don't worry. They are currently working very hard on their dutch, and will hopefully next week start with their next year of home schooling. This will probably be our last before they will start to go to school after the summer. End of an era. (Isabel will go sooner, soon as the paperwork is finally done).

Still alive

 I read our last entry as if I am a spectator from the outside. It feels like years ago, simply because so much has happened in the meanwhile.

So, shockingly, we now live in the Netherlands. It was like a slow realization that came over us as things changed in the world over the last few months. Traveling has become harder and harder, immigrating even more so. So, as options fell away, one after the other, we were left with the Netherlands. Not a bad predicament. We were just never in a position to even consider it. But now we had to leap....

Carl took the boys on a hike, Humpback Rock on the Appalachian trial 

The laws just made it harder and harder to get any foot in the door. We also realized that the farm will need a lot more than our little African experience would provide. God brought someone on our way, literally out of the blue. He started to take over the day to day managing jobs, and Carl could pull back. 

It was difficult few weeks, and eventually Carl decided he could do more while being in Holland, preparing for us. So, on 30 June, he flew from Washington DC to  Amsterdam. We still didn't want to take the risk with the children, and I couldn't get a visa for Holland anyway, since all the consulates etc were still closed. We could stay behind, and my family were so gratuitous to allow us to stay in the house, while they started to modify it so they could fit in, with their bigger family. 

Myself and the kids helped out at the farmstall:

   

I think the most precious of this time, was the time we could have with our family:

Anyone for water?

And then it was time to pack our bags again:

At the last moment I could see some precious friends from our time in Zambia:

And so the day came to say goodbye:

on the way to the airport we saw a bit of Washington DC

And then on the airplane:

To meet Dad:

And start a new life in the Netherlands:

Will this be it?? I don't know, I have stopped trying to guess. We just follow the road, and see where God leads us. Our time in the US was precious, and now we believe and hope God has a new season planned. So onwards and upwards: