In the Netherlands

Just to let you know, we made it, safely.

And with nothing less than the new A380-800 airbus. Goodness, Carl was as excited as a little boy. And the flying went well, despite the fact that Tim had double ear infection (that was on the first flight to Pretoria).

Now we are enjoying our time with family:

This is niece, Alene, in Pretoria.

Nieces and nephews in Holland.

And then there is grand-ma:

And this is such a dutch moment, that I just couldn't leave it out:

We are relaxing, thank you everybody!

Moving house

We've moved so often in the last years, and I'm finding it harder to do every time. Plus as your earthly posessions become more, it becomes harder and harder work;)
But looking at the boxes everywhere reminded me of the verse:
1 Pet 1:1 "I'm writing to God's chosen people who are living as foreigners in the lands..."
Even in my own country, I am still a foreigner, waiting to go live in my Father's House. One day, no more moving around, no more boxes, no more fairwells. I can't wait!

Just to explain, our things are in storage now, until we come back from our time with family, first in Pretoria and then Holland.

Quick photo

Just a cute photo of the three Paalmans. We say hallo, for the last time from our old house.

To God all the glory!!

Three days after Tim's birth I handed in the paper to get the process going of Tim being able to meet our family in Holland. Tomorrow we can finally go to get our pasports with the necessary visas inside. It has been a long process with a lot of frustrations, but now we are able to look back and see God at work.

How we by 'accident' found out that there was a big mistake made and a paper we have been waiting for five months, were never applied for. This knowledge forced us to apply for Tim's South African passport while we were planning to apply for a dutch passport. It was done a week before the price for a passport went up almost 200%, something we didn't know, but God did. The south african passport went much smoother than was expected. Then God openend doors to get a stamp done here where we are instead of the 1500km we where told three times to travel to get the stamp. Then finally we were met by somebody at the consulate who blessed me, Ilne, with a three year visa I didn't ask for and extra information on the application for Tim's dutch passport that wasn't available on the internet.
We'll take this on when we come back, thank you very much.
God is faithful!!  

Joys in life

Like so often, life's joys come in small packages. I heard somebody on the radio calling it postcards from God.
As mom (or Auntie Ilne as Rashelle likes to call me) my joy comes from watching my children develop. Here are a few pictures as Tim takes it one-step-at-a-time, not literally of cause.

He crawls

He sits

He eats

He gets up on his own.

And another joy:

I think it is the very first time I get something to make flowers, and then I was reminded of that verse:

My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. (1 Cor 3:6)

Every joy comes from God, may we enjoy them daily and be thankful to the Giver of all life.

Terug in Zuid Africa.

Inderdaad terug. al zo'n maand geleden. Een reis door zuidelijk afrika van 10000 km. Dit om het werk wat mijn schoonvader doet te zien, en de landen te zien. De reis ging door Zimbabwe naar Zambia en Malawi en terug naar Z.A. door Mozambique en Zimbabwe. Natuurlijk veel gereden, en het was goed en mooi om deze landen te zien. Ik vergelijk deze landen met west Afrika. Dan is het zuiden duidelijk beter ontwikkeld mede door de invloed van Zuid Afrikaanse bedrijven.
Mijn schoonvader is betrokken bij organisaties die dominees opleiden. Dit door werken en leren in hun eigen dorpjes. Zo hoopt men kerken te kunnen stichten in dorpjes. Veel predikanten opleidingen zijn in een grote stad en als ze afgestudeert zijn blijven de predikanten hangen in de stad. Veelal om dat daar meer te verdienen is.

Malawi was voor mij een prachtig mooi land, Dit onder andere dat het net regenseizoen was geweest wat alles gekleurd maakt. Vooral de stad Zomba was mooi, een oude stad met veel grote bomen en oude Engelse huizen. Ook de weg naar een hotel op de berg nabij was prachtig mooi. Verder was Lake Malawi ook heel mooi. Onder andere visarenden gevoerd. En aangezien de fiets een van de meest gebruikte vervoer middels is kun je daar ook souvenirs van kopen. Nu net een paar foto's

Burp!! een beetje vreemde reclame wat uit het cola flesje komt in LiLongwe Malawi

 Een fiets beladen met brandhout, zelfs over het hoofd van de fietser, mischien houdt het hem uit de schaduw

 Kindertjes zwemmen aan de rand van het glasheldere water van Lake Malawi

En zoals altijd gaat de zon onder.

 Hier het instrument van een oude fiets gemaakt om houten souvenir fiets banden mee te draaien

Carl is back!!

How happy I am to have a husband again, plus this one makes a great cup of tea:)
Yes, Carl is back from his journey through Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and a piece of Mozambique. He needs to update you himself on all that he saw and thought. I justed wanted to let you know that he's back, thank you for the prayers and show you the beautiful gift I got.

The bicycle is the national mode of transport in Zambia and Malawi. Isn't it beautiful? Exclusively cut from wood.