Visiting the Netherlands 

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After working and living in Nicaragua for two years I finally had an opportunity for a visit to the Netherlands, back to my roots.

On this occasion I travelled without Jonathan, my autistic and intellectually disabled son, because he does not have a home in the Netherlands anymore, and no routine activities which could fill his day. Taking him on this trip would only have confused him and it would have created stress rather than joy, although of course he would have loved to meet those who are precious to him (and vice versa).

It is a long journey. On top of 14 hours in the air there are several hours of waiting before and after the two flights. There’s also the time difference of 7 hours on the outward journey, and 8 hours on the home bound one. So it’s a bit of an endurance test for the body. I was prepared for cold given a difference in temperature of 20 degrees Celsius, so I was lucky that the Dutch sun made a regular appearance and that I could even enjoy some warmth.

I enjoyed my visit and meeting many of my contacts including family, friends, former colleagues and representatives of groups and churches who support Ruach’s work. I also saw a lot of the Netherlands again, travelling from West to North to East before ending up West again. My old car (now almost a family heirloom) still served me well!
It was heart-warming to feel the interest in and involvement with our work in Juigalpa. Our work for the Ruach Home and Activities Centre obviously tickles people’s imagination. And that’s the key to success. It was invaluable for me to experience that. This makes our work even more valuable.

Week Nederlandse Missionarissen (WNM)

During my visit to the office of Week Dutch Missionaries (WNM) in the Hague I got the good news that my request for an extension of WNM’s support to me (travel and insurances) had not only been granted, but granted for four years instead of the two I had hoped for, of course assuming that the context in which I work will not drastically change. So that’s cause for big gratitude and celebration. Therefore, Roman Catholic ‘church goers’ among you, when WNM runs its well-known traditional fund raising campaign in June 2018, remember that by supporting WNM you’re also supporting me!