My Storie
I think I have a very interesting story to tell. It is much too long to share it on this page. While I was writing my personal book this year I came on 400 pages! (Okay, that was including all my embarrassing mistakes, so it was not suitable to publish!) I am actually working on a book what I plan to publish, but it will take time. It is a long process. You will find more information under the tab "How to be involved", or click on the button!
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But I will tell you something about myself. I was born in April 1982 in Hilversum, in the Netherlands. (Mensen in Zuid Afrika vragen me vaak: Waar kom je vandaan in Nederland? Hilversum zegt ze dan vervolgens niets, dan leg ik maar uit dat daar alle televisie programma's gemaakt worden.) I grew up with my brother Erik and my sister Lydia. We went to a traditional church. But from a young age I experienced God. He was calling me. But at the same time I faced difficulties. I had a lot of fear while growing up and went through hard times on High School, with lots of depression.
When I turned 21, I moved to Ede, where I started the process of my own Inner Healing. In the first place with great support from a powerful charismatic church. I had to face a lot of deep and painful issues in my identity. But I had faith that God was able to deliver me. And that was exactly what He did. Great miracles happened!
In the meantime I graduated in Social Work and then... I started cleaning in an old-age-home.
I learned a lot in that place. But after a while I got promotion and started working with handicapped adults with Autism Disorder. Their mental and emotional level was around the age of a child of 1-3. They became my children for years. I learned there even more than in the old-age-home.
Around the age of 27 I finished this Healing Process. I decided I had cried enough. Time to move on. In this time God started calling me to South Africa on a way I never imagined it would be possible! It was an amazing story.
But to make a long story short, after discovering SA, falling in love with SA, living for 7 months in SA, falling in love with Wesley in SA, I decided to move permanent to South Africa at the end of 2011.
Wesley and me got married in October 2012. The last years were not always easy. Honestly saying, it was sometimes extremely hard. But straight through everything I experience Jesus is faithful. Slowly I start understanding why I am in South Africa. Not in the first place to work hard and to change people. I can do a lot here in the communities, because of my background as a Social Worker. The need is huge. It (almost) burned me out. I realize I am here to learn that I am loved. Loved by God and by people, even through my failures, even when I don't feel it.
I am here to learn to love myself and others. The more I realized I am loved in all my weakness, I can love others in their weakness. Even the most 'unlovable person' on earth. So that is how I do ministry. I am not running around anymore. But I am sitting often next to the broken, the sinners, the murderers, the rapists, the prostitutes... Holding them, loving them. The way Jesus loves me in my sin.
