Op vrijdag 25 april vieren wij hier voor het eerst Anzac Day. Dit is de Aussie versie van dodenherdenking, zeg maar.

Pas geleden ontmoette Gerard in de studio's van HCJB Australie David McCowan, hij was in de Tweede Wereldoorlog navigator en heeft als vliegenier vanuit Engeland in 1944 voedseldroppings boven Delft en Rotterdam verzorgd. De mooiste herinneringen aan de oorlog liggen voor hem boven Nederland.

 
Het was een bijzondere ervaring deze Australische oorlogsveteraan te mogen ontmoeten. Vrijheid is niet vanzelfsprekend!

How many of us have found comfort in these words of the Psalmist; especially when in hard times and when we feel without power to continue. The interesting thing is that there will always be a new day, a new coming and going and an eternity.

Recently we heard of some friends, and people we know, who are sick or suddenly died. This made us very sad, especially when we cannot be close by. Although we cannot control these things, we know that in the Lord we receive the comfort that we need.

So, we hear of a long awaited wedding, hear of friends who have a baby, hear of somebody who found the solution to a problem and so once again we thank God and keep on trusting in Him because He is faithful…

 
Dear friends and family,

 
Once again we want to thank you for the opportunity to let you know how we are doing and it is our hope that you will be able to send us your news as well. For us life in Australia goes well, of course we are trying to live up to all our obligations as tenants and discovering new things that are very much a part of the Australian way of life – like the restrictions of water (we can’t wash the car and two days a week we can water our plants in the garden, not the grass, and only from 6:00 AM - 8:00 AM), also the real estate agent who rented us our place will inspect our house this Friday to send a report to the Landlord. Then when it comes to your General Practitioner, you have one, but if for some reason you need another one, it might well be that he or she does not take on new patients, etc. With all this we want to say that it is not complicated or difficult to live here and with the help of the Lord we try to do our best.

I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise.
I live and breathe God.

Psalm 34: 1 & 2a (The Message)

This a Psalm of David, it shows that he knew how great the God is he followed, adored and served. Without this trust I doubt David would have done everything that he did, therefore he was not afraid to say it and he adored the source of his inspiration.

While we write this letter it is Ascension Day, and yesterday Gerard worked for the last time at Radio Victoria. He still has four weeks of holiday.

We are thankful that when Jesus left us here he did not leave us as orphans, but He sent us his Holy Spirit that leads us into all truth! (See: John 16:12-15)

That guidance we need on a daily basis, and especially now that we are at a crossroad in our lives, shortly before we will make the move to Australia, where a new task awaits us at the studios of HCJB Global in Melbourne.

As you could read on this website earlier: at the end of April we got the good news that our visas for Australia were approved.

-Aruba, our home we will have to say goodbye to soon -