“We’re on a journey, a journey, we are not from here, we’re just passing through …” The lyrics gives food for thought, the melody gets stuck in your head, and the images give a wonderful impression of one of the most beautiful places in Senegal. [...]
Archive for the ‘Church’ Category
February 1st, 2016 - 12:15 § in Church
A Christmas struggle…
Cheers rise from the crowd; the more than one hundred inmate boys scream with loud voices. The wrestler representing cell 4 has just thrown his opponent on the back. I’m in the boys’ prison in Dakar where we organize a Christmas program with the international church. The boys are incarce[...]
October 5th, 2015 - 08:45 § in Church
Safely home; the story of Veronique
“Would we arrive home safely today?” I can’t help but wonder as I’m spending the last few hours with some colleagues stuck in traffic. We are returning from a prayer meeting at another mission clinic in the far suburbs of Dakar. We had a great time encouraging our colleagues and spending tim[...]
September 13th, 2015 - 20:26 § in Church
Downpours in downtown Dakar
It’s a Sunday morning and Jan is asked to preach in a church in Northern Dakar. It has been raining last night and our street is covered in water. The children put on their rain boots that match their Sunday’s best fashionably well. It appears to be a good choice: almost all Dakar turned in [&he[...]
Medical Mission, a mustard seed
For several days they had left their practice, clinic, hospital or office: the nearly 40 Christian health professionals from across Senegal. Fellowship and empowerment were key words, transformation the theme. Jesus said that where injustice is fought and suffering alleviated, where people treat eac[...]
Faith, work and networking
“When leading an emergency surgery in the middle of the night I am just as well worshiping God as when I lead the singing on Sunday morning,” explains Dr. Johnson. This Zambian anaesthesiologist and I lead a forum on medical mission. More than 40 Christian health workers are represented at thi[...]
Water is precious!
As a little boy I once went on an excursion to the water tower in Utrecht. As a reminder I received a sticker that read: “Water is precious , so go easy on the tap!” Oh, how often have I thought of that sticker in the past weeks. Water is precious![...]
July 3rd, 2013 - 09:43 § in Church
ICF
After about two years I’m back in the leadership team of the ICF! No, not in Rotterdam, but in Dakar. Not only the city is different, the community is also very different from that of Rotterdam: many expats, embassy personnel, NGO staff or people working for large international companies. As a[...]
September 3rd, 2012 - 17:58 § in Church
Weary and burdened
Just before summer, our field leader Joel asked me to preach several times in the ICF of Dakar, where he is pastor. He would spend his summer in the States for the wedding of his 22-year-old son. I decided to preach a series of three sermons on the words of Jesus “come to me all […][...]
April 23rd, 2012 - 15:58 § in Church
Being blessed and being a blessing
We went to Gabon to improve our French and for Tabitha to work at the hospital. But it has been our prayer that we not only would be blessed, but that we would also be a blessing. Looking back we see that Jan as well – next to all Tabitha’s work in the hospital – has contributed [&he[...]
