Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

We are once again preparing for our departure back to Madagascar.

The months in the Netherlands have gone by quickly. It was not a normal furlough, but a special one due to family circumstances. That may sound very serious, but in our case it simply meant that the exams of our oldest son and the partial exam of our second daughter were classified as ‘family circumstances.’

The exams

The exams are now behind us. The children passed with flying colors. It was a little strange, because the children who attend regular schools had already finished their exams, and many of them had already put out the Dutch flag with their schoolbag. But because our children are homeschooled, in addition to the written exams they also have to take oral exams in all subjects. Only after that could we finally put out the flag… And the children could explain to everyone that this was not because they had taken a resit, but because they had simply been working on their exams for a few weeks longer.

Both passed with excellent results… But, well, they didn’t exactly want to be in the picture!

We had also planned to be in the Netherlands during August, as this month can be used for any resits. But as mentioned, this was not necessary, so we had a few weeks to really enjoy a holiday together. Great fun, of course! Our oldest daughter also came to Oudewater to spend the summer holidays with us. Once again, the Hofmann household was as busy and lively as ever.

Short but sweet

Although we were in the Netherlands for a somewhat shorter period this time, we were still able to do a lot. I, Jurgen, visited several churches to talk about our work and/or to preach. We feel privileged to have such a diverse group of people supporting us. I sometimes joke that in one church they hang from the lampshades and swing around while praising the Lord, while in another church we may sit properly dressed and sing Psalms. That diversity is a wonderful thing and shows us who our God is!

As a family, we visited family and friends and had the opportunity to hold the newborn babies of some of Jurgen’s cousins.

Of course, we also enjoyed the wonderful weather. In Oudewater we are just a stone’s throw from the IJssel, so during the hottest days the children could take a refreshing swim in the cool water. As I write this, our youngest has just set off toward that same IJssel, but this time armed with a fishing rod and some bread.

Translation and work

In between everything else, I was also able to continue working on the translation project. Genesis 1–11 is now ready to be tested. Hopefully our translator, Menja, will also be able to deliver the remaining chapters soon.

During our stay in the Netherlands, our house in the village served as accommodation for a group of Malagasy missionaries. Our friends, Sylvestre and Fanja, asked if they could use the house. Well, of course! Sylvestre has the key, and we fully trust him and his wife. How wonderful it is when these kinds of things become less and less dependent on our presence. We can thank the Lord for that.

Homeschooling

As mentioned, we are returning to Madagascar, where the children will once again receive their full education from Katja (with me teaching a few subjects). Homeschooling is a tremendous blessing, and when we look at our children, we can now also see the wonderful fruits it has produced. Nevertheless, you may have noticed that homeschooling has become a subject of discussion in the Netherlands.

For us, there is not much to worry about because we are returning to Madagascar. But for around 2,860 other Dutch children, the coming year will be an uncertain one. In April 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that, in principle, children must always attend school. So how does that work? If someone wants to homeschool their child, they have to apply for an exemption. This exemption is granted if the parents cannot find a school in their area that fits their religious or philosophical convictions. That may not sound very appealing, but that is simply the legal route that must be followed in the Netherlands.

We also apply for this exemption every time we are in the Netherlands, because that is the legal route available to us. The Supreme Court has now ruled that if there is a public school nearby, the child must attend that school. No consideration is given to how well these homeschooled children are doing (and generally, they are doing very well). No, as things currently stand, all these children will simply have to sit in school classrooms next year.

Why am I mentioning this? Because after 18 years of homeschooling, we have seen just how wonderfully well it works. Many children simply do not fit comfortably into the school system, yet they thrive when educated at home. This is also known as personalized education. When we return to the Netherlands again in 2028 for exams, we simply hope that we will still be allowed to continue teaching our own children during those months in the Netherlands.

We simply wanted to bring this to your attention because it is a major concern for many families in the Netherlands. During this furlough, I have given several interviews about this subject. This issue deserves attention, and we would also ask you to include it in your prayers.

Would you like to hear how we got started with homeschooling? Then you can watch the video below (click on the gear icon to choose the dubbed version):

A brief explanation

You may have noticed that we no longer mention the children’s names. This is at their own request. They are getting older and want to be intentional about making their names public. They are particularly cautious about this because of social media. Of course, we want to respect their wishes.

Thank you very much!

Well, this newsletter is a little shorter than usual. Next time, we hope to send it again from Madagascar. Tomorrow, September 8, David will pick us up and take us to Schiphol Airport. The five of us are travelling together. Our oldest daughter has started university again, and our oldest son is currently staying with friends in Kansas, America. He will return to the Netherlands in November and stay with his sister for a few weeks before travelling on to Madagascar.

We would like to sincerely thank all of you for your prayers, involvement and lovely cards! We have had a wonderful time and look forward to seeing together with you what God will do among the people of Madagascar in the coming period.

Finally

When we look back on everything we have been able to do here, one thing becomes very clear: God is faithful. In everything!

We can make plans, but it is the Lord who leads the work. And we are grateful that we can do this together with you—with your prayers, your involvement, your support, and your encouragement. Let us continue to trust in Him together. For God is good—always. And always—God is good.

Thank you all.

Katja & Jurgen
and the Hofmann children.

Prayer and thanksgiving points

We are thankful because:

1. we serve a great and mighty God;
2. the local Christians in and around Maroamboka are organizing things independently;
3. we have had a wonderful furlough;
4. the children’s exams went extremely well.
5. Katja prepared the children so incredibly well.

Please pray for/that:

1. our financial situation will return to a healthy level;
2. the translation work and its distribution;
3. the translation work on the book of Genesis;
4. homeschooling may come to be recognized as a fully-fledged educational pathway;