Tag: study

Newsletter September 2025
By Jurgen & Katja

Newsletter September 2025

Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

Are you curious to find out what's been happening with the Hofmann family on Madagascar? You're in luck, because here is the newsletter, hot off the press!

All Together Once More …

One more time to Maroamboka with all of us
In July, we travelled to Maroamboka with the whole family. This time not to work, but to enjoy the beautiful country as a family … In others words, a holiday!

The trip felt strange. It had been almost two years since Katja had been to the village and for Vanya this would be the last time for the time being. We'll come back to that later.

We also had two celebrations ahead of us. The first celebration was our 28th wedding anniversary. It was actually on 14 August, but Katja and Vanya would already be in the Netherlands by then. The second celebration was Simeon's 10th birthday on 29 July!

A wonderful time together in Ranomafana
For our wedding anniversary, we enjoyed a lovely diner as a family in the tourist town of Ranomafana. If you have been following us for a while, you may know that we always use this place as a stop-over during our travels. The people know us well and always give us a warm welcome. We stayed a few days longer before continuing our journey to Maroamboka.

The villagers were once again very enthusiastic to see us. Much of the attention was rightly focused on Katja. They hadn't seen her for such a long time! A common greeting in Madagascar is "ino voavoa?", which means "is there any news?" The answer is usually something like "no, no news, everything is calm". This time the answer was: "The news? Vanya's mother is back!" That was nice to hear. When I jokingly said that I was still there too, they told me I was old news! After all, they saw Vanya's father regularly …

Simeon was very satified with our home-made cake
Siemen was erg teveden met zijn zelfgemaakte taart [/caption]Siemen was erg tevreden met zijn zelfgemaakte taart [/caption]We celebrated Simeon's birthday with a homemade cake (we still have the gas oven in our house), and in the afternoon we played fun games. A variation on old Dutch games and picking sweets out of a tub of water using only your mouth. In the evening, we played hide and seek in the house. The latter is terribly exciting because you literally can't see a thing, it is pitch dark.

Katja also had a wonderful time. She loves walking, and there are plenty of opportunities for that in and around our village. The nature is beautiful! Every morning, she went for a short walk and then enjoyed her visitors, later that day, over a cup of tea. One of the visitors was endrin'i Tabo. This elderly lady has become a friend of Katja's over time. When endrin'i Tabo visits, the conversation is not only about illnesses, who died, and other hardships, but she also asks with genuine interest how Katja’s family in the Netherlands are doing. Endrin'i Tabo is genuinely interested.

Language Barrier

The fact that we still haven't mastered the dialect 100% is evident from the following incident. Friends told us that there was a man in hospital who had been attacked with, or by, a kiso. The word kisoa is the official Malagasy word for pig. So when they talked about a kiso (without an 'a'), we thought they were talking about a pig. That was strange because in the dialect such an animal is called a lambo. So we went to the local hospital to visit the victim. It turned out to be a strange conversation. The word kiso, without the ‘a’, is dialect for meat knife! So, while the family was talking about an attack with a knife, we were talking about an attack by a pig. Yes, said the family, the knife had been stabbed into his side. "What a nasty animal!" was our response. Later, back in the village, amid loud laughter, our friends explained to us that it was a knife attack. The family must have thought that we were calling the attacker a pig or something.

The Attacker

After talking for a while longer, we discovered that the knife attacker was still at large. He was terrorising the upper part of our village. The man went around destroying everything he saw. When I asked why a group of strong men didn't go and get him, I was told that he had a knife! Yes, duh! I understood that, but when I said that a group could definitely apprehend such a man, there was silence. Everyone was afraid!

Her name is Tuqueque... But we call her kekkie 😆
Well, someone had to do it, so together with the dog I walked up the hill. That's where we found him. He looked very angry, and you clearly he wasn't right in the head. In addition to the knife, he also had a long iron bar with which he began to threaten us. It was a strange situation. The dog didn't like it at all, so she bared her teeth. That only made the man angrier, so I sent the dog away. After a few minutes of conversation, I asked him to give me his weapons and to come with me quietly. By then, the police had already been called, and when they come to pick up a man like that, they take a much harder line.

He didn't want to come with me, nor did he want to hand over his weapons. Instead, he made a move to hit me, so the dog jumped in between us again. Good dog!

That diverted the man's attention away from me and towards the dog. Long story short, I decided it was better to leave because I didn't want a dead dog on my hands. Fortunately, the dog listened and came with me. The man suddenly ran after us, but he stopped his pursuit after about 50 metres—it must have been a crazy sight.

Anyway, not long after that, the two police officers arrived with two auxiliary officers. They weren't in the best of moods because it had been raining all day, and now they had to walk to our village—they arrived muddy and wet. While the commander waited downstairs in the local shop, the other three picked up the man. After a few hard blows, he came with them, bruised and battered and handcuffed. It's a pity I didn't manage to get him to come down voluntarily. The latest news is that he is now in prison. Even though it's his own fault, in this country you wouldn't wish imprisonment on anyone. Pending the court's decision, such a stay can be very long and often without clear prospects. It is sad, but the harsh reality. His name is Bobo (pronounced boo-boo). It won't leave my mind. How wonderful it would be if he could receive healing of mind and come to know the Lord Jesus as his Saviour.

Oh well, it is just one of those adventures you rather not see happening.

Vanya & Katja to the Netherlands

Look closely! Vanya's name is attached on the upper left next to the door 😃
This month, Vanya started her study mathematics at the University of Groningen. Katja travelled with her to help her get started in her new life. Vanya now lives in the cottage on Katja's mother's property. The cottage is old, so it needed some renovation. Over the past few weeks, Katja has turned into a real handywoman, or Jackeline of all trades (what is the feminine word for this anyway?) The single-glazed windows have been fitted with insulating film and the gaps have been sealed. Of course, curtains were a must, and so the ladies have transformed the cottage into Vanya's new home.

It is a big change for all of us. Beforehand, we joked that it would finally be quiet. But then the day came when we had to take her to the airport. On the way there, it was still fun and games in the car, but on the way back, it was very different. Reality set in. Vanya was really gone now, and none of us felt like making jokes any more.

We are blessed with good internet, so we talk to each other regularly via WhatsApp. Still, it's not the same as seeing each other, giving each other a hug. We are grateful to the Lord that Katja was able to travel with her. Together they took care of everything that needed to be arranged. They also visited different churches to see which one would be a good fit for Vanya. Here too, we can see God's hand at work. The pastor of the Kruiskerk in Diever, Ben van Werven, phoned Vanya and offered to help her search. He wanted to hear from Vanya how they could help her settle in. It is wonderful to see that, even though we do not know each other, there are brothers and sisters everywhere who are eager to help.

Midongy & Befotaka

In the newsletter of last June, we reported that Wouter van Holst and I had been on an exploratory mission to the very remote valleys of Midongy & Befotaka. The tribes (Antaisaka & Bara) who live there speak a slightly different dialect than the one we speak. Nevertheless, we managed to explain the Gospel quite well. Several villages indicated that they would like to hear more about Jesus, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. In other villages, small groups are now gathering to study the Bibles they have received. The people are hungry for the Gospel.

Matthew 9:37-38 — The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Pray therefore to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.

Wouter wanted to send Malagasy Christians to these villages to spend a few weeks teaching the people more about the faith. I put him in touch with Jonoro, a Malagasy pastor who recently joined Africa Inland Mission. Jonoro and I have worked together before, so it was easy for me to introduce him to Wouter's project.

It was a big group which joined the training.
The training for the Malagasy Christians took place in August. I also saw Thaddee in the photos. Thaddee was in Maroamboka with his group last May to evangelise. You can read more about this in the previous newsletter. Several ministers, including Jonoro, provided teaching, and on Monday September the 1th they travelled to the remote villages to stay there for 28 days.

Wouter took them as far as he could in his car, but most of the groups then had to continue on foot for another three days. Please pray for these brothers (and, reportedly, one sister). Pray that the Malagasy in the remote areas may come to know the Lord Jesus as their Lord and Saviour!

Other Current Matters

The second group of students who were supposed to come to Maroamboka on the 15th of June is still on the list. I hope to meet with Jonoro soon to discuss a new date. In recent weeks, I have had little time to work on this. Yes, Katja takes a lot of work off my hands at home. Fortunately, the children help out a lot, but for certain things it is still easier when we are together. Homeschooling, shopping, housekeeping, are all things Katja has a good routine for.

Another thing I want to arrange is to send a few boxes of translations (the Gospel of Luke, the Book of Acts and the story collection) to Thaddee and his group in Vohipeno. I also hope to deliver several boxes to Ikongo and Irondro, both part of the Antanala area.

Finally, I am also working on the translation of the Book of Genesis. That is a lot of work because the language used in Genesis is very different from that used in the New Testament books. I have digitised chapters 1 to 6, and they are ready to be checked for the second time … Only 44 chapters to go 😳😆

This was it for now

We hope that after reading this letter, you, like us, are also looking forward to what the future holds. We can make plans but one thing we know for sure is that “what the Lord intends, happens.” (Proverbs 19:21)

We feel privileged to receive so much support in our work. Thank you for your prayers, compassion, and support!

Together with you, we want to keep trusting in the Lord! Because God is good, always! And always God i s good!

We sincerely wish you God's blessing!

Katja & Jurgen
Vanya, Issa, Abbey, Dani en Simeon Hofmann.

Things to pray for:

We are thankful because:
  1. we serve a great and mighty God;
  2. Vanya has started her studies in mathematics;
  3. we had a wonderful time as a family in Maromaboka;
  4. the villages in Midongy and Befotaka are being reached.
Pray that/for:
  1. our financial standing will return to normal;
  2. the translation work and distribution;
  3. Vanya, that she will make the transition well;
  4. the plans to send another group to Maroamboka;
  5. the man, Bobo, who is now in prison.
Newsletter April 2025
By Jurgen & Katja

Newsletter April 2025

Dear brothers, sisters and friends,

The last newsletter was an extensive report on everything that happens here. This newsletter we hope to keep a little shorter, but certainly no less interesting.

The trip to Maroamboka last January

Actually, that was more or less wishful thinking. Sometimes the rains come later in the season. This time, just about all the cyclones arrived in January. Those rains that come along are great for the farmers, but less fortunate for the roads. Our friends in Maroamboka advised us not to come. Since there were no pressing matters to attend to, we called off the trip. It’s always a tough decision because you know it can only be done again two months later. On the other hand: When it rains that hard, there is not much you can do anyway. The paths become dangerously slippery and most people are poorly accessible as a result.

New Planning

The materials are ready to be used
The materials are ready to be used
The new trip has already been prepared. I (Jurgen), together with Abbey and Siemen, hope to return to the village on Monday 14th of April. We have a lot to do! I hope to renew all the water pipes. Repairs need to be made to the concrete foundation, and things need to be cleaned.

During this trip, I hope to make some further arrangements with the leaders of the churches in Maroamboka. These arrangements are about mentoring Bible students.

Bible-students

Hey! Did I mention something about Bible students just now? Yes indeed, a wish we have had for a long time seems to be happening now. During the previous visit, Jonoro had come with us. Jonoro is a Malagasy pastor, and he has an awful lot of contacts. Jonoro raised the topic here and there, and that ball started rolling. We are now actively working with two groups.

The first group comes from Vohipeno. This town is relatively close to our village. It is Thadee’s group. We have known Thadee for a long time. Eight years ago, Thadee and his wife Haja were stationed as missionaries in Ikongo—the centre of the Antanala region. He now teaches young Malagasy Christians himself. As part of this teaching—and his wish to strengthen our ministry—he hopes to come to Maroamboka for a week sometime soon. This group is unlikely to have much trouble with the language as they live relatively close by (still 4 hours away by car).

The other group is from Tulear. That is much further away! Their trip will take about two days. These students mainly speak the Vezo-Malagasy language, and most have no experience with areas elsewhere on Madagascar, let alone in such a remote place as Maroamboka. For this group, it will be a bit of a shock when dealing with different customs and a different language. Jonoro has also trained these students and hopes—and we with him—that he can come along himself.

But … Sponsorship …

Yes, now, of course, we come to finances. These students (not all) had the opportunity to study because there was a budget for their daily needs. Other students had to study mainly in the evenings so they could work during the day.

Travel and accommodation in Maroamboka is not in their budget. Of course, students are allowed to stay in our house for free. The cooking utensils, mats to sleep on, and all other adaptations are a great use of our own time and money as far as we are concerned.

But the journey, and food whilst travelling, is very expensive by Malagasy standards. Also, some students will also not be able to work during that week. In preparation, they went to several churches to raise sponsorship. As it turns out, getting that done is not so easy. Having money, and giving money away is a very sensitive issue on Madagascar. We are dealing with one of the poorest countries in the world. Yet, we felt it was important for students to try to raise some money. After all, the great commission of our Lord Jesus is telling churches to send missionaries and evangelists into the world. Secretly you hope the churches are eager … Surely that will take some more time here.

The Bible-students from Tulear with Jonoro and his wife left on the foreground.
The Bible-students from Tulear with Jonoro and his wife left on the foreground.

May we Appeal to you?

Initially, I suggested that the students might be able to set up a GoFundMe campaign. That was one of my less bright ideas. Such a campaign is effective in the West, but here each potential sponsor has to be asked individually.

To make things a little easier for the students, we have agreed with AIM-Netherlands to set up a separate fund for this. We hope to raise about 1,000 euros for these two groups. May we appeal to you?

It will be a great learning moment for these enthusiastic students. But even better than that! These students have a heart for their own people.

The situation reminded me strongly of the collection Paul did in Corinth. The apostle Paul asked for money from the churches to support those in need, especially the impoverished church in Jerusalem. He encouraged the Corinthians to contribute generously and reminded them of their own blessings and the importance of helping others.

Scan the code to support! (DUTCH ACCOUNTS ONLY - see for other option below)
Scan the code to support! dutch accounts only – see for other option below)

De studenten komen uit arme kerken, maar ondanks de armoe willen hun volksgenoten bereiken met de boodschap van hoop en redding! Wat een voorrecht dat we hier getuigen van mogen zijn én aan mogen bijdragen!

Those of you with a dutch bank-account can make contributions via the link below.

Donation towards the student (DUTCH ACCOUNTS ONLY)

For those among you who have their bank accounts outside the Netherlands, you can use one of the following options:

Donate towards the students via Paypal   Donate towards the students via Paypal

Donate towards the students via Stripe   Donate towards the students via Stripe

Please mention that the gift is given for the bible-students!

Short News

Just one last update regarding translation work. We met a young lady who grew up in Ikongo (the centre of the Antanala area). Delia is her name, and she is temporarily living in the capital. We have found Delia willing to record the Gospel of Luke. We hope to get the whole book finished before she goes back to Ikongo.

Every chapter is a blessing! For many people, audiobooks are a godsend because they cannot read or write. Please join us in prayer, that we will finish as many chapters as possible!

A big thank you for your prayers for Katja who had broken her collarbone. Meanwhile, the bone seems to have healed well without the need for medical intervention. Katja says she still suffers from the muscle in her neck—it is a bit stiff so to speak. Fortunately, she has not compromised on mobility.

This was it for now

We hope that after reading this letter, you, like us, are also looking forward to what the future holds. We can make plans but one thing we know for sure is that “what the Lord intends, happens.” (Proverbs 19:21)

We feel privileged to receive so much support in our work. Thank you for your prayers, compassion, and support!

Together with you, we want to keep trusting in the Lord! Because God is good, always! And always God i s good!

We sincerely wish you God’s blessing!

Katja & Jurgen
Vanya, Issa, Abbey, Dani en Simeon Hofmann.

Things to pray for

We are thankful because:

  1. we serve a great and mighty God;
  2. God adds daily to His Church;
  3. we see more and more Malagasy with a heart for mission;

  4. Jonoro helps us so much;
  5. Delia wants to record Luke’s gospel;
  6. Katja’s collarbone has healed well.

Pray that/for:

  1. our financial standing will return to normal;
  2. the next trip to our village;
  3. we may find enough sponsorship for the students;
  4. the audio recordings with Delia;
  5. the plans to bring students to the village.
Home education tips
By Jurgen & Katja

Home education tips

The Corona virus is spreading and everybody needs to stay at home.
Working and learning at home can be a challenge. With the ungoing crisis we thought it is time for some home education tips.
You can read our tips on Facebook as well.

Tip #1 – Home is not a school (31-03-2020)

Tip #2 – Little ones first! (01-04-2020)

Tip #3 – A schedule is good, a rhythm better (02-04-2020)

Tip #4 – We do the chores together! (03-04-2020)

Tip #5 – You Don’t Have to be an Expert (06-04-2020)

Tip #6 – Make Use of the Concentration Peak (07-04-2020)

Tip #7 – Read With and To Your Child (07-04-2020)

Tip #8 – Grace and Mercy are the Winning Team (14-04-2020)

Tip #9 – Play! (15-04-2020)

Tip #10 – A Love for Learning (17-04-2020)


Tip #1 – Home is not a school (31-03-2020)

Many home educators prefer the term ‘home education’ over ‘homeschooling’. Education at home does not turn your home into a school. Relax: home education starts with home. So take time to think and talk about what makes a home: What defines us as a family? What traditions are in place? Should we start some new ones? HOME is the firm foundation for successful home education. And even you feel not much education is going on: at least you are giving your children a gift beyond measure: home.





Tip #2 – Little Ones First (01-04-2020)

Helping older children with their work while little ones keep you perfectly distracted is very frustrating. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend time with your pre-schoolers first. We love reading together, but a game or some other activity with mom or dad is fine too. After about half an hour of filling their ‘love tanks’ with your kind attention, they are ready to play on their own; freeing you to help older ones. Personally I enjoy this way of starting the day very much: it’s easy, enjoyable and comes with great rewards.



Tip #3 – A schedule is good, a rhythm better (02-04-2020)

A timed schedule for the day looks very professional indeed … until real life kicks in and interruptions great and small mock your beautiful plans. We use a rhythm instead. A rhythm – or set order of activities – allows for structure and serendipity alike. As long as I don’t plan too many subjects things get done in a happy way. For example our mornings follow this rhythm: breakfast – reading aloud to young ones – maths – languages – sometimes science – lunch. Whatever gets done we consider a morning well spent. Happy planning everyone!



Tip #4 – We do the chores together! (03-04-2020)

For parents home education takes a lot of (extra) time. No problem though: the children can help! Teens can cook and clean well and even a toddler can help clear away the dishes. Having the children do (more) chores not only frees the parents to home educate, but also gives children a sense of responsibility and belonging. The children might grumble and complain a bit in the beginning, but with the necessary compliments for a job well done they are sure to grow into it. 😀



Tip #5 – You Don’t Have to be an Expert (06-04-2020)

‘Mom, when can I use a semicolon?’ or ‘Dad, how do I calculate the circumference of an ellipse?’ Please don’t panic: you don’t have to be an expert to home educate! Willingness to find the answers together is enough. In this day and age it is easy to find information about most anything online. Visit a book or website together or watch a video. Questions are a great opportunity to learn alongside your child and/or teach him or her research skills. After some practice your child will grow in confidence as she is able to find answers herself. Her attitude is sure to change from ‘No idea’ to ‘I’ll look it up!’ 🤓



Tip #6 – Make Use of the Concentration Peak (07-04-2020)

Much research has been done to discover the best time of day for learning tasks. For most of us the best time to concentrate deeply is in the morning around 10. Find out what subject requires most of your child’s attention and let him sit down to it around 10 am for the best results. If 10 am is a particularly unsuitable time, you can alternatively choose for one a half hour after lunch or supper, although our concentration peak is somewhat lower at those times of day. Happy studying!



Tip #7 – Read With and To Your Child (09-04-2020)

Reading is key to all further learning and paticipation in society. The ability to read is one of the most precious gifts you can give to your child. Therefore: read to your child, at least until he can read fluently himself (longer is allowed 😀). Enjoying books together whets your child’s appetite for reading, gives him a feel for language and builds his vocabulary. Secondly, have your beginning reader read to you daily – also at least until he reads fluently. Don’t be surprised if this takes long: 10 years or older is no exception for reading fluency. Reading together is one of the best investments in your child’s future.



Tip #8 – Grace and Mercy are the Winning Team (14-04-2020)

Home Educators need grace and mercy in abundance.
Home education means you spend a lot of time together as a family. You share moments of joy, but also of chagrin and frustration. Especially then words of grace are needed. Words that say: ‘You can try again, don’t worry if you don’t understand or if you take a long time to learn.’ Words that don’t compare and hurt, but instead forgive and give a second chance – over and over again. Words that communicate a deep and profound love for your child and patience to see him or her blossom.

This is what happens when someone puts ‘just a little to much’ soap in the dishwasher…



Tip #9 – Play! (15-04-2020)

Learning does not just happen sitting at a desk with a book and a notepad and pencil in hand. Learning happens in many different ways, amongst which is play. Play itself comes in many varieties: can be done in- or outside, can be physical or mental (even musical!), done alone or together and provides a good break from formal learning. Research shows that playing makes learning outcomes better. So, if you like your child to be a succesful learner: let him play!



Tip #10 – A Love for Learning (17-04-2020)

There seems to be no end to what can be learned. In the primary years we focus on reading, writing and arithmetic to use them later as tools for further studies. Once we gain an appetite for learning, the possibilities are manifold: we can learn a new hobby or game, taķe an online course, learn a language … Learning can be enjoyed by young and old, gives us healthy challenges and provides stimulation. So what would you like to learn – or teach your child – today?



Into TIMO
By Jurgen & Katja

Into TIMO

We have just returned from a month of traveling – and what an awesome trip it was! When we met the leader of a team of missionaries on a remote island off the coast of Madagascar we were very interested in their experiences. What was it like to live a simple lifestyle in a hut? How were they received? What was TIMO like? How does the team function? The leaders suggested to come and take a look. No, not for a week or two, but a whole month. We are very glad we took up the invitation. We have learned so much in a month and enjoyed it thoroughly. You can see a videoreport on our multimediapage.

The island we visited is called Nosy Mitsio and is home to about 2000 people. The islanders live in small villages in simple huts made of natural materials. They fish, grow rice, coconuts, bananas and some other fruits. Some have cows, goats, ducks or chickens. Ancestor worship and special ceremonies called ‘trombas’ play an important role in their lives. The Antankarana have lived on the island for about 200 years, since they fled there from persecution by an evil Merina-queen. Regrettably the Antankarana still hold a grudge against the Merina people group, who live in and around Tana.

At first the islanders were not particularly happy about the coming of the missionaries. Still the team could come. Now, after more than a year the missionaries are loved and very much welcome. Through friendships the missionaries share the gospel and testify of the love of Jesus for them. They are currently translating a set of Bible stories to share with their neighbours. For an example of what that looks like [wp_fancybox_media hyperlink=”click here” type=”youtube” width=”640″ height=”360″ url=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/E2gjju0hcLY?version=3&autoplay=1&fs=1&rel=0″].  Other ministries include teaching about God in the local primary school, helping in the fields, and health education.

Life on the island can be tough. While we visited several team members fell ill and needed medicine. Our family also contracted some infections. Traveling to and from the island is a challenge. Every month the team leaves to buy supplies. The land hardly provides enough for the locals, so the missionaries have to travel 3 and a half hours by boat and another 2 and a half hours by bus to Ambilobe, the closest city where supplies are available. On the island the team members have to walk through knee-deep mud and over sharp rocks – still we heard no complaints.

The goal of a TIMO team is twofold: to train beginning missionaries and to plant a church amongst an unreached people group. The team meets weekly to discuss the curriculum. The curriculum supports the fases of the missionaries’ work. While we were there the team members shared their testimonies, or faith-stories, in Antankarana with each other and their neighbours. As mentioned they are working on a story set to share in their villages. They hope to organise ‘Discovery Bible Studies (DBS)’, a way of discussing the Bible with maximum involvement of all participants. You can read more about this tool here.

With the team we are very curious as to what is going to happen on Nosy Mitsio in the coming months. We believe God has planned and prepared for them to be there. He has his eye on the island and wants it for His glory. Wouldn’t it be great if the veil of fear of the ancestors would be lifted and Jesus would become the centre piece of their lives? Please spend a moment in prayer for:

the team leaders Adam and Lora Willard, with Matimu and David;

Steve and Rebekah Orner, with Ruthanne, Douglas and Heather;

Shawn and Angie Mayle, with Liam, Kailin and Gwen;

and Kelly Segit.

Though isolated they may be, let them experience they are not alone in their hard work to win the Antankarana for Jesus!

On Finances
By Jurgen & Katja

On Finances

A new year has begun: a good moment to share with you how we are doing.

As far as we are concerned we are ready to leave: suitcases and lesson materials have been purchased; our destiny and ministry are clear; and we are all quite eager to take the plunge. Then why are we still in Holland?

The only thing to be taken care of are the finances. AIM Holland’s treasurer has made us a monthly budget and a budget for start up costs. We are responsible for raising the necessary funds ourselves. AIM is not our employer, but a facilitating organisation. This means AIM organises missionary work, but does not provide the finances. Our home church in Den Helder is not able to support us fully either. Most of our budget is dependent on individual supporters.

So how far are we? The latest statement of our fund with the mission organisation showed we have reached 52% of our monthly budget. Those who are supporting us already are helping us save for the start up costs. These include air fares, visa, vaccines, the 3 week orientation in Kenya and some basic furnishings for our new home in Antananarivo. When we have reached 90% of our monthly budget in promised support, we are allowed to book the tickets.

Would you like to sponsor us? You can find out how on our Support – Financial Support page. Money donated will be received in our private fund. You will be helping us directly, not the mission organisation in general.

Now that we will be staying in the Netherlands and Jurgen has almost finished his Diploma level in Theology, he has gone back to work. He finishes his studies in his spare time. We are very thankful for the years of study and expect to reap the fruits of it on the mission field, as we have already been blessed so much by the knowledge and experience gained over the past few years.

Biblestorying Course
By Jurgen & Katja

Biblestorying Course

Chronological Biblestorying almost sounds like telling fairy-tales. This however, cannot be further from the truth. I (Jurgen) attended this course, given by Wycliffe at the Redcliffe college (UK), and if one thing needs to be said it will be that telling stories is a worthy way of education.

In the West we are used to learn from books. Obviously some things are learned by experience but from the moment one enters a school-building that person knows one thing for sure: From now one you will have to read, write and read again. This is because our culture is completely literate orientated. The opposite can be seen among people who are illiterate. In the year 1998 16% of the world’s population was illiterate and Unicef predicted that this percentage will rise.1 We have negative connotation when we think of illiteracy and thus we spend many years learning how to read and write.

Still, there are many cultures in which people do not mind that they can not read or write. Their education methods are more orientated on experience and imitating others. Often they transfer knowledge through (old) stories. Where did our ancestors come from? Why did we become shepherds? Against who did we wage war and how did we solve it? The stories are often a bit adjusted to make it more understandable. These cultures are orally orientated. So do not think you can make them happy with a book because it does not say a thing to them. When you offer to tell a good series of stories however, big chance that they will come with the whole village to listen.

So, why this course, when we can read to them out of the Bible? To answer this question let me suggest that you image that you are going to the cinema. There is a great film playing and you already look forward being drawn into the adventures of the people in it. But wait, the film is not playing and the director climbs the stage and, instead of showing the film, he is willing to read the script to you. Most likely, depending on his reading skills, you are not thrilled. The script contains many details and these are only understandable when you see it on screen. Now, we cannot compare the Bible with a film but the idea behind this example can.

The course aimed to teach how to stay close to the Bible and at the same how to adjust certain details to make it more understandable. This is different from reading the stories literally. Some details can come across different from what it actually means. For example: We had to learn the story of Zacheus (Luke 19). Sometime during the course a man was invited in. He was not a believer and hardly knew the Bible. He listened to the story and afterwards we asked him what his thoughts were. Surprisingly he got stuck with this aspect of Zacheus being bullied by the people. What did he do wrong? Was he not just doing his job? For our guest this was the main theme, which was bad because the crux of the story is that people need to be restored to God. After some adjustments we have tried it a second time and the next person grasped the essence of the story right away.

A second example was about a culture where, in the stories, the hero always appeared at the last moment. This way the hero could save the day when everything seemed lost. One day, missionaries started to tell the Bible stories. They also told the story where Satan tempted Jesus in the desert (Matthew 4). This was very disturbing for the people as in this story it was Satan who came last. According to their ‘rules’ he, Satan, had to be the hero! That could not be right… could it?

You will understand that thorough preparation and a good understanding of where to give extra explanation is important. These and other suggestions where given during this course. The week was very intensive. To get a good understanding of how oral orientated people learn we were discouraged to take note or even read books on the topic. Among the students were five other workers from Africa Inland Mission, which was unexpected but very nice.

Telling stories is an interesting discipline which will not suit everybody. That is why we also learned how craft the stories and to teach others to tell them. This is very useful when one comes to an area where one does not speak the language. In those situations you can teach a native speaker how develop a series that is relevant and understandable for the hearers.

All in all, the course was very good and we believe it to be a good preparation for our work on Madagascar.

Here are some examples to watch:


Ee-taow. In this documentary you see what happens to a tribe who gets to know Jesus after a whole series of Biblestories.

This is the adjusted version of Zacheus told by Jurgen.


Ruth and Naomi (Ruth 1).

The Phillipian jailer (Acts 16:11-40).
 

1. http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/illiteracy-world-illiteracy-rates.html

Going Prepared
By Jurgen & Katja

Going Prepared

From 13 till 16 April we took in an Orientation for new members of Africa Inland Mission (AIM). We have been encouraged by meeting with several christians from other countries with the same goal and purpose in mind: seeing Christ-centered churches among all African peoples.

Many practical issues have been discussed: health, safety, communication, dealing with transition and cultural differences. We are more aware than ever of the risks and likeliness of suffering, but ever the more motivated to go. The children enjoyed a parallel programme.

We had the chance to speak with the Personnel Director about the possibility of being placed in a team on Madagascar. It has become clear that the team and unit leaders were worried they would not be able to suit the educational needs of our children. We have responded this need not be a problem, since we are prepared and willing to home educate our children. We hope the team leaders will soon find the time to see and pray whether we would fit on the team.

To be continued…

Accepted at LST
By Jurgen & Katja

Accepted at LST

This week we received a letter of acceptance from London School of Theology. Jurgen can finally begin his second year of study. We are very happy about that. For the Diploma Level Jurgen needs to complete at least 9 modules.

The first module is titled: ‘Encountering God and Neighbour’ and deals with our relationship with God and our fellow man. Many Old Testament books will be studied, especially Genesis, Micha and Proverbs.

The theological books in this module relate to questions of origins, possessions, Old Testament Spirituality, poverty and guilt.

Application LST
By Jurgen & Katja

Application LST

Last week Jurgen was notified that the last marks of his studies have been determined. Jurgen received an overall mark of 61%, with which he is glad. It has not been easy to study at university level for the first time – and in English – but his efforts were rewarded.

Now that the last marks are known, the application for the distance learning course of the London School of Theology can be posted. This was taken care of yesterday. Jurgen hopes to commence his second year of study shortly after our arrival in Holland next month.

Although we regret that Jurgen can no longer study at Trinity School of Ministry, we are thankful for this next step. Distance learning frees us to be wherever we need to be and for Jurgen to study at his own pace. Thus we have the time to invest in our contact with missionary organisation AIM and to orientate ourselves as to where the Lord wants us to serve him.