Here I am, in a plane, high in the sky, somewhere between Qatar and Hong-Kong. When this blog gets online i hope to be laying in my bed in the Philipines. Last week we enjoyed a weekend with my parents. For the birthdays that had passed (and the bringing of my passport and Electronic ID cards) they decided to hop by. We ate sushi together with the students and they saw us in action during ‘IABC got talent’. Also walking and going to eat spareribs to celebrate the birthdays was part of the weekend. Saying goodbye stays difficult. Luckey we will see each other again in about six weeks.

The remainder of the week was all preparation for the mission trip. It is a lot of organisation, a mission trip. I’m curious about how it will be. I’m very aware it will not mainly be about making the difference in the life of the people there, but more about the change it will make in our life. We can help the people who are already helping, but when we leave, they will still be there. We will return to a comfortable home with a shower, toilet and bed. They will stay living on a pile of garbage, a place where surviving is the battle of every day. Jesus’ love and hope, that is what we can give. Letting them know that life does not need to be as empty as they experience. That there is someone who loves them and wants to be with them. Jesus does not look at the mistakes and the blame and shame, He looks with acceptance, openness and with His unconditional love.

And doing all this without Rein, without my beloved counterpart right next to my side. Many are assuring me about this challenge and how it can be good for us. Very kind and everything, but that’s not how it works. The choice is not made because of an experiment or because it would be good for us. In the first place it was because the schedules did not fit together and that we simply did not have a choice. So it was not a 100% free choice. Now it is something between Jesus and me. I’m getting the opportunity to find out again what it is to be completely dependant on him, that I’ll have to lean on Him, because Rein is not here. I will miss him a lot and am wondering how Jesus will fill this gap. I’m looking forward to a deeper understanding and a more independent relationship with Him. Fortunately there is something like Skype and internet, this will allow me to reach my beloved at least some of the times. I know I’ll ‘do good’ and that ‘it will be over before you realise it’, but it does not make things more easy.

In about an hour we will land in Hong-Kong (9:30 BE/DK time). We will get the chance to dive into the city for a couple of hours (whoop whoop). I hope to be able to keep writing every week, see you soon!