Karin Droogendyk

On Monday June 5, there is a mission day in a large conference centre in the Netherlands. There are a lot of things to do that day.  There are speeches, a theatrical show, a presentation about the mission field, and programs for kids. There is also a model African village, because it is mostly about Africa this year.

 

 

As you understand, that village has to be built, which is why I explained what this day is. Marjon, my twin sister, and I went there to help build that village. We had to bring a hammer, and saw, and nails, and old clothes. You had to indicate what you wanted to do and we said we wanted to paint, but we did some of the building too. There wasn’t anything to paint yet, so the people who said that they wanted to paint also had to build.

 

 

Marjon built a little house with one group, and I built a coffee stand with another group. There was a big pile of old pieces of wood, all different kinds and sizes, you just had to take what you thought you needed, and start building. It was really nice being there with Christian youth doing things we usually don’t do.

 

 

We made pretty nice things and that for students! There were people taking pictures so maybe I can find some pictures online and I’ll put them on my website then too.

 

 

Time goes quickly.  I’ve been home for almost five weeks now and start my 4^th week of work on Tuesday. It goes well, I enjoy it, and I’m working almost full weeks. I have people where I go every week, and I like that because then you start knowing the people, and it is easier to work. You know what they want, and you know where everything is.

 

 

I’m also doing a drawing course every Tuesday evening for 2 hours. It is a small group with 6 other ladies, and an instructor. I really enjoy it.  It is a very nice group, and we learn a lot, but also have a lot of fun. The drawing part is easy for me, because I did a lot of drawing before, but we’re also painting with a technique I never did before. The first ‘thing’ I made was a dissaster, and now I’m making something that’s much nicer already. It is for 8 times, and I had 3 already, so only 5 more to go.

 

 

As you can read, I am pretty busy. I enjoy it, because almost everything I do I enjoy. It makes it easier to get through the time here without Arian, but it will make leaving again harder. It is still hard to live between two worlds, and I hope that when I get back to Canada, I can build up a life there so that I don’t need my life in the Netherlands so much anymore.

 

 

I’ve been home for a week now, and am still not completely used to living here. I thought it would only take me a few hours to get back into speaking Dutch, but it took me a few days.  As long as I speak about things that happened in the Netherlands, I’m ok, but when I start talking about things I did in Canada I start speaking English again.  I just can’t find the right Dutch words, and use English words without even noticing.

It isn’t just the talking that is different again.  Even things that were normal for my whole life are weird now. I had to look for the handle of the toilet to flush it.  In the Netherlands, it is usually on the top, but in Canada it is on the left side and I couldn’t find it.  I was waving my hand beside the toilet but didn’t feel anything.

The trucks look like they drove into a wall with the flat noses. When I came to Canada I thought the trucks with long noses looked funny, but now I think the same about the trucks here.  Funny how time changes things.

The first thing I did when I got home was walk through the whole house.  Up the stairs to see my bed room, and to see what changed, and what was still the same.

The only thing that feels normal is that there isn’t so much room.  It stills feels normal to bike everywhere, and see other people biking.  Biking was hard at first though.  The bike I drive in Canada was so different then my own bike at home that the first time I drove to the store on the sidewalk because I wasn’t sure about my biking yet.

It is nice to be able to see my friends so often again.  There was a barbeque on Saturday with some friends from church and I really enjoyed that.   A lot has happened since I was here, so I felt a little left out at times, but it was good to be back with people I know, and to learn about their lives again.

Tomorrow I have to go to Allevo, the home care organisation where I worked the last two summers.  I’ll get a timesheet, where I am supposed to write where and how much I worked.  This probably means that they need me quite soon, which will be nice.