The title of this blog comes from a worship song called 'Nothing I Hold On To' by Will Reagon. It is a beautiful song about surrender and trust in the process and path of your life. That not everything can be created and that we are part of a greater whole (call it God, Jesus, or the universe. Whatever speaks to your imagination). It is a simple song in which the following sentences are often repeated, but it is precisely that repetition that makes the meaning of those sentences reach your heart.
...I don't lean on my own understanding...
…My life is in the hands of the maker of heaven…
… I give it all… I give it all to you God…
…Trusting that you will make something beautiful out of me…
…I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open…
You can listen to the complete song here find.
And it is precisely that surrender and trust that I need in this period of transformation.
We bought a beautiful piece of land for the Work&Shop!
We often say: "It was meant to be", and this is certainly true in this case. We had been looking for a suitable piece of land for a while, but so far it was 'not quite'. Until we discovered a beautiful plot: perfect location on a busy road, on a corner, with other shops nearby and the ideal surface area. Unfortunately, we heard that evening that it had already been sold. What a disappointment! A few days later we were called with the message that the deal was not going through after all and whether we were still interested...?! We had to act quickly, because land in that area is very popular and sells quickly. We completed the purchase that same day! Below you can see a panoramic photo of the piece of land (30m x 50m). We are very happy and excited to start building, planned for the beginning of next year. We will use the coming period to arrange all the necessary permits. But first champagne, because every milestone must be celebrated! :)
Regarding the finances for the construction, we are still waiting for feedback from one of our larger donors and hope for a positive response! In the meantime, we are busy developing a beautiful website that will serve as a platform for information, fundraising, updates and communication with volunteers and donors. Although the website is not completely finished yet, you can already take a look! www.workandshop.co.tz
It was also time for a new team photo ( from left to right ): Levy ( member ), Elizabeth ( treasurer ), Laurent ( vice chair ), Susanne ( chair ), Elizabeth ( treasurer ), Metod ( member ), Ester ( member / community liaison ). And if you also want such a cool T-shirt and support us at the same time? Order - and take a better look at the T-shirt, it also has a back print - via the website ! Available sizes M/L/XL and price 10,- euro each. If you want a different color shirt, please email us. Delivery when I come to the Netherlands.
"It takes hands to build a house, but only hearts can build a home."
The sale of my house in the Netherlands went smoothly thanks to the great efforts of my parents, sister and her partner, and the real estate agent. I am extremely grateful for their hard work! A special thanks to my parents, who are my great example when it comes to unconditional love in practice. They are always there for us (their children), no matter what situation we are in. The sale of my house also means an emotional closure; it confirms that I will not be returning to the Netherlands (for the time being). That is a big step. But this feeling was quickly surpassed by the excitement of the construction of our house here; we can finally make great progress with the construction! It is a huge job and the workers are working very hard, even under the hot sun..! Unbelievable. Heavy manual work is done with hardly any machines. Lau is on the construction site every day, buying all the building materials and supervising together with the engineer. He leaves early in the morning and does not come home until late, but he enjoys his work immensely and puts all his energy into building a beautiful home for our family.
Every few days I visit to see if there are any issues we need to discuss together. One thing is for sure; building a house is something we only do once in our lives - what a job that is! And as usual here, it is not without its problems... For example, we are currently dealing with a water problem in that area and the water is only delivered once a week. This poses some challenges, as the cement needs to get enough water to harden.
Experience also teaches us that what seems logical, beautiful or important to us, is sometimes not at all the case for others. For example, whether the door opens inwards or outwards, the window frames that are not quite the same, the shower tap being placed too high, and so on. It also often happens that the workers give it their own twist and that it looks slightly different than what we had indicated. I already know that the house will look different than on the drawings, but we just accept that haha! Lau and I see building our house as a good relationship test, which we fortunately pass well.
"Yin Yoga is all about being still... stillness in the pose, brings stillness within..."
In addition to all the construction projects, I am also working on a personal goal and have completed a training program to become a Yin Yoga teacher. The desire to become a yoga teacher has been in my system for years, but I never took action until after Nelson was born. It took me over 1.5 years to complete the training program and now I can finally start teaching yoga. So exciting and fun!
In my environment I see a growing need for more personal relaxation and self-care, but the local population is generally not yet familiar with these concepts and how they can contribute to this themselves. People find their relaxation (consciously or not) in activities such as praying, singing, dancing, gathering during celebrations and funerals, visiting the hairdresser, having their nails done, and a small percentage does sports. The familiarity with yoga, breathing exercises and personal coaching (not in a didactic way, but rather facilitating) is still in its infancy here. I feel a strong inner motivation to contribute to this and to help women in particular to feel better. It is a fascinating journey from which I learn a lot and I am extremely grateful for the trust and openness of the people I have been able to guide so far. mBIT coaching (which I wrote about in my previous blog) and Yin Yoga also go very well together and complement each other, as both methods focus on breathing as a 'gateway' that restores your inner energy channels (either through a focus on your brains, chakras, or meridians) to more peace and inner wisdom.
"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone."
The global situation regularly occupies my mind. The wars, famines, natural disasters and attacks form a complicated reality in which I sometimes seriously worry about the future we leave for our children. Although I am powerless to intervene directly, I try to shift my focus to my immediate surroundings where I can have a positive impact through small acts of love. A generous donation from a donor in Ireland made it possible for us to help a number of people financially.
Sometimes these people come my way 'accidentally' or I am asked for help directly in case of emergency. What is important to me is that I can make a difference in someone's life simply by giving them a little of my time and attention. We are so quickly inclined (I catch myself doing this too) to focus only on our own problems and busy lives, that we sometimes look away from the other. Of course you can't help everyone, but if you see an opportunity, do it. Regardless of whether you have a personal connection (friend/family) with that person. Money is not always necessary. Sometimes it is about a listening ear or a connection (you put them in touch with someone who can help them further) or things (clothing, cooking utensils, etc.).
Below are some beautiful portraits of (mainly) children we have helped in the past few weeks (parental permission to post online). I deliberately say 'we' because it is always a team effort. Lately I have often been together with Teddy (in the photo she carries Junior on her back) who has committed herself unconditionally.
Diana (13 years old): We offer Diana a temporary place to sleep due to a difficult home situation and we occasionally contribute to school expenses (uniform, lunch).
Baby Baraka (new born): We gave Baraka first aid after birth. He had a very high fever (42 degrees) and did not drink. He appeared to have a blood infection and constipation. After he recovered, the parents named him 'Baraka' which means blessing.
Junior (9 yrs) has cerebral palsy and had never been to school. I met him when we went to drop off a Mommaluv package for his mother (she had her 5th child). He was unable to move past the bed and could shift a little. We helped the parents move closer to a school/day care for handicapped children (so they could carry him there, wheelchairs don't work here with all the dirt roads and rocks) and orthopedic aids were fitted for him. Many thanks to my fellow missionary Anna J. at Maryknoll!
Selina (13 years old) has not been to school for two months due to lung disease. The hospital had treated her as an asthma patient, but after further examination it turned out to be pneumonia and she is recovering well after a week of therapy. Hopefully she can go back to school soon because she is in her exam year and is soooo smart! In the picture you see her with her younger brother Edwin.
Mother Suzy and daughter Mary (8 months). Her husband and father of Mary has disappeared and left them with only a mattress and a few cooking utensils. We helped her move, pay rent, and a small start-up capital for a business (selling home-baked snacks) so she can earn her own money and take care of herself and Mary.
"Recipe for Iced Coffee: 1) have kids 2) make coffee
3) forget you made coffee 4) drink it cold..."
And in between all the hustle and bustle we also have our three children that we take care of. This sounds a bit like they come last haha, but of course that is not the case. I often underestimate how much energy and attention parenting requires and the fact that our kids are so different in age sometimes brings with it the necessary challenges.
In July we had a party because Jacob had his graduation from primary school and his 12th birthday. With a super good report in his pocket he started high school with great courage. Nice familiarity on the same compound with many of the same classmates. Interests now a lot in basketball (no longer swimming) and drumming. Willy's 7th birthday was in June and we celebrated with a very nice Spiderman cake. He is our biggest rascal and joker, but oh such a sweetheart, especially for his younger brother. He likes dressing up (as you can see) and with all kinds of Kong Fu movements he rushes through the house. Nelson is now over 1.5 and is a fanatic soccer player. It must be in his genes, because even before he could walk properly he was almost obsessed with balls. He is happy every day (I'm not exaggerating) and is very sweet to everyone (he is always the first to share or offer something to someone else). He also starts chatting a lot and mixes all languages together (especially Swahili and Dutch). Parenting is absolutely beautiful and sometimes confronting at the same time, but I am so grateful that I get to have this experience and witness their growth!
Warm greetings from Mwanza,
Susanne,
Laurent & the kids
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