Ever been awakened in the middle of the night by a bear trying to get into your trash can, but just couldn’t get in? This has happened to us a couple of times, but the most recent time, we finally got to see the bear live and in person. Thankfully, we have a chain on our trash can that kept him (her?) out, and once he saw us peeking out of the window at him, he ran away, but not before we got a look at him.
The last few months, the news has been full of bears active in and around Colorado Springs and all of Colorado, you may have even had some wondering through your town. We have even gotten a couple of messages from the girls’ school district that Sarah’s school was on “lock-down” because of a mama bear and her cubs in the parking lot. Lisa’s school warned us as well of an “active bear” around her school (most likely the one we had in our backyard).
After a great summer with lots of time with family, Jo and the girls in The Netherlands and then all of us in Arizona, we are back in “full swing” with school and ministry. Lisa is now an 8th-grader (she’ll be in high school next year!!!) and Sarah started 5th grade (her last year in elementary school).
Two Ministries Under one Roof
At the beginning of this year, the Y360 leadership team had decided that they would sell the location, simply because the mortgage and other costs were getting too high. Thankfully, that changed in June when they were approached by another YWAM ministry here in town, YWAM NSI, who was looking for office space to rent (we may have mentioned before that we have four YWAM locations here in Colorado Springs). It’s a blessing to us to be able to stay in the building and also bless another YWAM ministry with office space.
Jack (or Jane) of All Trades
Lately, Jolanda sometimes feels like a “Jane-of-all-trades” at Y360: cleaning lady, receptionist, facilities manager, food bank helper, online bookstore worker and of course still involved in missionary care (debriefing). The Y360 team has, unfortunately shrunk a bit lately. Some staff have moved on and some have even gotten (part-time) jobs. As with all, smaller YWAM teams, this means the tasks that have to get done need to be carried by everyone. We are blessed to have other ministries using our building for, among other things, board meetings and also that two churches are meeting in our building on Sundays.
YWAM Hosting
This is not something we have talked about much in our newsletters, but I, Rodney, am still doing web hosting for a number of YWAM missionaries around the world. What this means is that I make sure their websites have a “home” on the web where they can get their message our to the world. This work started when I was working in the communication ministry at Heidebeek and I’ve been doing it for more than 11 years now.
YWAM Central Europe is one of the sites that Rodney hosts. Click on the photo to check it out.
Rodney’s Grandmother is Turning 100!
Afgelopen maart hebben de meiden tijd doorgebracht met "Great Grandma".
On Saturday, October 7th, my, (Rodney), Grandma, Edna will turn 100! I will be flying in from Colorado and my parents and brother will be coming in from Arizona and California to celebrate this festive occasion.
This last March we were in Oklahoma for Spring Break and our girls got to spend some time with Great Grandma.
Jolanda sharing in her church in The Netherlands this past Summer.
Rodney also got to share in his church in Globe.
A "meet and greet" in Jolanda's church with, of course the "gezellig" coffee, tea or juice time afterwards.
Sarah and all her friends in the "treehouse" Rodney built for them.
Lisa got to go to Summer camp at Camp Elim.
Walking home from Lisa's school.
