People I am Proud of

*My wife, Jenny (Janet). Born and raised in the jungles of Kalimantan, she introduced me to a wonderful world on the other side of the globe. Her love for the Indonesian people still shines. During our 15 years there, all the while struggling with some serious health issues, Jenny served people from villages all around us. With no medical training she cared for upto 30 people a day on our front porch, while teaching our children in home school and keeping up several other ministries. She delivered babies in very unsanitary conditions while trying to teach village mid-wives that saving the baby was more important than getting the after-birth out.Jenny is the type of person every church wants. She excels at seeing potential in every person, she loves to encourage through her spiritual gift of giving, she loves to enhance people’s lives by giving them insights into life and helping them to find teachable moments for their children.Creativity just oozes out of this lovely lady. Her ability to see potential in junk, and then to make something beautiful out of it is just amazing. She has this way with people, too.
*My only son, Joel. An infectious smile, a love for people, a desire to make people feel welcomed and accepted. That’s Joel. Raised in the jungles, Joel made a lot of friends… back in Canada he was the ever-popular good friend to just about everyone. Perhaps the toughest thing for Joel would be deciding where to concentrate his efforts and in which direction to take for life. He seemed to be good at everything he attempted. As an actor he made us proud with his accomplishments in high school and college. Recently he has been concentrating on electronic music… and is doing very well at it. * First daughter, Andrea. The quietest of our 3 children, but underneath lies a heynonnynonny character. Andri is a lot of fun. An accomplished painter/illustrator with a super creative mind, Andri is also very musical. Beautiful smile backed by a beautiful character. *Youngest daughter, Johanna. Joey is bubbly, creative, determined. She has a real big heart for helping others. Great eye for photography… and like all the others, very creative in music, art and drama. Has a way of getting to know a lot of people....

Our children are TCK's (Third Culture Kids). Like all TCK's they face a lot of challenges that most people would not even know exist. Their world view is so great from living in several cultures...

reflections on a good life.

Recently I have been thinking back on my life. Who would have thought that this shy immature kid from the farm would end up living in Singapore? Who would have imagined the privilege of living in the jungles of Borneo for so many years? Of raising 3 great, talented children? Of the thousands of people from various cultures that we count as good friends? God has been so gracious to us. We certainly don't deserve any of it. Back in the early 70's when I was trying to figure out my life (hey, if you think I'm strange now, you should have known me back then!), some good friends, whom God used to steer me back into a personal relationship with Him, introduced me to the music of Andre Crouch. Perhaps his most famous song is the one that could describe my feelings right now: "How can i say thanks, for the things you have done for me? Things, so undeserved, yet You gave to prove your love for me...... To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory for the things He has done...."

Post Departure Thoughts

Our friends left a few hours ago. The amazing thing for us as followers of Jesus is that our farewells are never final, never forever. No matter what happens... to us or to them, ... we will see each other again. We have that blessed assurance of life after death... in fact, Life as it was originally designed to be... not a poor imitation as we now know it today. How privileged we are!
How much we need to tell others about this LIFE!

Going Home?

Less than 12 hours from now we will be saying goodbye to a couple whom we have known and worked with for over half our lives. As we will see them again sometime in the future back in Canada (we think), it is not such an emotional drain on us. As we remain here among people we have come to know and love, there is a measure of comfort. However, for them, after having lived and ministered in S.E. Asia since 1976, this is a very traumatic time. Ill health has forced them to return to a country that somehow is no longer their home. Sure, they have friends and family there, but almost certainly most of them have no clue as to all the things this couple will have to process in their hearts and minds as they return to a country that they are now so different from.
Oh that the churches "back home" would try to understand the emotional turmoil that missionaries go through when they leave places and people they love and have gotten to know over the years. Though I know that God will provide for this couple in every way, yet the journey back will not be easy. They have poured their lives into people here for 30 years, and now they are having to walk away from all that. And they are going back to well meaning people who won't be able to understand what is going on in their lives.
Praise God, that He understands and has promised to supply our every need. It will not be an easy transition, but He will be there with them and for them. All along the way, they will be.... In His Strong Arms.
-Henry