M & M in Suriname

Do you know that feeling? You start at A and then you realize it would be wise to do B and C as well. We wrote in an earlier blog that we had our roof nails replaced with roof screws (in 2012 we would have done that ourselves but now we hired someone to do it for us). Then we discovered that some of the beams under the roof were starting to deteriorate. We decided to tackle that right away. Over the past week and a half, pieces of the beams have been replaced, and we had the roof painted a nice red color. It looks great again.

Monday September first we’re getting on a plane to the Netherlands again. Marco will then have a day to pack his suitcase for Paraguay because on September 4 he will fly back to South America. It’s crazy, but the connection from Amsterdam to Foz is much better than from Paramaribo. If everything goes according to plan, he’ll be back on Dutch soil September 16.

Then we are going to visit Germany, with friends for a midweek break in Sauerland. You can imagine how much we’re looking forward to that!

Next stop (for Marco) is Toronto in Canada for a short week of World Team meetings. This time it will be special because October 1, we will say goodbye to the current International Director and the new director will be installed. We are happy to be well acquainted since we have been working together for the past ten years in the Americas Area. For the first few years, we will support him and his family wherever we can, but there will come a time when we say, ‘the younger generation can take over from us’.

During the fall break, we plan to spend a weekend in Zeeland in the South West of the Netherlands with our children and grandchildren to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary.

Monday evening, we arrived safely back home in Republiek. We look back on a very special week. Last Tuesday afternoon, we landed in Apetina. Then it was a matter of making the house livable again as quickly as possible before dark. We swept and mopped the entire house, put our hammocks in place, and then it was time to cool off in the river. MAF Pilot Joop stayed overnight because he also wanted to learn how to mow with a scythe. That evening, we met with the three students from Palumeu and the four from Apetina. All seven were eager to get started, so we went to sleep in the hammocks full of anticipation, and yes, we needed a blanket again because it was chilly.

The next morning, almost everyone was present at 8 a.m. and we could start assembling the scythes. Of course, several people came by to see what we were doing. They also wanted to know how long we would be staying and whether there was still room in the plane to bring something or someone along…

Afterwards, we practiced next to our house to get the right swing. When you work together, time seems to pass even faster. Soon it was time to end the first lesson and plan to continue practicing the next morning. Joop was able to leave for Paramaribo with a plane full of passengers, and we were able to continue tidying up the house.

Thursday morning around 8:30, the entire team, along with eight scythes and seven rakes, gathered in the canoe to head to the runway. Once there, the real work began. We worked diligently to get the hang of it, and as we did. The parking area for aircrafts was left with nicely trimmed grass. We quickly realized that we had several natural talents in the group.

While we were working, a Gum airplane landed. The pilot immediately got a live demonstration of what a scythe is used for and what it can do for runway maintenance.

Friday morning, we returned to the airport to complete the training. This time, we started at the beginning of the runway. The grass there was very tall. This is particularly dangerous during landing, especially after rainfall. In such conditions, the aircraft’s wheels cannot grip the runway, making braking impossible. On Joop’s instructions, we also mowed the tall grass around the start of the runway a few yards further back. This is important for takeoff because the pilot then turns a full circle and accelerates in that turn to get away quickly.

The men got better while practicing. We also noticed that we still need to improve the equipment. Twice, a scythe handle broke in two. The whetstone could not withstand the vigorous approach of the men, who are used to using a file when sharpening their machetes. So, we will do something about that right away.

As far as we are concerned, this training was a success. Now we must wait and see how the men will continue to work with this. Are they doing it to please us? Or will they get the hang of it to such an extent that they will continue around their homes, in the village, and on the airstrip, and the pilot will see the difference? We’ll have to wait and see…

We are overwhelmed by the positive responses to our blog in the Netherlands about scythes. We sent out this appeal while we were in the middle of an introductory training course for Foundations for Farming in Trinidad. That same evening, we had received pledges for eight scythes, but the responses kept coming in over the following days. The total now stands at 15 scythes and US$2,600 for the flight costs! Many thanks to all the generous donors!

Can you see the differences?

Last Thursday, the package with 8 scythes arrived safely. On Tuesday, August 12, we hope to fly to Apetina and train several people from Apetina itself and Palemeu. We have asked our regular mower in Apetina to refrain from mowing for a while so that we have a test field in front of our house. Later in the week, we will get started on the real work: the airstrip. We are looking forward to it!

Now, back to Trinidad. We were invited to visit the Youth With A Mission base for an introductory training course on Foundations for Farming.

Much to share

practise

the Team

Over two weekends, participants were introduced to various aspects of the theory and were able to see and apply the principles in practice on a small scale. We enjoyed working with this enthusiastic group of key figures who want to develop a vision of how this training can be a blessing for YWAM Trinidad, but also for other islands in the Caribbean.

A small group is now praying and planning meetings with experts in the field of legislation, government regulations, etc. Everything must, of course, fit within the larger framework of YWAM. Since we returned to Suriname at the end of July, we have been in contact several times with Tabitha, the leader of YWAM in Trinidad.

How can we continue?

This day lots of seaweed came ashore

At the end of the training, we were given a word: MoveMent. That touched and encouraged us because this is what we want: for people to get moving and put the principles of Foundations for Farming into practice in all areas of their lives. In addition, people have always seen Marco moving while presenting; they will remember “the Marco dance” for a long time to come.

The Yogis surprised Marco in a redo of celebrating his (lost in the Peruvian bus ride) birthday …

Between teaching sessions, we also had time to explore the island and visit friends and acquaintances. Marco was invited to preach in one of the churches on the last Sunday of July, which was a privilege!

Connecting with Marilyne on the continuation of English classes online again

On the last day of our stay in Trinidad, Ame and Susina arrived from Canada on their way back to Lawa. It was very nice to see them and hear their stories. They enjoyed being able to speak Wayana again when they didn’t find the words in English (yet). That same evening, all four of us were taken to the airport by friends and flew to Suriname together.

Good byes with the Endigeris

The next day, Ame and Susina traveled on to French Guiana, from where they flew back home, arriving on Friday, August 1. We are now working with them to see how we can help them continue to improve their English, even though they are back in the jungle.

After that, we were involved in another Basic Training for Foundation for Farming at our training center in Suriname.

Telling the stories

Practise

This weekend, a construction crew is working on insulating the zinc roof of our house and replacing the old roof nails with screws. We hope this will help us withstand the strong winds and rain caused by climate change.

The Director of Operations/Chief Pilot of MAF in Suriname has asked us, via Foundations for Farming Suriname, to come and teach scything to people in the interior.

Airstrips are regularly ‘closed’ because the grass has grown too long and there are no resources to keep it short. Gasoline for the mowers is expensive and is often not delivered by the government, or delivered far too late. Mowers break down and are not repaired, or are repaired far too late.

When a patient needs to be flown to the city for medical treatment and the airstrip is closed, this has far-reaching consequences and puts human lives at risk.

We would like to share our knowledge and experience. A pilot project is intended to introduce the use of the scythe in two villages: Apetina and Palumeu. Participants from Palumeu will come to Apetina so that we can train a group of eight participants.

The following are needed:

1. Materials, namely 8 scythes (complete with accessories, €250 each).
2. Costs to fly us to (and back from) Apetina to teach there + 2 shuttle trips between Apetina and Palumeu.

We are seeking sponsorship of US$ 2,000 for 8 scythes.

Once we have demonstrated how this works and seen that people are successfully applying it, we will look for opportunities to reach out to more villages.

Due to the condition of the airports, time is of the essence. Our schedule allows us to get started in August. Who will help cover the costs of the pilot project?

We have been back in Suriname for six weeks now. This was the rainy season here. During these weeks, we learned a few things. Most important was that during heavy rain showers, water leaks through the roof and onto the floor in several places. Our roof needs to be fixed. We made arrangements with an expert who will install insulation foil under the zinc roof and replace all the nails with screws during the dry season next August. This is also important because we are increasingly confronted with strong wind and heavy rain.

One morning, we also discovered that a large section of the sandy road was completely flooded. We didn’t dare to drive through it, so we went home empty-handed that day.

On June 24, we received the long-awaited email announcing the appointment of the new international director for World Team. This happens to be the colleague we had in mind to take over Marco’s role as Area Director. So now things will be different. We have to rethink who we are going to hand this task over to. Marco was asked to stay on for another three years. First, we will have the official handover of the international director at the leadership meeting in Toronto, Canada, in early October. We are constantly reminded of Roy Lytle’s 2012 statement: “Be flexible.” We are grateful that we can be.

We are so grateful for the communication possibilities that exist today. Now that Ame and Susina are in Canada, it is very nice to be in regular contact via WhatsApp. This allows us to respond to any problems with their children or parents in Lawa. Susina’s parents take care of their 13-year-old twins. Recently, Susina’s mother has been in the hospital in Paramaribo twice, which meant that most of the care fell to the grandfather. Eventually, we were asked if we could contribute 500 euros for the month of July, so that food could be purchased for the twins. This is one of the cultural differences we encountered. As Dutch people, you think, ‘Don’t you plan this? You work with a budget’. Not in the life of most Wayana, ‘you live from day to day’. Fortunately, we were able to get the money to Lawa quickly through our contacts with MAF.

Last weekend, Ame and Susina, together with Pamela, attended a four-day conference of the Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. It was a great opportunity to meet Christian indigenous people in Canada and practice English with them.

Last week, we were busy for a few days at Foundations for Farming Service Center Suriname. A container had arrived from the Netherlands containing, among other things, a mini tractor with accessories and a trailer for our project. That’s when Marco’s technical insight and dexterity came in handy. Of course, everything had to be improvised, because this mini tractor does not come with a tow bar as standard.

On July 16, we traveled to Trinidad to provide training for Foundations for Farming at the Youth With A Mission base for the next two weeks. Our next adventure.

In the past few weeks, Marjolein has been able to visit quite a few people in the Netherlands. Marco was visiting Peru at the time on behalf of Foundations for Farming. Together with Josue, our local trainer, we visited several small villages in the jungle around Pucallpa, some 500 miles from Lima.

Together with Josue

This is a huge area behind the high mountains of the Andes, crisscrossed by rivers under tropical conditions. The people can now live there. You can see from the houses (on stilts) that for several months each year the water rises so high that the entire population must move to the nearest city because the houses are sometimes full of water up to 40 inches above the floor.

breakfast

People keep coming back because the river is full of fish and the people are attached to their village.

jungle taxi, 3 hours drive

From Foundations for Farming, we offer help and training to set up agriculture in several higher areas on large fields that have been made available by the government after the authorities dismantled several drug plantations there in the past

Birthday 2025

May 24 was a special day for Marco. After leaving Pucallpa, the plan was to arrive in Lima the next morning, ready for my birthday… This turned out differently. I often had to remember an important piece of advice at the beginning of our ministry and life in Suriname: be flexible. That was ‘spot on’ yesterday. After we had first stopped for 2 hours by a landslide that had flooded the road with boulders, mud, and a lot of water, the bus came to a stop again at 04:00 am. That ‘break’ still didn’t seem to be resolved after about 5 hours.

The whole road was full of all kinds of vehicles waiting for what was to come. We received a message that ahead of us a truck loaded with wood had fallen on its side which blocked the entire road. Then we decided to take our luggage off the bus and walk along the location of disaster on foot and then look for transport for the remaining 400 miles to Lima. After half an hour of lagging, the long line of vehicles began to move slowly. We found a ride in a pickup truck.

After we finally left the whole situation behind us, he took us to the next city where we found a taxi to drive us to Lima. That evening at 11 pm I arrived at my Airbnb. After traveling for 32 hours. A birthday that I probably will remember. And, the coffee and cake were there in the form of bottles of water and dry crackers. That was what was available in the tiny shop where the bus stopped. Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 27 Marco will fly back to Marjolein in the Netherlands. Warm greetings from Lima, Peru

Ame and Susina are getting used to Coole Canada Conditions and learning a lot.

Pamela has shown Ame and Susina the way around in the past week. They went shopping for food. They took the bus to learn how to get to school in the coming weeks and then back home again. They now know how the elevator to Pamela’s apartment works. It is cold for them, they still have to get used to that.

Their children and other family members are doing well. Ame is a bit worried about his mother who has been ill for a long time and is not getting better. They ask prayer for this coming week when the school starts, that they can follow the lessons well and especially speaking will go well.

They received a text message that the passports of the youngest children were already ready in Cayenne. With the request to come and pick them up soon. They will not be back until the end of July, so they hope that this will not be a problem. They are very grateful that you are standing around them in prayer.

Revival Conference

We hope to be at the Revival conference this coming weekend. We will sleep in a small tent and see if we can keep our feet dry. We look forward to many meetings on the grounds. Immediately after that, we will leave for home in Suriname on June 4.

On Thursday, March 6 we arrived in Apetina with Jon and Ria Dam. Jon is the secretary of the Board of Foundations for Farming in the Netherlands. As we flew over the river, we hoped to see rocks in the rapids so that we could bathe in the river. We succeeded! The first two days we could enjoy the nice water in the river. After that, the water rose 4 to 6 inches every day, so after two days, the current was so strong that we had to move to our rain shower in the house. This time we arrived in a clean house because Ilse had been in Apetina 3 weeks before us. So we were able to share the house. Ilse had even put hot water for coffee and fresh biscuits on the table. A warm welcome!

Rumikub in the evening

These ladies came to thank us for the baby food we continue to supply through Medical Mission

People come to meet us after church

It was wonderful to give our friends a glimpse into our lives and those of the Wayana. We are also looking forward to training the Wayana in the sustainable farming methods offered by Foundations for Farming.

We flew in two rolls of carpet on the plane that would bring Jon and Ria back to the city.

We continue to enjoy feeling at home in different worlds. We were able to mourn with our neighbours for the loss of their one-year-old daughter. With others in the village, we were able to enjoy the new babies in the family.

Meeting with the elders in our house

Near the airstrip, a large group of people were helping to clear a field to place the solar panels for the antenna of the Trans World Radio transmitter. What a huge project! We pray that Wayana and Trio will be there to support the vision and technology of the radio work. It has so much potential. Later that week, the studio and transmitter were tested and the signal was received on a radio! The system works.

Next to the airstrip, 6 antennas have been erected to create a radio link between the Wayana villages

The Trans World Radio studio and transmitter building in Apetina

Due to the heavy rain, it was not possible to fly the students for the local Bible school from the various villages to Palumeu. It turned out that the school would start a week later than planned. They started on Monday, March 24th, and finished on Friday, April 4th.

Ame, Susana’s husband, also attended the school. It is good preparation for their plans to go to Winnipeg, Canada in mid-May. They hope to study English at a language school during the week. Each weekend they plan to attend a church in the North End, where many First Nations people live. They also hope to strengthen relationships with the National Evangelical Fellowship or Canada when they visit their annual conference in Regina. It is a busy programme for which they are already preparing, as well as caring for the children and parents left behind in Lawa.

Tukusipan needs a new roof. Some leaves have been collected.

Online meetings are our daily routine. Here, Marjolein meets with a team from all over the world. Now, Apetina is our hotspot.

Anneke Kempeneers, the youth worker in Lawa, sent us the following story:

The Bible school in Palumeu has finished. All the students are longing for their families. For MAF this means a few days of continuous flights to bring all the men back to the villages. Four flights in one day are planned for Lawa. It’s ambitious, but if the planes can be loaded and unloaded quickly, it can be done.

The first three flights go off without a hitch. However, there is now an hour’s delay in the schedule. This is difficult as the chance of rain increases later in the afternoon. I can already see the air changing. Pilot Johan is hoping for the best and says, “See you later” before he takes off to pick up the last men from Palumeu.

5.06 PM The telephone rings. It is a colleague from MAF who says that Johan took off from Palumeu 30 minutes ago. “How is the weather in Lawa at the moment?” I am shocked and worried. I had not expected the fourth flight so late in the afternoon. It is raining and, even worse, there is a thunderstorm. It will probably go on until sunset. As so often in the rainy season. “Lord, keep them safe!

5.39 PM MAF calls again. Johan is near Lawa. What’s the weather like now? I reply that, contrary to my expectations, the rain and thunderstorm stopped exactly two minutes ago. But the sky is heavily overcast and dark. “Do you see a hole in the clouds? Johan just needs a hole. That is all I can see. A small hole in the distance. “Lord, please let Johan see that hole too”.

It sweeps through the village like a raging fire. MAF is coming! My phone’s working again. The Wayanas are calling now. “They say the MAF is coming, but it can’t be true!” The people are stunned as they listen to the sound of the plane coming closer and closer. After the plane had landed safely, I called out to one of the people, “Good, huh? He points up and says, “Thank God. After the plane had been unloaded, I heard from Johan how exciting it was. On the way, he got caught in a thunderstorm. Would he have to return? Luckily, he was able to consult his colleague Joop on the radio, who was also on a flight (to another destination). The decision was made to continue the flight. This was not easy. Joop encouraged him on the radio. Behind his back, the four passengers were praying. The Lord kept them safe. Between the lightning. And he gave Johan enough sight to land safely.

As I lie in my hammock this evening, I think about how special this day has been. This morning, the weather was good, but the telecom tower didn’t work. This afternoon, when we really needed it, the telecom tower worked fine (usually it doesn’t work during thunderstorms). A miracle. It is also a miracle that Joop, flying his own plane, was able to coach Johan on this trip. A miracle that the storm stopped just when Johan was approaching Lawa.

Last week we arrived in the Netherlands. For the next two months, we have a full schedule. More about that in our next blog.

We thought to sleep later in the evening of December 31 from 2024 to 2025. We didn’t think about our neighbors. At midnight we all woke up with a ‘pagara’ that went off. A ‘pagara’ is several meters of firecrackers with a long wick. When lit it seems like a machine gun is going off. This is how we started the new year.

Marjolein’s father flew back to the Netherlands on January 16. We enjoyed his visit very much! After two months of living with the three of us, it took some time to get our rhythm of being together again. We quickly got back in the groove, after all, we have more than 20 years of experience… (since the kids got out of the house :)).

A week later we celebrated Marjolein’s 65th birthday. We didn’t make it a big party. Cozy coffee with apple pie at our daughters’ in Paramaribo was great to celebrate. We are extremely grateful that we’re able to experience this together and that we are both healthy and can intensely enjoy the life we ​​have received so far.

Let’s talk about the 2025 plans of Wayana to go to Canada.

Ame and Susina are in the starting blocks to go to the Heartland International English School in Winnipeg for intensive English training for 10 weeks in May 2025. We are impressed by their perseverance. They have a specific prayer point: they leave 3 teenagers behind with their grandfather and grandmother for three months. Please pray that the spiritual climate with the grandparents will be good. That God comforts the children when they miss their parents?

We have calculated a budget for the trip, and it is clear they are not able to bring that amount on their own. Even for the Wayana community, this is out of their reach. Part of the budget has already been donated by some of our supporters on a monthly base. Another amount has been reserved at World Team Suriname. The Wayanas have promised that they pay the costs for the local travel of Ame and Susina in Suriname.

May we ask for your help with the following amount?

We still need US$ 8,500 to complete the total budget. An important part of this is the English course at Heartland International English School, the Language Institute in Winnipeg, which costs US$ 2,550 per person where they will follow 25 hours of lessons per week. This requires an amount of US$ 5,100 for the two of them.

You can transfer your contribution to World Team project nr 40546 ‘Wayana/Canada Mission Project’.

Online giving through World Team Canada

Online Giving through World Team USA

At the end of January, we discussed the plans for 2025 with the small group of Foundations for Farming Suriname. Both local trainers are busy. Serge guides several groups in the province of Brokopondo. Jennifer is doing a great job of developing the training center for Foundations for Farming in Suriname. That is standing with her feet in the clay. The intention is to set up the Foundations for Farming Suriname Foundation in the coming months. This year we aim to organize basic training every two months.

This month there is another weekend on the program. One of the board members of Foundations for Farming the Netherlands will visit with his wife in mid-February. We hope to go to Apetina for a few days at the beginning of March to have a look at the gardens there.

This month we will participate in a course within the World Team to fill the transition to the pension. We do this together with colleagues within the World Team. In the coming week, we will read the 11 topics that we will deal with in small groups in the coming months. Together and in a larger context, we talk about it more often that we will arrive in the coming years, but we can and could also extend it for us. Now we are practically working on the transition that this requires to think well. We are curious!

We enjoyed our weeks in Lawa. It was very nice to meet the people again and hear their stories.

Our view at the end of the afternoon

Picture moment

In the past 12 1/2 years that we have been living here, we have never seen the river this low due to the extremely dry ‘dry season’.  This has many negative consequences for the people: the cassava on their farm land has hardly grown, all food and fuel for the outboard motors must be delivered by air. As a result, prices have skyrocketed. For example, 20 liters of petrol for the outboard motor costs 120 euros in a village 3 hours downstream. The store near Lawa has run out of gasoline. A trip downstream now costs at least 240 euros. Fortunately, various organizations and private individuals support the Wayana communities by sending in rice by air.

It recently started to rain every day again and we see the water level slowly rising. We hope that prices will then drop back to the previous rates.

Meeting with the church leaders for the 2025 plans

Cross-cultural working requires a lot of flexibility. We had discussed in advance with one of the church leaders whether our arrival was suitable because we wanted to talk about the plans for future ministry in Canada. We want to know the vision of the Wayana churchleaders in this matter. It is finally Friday afternoon, December 13th. when we managed to speak to the church board.

Saturday morning, December 14th. we had a church-wide leadership meeting about the planning and the budget for 2025. We enjoy seeing the younger leaders take the lead.

Result

Explaining this telephone

half hour walk in the early morning, stretching the legs

goodbye in church

It was very nice to spend a few days with Anneke in Lawa, share things together and look ahead.

Marjoleins dad left a few days earlier

On Monday, December 16, we boarded the plane back to Paramaribo.

We have now been in our house in Republiek for a week. Tomorrow we celebrate Christmas with Elsbeth and her family. Very special that her grandfather can be with us this year.

Christmas shopping

Lights of the season

We are also planning for 2025. We look forward to what the new year will bring.

After 7 wonderful weeks in the Netherlands and surrounding areas, we landed safely in Suriname last week. It was very nice to meet a lot of people and see how they are doing. On Friday, November 8, during our fundraising dinner we briefly reflected on the fact that we left for Suriname with our 3 children 35 years ago. It was so nice to review some photos from the past.

This week is filled with preparations for our trip to Lawa next Tuesday. The boxes with groceries are filling up steadily. Preparations are also underway for the first Foundations for Farming introductory training at the expertise center in the making on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November.

We have had several rain showers last week, but it is still very dry inland. This means that the water level is so low that Chinese supermarkets can no longer be supplied. This means that the Wayana cannot buy rice. Next Friday, MAF will fly a plane full rice to Lawa. Other organizations are also working on food aid since the drought also affects the growth of the cassava.

Suriname celebrates its Independence Day on Monday November 25 and the next day we fly to Lawa. We hope to be there until December 16th. We look forward to meeting the people again. To hear from Ame and Susina how their English is going. To learn from municipal leaders what plans they have for next year. We would also like to hear from them how they plan to move forward with their vision to reach out to the First Nations in Canada. And we would like to learn how we can support them.

At the end of October, a whole group of Wayana and Tareno planned to go to Brazil for 3 months to evangelize and encourage the churches in the Amazon jungle. Due to the presence of soldiers in the area they plan to go, they have not yet left. There is no clarity yet on when they will be able to go, so everyone in the group is ‘stand by’.

Recently, a great project was started via Trans World Radio (TWR) to build two local radio stations in the interior of Suriname. Trio programs will soon be produced in Tepu and broadcasted, in Apetina Wayana programs. The studios have been built, the antennas are now being installed, charged by solar panels. Tom Schoen, whose father translated the Wayana Bible, grew up in Apetina as a child. He now works for TWR to supervise this project. This video beautifully portrays their family history.