M & M in Suriname

What amazing people and places we’ve encountered over the past three weeks! The team building relationships here with Muslims from the Middle East and Asia consists of five nationalities, all from Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas. This was Marco’s third visit here, but for Marjolein, it was wonderful to finally put names and stories to the people she met. The little Spanish Marjolein knows came in handy. It was a bit of a shock to realize that almost the entire team is younger than our own children :-).

The team wanted to explore whether they could expand their work to include various indigenous groups living in the area. So, we spent quite a few days driving around to visit different communities. The first few days were in the vicinity (about a 3-hour drive) of where we were staying.

The following week, we drove to the Chaco, the province where a group of Mennonite families moved from Canada over a hundred years ago. We stayed with a young couple of Mennonite descent. It was easiest for us to speak with them in German, since our Spanish isn’t great yet and their English didn’t really keep the conversation going either. That required a bit of digging into our memories, but it got better every day. After five days and quite a few visits to indigenous villages of various tribes, it was a real shame to drive back. Fortunately, we were able to do that in two stages, because driving straight through for 12 hours is quite a challenge for Marjolein.

During the third week, we spent a few more days with the team doing training in evangelism. It was fun to do and to discover how much great material there is to help us engage in conversation together. Even after so many years of experience, we came away with some fresh ideas.

On the last Sunday of our visit, we were invited to attend the ordination of two new pastors in a church in the capital, Asunción, so on Saturday we spent another five hours in the car and arrived just in time for a fantastic barbecue—they’re good at that here. Everything was delicious, but Marjolein did miss the vegetables, salad, and fruit. They were nowhere to be found. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

Now the process begins for World Team to pray and discover whether and how God wants to use the team in Paraguay to reach out to one or more tribes.

In our previous blog, we wrote about Nutrilon baby formula. To our horror, we read about a recall of Nutrilon cans in both a Dutch and a Surinamese newspaper. We went to the clinic and inspected all the cans. Unfortunately, three boxes were “contaminated” and had to be exchanged in Paramaribo. Through various channels—Medical Mission, the government, and others—we tried to get more clarity, because, well, we’d have to bring back an extra 35 kg. Eventually, we ended up at the importer… where we received good advice. The boxes had to be returned and could be exchanged. Now the good cans are waiting at MAF for an opportunity to arrive back in Apetina. Fortunately, all the cans for the smallest babies were fine.

Learning how to fix the hammock

Now Marjolein can fix one of our own

Together with Johan we are watching the Wayana to Canada video

Trans World Radio is working on a major project for the Wayana and Tareno peoples deep in the interior. The studios are almost ready. They are equipped with advanced technology, and several people will be trained further in the coming months to operate them. For this purpose, Tom Schoen, son of the first missionary in Apetina, will be staying with us again soon. In Apetina, people can now listen to Christian programs in their own language during certain hours of the week. It’s wonderful to see how much they enjoy it.

I made this. What is it for?

To carry stuff

One afternoon, we had a special encounter with Petra. We were enjoying our “jacuzzi” in the river when she suddenly jumped into our “bathroom” and asked for prayer. We listened to her, prayed for her, and referred her to a few women with whom she could talk further. Marjolein also informed the ladies about our encounter, and we sincerely hope that Petra and other young women like her will once again dance for the Lord in church during the upcoming Easter conference.

After returning to the city, we immediately got to work preparing for the next Foundations for Farming training session on the last weekend of February. The fact that the group of interested participants was a bit smaller this time didn’t dampen the fun. We’ve now expanded the training to include an extra evening. That turned out to be a success. Now there was enough time on Saturday to include building the compost pile as a regular part of the training.

Theory to start with

Practice

Compost accomplished

Those weeks in Apetina and the city are now behind us. We’re writing this blog from our apartment in Paraguay. You can read about our experiences on this trip in our next post. There’s plenty to share again.

Do NOT touch

January 30, 2026, was one of the few “drizzly” rainy days in the jungle of Suriname. On Wednesday, the 28th, we flew to Apetina with MAF. Johan had cut the grass around our house beautifully short again, but there was nothing he could do about the damage the bats had done inside the house. So, there was work to be done so we could sleep in a reasonably tidy and clean house. Fortunately, we had an extra pair of hands, because Janna, a friend from our time in Suriname in the 1990s, is spending three and a half weeks with us.

Before departure from Zorg and Hoop Airport

It remains touching to see how happy people are to see us again, even though we are not doing anything special. “You are staying for almost a month, how nice! One week is too short,” said a few women. We are curious to see how we can be a blessing during these weeks.

Janna collects spider bodies, strange hobby

Several mothers are happy that we brought 80 kg of cans of Nutrilon babymilk. Marjolein will talk to the clinic in the coming weeks. How many children are helped in this way, but more importantly, is it being carefully monitored so that it only goes to those mothers who are not breastfeeding? It remains a constant search for the golden mean.

Sunset on our way to bible study in Matta, a tribal village near the airport

Bible study in Matta church

Since last September, there has been no electricity in the village again. The new village generator is no longer working, apparently due to a broken battery. Fortunately, we have solar panels, which provide enough power to keep our freezer running, but we feel very sorry for the village. We have asked MAF to buy a battery for us in the city next week and bring it with them on Friday’s flight.

Apple pie as it should be as part of Marjolein’s birthday, January 22

In the coming weeks, we hope to visit the gardens of the local trainers of the Foundations for Farming project again. This will allow us to see whether they are still applying the principles and in what way they met some problems. It was very encouraging to hear from the father of one of the trainers that he already applied, and now he has a better yield from his garden.

Ipomadi and Meilssa see the first draft of the Wayana to Canada video

The bridge in Berlijn, nostaglia from the 90s

We can also see that we haven’t been home for a while. At the bottom of the duffel bag with my clothes, everything was completely damp. The next morning, I saw that there was a hole in the outer wall of the dry room. Marco investigated and was able to remove a large piece of rotten wood from a few planks. We will repair that in the coming week. Fortunately, we still have some leftover paint and pieces of wood, so we’ll be able to fix it. Next to this, we saw that wood lice had started building their nest at the top of the house. We put a stop to that immediately and cleaned out their nest.

In just a few days, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. For some, this is a beautiful story. For us, it is one of the highlights of the year, commemorated and celebrated with many believers worldwide. We wish you all a very blessed Christmas and, one week later, a happy New Year. In Suriname, we expect a lot of fireworks marking the change of the calendar into 2026.

In Paramaribo, shooting fireworks starts mid-December and often continues until after New Year’s Day. Our daughter Elisabeth’s smallest dog is terrified of all the loud noise, so she has asked if Storm, as the little lap dog is called, can stay with us until after New Year’s Day. This guest will be picked up by his owners on January 2nd, and that same afternoon we will pick up our old friend Janna from the airport, who will be staying with us for a while. We met Janna in the early nineties when she worked at the Samuel children’s home. We are looking forward to her arrival.

Preparation meeting with Ame and Susina

Meeting with the Church leaders in Lawa

On Monday, December 15, we flew out of Lawa after a visit of more than two weeks. The visit of the Canadian couple from NEFC was special and successful. Every day, Conrad encountered a situation where he said, “How similar our ways of life are!” They enjoyed canoe trips, fishing adventures, walks through the jungle where every tree was named, meetings with church leaders from the village, and a presentation evening where they showed photos of the area where they live and how they live.

Special gift for Grand Chief Ipomadi

The big difference, of course, is the temperature, which ranges from minus 30 to plus 30 degrees. So, it was very hot and tiring for them. Ame and Susina have been invited to visit them in the reserve in 2026.

Many necklaces and bracelets were made to show the appreciation of the people

First, Ame must apply for a new passport in early January. Then we will apply for a new visa for him and hope that his fingerprints are still valid, which will save us another trip to Georgetown in Guyana.

Annual planning meeting for 2026 with all the churches on the Lawa river

One of the trips into the jungle took us to a location where 12 men from the village were cutting down trees with a mobile saw. The trees were then cut into beams and planks to build a new roof for the church at Lawa. They spent 17 days cutting lumber. Now it must rain substantially before they can transport all the lumber to the village by canoe.

Lucas Sawmill in action

Visiting the team in the jungle, cutting planks and beams

If the water level in the river is still low, they can first scoop sand and gravel from the islands into bags and transport them to the village by canoe. They still need about 2,000 bricks for the construction of the walls. The people of Lawa will make these themselves in the first few months of 2026, when they have money for cement. On behalf of the Wayana community, we have written a project dossier to send to various churches in the Netherlands, the United States, and Canada, with a request to contribute financially to this plan.

Project New Roof for the Church of Lawa

Back to the city after a great visit in Lawa

The last weekend of September was a big celebration in Palumeu, a village deep in the interior of Suriname. They celebrated the fact that about 50 years ago, the first Bible conference for the Wayana and Tareno people was held. Roy Lytle, who was present at that first Bible conference, joined in the celebration again this time. God is faithful! Of course, none of the preparations happened automatically. MAF seemed unable to obtain fuel for their planes. That would mean that many conference attendees would have to stay in their villages because they could not fly to Palumeu. Fortunately, God provided in time, and the people from Paramaribo could also be transported to Palumeu. We were already in the Netherlands that weekend and enjoyed the photos and stories afterwards.

45 years of marriage

We have wonderful memories of the various celebrations we had last October! How special it is to get along so well as a family and later as friends. That is something we have cherished and celebrated for years, but it was nice to reflect on it together and in a larger circle.

Farewell

On November 2, we received the news that Marjolein’s aunt Atie had passed away in her sleep. This gave the last week before we were due to fly back to Suriname a completely different schedule. We are so grateful that we were there and did not have to rush back to the Netherlands to be in time for the funeral. It felt like we were rushing from one thing to the next to get everything done, but we managed. The funeral was on Monday, November 10, after which we said goodbye to our family, packed our bags in Delft, and flew to Suriname on Tuesday, the 11th. We will not soon forget this abrupt farewell.

First Nations

In Suriname, our attention turned once again to preparations for the arrival of Mr and Mrs Flett from Canada. They will be visiting from December 1 to 8 as representatives of the Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada to meet the Wayana people in Lawa. The way of life in the jungle of Suriname is very different from that in the far north of Canada. We hope that Ame, Susina, and the other leaders will give them a good insight into their lifestyle.

Hot Compost

Last Saturday, we made a compost heap with the team from Foundations for Farming Suriname. Two guests from the Netherlands joined in by mowing a lot of green material with a scythe. Afterwards, we all enjoyed a nice roti meal together.

Srefidensi

In the run-up to November 25th, the whole of Paramaribo is celebrating 50 years of independence with various activities. There are many festivities in and around the city. Last night we had to take a detour because several streets were closed. Many churches also paid attention to the 50 years of independence of Suriname last Sunday. We will not join in the hustle and bustle on Tuesday, but will stay comfortably on our balcony in Republiek. On Saturday, we will fly to Lawa for a two-week visit.

We landed in the Netherlands at the beginning of September. For Marco, it was only a brief stopover, because after two days he traveled on to Paraguay. There, he had two weeks of training with a team that specializes in Cross-Cultural Ministry. The city is located at a tri-border point with Brazil and Argentina. A large free trade zone creates a unique mix of cultures and a bustling atmosphere. A visit to the Iguazu Falls in Brazil was a must on this trip. The water crashes down with thunderous force over several plateaus, truly a breathtaking sight.

After a busy week of training, Marco had the opportunity to spend time with each of the participating couples separately, eating together and getting to know each other better.

After returning to the Netherlands, a midweek trip to Germany was on our agenda. A week in the Sauerland together with good friends. The weather was beautiful, we enjoyed wonderful walks, took in the scenery together, and reminisced about more than 45 years of friendship.

Marco then traveled to Canada for the annual meeting with the Global Leaders of World Team. It was a special meeting, as the International Director was stepping down and the new director was being installed. What makes this special for us is that the new director has worked closely with us for the past 10 years as the leader of our team in Brazil. So we know each other well and are grateful that he is now able to fulfill this role. At the same time, his departure from Brazil presents us with the challenge of continuing to guide the team there.

The last weekend of September was marked by the 50th Bible Conference in the interior of Suriname for the Trio and Wayana. It was a big celebration in Palumeu, the village where the first conference was held back in the seventies. With great gratitude, we reflected on the past 50 years during which these meetings have been held.

During Marco’s travels, Marjolein was busy with all kinds of visits in the Netherlands. She gained a lot of driving experience on Dutch roads. She assisted Jiska during the annual meeting of MemberCare Netherlands and, together with her father, attended a special MAF day in Teuge where an airplane was presented that had been purchased to work in Madagascar.

In the coming weeks, we will be celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary (October 3, 2025) at various times. First, a day with brothers and sisters in Ederveen, then a weekend with our children and grandchildren in Vlissingen, and then a special evening with supporters in Veenendaal.

We will also be visiting various people. We look forward to seeing many of our family and friends.

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?