Dear family and friends,
We have been in Holland over three weeks now and would love to give an update of our time here. We would also like to take our time to respond to the questions that were asked during our information evening on Sunday June 10th as you may all be interested in our answers.
Our furlough in the Netherlands was a special experience. On one side we really enjoyed seeing our family and friends whom we have missed for 2 years. On the other hand we do realize that this is not our “home” any more. For me (Anneke) this is quite a strange experience. You don’t automatically step into the old routine and are now a guest in your own country. When I asked in the blocker how to pay with my card, the lady looked like I was joking, because the new machines with a place in the top instead of the side, were apparently not so new anymore :D.
This visit did make us realize how much Kona has become a home for us and that we are so thankful that we have created a group of friends there throughout the past year. That was really a prayer point for me, because on a campus like the UofN you have a high percentage of people coming and going, meaning you have to make new friends every 3 months. Since I started working with Darlene I did discover more people who are also there for a longer time.
One of our highlights during this visit in the Netherlands is the interest from family and friends in what we want to do and have done. It is also very nice that in the past 2 years we ourselves have gotten more clarity on this as well. And we are going to start this year full of enthousiasm. We enjoyed the opportunity to preach in the Church of the Nazarene on June 10th and then especially the information evening. Because we were not able to answer all the questions, we would like to do so here:
– Your vision is for Nigeria, is there a UofN in Cameroon?
o In Cameroon YWAM is active, just like in Nigeria. But there is indeed not yet a full University of the Nations. Just like in Nigeria you are able to do some few courses. With the launching of the UofN in Nigeria we do hope to welcome students from the surrounding nations. Cameroon is one of those!
– Does everyone have a support system?
o Everyone in YWAM has their own support system. The students have to pay for their studies this covers their food and accommodation. Salaries are not paid. Because we know that this is a challenge in Africa we want to work on developing scholarship opportunities such as agricultural fields and fish ponds.
– How can we help?
o You can help in many ways. With your time- Maybe you can come to Nigeria to help us there for some time. With your support- You can personally support us, and you can support the campus as well as other students who are waiting for scholarships. With your Resources- Maybe your company has building supplies they can donate, or a school who will be replacing its interior. The quality of products in Europe is very good and much better than we can buy over there. The friends from the US that came were surprised that the cost of building supplies is very high, just like in the US.
– What kind of teachers are needed?
o We can use all kind of teachers! You can think of nurses or medical personnel to help with educational programs and trainings in first aid, childbirth, teachers in reading and writing (the main language is English), pre-school, primary and secondary teachers to help start the primary and secondary school. But also computer experts, economists, journalists, communication experts because things such as sending an e-mail, making a budget or writing a newsupdate are not considered normal.
– When are they needed?
o From now until the time we will move there for our long term stay we plan to visit every year with a short term project. In January 2013 the focus of the team will be a medical one as well as water purification. In 2015 we will be living there for the long-term where we will need all kinds of people throughout the year. Contact us if you would like to know how you would be able to use your talents in a specific period.
– From when do you need building supplies and is there a logistic track for?
o As soon as the land is definite, the construction can be started. We hope to have more answers about this in January. The idea is to gather and store materials until we have a container filled that we can ship. We do NOT yet have any connections in this. Do you know somebody, or are you somebody that could help in storing a large quantity of materials, or has a container, or an export business and knows how to arrange this, then we would love to hear more about this! Just send an e-mail to thuisfrontja@gmail.com
– What do you do with students who have been trained to start a clinic in a remote area, but after their studies do not keep their promise and instead start working for a large hospital where they can earn lots of money?
o This question has 2 sides:
* On one hand this question touches the integrity of the youth- it is correct that there will always be people who put their own interests and success first despite the fact they went through a discipelship school (where your character is thoroughly examined). An example is Judas Iscariot from the Bible. He spent 3 years of his life having a direct discipleship from Jesus. Unfortunately we cannot do anything about this, people are free to make their own choices. Of course we would be very disappointed.
* On the other hand it is the vision of the UofN to train young people to make a difference in the different spheres in society. We would be very happy when young people choose to do that in politics, the business world, not everyone is called to work in missions. So the key is the integrity of the youth whether they live up to their words and motivations and don’t misuse scholarship programs.
We want to thank you so much for all the questions you submitted. We hope we have answered all the questions. If this is not the case, or if you have a new question to ask us, then don’t hesitate to send them to: thuisfrontja@gmail.com. We would love to answer those in our next update!
We are going to enjoy the last two weeks in the Netherlands and will then fly to Hawaii to continue our studies and training over there.
Blessings,
Jackson & Anneke Ndecheck
