Waiting seemed a long time for us humans. Such as wait at the bus stop for the next bus. 5 minutes can seem very long. I can still remember my dear wife Jacqueline and me, we were already married at that time, went out for a walk and I said: “it feels as if the Lord has forgotten me.” She replied: “The Lord has not forgotten you.” Her answer was consoling to me because nothing appeared to me being in service for Him. To start something on my own doesn’t seem to be right also. I believed that when God called on me, he too would open a door for me. He knows when I am ready and what I am capable of. He knows the best workplace for me. Oh, several communities had made requests to us/me to do something for the Lord in their congregation.

Thus I didn’t see these doors opened by God but opened by people. Not everyone who offers you a request is being guided by Gods Spirit at that time. People can ask you to do things just to have you become a part of their congregation. Growing their congregation becomes more important to them then listening to Gods voice. Of course there are people with well meant reasons who come to ask you to do something for the Lord in their church.

But whatever their reasons are, it remains most important that you have a relationship with the Lord Jesus and be guided by God’s Spirit and listen to God’s voice! What I am writing is very biblical. Read the first congregations in the New Testament. Read for instance in Acts 13:2 the Holy Spirit said:” Separate for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

If we received a request from a predecessor or an elder, then we wanted to know whether it is a question of a man or of God’s Spirit. I was not job hunting in the Municipality, was never present myself and did not put myself on a throne or act as the boss somewhere. That is not Gods Holy will!! Whoever does this will have to take responsibility for this towards God. It is to him that we owe an explanation. Those who do, must justify themselves before God. To Him we are justification guilty. Waiting for Gods time is the best way! And fortunately this time came in 1990. Everything started when I met the late Roelof Koekoek from Hollandscheveld. This man was also driving instructor next predecessor of the Full Evangelical Community “Filadelfia” in his hometown. During a drive lesson he told Jacqueline that he leads the Children Bible School for over 20 years in the D.E.S. building on the Albertsteenbergenstraat in Hoogeveen. The thought had come to his mind to ask us to take over his evangelism work. Yes, that was good news which my dear Jacqueline came home with. We experienced that this request came from God, in His time. The Lord opened a door for us that we had not opened by ourselves. And when he opens a door for me, I will not close it. So we seriously responded to the offer with a peaceful heart. In one of the conversations with brother Koekoek at our home, he told us the history of the Children Bible School and about the children that voluntarily came. The children were mainly from non-Christian families. But there were parents who wanted to know more of the gospel and so he saw the possibility of the emergence of a Municipality in this district from the child’s work. We were elated to hear this. We would like to reach the entire family and their relatives with the gospel of Jesus Christ.The children between the ages of 4-12 were enjoying, proved by the fact we had in the short run 100 children recorded in our book, which attended regularly.

We kept the names and addresses of those who came and every time a child had been, then he/she may put a sticker behind their name. If a child had 12 stickers next to his/her name, he/she may choose a nice little gift from a box. Oh, I remember that the children waited an hour before time for us. Each week! The manager wasn’t too keen on this. He found that nuisance and asked me if we could start an hour earlier. I told him: “if we start an hour earlier, they have already one hour waiting in the queue. You’re just moving things up.” No there was nothing to be done about such enthusiasm. We also could do nothing that the children rather prefer our club as opposed to an arts & crafts club that begins at the same hour in the same building. In short time, nobody went there anymore. Each week was like having a party with us. Each week we had a different program. There was: the largest puppet show/theatre of Hoogeveen with lights and sound, slideshows, films, flannel stories, Biblical stories and lessons, music, singing toghether, cutting, pasting, drawing, coloring and on brother Koekoeks expense we got the beautiful children’s magazine “De Goede Herder” from “In de Ruimte” in Soest.

Beside that we also had our own black/white magazine: “Good News” that was even more geared towards our target group. And I will never forget, one day a teenage girl came to us with a notebook in her hand. She told us that she had prayed the sinner’s prayer which was posted in our magazine so that she too becomes a follower of the Lord Jesus. After she had prayed this prayer, she said she had experienced such an amazing spiritual experience; she could not put into words, but instead had to write about it for herself in her notebook. In her difficult circumstances the Lord had touched her and given her happiness. This reminds me also of a lady who once came up to us and said: “what have you done with my child?” We were surprised about the question but then she continued: “My son was for a long time afraid of war and no-one was able to help him get over his fear. Since he has been with you, he has overcome his fear.” This boy had prayed with some of the other kids, during one of our meetings, asking the Lord Jesus to be his Friend. Since then he has been free of fear. He now believes that Jesus is his best Friend and will protect him from all dangers. Praise the Lord!

And of course I am also grateful to the Lord for the many other testimonies. Yes, the children got the gospel of Jesus in a relaxed manner and in a variety of ways to hear and see. The most beautiful thing of all was that the children came voluntarily, with or without a friend. Those were great times!