We got married in 1962 and applied by the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C. & M. A.). They had a branch in the Netherlands. My testimony about what happened in Surinam caused quite some questioning.  There were long talks, even a visit from the C. & M. A Mission leader Dr.L.L. King. My story was the same as the story of Dr. A.B. Simpson, the founder of the C. & M.A.. He had read the letter of recommendation of Dr. Thomson and he accepted the validity of my encounter with the Lord in Surinam. We became “accepted missionary candidates”. 

 

After a grueling period of visiting various prayer groups, raising support, we could leave in the beginning of November 1963. Our departure in Schiphol was a rather nervous event. A local church in Utrecht had adopted us and they were all there, singing as we went through passport check. Wil was rather nervous, walking towards the plane she said: Téo, I can’t do this, I am going back. She was carrying Judith, our nearly one year old daughter. I pleaded with her: All our stuff is already on the boat, waiting for us in Genua. Come on, you can do this. Inwardly I prayed: Lord, please help…We stood before an elevator. Wil said: “Téo, I can’t get in there… We can”, I replied and took her by the arm as we got in. With a light smile she said: “So, that is over”. (I need to explain that as a nurse she had sat several times in a lift, at least once with a dying patient, when it had suddenly stopped and she had to wait for help to get out. Wil had a real elevator fear). As we walked towards the airplane, I saw a new problem coming. Wil had also a travel fear. She had in buses and trains real problems. Luckily, she could always travel by car. I had known this was a real problem if you are going to be a missionary. Thew Lord had given me a promise: “Téo, I will heal her before you take off to Thailand”.  Time to board had started. Wil looked brave, people had already taken their place behind us in line as we stepped in the plane. I thought: Thank God, we are going…. We walked to our seats. Wil took a deep sigh and said: “Téo, this doesn’t work for me, I am getting out, you can go, if you want”. The stewardess came and said: “Lady, we are leaving, she took the safety-belt and clicked it in. Wil looked shocked and happy at the same time…So that is over as well. She kissed Judith and took my hand. I quietly tanked God: Lord, you kept your promise, thank you. A few moments later the plane started to taxi to depart for Italy.

 

One can read in “From Shame to Peace” (Amazon) what happened there and how the Lord led us those more than 10 years. We got three more daughters, Wil had blood type A negative. As there were not too many people with her blood type in Thailand, it was for some time a discussion in the mission USA headquarters, if we should be allowed to go there. While there were many foreigners in Bangkok, they allowed us to go. For the delivery of our other 3 girls, she had to go at least 6 weeks before the due date, to Bangkok, alone, by train for 12 hours! She did well! God really healed her.

 

Our children grew up in Thailand and went, starting age six, to go to the boarding school in Malaysia. This seems for us now totally an impossibility, but then it was normal and one just did what was expected. The crisis in came in Wil and me about the children in late 1974. In our last visit to the boarding school, we became aware that there were some real problems going on. Wil then also experienced physical problems and received an emergency operation, just the day before we should leave by train for a 24 hour trip back to Bangkok. The surgeon said that it was miraculous that she had been able to help Wil, I could have been a widower with four small children.

 

The Lord was still in control and in the weeks following, I attended a meeting with Loren Cunningham who shared about Youth With A Mission. A missionary walked up to me and said: “Téo, I have a strange message from God for you”. I have the strong impression that the Lord says:” I have given you an open door”… After the meeting I went to the postoffice and picked up my mail. There was a letter from Brother Andrew, who urged ne to come back to Holland to help him.