Home - in Armstrong!

We got home yesterday around 3 /3:30 -- if I remember...  After we had been picked up at the airport at 7 a.m. our friends drove us to their home in Langley where we had coffee and toast, (and a shower :-) - then we drove home. Just before Merritt Henk was struggling to keep awake and I drove the rest of the way home.

Now it is a matter of: what needs doing first? I have a hair cut due at 11 a.m. which gives me time to start laundry. EVERYthing we took is damp and icky, so that all needs to be washed/rinsed and dried well.

Henk called earlier in the morning from the office to ask, if I could bake whatever I felt like since all the office supplies were totally finished.

Then of course I need groceries... I guess we ARE back...

I still feel in a daze after so many days of travel, but I am sure in a few days soul and spirit will "unite".

margreet

from Esther Penner, National Volunteer Coordinator

(This is a response to the letter sent by the Director of SITAG which was posted here March 14.)

Greetings,

It is good to receive such positive affirmation on the Canadian volunteers taking on volunteer work projects

in places like the Solomon Islands. I am happy to hear the DenOudstens were a blessing and help to your

ministry. I am sure Henk and Margreet were also blessed for the opportunity to serve.

Shalom!

Esther Penner, National Volunteer Coordinator

Wycliffe Canada Personnel Department

613.823.8882

Personal insight from the Choates

(Editorial ad-lib;  I received, on March 21, a note from the Choates - see their blog which is listed on the left - and am sharing it here because it gives insight from some of the people most affected by the work of Henk and Margreet.)

We so enjoyed getting to know Henk and Margreet when they came in 2009.  Henk joined me in putting the house together to make it ready in the village for our family.  And this time what a treat to have Margreet come and help and see all the places too.  So many of the things they did for us were not complicated, major undertakings, etc.  but they will add order and beauty to our home and thus help us to work much better over the long term.

God bless

Aaron and Joanna Choate, and kids

Sent Monday March 21 (in Australia!)

We are in Brisbane with Lynne and Eileen, friends we have known since the
early '90's. It has been nice to just relax for a few days in good company
and enjoy the sites of this part of Australia. In between rain storms we
have even seen a bit of sunshine!

Eileen is also leaving today, flying to Southern Sudan for a 4 week period
as a translation consultant helping several language groups who are
working on their NT translations.


Sunday we went to their church - a morning service and an evening service.
During the evening service we had a chance to talk about some of our work
in the Solomons.

We are leaving on the 3:30 A.M. (Ed. Ad-lib; that will be Tuesday in Australia and 10:30 a. m. Monday in Armstrong!) shuttle bus which takes us to the domestic
airport in Brisbane, then on to Sydney to the international airport to fly
to Vancouver.

It has been quite a journey -- and it is almost over. The time has gone
very quickly. As you have read our blog, I hope you have seen yet another
glimpse of God's steady faithfulness!!!

Just as we were preparing to leave for the airport in Honiara, we checked
our email one last time.
This is what it said.

“Hello,

We had an unusually long ante-natal clinic today, finishing at 5-30pm rather
than lunch-time, but the staff were delighted that the toilets flushed all
day - not heard of before! So thank you again for your effort which is
already appreciated.

Glad that you both got seats & hope you like the photos attached.

Love from Jenny & Graham
Helena Goldie Hospital
PO Box 166, Munda
Western Province
Solomon Islands”

Or read the latest entry, March 19, on the link to graham and jenny on our blog.

Thank you for your prayers and being part of our team!!

Until we meet, trusting God for an uneventful safe flight to Vancouver.

Margreet and Henk DenOudsten

March 15th, 2011

Arriving back in Honiara we finally heard more about the devastating earthquake(s) in Japan. This is what unfolded on our end in Munda, W Province.

Friday March 11th, just after having finished dinner in the home of Graham and Jenny Longbottom (the British doctors we were visiting in Munda) Graham got a call from the British High Commissioner in Honiara telling them about the tsunami warning.

It was quickly decided that the 70 bed hospital should be evacuated to the church building two km away and on higher grounds.  It all went quite smoothly partially due to the early warning.

At 10:30 in the middle of evacuating patients, Dr. Jenny told us that the tsunami warning had been canceled, so we went home to bed with our back packs “on standby”. Then just an hour later Dr. Jenny knocked on our door to let us know it had been a false alarm, that we needed to come back to the church. Just after midnight after trying very hard to get some sleep on the hard and narrow pews, Dr. Jenny came and said we could go back to our house. Margreet and I moved back to our house at 12.30am, while all the patients stayed till six in the morning when everyone could be moved back to the hospital in daylight. You can imagine, this was not a “planned” event!! To become part of this, was an interesting and challenging thought.

 (picture: one of the few times one is allowed to sleep in church!)

We had arrived that Friday afternoon and had already been to the next 'town' to purchase a 1200 liter water tank and associated hardware.

Upa (the maintenance man at the Helena Goldie Hospital) had arranged for three guys to help dig out a steel frame and 'replant' it for the new water tank. In the meantime we replaced gutters and did some much needed painting.

Water is a major issue for any hospital and when pumps start breaking down it becomes crucial to have some form of water storage capacity. Although there are quite a number of storage tanks around the complex they aren't used efficiently and half the gutters are in need of minor or major repair.

On Monday morning Upa and Henk spent three hours trying to repair the two broken down pumps: one electric and the other petrol. We were able to do some repairs, but there was no socket to remove the spark plug...so Upa went off on his bicycle to find his friend the electrician in the next village...it reminds us so much of Africa!

On Monday March 14^th we were at the Munda airport at two although the flight was only scheduled to arrive at four.

Having a ticket is no assurance that one can get on. Seating is limited and it also depends on which aircraft is being flown that day. Henk didn't have a seat till an Islander was asked (told) to get off and fly the next day. (We flew in a Twin Otter, 19(!) passengers and the pilot and co-pilot.)

To read more about the interesting and challenging lives of

Dr. Graham and Jenny Longbottom you can go to their blog:

grahamandjenny.co.uk

In Honiara the Unger family was there to pick us up from the airport and after feeding us a nice light supper we went “home” to our apartment, unpack, do a quick load of dirty very damp laundry, take a long warm shower, and go to bed.

We have three more days here: a lot of small jobs still and most likely some airport runs as well. Next week will be the official opening of the new training center and quite a few visitors will be arriving for that event.

We are grateful once again for safety and health – not to be taken for granted!!!  

Thank you for your continued prayers.

"Thank You"

March 14, 2011 

Dear Pastor Bunio and folks at First Baptist Church Armstrong,

Just a short note to say thank you very much for sending Henk & Margreet to
us again here in the Solomon Islands. It is very helpful to us to have
people come occasionally who are willing and able to just pitch in and meet
whatever needs we have.

They have played a part in the ministry of Bible translation in the Solomons
and so have you by sending them to us. I pray that God will bless you and
the DenOudstens for your service. May His Word be sweet to you and enrich
your lives.

God Bless,
Jan Gossner
Director
Solomon Islands Translation Advisory Group

All that water...

We are back in Honiara! After the Choates announced (by radio) their safe arrival home in the Russell Islands, we made arrangements to be with them for two days of intense work. It became obvious that neither the Bikoi I nor the Express were going that direction.

Thankfully the Kosco did and we traveled on that ferry Sunday the fifth. This ship doesn't go all the way to their village, but docked at Yandina after five hours of sailing. Aaron had to charter one of the three local 'canoes' to come and get us.

 

For most of the 45 minutes one can travel at relative high speeds, but in between are some spots where one has to be very careful not to hit any of the coral outcrops that can easily tear open the fiberglass bottom of a canoe!

The next two days we all worked very hard at assembling Henk's three precut wardrobes, two kitchen cabinets, plumbing (in the house and on the roof), sewing, going to the garden and being introduced to the neighbors. We even had time to play some games with the kids!

Tuesday mid- afternoon it started to rain, which turned into a deluge (very noisy on a metal roof!) We were extremely thankful that it stopped an hour before we had to set out in the open canoe for the return trip early Wednesday morning leaving the house at 5:30 a.m.

On both legs of the trip we were invited to stay in the wheelhouse! Coming back we did run into some heavy swell, but as a precaution having taken Gravol it didn't bother us and we arrived safe and sound. A taxi took us to the center and we were home at two o'clock.

Thank you for your prayers concerning our health and safe travels!

Message...

Dear Friends of the DenOudstens,

On Sunday morning I took Henk & Margreet down to the wharf to catch a ship out to the Russell Islands.  As of my radio sked this afternoon (Monday the 7^th) I found out that they arrived safe and sound after a four hour trip.  They had smooth seas, cloudy skies, but no rain.  They have previously asked me to pass this news along to you.  They will spend a couple of days with the Choate family there in the Russell Islands and then they will return to Honiara sometime on Wednesday. 

Sincerely,

Andy Pierce

Deputy Director


Editor's ad-lib

So we have a better idea where Henk and Margreet are I found a map to share here.

I believe the distance covered in the four hours is approximately 30 miles.

 

Comings and goings...

 

As we had mentioned in our previous update the Choates' were scheduled to leave this past Sunday, but the ferry was still in repairs. Through prayer and Aaron's persistence they were able to travel Wednesday night on the Bikoi II. This is really a cargo ship, but the 'boss man' in the head office finally allowed the whole gang to travel on it. Hence a lot of activity during the morning as all their food, school material and last but not least the 2000 gallon water storage tank were put on two trucks. The storage tank is a donation of one of their churches and an 'in memory of'' donation and will be used by the village.

We had radio contact with them this afternoon and they arrived safely at 4.30AM.

Margreet and I will travel there this coming Sunday to help with some plumbing problems and putting the wardrobes together (and who knows what else). Lord willing we'll return to Honiara on the Wednesday.

Henk finishing a literacy box.

 We had eleven people for dinner on the first; one of them was Jim Mudge, who works in the Western Provinces (Munda) and is in the SI to do checking of an Old Testament translation. . (Just as they were leaving our apartment the electricity went off, and it was PITCH dark for a few minutes, until the generator kicked in.)

We are contemplating a four day trip that way and do some work at the local hospital there, it will depend partly on our return trip from the Russells and how tired we will be.

Margreet has continued her typing in the Lengo language. Sister Hilda is the main translator in this project while Paul Unger is helping in the checking...

 
We drove Bruce and JoAnn Halverson (team leaders of the construction crew) to the airport on Tuesday; while there we met a Dutch priest who has been in the Solomons for 49 years!

He did mention that a few things had changed...!

Margreet will need to do some more cooking the next couple of days as we are looking after the two remaining fellows (Jim and Don). They will be returning home next Tuesday.

Paul Minter is a translation consultant and is here for a week: there are a few Islanders (from three languages) that he is consulting with. Because of this extra group Margreet and I had to reinstall part of the plumbing in the small living quarters that is slated for demolition in a few months due to termites that have totally invaded it...

Editor's ad-lib -

Reading of the destruction caused by termites but having never seen even one to my knowledge, I did a little net searching.  Being only the size of an ant, but so capable of destroying buildings, oh my, I hope they never come close to my home :)

Praising God for relief from back pain!

Having prayed for rain on Sunday it sure did show up! We figure about two feet of it over a three day span! (this thanks to cyclone Azu, which was heading toward Vanuatu). The six new 2000 gallon tanks were ready to be inaugurated by Tuesday: by Thursday morning they held collectively some 12000 liters and that just from the gutters of the main building!

The rains cooled things down somewhat (to the mid twenties C), but the last two days we have had clear skies again and the temperature sitting around the 32-34C with high humidity.

The Choates hope to leave this weekend for their village. Their 'normal' ferry The Bikoi has been out of service and might be ready to sail again on Sunday. If not then they will have to sail on the 'Express', which is faster but they can not take any of their extra supplies with them...much to pray about...

We also worked on relocating a washer and a tub with its associated water supply. Together with Karen Hopping (an Aussie gal involved in literacy work) we went to Tong's: one of the larger hardware stores. It's not always possible to get the things you need or explain what you need...

 

We hope to make two lockable storage units for her literacy material and a book case as well out of three sheets of plywood.

Henk's back is almost back to normal: thank you for praying!

Glad I didn't have to climb the coconut tree! (one of the workers using a length of electrical wire)

Sunday morning, Feb. 20

Margreet is off to church...

Dedication of 12 infants

Worship team singers (pretty amazing!)

and I am propped up with a hot water bottle in my back. 

The major aches and pains have subsided for which I am thankful; looking forward to be able to sit comfortably again soon...

Psalm 50:15: “I want you to trust Me in your times of trouble, so I can rescue you and you can give Me glory.”

 

Margreet did a lot more typing this week besides helping me with smaller projects: painting, plumbing, electrical and checking the antenna for the two way radio. 

The first three days I was pretty well restricted to twenty minutes of work and then flat on my back for half an hour, while Margreet went to fetch the needed supplies from the different workshops.

 

By seven it is dark outside and we tend to read and play games till about 9.30, then off to bed. It has been warm (31C) during the nights, but we sleep pretty well none the less.

On Friday morning we had an appointment with a physio therapist. The hour long treatment was nice but didn't result in a major improvement.

That evening we had a BBQ with the Unger family (they are from Fort St.John, BC). Afterward we played card games with the kids: even the almost four year old gets right in there, playing Dutch Blitz and UNO!

Saturday morning we had a great time at the beach! Friends from another organization (SWIM) were there and lent us their snorkeling equipment: just off the beach is a 60 year old shipwreck that is becoming a corral reef and a haven for fish of all sizes and color.

On the way back we stopped at a roadside 'restaurant' and had a delicious meal of chicken, rice and casawa (stringy, potato-ish yam) served on a palm leaf. While enjoying this treat we watched the local kids enjoying a rope swing...

In the afternoon we were blessed with an hour of refreshing rain (as well as this morning): very welcome indeed as our water supply had dwindled to about two days of restricted use.

Enjoy the weekend.

Black Friday...

Friday was the most challenging day I have encountered for a while. In the afternoon we were asked to help at a colleague's house and see what caused the water leaks in the ceiling and, earlier on, water shooting out of the overhang.

Henk decided that cutting a hole in the ceiling where the leak was, was the best starting point. As he started cutting he accidentally hit the hot water line. The result was a waterfall that just didn't stop. Julie, in whose home we were, was able to tell us where the turn off was for the main. Henk climbed on the roof and turned one tap off. It still didn't stop and Henk remembered that there was a hot water tank as well. He climbed up again. Then the water finally stopped.

Henk and I were totally soaked as we tried to bail as quickly as we could with two brooms.

We phoned for help and our neighbour and colleague Peter arrived on the scene. Henk and Peter fixed the cut line but never found the leak. They did find more water puddled on the ceiling boards (most likely from another older leak) and Peter got drenched when he was taking down part of the ceiling (which was somewhat hilarious); left the ceiling open until “further notice”.

In the mean time Henk had gone up and down the roof four times, having to twist his back very awkwardly getting from the water tank unto the roof..... This resulted in a very hurting back on Friday night and Saturday. (never realized what an acrobatic act one performs getting out of bed!)

Saturday morning we stopped at the Choates and had fun playing Settlers followed by a nice lunch.

Aaron Choate teaching Translation Principles

On Sunday we didn't want to miss going to church so we left at 9:10 for its 9:30 service. After one hour in the cramped pews, Henk had to leave because he was in too much pain. I took him home and returned later to pick up the couple we went with, from church.

Later in the afternoon other friends came and prayed with Henk.

Last night he slept very well, and this morning he felt a lot better.

Then as soon as we started walking up the steep hill towards the tool/supply workshop, we realized the difference between feeling and being well and knew that there was not a whole lot that would get done today.

We'll try again later in the morning: one hour of work and one hour of rest. In the meantime we enjoyed two Valentine muffins that Sarah Choate had made and delivered!

I find it difficult to observe this, but I must say, Henk's spirits have not been dampened one bit!

Henk and Patson trying to figure out 

a Chinese door handle/lock.

of sweat and showers...

Depending on what you are doing, you are either hot and sweaty or just plain sweaty. Henk hasn't worn a T-shirt yet as they are almost impossible to get off after a few hours of work!

This being the rainy season there is thankfully enough water for numerous showers, although if it has been cloudy during the day one can not necessarily expect hot water (a small drawback of solar heating!).

Our neighbours Peter and Diane invited us to attend church with them: we enjoyed the two and a half hour service very much. Beside an elderly gentleman we were the only whites in a congregation of some 1100 from many of the different islands, Fiji and an African family.

This week Margreet and I did more work on the new kitchen:

painting, 

building a back splash, 

installing a new faucet, 

rerun the cold water feed and 

installing an extra electrical socket and installing the drain pipe...

by Thursday afternoon it is pretty well all done except for a gas tabletop stove and the fridge. It is fun to be able to do these things together.

In between:

on Tuesday we took two vehicles to the airport to pick up four WA (Wycliffe Associates) construction guys: they will help with installing eight 2000 gallon tanks. These should help a lot in alleviating chronic water shortages. The city water system is getting old and tired and there can be weeks of no water at all.

Margreet spent Wednesday morning shopping for food supplies for the WAs for the next three weeks. 

One of the local workers, Max, was trying to lay out 100 meters of one inch plastic pipe..of course that's impossible to do by yourself, so Henk lent a hand (well, both hands and feet and back).

 It took two hours and buckets of sweat. In the end we had to cut it in two places after all....a real shame after all that hard work and of course the next morning we found out that the fittings needed are not available locally!

On Thursday morning Margreet and I made a 'house call'. The family that now lives in the apartment where we stayed two years ago had some minor mechanical problems, which we were able to fix swiftly. 

While Margreet was baking muffins and getting supper ready, Henk played basketball with six of the kids living on the centre...to give it a real handicap it was six against one!

.

Of dogs, garbage and other things...

The Solomons are made up of over 990 islands. 

What is the largest?

One of the things we had been looking forward to (kind of) was listening to the night time sound of the orchestra of New Quinea Singing Dogs. This is a breed that doesn't bark but howls and with different tones. Two years ago there could be as many as fifteen. One will start and others pick it up for maybe three minutes and then they stop all at once. So far we have only heard one and that sporadically; nobody seems to know where they have disappeared to.

Instead we were kept awake by a puppy (we think) that yelped continually for a day and a half! We went so far as to ask around for a spare CD player and some CDs to mask the sound.

Sniper

Sniper is one of the 'watchdogs' at the center: one of his bad habits is to pull out any garbage that he can reach out of the garbage cans. With leftover wood from the construction Henk built four stands for the drums: we'll have to see if it is going to be effective.

Henk by the garbage cans

Thankfully we hadn't quite ripped out everything from the to be demolished building: it was needed for sleeping accommodation and we quickly reconnected the light switches as it gets pretty dark after 6:30!

All sixteen participants for the Translation Principles workshop were able to make it: they represent eight language groups.

We started to install the salvaged kitchen counter tops and shelving in a larger bedroom to transform it into a kitchen/bedroom; another bedroom will serve as a living room. It means rerunning the plumbing and moving the washer out of the shower/bathroom to outside.

After a relaxed coffee break at the Choate's, Henk helped Benjamin with his grade 4 math (fractions)... it's all in a days work.

Margreet baking

Saturday morning: while I am typing this update, Margreet is making 'apple sauce' from a not quite ripe papaya and making bran muffins. She has to use more flour (it contains less gluten) and is getting re-acquainted with a gas oven. The fresh bananas are very sweet and make for a much sweeter banana loaf!

Bye for now.

Oh yes... the answer to the question above is    Guadalcanal

Sharing a late Christmas, Work, Cyclone too Close

The beach party on Saturday was good fun. The weather was lovely and the sea calm. Although perfect timing for us it was not a welcoming party but a belated Christmas party which included the five Solomon Island employees and their families. 

The sweet potatoes were done 'Moti' style: a fire is started and then stones piled on top. The yams go on top of the stones and are covered with burlap and banana leaves. Combined with the barbequed chicken wings made for a tasty meal.

Sunday was the last day of relaxing and started with a brunch at the Choate's home; after that not too much else, but reading and playing games. At five Henk played basketball and lots of tag games he had never heard of (like 'octopus' and crocodile') with six of the children living at the center.

On Monday we sat down with the center manager to go over the list of things to do. They are in two categories: high and low. As always a lot of smaller and larger jobs that nobody really has time for, but will need to get done sometime (sooner rather than later).

It started with a broken security light: of course it is mounted on a 15 foot pole. After backing up a pick up truck and lashing a 10 foot stepladder in the 'bed' it still took some doing to replace the light and fasten it properly. (duct tape to the rescue).

The little house that Margreet and I stayed at two years ago has finally lost the battle against the termites and will be demolished. We have started taking out all the still useful items like solid core doors, plumbing and fixtures.

Orchids

Margreet went shopping with Kathy Unger and became familiar again with the different stores and the local market.

Toward the late afternoon we started to feel the effects of a cyclone off the Australian coast. One branch hit the power line to the Choate's house so hard it snapped right at the peak of the roof, forty feet up in the air. Surprisingly the Solomon Electricity people showed up before it got too dark to see, but they couldn't help and left again. We ran the generator for two hours in order that the family could get enough water pumped up to their storage tank.

That night was quite stormy and lots of rain came down.

Tuesday morning saw Henk crawling through the attic with forty feet of wire and connectors; it took two hours to reconnect, but when the 'Power people' finally activated the transformer at five o'clock it all worked and power was restored to the house.

In the meantime Margreet has gone to the market to buy produce and groceries. Traffic getting there has become a lot busier! Just at our last stop to buy sweet potatoes it started pouring!!

Pouring rain.

Today Margreet's time was spent typing in Bible stories in the Lengo language.

This afternoon it was only 25 degrees, but it came with 100% humidity. Around five it finally started to clear up and we are looking forward to a cool and quiet night.

Till next time!

Arriving at Solomon Islands

Beautiful smiles of welcome.

We have landed!!!

We are thankful for 'no problem' travel.   The 15 hour flight was not as bad as we had feared; Margreet slept quite well and the food was not bad either. We did have a short two hours to change planes in Sydney. Thankfully we did not have to go through the 'quarantine' line up but could use the express lane. Undoubtedly we would have missed the connecting flight otherwise.

We did not see any of the damage from the flooding during our stay outside of Brisbane. It was 'too bad' that our friends Lynne and Eileen live an hour and a half from the airport; 'double bad' that it is a ten minute walk from their house to the beach!

Apparently it was the first week since November that the sun was shining and we enjoyed a long walk along the seashore and feasted on fish and chips afterwards.

We had a welcoming committee waiting: partly for us but more so for Joanne Choate, who was on our flight returning from a dentist appointment in B'bane. It is so much fun to connect again with this special group of friends especially seeing how the children have grown over the past two years.

We had supper with the Unger family (from Fort St. John) and their five high energy kids.

It is eight thirty (evening) and 30 degrees with a 80% humidity.

Tomorrow there is a beach party which includes the local employees.

Our love to you all..keep warm!

Henk and Margreet

Please pray...

...as Henk and Margreet are in transit now and for the next couple of days.  This is a long, arduous journey and we pray they will be safe and healthy throughout the next eight weeks until their return home to Armstrong.

Margaret

Sunday evening: this morning we were prayed for and over in both services at First Baptist Church here in Armstrong. Have said goodbye to our friends and then spent the afternoon getting packed. Our trusted suitcases will go on another adventure with us: with their duct tape and red tape they are always easily spotted on any conveyer belt!

We have reduced the amount of clothing and increased the amount of other essentials like spices, mustard and band-aides.

The weather looks very promising for our drive to Langley on Tuesday. After a visit with friends in Abbotsford we hope to have dinner with Fred and Edel (longtime friends from our Ladner days). They will drive us to the airport and look after our car for the next two months. We trust that the flight will leave on schedule (23.45). The direct flight to Sydney will last 15+ hours. After a short wait we’ll fly to Brisbane were we’ll be met by Lynne and Eileen, whom have settled in that area after decades of translation work in Africa. They were frequent guests at our house in Nairobi and this time it will be them hosting us. The following morning will board for our flight to Honiara.

Our itinerary has seen ongoing change so it will be interesting to find out how and where we can serve this group of dedicated literacy and translation experts.

A big thank you for all of you who are so interested in our travels and willing to help out financially and in prayer for us. An especial ‘thank you ‘to Margaret Crozier who will keep our blog going. We do trust that we’ll have reasonable access to the internet while in the capital Honiara.