Back Again

It has been a long time since I wrote my last blog and much has happened since that time. On December the 10th, 2009 I received the news that my brother Hendrik Pieter was killed in a tragic car accident in The Netherlands. He was my only brother and we were very close; we were brothers and best friends! The following day I traveled to The Netherlands to attend the funeral. He leaves behind a wife and four children. On the picture you see both of us with our mother who lives in a care home for people with dementia. In all this tragedy we thank God that she is not aware of anything that has happened in the family.

The last year has been a difficult year for our family. In December 2008 Winnie's oldest brother was killed in a tragic construction accident. In the Summer of 2009 one of the sons of that family drowned in the Nooksack River, close to Lynden, WA., and this lastDecember the tragedy with my brother. Thankfully, life continues and work is a good remedy to deal with tragedies like this.

On another note, please check the latest pictures of seafarers and Christmas at Sea 2009 on our website and please stay tuned for the next blogs.