Happy Valentine’s Day to our Faithful Prayer and Financial Supporters! May our precious LORD bless each of you with a joyous day full of His love!
Richard & Sandra van Dillen Holland Valentine’s Day 2011
PRAISES
1. 1. We praise the Lord for His abundant, overflowing LOVE which He bestows upon us daily!
2. 2.We praise the Lord for allowing us to return to Holland to serve as His ambassadors. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with the lost Dutch, Hindu, and Muslim contacts all around us in Den Haag.
3. 3.We praise the Lord for the required Dutch classes we have to take in order to obtain dual citizenship. I thank the Lord for the good scores I received on the four hour four part Dutch test I had to take last Wednesday. I praise the Lord that 95% of the students in my introductory Dutch classes are Muslims. I have one more introductory class this Friday. Next week I will be assigned a teacher and a permanent class.
4. 4. I spent 5 hours with Manisha (young Hindu neighbor and daughter-in-law of Bea) last week. She wants to spend time with me on a weekly basis. She is somewhat open to the gospel. She told me that although Bea thought she had not eaten any meat the entire week before Rudi’s last Hindu funeral service, she had secretly eaten meat at Sandia’s house (her sister-in-law and Bea’s daughter). She is a nursing mother and she needed to eat protein.
5. 5.Bea (Hindu neighbor and friend for the past 18.5 years) invited us to Rudi’s final Hindu funeral service last Sunday. This last Hindu service is required right before one year after the death of the Hindu. When I asked the Hindus at the service why they were not allowed to eat meat for a week before the service and why Rudi’s son, Vikash, had to shave his head for the service, not one Hindu in Bea’s crowded living room could answer my questions. They practice these rituals and yet not even the older Hindus could explain why they have to do the ritualistic traditions that they practice. Bea told me that she just did things required of her Hindu beliefs because she had to. She thinks if she doesn’t do what the Hindu religion requires Rudi’s spirit will return from the dead to haunt her.
6. 6.We praise the Lord that although we are now under-supported by $600 a month, thanks to special gifts from unexpected special donors, we were able to break even at the end of 2010.
7. 7.We praise the Lord that Peter Daniel’s knee is doing much better thanks to your faithful prayers. He has to wear custom made insoles. Evidently he walks with his feet leaning inward like I did when I was a little girl. I had to wear ugly corrective shoes when I was little. Today Peter Daniel only needs to wear corrective insoles.
8. 8.Last week the wind was blowing at 90 miles an hour and Richard & I tried biking to city. When we came around a tall building the wind caught me and took me flying off of my bike. I praise the Lord that I did not break my badly bruised left arm. The handle bars fell right into my left leg leaving another huge bruise. I was wearing so many layers and the good Lord protected my arm which still hurts.. The wind was still strong on Sunday so instead of biking 6 miles one way to our Dutch church in Delft, we chose to walk to Peter Daniel & Paul-Duffy’s church in the city which is only 4.4 miles round trip! Thanks for your continued prayers for safety on the bikes!
PRAYER
1. We are excited about our required Dutch classes. Richard is still waiting for his letter from the government requiring him to take these same Dutch classes. Please pray he receives his letter soon.
2. We are considering finding part time jobs. This will enable us to make new Muslim contacts while also providing us with additional money needed for ministry. Please pray we can both find part-time jobs with Muslim co-workers. Our Dutch classes provide an extra class which actually will help us find part time work. We praise the Lord that He is providing these required Dutch classes at just the right time!
3. Please pray that my new Dutch class will be mostly Muslim women who are not content with Islam and who are actually in search of the truth.
4. Please continue to pray for Manisha, Bea, and Soenita (Hindu neighbors and friends) to open their hearts to the love of Christ.
5. Yesterday in our Dutch church in Delft, Ton’s message centered around trusting the Lord to provide all of our financial needs. As missionaries for the past 21.5 years we have been totally dependent on the Lord’s provision for all of our family and ministry needs. We praise the Lord for continuously providing for our needs. Please pray the Lord would raise up our monthly support deficit.
6. Paul-Duffy found one major he is interested in but jobs are scarce in this area. He is still looking for a major he will enjoy and which will eventually provide job opportunities. Pray for wisdom for Paul-Duffy as he tries to decide what to do with his future. Pray also for us to be able to obtain his residency permit and eventually his dual citizenship easily. He was born in Holland, and grew up here so hopefully that will help.
7. Perry-David has applied for 3 jobs in media production at 3 mega churches. The 3 churches are: Grace Community Church in Plano,Texas; Hope Community Church in North Carolina; and another evangelical church in Illinois. These churches have good foreign missions programs which is important for the future of Perry-David & Amber who feel called to serve the Lord on the mission field. Pray for Perry-David to get the job at the church where the Lord would have him serve. I am partial to the church in Plano since it 29 miles from Dallas Theological Seminary and only a 35 minute drive on North Central Expressway (not during rush hour, of course).
