Family and friends,
A warm greeting from Delft, where coming major changes for Rob began to emerge this year. Pastor emeritus in 2012, financial cuts in the Protestant Church of the Hague that are dramatic. To quote the late fr. van Kilsdonk, ‘the situation is hopeless but not serious’. Our building will close, the congregation moves, but yet we are full of good courage. Both private and in the working atmosphere good things happen simultaneously as well. Our annual review.
Martyria & Jan Pieter (Almere) Normandy was this time the place where they spend their holiday. Marty took a courageous decision this year. With effect from January 1 2012, she has laid down the Secretariat of the Dutch Order of St. Luke. During fourteen years nothing eluded to her attention and she helped prepare conferences and theme days. She may find more time for her poems, still on (www.beelddicht.nl). Jan Pieter took leave of the church’s youth work. Pity for those youth!
Amy(18) went on to study at a college in Amsterdam, media, creation and information. Calvin(14) goes steadily forward with archery. We attended a contest. Fat cool!
Stephen & Bianca did less rebuilding in the house, so there was time to go on holiday with the whole family. Stephen puts all his creativity in his work. Bianca worked this year (part-time) in the social field. Iris (16) is doing very well in High school. Amber (14) in 3 High School is very good too! Eva 12) is a real lady. And at school ... the story gets boring. Pepin (11)proudly showed me around in his school on an ‘open day’. Believe it or not, but he also beats all records!
Lisa & Richard (Landsmeer) Lisa and Richard suffer from the
economic headwinds. Richard is looking for a job and Lisa waits
anxiously if the government subsides the care-centre where she
works. Reno (12) undisputed was the table tennis champion during
the Bladel-family reunion. Even uncle J.P. and uncle Bert bows for
his force majeure. Now he plays in the 3 class with a C-license, so
that he can do to official matches. Nobody makes a chance to beat
him in Bladel, I fear. Jonna(9) further experts herself in swimming and since September she has flute lessons. And she wants to play
tennis. In short, energy enough! Maarten & Marieke (Amsterdam) Maarten and Marieke also
suffered from the economic headwinds. Maarten was fired and
asked back again. They could not just miss him, he is a master
baker! Norah (6) likes reading and on the phone you can have an entire
conversation with her. Elize (almost 12) goes to high school this
year. With a painting and a mini interview she even appeared in
the Amsterdam Cultural Magazine. Keep a close watch on her! Anna (Amsterdam) lost her friend and colleague Lonnie this year.
In her work she receives much appreciation. Fortunately the
uncertainty about continuing in the job is over for the moment. Neeltje Rauwerda The year began with a sad message. The conductor of the Tollens
Ensemble Coen v.d. Heide.,was diagnosed terminally ill. in
hospital he had to listen to our concert in the Old Church in
Rijswijk via internet. While he had some good days, he came to
conduct us the 4th of June when we had a day out. He died
October 21, 64 years of age. In November, he was
commemorated during the concerts of the project symphony
orchestra Intermezzo and the concert of Tollens. We shall miss
him. In February we attended the funeral of Lonnie Puntman Anna's
colleague, with whom we made a trip to Turkey in 2007. Birthdays and holidays are times for a reunion with dear friends
and family. April 25 all my children and grandchild shared our
table: a party! Aagje, Arthur and Doortje have become real
expats. In the beginning of April we visited Naples to visit Rosaria and
Pietro Vincenci, old friends of Rob's Casa Materna time. A warm
welcome during, of course, an Italian meal. We stayed at a
daughter of Fred and Edi Dole, Sandy Adams, members of the
former American Casa Materna Society. In July we visited Jannie
Koster in Normandy and went to the World War II invasion
beaches. Via Limoges to the Auvergne, where niece Marjan de Boer and her husband Ton van Beek received us hospitable.
Meeting again after so many years. After a long stay on Curacao they live in a huge barn with a
beautifully landscaped garden, done by Marjan. Now just wait and see whether the shoot of the miracle-onion
is doing well in Delft too ... Via Carcassonne and Albi we drove to Toulouges
(Perpignan) where we stayed with friends/colleagues of Rob:
Evert and Janna v.d. Poll. Rob shared his experiences with the
two pastors who are already working in France for twenty
years. Evert is a talented pianist and I enjoyed his ‘home-concert’ and was moved by Janna's life story. They took us to
Ceret for an organ concert. French Catalonia is the area of
the Cavaille-Caux organs. On our way back to the North, we
visited a church service in the middle of the 'deep' citycentre
of Luxembourg, where a colleague of Rob (Arie den Dries)
preached in three languages. After the travel, back to the study for the Chamber music
week of the Association for Chamber music in Westelbeers.
My wrist was in a rather good condition again, so I have
weathered the hours with Martinu and Schubert well. In October I payed a short visit to St. Gallen where Doortje
lives, with a beautiful autumn walk on the Ebenalp near
Appenzell. Lack of breath and gentians. Overschie remains near by, thanks to the music lessons in the
extracurricular care, contact with the sons, daughter-in-law
and grandchild and (scarce) visits to my old neighbors and
friends. Rob assisted Saint Nicolas again this year at school. Jan, Charlotte and the small Obaheema Kuukewa Helena,
in short Cookie, now feel really at home in their converted
house in Overschie. Home and garden proved very suitable for
the big party of Kuukewa's first anniversary, which started
with a Ghanaian ceremony, in which Rob ministered with
prayer and blessing. Jan divided his time between working as
a bailiffs and renting real estate in Germany. Charlotte looks
forward to a new job: the travel agency in Rotterdam closed
its doors in September. Willem worked in 2011 with great enthusiasm to renovate his
house and develop his ‘Danceshop Dancalegria ' . He created
choreographies ,trained colleagues, scheduled lessons. He seeks to
further a better balance between work and private life. Aagje and Arthur were asked to stay for another year in the USA.
Planned return is August 2013. Arthur enjoys his work, Aagje got the
chance, partly by taking her American accountants certificate, to
teach at two different Colleges. In June and December they made a
beautiful trip to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, because of the bad weather
by car (!) and through Arizona and California back on the bike. Doortje moved in July from Bern to Sankt Gallen. She is connected
now to Kanton Spittal where she specializes for neurosurgeon. She
is almost ‘naturalised’ now, and climbs in her scant spare time the
Swiss Alp peaks with members of the Schweizerische Alpenclub .
Sankt Gallen is a beautiful old city with an impressive library, where
you can see the oldest music-manuscripts of Europe. A year to look back thankful. So pleased with the many good wishes
we received. Rob of Essen Laak Chapel-Den Haag A year of uncertainty for our congregation, where we had to reflect
intensively on our future. Fortunately Klaas Bruins assisted us,
taking over the pastoral-missionary work from Elziena. Despite some
communication problems we organized the seventh Iftar-meal with
the Mosque associations (in late August, eating after sunset!). I
myself was also invited at the ‘Turkish residents Association’ to
share the Iftar, where I gave greetings on behalf of the Church.
Christmas brunch was great once again, organized by Leo Olffers of
the ‘Neighborhood Association’, which - despite the financial cuts-
continues to help the residents at a new location to be ‘strong
together’. Klaas Bruins also helped to organize the almost traditional
Street lunch at Pentecost. We had guests of the Mosque Association
and of other religious communities in the neighbourhood. In Spring it became clear that the Protestant Church of the Hague
had to cut back drastically. Being a low-income congregation we
foresaw that our existence was at risk, therefore we oriented on
possibilities of cooperation. ‘Oasis’ , our Social Neighborhood
Centre -a strong deaconal ' brand ' in the area- entered a dialogue
with us. Jan Baronner he replaced Elziena last year during her
pregnancy, is in charge there now. We had intensive consultations
about our common ‘mission’ and we have consulted the members
of the congregation. After that we decided to close our church
building (one of the seven in The Hague that closes between now
and 2015!) and we shall make a new start with a ’Church and
Neighborhood House '. We don’t become ' tenants ', but shall
integrate our ministries for mutual enrichment and for the benefit of
the neighborhood. The ‘Church and neighborhood House’ becomes
part of a new district congregation, merged with two other parishes.
There is almost no money to replace me, so in the future my two
colleagues are responsible for the whole district. Great and
emotional changes , so everybody needs courage and faith this
year. On May 4 2011, together with representatives of the
Muslim and Hindu community, I participated in the Oasis-centre
in a ceremony preceding the commemoration of the victims of
World War II. . Merging three parishes into one means the end of former
alliances. In December we had a farewell dinner and said good
bye to Arie de Boer, who was interim pastor at St. Luke church.
It was a privilege to work together during the last five years! In August we organized a ‘sing along’ afternoon with nostalgic
songs, where we welcomed people from all over the city. I toured
that month also to Brabant, to visit our senior-parishioners who
spent a week holiday there. It appeared that I was a professional
wheelchair pusher. This year we continued our monthly 'Alleen-café’ for mourners and I led a ‘mourning digesting’ group, in
which ten people took part. Very grateful to work. On a monthly
base too we had a Bible study group at home with me, where our
daughter-in-law Charlotte also participated. We closed the season
by going to the movies together. PKN-Rijswijk Two Ecumenical-diaconal celebrations this year: Condega
(Nicaragua) for young people and Refugees ministry. I
participated in a group to make plans for the long-term policy of
the Protestant church of Rijswijk, gave children's catechesis about
diaconate and together with the deacons I am working on a policy
plan for 2012 and beyond. Order of St. Luke the Physician : Our annual summer conference
in Helvoirt was inspiring (theme: Being a healing community)
and St. Luke’s day in October, about Hospice care (with Robert
and Lia Lens van Rijn) attracted wide interest. Course: Theology for lay people: Six nights ' Church in the global society ' for highly motivated
students. So much fun! So sad that our President, Joke Breure,
died in December. Such a nice person. She is missed by many. Publications/editorial work : I contributed again for the 2012 Biblical day calendar '
(Boekencentrum publisher). It seems they provide me with the
difficult Scripture portions. Exciting however! Kontekstueel celebrated its 25th anniversary. In the first issue
(25 years ago) I wrote about liberation theology. I was now
asked by the editors to tell how my faith developed since those
days. ‘Being close to Jesus and the neighborhood ‘ resulted from
that question. In December I wrote an article again for this
magazine, titled: Our way crossed by Jesus’. In print January
2012. I continued my monthly column in ‘Church in the Hague’
and I wrote a column – ‘Sursum Corda’ for the ‘Luther
glossy’, published at the 400 anniversary of the Lutheran
churches in Delft and The Hague. In Soteria (Sept) –
Evangelical theological magazine - I wrote ' Heal creation -
now ', published at the farewell of Prof. Bram van the Beek
(Free University, Amsterdam). Personal: August 31 it was 4 years ago that my mother died. As a lasting
memorial I made a photo book for my children and some
family members. Dec. 23 I ministered at the funeral of Roel
Lagerweij (79 jr) she was a Deacon for many years in the
Eltheto-church in Amsterdam. A warm farewell to an
‘Archdeacon’. Moreover, in Amsterdam, in the parish where I
ministered from 1977 till 1992, new initiatives are
blossoming. The Church Hall is rebuilt drastically, and the
flats above the hall are transformed into a commune. I was
asked to advise on the choice between the (many!) candidates
who want to help the Church in that neighborhood. And you
should know that the church had no future in that area in
1976, officials said….. Together with Neeltje I went regularly to the concert-hall in
Rotterdam for a concert series of the Rotterdam Philharmonic
Orchestra. And of course I go to the concerts where she plays
the violin. For example, the St. Nicolas Cantata by Benjamin
Britten, a musical surprise. Unforgettable was our holiday (see Neeltje’s remarks) in
France. What a beautiful country and what a beautiful
churches! To meet Evert and Janna and v/d Poll again and
continue our conversation where we ended 15 years ago, was
very special. To meet Rosaria and Pietro in Naples, after
seven years, was also heartwarming. A friendship of 42 years,
so beautiful. Old acquaintances I met also with the Jubilee of Youth for
Christ in Driebergen. And when deafening praise music
breaks out during the jubilee celebration, you realize you
have grown …..old. Well, before my retirement some necessary has to be done and
then we build a party on May 12 in the Lutheran Church
(Lutheran Burgwal, The Hague). Not looking back, not
pessimistic despite all, but thankful that the Lord carries us,
day to day. We wish you peace and blessings in the new year! Rob van Essen & Neeltje Rauwerda, Kolk 11, 2611KC Delft email: robvan.essen@hccnet.nl njrauwerda@yahoo.com email: website: www.robertvanessen.nl http://kijkbijrob.blogspot.com weblog