Born the son of a Dutch father and a Canadian mother I grew up in the Netherlands. My childhood was marked by the presence of a loving family and plenty of friends to play with. At an early age my parents taught me the joy of caring for and sharing with others. Therefore, even as a child I was age I was concerned with the great pain that is saw around me. In contrast to my untroubled youth my teenage years brought me a fair share of struggles, chief among them: my fragile physical health and the loss of my father due to melanoma. Though very painful and distressing at the time I can now look back and say that God used exactly these struggles to refine my desire to assist and stand with people who are struggling on the margins of society.
Merely eight months after my father passed away, it was through our Church that some tenants from a nearby refugee center started coming over to our house. A Cameroonian brother named Jude subsequently encouraged me to come visit him at the center as well. It was here, in the middle of the Netherlands, surrounded by hundreds of people from all corners of this earth, that I regained the joy that had characterized my early childhood. In some way, in my time of distress I found a home among the displaced. In every ensuing visit, I was greeted with increasing kindness and generosity. In my long conversations with certain refugees about their experience and the asylum process, I was confronted with the limitations of my ability to help. My support often could not extend farther than a simple hug, or some words of encouragement or advice. As my relationship with certain refugees developed into deeply-seated friendships, I felt as though my family was growing. With this addition, I felt their pain even more profoundly and began to wonder how to offer more constructive help.
Through further studies, work, and volunteer experience I have gained an increased understanding of the complexities, issues, and obstacles that prevent peace and justice from being achieved for all of God’s children. Finishing my Masters in Human Rights Law over the past year I was hoping to find a place where I could put my knowledge into practice while at the same time having the opportunity to continue to learn hands-on. It suffices to say that I am very thankful for the opportunity, with CRWRC, that has come my way.
