In recent weeks we took regularly walks along the beach in the late afternoon. Just to get out of the house, to get some exercise, and – honestly – because we have time to spare at the moment. And what a beautiful view we see when we walk. The beaches and the sea are empty. Here and there a stranded American. And some Arubans who have recaptured the beach from the 1.2 million tourists who wash up here every year. But that’s about it. And so, we have wonderful beautiful views of rediscovered nature.
Today I heard that a shark has been spotted at Noord. That is unprecedented for Aruba and it is a long time ago that the last shark was spotted. And although the last shark attack took place in 1939 near Curacao, we don’t tell Hielke. He would not get in the water again for the rest of our time in Aruba.
We are doing well. We are all healthy, Jorian is doing better than expected in the Netherlands, and in our daily life we do not have much to tell about ourselves, thanks to Corona. We read a lot, pray a lot, and also have many digital encounters. YWAM consists of all missionaries who, like us, are trapped in the country to which they are sent. Some are working hard arranging food for the poor, some are setting up water stations, some are providing digital training, and some can’t do much (yet) and take the time to pray for all the others.
We mainly belong to the last category. Other than some practical local services, we can’t do much. We recognize that we’re still in the very early stages of pioneering. Our contacts and resources are still limited, and because all facilities are closed, we can’t offer much practical support. So, we choose to encourage others. Although we find it difficult not to see results, it is wonderful to be able to encourage people. And in this way, we also hear testimonies about people who are just now being reached with the gospel because of the situation we’re in. What a blessing!
Aruba is doing really bad. The country is almost bankrupt, 88% of the economy here revolves around tourism. All of this came to a sudden halt, with the result that half of the working population has become unemployed. For many people, this means that they no longer have an income. Fortunately, we have several organizations in Aruba that distribute food packages. Some of those organizations also distribute food packages to people who cannot prove that they had a job. But there is much invisible suffering. If you ask an Arubian how he is doing, he will always say “bon, bon, danki” (“good, good, thank you”), even if he has nothing to eat at night. The outside appearance counts over here. Aruba is and remains “One happy island”, even when everything collapses.
Arubians are therefor suffering and are still trying to keep up the good spirit. Fortunately, we see people here who are speaking of -, and offering hope. People who talk about the beautiful view that we have. And we could also testify about this in the last couple of weeks, usually at unexpected moments. Isn’t it amazing that we got to celebrate Jesus’ death and resurection in this time? He gave us the best view into the future and slowly but surely it is getting closer. Not much longer and it’s here!