After 6 weeks of waiting we are finally reunited!

3 weeks were planned, Jackson was doing outreach in Cameroon, but then his visa for the US was delayed so the last 3 weeks were preparing to meet with each other in the Netherlands. Yesterday was the day we arrived at Schiphol and ran into daddy’s arms.

The children traveled the 20 hour journey like pros. I had  applied for “wheelchair assistance” for the children in both LAX and MSP which proved such a blessing as Hope had just fallen asleep and there was no way she was going to walk across the airport. So with 2 kids in the stroller and the wheelchair being pushed by the assistant I was in really good shape at the layovers. In the airplanes there were a few people willing to hold Kyndness and so all in all it was a good journey.
As for another miracle: The first flight was delayed so I would miss the initial connection in LAX and was put on a flight 2 hours later. I was worried I would miss my connection in MSP. When we were enroute from LAX to MSP the pilot announced they had an unexpected tailwind of 165 mph which would mean they would arrive 1 hour ahead of schedule :D. Isn’t God amazing? Therefore we were fine with our connection to Amsterdam.

The only challenge was that the children took turns sleeping, which was not so ideal for mommy but at least they arrived “well rested”. With just 1 hour of sleep in 32 hours (since we had been awake the day before traveling) I slept most of our first day back in Holland. Jetlag hit me hard. But I guess it is combined with exhaustion and subconscious stress of pushing through packing up our home prior to leaving. But it was SO WORTH IT! Seeing my husband again, felt like a ship reaching port after a long journey.

Hope is already adjusted to the time difference and is enjoying the quality time with daddy, grandparents and aunty Martine.
REJoyce decided 2am was a great time to wake up and she asked to go to the playground. We resorted to watching “Prince of Egypt” where my husband graciously took over the 3am-7am shift with her :D.
Kyndness did so amazing, passing the hands of many strangers in the airplanes and now giving smiles to the grandparents meeting him for the first time. He and daddy are enjoying their “boys time” as well.

I am really enjoying being with my family, living in the home I grew up in and just walking around the city of my childhood. Some observations: it is really COLD here! (I truly forgot what that felt like). Cars and bicycles everywhere, always in a hurry. And the food is absolutely AMAZING.

We are going to take a week to rest and recover and then we will pray about what the Lord has for our time on this side of the Ocean!

Thank you all for investing in this trip in prayers and finances that made it possible for us to be together again!

Love and blessings,
Jackson & Anneke, Hope, REJoyce and Kyndness