Announcing - Justin Hendrick Krul

It is with great joy and thankfulness in our hearts to our heavenly Father, that we announce the birth of our newborn son -

Justin Hendrick Krul

Born on February 28 at 8:44 PM
Weighs 8 lbs 7 oz
Measures 52.5 cm

Both Wilhelmina and baby are doing well!

Patiently Waiting

Fluffy white snowflakes drift downward and I can’t tear my gaze from the window. In Job 38 it talks about God’s treasury of snow, and scientists have since then discovered the unique symmetrical pattern of each snowflake. God’s intricate creation. How beautiful.

A man coughs beside me, breaking into my reverie, and for a moment I pull my gaze from the window. Although not crowded, the Doctor’s office is busy, and I take a moment to study those around me. When my eyes land on a man wearing shorts, I smile. I’m pretty sure it’s only in Canada that people still wear shorts when it’s snowing!

“Wilhelmina.” I look up to see a nurse beckoning to me.

Wrapping my winter coat snugly around my burgeoning tummy, I make my way to the back.

“Still no baby?” She teases.

“Nope.”

It’s Friday and I’m already four days overdue. Patience has never been my strong point, and I feel God has been giving me many opportunities to practice this last week! Not only is baby overdue, everywhere I’ve gone this week has resulted in me having to wait. Today is no exception, and after getting my weight recorded, I’m once again given the opportunity to practice patience as I wait for an hour in the exam room for the Doctor.

As I sit I mentally rehearse my memory verse for this week; ‘But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” Romans 8:25

Patiently waiting. Sigh.

Valentine's Day

I ease off the couch and walk towards the window. Pushing the sheer curtain aside I peer into the darkness; waiting. It doesn't take long before the welcoming lights of the MAF van appears. Signalling, it turns and pulls into the driveway. They're back!

Smiling I head to the front door. Jason and Jayden enter a minute later, laden with Chinese takeout. Yum! Leaving their coats and shoes in the hallway they carry the bags to the kitchen counter.

In the dining room the table has already been set. Lighted candles illuminate the room with their soft cheery glow.

Sitting down together we bow our heads and pray, thanking God for His blessings.

The food is delicious and after dividing it up all three of us dig in. It's so nice being together as a family again! What better way to spend Valentine's day then a quiet, candlelight dinner with my two favourite boys?

Once supper is over Jason melts chocolate while Jayden and I wash strawberries. Strawberries dipped in chocolate makes a perfect Valentine's dessert!

After dinner, Jason readies Jayden for bed.

Quiet reigns. Snuggling with my husband on the couch I close my eyes for a moment. Contentment.

Two More Sleeps!

Dear Dad!

Only two more sleeps before you come home and Mommy and I are super excited! 5 weeks is a long time for us to do without you!

I've been taking good care of Mommy though!

Besides vacuuming,

From 2012

I also load the washer, dryer and dishwasher for her.

Mommy's tummy is getting pretty big so she can't bend over that well anymore. I made the mistake of calling her 'big fat Mommy' today. Warning for you Dad, don't mention anything like that to her! She half tickled me to death!

From 2012

While you were away I kept busy playing with trains, and one of my new favourite toys, Lego.

From 2012

Mommy has also been working on preschool with me everyday and in one of our activities we made our own dinosaur memory game. I love playing it and can't wait to play it with you!

From 2012

We've kept busy visiting family and friends and some of my favourite places to go are Grandma and Grandpa's and Oma and Opa's.

From 2012

I can usually talk both Grandpa and Opa into reading me stories! I especially like the ones about dinosaurs of course.

From 2012

One night, when we were missing you, Mom took me to your favourite restaurant.

From 2012

The burgers were delicious! Yum!

From 2012

And dessert, wow!

From 2012

Cousin Sid, came to visit for three days too, while you were away.

From 2012

Sleepovers are great fun!

From 2012

The weather was awesome so during the day we could play outside on the nut farm.

From 2012

Well, that's all for now! I can't wait for you to come home so we can all be back together again! Then the baby can come too!

xoxo, love Jayden

Judging versus Loving

Judging others, aren't we all guilty of that?

God wouldn't have to tell us over and over in the Bible not to judge or speak evil of each other if it wasn't a problem. Although there are many different Bible verses that address this issue, the verses I am about to share are the ones God has been using to teach me these last few months.

The first one can be found in James 4:11-12:
¹¹Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

¹²There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

In Mark 12:30-31 it says:
³⁰And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

³¹And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

So if we are judging our neighbour we aren't a doer of the law, since the second commandment clearly states we are to LOVE our neighbour. You can't judge and love at the same time.

Also, it's not our job to judge. It's God's.

While judging might be something done internally it often leads to us speaking evil of others. Why do we do it? I think we do it to make us feel better about ourselves. How often do we say things like; Do you now what that person did? Look at what she's wearing? I heard this person say that, can you believe it? And in the back of our minds we pat ourselves on the back. We would never do, or wear, or say something like that!

But what does the Bible say?

In Titus 3:2-5 we can find these words:

2..speak evil of no man.... but be gentle....

³For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.

⁴But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

⁵Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Those are powerful words. Don't speak evil, but be gentle. Look at yourself, at your past. Don't you remember when you were foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving all kinds of lusts and pleasures, living in wickedness and envy, hateful and hating one another? It's only by the kindness and love of God and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit that we are renewed. Not be anything we have done. Don't forget that! So love your neighbor, don't speak evil and be gentle.

It's simple really. I didn't realize how truly simple it was till last month. We were in Port au Prince driving to the airport, when a Haitian man flagged us down. We recognized him as someone who occasionally worked at the airport and he asked us for a ride. We stopped and let him into the back where he found a seat beside Jayden. After greeting us with a friendly"Bonjou" he popped his headphones back into his ears and gazed out the window.

Jayden very quickly began to complain. "Mom," he whispered loudly. "That man stinks, I don't want to sit by him!" Horrified at my child, I glanced back and as I turned I could smell it too. Sweat.

Thankfully the man with the earphones hadn't heard Jayden and I quickly admonished him. "Jayden you can't say that! That isn't nice!"He looked at me for a moment, but made no response. Then several seconds later slightly off tune he began to sing the last line of his favourite song. "Give me an understanding heart."

It's a song based on Psalm 86 and goes like this:
Teach me O Lord Thy way of truth
and from it I will not depart
That I may steadfastly obey
Give me an understanding heart

I was stunned. Out of the mouth of a little child came wisdom far beyond his years. An understanding heart. That was it.

The next time we feel an urge to judge or say something bad about someone else let's instead ask God for an understanding heart. And let's ask in faith, God did say "Ask and it shall be given" (Matthew 7:7)

Dear Dad

I just want to say I love you!


Just look at my eyes and you will see how much I miss you.


Please come home soon and play in the snow with me!


Ps: I'm taking good care of Mommy!

XOXO Jayden

A New Place To Call Home

The friendly warmth of the fireplace wraps itself around me in the early morning coolness. It's 7:00 a.m. in Agassiz, BC and the sun has yet to peak her face over the beautiful snow capped mountains.


I reach over and take a sip of my favorite Earl Grey tea and then a bite of my Dutch biscuit with chocolate sprinkles. Yum!

Opening my laptop I check the date on my last blog post and notice it has been exactly two weeks. Skim reading 'Busy Days, Sleepless Nights,' I marvel at the changes that have taken place.

Two weeks ago we lived in Port au Prince, Haiti, a city with a population of over 4 million people. Now we live in Agassiz, BC, a town of barely 6000. The warm Caribbean versus the beautiful snow peaked mountains of Canada. Bustling city, farm country. Ants, mosquitoes and cockroaches, now not a bug to be seen. The smells of the city versus "fresh country air," as Jayden likes to say.

Snuggling deeper into Jason's hoodie, I smile at the memories of the last two weeks.

Playing in the snow,

sledding,


ice skating,


dinners with family and friends,

and settling into our temporary home.


Now the 6 weeks before my due date stretch out in front of me. Since Jason flew back to Haiti for one more month of duty with MAF before furlough begins, I'm planning to fill my time relaxing, reading, playing with Jayden, and spending time with family and friends.

Busy Days, Sleepless Nights

The soft pink curtains sway gently as a welcoming breeze makes its way through the flimsy screens. In the darkness I watch their ghostly forms dance this way and that. Turning over, I re-adjust my pillows to find the ever illusive comfortable sleeping position. Insomnia has plagued me these last few months.

Finally, giving up, I sit up and ease ever so quietly out of bed. Walking carefully through the maze of suitcases that plaster our bedroom floor I silently open the door and slip out into the hallway. Closing it softly behind me I flip on the hallway light. Making my way to Jayden’s bedroom I crack open the door and smile at the sight of three small boys sprawled out on beds and air mattresses.

Reaching above the door frame, I feel with my fingers till they touch something metal; the hallway gate key. Closing my fingers around it I insert the key into the iron security gate and it opens with a click.

In the kitchen I fill a glass with water and ice. The kitchen clock reads 3:00 a.m., meaning it’s probably about 3:25. Even with new batteries its accuracy never last long and I’ve learned to slowly add 5 then 10, and now up to 25 minutes to get real time.

Cradling my glass, I head over to the living room and turn on the light. No cockroaches scurry off into darker corners and for this I am thankful. I make myself comfortable on the couch and slowly sip my ice water. Today is a special day. My 26th birthday and the day we travel to Canada. Still unable to fully wrap my mind around the changes that are to come, I decide instead to reminisce about this past week.

With our friends from Canada and their three children visiting us, it’s been a busy and exciting week. As I lay my head back on the armrest a string of memories play in my mind.

Visiting the downtown core.

The heart breaking poverty there.

Parents, so desperate they beg us to take their children.


The filthy streets.

MAF flights.
Landing in Oanaminthe

Feeling like the odd ones out!

Okay, that's better!

A bus ride through the village with adopted Uncle Jason.

Christmas feeding programs.


Make new friends.

Handing out Bible verse coloring books.

Happy kids!

This is for you!

Rice and beans.

Christmas Eve.


And special times with special friends.

Gradually the images fade in my weary brain. Drinking the last sips of water I shuffle back up the stairs, through the hallway and into our bedroom. Crawling under the thin sheet I close my eyes and dream. Winter coats, boots, the flu bug, airports, babies, Jason, Jayden, family, friends.

Slowly I doze off into a restless sleep. Less then 2.5 hours before it's time to get up and get ready to leave Haiti. It seems so unreal.

Christmas Outreach Program

The sun steadily sinks lower in the cerulean sky as children push and jostle each other to get through the orphanage gate. Today is the Christmas Outreach Program and anticipation and excitement buzzes through the air.


Finally it's our turn and as we enter the courtyard we can see a crowd has already formed inside.


To get a better view we climb up the side of a crumbled wall and get comfortable on the roof of a neighboring house.


With over 400 people in the community attending, it takes a little for the crowd to settle down, but when they finally do the Christmas program begins.


Strains of 'Gloria in Excelsis Dio' waft upward as the children who regularly attend the feeding program sing their praises to God.


The T-Rex that Jayden had snuck along in his pocket evidently begins to get hungry so the boys collect dinosaur vegetation to calm its grumbling tummy.

The program continues with various songs and skits allowing both those who live in the orphanage and attend the feeding programs to participate.

After a rousing round of applause for all their efforts, the crowd quiets as the Christmas Story is read. As the ancient Biblical words resound around us, I glance up.



The fading sunlight illuminates a cross perched on a neighboring building. Christmas is all about celebrating Christ's birth, but the cross is a reminder of what Jesus came to do. He came to die for sinners.

Darkness falls and the program ends. As we mingle, the kids are quickly surrounded.

Two girls playfully touch Dia's silky locks and she giggles.


Josh soon finds someone his own age and does his best to communicate using sign language.


Other children crowd around us, asking to get their pictures taking.

Slowly the courtyard empties and it's time to return home. In the pale light of the moon we make our through the dusty streets back to the car. The birth of Jesus. What a special occasion to share and celebrate with the community around us.