Een jaar geleden liet ik een domeinnaam registreren aan het einde van mijn reis met God in Afrika.
Toen nog geen idee waar het heen zou leiden, had alleen wat woorden en een droom.

Dromen zijn er om waar te maken…
Hij was al en tijdje klaar, maar de verhuizing wilde nog niet helemaal lukken.
Maar vandaag is de dag gekomen…

I proudly present de website van True You.
www.trueyouproject.nl 

Bijgevoegd vind je ook een Short Spring update (nieuwsbrief), met de laatste nieuwtjes.
Download nieuwsbrief_april_2010_1.pdf

That’s why I wanna share this with you.

To experience complete joy and happiness, we have to be able to share it.
To see the most beautiful sunset by yourself is awesome, but more special and joyful if you can share that moment with the one you love. Something I learned during traveling by myself. Not someone to share these moments with, to create memories and enjoy joy together. Something I learned in my relationship with Wouter, my boyfriend. During his trip to Africa: not having him around, not being able to have contact, to share the heights (and depths) gives me less satisfaction, less joy, less happiness.

As soon as the new Olympic Champion finishes, the first one he or she looks for are their loved ones. To share this special moment of victory! Not his of her moment, this it makes it their moment of victory!

It’s the foundation of that feeling: missing someone.

When God created our world it must have been the same.
He created planet earth, paradise it was. The most beautiful thing you have ever seen or can imagine. Was He enjoying it? Of course He was! He was the Creator of it all! He made it in His own Image. And the One Who calls the Sun in her existence, puts the stars in their place every night, makes the flowers grow every spring… showes off in all this. To show us Who He is. His abundance, His more than enough: Look to nature, He really is the GREAT UNEQUALLED ONE!

But… His joy was more complete if He could share all (t)His beauty with someone. That’s why created us, to enjoy life with Him, to enjoy all He is.

But we choose to know better. And we lost Him. We started looking elsewhere.
Looking for better things. Thinking we could do better than God. We think we can be God. And we did quite a great job, so far. For ourselves in the western world.

We know a lot, science is further then ever before, we can buy all we want…
We can (almost) be God. At least, we think we can.
So we try, and try, and try… until we can’t anymore. Try to find what?
Try to find that thing that will complete us again. To fill our hearts again.
All we do comes forth out of this great longing to finally find that satisfaction.

But we will fail, and fail, and fail.
We’ve come far, but how much damage did it do to us?
How much longer will we try?
How much longer….?

I can find joy in this world, in the pleasures of this world.
Things we created ourselves. It is joy that only lasts for a moment.
It is joy that will not satisfy. I’ve tried too… and I failed.
And I will fail again if I will search it in the world.
Just because I miss Him!

Because, you and me, we were created to live with Him.
To share the heights (and depths) of our life with this Great Creator.
To enjoy life with the life Giver.
To enjoy His character, His love, His patience, His grace, His friendship, His everlasting beauty, His care. His righteousness, His people… to enjoy Himself!
He wants to share all He is.

To share it….. and to make my, our joy complete!

Dear people,

Here you find my latest newsletter in Dutch & English
Have all very beautifull days

Download news_nadine_dutch.pdf
Download news_nadine_english.pdf

Er is een filmpje gemaakt voor het project Nieuw Wij over mijn zusje Joëlle en mij, onze reizen naar Afrika, wat ons drijft en Leidt.

Je vindt het filmpje op deze link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWdk0-1pSuw

"In West-Europa staan we vaak stil bij de dingen die we niet hebben in plaats van te kijken naar de dingen die we juist wel hebben. Nadine en Joëlle de Goede hebben beide kanten van dit spectrum kunnen ervaren. Hoe heeft het lot hun gebracht naar de plekken waar ze geweest zijn? En op wat voor manier voelen zij een verbintenis met de mensen op die plekken, met zichzelf en met God?"

There is a voice, unheard and weeping, in the darkness
Hopeless, alone, afraid and forgotten

How can a life be changed?
Is the price too much for you to pay?

To be the voice to the voiceless
Kind and nice within your heart
Give your strength for the weary, broken and thorn apart
Be that voice

What will we do,
Will we let them die away?
And as they fade from memory,
Their lives remain the same….

WOW, what a trip it has been again. Kenya for the second time, what an amazing country! After a great preparation time in Holland we left for Kenya with the 8 of us. We travelled the night, touched ground in Dubai, arriving in Nairobi the next morning, so ready for some sleep. But our local contact already planned a day in the biggest slum of Nairobi: Kibera.
My goodness, I’ve seen places, but none like this. Children, children, children everywhere. And the circumstances. It was too much, it went so deep in my heart I couldn’t even cry. Dirt everywhere, not only around, but also on their clothes, their faces and the look in their eyes. That hopeless look. Entering the little houses, praying for the people, handing out food and clothes, but most of all bring love. What a privilege!

After two days Nairobi & Kibera we jumped in a matatu (small van) and crossed from one place to another: Kitale, Kakuma, Webuye, Marakwet and back to Nairobi. Especially  Kakuma & Marakwet were impressive to me. Kakuma is a village in North-West Kenya, the desert place of Turkana. Original tribes still live here. We had the chance to live with these people. Eat what they eat, sleep outside under the amazing star sky, dress ourselves in their clothes. Such a cool experience and the people really appreciated this from us mzungu’s (white people).
We visited a nursery school, feeding the children of the village, who come here every day, once a day for food. Mainly because their parents (if they still have parents) don’t have any for them. They all got a half filled cup, which had to do for the rest of the day, until the next morning. The smell of the pap I won’t easily forget, how can this be!

The last week we stayed in Marakwet, also a dry area in the centre of Kenya. Through sports ministry we were able to play soccer, volleyball and games with the kids. During the breaks in between we did drama and shared the stories of how God changed our lives. To testify of the power of a God that is still so alive and still cares so much about His people.
And faithful as He is, He showed the people His care for them. One afternoon we hiked into the village, on the mountain hill. Small huts, no beds, no electricity, no water…We packed a backpack with clothes, to bless people on the way. Returning we saw how much damage the enormous drought brings to the harvest in this area.  It didn’t rain for too long, which caused these people hunger. Unfortunately rain was something we didn’t pack in our backpack. But knowing our God we decided to pray, knowing He always listens. And yes that night God send His rain! The next day the little streams were full water, children drinking out of the streams. Wow, how water brings life! Wow, how faithful is God, alive and hearing all our prayers.

Yeah, that’s something I definitely learned again through this trip. And this is just one example of so many testimonies of God’s love for us. I could write so many more stories. But it’s not about the big stories. We people are always after the huge, exciting stories. But what amazes me every single day is His personal care for me. Waking me up, giving me the air to breath, a smile and even a tear.
Isn’t it even more of a wonder that this God, who is Creator and Almighty is in control of and concerned about all these ‘small’ things in my life. How He engineers all circumstances. His care and character I find in nature, in the mountain hills, that little bird, the power of the waters, the amazing sky filled with stars, that look in the children’s eyes. Although we might have stopped seeing Him and listening to Him, He still is…

I’ve seen so many places these last two years, different people, beautiful faces. And how can I forget them? Back home in my safe Dutchland, it’s so easy to adapt again and get used to my luxury. To live up the expectations of our society. Everything back to ‘normal’.

But will I let them fade from memory as their lives remain the same?
At this very moment they still live in those circumstances….. Nothing changed for them. How can I forget? Never ever, I decide not to! Right now I want to be their voice, to tell you, we can make a difference. I believe, do you? 

“We must be the change we wish to see in this world” (Gandhi)

Be that voice….

For pictures: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=299340&id=771565354&l=ac0e88c84f

To all the very curious ones out there..

Yess I’m back, and again had an amazing time. We’ve been living in primitive circumstances, so there was no chance for me to upload the weblog. Besides that I was way too busy enjoying it all, and rather stared over the mountains and beauty of nature, than a computer screen
It’s been so different from the times before, more intense and we’ve done so much, travelled all over Kenya, met many people, different faces and cultures.. It feels like I’ve been gone for 2 months or so..So I want to take the time to write an appropriate blog, so give me some grace and I will come back at you with more stories as soon as possible

For now: I’m home safe…will start working again tuesday, with my heart still a bit overwhelmed about the power of God’s love..

Check my pictures at: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=299340&id=771565354&l=ac0e88c84f Hope that will give you a good picture of our trip

Download newsletter_kenya_juliaug.doc

(Open de bijlage om de originele newsletter te lezen)

Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire

Your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
and what I know of love…

Na een onvergetelijke reis naar Afrika begin dit jaar, stap ik eind juli weer het vliegtuig in naar Kenia. Dit keer met een team van Athletes in Action. Werken met de armen in de sloppenwijken van Nairobi en met mensen in Marakwet, een stam in het noorden van Kenia. Activiteiten met kinderen en jongeren zonder ogenschijnlijke toekomst of hoop. Zij aan zij werken met de mensen, bouwen aan hun toekomst.

De reis naar Afrika begin dit jaar was indrukwekkend en veel herinneringen doen me iedere dag weer beseffen hoe dankbaar ik mag zijn. Hier in Nederland te wonen, een eigen huisje te hebben, een diploma op zak, een koelkast vol voedsel en familie en vrienden om dit allemaal mee te delen. Je bent er zo weer aan gewend…

Maar door de prachtige ervaringen is alles voor mij wel in een ander licht komen te staan. Het heeft me diep in mijn hart veranderd. Het zien van de armoede, het besef van de situatie van je ‘naaste’ aan de andere kant van de wereld. Het klinkt raar, maar wat een verrijking van mijn leven! Voor geen goud of iets op deze wereld zou ik dat in willen wisselen.

Wat begon met die vraag die bij ons allemaal wel eens door het hoofd gaat: “waar kom ik vandaan, waar ga ik naartoe na dit leven en wat doe ik hier eigenlijk” bracht mij de afgelopen twee jaar over de hele wereld. Het moment dat God besloot te laten zien dat Hij er écht is…. Vet scary! Maar onvergetelijk!

Het is de grootste schat die ik gevonden heb: het kennen van God. De waarheid dat Hij er écht is (terwijl Hij ook zo vaak zo ver weg lijkt!) heeft me zo diep geraakt. En hoe ik ook geprobeerd heb het te ontkennen, Hij is er echt! Iedere morgen word ik wakker met het besef wat een voorrecht het is dit te mogen weten. En deze hoop wil ik graag delen. En deze zomer vooral ook met de mensen in Kenia J

Full power liefde uitdelen waar het zo nodig is!

Soms is het moeilijk te verwoorden hoe de Afrika tijd is geweest. Maar Sara Groves heeft hier een prachtig lied over geschreven. Daarom ga ik graag weer terug….. Gaan jullie mee? Blijf mij volgen op mijn blog…

AFRICA

I saw what I saw and I can’t forget it
I heard what I heard and I can’t go back
I know what I know and I can’t deny it

Something on the road, cut me to the soul

Your pain has changed me
your dream inspires
your face a memory
your hope a fire
your courage asks me what I’m afraid of
what I am made of
and what I know of love

We’ve done what we’ve done,

and we can’t erase it
We are what we are

and it’s more than enough
We have what we have,

but it’s no substitution

I say what I say with no hesitation
I have what I have and I’m giving it up
I do what I do with deep conviction

Something on the road, changed my world

(Sara Groves– I saw what I saw)

Raindrops keep falling on my head…..Yes, I’m back in Holland

Now already for over a week and it’s been great. So good to see and meet everyone, hear the stories, tell my stories to whoever wanted to hear them, lots of coffee, tea and cake of course
Besides that started training my favorite athletics right away, had a trainingsweekend where I ran my butt off (how I missed that!), busy searching for my own place and applied for a job already. So, you could say I’m excited to be home and can’t wait to see what’s next!

I promissed in my last blog to write a ‘close-off-Africa’ back in Holland, just to glimpse back on my three months in Africa. In December 2008 God told me to buy a ticket to Africa, because there was something for me to find there, something He wanted to show me. Without understanding, but in obedience I booked a ticket, left home and went in faith. To be honest expecting God to show me some kind of ministry with street children or orphans.

The only thing God told me was to plan nothing (Ahhh scary! how hard for me, how I love to plan!), but to trust Him in ALL things. To let Him lead and prepare the way on this Roadtrip with God which I was about to step into.
Before leaving He did gave me His promise in Deuteronomy 31:8 & my Guide-line in John 3:8

“The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged”

“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So is it with everyone born of the Spirit (= Gods voice).”

He told me He was going to lead me. Where…? No idea!

People back home didn’t understand, neither did I…But I just couldn’t do different. So I went..

From the moment I jumped on the plane it’s been an amazing, ridiculous, crazy, fun and at times a difficult journey. But WOW, what a privilege it’s been to just be on the travel with Him alone. It was just me and Him, listening to His voice in all circumstances and decisions to make…How much I’ve learned about WHO HE REALLY is, searching Him in ALL things, waiting on Him and most of all, trusting Him! NOT KNOWING, JUST GOING!

God moaned me, stretched me and tested me BIG time, but we survived together. At the moment I’m still in a place where I cannot grasp everything that happened to me myself, which makes it really hard to explain to others. But so far it’s going quite well

I’ve been traveling through Africa, working, visiting projects and helping out where needed. And my goodness, there is soooooo much to do.
You could easily go crazy if you really realize what’s actually happening over there on this very moment. So many problems, pain and suffering, hungry mouths to feed, (child & woman)abuse, rape, discrimination, brokeness, poverty….Not even talking about the (spreading) problem of HIV/AIDS!

It’s just overwhelming at times…where to begin?

Walking around in these circumstances I started to ask myself questions. How can this happen, where does this come from, how could we let this come so far? And where are You God, how can this be if You are Love?
God knew my thoughts and I remember this moment when He gave me His answer.
He never wanted this to happen, this has been our own choice.

God gave us the bible, it’s His Word to us. In this bible He gave us the ten commandments. Most of you might think (as I used to think) that they are a bit too strict and old-fashioned. But at that moment I realized that these 10 commandments are THE ANSWER to all these problems.

Just think with me: ‘what would the world look like if everyone would keep these commandments?’

(Love your neighbour as yourself, honor your father and mother, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, don’t give a false testimony to your neighbour..etc’)
What would Africa look like? What would your country look like? What would your city look like? What would your own family look like?

Most of the problems I’ve seen in Africa come out of brokeness, broken families, broken hearts, people longing for love. I believe this is because we were created to be loved. Because God wanted to love us. But we think we know better. We think we don’t need God and started being our own God. And look how far it brought us…..

God gave the ten commandments for a reason, because He cared for us. (My sister riminded me the other day of this cool example: would a father let his child play with a knife?) God knew what was best for us. What could harm us and wanted to protect us. How did He know? Because He is the Creator of us! Who know’s better than the One who created us Himself?

And now we start to blame God, where are You now? Well I know He has been here all the time. And although I haven’t seen it for a very long time in my own life either, now I just can’t deny it anymore.

And now He just tells us in His bible that there’s a Way back to Him. That’s the Way I found, and believe me, it’s a great one to walk in! That’s the faith in Jesus, Who came to restore the gap between us and God. That’s what Jesus did on the Cross…

And what a timing I’m writing this right now, because that’s why we celebrate GOOD (not bad) friday, this coming friday. For some of you it’s a good friday because you have a day off from work (which is also very enjoyable   But for me it’s good, because it’s the day Jesus died and that’s where life began for me!

In all the sad and difficult things I’ve seen in poverty and hopelessness… I’ve seen Him being the answer! Lives changed, people in slum area’s living as the hapiest people in the world, children enjoying life in orphanages…WOW!

Just reading back what I just wrote down it kind of amazes me. I sound like a preacher

I hope you understand and if you don’t: feel free to send me an email

For now…Enjoy your Easter all over the world..Enjoy whatever you will do.

And I will keep this BLOG updated, for more things will come for sure

My last hours are ticking away here in Africa…waiting for my airport pick up gives me a chance to share a last word with you guys from this beautiful continent

Guys, I’ve been living my dream and I’m not planning to stop doing that..
God told me to go to Africa and so I went…My dream came true and more then that!
How amazing everything has been. It’s been stretching, interesting, difficult at times, growing & changing me again and again…Making me a richer person for sure!
I’m thankful for every moment, everything I’ve seen and every person I’ve met.

I expected to be sad to leave, but this last week of closing off this time and reading back all the amazing stories and things I’ve experienced made me excited to go home. Really, I’m so looking forward to go home op…Looking forward for living new dreams, starting new things and continuing living life to the fullness!

Oh, my pick up is here…so will write you guys a last ‘looking back’ in Holland, to really close off

Countdown started…only one more week. Time is passing by so fast, that’s why we should make most out of every moment huh Not living too much in the future, because you might miss the beautiful moments there are right in front of you!

Back already for a week in Cape Town…
After Jefferys Bay I left to Ashton, a small village in the mountains. I stayed here with a family who have their own ministry: a school for farmerchildren. The farmers in this area of South Africa are still being treathed like slaves and discriminated. So these children don’t really grow up in a childfriendly environment. Most of the time no schooling, drunken parents at home, so they start hanging on the streets or even decide to leave home, because you are just more safe on the streets..Can you imagine, but you really are!
This family started a school for these kids and it’s just great how now they have opportunities to get education, to see the potential of these kids and find that great dream for each one of them. As soon as they heard I’m an athlete and have experience in giving training they invited me to train the most talented kids of the school the next day. WOW, soo great!

So the next morning I arrive at the school…And all of a sudden all the kids (200) are called out of their classes and lined up within 1 minute to welcome me, giving me some welcoming words and singing me a song..GOOSEBUMBS everywhere and I had to fight my tears..How overwhelming! (I’m just an ordinary girl from Soest….)
Then I leave with this groupe of around 30 kids to the sportfield and we have this great morning..AND are they talented..They would be a great win for Altis

After Ashton, my short trip outside Cape Town ended, and I hid back to the YWAM base..Coming back I had a bit of a harder time, just so many things had happend, so many new things, it had been overwhelming. So took some days off…
Today is my last ‘working’ day before going home..The last week I will take the time to look back on these 3 amazing months, read back all my writing, stories, preparing my heart to go home. I’m not ready to go back home yet, but know I’ll be next week..

Still just being here and although God has been speaking (my goodness is He alive!) some things to me lately of what I might do back in Holland. I choose to keep it silent for now, ejoying every moment here, until I have some more ‘Guidance’ …A little secret with Him

"I may not know the future,
but I know the One Who holds it"

More will follow soon…Now I’m off to ahve a nice caramel coffee