462

462 papa, as we called him. he would have been 102 if he made it to today. instead we said good bye in october 2001 good bye to a man of conviction and character who lived through the second world war in the northern part of the netherlands on a beautiful farm papa, oma, 4 kids [5 more to come] until the war took it all first, the german soldiers moved into the downstairs, while papa cared for oma, then pregnant with al, and created as much security and consistency as possible for all the littles. the man who steadfastly walked his wife and daughters through the loss of the oldest son, brother, age 8, when he was crushed under the tires of a neighbor's tractor and adri, adopted in for the years of the war from a family that lived in the city once they could no longer provide for her livelihood. papa, who lead his little family to a new land with only a few dollars to start again having left the family farm that had been handed down from grandfather to father to son [the farm that would have belonged to my father next] now, a treasure, the audio recording of papa and oma telling us all about these events how they journeyed through the loss with hope through the fear with confidence and with the pain, by way of joy because our God is faithful. his words, not mine. his words, now mine also. for teaching 9 children and 25 grandchildren, and 40+ great grandchildren perseverance in adversity faithfulness in life's ups and downs. forever grateful.