EVERY SQUARE INCH—A MISSIONARY MEMOIR THE LIFE AND MISSION OF JAN & FRANCES BOER -----------------VOLUME 5--------------- Our Post-Nigeria Travels by Jan H. Boer & Frances A. Boer-Prins Self-Published Vancouver, BC, Canada 2014 2 SOME OTHER BOOKS WRITTEN, EDITED OR TRANSLATED BY DR. JAN H. BOER Studies in Christian-Muslim Relations (8 Volumes—2003-2009) Pentecostal Challenge (editor-1996) The Prophet Moses for Today (1995) Wholistic Health Care (1995) (Co-editor: Prof. Dr. Dennis Ityavyar) Vol. 1: Medical and Religious Dimensions Vol. 2: Social and Political Dimensions Caught in the Middle: Christians in Transnational Corporations (1992) The Church and the External Debt (edited—1992) Abraham Kuyper: You Can Do Greater Things than Christ (trans / ed.—1991, 1993) Science Without Faith Is Dead (1991, 1993) (Under same cover with above) Wholistic Health Care Of, For and By the People (1989) Christianity and Islam under Colonialism in Northern Nigeria (1988) Missions: Heralds of Capitalism or Christ? (1984) Missionary Messengers of Liberation in a Colonial Context (1979) For more details, see www. SocialTheology. com 3 Every Square Inch—A Missionary Memoir: The Life and Mission of Jan and Frances Boer 1938-2014 Volumes 1-5 Copyright @ 2014, Jan & Frances Boer All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without prior permission. Volume 5 Our Post-Nigeria Travels FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT AUTHORS AT: E-mail: Boerjf @ hotmail.com Website: www. SocialTheology.com Tel. (604) 646-8016 or Heritage Hall at Calvin College www. calvin.edu ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ******* ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 4 “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’” Quote from Kuyper's inaugural address at the Free University, October 20, 1880. 5 DEDICATION We dedicate this final volume to: (1) The Entire Nigerian Christian Community that has accorded us the privilege of serving among them for 30 years. Especially: The Christian Reformed Church of Nigeria TEKAN: The Fellowship of the Churches of Christ in Nigeria The Anglican Church of Nigeria The Christian Council of Nigeria The Christian Health Association of Nigeria The Church of Christ among the Tiv (2) The community that has enabled us to serve the above: Especially: Christian Reformed World Missions II Highland Christian Reformed Church First CRC Edmonton Covenant CRC Edmonton Westside CRC Edmonton Medicine Hat CRC Fleetwood CRC Surrey Alberni Valley CRC 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents Picture Index Introduction Volume 5 Our Post-Nigeria Travels (1996-2014) Chapters: 41 -- Grand Rapids Era Travel Stories (May 1996-October 2001) 40 – Vancouver Era Travel Stories (October 2001 – May 2014) 7 Picture Index for Volume 5 Chapter Page Title 41 10 Juffrouw Baukamp; Meester De Vries 11 Jan Van Til; Boer Siblings at Reunion 13 Southernmost tip of Africa; Dipping in the Indian Ocean 15 Kevin, the Paraglider 16 Village Church of Pella, South Africa 17 The Love Garden 18 John & Kevin inside the Livingstone Church 19 Kevin & John at Mmathethe; Kevin and Fran at his Classroom 20 A Donkey Cart in Botswana 21 Bennie van der Walt & John 23 Zulu Huts in the shadow of the Voortrekkers Monument 24 Baby Asia in Japan 27 Haight Ashbury Neighbourhood 28 Chinese Refugee Boat; Western Terminal of the Trans Canada 29 Tinus on the free Masons’ “Throne” 30 Boer Siblings at the Reunion; Kevin & Family at Yale Graduation 31 Kevin, the Yale Graduate 32 Pyramid & Sphinx; Alexandria Catacombs 34 Wiebe, the Land Owner 36 Jesus’ Potatoes; Christian Market Fellowship 37 The Reception in Wukari – Friends & Former Students 38 Ibrahim & Saraya Sangari; Businessman Nuhu the Polygamist 40 Scotland; David Livingstone Memorial 41 Frans & Ellie Linger; Ruud & Aly Dekker 42 46 Boers & Bachews in Grand Rapids; Coca Cola Numbers in Atlanta 47 Camping Scenes along Sunshine Coast 50 The “Apostles Creed” of Aboriginal Animism 51 Chrome Island off Denman Island off Vancouver Island 52 The “New” Motorhome; “Tea” time in the RV with Asia, Ezra and Friends 54 Four Mile Bridge from WA into OR 56 Redwood Forest; Mermaids in Crescent City CA 57 John’s Books at Stanford University Library 59 Immortal giant Tree in the Redwoods 60 Early Russian Occupation of CA; Fort Ross Chapel 65 Virginia City – a Friendly Town?; Remembering Mark Twain 66 Reno Wedding Chapel and Subway Sex 67 Welcome to Nowhere, NV 71 Signpost Forest; John Hanging our Sign in Watson Lake, Yukon 73 John & Fran at the Arctic Circle 83 John Delivering a Lecture in Jos 87 Fran & Jehan at Tirgit Oasis; Many Boers in the Desert at Chinguetti 88 Librarian in Chinguetti; In the Sahara Desert 90 WV Irrigation at Senegal River; WV School; Eating from Communal Tray 94 The Ruins of Carthage 96 The Arc de Triomphe; a Prins at the Royal Versailles Palace 98 Luut Hoeksema & John Doing Dishes 8 Picture Index for Volume 5 (cont) Chapter Page Title 104 Kildonan Floating Post Office; Smallest Canadian Post Office? 107 Roller Blading across Canada vs Diabetes 108 Canal Flats – the Source of the Mighty Columbia River 109 The Stolen Church in Windermere 110 Road to the Top in Mount Revelstoke National Park 113 Vision of the Seas 115 Resting at the Skagway Post Office 116 A Cruise Ship in the “Inside Passage” 119 Bucking Ham Palace; Medical Supermarket 120 The Pit House 122 Lytton Reaction Ferry Crossing the Fraser River; Twin Railway Bridges 123 Fran at the Othello Tunnels 127 Frontenac Hotel in Quebec City 129 Macho Beer Drinkers 131 A Mural in Quebec City 139 Smoked Fish 142 A House Divided; Importing US Logs into Canada 143 Two Mermaids 144 Literary Park 146 The Illuminated Crowd 148 John, the Liar 149 Discarded Crutches; 300 Crawl Steps – 300 Prayers 150 John & Fran at Parliament Building 152 Fran with Fake RCMP; PM Kim Campbell 155 24 Sussex Drive 156 John with Sherrill Brunton at Essence Publishers 157 Fran & Ray at Barnes & Noble; Fran & her Siblings 158 John with CRCN Synod Delegates 164 Good Neighbours 166 John Holding the Colonel’s Hand 172 Two Grotto Examples 175 Martin Luther King Leading the Selma March 176 Sam Cook, the Driver 179 Fran Knitting Anneke’s Blanket 182 Louisiana Purchase 183 First Baptist Church in Dallas TX 185 Oklahoma Land Run Monument 188 The Cross in Texas 189 John at Midpoint 193 Fran with the Koops at El Morro National Monument 197 Coca Cola in Las Vegas 198 Our RV at Lowest US Elevation 200 Protest Alive and Well at Berkeley University 203 John at the Border 9 Chapter 41< Grand Rapids Era Travels May 1996 – October 2001 Apart from getting ourselves sorted out as well as trying to make a living, probably the most striking feature of our Grand Rapids time as others observed it was our constant travel, both “local” and international. We seemed to be on the go much of the time. No doubt our relatives and friends must have wondered how this was all financed. Well, so did we, kind of, but we’ll get to that in due time. By the time we reached September, 2000, we were hardly settled in Grand Rapids any more; it was one trip after another. If we had been able to look at it all ahead of time, we would have shaken our heads in disbelief, if not outright denial. We would never be able to afford all that travel. Well, somehow we did. It is a story of God’s provisions that has amazed us throughout our post-Nigeria years. Please understand that this volume assumes you have read Volume 4, for there will be some references to events recorded there. I am not about to repeat what’s there. This one is long enough as is! These travel chapters are not just travelogues; they contain stories about interesting people, our reactions to situations met on these journeys and reflections evoked by them. At the same time, if you don’t enjoy travel stories, then you could simply skip them. We personally have deeply enjoyed our various travels, both in North America as well as to the other continents. As much as we have traveled, we remain curious about and interested in so many places not yet experienced. In fact, during in 2013 we have been discussing China. China has always fascinated me. The question always is: what would be the purpose of such a journey? Can we afford it? And, if so, is it a responsible or stewardly expense? By early summer, we had decided with regret to drop China. With recent changes in our financial situation we don’t tell you about, we needed to sit more tight. Lutjegast—Down Memory Lane (1997) It was probably fitting that the first trip abroad in my new life was a May 1997 pilgrimage to Lutjegast for the centenary celebration of the Christian school which most of the Boer siblings had attended. It was a personal journey down memory lane. You’ve read all about my years there in Chapter 2. The four sisters had all agreed to go. I had no intentions, not with our unstable income. Suddenly, Fran came home one day with return tickets for me to also attend the event. I was totally taken by surprise and moved to the core at this gesture of sacrificial love for me in her situation. Of course, I gratefully accepted. 10 We decided to surprise my sisters by meeting them in Lutjegast. Somehow, they had gotten wind of something but were not sure. The surprise was dulled.