Reformed Missions

Mulders in Moresby, 31st March 2026

March is historically the wettest month in Port Moresby and certainly this last month we have had a considerable amount of rain. One of the prime reasons we got so much rain is because tropical cyclone Narelle formed just south of Port Moresby and rather than head south it tracked in a westerly direction. Though we didn’t cop the wind, we sure got the rain. The campus is very soggy at the moment, and no matter where you walk, you end up with a nice pair of black mud socks. The rain also played havoc with the roads turning small potholes into driving hazards, which in turn meant that a 30 min drive into town became a 60 min test of patience and endurance. The first block of teaching is now done and it’s on to Block 2. During the block break the diploma students needed to write out their sermons, while the certificate students needed to give a presentation about Christian marriage to people in their village, and lead a discussion on how God’s Word defines marriage. With both classrooms being free, Ps Tim organised a church leadership training event over three days. This was well attended and many good discussions were had. The following week, Johan van den Dolder organised a teacher training event over 2 days, which was also well attended and much appreciated. The RCBC, then, was a busy place even during the break. It really is a blessing that we have this establishment that can be used to train leaders and strengthen the churches. May God bless our work.

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5 : 6 - 7. With much love, Mark and Liz

Van den Dolders in PNG

This month it has been great to get stuck into some training in the schools. At the beginning of March, we went up to Beretete (a village about an hour drive into the mountains) and did some board training as was requested by them. There are a number of people willing to serve in this capacity but they lacked the conﬁdence to do it. We’ve made a very simple “Board Handbook” in Tok Pisin, which the training was largely centred around. The topics in the handbook include: • What is reformed, covenantal education? • What is the structure and role of a school board? • How to handle ﬁnances transparently and responsibly, including how to make a budget.

We were able to make use of a battery powered projector for Johan’s presentation and walked them through the handbook. After this we had opportunity for discussion and had some fellowship over lunch. Writing a handbook in Tok Pisin and delivering a presentation in the language was certainly a good challenge for Johan. The kids also nicely played with some friends in the classroom next door (see picture below) which freed us both up for this presentation.

Johan understood from conversations that they hope to formally elect board members soon. Once this has been completed, Johan is planning to do some less formal follow-up sessions, depending on their needs, to walk them practically through diOerent elements of the handbook. On the 26th and 27th March we held an Introduction to Reformed Education conference here at the Bible college. The idea was to run a one-day workshop, giving new teachers the foundations and conﬁdence to step into the classroom. Due to the interest of so many people, the conference turned into a two-day conference. However, all went very well and we learnt a lot about how we can serve the people here better. There was a good number of people in attendance and the topics were very well received. Even though some may not become teachers, the idea of ‘…teach them diligently to your children…’ (Deut 6:7) was strongly communicated. Our prayer is that many of the parents in attendance will have received a greater understanding of covenantal theology, and be encouraged in their task to raise up their children to know and love the LORD. We would like to also say thanks to the Bible college for allowing us to make use of the classrooms and the resources inside and also for helping look after the visitors overnight. It was much appreciated.

Initially, the conference was to introduce the My Father’s World curriculum to this group of new teachers, as it is largely used in our schools here. We had planned to use a new shipment of materials in this conference. Unfortunately, the shipment was delayed and nicely arrived at 10:00 am on the last day of the conference. Because we were expecting it to have arrived already, we had to scramble a bit of a backup plan. It all worked out well and we are thankful it has all arrived.

Personally, things have been going well. We did all have a bout of sickness this past month which seemed to get to some of the other college families as well. Little Matthew copped it the worst – he also got sick, completely lost his appetite, couldn’t sleep properly from his cough. He also got an ear infection to top it all off. The national ladies at the college were very concerned about the weight he was losing. Overall, he’s doing well and he’s still a happy kid. He’s learnt to say his sister’s name (Fee-bee) which is very exciting for her. Ada’s arm continues to heal very well. Although she still has a long bruise down the inside of her arm, she was taken to a check-up where the doctor said everything looks great. She is beginning to use it as she once did – hanging on bars, jumping off her bunk bed and climbing. What a blessing from our heavenly Father that all has gone well.

Evelyn has been enjoying homeschooling and the kids are responding very well. Yes, we say ‘kids’ because, although Ada is the only school age student, they all had to be involved. Including Matthew. It took a while to ﬁgure out how to structure the homeschool day so that all the kids felt like they were a part of it, but this has made us realise what a blessing it is to teach all our children about God’s world. Ada is beginning to read well and sometimes gives reading to her siblings a go. What is being conﬁrmed to us is that there are so many opportunities outside of the set school time to continue teaching children about God’s world.

During the month of April, we hope to go to Lae and do similar training on that side. Although we have been to Lae many times already and stayed in the house there, this will be the ﬁrst time we ﬂy across as a whole family and stay there for about a month. We’re looking forward to it, but we’re praying that we’ll be protected from sickness and that the kids will settle there quickly. Thanks again for your ongoing love and support. Johan, Evelyn and the kids Prayer Points: • Thankful – We were able to begin some training this month and it has already borne fruit • Request – our ﬁrst family trip to Lae may go smoothly. Keep in Touch! Email: johanlvdd@hotmail.com, evelynjvdd@icloud.com Facebook: JohanEvelyn van den Dolder Instagram: @evelynjvdd Whatsapp: Johan (+61 420926345), Evelyn (+61 457211881) Website: www.vddpng.com

Versteeg Ventures March 2026

It is amazing how time flies when one is busy! Greetings once more from PNG! The first 4 week block seemed to fly by, Henry with preparing and teaching & myself with working on making collages from older photos we like to keep so that all the extra photos can be deleted! This way my computer will have more space again! The highlight of these last 4 weeks for Henry was that the students surprised him by doing better in their sermons than he expected, particularly because they had been struggling with the various steps of exegesis (interpretation of a Bible text). Once they finished these steps, they realized that these various steps did benefit them in writing a fairly good sermon! Henry says he is looking forward to hearing all 10 students delivering their sermons for morning devotions during the coming 2nd block! He finds that often the sermons are still better than what they have written on paper (once they have taken into consid-eration the remarks he made on their written sermons! :) Henry will be teaching Christian Doctrine for the Certificate Class and Dogmatics and Liturgics for the Diploma class this coming second block. Henry did some work on the Liturgics Course a number of years ago but has never taught it. He is looking forward to teaching this course this coming block, discussing the history, background and Biblical foundation of worship. The churches are becoming more self-sufficient and mature, so Henry says he has to get used to sitting in pews a lot more! But it is a good thing, even when he hears one of the pastors preach a sermon Henry made 12 years ago! He did well! Apparently he wasn’t aware Henry might be in church! But Henry did enjoy the sermon! I was at home nursing a fever and nasty skin infection on my leg. (Thankfully this is healing with the help of antibiotics!) Henry did preach in Beretete on March 8.

During the break between first & second block, a Leadership Conference was organized by the national pastors on the topic of Doctrine and Life of Church Leaders. Unfortunately the Diploma students could not attend be-cause it was their sermon writing week! But there were up to 24 other national participants! Henry led the opening session, a general overview by power point presentation. The discussions were far more lively than in past years, showing more confidence of the elders and deacons in leadership and wonderful fellowship times!

I found a project to work on! :) The Sunday School teachers of Beretete have asked me to extract drawings from a book that Inge Pol wrote for use in a Sunday School program in Indonesia (now also in English). This way the Sunday School teachers can supplement their Sunday School lessons with colouring pages for the children. With Inge’s permission I am printing colouring pages for Sunday School use for the churches here, extracting the drawings and using the Bible texts of the Love the LORD your God Sunday School book. We are thankful for God’s goodness to us and the work here at the Reformed Churches Bible College and in the Reformed Churches of PNG! To Him be the praise and glory! I

In Christ alone, Henderik & Rita Versteeg

Vermeulens with MAF: Missions Fest

We recently had a Grade 7 class reach out to us with a few questions about the work of MAF, and what our lives look like living in South Sudan. We created a short video to answer some of those questions: [link-video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZHZsC_sKXk&feature=youtu.be). As part of their project the class worked together to learn more about MAF, displaying their hard work as seen in the photos. One student even created a model aircraft with a 5' wingspan - pilot and all! We were very impressed by all their hard work, and especially excited because it was at this age that Reuben first became interested in working with MAF. Maybe there are some future MAF pilots and engineers in this class!

MERF March newsletter

A missionary brother who became the director of his organization, approached me with heart-felt concerns soon after retirement. Unlike some career mission executives, this brother had proven missionary experience. He had learned a difficult language, done fruitful evangelism and church-planting and trained local pastors and elders. He did the same in his own country before becoming a missionary and after retirement. This godly man was deeply concerned about the inability to recruit new missionaries and the difficulties of raising sufficient support for elderly retired missionaries. Why so? Pioneer missionaries had little concern about retirement. Some served in the fields until death. Most who returned to their homeland at an advanced age shared an important common objective. While faithfully immersing themselves in the field language and culture for daily evangelistic outreach, they also focused on raising up well-trained local spiritual leaders (evangelists, pastors, elders, deacons etc.) to lead new converts. Such efforts produced abiding fruit in Africa, Asia and Latin America, enabling even wider outreach in our time. Similarly, biblical training of indigenous spiritual leaders is the backbone of MERF ministries. Fruitful Service Pioneer missionaries with such priorities left healthy indigenous mother churches with godly, well-trained leaders. First, their strategy focused on providing the Scriptures in major languages understood by the largest sectors of the populations. Learning such languages readied them to communicate the gospel widely. Likewise, MERF radio and online gospel ministries focus mainly on languages understood by large populations, including Arabic (22 nations of the Arab League), Farsi (Iran, Afghanistan, Persian Gulf & neighbors), Amharic, Oromo & Somali (Horn of Africa), Nuer (South Sudan) and Bahasa Indonesian. Faithful pioneer missionaries distinguished themselves by identifying closely with the people whom they were called to serve. Yes, pioneer work was about “service.” Many were inspired by Christ’s words– “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Old Testament preparation for the Messiah’s mission described him as “servant.” He came to us as “the suffering servant.” The very act of accepting to add to his blessed Almighty divine nature, our lowly human nature was an expression of “servanthood.” Gospel ministry is about embracing Christ’s attitude of servanthood. Sadly, it seems that this has been broadly lacking for several generations. Pioneer missionaries who viewed themselves as “servants” did not isolate themselves in comfortable missionary compounds. Rather, they humbly lived among those to whom they were called to serve, sometimes even in life-threatening situations. Likewise, MERF supports and enables the witness of indigenous Christians living among their own people.

Sovereign Calling Thankfully, even as spiritual standards of missionary service, and pulpit and pastoral ministry, severely declined for several generations, the Lord has graciously and sovereignly continued to call and prepare those who give their lives to Christ-like servanthood in the indigenous churches established by faithful pioneer missionaries. So, we need to think the Lord’s thoughts after him regarding foreign missions today. With the establishment of faithful local churches and English as a global language in Arab and Muslim lands, and most places, career missionary service requiring language learning for church-planting is no longer practical or relevant. The same sovereign Messiah Savior King who called and used faithful missionaries in the past, now in his divine wisdom has allowed this change to happen. The apostle Paul, writing to his beloved disciple Timothy from prison provides us with such wisdom. He impressed on Timothy two things (2 Timothy 2:8-13). First, to remain faithful to the Christ-centered saving gospel and second to realize that the free proclamation of God’s Word does not depend on his own bodily freedom. No human attempt to hamper the advance of the gospel will succeed. Clearly, Paul’s mind was set on teaching all to know that the sovereign Lord does not “leave Himself without witness” (Acts 14:17). Gospel Partnership The book of Acts tells us how in the early church in largely Gentile Antioch, gospel ministry led to a mature and fruitful partnership with the mother Jewish church in Jerusalem. Today such partnerships exist with churches in former mission fields. MERF gospel ministry is carried out by biblically trained indigenous servants of Christ who know the languages and cultures of their own people. Requiring neither visas nor work permits, they wisely, relevantly and cost-effectively serve their own people. Praise God for: - IRAN After 43 years of faithful ministry in Iran, missionary William M. Miller had seen only a few converts when he left in 1962. Yet, the spiritual leaders he trained continued generation after generation training others. - Nuba Mountains, SUDAN “Our congregation started with the conversion of my grandparents more than 80 years ago, [my grandfather] became an evangelist. Later, my father was also converted and became an evangelist...” HTI - Sulawesi, INDONESIA “Christ-Centered Family” March 2-5 MERF training of evangelists. MERF-Canada Board of Directors Lammert Jagt - chairman John Krikke - vice chairman Jon Bax - recording secretary Jack Kingma - treasurer Ingrid Knol - corresponding secretary Rev. Jan de Gelder - director Donations Thank you for your faithful support! Please make cheques payable to MERF-Canada and send them to the contact address below. Online donations can be made to Middle East Reformed Fellowship (Canada) Inc. through www.merf.org/support e-transfers: merfcanada@gmail.com New address: 607 Dynes Rd, Burlington ON L7N2V4 merf@merf.org

Vermeulens with MAF: Living Water

... continued from the previous post. The third day of our Every Village trip had us back in the airplane. After an early start in Malualkon, we flew to Kuajok. There we jumped in a car and drove 1.5 hours to Luonyaker. Luonyaker sits about half way between two Every Village radio stations and will, Lord willing, be the site of a future radio station and radio tower from Every Village. It was exciting to talk with people from Luonyaker and see their excitement at having Every Village build a radio tower in their location.

Luonyaker does have a runway - but it is not kept in good condition. While visiting Luonyaker we made a point to visit the airstrip so that we could assess the work that needed to be done to improve the airstrip. Hopefully on future visits we can fly directly into this town - rather than making the bumpy drive from Kuajok.

For us, it was back in the car to make that drive back to Kuajok. From there we travelled to Rumbek for some fuel and on to Mvolo - another of Every Village's radio station locations. In Mvolo, members of the Every Village team had organized to show the Jesus Film at a local church gathering. So that evening we joined the team, church members, and others from the village to watch the Jesus Film. If you haven't heard of the Jesus Film - it's a docudrama based on Luke's recounting of the life of Jesus. It was produced as an evangelical tool - and since production has been translated into 2000+ languages. It was amazing to see the locals hear about the story of Jesus in their native language. And having it played out on the 'big-screen' was a unique and special opportunity in this remote location.

After a few days of viewing watering holes, and seeing wells repaired - John 7 came to mind: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow living water." Please join us in praying that the work of Every Village - and the showing of the Jesus Film in Mvolo - would draw people to Jesus who is the Living Water! To learn more about Every Village: https://www.everyvillage.org/

Mission in Mexico

(Republished with permission from Clarion.) As Mission in Mexico approaches our seventh year with boots on the ground in Mexico, we are entering into a new phase of the work in two ways. First, we are moving from a stage where our main focus was evangelism and outreach to a stage where our work now includes the varied activities of planting a church. Second, with the anticipated arrival of Marc and Hannah Vermeulen, we are moving from one missionary family to two. Both of these developments are causes to rejoice in evidence of growth, by God‘s grace.

Work The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” Indeed, any growth we are blessed to see is due to God. Yet, God’s usual way of growing new things is to work through his church—through believers who go out to do the planting and watering. This reminds us that while everything depends on God, we are called to pull on our boots, get our hands dirty, and do the work. Church planting is not just about finding a place to rent and opening the doors for all the many people eagerly seeking God—at least that has not been the case in our context. Rather, it has been about praying, moving outside our comfort zones, walking the streets, talking to neighbours, handing out flyers, organizing events, helping the needy, etc. All that must then be followed by more prayer. As the old Benedictine slogan goes: Ora et labora (pray and work). Yet, there are also times when God decides to do the work with very little contribution of our own, such as when a family showed up to our church service about half a year ago. The mom was looking for a church and heard about our church plant at Walmart from a mutual acquaintance who works there. Her husband is emotionally and often physically absent, and her two children have special needs. She had been to church in the past but had stopped going. Now, she and her two children have not stopped coming to church and are currently taking our new members’ class. God is at work.

Joy The group of believers and guests that meet with us on Sundays is not large. Even so, there is growth, and that growth necessitates taking the next steps toward establishing a healthy, organized church. At present, we are working on formally receiving members. This involves teaching new members’ classes and then having professions of faith and baptisms. Most of those taking the new members’ classes come from a Christian background and, in that sense, we still have a lot of work to do to reach more unbelievers. Yet, it is growth. It is also joyful work, especially considering the diverse group taking the classes. Some are from a Baptist or Evangelical background, one from a Pentecostal church, and one from the Roman Catholic church, although she is still unsure of the differences. We have a couple with three young children, a mom with two older children (mentioned above), a mom with two young kids, and two widows. Some can hardly read and others have their own business. Among the group we also have an older man in a wheelchair, a young man with autism, and a young lady with epilepsy. Added to the mix are Duane and Maribel Visscher and Davin and Stephania Post who serve at Esperanza Para Ti children´s home. Only God´s grace brings together such a wide variety of people, and it is a joy to be able to open the Scriptures with them and instruct them in the doctrines of grace.

Fragile As I mentioned, the group taking the classes is not large, about seven people. There is no guarantee that all become members or are persuaded by Reformed doctrine. We’ve already seen a few people come and go. We also lack mature men, and men in general. Furthermore, the population we are working among is entrenched in Roman Catholic-inspired traditions and are certainly not seeking to switch their allegiance to Christ. They need to be won for Christ and Satan does not give up ground easily. New growth is fragile. Not everything we plant or water takes root and grows. For all the prayers answered, it can feel like many more remain unanswered. There is much work to do and limited time and abilities. But we take heart, remembering that God’s grace is more than sufficient and his power is made perfect in our limitations. Co-Labourers We also remember and give thanks that God has answered our prayers for a co-worker on the field. Marc and Hannah, with their two young boys, are expected to arrive in the summer of this year and then begin an extended time of language learning, cultural immersion, and internships. After that, they will begin planting and watering alongside us. This is an exciting bit of growth for Mission in Mexico and for ourselves on the field. It will be good to share the joys and burdens of the church plant, and will enable us to keep focusing on reaching our community with the gospel. Having co-labourers will also ensure that work will be able to continue on the foundation that has been laid, and that by God’s grace we will be able to see yet more growth as his Word goes out to gather his people. PRAYER POINTS 1. Pray for a blessing over the membership classes and that God would give good understanding and strong faith to all who are taking the class. 2. Pray for the hearts of our neighbours to be softened and transformed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. 3. Pray for Marc and Hannah Vermeulen during this time of transition and pray that God would equip them with all they need for their life and ministry in Mexico.

Pray for our missionaries

Pray for our missionaries I have recently had contact with a few of our missionaries who spoke about difficulties they are facing. We need to know that when missionaries experience trials and difficulties, there is a spiritual struggle behind it. And we need to pray for them, that they might stand firm in the struggle. The same holds true for our sisters on the field, and for all workers. Missionaries go out with joy, enthusiasm, conviction, and a deep sense of calling. They leave behind familiar places, beloved communities, and cherished families, to bring the gospel to those who have not yet heard it. But the path of mission work is rarely smooth. Many face ongoing difficulties—discouragement, conflict, loneliness, and at times even hostility from the very people they long to serve. Scripture teaches us that these struggles are part of a deeper, unseen conflict. Missionaries need to navigate cultural differences and organizational challenges; but more than that, they are stepping directly into the front lines of a spiritual battle. The New Testament is unambiguous: the devil hates the gospel. He hates the freedom it brings. He hates the light it shines. And he hates to see people escaping his clutches through the ministry of Christ’s servants. When missionaries proclaim Christ, they are not just teaching ideas. They are announcing liberty to captives. They are tearing down strongholds. They are shining light into darkness. It should not surprise us, then, that the evil one pushes back. Paul reminds us that we do not wrestle against flesh and blood but against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). Missionaries feel this reality acutely. The devil cannot snatch back those whom Christ has claimed, but he can—and does—attempt to discourage, distract, and divide those who carry the message of salvation. One of the most painful trials missionaries face is not external persecution but internal strife. Disagreements within a congregation, misunderstandings among supporters, or tensions with fellow workers can cut deeply. Even more wounding is when gossip or slander begins to circulate—sometimes quietly, sometimes loudly. That causes weariness beyond telling. These things are not trivial. They are not merely “personality clashes” or “communication issues” or “cultural misunderstandings.” They are spiritual attacks. The devil delights in sowing suspicion, resentment, and division among God’s people. If he cannot stop the gospel from being preached, he will try to weaken the preacher and his wife. If he cannot silence the missionaries, he will try to isolate them. Gossip and slander are among Satan’s oldest tools. Our Lord called him “the liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Gossip and slander drain courage, cloud judgment, and break trust. And they can leave faithful servants feeling abandoned, misunderstood, depleted, and betrayed. Missionaries often carry burdens that few see. They may feel pressure to appear strong, composed, and unwavering. When they visit the supporting churches, they smile and endeavour to appear positive. Yet behind the scenes they may be wrestling with discouragement, fatigue, or spiritual oppression. They may be near to burn out. The apostle Paul himself spoke of being “utterly burdened beyond his strength” and “that he despaired of life itself” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Missionaries are not immune to such experiences. Their struggle is not a sign of failure. It is a sign that they are engaged in work that matters. Where the gospel advances, the enemy resists. Where light shines, darkness pushes back. Where Christ builds, Satan attempts to tear down. Missionaries stand in this tension every day. As is often attributed to Martin Luther, “Where Christ builds a church, the devil builds a chapel.” It may not be a verbatim quotation, but the saying captures the fact that the devil always opposes the advance of the gospel. And yet we know that Satan has been defeated and that Christ has won. The devil may rage, but he is beaten. His fury is real, but his power is limited. Christ has already triumphed, and he equips his servants with everything they need to stand firm. Missionaries do not labour alone. The risen Lord goes with them, the Holy Spirit strengthens them, the prayers of the church uphold them, and the Father watches over them with unfailing and loving care. When disagreements arise, Christ can bring reconciliation. When gossip spreads, Christ can vindicate. When discouragement weighs heavily, Christ can lift up the weary. When the devil attacks, Christ shields his servants with his own victory. If missionaries face spiritual battles, then the church must support them with spiritual weapons. They need more than financial support—though that is important. They need prayer, encouragement, and steadfast solidarity. Contact your church’s missionary with an encouraging word. We have many means at our disposal to do so, from an old fashioned letter in the mail, to a quick text. We are all engaged in spiritual warfare, whether on the mission field or on the home front. Satan attacks us here in North America as he attacks missionaries and the converted in Mexico, Brazil, PNG, and other fields. He may use different methods in Africa than he does in Canada, but attack he does. Some of our missionaries are labouring in western culture, and so they feel “western” attacks as well. Pray for the missionaries; Pray for their protection. Pray for unity in their congregations. Pray for courage when they are slandered. Pray for joy when the work is slow and difficult. Pray for perseverance when the enemy presses hard. Sometimes the devi’s attacks are overt; sometimes they are subtle. We all need to be on guard against the devil, who attacks the church like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Brothers and sisters, missionaries are not heroes in their own strength. They are servants upheld by grace. And the Lord who called them is faithful. He will not abandon them in the struggle. He will complete the work he began—both in them and through them. George van Popta

The Van den Dolders in PNG, February 2026 update

Things have been going very well this past month. The highlight was a couple of weeks ago Ada could have her cast and pins removed! She was very nervous about going back to the hospital as she had some very painful memories of going there the first time. With thanks to our heavenly Father it all went well and she was back home a couple hours later with a little jar containing two pins. Her biggest excitement about having her cast and pins removed was now she could run in the rain again (as a wet cast in a very humid place does not bode well for healthy skin). She still can’t bend her arm to its full extension, but we are praying with time this will improve. With Ada back to her normal self the kids have been able to venture further from the house again. They have been getting braver and braver playing with the nationals and beginning to make good friends amongst them, which is a blessing for us as parents to see. Although the language barrier makes it a bit of a challenge, kids always seem to find a way to communicate with each other despite. There are a number of animals on the college grounds which the kids (especially Matthew) like looking at. Although they are still getting familiar with the big guard dog (Caesar), they enjoy walking to the pigs and the chicken pens and often come home with a bird nest or two they found. Thankfully no frogs yet! The female pig is pregnant at the moment. Late last year she gave birth to 10 little piglets, all of whom survived. As pigs are somewhat of a delicacy here, they can each sell for around a thousand Kina each (a lot more if they’re bigger). It will be an exciting time when they are born. The college also welcomed a new puppy recently. It is very cute and loves chasing the little kids around. Caesar is very protective of the puppy, so the kids don’t get to play with it much.

Johan has been kept busy these last few weeks. With enrolments finished and student numbers somewhat finalised the teachers have been settling into a routine with the new students. Johan has been busy with board training mostly. So far this board training has mainly involved good record keeping, accountability, open communication (which is very challenging due to limited access to phone data) and good organisation. He’s also had to go into the city to visit a number of places. This included going to the Kina bank, the Investment Promotion Authority (to register the schools) and a further education campus. This can be quite frustrating as you often must wait in line for ages or can get sent all over the place or have promises made that aren’t kept. It was good for him to visit these places and get initial contacts or people to speak to next time. Another thing that Johan has been busy with is preparations to renovate the house we plan to live in more permanently. At the moment, it has 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom and is quite high off the ground (as can be seen below). With the fans in what are quite small rooms, it is difficult to have bunk beds in them. We plan to build extra bedrooms underneath the house. At the moment the renovation work has involved making plans and a budget which involves driving around Port Moresby to see what is available and at what cost.

For some reason we always seem to have a lot of photos of Matthew by the end of the month. He is a very loved young man at the college and it is looking very likely he will grow up thinking he is the centre of the universe. As we walk around the college it is often as if we the parents are invisible with loud shouts of ‘Morning Matthew!’ or ‘Aahh Matthew, Matthew!’ coming from everyone but no acknowledgement of his parents. :-) That is more than okay with us though, we’re pretty proud parents of all our kids and love seeing them thrive here.

Lastly, on a more serious note. This past fornight saw the sudden passing of Johan’s cousin, Jeroen van den Dolder, in a motorcycle accident in Australia. It has been hard being away from family during this time and not being able to comfort and support those most affected. We are praying God can be bring comfort to the van den Dolder family during this time. Thanks again for your ongoing love and support. Johan, Evelyn and the kids Prayer Points: Thankful – Ada was able to have her cast and pins removed with no complications Thankful – Everyone is healthy and well (something we can’t take for granted here) Request – The kids may continue to have the confidence to go out and play and learn and grow in this new environment Request – the van den Dolder family as they grieve the loss of a loved one

Ressources Chrétiennes

Ressources Chrétiennes Year-End Report 2025 Presented to a congregational meeting of the Église chértienne réformée de Beauce, Feb 28, 2026 Prepared by the Ressources Chrétiennes Steering Committee of the ÉCRB Alexis Piéplu, Paulin Bédard, and Anne-Marie Coulombe Reason for praise It is a privilege to see a ministry that touches and grows the faith of Christians around the world. But there is still so much to be done! Introduction Our committee’s work has been a little quieter this year. We met twice in 2025, in February and August. Paulin made two visits to Ontario One in April with Rémi Dallaire. No travel report was presented to our church, except during Rémi’s comedy sketch at the Christmas party on December 21, 2025. Based on the impression given by Rémi’s “oral report,” Paulin and Rémi ate very well during the two weeks of their trip. And that’s true! We should add that these abundant refreshment stops allowed our two travelers to continue their grand journey to the regions of Hamilton, Guelph, and Owen Sound, visiting two Christian high schools, a Teachers’ College for training Christian elementary and secondary school teachers, the Hamilton Theological Seminary, four Reformed churches, and many people from these schools and churches who heard about Ressources chrétiennes either through PowerPoint presentations or during informal conversations. This allowed them to better appreciate the importance of this ministry and it encouraged them to continue praying for and financially supporting this missionary work, which is so useful to the entire French-speaking community. One in September, with Christian Cruchet. They visited the Owen Sound Canadian Reformed Church, and had the opportunity to meet with the Owen Sound Church, their Mission Board and Council, and with Jopie vander Linden (the main missionary of the Reformational Study Center). They attended the public presentation of the Reformational Study Centre and Ressources Chrétiennes on the Friday evening gathering on September 12, 2025. The trip report was read at a community dinner on October 12, 2025 (text available). To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Ressources Chrétiennes, Paulin was invited on the “Coram Deo” podcast to talk about this ministry. The episode was released in March. An interesting (and different) way to promote it. The ministry still has four main areas of focus • The Ressources Chrétiennes website/library • Correspondence with users • Vox Viva • Grow in Grace (or Lamad) The Ressources Chrétiennes website/library 440 new articles have been added to the online library, for a total of 8,365. These cover the following topics: Biblical meditations, fundamental Christian doctrines, Christian life and piety, ethical issues relevant to our society, significant periods in the history of the Church (e.g., the Waldensians in the Middle Ages and the Reformation), and topics related to faith and science. A new version of the website is still in preparation, which will be lighter and more user-friendly. Vox Viva 280 comments were translated by Alexandre Grondin on 1 Peter 2 and 1 Petere 3 ($4,411 paid from the remaining funds for RC in our church budget) and 856 comments were translated by André Pinard on Revelation 19 to 22 (and supplements), 1 Thessalonians (supplements), and Galatians 1 to 4 ($30,543 paid by Owen Sound, for a total of $34,954 for translating the VV comments). We are very grateful to the Lord and excited to see that December 2024 marks the birth of Vox Viva in French, with the publication of the first French comments online. Since this launch, we have had the privilege of publishing French translations of comments on the following books: Joshua, Esther, Lamentations, Daniel, Zephaniah, 1 Thessalonians, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Revelation. If you haven’t already done so, we invite you to check out these resources at voxviva.app. Not all of the commentaries translated in 2025 have been added to the online site yet. Some improvements have been made (and are in preparation) to make discovering the commentaries more enjoyable. Grow in Grace (or Lamad) We are still waiting for the French version of the platform to be set up. Six courses are ready and five are quite advanced; several others are ready in English (prepared by our partners in South Africa) and available for translation into French. Conclusion and Exhortation Please pray that this ministry will continue to bear fruit throughout the French-speaking world. Please pray especially for the Grow in Grace (or Lamad) project: that it may finally be ready to be launched and offered in French, for it has great potential to support Christians, especially young Christians from young churches in French-speaking countries that are experiencing rapid growth but have little experience and very few resources for their edification.

Versteeg Ventures (February, 2026)

Greetings once more from ‘down under’ at the Reformed Churches Bible College at 14 Mile, Papua New Guinea! It is hard to believe we left Canada in the bitter cold and the deep snow drifts only a few weeks ago! We traveled via New Zealand and were able to explore and enjoy this beautiful country and wonderful weather for twelve days. We enjoyed God’s marvellous creation as we travelled from the far north to the southern tip of North Island, visiting with four families all related to mission in PNG. We could also worship with our brs/srs in two New Zealand Reformed churches. We arrived in PNG on February 10, in time to get ready for the 2026 school year. We have already enjoyed two Sundays here, the first in Nine Mile with candidate pastor Cornie Pantas (left) leading the service. He will be completing his candidacy sometime this year.

The second Sunday we drove up to Beretete, enjoying a recently resurfaced and upgraded road conditions, to sit under the encouraging preaching of Rev Nawai Renagi on Job 2! We were also privileged to celebrate Lord’s Supper with the brothers & sisters there and enjoyed the fellowship time afterwards. It is still officially rainy season, so by 1:30 it began to pour so hard that Nawai suggested we leave. It was actually pouring so hard that it was hard to see the road! It was good that we took all the student’s backpacks into the truck with us, as everyone standing in the back got totally soaked)! We thankful for God’s guidance over our travels!

Henry has a FULL class of Diploma students this year! They all come from different backgrounds. One of his courses is New Testament Exegesis, with each of the 10 students de-veloping a sermon on their own individual Bible text! That means Henry is working through 10 different texts plus his own and is enjoying the challenge! The four returning students have really improved in their sermon making coming up with good themes and points! Henry finds it is a joy to teach Dogmatics & Missiology as well, Missiology in particular, as Henry has no lack of stories to add to the teachings since he has been a missionary for most of his 49 yrs of ministry.

Henry’s 74th birthday was on Thursday, so we went out for a meal in town after working on our tickets for the visa extension at the airport. But when Henry parked the car, suddenly the steering wheel went round & round! We couldn’t go anywhere! Apparently, a coupling on the steering broke so we had no control of direction. We are so thankful that this did not happen on the busy roads causing us to collide with another vehicle or on a busy street with many people walking about, and more so, that it did not happen last Sunday while coming down the mountain from Beretete or around the sharp deep bends. It could have cost many lives, ours included! A mechanic in town came to fix the truck the following day. God was gracious and good to us once more!

Items for praise: 1) We praise God for sparing life when the truck’s steering broke 2) For a good start of another school year. Items for prayer: 1) Please pray that the new seminary (diploma) students will learn to manage their time & load of studies well. 2) Please pray for safety, good health & protection for staff & students alike and may we all work & study in harmony to God’s glory! May God bless each & everyone of us in His Service! In Christ Alone, Henderik & Rita Versteeg

Vermeulens with MAF

...continued from the previous post: With the sounds, smells and images of the previous day in our mind. We started our second day with Every Village - looking forward to seeing the work that their team is accomplishing. We travelled with their outreach team to the community of Kanajak in North-West South Sudan. During a previous survey trip this community had indicated their interest in joining Every Village's SWC Program. So what is SWC? The Sustainable Water Cooperative is one of Every Villages main area's of outreach. Under this program the EV team will partner with a community to drill or repair an existing well - and then to maintain it with regular maintenance. A lot of organizations that drill wells in remote area's of South Sudan do little to maintain them once running. So many wells break down, and are never repaired. As we arrived at the Kanajak well, we met with community leaders - who signed the SWC contract with Every Village. Each household in the community contributed the equivalent of $4.00 for the one-year contract. While not much money in our minds - and definitely not enough to repair and maintain a well - it gives the community a sense of ownership in the project. After the funds were received and the contracts signed, the engineers on the Every Village team began the repair job.

As the repairs were ongoing the outreach team from Every Village began to share the gospel with those from the community. As part of this sharing Every Village also handed out solar-powered radios (equivalent of $2.00) - which are fix-tuned to their station: Weer Bei (Redemption). Through this radio ministry Every Village reaches out to tens-of-thousands of individuals in this area. The community was genuinely excited to welcome the Every Village team - to have repairs done to their well, and to receive radios with which they can hear the Good News in their own language!

Finally the repairs to the well were complete and the kids all gathered around to help with the first pumps of water - after 20 years of being broken finally there was Clean Water flowing from this well. This clean water will make a huge difference for this community - not having to draw water from open water sources, not having to overuse wells in neighboring communities, and having access to clean and safe water! But even more than that - thanks to the Every Village team they now know more of the Gospel message. And it's our prayer that by listening to their new radios they can grow in knowledge and understanding in the years to come! To learn more about Every Village: https://www.everyvillage.org/

Mulders in Moresby

28th February 2026 I learnt a good lesson about public transport this month. Five families at the college have enrolled their children into the 9-mile day school, a school operated by the parents of the Reformed Church at 9-mile. This was excellent news as it meant the school received 10 extra covenant children. The challenge, though, was how to get them to and from school every day. So, I made enquiries about the cost of public transport and was shocked to learn that it costs PGK 10 per student per day. Our students are not well off so to spend PGK 40 / week for 1 child for an entire year would amount to PGK 1,600. Some parents have 2 children going, so that would mean PGK 3,200! So, clever me thought, if we pool the students with 1 adult (they’re too young to be on their own) and if we assisted by dropping them off and picking them up, we should be able to reduce the costs. Add to that the request that each parent market enough kango each week to raise PGK 20, and put that in a transport pot managed by Liz it should all be honkey-dory. Only, it’s not honkey-dory at all. When the bus arrives at 14-mile it’s usually that full that just a handful of people can get on, certainly not 1 mama with 10 children. ☹ The same is true at the 9-mile end. We have resolved the issue by having the students take care of one trip and we take care of the other trips, shared between 4 drivers. The students are appreciative, the children are delighted, the school is happy and we, the drivers, are pleased to be able to help. A bonus is listening to the students (all under 8) share their stories with you all at the same time. Awesome!!

And that was the month of February! "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ” Galatians 6:9 In His service, Mark and Liz

Ethiopia Update

At the dawn of Islam, in 615 AD, when it was a small sect, at the advice of Mohamed, a group of Muslims escaping persecution in Arabia crossed the Red Sea to the Horn of Africa to the safety and tolerance of the ancient Christian kingdom there. Thus began the historical tradition of religious freedom and coexistence of Christian and Muslim populations in Ethiopia. It is guaranteed in the constitution, although not always practiced. Today, although pagan animism still exists and the number of evangelical Christians is growing rapidly, almost two thirds of the ethnically very diverse Ethiopian population still adhere to the ancient Coptic Orthodox Christian tradition. Amharic is the official Ethiopian language. About one third of the Ethiopian population adhere to Islam. In fact, Muslims are the overwhelming majority in the eastern provinces, including the arid Somali-speaking areas and Oromo-speaking regions of the fertile central highlands of the mountainous nation.

Media Ministries Continuing over two decades, regular MERF gospel radio broadcasts in Amharic, Oromo and Somali languages reach across Ethiopian mountain and valley to bring the good news to villages, towns and cities -- unreached people, struggling inquirers, lonely believers and fellowships lacking Bible teaching. Praise God for His wonderful work drawing men, women and children to Himself by His powerful Word. Radio programs over the past year were based on the Amharic and Oromo language translations of the book of Hebrews, Healthy Christian Growth by Sinclair B. Ferguson and two short books by Peter Jeffery: Stand Firm (Ephesians 6:10-18) and Walk Worthy. MERF has translated, printed and freely distributes these and other biblically based titles along with the Scriptures to listeners and at biblical training conferences to encourage solid growth in Christ. Reprinted in 2025: Reading the Bible by Geoffrey Thomas, Living the Christian Life by Albert Martin and Duties of Parents by JC Ryle. OROMO Gospel Radio Programs & Books Online: sagaleedhugaaministry.com SOMALI Gospel Radio Programs & Books Online: somalforchrist.com

Biblical Training Despite rough roads and at times regional insecurity, throughout the year the MERF Ethiopia team travels to different regions of Ethiopia to provide basic biblical training in short seminars and one-week conferences for pastors, evangelists and other leaders gathered from churches and fellowships in the area. Praise God that scores of church leaders are being built up in God’s Word, learn Bible study skills and receive solid literature and also pray together and encourage one another. MERF also partners with local Ethiopian churches to assist in the support of 50 evangelists in rural areas. To meet the pressing need for materials to ground youth solidly in God’s Word, in 2023 book one of the teacher’s guide: Ten-to-Teens Westminster Shorter Catechism Study Course by Tom Waldecker was translated and printed in the Amharic and Oromo languages. Distribution began along with training on ministry to children and youth. This was well received and so by the end of 2025 the fourth book was printed in both languages. Praise God that there is a great demand for the course among the churches. The fifth and sixth books of the nine-book series are now in translation. Pray for Ethiopian churches to persevere in teaching their youth and be blessed for years to come by studying God’s Word using the Shorter Catechism. Diaconal Aid Each year a number of church buildings in Muslim majority areas are burned down and believers face life threats. MERF seeks to provide care for persecuted congregations to enable them to rebuild or relocate. Also, recent armed conflict in several regions of Ethiopia has forced many to flee their homes. MERF has enabled Ethiopian churches to provide food to displaced believers and others along with the comforting message of the gospel. Please pray for those suffering or displaced by persecution or armed conflict. We are grateful for your partnership. The Ethiopian MERF team especially requests prayer for the Lord’s mercy to end armed conflicts creating fear and instability and for the restoration of peace and security.

Van den Dolders, December/January update

Hello from the van den Dolders! It’s been a while since you heard from us. We spent the month of December 2025 in Australia on holiday and came back to PNG in January 2026. Because we didn’t bring our possessions from Australia in a shipping container, we used this opportunity to bring the last round of boxes and suitcases full of things we need to settle here.

Our family has greatly enjoyed settling more permanently at the Reformed Churches Bible College in Port Moresby. We’ve had a chance to finally unpack the rest of our boxes and put down some roots. The kids are also much more settled now that they have all their own toys and are feeling very much at home here. When we were in Australia we managed to get away with family for some time away. It was also a treat to be back at the beach, which was something we missed. For the kids, it was very special to reconnect with friends, grandparents and cousins.

Coming back to PNG was easier this time. Although the girls were apprehensive about leaving Australia again, once we got to the Bible College and finally unpacked the last of our boxes they were off making new friends. The college grounds here make a beautiful playground for a child, and there are always people (or animals) around to make friends with. A particular blessing has been seeing the girls connecting with Tim & Alana Slaa’s daughters, and they’re always at each other’s houses getting up to mischief in one form or another. Their favourite spot is definitely the trampoline under the rain tree. Evelyn also started homeschooling mid-January which has been a special development in our family.

While our home church is 9-Mile reformed church, only 10 minutes from home, we’ve also visited the Reformed Church plants that our colleagues are working with. A few Sundays ago we had a chance to visit Veifa’a for the first time. It was a four hour drive due to the road conditions (it can be done in under 3 hrs). The picture below, right, is of the Slaa’s car in front of us. For probably a kilometre or two the roads were as bad or even worse. The puddles were deep enough to have water sloshing over the bonnet at times.

Matthew is loving life. Although his back teeth seem to be coming in very slowly giving him (and his parents) lots of grief, he has really been enjoying himself. He is starting to do ‘boy’ things – playing with cars, bullying his sisters, fishing with the boys (above right) and being a bit of a terror. The students at the college are loving him and enjoy taking him for walks and things. There will be afternoons where he is gone for an hour or so, giving Evelyn a break and some time to get dinner ready. We’ve really enjoyed the sense of community at the college.

As we’re writing this, the school year has officially commenced in PNG. Johan spent the beginning of January focusing on 9-Mile and Beretete school, which are the two closest schools to us. We’ve appreciated seeing the 9-mile school board stepping up in taking responsibility for the running of the school. Johan could provide some direction on enrolment policies, and work with the board to ensure the teachers are feeling well supported in their roles. Our visit to the school in Beretete village was (as always) a highlight, as this is where Evelyn spent the first seven years of her life. The meeting was a productive conversation – the leaders of the school have a strong vision for what they are building and we are excited to be a part of the work they are doing. We had to leave the meeting early as it was raining heavily and we could have run into issues on the road if we stayed longer. Although there was a lot of water on the road making some sections precarious, we were grateful we didn’t have to walk.

Last week, Johan flew to Lae on his own to meet with the school board at Living Water Christian School regarding enrolment policies, personnel management, and a number of other items. He stayed in the NE for a week, so he also spent a few days in Wantun village with the family who are responsible for starting Logos Glory school in Wantun. It was a productive time where they could finalise materials for their new school building (below, right). You can see the current school building made of bush material below, left. Although the teachers are achieving fantastic work in their current building, being in a more solid structure will help the students and teachers with the learning process. The pastor overseeing the school also commented that having a more professional looking building means he will be able to charge more from parents and build trust that this is an effective school.

Although Johan had a productive week, unfortunately when the family returned home from dropping off Johan at the airport, Ada (our oldest) fell out the back of the car while exiting the vehicle. She broke her arm close to the elbow and needed surgery while spending two nights in hospital. Evelyn stayed in hospital with her while Phoebe and Matthew stayed at the Slaas, as Johan wasn’t due back for another week. While this was a stressful time, we really felt upheld and blessed by the prayers of our support system. We were grateful that our other two children could spend time with a family they felt comfortable with, and we received everything we needed in the hospital.

Thankfully she was full of smiles and stories after waking up from surgery. In three weeks time she will be able to go back to the hospital and get the pins in her elbow removed. At our recent check-up the doctor said it was looking great and she was healing quickly. We are very thankful to our Father for His healing and protection.

The past week we were also able to buy a car that will fit the whole family. We are grateful God provided something suitable for our family and that we could find something for a reasonable price. The College was more than happy to lend us cars, but it is good to have something that is our own and makes transport more straightforward. Thanks again for your ongoing love and support. Johan, Evelyn and the kids

Prayer Points: - Thankful – Being able to settle into our new home at the College. - Thankful – Overall we have experienced good health and strength to begin our work here this year - Thankful – Johan had a productive time in Lae and could strengthen relationships in the Northeast schools. - Request – Adaline’s healing may continue to go well and no complications may arise.