Oma had been battling against poor health for a few years now with one thing after another gradually making her more and more weary. Oma fell very ill several weeks ago and was operated on to try and improve her blood circulation. Sadly the operation failed and despite Oma making it through the operation, she later died in Hospital.

Last week we all gathered together at her funeral in Nieuwleusen to give her our last goodbyes. It was wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. I loved Oma, just like I love all of our Grandmas. They have a very special place in our lives, possibly because they have time and patience to listen and be interested in what we are doing. They are also so kind and caring and always happy to hear from us. I am going to miss Oma a lot and here is my short testimony of her:

I have many memories of Oma. One of the memories which sticks in my mind is of playing cards with her. Oma was very good at one particular game called the “Queen of Spades” (better known by the less politically correct name of “Black Lady”). I remember first learning to play the game at her house in Nieuwleusen and I never did win many games against her. She was able to collect and lay out all of the good cards and be out before most other people. She was nearly always the first to 1,000 points when I played against her! Another personal memory I have is about Oma’s faith. Oma was very spiritual and held a strong personal Christian faith. I believe she lived through many difficult times and I am sure her faith was severely tested more than once. Those experiences strengthened her faith and in turn she was always able to encourage me in my faith, especially when I was a new Christian. She used to tell me that God is good and that he is always there for you. That you can always trust him and ask for his help. She was right and I will always remember Oma for that.