Life in Aagtekerke, NL is going well! I have gotten more comfortable shopping on my own, but have yet to figure out the most appropriate way to let people know I do not fully understand their language. Is “I don’t speak Dutch” accompanied by an apology acceptable? Or should I just go with it and speak English, hoping they catch on?! I have become familiar with the series of questions asked by the supermarket cashier, but I still get nervous that they will need answers other than “yes” or “no” or the common “thank you”. I still feel quite self conscious of my cultural differences here, but I have developed an appreciation for some of the quirky Dutch ways.
Once Pieter and I started to build a little life here together with a car, small home, and electrical bike of our own, we started trusting God and giving Him control and we ended up receiving some good news!
With the news of Pieter’s visa paperwork being accepted, the idea of getting back to America has become so much more real to us. We are not in the planning stages yet, but anticipate hearing more positive news in the weeks to come. Next, we send in financial documents and complete Pieter’s actual Visa application. If all goes smoothly, these next few processes should not take nearly as long as the first one did. So, you do the math!
I have gotten settled into a nice routine here in my Dutch life. We feel overwhelmingly blessed to have found a beautiful and affordable cottage to rent for a few months. It has given us space to appreciate our time of being a young couple again. I believe it was only by God’s great provision that we found a place where we can both be comfortable.
We spend our weekends biking to nearby villages as Pieter shows me around. Saturday mornings are spent visiting a nearby produce stand and going grocery shopping with my extensive shopping list. Pieter has made a detailed monthly budget for us and has been working so hard everyday to make money to support us. I honestly do not know how he does it, but I am thankful to have found a guy with such great work ethic. My week is spent keeping house and I love it… to an extent. Some days the dishes, laundry, and cleaning really gets to me, but my days of working every day will come again soon enough as I anticipate finishing my degree and working full-time once we are back in America.
We have roots here now and I will miss the Netherlands when the day comes that we have to say goodbye to all the simplicity here.
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| Biking on a beautiful day! |
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| Our special Saturday morning breakfast after a long week. |
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| Bountiful gathering from the local produce stand. |
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