From Holland to Beirut: A Young Missionary Couple's Journey - Part 1
Episode Summary
Meet Jan and Clasina, an inspiring, young missionary couple from the Netherlands who moved to Lebanon in 2020 to serve and minister to refugees. In this conversation with Rashidah, they will discuss the steps that led them to Beirut, as well as some of the challenges and blessings they've experienced there. FYI: This interview was recorded in the spring of 2024 before the War in Gaza started to really spill over into Lebanon. For now, Jan and Clasina, like many other missionaries in the region, have had to leave the country, at least temporarily, until the situation there calms down.
(This is part 1, Listen to Part 2)
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Transcript
Rashidah: Hi! I’m Rashidah and you’re listening to Crescent Project Radio, where we believe we have a hope worth sharing. Today my guests are a very special couple that I met in Lebanon on a mission trip in 2023. Jan and Clasina are from the Netherlands, and they have been serving in refugee ministry with a team in Beirut, while also raising three little girls. I was impressed with their humility, their love for others, and their love for God, and also intrigued by the story of how two young people from a very secular part of Europe ended up as missionaries in the Middle East. Jan and Clasina, welcome to Crescent Project Radio!
Clasina: Thank you.
Jan: Thank you, Rashidah.
Rashidah: Well, thank you so much for joining me today. So can you start off by telling us briefly about your family upbringing and how you became followers of Jesus?
Clasina: Yes, sure. I will start. So we're from the Netherlands, and I grew up in a Christian family. Like we are used to going to the church every Sunday and to Christian school. And my parents are real believers, so they taught us about Jesus. And so it was very normal for me to live a Christian life. But when I went to university, I found out that there's a whole world out there. So, for a few years, I think, I wasn't close to God. I lost the connection with Him for a bit. But then when I started working and when I met Jan, this was a turning point for me because then I saw the way he lived and it helped me to become closer to God again. Yeah, this is not a really special story, but, yeah, this is my story.
Rashidah: It's a beautiful story that your parents raised you to follow Jesus.
Clasina: Yeah. Of course, yeah.
Rashidah: and Jan?
Jan: Yeah, a lot of similarities like I also grew up in a big Christian family where God was always at the center of the family. Like it was always important to go to church and to base our choices on God's will. So it was kind of normal for me. So the society was Christian school and, of course, church. But also my volleyball club was a Christian church club so it was all Christian. 25 was a big turning point that I was invited. . . And before I was a bit struggling with some issues--direction in life and finding my purpose in studies. But then I was invited for a sports ministry project. And I always loved sports but I wasn't so enthusiastic about God. And that felt a bit hypocrite because I know He was not really central. But during this project it changed a lot. And then I realized hey God wasn't central in my life. But then my desire grew to have Him central in my life and to follow him. And, yeah, I was touched by His love, His forgiveness. Then I realized: Hey, I want this and I want to share this with others. So that was also kind of the beginning of my new--how can I say?--like new job. Like since then I did ministry.
Rashidah: Okay. That's awesome. So how did the two of you meet?
Clasina: Yeah, so we both moved in the same year to the same city, the city of the Hague. And it was after a few years that Jan came to the church that I was part of to give a presentation about the sport ministry that he was doing with the youth in one of the neighborhoods that I wouldn't go much to. When I saw him in church, I already found him a bit interesting. And he asked for volunteers, so I signed up to be a volunteer. And so we did one evening of basketball together, and at that time there wasn't a real sparkle or something.
Jan: Yet
Clasina: Yet, but later on we came across each other again and this is when we started dating.
Rashidah: Oh, okay. That’s awesome.
Clasina: And we are both from very big families. So Jan is from a family of 10, and I'm from a family of 8. So we found out we had a lot of things in common and that was nice.
Rashidah: Yeah, because I would imagine in Europe a family that size is not common.
Clasina: No, it is not so common indeed. Yeah.
Rashidah: And so how did you develop a heart for international missions?
Jan: Yeah, so it started when we got married and also, of course, before we were talking about the future. I was already doing ministry. I was a part of Agape in Holland. So I did sports ministry this was already had my heart.
Rashidah: So just for listeners, Agape Holland is like the equivalent of Cru, right?
Jan: Yeah, yeah, it's part of it. So I already did and I had some international experience as well with short-time missions. And but then when we got married and also before we were talking about our future like where do you see yourself. And I had a passion for mission and during that time it was in my neighborhood from the city. But then we also found out that this was not really Clasina’s passion and so we were thinking, “But where is a common ground?” Like, “Where is something that we both have?” And I remember in my ministry I I met a lot of refugees from Syria, from Iran. So we found out there's a common interest for refugees. Because during that time we had a lot of refugees coming from Syria to Europe, to Greece and other places. And then in Belgium there was a refugee camp. And one day we decided—and I forgot how exactly—but we had an idea: hey, let's just go there and help them somehow. And we heard about an action where we collect clothes and stuff to bring it to them for the people in need. And so we went for just for one day. Yeah, but it was a nice experience because we were touched about their circumstances, their stories but also about kind of a lack of organization. I think this is your…
Clasina: Yeah, this is what held my heart and still has. Because I think more out of curiosity that we went there because it was so much in the news. And we just wanted to experience how do people live there. But then when we came there, we met the people. They had their tents set up in the mud and we saw piles of food waste, piles of clothes in the mud. So it was really dire circumstances and for me that was the beginning of an interest in helping refugees in a way that actually helps them. And like one year later I went with my mother to Greece and this was only for a week and also to help there the people in need. And it was really at the beginning of the refugee crisis, so there wasn't much organization going on. Not like it is now. So I saw the same there. A lot of food waste. There was also a lot of helping going, but a lot of small organizations and there wasn’t a lot of coordination. I met a lot of people. And on the last day I felt like the Lord said something to me like, “This is where you can help—like not only for the people but also for logistics and organizing and coordinating.” So this is where my interest and desire grew to help refugees. So this came more and more together. Jan and I decided to work abroad and to help refugees and preferably in a Muslim environment. So this is when we started looking at the Middle East.
Rashidah: And why did you have a preference for the Islamic world? I'm just curious.
Jan: Yeah, yeah, we were also thinking about this, why was it like that. I think just during our time of discovering opportunities. . . We were also reading a nice book about God working in Turkey. And we had a colleague who worked in Turkey, and I was already working in a Muslim neighborhood. So at least I felt kind of a desire or affection with them. And I think it was not really a demand, but it had our interest. So I think it was not like we said, “No, we don't want to go,” for example, “to Greece.” Somehow it had our interest so we discovered our options there.
Clasina: And along the way—because it took us a long time to find our route and the country that we wanted to go to—we had a lot of talks with missionaries in different countries just to gain some experience in how you can do this, how we can discover what we can do, where we can help. And there was one call with a guy and that was a really nice call. And he said something that I never forgot because he said it's also important to choose a country or to focus on a country that fits to your interests. So when we were looking at the map of the Middle East and Lebanon is right next to the sea. And both of us we really love the sea and it has beautiful nature. Both of us we love hiking and things like this, so it just clicked that Lebanon could be a really good fit for us. So this is why we did a vision trip to the country in 2017.
Rashidah: Oh, okay. I'm curious about how you described the, I guess, disorganization in the refugee camps that you visited. . . You said there was food waste and piles of clothes?
Clasina: Yeah
Rashidah: Like as in food that had been donated that wasn't being used or what do you mean??
Clasina: Yeah, it was actually like this, but it's important to say that this was really. . .How long ago was this? At least 10 years ago. So this was in in the beginning of the refugee crisis in Europe where the first groups came. So at that time a lot of people wanted to help, and they did, I think, just like we did—so just collect clothes and bringing food and there wasn't just a lot of coordination. So yeah, this is then what happens, right?
Rashidah: Yeah. . . So can you describe for us some of the joys and surprises and challenges that you've experienced since moving to Lebanon and tell us how long you've been in Lebanon?
Jan: So we arrived in February of 2020 so, yeah, it was a time of Covid. It was not a joy. . . But thinking about joy, we are thinking like nature—we already mentioned. We really enjoyed it, and we still enjoy a lot. During ministry, this feels like a privilege. Like we meet a lot of Syrian families in Beirut—this is where we work mainly. And so we did a lot of home visits and during these home visits, you hear a lot of stories and you hear their background, you hear their needs, and you see their circumstances. So it's not a joy but it feels like a privilege to see it from really close by. . . Yeah, their circumstances and their stories and firsthand. . . And this feels as a privilege, which is not nice, but it's good to see it. Because when it's just from far, it’s becoming, “Oh, the Syrians and Lebanon!” And so sometimes people in Lebanon also talk about the Syrians. But when you meet them at home, you hear their circumstances, you hear their stories, and it's really touching so this feels something nice. And just to meet the great colleagues, hear their stories. We had one guy. . . From the first moment, this felt as a blessing; he is like an angel for us. When we came to Lebanon, we didn't know a lot. So, for example, we had to fill our house with furniture. We really didn't know where to buy it and there are not too much secondhand shops here. And so we really needed help in it. And it was with Covid so people stayed at home. But we had one friend, and he helped us from the beginning. This was a real blessing at that time and for a long time. He was our friend, and he still is but he left the country (but that's another story). And, yeah, this is what I'm thinking.
Clasina: Yeah, I'm also thinking. Joy—It's also that we have three daughters, three little children still, but we sometimes really enjoy the intimacy. It’s just our family here. So we don't have other family here and so we know each other well. And we spend a lot of time with each other, so we like this part.
Jan: Yeah, for example, Saturday is kind of our family day. So on Saturdays we're doing something nice together. For example, hiking or going to the beach or something nice in nature mainly. So these are joyful moments, and we're really thankful for these moments.
Rashidah: And what about surprises? I can only imagine. . .
Clasina: Yeah, a lot of surprises, of course. But Jan was saying earlier that God provided for us in all these years. And so we've always had enough, and we’ve never had to ask for extra donations. . . We’ve always had just enough. And that surprised me because before I was working in a regular job and the step to live this way (I don't know how to say) by donations
Rashidah: By support
Clasina: It was a big step for me. Yeah, but in looking back, I'm really surprised by how generous and faithful the Lord has been.
Rashidah: Amen. And so you guys were you go Ahead. You guys were in Lebanon when the explosion happened?
Clasina: Yes. That’s right.
Rashidah: Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Clasina: Yes, yeah, so we came in March 2020 ,and the explosion happened in August of that same year. So we were still pretty new to the country. But we were actually driving back from the North and we were not even that far from the site, right? It was only I think a few kilometers away. We were driving on the highway when we heard like these sounds. It was two explosions. And, at first, we didn't really know what was going on. But then, driving further, we saw all those glasses broken. Like all the buildings, they all had broken glass. And then, looking to the right, we saw such a big column of smoke going up. And people were stopping and they were panicking. . . So we drove to our home. But yeah, it was a really special time. For our ministry, it was the beginning, actually, of our ministry in Beirut. So the first day we helped with cleaning the streets and houses. But then we started doing home visits, and a lot of families that we visited in the weeks after the explosions we still see.
Jan: Yeah, I think looking backward, when we came to Lebanon, we had a desire for doing relief ministry to reaching out to the poor but also to kind of building a community. But we didn't have an idea how exactly. And until the explosion it was still a bit fake [superficial]. We were helping with some relief work. But after this explosion, there was so much need, so a lot of funds were provided. We had suddenly a team with volunteers that which became a team and kind of a small community already. And we were reaching out. Our database of families grew a lot. And looking back, like now we have a community of around 400 families, which is sometimes too big because it's hard to see them that much. But, yeah, so like looking back, it's surprising how God kind of used our desire for His plan. Like now we have a community of families where we are reaching out. And now we have discipleship groups where we share the Gospel for the people who are interested. So, for me, that's a big surprise how God worked through all these circumstances.
Clasina: And then there's, of course, a lot of challenges we can talk about. . . It's so strange coming from a Western country like the Netherlands where all the basic things are so normal like running water from the tap, electricity, internet. Everything is so stable. And then going to a country like Lebanon where this is not the case. So this was and still is for me a big challenge. For example, our water. I always thought it was like here also coming from the tap. But it's not because it's coming from a big basin from the roof. A thousand liters. And then they fill it with trucks. So they drive up the mountains with these water trucks, and then they fill it like whenever you need it again. Like all of these basic things, you have to get used to, so that was definitely a challenge. And then one other big one for me also was. . . And so before we went to Lebanon, I was thinking, “Oh, I can do this and this.” And, for example, I can organize a warehouse in a very nice way so that it actually works well. And I can do this and this. . . But then, when I came here, the warehouse manager, he saw me coming with all of my ideas and without my Arabic. . . So it was just. . . It wasn't working like this and. . . like I couldn't express myself well. And also, in the culture, the ideas that I had weren't working. So I had to like really start from zero first. Like learn the language, learn the culture. And then you can like maybe start thinking of what you can offer, but not the other way around. So that, that was definitely something I had to learn.
Jan: Yeah, me too. And we had a lot of crises during the time. Because we came, of course, with Corona. Then there was a big financial crisis. The value of the Lebanese pound decreased. Like in the past five years, it decreased like 95%. Like so we have one bill for 100,000, which is the biggest amount. And this, was back then, around $60 or $65. And now it's $1. So this was also so unstable. So we never knew what's the value. You always had to check the value of the day if you had to pay. So it was really confusing all the time. Like, “Huh? Why is it always different?” So that was one big change. . . Corona. Yeah, the blast. What else? Of course, already the refugee crisis and it's only increased. But now for example, the seventh of October, the war in the South. This was again a big, a big crisis for Lebanon. So it's constantly you have to adapt to a new situation. . . You make plans and you have to stop or reconsider things. So this is something. . . Yeah, in Holland, we were used to make a plan for years and then, every year, you're going to work on it. You set goals. And here it's constantly you have to adapt to something. . . Yeah, for us, it's new and it's challenging.
Rashidah: Yeah, I can imagine.
Jan: Yeah
Rashidah: Well, this has been awesome and I look forward to hearing more about your ministry in part 2 of our conversation but for now, Jan, could you close us out in a word of prayer?
Jan: Yeah. Father, thank you. Yeah, for us it's also good to look back on how faithful you were all the time. . . And yeah, just for Clasina and I, how we came together. Yeah, how you used us. And, yeah, thank you that we were able to come to Lebanon and you helped us and you blessed us. Yeah, Father, it's all because of you. You were faithful not because of our great talents or skills or whatever. Father, you did it and we are thankful for that. And yeah, we're looking forward to what you are gonna do here in Lebanon and through the different ministries and your people. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Rashidah: Amen.