| Nov 20 1962 Dear Dini and Ad, I found this airmail paper with my relics from Holland and may as well use it to write you. Thank you for your letter Dini, I am glad that the parcel has arrived and that you could use some of it. I have a few beautiful dresses here that are too small for Johannie; I will try to send them out this week as they will be just fine for Marijke. How are you all keeping? I often think of you all. How is Jaap? Has he made a decision with regards to his teacher training college. I think it will be good, and as far as I know him he seems to me the right guy for it. Are the others doing well at school? The children had their school results this week. Those of Johannie were good according to the the teachers (the comment was: very good work) but I know Johanna better and I know she could have done better. She had the lowest marks for English and Latin: 68. 68, with a little more effort it could have been much better. Eleanor gets her results in letters A = excellent etc. She had C’s in all subjects, which is average and D (below average) for arithmetic. But the comment was ‘good’ and I just go with that. This week we had finally snow, not too much but from now on we will be living in a white world until March-April. The children were excited, but I have the snow shovel and the snow boots in the kitchen and all the mess that comes with it. O well, that’s Canada. John is keeping well. He is not too busy at the moment and coming home at an earlier hour in the evening, |
| but it will be getting busier in the coming weeks in the run op for Christmas. I myself am sewing for the bazaar on 6 Dec. I have made 15 aprons and have knitted gloves but there is still quite a stack waiting. Now I have something to write that is not really good news and I have hesitated to write it. I need you all, your compassion, and above all your prayers. I am sick again. I don’t know if I had written that I had a cold that I could not get rid of. I have been to the doctor and he took X-rays and it appears that something is not right on the inside. I was devastated. I prayed to God, and have asked for the miracle of King Hiskia1, and I don’t know if I am asking for something good or not. I pray that I may lay myself down to Gods will, but that is a very difficult task, as I think of John and the children. I have much support from Ria and the others, the children they of course don’t know. Tomorrow I will go the clinic and will perhaps hear if I can be treated and how. You are the first ones to learn about this. Arie does not have a strong heart and I did not want to write him this. Riek is always worried about everyone, I will let her know when I know more. My life is in Gods hand and I believe that He can cure me, but if it is decided otherwise I hope to behave like a Christian. I leave it for know. I actually don’t feel sick at all, it just that cough that has revealed it. Give my warm regards to all the children and the ladies of the women’s club etc. and think of me. With much love from Joop |
1Joop is probably referring to the apocryphal Book of II Maccabees 15:22, 23: Therefore in his prayer he said after this manner; O Lord, thou didst send thine angel in the time of Ezekias (Hiskia in NL Statenvertaling) king of Judea, and didst slay in the host of Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand: Wherefore now also, O Lord of heaven, send a good angel before us for a fear and dread unto them.
