An extra floor
23 Feb 2026 For years, Alexandre and I have been thinking about adding a floor to our house. In Africa, this is fairly easy to do, without the need for a building permit or extensive construction drawings. What's more, no foundations are required and labour costs are relatively low here. Nevertheless, it remains a major investment, which is why we have always postponed the project until now.
At the same time, it became increasingly clear to us that extra space would not be a luxury. Here are some reasons why we are so looking forward to it:
Our permanent guest: Alex's brother, Joachim, has been living with us for five years now. He struggles with alcoholism and there is nowhere else for him to go in Togo. Lately, it has become more difficult because he is sometimes unable to take care of himself. Someone from Alex's family regularly comes to help and sleeps in the hallway. Extra space will give Joachim a permanent place to stay with us.
The teenagers: Neline and Niek currently share a room, and it would be great if they each had their own room for more privacy.
Visitors: We regularly receive guests. Sometimes Alex's family from Lomé comes to visit, for example for funerals. We regularly have about ten guests staying with us for a few nights. Friends and family from the Netherlands also visit regularly.
Volunteers: we would very much like to have one or more rooms available for volunteers who come to help at the Bible school! We know that several people are considering coming to help for shorter or longer periods, and we pray having these rooms will be an encouragement for others to consider coming over. It will be a blessing both for these volonteers and for us to accommodate them here in our home!
Finally, we would like to emphasise that we do not consider our house to be “ours”. When we started building in 2013, we did not know exactly how and when it would be completed. But God has provided for us in a wonderful way. We literally received this house from God's hand, and our goal has always been to provide a place where everyone is welcome and where we can share some of the love of the Lord Jesus. We therefore ask you to pray with us that the Lord will provide everything that is needed and that this second floor will also be a great blessing to many and contribute to the expansion of His Kingdom.
