Ruud Kuijer [rudy.kuijer@scfs.org]
We are Rudy and Henny Kuijer, married for 27 years, we have 5 children, 4 girls and one boy. Two girls are married, we also have a twin, one of the girls is in a Mission Programme with Youth with a Mission in Los Angeles and the other twin is still looking for her destiny. All the girls are Christian and the little son also declared that he wants to be a soldier for the Lord Jesus. So we are very blessed.
As a family we have been involved in Mission Work in Spain for 12 years. First with Christian Literature Crusade (CLC) and after that with Open Doors. We both have a passion for books that's why we joined CLC. I am always looking for opportunities to get books in the hands of people, in the first place non-believers but also Christians to encourage them to deepen their relationship with God. That's vital.
How we got involved in the work? Still in Spain I we received prayer-letters from people who were involved in port-ministry and I began to think more about seafarers, what can we do for those people on board, can we supply them with good material? All these thoughts went through my mind. I was not at all thinking about getting involved myself in the ports. But as you realise we are involved now fulltime in the port of Rotterdam. We received much encouragement from Mike Wilson, Martin Otto and Volker Lamaack and that was very powerful.
We work in Rotterdam, in the province of South Holland, it has been called the largest port in the world but recently was passed by China but still is a huge working-area with around 100 or more ships coming in each day. From the centre of Rotterdam to the sea it's around 50 kilometres straight line port area with many side roads. So I make many miles.
I realise more and more that we are not only reaching seafarers but that by making contact with even one person we will reach the world and that's a real eye-opener for many people with whom I'm able to share about the ministry! As one of the slogans says; World-mission on your doorstep. I'm a real book-person and that is my main tool all the time. I push many books about marriage and family-life, just because of the special "abnormal" situation of the people on board. Literature can change people's lives. To finish with a quote from CLC "One drop of ink can make a million think." I really believe that! Pray for more fulltime co-workers in Rotterdam!
Thank you and God bless you.