August 2008:
So about me. I graduated from this awesome institution called Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI in 2007. God blessed me with patience, endurance and an unquenchable thirst for learning. I persisted through four years of gurgling educating to earn a degree in Mechanical Engineering. God not only gave me the strength to make it through school he also provided me a great opportunity to work for an engineering and automation company called, get this, Blesco. This is where I am currently working and have learned a ton about managing projects, the business world, and people. But God has put a restless desire in my heart to experience something more, something different. Something that rips me out of the familiar, safe, and comfortable environment that has become so normal. I am ready to be stretched, shaken, and electrocuted into the full abundant life that Christ offers. And that is why I am joining the World Race.
What I like. Most of my hobbies and interest involve things like dirt trails, open water, steep rock faces, fresh air, and plenty of room to clear my mind of life’s worries and enjoy God’s beautiful handy work. In other words I enjoy backpacking, wake boarding, rock climbing, snow boarding, etc. I am also passionate about building deep and lasting relationships in community. I have been living in intentional community with 11 of my friends in two houses in a rough part of Grand Rapids over the past year. We do a lot of hanging out, laughing, dancing, eating, praying, and worshiping together. God has definitely blessed us, even through some very hard times.
A little background. I come from a long line of Dutch dairy farmers. My parents being the first to immigrate to the U.S. So needless to say I spent my childhood years milking cows, walking in manure, and gaining the priceless gift of a good work ethic. My parents are Christians and raised me as best as they could, allowing me to make my own mistakes and giving me the freedom to figure out what I am supposed to do with my life. I have a younger brother who has always been bigger than me since I can remember and is always thought be the older one. He wants to take over the family farm. I have a big sis who can’t seem to get enough of school, she is going to be a doctor. And my little sis who has no idea what she is passionate about but is growing each day. I have known of God all my life, but didn’t start to follow him seriously until 8th Grade when my family moved. God put me in an environment with some good soil that allowed me to make some deep roots in my faith and grow in spiritual maturity. I haven’t looked back since and now I find myself on the crux of another move – culturally, spiritually and geographically.
~Neil
