No Birds Sang
I am not a fighter. Early on, I resigned myself to being bullied rather than bully. I’ve kept totally clear of guns — quite content to shoot with just my camera. I don’t even like fishing. I consider it a great privilege to be able to live peaceably. I am
Zwolle – Reunion
Experiences from Henry and Wendy's 2023 Summer Quest will be updated daily. See the Gallery for photos.
Terschelling – A place in the heart
Perhaps my father was lucky. There is a place in the world that he called his own. It's a wonderful place that he could visit and remember and which never lost its essence throughout his own variegated life. That place is Terschelling
Harlingen – Terschelling
Experiences from Henry and Wendy's 2023 Summer Quest will be updated daily. See the Gallery for photos.
Gothic Cathedrals
This summer, Wendy and I will have our fill. From Barcelona, through Amiens, to Zwolle, Brugge, Maastricht and Leipzig we will be approaching, entering and meditating on cathedrals that beckon with their grace and power to look back through the ages to see God, his Creation and the creativity of
Barcelona – Amiens
Experiences from Henry and Wendy's 2023 Summer Quest will be updated daily. See the Gallery for photos.
Forty Years
Forty years is a long time, by any stretch. For us, particularly, these back forty have felt like a lifetime, with two bookends - our trips to Europe in 1983 and 2023 (still to come).
Praeludium
This summer, Wendy and Henry are will be exploring Holland and Europe. Here are some musings about the trips that preceded this.
Family History
It was a privilege for me to delve deeply into the lives of ‘Opa and Oma’ van der Laan in 2019, while editing and assembling the various writings and photos for the book "The van der Laan Venture" -- memoirs of my grandfather, but also of his wife and several
Full Circle
When our daughter, Laura, became a Christian Reformed pastor in 2017 I had no idea that we had generations of 'dominees' in our family, as far back as the Dutch Reformation. But recent work with My Heritage has uncovered five centuries of faithfulness and a fascinating story line connecting a
Hengelo – Zandvoort
Experiences from Henry and Wendy's 2023 Summer Quest will be updated daily. See the Gallery for photos.
Reunion Resources
Digging around for attractions to recommend for the van der Laan reunion has brought countless YouTube videos into my path. Most of them are worthwhile, but some stand out because of the depth of their commentary or their eclectic subjects. These I set aside here, for our reference and enjoyment.