From the rising of the sun to the

place where it sets, the name of

the Lord is to be praised.
Psalm 113:3

Table of Contents
Temples of the Holy Spirit

Editorial.......................................................4
Alyssa Tuinstra

Th e Boa rd

Iwan Borst (Editor)

John Boekee
James Moore
Alina Van Goor
Alyssa Tuinstra
Design: Caitlin Hamoen

Contact

Mission Trips

Roadside Assistance Magazine

3-7 Southside Place
Hamilton, On L9C 7W6

Roadquest...................................................8
John Boekee

roadsideassistance@gmail.com
facebook.com/roadsideassistance

Canadian Reformed World Relief Fund

Send an email to
roadsideassistance@gmail.com to
subscribe to our new digital magazine for
2015 and to submit your articles.

Innerview.................................................. 10
Iwan Borst

Resolutions

Creative Highway..................................... 14
Alina van Goor

Lord of the Storm

Article...................................................... 16
Gerard Veurink

Winter Day

Poem........................................................ 22
Janaya Borst

What This Is
Roadside Assistance is a forum for Reformed youth. A forum is a place where
people talk together. So listen and read, but go ahead and write something as
well. We would like you to send your articles, poems, and art, and well do our
best to include them in the upcoming issues!
This particular forum is a place for discussing faith matters, encouraging one
another in the faith, passing on Bible knowledge, building and expressing our
beliefs as Reformed Christians, sharpening hearts and minds, stimulating reading on Bible-related issues, and educating each other.
Do you want to write for RA? Email us your articles and maybe your work will
appear in an upcoming issue!

Roadside Assistance | Issue 9.1 | 2

3 | Issue 9.1 | Roadside Assistance

Temple of the Holy Spirit

Editorial - Alyssa Tuinstra
I am sure that you have noticed by now a common
theme among New Year's Resolutions. Dieting and
hitting the gym seem to pop up in conversation a lot
this time of year. Eat better, exercise more is the
best way we know to pursue health; something so vital but always a bit out of our reach. While taking care
of our bodies is extremely important, physical health
is not the totality of healthiness. More and more, medical professionals recognize the significance of holistic wellness. We are not only a body or only a spirit,
we have both. As such, when we want to flourish, we
need to take care of all of our aspects physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.
Physical health is the obvious target. After all, in 1
Corinthians 6:19 we are told that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. As good stewards of the bodies we have been given, we ought to maintain physical
wellness. Grand New Year's Resolutions to work out
every day or stop eating sugar are unlikely to become
habitual. Try making smaller changes. Look to the
Canada Food Guide for what a balanced diet should
include, and pick one thing to change at a time. Health
Canada also advises at least 2.5 hours of moderate
to vigorous activity each week1. If you would like to
pursue physical fitness, try to work your way up to
that. Accountability can be very helpful, so see if you
can find a workout buddy or a friend who would like
to start eating healthier.

Roadside Assistance | Issue 9.1 | 4

Mental wellness is complex to define. For those who do not have a

mental illness, two major mental health obstacles are stress and sleep.
As students or workers, people with busy social lives or dedicated
introverts, we are all susceptible to stress and many of us are prone to
running sleep deficits. The heavy burden caused by urgent responsibility and insufficient sleep wears away at our focus and attentiveness.
Mental health is not isolated either having stress hormones in your
body for an extended period of time wreaks havoc on your immune
system. I know that after the stress of exams I usually get sick! Try
to make time to seek out rest and quietness
regularly. Get in the habit of taking a walk
Get in the habit
or keeping a journal to relax your thoughts.
of taking a walk
Pray for peace of mind.
or keeping a
journal
to relax
An unhealthy emotional state might manifest
your thoughts.
as uncontrollable negative feelings when
something bad happens. Your emotional
Pray for peace
health is strongly related to your physical,
of mind.
mental and spiritual health. Physical fitness
helps you to feel more in control and can dispel upsetting thoughts. Poor mental wellness
habits can disable your coping mechanisms. Strong faith provides a
rock to hold on to when life feels stormy. To improve emotional health,
understand how you deal with negative feelings. If you process them
in a destructive way, like bursting out in anger or crying in frustration,
try to learn calming techniques. This could be as simple as taking deep
breaths in and out a few times. Controlling and appropriately expressing your emotions is important for your relationships and well being.
Finally we come to our spiritual health. Maintaining our relationship
with God is a lifelong process. Most of us experience lows in our
prayer or devotional lives. Making a habit of reading the Bible and

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scheduling time to talk to God is the first step towards

revitalization. Attend church, and surround yourself
with Christian brothers and sisters who will encourage and challenge you in your walk with the Lord.
Learn how to challenge others, too! Ask questions
that really get to the heart of someone's faith journey.
The state of your spiritual health is central for all other parts of your life. Your faith should be the ultimate
priority.
Nobody will be perfectly healthy in all areas of their
life. Health is also not something we achieve and are
finished with. It requires a bit of input and a bit of
failure for our whole lives. In this season of pursuing
health temporarily, be reminded that holistic health
is an important part of being mobilized to do God's
kingdom work wherever you are.

Maintaing our relationship is a lifelong process....

making a habit of reading the Bible and scheduling time
to talk to God is the first step towards revilization.
Attend church, and surround yourselves with Christian
brothers and sisters who will encourage and challenge
you in your walk with the Lord. Learn how to
challenge others, too!

The state of your spiritual health is

central for all other parts of your life.

1 http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/maintain-adopt/weights-poids-eng.php

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Mission Trips
Roadquest - John Boekee
Have you ever been on a mission trip? I am thinking
especially a short term trip, usually about two weeks
or so. These kinds of trips are quite common among
Reformed people, and perhaps even more so among
other North American evangelical churches. It is pretty much a given that these trips are a good thing. They
are a way for us to give of our time and money to
help our Christian brothers and sisters who have a lot
less than we do. But are these trips actually as great
as we think they are? Perhaps we could give the idea
a little more thought. First of all, there are some very
positive aspects to mission trips. As Christians we are
called to be generous with what we have and share
with our brothers and sisters in need. Its important to
be aware of their
suffering and help
"Then I heard the voice of
them in any way we
the Lord saying,
"Whom
shall I send?
can. It is also more than
And who will go for us?"
just giving money; it is often
And I said,
helpful to accompany our money
"Here am I.
so that the recipients know that we
Send me!""
actually care about them, and are not just
Isaiah 6:8
throwing money at them. This is especially
true considering that many cultures are much
more relationship based than our fast paced, business oriented Western culture. Mission trips can also
be eye opening and even life changing for us North
Americans, who get to see how many of our brothers
and sisters actually live. I wonder though, if mission

Roadside Assistance | Issue 9.1 | 8

trips are not always exactly all that we think they are. For example, for
some trips we go down to help build something. There are times when
it would be more beneficial if this work was done by locals instead. In
a related
example, sometimes we spend lots of money on plane tickets, when
this money could be put to better use by the church there. Perhaps
there are even things that we think are positives that are actually
negatives. For
example we can
think that by actually going and
meeting them
personally we
are establishing
relationships.
But to them it
can come across
as the opposite.
They can see it
as you say you
want a relationship, but then as
soon as you get
here, you leave again. Real relationships are constant and permanent,
and two weeks is neither of those. All in all, mission trips can also
have their negative aspects. Im not saying mission trips are necessarily wrong. Some are an incredible blessing. But I am saying that we
need to give them a lot of thought and prayer. Perhaps they are not all
quite as great as we sometimes think. Well, thats what I think anyway.
But I want to hear what you think. If youre not sure, get in touch with
your missionary and see what he thinks. Maybe you have a lot of experience with mission trips and I am out to lunch. Lets talk.

9 | Issue 9.1 | Roadside Assistance

Canadian Reformed World

Relief Fund
Innerview - Iwan Borst
For this issue of Roadside Assistance, we interviewed the
chair of the board of the Canadian Reformed World Relief
Fund. We wanted to know what CRWRF has been doing and
how you can help them help.

R.A.Could you introduce yourself?

C.T. Hello, my name is Clarence Togeretz, and I am the Chair of
the board.
R.A. What is the Canadian Reformed World Relief Fund?
C.T. The fund is set up as an extension of the deaconries of the
Canadian Reformed Churches to send relief to the suffering
people of the world, as an expression of Christs love. It was
originally intended that every person could give the equivalent of
a loaf of bread a week to the needy.
R.A. Who started CRWRF?
C.T. J.M. VanderBoom and the congregation of Ebenezer Canadian Reformed Church in Burlington East started the CRWRF in
1965.
R.A. What is your role within the organization and what does it
entail?
C.T. I am Chair of the board, and my role is to ensure that board
meetings are held (typically once a month) and I lead the meetings. I am charged with the management and supervision of the
affairs of the Fund. This does not mean the Chair does all the
work each board member has an area of responsibility that they
manage. For example, one member of the CRWRF board may be
responsible to see that disaster response is adequately addressed,
while another looks after the funds and affairs of a sponsored
orphanage.
R.A. What is the mission of CRWRF?
C.T. CRWRF serves as a bridge for our church members and
churches to provide resources that address material needs of peo-

Roadside Assistance | Issue 9.1 | 10

ple suffering the effects of poverty, through Christian

motivated partners.
R.A. Does CRWRF work with other organizations?
C.T. Yes, as the statement above implies, the CRWRF
works with other Christian organizations and partners.
CRWRF is a volunteer organization but does not have
any members working in any foreign fields of service.
R.A. What are some of the projects that CRWRF is
supporting right now?
C.T. In brief summary, and not limited to:
Kenya: Childrens programs, specifically rescue centers for orphaned
children
South Africa: HIV/AIDS education and relief, including a foster care
program and home based care (supplying patients with appropriate supplies and aid)
Mali: Womens health promotion program
Disaster relief, some more recent than others: Philippines, Indonesia, Syria, Iraq,
Liberia, among others.
A more comprehensive list and explanation can be found on the CRWRF website:
www.crwrf.ca
R.A. What would CRWRF do if a natural disaster would hit, for example, the Philippines tomorrow? How does CRWRF respond to emergency and disaster situations?
C.T. CRWRF is a bridge to Canadian Reformed Churches and individuals, providing
opportunities to allow us to help those in need. In an emergency situation such as a
natural disaster in the Philippines, CRWRF will first ascertain if they think that members of our community wish to provide aid. Once this is determined, members of the
CRWRF search out one or more
opportunities to provide support that are in line with our general policy. Over the 50
years that we have been in existence, we have developed good relationships with
many organizations that are able to quickly and effectively use our donations to
respond to situations.
R.A. The CRWRF website mentions that CRWRF also wants to teach the people here
in Canada about global issues such as poverty and hunger in other countries. What
should we know about these topics and how does CRWRF want to teach others?
C.T. There are many articles on the CRWRF website which can be viewed to learn
about how many people live in different parts of the world some driven from their

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homes, some struggling to survive because of economic, environmental, or medical challenges.

In all cases, including our own country of Canada, it needs to be
clear that life without Christ is true poverty, and separation from
God will never bring riches nor satisfaction. As we seek to help
our neighbour, be it globally or locally, we need to reach out with
the love of Christ, so that as people receive material and physical
help, they may receive the ultimate help the love of Christ and
an opportunity to know Him. CRWRF endeavours to educate
through the use of the website, presentations, and any other
means that we can use. For this reason we have been searching
for a promotions coordinator to help with this much needed area.
Faithworks is mentioned in the last answer, but there is a lot of
education and hands-on experience gained through this organization.
There will be an information evening in the Hamilton Cornerstone Church on Stonechurch Road on Wednesday Feb. 25, at
7:30 pm, where everyone can learn about the Ebola crisis in
Africa, and how CRWRF has aided the Samaritans Purse in this
region.
R.A. Can you recommend some resources on these topics?
C.T. While there are many resources, a few that you might be
interested in are Rich Christians and an Age of Hunger by
Ronald J. Sider, Walking with the Poor by Bryant L. Myers
and When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert.

R.A. How can young people help CRWRF and their

projects?
C.T. As briefly introduced earlier, Faithworks is an
organization that is under the CRWRF, and focuses
on educating people (not just young people) how
they can reach out in love to others. Although foreign
short term mission projects are the norm, they are
not the primary focus. For example, teams may be
sent to Mexico, Brazil, Kentucky, or even Campfire!
to help with various projects. The goal is to learn to
recognize that Gods children need to live as lights
and testimonies of His grace in whatever area of life
and location He places them. Whether it is helping
someone at school, getting involved in inner city
projects, or witnessing openly to your neighbour,
all Gods children need to recognize poverty of
spirit around them and to reach out.
CRWRF does not have any mission teams or personnel on the field, so there is no help that can be
lended to projects in a physical manner. Financial
donations, but most importantly, prayer, is what is
needed to help CRWRF and other organizations, so
that by the work of the Holy Spirit, the people of
the world may hear, see, feel, and taste the love of
Christ and come to know Him as their Saviour.
May God graciously bless you!

R.A. If I am a member of a Canadian Reformed Church, do I

support CRWRF?
C.T. Yes, you support CRWRF through diaconal offerings, special offerings, and fund raising opportunities which are sometimes held in times of disaster. (e.g. Japan tsunami, Typhoon
Haiyan in the Philippines). Donations for projects can be made
online or via cheque (left with the deacons) as you are able to
do so. I have some non-Christian friends that have supported the
work of CRWRF through online donations for disaster relief.

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(rez-uh-loo-shuh)

RESOLUTION

We are already well into 2015. Did you

make New Years resolutions? Have
you kept them? Read here about some
of the craziest New Years resolutions,
some Biblical resolutions, and some
encouraging advice to help you keep
your resolutions!

CRAZY RESOLUTIONS
I promise to clean my room once a
week even though I haven't cleaned it
more than once in the last year.
I will give up chocolates totally.
100%. Completely. Honestly....

Buy less coffee from Starbucks/big

chains.

"Totally revamp my wardrobe."

CREATIVE HIGHWAY
BIBLICAL RESOLUTIONS

But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and

straining toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me
heavenward in Christ Jesus (Phil. 3: 13 15)
Everyone should be quick to listen , slow to
speak, and slow to become angry.
(James 1:19)
Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
(Lamentations 3:40)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him
and He will make your paths straight.
(Prov. 3:5,6)

RESOLUTION ADVICE
1. Start small
2. Change one behavior
at a time.
3. Talk about it.
4. Dont beat yourself up
5. Ask for support
{from www.apa.com}

Roadside Assistance | Issue 9.1 | 14

Alina van Goor

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Lord of the Storm

Article - Gerard Veurink
Having spent the summer of 2014 in BC, there was one
thing in particular that I missed. This would be a good,
loud storm. In Ontario, or out on the prairies, it often
happens that you have these storms that radiate with power.
The thunder is loud as it crashes and echoes. The lightning
flashes so brightly and so continuously that you can at
times read by its light. The wind is howling, creating all
kinds of a mess. Such a storm is really a phenomenal thing
to experience!
Mark 4:35-41 also speaks of a storm, or literally, a great
storm. While the text doesnt include things such as thunder and lightning, it was a huge storm that came up just as
Jesus and the disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee.
Such storms are not rare occurrences either. The Sea of
Galilee is situated in a kind of basin, with mountains or
hills surrounding it. When the wind comes sweeping down
these mountains, it can cause immensely powerful storms.
And it is one of these storms that we read about in Mark
4. This storm was not just a few gusts of wind that rocked
the boat a little. Instead, we can read that the waves were
breaking over the side of the boat, filling it with water.
Now normally, when there is a great storm, some people
find it quite difficult to sleep. Parents can often identify
with this. One of your children comes thundering into your
room because a clap of thunder or some other part of the
storm has startled and scared them. But here, we read that
Jesus was asleep in the stern of the boat, sleeping through
the great storm! He was exhausted, having been teaching the crowds all day. It is an image that we can easily
identify with. After a long days work, you are completely

Roadside Assistance | Issue 9.1 | 16

exhausted. You have no more energy left and all you want is to have a good
sleep.
And yet, in this there is also something that our Saviour is teaching his disciples and also his people today. No doubt, the conditions were less than favourable for sailing and their very lives were at stake! And yet he could sleep
without fear because he trusted completely in his Father for protection. He
fulfills here what David had sang already back in Psalm 3:5, I lie down and
sleep; I wake again, because the LORD sustains me. In this time of trouble,
our Saviour shows us the level of trust that we can have in our Father.
And the reality is that also in our life, problems can arise without warning
just like that furious squall on the Sea of Galilee. One visit to the doctor can
change everything. It doesnt take long before there is a diagnosis of serious
illness and then things have completely changed. Or think of how quickly an
accident can take place. One moment it seems like everything is normal and
only seconds later, after the accident has happened, life can be permanently
changed.
And yet even in these moments, when life seems to be spiraling completely
out of control, we can know that it is actually completely under control. Our
God has not forsaken us and he will never forsake us. Never will I leave
you; never will I forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). We too can sleep, knowing
that our Father is watching over us. We can have a firm trust and confidence
in
his protective care over us. Does this mean that everything in life will be
completely smooth? Not at all! We all likely know better than that. But
during those stormy moments, he will guide us, and he will carry us.
It is clear that the disciples are completely terrified, as is evident from the
way that they awake Jesus. They do not simply ask for his help. No, instead
they confront him asking him if he cared if they drowned. And we have
no reason to think that the disciples were exaggerating the situation either.
Among the disciples were Peter, Andrew, James and John. They were fisherman who had worked on the Sea of Galilee. They knew how treacherous the
sea could be, they were well aware of the danger this kind of storm

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what we have to do in difficult times and situations but there is a big difference between knowing the right thing and actually doing the right thing.
presented. They were well aware of the peril they were in!
Looking at it from our perspective today, it is easy for us to
criticize the disciples for their lack of faith. After all, they
had Jesus with them, the second person of the Holy Trinity,
the Son of God himself! If you cannot feel safe even in this
kind of a situation, then there has to be something wrong
with you! But the reality is that if we were to critically look
at ourselves, we would have to confess that we are not any
better than the disciples. It is human nature to despair when
faced with life threatening situations. It is not natural for
us to remain calm and ask the Lord for help. We may know

So, having heard the cry and complaint from his disciples, our Lord then
makes it very clear to them just how foolish they were not to have faith in
him. With two simple commands, he rebukes the storm. Quiet! Be still!
And just like that, it was quiet. Whereas there had just been a great storm,
there was now a great calm, as the Greek literally says. This is the second of
the three greats in the text before us. There was the great storm and now
there is a great calm. It is tough for us today to imagine what it would have
been like! Next time there is a big storm, just go outside and try to picture
that storm ending all of a sudden, just with three words from our Saviour.
And through these three words, Jesus Christ gives his disciples a better understanding of who he is exactly. There is some Old Testament background
that gives us direction here. In Psalm 107:25 it says, For he spoke and
stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves.
Also this storm that arose on the Sea of Galilee,
it was not out of the control of the Lord. The
same God who stirred up the storm in Psalm
107 is now the one who rebukes the wind and
the waves. Through the calming of this storm,
Christ shows his disciples that he is truly God.
After all, who other than the one who created
everything in the beginning could cause the
wind and waves to stop their roaring? Who
else could but speak and control creation? Its a
demonstration of pure power and authority.
And once Christ has calmed the storm, he asks
the disciples, Why are you so afraid? Do you
still have no faith? The disciples had heard the
Lord teaching the crowds, they had witnessed
miracles he had done and yet despite these
things they still fail to trust in him during their
time of need. Like all people, they panic when

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the storms engulf them. Rather than looking back and

seeing what Jesus Christ had already done and then using
this knowledge to help them in their time of need, they go
right back to square one.
And then in verse 41 of this passage, we are given the 3rd
great of the passage. There it says that the disciples were
filled with great fear. However, we should not understand
this as the disciples being afraid of Jesus, as the NIV
suggests. Instead, this is a reverential fear; the disciples are
filled with awe. They cannot help but marvel at what Jesus
has just done in their presence!
This account in Scripture then leaves us with a very pointed question: Who is this? Who is this that even the wind
and the waves obey him? But really, it is a rhetorical question. Mark has already told us the answer when in Mark 1:1
when inspired by the Holy Spirit he writes, The beginning
of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The disciples may not fully comprehend who exactly their Teacher
is. But now they had seen so much: they had witnessed his
power over creation, they had witnessed so many miracles
at this point already, they had heard him tell someone that
their sins were forgiven. And all of this adds up to only one
thing: their Lord and their teacher really is the Son of God!

Day 1! And we also confess here that he preserves us in

such a way that without the will of our Heavenly Father,
not a hair can fall from our head. We have an incredibly
full and rich revelation of who exactly Jesus Christ is. And
we can also see time and again how he is not only the one
who freed us from sin, but he cares for us in this life as
well. There is no power or force that can stand against our
Lord and Saviour!
And when we know who he is, and how he cares for us,
then this should have an impact on our lives. It ought to
lead us to that sense of awe for our Lord! What an amazing thing that he is with us! And when we have this sense
of awe, then how can we not respond in praise? As we
read in Psalm 107:31, there speaking about those whom
the Lord has rescued, it says, Let them give thanks to the
LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for
men! And may this be something real in our life as well.
We have a great and mighty Saviour, one who has done
so many great things for us! Each one of us can look back
over the course of our own life and see how this is true!
And so let each of us also praise him all the days of our
lives!

Now we today know exactly who Jesus Christ is. Were

familiar with what he has done and how he has rescued
us from slavery to sin and Satan. We know the words of
the first half of Lords Day 1 well. But how often do we
consider the fact that belonging to Jesus Christ is part of
this life as well? This too is part of our confession in Lords

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Winter Day
Poem - Janaya Borst
The flames eagerly leap
licking up the oxygen;
creating a warm glow,
melting leftover ice and snow
off of pants and sweaters;
Warming the tingling extremities.
The kettle boils
steam erupts from it too
as water bubbles inside.
Outside the big window
snow flies by speedily
carried by the arctic winds.
In a frenzy everything whitens.
Nothing stands a chance.
Tis a perfect winter day.