Recalling some of her happiest childhood memories bought Esther to tears. Over 30 years, her father had required more than 26 hospital stays for treatment for his psoriasis.  Nowadays treatment options are greater, but at the time Esther’s father endured multiple periods of several weeks smothered in pine tar and then wrapped in bandages like a mummy, to remove the constantly accumulating scales. For Esther, her father’s discharge from hospital, skin smooth and much more normal in appearance, was an event to rejoice, since a beachside holiday was to follow immediately. It was only at these times that her father was confident enough to show his skin in public. It is unsurprising then that Esther is so taken with Hua Hin, an idyllic beachside locale.

At just 16, Esther first met Johan, 4 years her senior, through mutual friends in early 1986, and confided she was not particularly impressed with him on initial contact. In December 1988 they reconnected when he called her to invite her out.  Esther played hard to get for a couple of weeks, secretly assessing whether he was potential husband material. When she decided to allow him to date her, Esther had already decided Johan had what she was looking for, and he confirmed this by his speedy proposal of marriage.  Thirty-five years of marriage proves their quick decision to merge their lifepaths was far from reckless. In this case, impulsivity was clearly a leap of faith.

Esther had been sent to her church’s school some 20 minutes from home, despite there being a perfectly acceptable school a mere five minutes away, by parents who were still highly committed to their church, despite its perceived betrayal.  A fervent reader, Esther was not challenged enough by the curriculum and felt somehow less important than the other children whose parents held prominent positions in the local community. A quiet child whose potential was overlooked, it wasn’t until the end of year musical in her last year of primary school that Esther’s talents for acting and singing saw the light of day. In middle school, Esther had a close group of friends who hung out together in their homes, more interested in their knitting than disco attendance.  Esther was still helping her parents with their duties, and also working casually on Saturdays at the flower stall of the supermarket from the age of 16. After her participation in a concert garnered solid media coverage, a renowned Soprano visited her at work with an offer to introduce her to a vocal coach. Esther travelled to Rotterdam to audition and was told she had considerable natural talent.  There followed six years of private lessons before beginning studies in Music at the University in Rotterdam in 1992, although she had always thought she would ultimately become a teacher.

Even the move to East Germany in 1993 couldn’t dampen Esther’s passion for singing.  Despite the fact that the Iron Curtain had only recently fallen and there were deficiencies in infrastructure and shortages at the supermarket, life was culturally rich and Esther’s transfer to the university in Dresden allowed her to study under the direction of luminaries. In 1995, Esther gave birth to her first child, a daughter. Although it was a wrench, she employed a nanny to ensure her freedom to continue her studies. The following year, Esther’s first son was born, followed by another son in the next year.  Three children below school age made it challenging but, with Johan’s consistent support and encouragement, Esther was able to pursue her career in music and keep performing.

Esther has a number of lengthy anecdotes she willingly shares about times in her life when God has sent her signs about His plans for her. Whether you are a believer like Esther or not, it is impossible not to see the compassion and energy for doing good for others that flows from Esther, wherever in the world she is living. She has always been passionate about fairness, and seeing social and financial disadvantage triggers her into immediate action, engaging her considerable skillset for providing assistance.

If pressed to encompass her life’s work in a few words, Esther would describe herself as a life coach.  Her ultimate goal is improving the lives of those she encounters, one person at a time if necessary.  Before her move to Hua Hin in 2022, Esther had already perceived a lack of help for couples experiencing difficulties in their relationship.  She undertook a pastoral coaching course, with the intention of setting up her practice locally.  She made a written approach to BeWell Medical Centre and was invited to an in-person meeting with its management and then joined the BeWell team in April, 2022. Although it is clear that she thinks big, Esther is also content to act locally, one-on-one.

Esther’s charitable works have been undertaken worldwide, but this article will focus on her involvement in Thai projects. Her time living in Bangkok between 2000 and 2004 coincided with the peak of the AIDS/HIV epidemic.  As a mother with young children relying upon her, Esther had a natural desire to safeguard them by steering clear, but Esther is adamant that God had other ideas. Through her church, Esther was introduced to a lady doing outreach through her NGO, Siam Care, which had a shelter for people who became ostracised and homeless as a result of HIV infection. Besides hands-on assistance, Esther was able organise and participate in charity fund-raising concerts for Siam Care.

Esther’s commitment to improve the lives of others is not just a task she undertakes periodically; it is a reality she lives on a daily basis. Esther and Johan have five biological children, two daughters and three sons, (Anne-Lotte, Jelle, Wiebe, Willemijn and Hidde in order of birth), and two further young daughters who were welcomed to the family while they were living in Hungary.  Esther was working within the disadvantaged Romani community where woman often had no option but to engage in sex work, resorting to substance abuse to help them mask their pain. Esther made strong links with these women, as did her eldest child, Anne-Lotte, then just 17-years-old. Long story short, one brave woman, a Hungarian national who had been raised in the US but then deported after a period of imprisonment, reached out to Esther’s daughter begging her to take her two daughters, then aged just one and ten months, since she was unable to provide and care for them. The infant sisters, whose biological father was American Jamaican, were severely malnourished, experiencing developmental delay, in need of ongoing medical treatment and urgently in need of a family. On more than one occasion, Esther was told that Zsanett had “dead eyes”. At Anne-Lotte’s urging, Esther and Johan opened their home and their hearts to Isabella and Zsanett, with the elder children embracing them as much-loved siblings. The youngsters have not been formally adopted as Esther does not want to strip their biological mother of her legal rights to her children. She foresees the pair getting to know their mother when they become adults. Esther and Johan were granted legal guardianship of Isabella and Zsanett, a process that was difficult and convoluted, but necessary in order for the family of nine to remain intact as Johan’s work necessitated their international relocation to Suzhou, China, in 2015.

The vision for the WeLearn Academy Hua Hin has a joint foundation in Esther’s calling as a life coach but also out of a practical need to educate her two youngest, now 12 and 13.  Esther and Johan have purchased an apartment block which is serving as a multipurpose building, housing a residence for themselves and the two youngest girls, the learning centre, Esther’s life-coaching practice and a welcoming place of community gatherings and interactions. The business plan for the Academy sees student enrolments of 3 to 19-year-olds grow to 150 over the next few years. Therefore, there is a plan to expand and build a new campus with the installation of a swimming pool on the ground level and a gymnasium on the third level. Esther is also keen to provide opportunities for adult learning,with arts and crafting opportunities.  The Academy takes advantage of modern technologies to match learning styles, using online learning coupled with onsite coaches for individualised learning support.  Esther has big plans for her new venture, and has the organisational skills, perseverance and optimism to match. She also wants to establish a neighbourhood centre to abolish the loneliness she perceives in Hua Hin.

Esther’s greatest achievement is the strong family unit she has built. Her first five children are now scattered across the globe but still travel to celebrate each other’s birthdays.  She and Johan are proud to have given them all a good education, but even prouder of the grounding they gave them to become great people. The older children have also committed to helping their parents pay for the university education of the younger two, if needed. This recollection was accompanied by further eye leakage, but Esther is confident her elder children will always be there to support the younger pair in a world that is becoming more complex and more difficult to navigate without risk. Despite this, Esther is always optimistic about the future and the ability of people to overcome adversity.  

The most unusual photo on Esther’s phone is a memento of her collaboration with Nick Vujicic, an Australian-born Christian evangelist who was born with tetra-amelia syndrome, without either arms or legs.  Esther and Johan, in their work in Hungary with Love is the Answer, an NGO, assisted Nick on his visit to the country, driving him to his various speaking engagements, with Esther also being asked to sing at these gatherings. It is reported that Nick’s parents always taught him to look on the bright side of life, a philosophy Esther also espouses. She remembers being consoled and complimented by her eldest child one day with the words, “You didn’t do it well, but you did well.”  Positivity in action.

The future is bright for Esther.  She has recently become a grandmother, with the birth of Jelle’s son Oscar, and wants to make a point of seeing all her offspring more often, since the time of having all her kids at home was perhaps the happiest of her life. Esther is still full of passion and energy, thriving on being constantly busy and engaged with others. Helping other people find happiness is truly her core business. 

While she is an exceptional human being, in some ways Esther is completely normal. She loves having fun and is grateful to Johan for coping with her for 35 years.  A real homebody, Esther always gets annoyed if the house is too messy. She enjoys pannenkoeken met stroop, a Dutch pancake treat and a glass or two of bubbles.  Another indulgence is a good massage when she can find the time. But her greatest joy is found surrounded by her entire family, enjoying brunch together on Boxing Day. Nothing makes Esther happier.