Volunteer: Diana Alblas Print E-mail
Friday, 27 June 2008 15:29
Gifts and Talents - By Tanya Byl

Two-and-a-half years ago, a school principal got married, settled in St.Thomas, Ontario, decided against a long work commute, and thought, What now?

With an education and a decade of interesting work experience, many doors were open to her. But Diana Alblas decided that Word & Deed might be able to use her talents, and is now Mission Team Coordinator. Much of her time used to be spent coordinating volunteers for Gulfport, Mississippi. Now she assists people interested in overseas missions. Is volunteering a job? “I’m not sure what the difference would be, except you get paid for one and not the other. I feel a sense of responsibility to accomplish the tasks I have been asked to do and agreed to do.”

Diana Alblas with husband Arie and daughter Daniella

Diana's rich experience with different cultures and Christians lends vision to her current work with Word & Deed. She has studied linguistics and obtained her teaching certificate. As a literacy specialist for Wycliffe Bible Translators, she has desktop-published books in 30 languages in Mexico; and taught classes in languages she couldn’t speak, without an interpreter. She has eaten grasshopper and goat’s head (with the eyeballs still attached). Her final adventure before coming to Word & Deed was serving as principal of Wallaceburg Christian School in Ontario. Throughout her experiences, “I was fascinated by the variety of people I met and things the Lord allowed me to do along the way, ” says Diana. “I was able to…come to understand the meaning of a church universal.”

Her responsibilities at Word & Deed begin with answering your questions about proposed mission work trips to places like South Africa, Colombia and Guatemala. She organizes the travel plans, books the tickets, and smoothes out the wrinkles. Just recently, she held an orientation for several young women heading to Malawi. That involved getting everyone to the same place at the same time, creating an information booklet on the country, helping the participants get to know one another, and discussing the logistics of the actual mission. How much time does that take? “A lot!” But Diana points out that “it really is hard to stop when it is something you enjoy doing so much!”

And, of course, there are bigger parts to Diana’s life than her work at Word & Deed. The most important are taking care of her husband Arie and new daughter Daniella (13 months), in the old country home they recently moved to. The “cutest little girl ever” helps out the mission planning by entertaining herself in the office playpen or napping while Diana is working. The local Christian school also recently acquired Diana as a board member. Her life is definitely full.

Of her volunteer work, Diana says it “seemed like a way in which I could use my gifts and talents to further the work of the Lord abroad since I am not currently able to serve overseas myself. I would just love to be part of the work there and see what the Lord is doing for myself. Alas, maybe one day!”

Tanya Byl is a member of the Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Burgessville, Ontario, and one of the editors of this magazine.
 
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