How Bo Came to Love and Serve the Creator of All
I was born in November 1966 in the Netherlands. My parents were 20 and 21 years old, and three years later my sister was born. My parents were a young working couple and my mom was one of the first women in the Netherlands who didn’t have to quit her job when she became a mother.
My parents were raised as Catholics, but almost non-practicing. In hindsight, I see them as a young couple who had just barely escaped their parents homes and wanted to explore their freedom.
But this got slightly out of hand. My sister and I were confronted with alcohol abuse, domestic violence, neglect, and other hardships. When I was 12, my parents got divorced. We stayed with our mom and moved every year to another house.
I went from an open, curious, and happy kid to a confused, hurt, and introverted adolescent. I also discovered that I was, in general, more attracted to girls than boys, which was a challenge as well. At the age of 15 I wanted to commit suicide. It was too painful and lonely.
Luckily I had my creativity to express myself. Painting, making music, writing, photography: I did it all. I started playing in my first band and had decided to go to art school. I used drugs to escape my painful reality, and read a lot of books. This was how I lived until I turned 17. At that time I stopped smoking pot, which I had been doing for 5 years, and got heavily into New Age spirituality.
I spent a lot of time, energy, and money trying to fill the God-shaped hole within me. In hindsight I’m very grateful to God for His endless patience with me — it’s only now that I realize it was His time, His energy, and His money I spent, because it all belongs to Him.
Fast forward to 2018:
God had knocked at my door several times during my life already, but in 2018 He clearly drew me closer. I remember looking at the sky and sea, the birds and the palm trees, from our place in Spain. As an artist I had recognized the beauty of God’s creation many times before, but it was then I realized in my innermost being that God had created this all for us to see HIM. The universe is a token of His greatness — the waves, the sun and plants, the feet we walk on and the air we breath, ears to hear and voices to sing with, mountains to cherish and snow to play in — He created it all to perfection.
And the greatest gift: He gave His only Son — to die, for us.THIS is the real "Big Bang". It’s the Beginning and the End, the most defining moment in history. This is perfect love.
Now I finally realize my life is not about me at all — it’s about Him.
It’s not about ‘self realization’ — it’s about Him.
It’s not about happiness — it’s about Him.
It’s not about riches — it’s about Him.
It's not even about signs and wonders — it’s only about Him.
The most amazing thing is that God also drew my business partner and best friend Ingrid closer at the same time. We both started to read the Bible to get to know the Living Word. And the Bible started reading us. What an amazing book it is! This process is transforming our whole life, work-wise as well as private. We are happy to dedicate both our work and our personal relationship to the service of God.
When God saved me, He also called me to use the creative gifts He gave me for Him — for His goals, and for His glory. This calling, along with the community He has blessed me with in Spain, has given birth to the IAMoneworld ministry.
I have finally come home in Him.
