After Reunion in Aruba was PHENOMENAL!!

Source: Malaki Z. Croes (AUA).

The AFTER REUNION IN ARUBA which took place on Sunday 5 October 2008 was phenomenal!

The petit committee & the owner of Grand Cafe Tropical mr. & mrs. Evert Jan Buitenhuis met around 5.30 p.m. for the set up for the great evening which was expected. The guestbook was at the entrance and while the first families came around 6.00 p.m. they took seat at one of the many tables and had some nice conversations.

Between 6.30-7.30 p.m. is was really phenomenal when many families arrived at the Grand Cafe Tropical. Once the door of the cafe opened everyone walked in to greet and meet many other families and before we knew it the place was filled with so many people and most of all love that not only we forgot to take pictures and some forgot to sign the guestbook one thing was sure we had to expand the love which we all felt last night and the doors of the cafe had to be open completely and so we had seating inside and outside (terrace) of the Grand Cafe Tropical.

Aruba was a success and about 130-150 family members and friends gathered at the Grand Cafe Tropical in the Renaissance Mall in Aruba. Tourist and locals who drove by or walked by and made a stop to look at the magnitude of people and were figuring out the excited while the sound-system was inside and outside so everyone could hear the music and the official part. The petit committee ( Rachel Richardson, Shakira Croes, Diana Flanders and Ligia Geerman, Malaki Croes) put together this day and helped out throughout the evening while everyone really enjoyed being together as family.

Between 7.00 and 7.30 p.m. the photographer Raymond "Baboe" Hoek took group pictures of the many families and at 7.50 p.m. Rachel Richardson opened the official part where she read the meaning of a family reunion, Malaki Zuleika Croes then followed with a thank you speech, the Carti-Branch surprised everyone with the beautiful song LORD BIND US and everyone then sang the song " THE POWER OF THE DREAM BY CELINE DION" together. The official part was closed while Malaki opened the gift she received from her cousin Valerie Brown living in Curacao N.A. of the beautiful job we did in Sint Maarten N.A. at the closing of the VR-Reunion August 2008. The gift was a banner with all the hands of the family members who were present at the closing in Sint Maarten N.A.! A real artwork.

After the official part some families & friends came forward to give a thank you speech and this was really wonderful. Thank you to the Carti-Branch, Alice van Romondt, Olga Buckley, PennyLou, Lily and Daan Richardson, Romulo & Ligia Geerman-Richardson and Adonis Jack for their beautiful words.

A special thank you also goes out to Rufinus and Granville Richardson who surprised us by coming from Curacao N.A. to be present at the After Reunion in Aruba. Everyone was very happy to meet their cousins from Curacao N.A.

The After Reunion in Aruba was a total success and all families were very excited to meet each other and unite as family.

For those who couldn't be present we extend our love to them and may the power of love connect them to us in the near future!

We would like to thank the following families & friends for being present at the After VR-Reunion in Aruba 5 October 2008:

Granville Richardson, Rufino Richardson, Gwendoline Gunsam, Iona Richardson-Cannegieter & family, Diana Flanders, Louise Hodge, Lewis & Minouche van Romondt and family, Alice van Romondt, Arlene Nagtegaal-Spencer, Sonja Hopmans, Oscar Oduber, Ervinia Maduro-Flanders, Gilbert Geerman & Rudmayra Kock and family, Marjorie Rumnit, Mary Flanders, Raphael Flanders, Lyanne Wout, Daan & Francisca Richardson-Maduro and family, Charisma Williams & family, Ivan & Alida Hopmans and family, Licha Kock-Arrindell, Jogi Kock & family, Baldwin & Luci Carti, Marie and Monica Carti, Juanita Jack-Tromp, Patricia Kelly Carti, Tyron and Grace van Heyningen, Jules & Peggy Arrindell, William & Eudosia Richardson, Anna Maria Richardson-Peters & Tirhakah Richardson, John & Jonny Nisbeth, Doris van Romondt, Helen van Romondt, Orol Henriquez & Steve Croes, Ramoncito & Jean-Ann Winklaar and Shanyiah Croes, Imelda Steward, Xiomara and Malik Jack, Alida Jack, Adonis Jack, Antonia Edson, Chelbi Benders, Veronica Rumnit, Maximen & Lucy Charles, Brain van Romondt & family, Gaby Illidge, Edwin Illidge, Mildred Cannegieter & family, Erica Cannegieter-Werleman & family, Diana Kelly, Naomi Kelly, Greg Peterson, Olga Buckley, Christal Jones, Pennelou Trapenberg-Richardson & family, Lilly Hart-Richardson, Sharine Carti, Emily Carti, Yolanda Richardson & Reginald Havertong, Michael Hopmans, Jacqueline Hopmans, Jennifer Hopmans, Richard Hopmans, Miriam & Emilio Kock-Salazar & family, Dorothy Richardson & family, Agnes Thode & family, Tamara Yarzagaray-Batist and family, Merl Serrant-Gibbs and family, Zenaida Gibbs-Baly, The Gibbs-Baly family, Ileana Halley-Labega & family, Raymond Hopmans, Curt Harms, Dr. Harold and mrs. Ruby Narain-Richardson, Tansine Trim-Dore and Valeska Trim.

The guestbook didn't reach all present and therefore we would like to extend our thank you and love to each and every person that was present!

We also would like to thank everyone who put a token of their heart in the red envelope for the Van Romondt Family Tree West Indian Branch Research Project.

Pictures of the After Reunion Aruba will soon be available.

Thank you for coming and may God Bless your family and the future generations to come and that they can look back one day to find in history the VR-reunions which each of us were part of and continue the work we started together!

Malaki Zuleika Croes