Dutchman Jaap Van Aalst, diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, traveled to Le Mars this week to see two of his favorite singers perform during the National Old Time Country Music Festival in Le Mars.
"Music is everything I want, real country music," Jaap said, explaining that he's at the festival to hear Dutch musicians Ben and Carmen Steneker.
Ben has been known as the "Godfather of Dutch Country Music" because he introduced the genre to so many people in the Netherlands. Carmen, Ben's daughter, has been recording songs with him since she was 7 or 8 years old. Jaap said he attends their concerts at least once a month in the Netherlands.
"I wanted to see them perform in America. It's something special," Jaap said. "It is one of my greatest wishes, and this is my last chance."
Not one to sit around and wait for something to happen, Jaap sold a camper he had purchased to travel Europe and used the money to prepare for a trip to America.
He underwent chemotherapy treatments in an effort to sustain his life long enough to see a new grandchild, which was his greatest wish, he said.
With that wish granted, Jaap began aiming for a trip to America to hear the Stenekers perform.
For the past six weeks, Jaap's been building up strength for his travels.
And once the Stenekers found out about Jaap's wish, they immediately began working with him. Their business manager and Ben's wife, Irene, started making calls.
She talked with Ruth Vaske, of Le Mars, whose family has hosted the Stenekers during the music festival in past years.
Soon Jaap had not only a place to stay, but the donated use of an electric wheelchair to make it easy to get around festival at the Plymouth County fairgrounds and the use of a camper so he could stay on site for the seven-day music fest.
The wheelchair is one Floyd Valley Hospital's physical therapy department received as a donation from a widow after her husband, who used the chair, died.
The chair is loaned out to patients who have a temporary need for an electric wheelchair.
"Usually we offer it to patients we are doing rehab with us, but, in this case, since it's special, we offered it to him," said Jerry DeWitt, of Floyd Valley Hospital's physical/occupational therapy department.
"Here this guy is coming all the way here to hear this music, this way we could make it so he can be independent while he's doing it," DeWitt added.
Ben said his wife knew to contact Floyd Valley Hospital because he'd had to get a bad spider bite checked out there during his stay in Le Mars last year.
"Because of that spider, Jaap is here," Ben said with a grin.
Ruth and her husband David Vaske helped find a local family willing to donate the use of its camper for the week.
"It was tricky since it's Labor Day weekend," David said.
Jaap said he has been overwhelmed by people's generosity.
"It's really awesome. They did whatever they could," he said. "I never felt so welcome as I did here."
He spent a few days with the Vaske family before heading out to camp at the fairgrounds.
"I didn't know them, but when I went through their door, I was home," he said of the family.
Carmen and Ben said they are honored that Jaap would travel to America just to see them perform.
The trio has had a long-time friendship that formed around music.
Jaap met Ben at Ben's country music club in the Netherlands about 35 years ago.
"We sat in the kitchen after performances and drank coffee," Ben said. "That's how it started."
"Carmen sat on my lap when she was 6," Jaap added.
Music remains at the core of their friendship.
"I love to hear it," Jaap said. "It goes to my heart."
The first time he heard the Stenekers' new song, "The Gift," which will be on their next released album, it brought tears to his eyes.
It tells the story of a poor young girl who finds a bird with a broken wing along the road. She takes it home and cares for it.
Then Christmas Eve comes and everyone in the town brings gifts to the church to present at the Nativity scene. They bring gold and perfumes and things fit for a king.
She brings the only thing she has, the tiny bird with a broken wing, and cries because it is such a shabby gift. But she hears a voice, telling her to open the cage. The bird flies out, healed, and begins to sing a beautiful song, a gift fit for a king.
"That's why I like their music," Jaap said.
One of Jaap's favorite songs Ben and Carmen sing is "Until the Answer Comes," a gospel tune about praying continuously.
"Sometimes you mustn't do anything but sit and fight for it," Carmen explained. "Don't lose your faith."
She started to sing the tune, and without skipping a beat, Jaap joined in.
"You gotta keep praying 'til the answer comes, keep praying," they sang. "If you knock one time and there's no answer, don't turn away from the door. You've got to knock again until you've been let in. Sometimes it only takes once more."
Jaap smiled.
"And here I am," he said.