Challenges and blessings in 2025

Many people send out a year-end letter to catch everyone up on what has happened in the past year. I thought I would take a little space to round up some highlights of this year. It has also reminded me of the various blessings and challenges we have had. 

Singing

Much of our work and fellowship has to do with singing and this year was no different. Every first Friday of the month we get together with members from the church in Maastricht to learn new songs and encourage one another. We also travel to Eindhoven every third Wednesday evening to do the same with that congregation. Although we do not make it every month, we enjoy the months that we do get to share with that church family. 

This year we also traveled to Cologne for a singing day with the congregation there. Throughout the year we recorded songs for the YouTube channel as well. This is a wonderful way for the singers from various congregations to help others throughout the Dutch-speaking churches. You can hear the results on the YouTube channel - which includes the songs that Luk Brazle also records. 

New this year was our working with the congregation in Haarlem which decided to put together new song books and learn to sing better as a congregation. So we have traveled the 2.5 hours there about once a month this Fall. We are looking forward to continuing this relationship in the coming months. 

Studying, young people and Bible camp

We take time every week for approximately 7 Bible studies with various people and groups. Some of the studies are with the congregation, some with those who are growing in faith or learning about faith. Along with the studies have come some planned youth activities, including a youth day again organized by the congregation in Maastricht. It is exciting to see this kind of growth in sharing faith, knowledge and grace. 

As with all of the years we have been working here, we also spent time with Ardennes Bible Camp. This included a special training day for new camp leaders, planning meetings with new possible board members and of course the weeks of Summer camp. This year we directed the oldest youth (15 years and older) as well as helping with the teens during Family camp. 

You can find pictures of camp here or on the camp website (www.bijbelkamp.eu)

Comings and goings

This has also been a year of change. Several of the people whom I have been helping and visiting passed away. Some of these were expected, others quite unexpected. Monthly visits to the prison in Antwerp and to a mental health facility nearby both ended near the end of the year. We also said goodbye to two faithful sisters who we will see again when we get Home. 

We said 'au revoir' to several of our members who moved on to other areas. Our American families have either been stationed back to the US or are almost on their way. This has changed the make-up of the congregation in Maastricht a bit, since we do not need to translate as often or as much. At the same time, we have had some new people move in and we are looking forward to what this will mean for the congregation in the coming year. 

New life

We welcomed three new brothers to the church in Maastricht this year as well. Isaak is young, but understands how important and beautiful life is with Jesus Christ. His 12 years of life are quite different from Jef, who is in his 60’s. But both of them have made the choice not only to give their lives to Christ, but to allow the Holy Spirit to change them as they grow in faith. (Photo is of Jef's baptism in the Spring). Most recently we also welcomed Kristof to the family of Christ. He is a colleague of our brother, Danny. 

We are so thankful for the blessings that God has brought us this year, along with the challenges. Every new day is a good day, bringing new things to learn and new people into our lives. Thank you for being part of this journey and work as well. Your faithfulness, your prayers, your example and help are a blessing to the church here and to God’s kingdom.  

Whensday: Léopold II in 1865

On December 17, 1865 Léopold Lodewijk Filips Maria Victor van Saksen-Coburg en Gotha became Loepol II, king of Belgium. He was the second king of Belgium, following Leopold I, his father. He was 30 years old when he became king and reigned until his death in 1909 at the age of 55. He was king for exactly 44 years and remains the longest reigning king of Belgium. 

Leopold is best known for his ruthless deeds done I the Independent Congo Free State which he established. Many historians now look back on that time with disgust. Léopold II used Congo as a personal zoo en discovery ground. The Congo was his personal property, after all. 

Many of the best known places in Belgium were built during his reign and under his charge. The Jubel Park and Dudenpark in Brussels and the Central Station in Antwerp are examples of these. Besides these public buildings he also built various buildings for himself, including the Botanical Gardens in Laken, the Japanese tower and Chinese pavilion near the palace and even special houses in France. The Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French coast was considered one of the most expensive houses in the world in 2009. 

Congo was finally relinquished from Léopold II to the Belgian state in 1908. Belgium bought the area from the king (or he was forced to sell it). From 1908 until 1960 Belgian Congo was a colony of Belgium until it became the country of Congo. The true history of what Léopold II did in his private state of Congo only truly came to light decades later. 

Family of Léopold II were woven into the families and governments all over the world. His sister was empress of Mexico. Queen Victoria in the United Kingdom was a full niece. But in the end all of his ties died out. Today there is only a branch of the house of Bonaparte (his youngest daughter had married Napoleon Victor Bonaparte).

(Photo is of the Victory Arch in Jubelpark Brussels)

Fun

My best friend’s father always said that Christians know best how to have fun. God created fun, so those who know God know best what fun is. And if you knew Ron Carter or my best friend, Bret Carter, you would understand completely how true this is. And it is something I have found to be true throughout my life. We have fun at Bible camp. We have fun at sport days. We have fun playing games. We have fun telling jokes - even dad jokes. 

This past weekend was a weekend of fun. Shirley’s birthday was on Thursday and we enjoyed laughing together. I made dinner. Or at least, I warmed up the meat that I bought at the store. I also warmed up the potatoes and made a salad - all with Shirley’s help. But it was delicious and we enjoyed the time together. We have always been able to laugh together - even if a lot of it might be me laughing at my own jokes. Shirley has gotten pretty good at dad jokes as well (as have our sons - to their own chagrin). 

On Saturday the congregation organized a sport day to have some more fun. You have heard me talk about the soccer tournament that many go to. But there are plenty of us who actually like playing basketball as well (or we even prefer it). So we planned a sport day for those who wanted to play basketball and had a soccer ball along for the chance that it might be needed. 

Although this is exam time for plenty of young people, we still hoped that some would take the opportunity to take a break from studying and come sweat for a few hours. And we had a good small group to play some 3x3 (or half court) ball. I was happy just to be able to keep up with some of the younger ones who attended, but it was fun. Encouraging one another, experiencing some good ankle breakers and even getting in a lay-up here or there. 

Sunday was the birthday of another of our members in Maastricht, but its was also a 2nd Sunday. That means games in Maastricht. Our Ukrainian couple bring all sorts of games to play, we eat a meal beforehand and simply enjoy getting to know each other while laughing. This time we played a few hands of Uno Hearts. It takes a bit of learning and a good bit of humility. You never know when you might end up with too many cards of the wrong color. But it is all good fun. 

Next week we will hold our church Christmas Get-together. This year we chose for secret Santa’s (instead of a white elephant sort of game). We will enjoy a good potluck meal together and sharing gifts and encouraging Bible texts with one another. This too is part of having fun. When we can go home having laughed, feeling appreciated, knowing that others care about us - then it is a good day. 

On Christmas we will probably be welcoming some of our young couples to our house for a delicious meal (which they will also help make) and some fun games together. It is always good to share laughter and the love of family. God knows what fun is all about and it is good to share it with those who know Him. 

(Photo is our Christmas Get-together last year)

On the Family Side

(This was set to post last week, but somehow did not get posted). 

This past month we were very thankful for technology and that we were able to check in with our kids. We have a wonderful daughter-in-love who sends us pictures regularly of what she and Sean are doing in New York City and we got to check in with Sean and hear about his job and health. It has been a year since he damaged his ACL and was operated. Thankfully he is back to playing soccer every week with friends. 

His wife, Jill, is enjoying running her own antique store in Manhattan. You can even find her on Instagram (brocante_nyc) and if you are in the neighborhood drop in to her little boutique. Sean himself is enjoying his time as a 1st grade teacher. He is also working on a children’s book that he has written - a detective Jack Russel terrier solving a mystery in Brussels. So Jacques Russel from Brussel may be coming to your bookshelf soon. Sean is also working on a novel. Both Sean and Jill enjoy writing and being creative. 

Just after Thanksgiving we were also able to jump on a video call to Stephan, Natalie and our granddaughter. The little one is growing quickly and is intrigued by seeing us on the video, but she is also 2 years old and had just been through a few days of long trips and family visits. We were very thankful to be able to talk for a while with our daughter-in-love who we had not seen for quite some time. We were also thankful to have been able to talk to Stephan for his birthday (Halloween). 

Both Stephan and Natalie work hard and enjoy their time with family that is close by. Natalie’s sisters both live with their families in the neighborhood and both have kids, so our granddaughter gets to be with the cousins quite often. We are looking forward to being able to see everyone next year when we make our trip through the US. We will get to sing to our granddaughter in person and spend enough time with both families (in Indiana and in New York). 

Until then we are thankful for every possibility of contact - pictures, videos and video calling. Who knows, we may even send some actual cards at some point (does anyone still use real snail mail?). 

(Photo is of the last time we were all together in Indianapolis for a birthday in 2024. Lots has changed since then!)