Whodunit Wednesday: Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

Everyone is looking at the thermometer lately. Freezing temperatures in places that haven’t seen it that cold in quite a while. But which thermometer do you consult? How cold is it really? When I hear that it is 10 degrees, my first reaction is: “Oh, that’s quite nice for this time of year. I will not need my warm hat or scarf.” But others are saying that it is freezing. That is because some of us are using the Celsius scale and others the Fahrenheit scale. 

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, for whom the scale is named, was a Polish German (born in Poland to a German family) who lived and worked in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries. He is credited with improving thermometers, with making the first mercury-in-glass thermometers (which were much more reliable) and getting everyone to adopt his scale of measurement. And this all so long ago. So how is it that people in the US use Fahrenheit, but people in the Netherlands use Celsius? 

Fahrenheit was born in Danzig (Gdansk) Poland to a German Hanseatic trading family. He was just about 15 when his parents died from eating poisonous mushrooms and he was placed under guardianship. In this way he ended up doing an apprenticeship in Amsterdam. He ran away when this was completed and traveled around what was then the Holy Roman Empire while his guardians issued an arrest warrant. But it was in this time that he also was manufacturing thermometers and researching the various scales and methods used. By 1721 he was already perfecting his thermometers while in the Netherlands.

At the same time, others were still using another scale. “Centigrade” was used by the Swedes and French and much of the world. This is how I remember learning the “other” scale. But it was changed to “Celsius” in 1948. However you measure, cold remains cold. Listen to the weather man or woman and decide then if you need to put on your scarf or not before going outside. 

Growing as a family

Every year we try to be encouragers in all that we do. All of the activities we plan and are part of are connected to how we hope God can use us for His kingdom. This year has begun and will continue no different. We are looking forward to the various activities we can take part in. 

This past weekend we traveled up to Haarlem (2.5 hours north) for a day of singing. The church there is wanting to learn more about singing and how to sing better together. Mostly they want to do this so that they as a congregation can learn new songs and sing well to the Lord on Sundays. But they are also looking at using this as a means of reaching out in the community with the gospel. They asked us to come and help with learning and it has been a great time of encouragement. Each time we have been, there are at least 10 members learning and singing together with us. 

We have been doing the same thing in Eindhoven for several years, although we have had to miss the last few months. It is exciting and encouraging for us to be able to spend time with congregations in other cities and to see and show how God encourages and teaches us through song. But singing is not all that we are looking forward to in the coming months. 

Before we leave for the US for two months (in May and June) we are looking at various ways of reaching out in the neighborhood in Maastricht. In the coming month we will be going around the neighborhood with a questionnaire about church and society in order to gauge where the neighborhood is and also to encourage people to think about the choices they are making. At the same time we hope to again let people know that we are active in the neighborhood. 

We also hope to get downtown Maastricht at some point to engage with people on the street, asking them what questions they might have for God. We have been preparing for this during our Wednesday studies when we look at some of the questions that people ask and how we as Christians can answer them. We hope to be going into town as weather gets better and there are more people walking outside. We would love your prayers for these efforts. 

In addition we of course are also working on plans for the summer camp weeks and training church members for leadership in those areas. The leadership training “Breathe” will be organized at the end of March. Shirley and I will also be leading the Benjamin week at the end of the summer when we return from our trip to the US. Camp opportunities are always a chance to encourage campers as well as the team that we work with during the week that we lead. 

Before all of that comes, we are also looking at some growing time for ourselves and with church family members. Scott will go down to ABSS (Advanced Bible Study Series) at the middle of February with some brothers from Haarlem and Maastricht. Shirley will go to the Ladies Retreat in March with several sisters from Maastricht. It continues to amaze us how God can use so many opportunities to encourage us and others and to help us all grow in grace. 

(Photo: the invitation for the camp leaders training session "Breathe")

Wild Wonderful Wednesday: Neanderthals in the neighborhood

Just down the way, in the next village over (Veldwezelt), is a Neanderthal site. Our village (Neerharen) was on the site of a Roman crossing of the river and has a castle with parts from the 13th century. But all of that pales compared to the date of the Neanderthal site. It was here, back a long time ago (which all depends on how one dates things) that Neanderthals roamed the river valley and lived in the area. 

The site in Veldwezelt is the first protected archeological site open to the public. The visitors jump back into time, walking along an 80 meter long path where examples of wolf rhino’s, bison and a mammoth can be found - animals that the Neanderthalers would have known. 

The crazy thing is how present day and past cross each other. Right next to the Neanderthal site is the international golf course, running through both the Netherlands and Belgium. As you walk the course, you pass by the Neanderthal site, separated by a fence. As far as anyone knows, Neanderthals did not play golf. That game was begun in Scotland by a completely different people.