Taxes

Nobody wants to pay them, but they are a part of everyday life. Jesus told Peter that it was normal to pay and the Bible makes clear that we should pay our taxes. But what do you do when things get a bit complicated? We have lived for the last 30 plus years in Belgium, working in the Netherlands and receiving a good bit of our support from the United States. So which taxes do we pay? All of them. 

We have always paid income tax and social security I the US. We also pay social security in Belgium. But it has been a real blessing all these years to have brothers and sisters who have helped us with our taxes in the US. E.B. Dotson did our taxes (and others) as a service for missions (now the office of Larry McElroy). And what a service this is. It is amazing to have these worries taken from your shoulders, not having to worry about figuring out how things work - because it is confusing. 

You see, we live in Belgium, but receive a part of our funds from the US. Anyone who has lived outside of the US knows about the various forms that have to be filled in (FATCA, FBAR and such). Knowing that your taxes are in good hands, of brothers and sisters who are putting their talents to this service, is extremely comforting. So we are very thankful. 

This is especially important now. This past year the Belgian tax office decided that things have not been as they think it should be. They are only allowed to go back 5 years, so they went back to 2022 and looked at our taxes in Belgium. Their conclusion is that we should have been paying income tax in Belgium, not in the US. This influences how much social security we pay in Belgium as well. 

So now we are looking at back taxes in Belgium, back payments for social security, and continuing to try to figure out our social security status in the US. This can be worrisome or frustrating, but in the end we know that things will work out. Our God knows what we can handle and knows what is going on. That doesn’t mean that it will not happen. It means that He will give us strength to deal with it. 

Thankfully we do not have to worry about anything more than VAT (Value Added Tax) in the Netherlands. And we all have to deal with that in some sense. And as oil prices (gasoline, diesel - which is what we use in our car, gas for our heating) rise exorbitantly, we know that although this may be difficult, we will be able to deal with it somehow. God trusts us to be able to handle what he allows in our lives - with His strength. 

Whensday: 1902 - Korfbal

March in the USA brings March Madness - colleges vying for a title in the team sport of basketball. Basketball was invented in 1891 by gym teacher James Naismith. About 10 years later a gym teacher in Amsterdam invented “korfbal” which translated is “basket ball”. This game was based on the Swedish game for women, but Nico Broekhuysen made it a team sport for both sexes. 

Korfbal, as a matter of fact, is one of the only team sports for both men and women together. Like basketball it can be played outside or inside and there is an outside season and inside season. And like basketball, the goal is to put as many points on the scoreboard by putting the ball through the basket (“korf”). 

In korfbal, the basket is on a tall pole (3.5 meters or about 11.5 feet) and has no backboard. The players, both men and women are on the field at the same time, may not walk with the ball. They also may not dribble. The player can take one step and must then pass the ball. This creates a game with a high level of team interaction and low contact. 

The International Korfball Federation was created in 1933 and there are currently 72 national federations. The sport was a demonstration sport at the Olympics of 1920 and 1928. It is not part of the Olympics, but is part of the World Games. Since it is mostly played in Belgium and especially The Netherlands, the World and European champion has always been The Netherlands (although Belgium was world champion in 1991). 

Whatsit Wednesday: Dutch door

I remember learning about Dutch doors when I was younger because we visited somewhere (I don’t remember where) that had them, probably a farm. This would have been in the US. So why are they called “Dutch Doors”? Well, actually the Brits might call it a stable door and the Irish might call it a half door. But it was the Dutch who brought it into normal cultural use, through painting and their general use of the door in their housing. 

In paintings fro the 17th century you can find plenty of examples of Dutch doors. It was also in this period that Dutch in the areas that would become New York and New Jersey were incorporating the doors in their homes. The purpose was to keep livestock out of the house and children inside while allowing light and air to circulate freely. 

One can easily imagine working in the house, not having to worry about the small children escaping or the animals bringing their dirty feet into the house, while still being able to see and be part of the outside or chat with a passing neighbor. As a matter of fact, this type of door was later also incorporated for a time on railways to facilitate employees carrying out tasks or visual inspections. 

Even into modern times, the doors could be useful in nursing homes (line of sight is maintained while the patients cannot wander aimlessly), childcare facilities (although safety concerns finally restricted this use) or barns and stables, where they were originally used. The romance of the past often makes people wonder about installing or using such a door. The practical limitations usually come to mind in later stages. But Dutch doors are still used in many places. 

Have you ever seen a Dutch door? Would you want one in your house?