December Newsletter

LIGHT in the Lowlands
Reaching out to the people of Belgium and the Netherlands

December 2005

May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20-21

- winter in our neighbor's yard -

Looking back on 2005 it is interesting to see all of the things we did, experienced, were shown and learned.

YOUTH
Scott works together with several other brothers and sisters to make sure that the youth in the church are growing in faith and love. In 2005 there were 10 different youth weekends, sleepovers or activity days in the Netherlands and Belgium. In addition he and Shirley worked with two weeks of summer camp and a weekend of Fall camp. And we have our own little youth group at the church in Maastricht. But the interesting parts were what happened at these activities:
- Scott doing a flying fall onto his back at a skating rink in Antwerp (everyone said it was “gracious”)
- Several friends of our young people who came for the first time to a church youth weekend. Most are already planning to attend again.
- putting our “ebenezer” in the creek at Teen camp and talking about God’s marks in our lives
- good questions about how to pray, during our Wednesday evenings
- struggling with how to encourage the young people to find and deepen their relationship with Jesus
- struggling with the questions “Why are we living?” and “Why does hell exist?”
- going back into time (in a weekend) to experience the reliability of the scriptures
- keeping in touch and building relationships every chance you get (telephone, chatting, emailing and finally getting to see one another at another weekend)
Keep praying for these young people and for the adults trying to be good examples. More often than not we are learning from the young people about what is really important. Pray also for the various friends who attended a youth activity in 2005.
CHURCH FAMILY
This year we had plenty of real opportunities to be a family. Most people might not want to have difficult times in their life, but God can use these moments to such wonderful effect! We are thankful for His strength throughout the year in our church family in Maastricht.
- We have especially seen this during Ruud’s revalidation from his car accident and in how the members want to help Geesie with her family members (who are dying of cancer and do not know God).
- It was especially exciting to see how each of the members wanted to do all they could during the concert in December to make sure that everyone could really hear the good news. This included praying for those who attended, talking to visitors, helping clean up, setting things up – anything that needed to be done – everyone understood that God could use even the smallest effort.
Please continue to pray for our regular visitors Yvonne and Roger. Yvonne has seen more and more how truly we love her and how that love comes from the love we learned from God.
STUDIES
Scott has been involved in various types of Bible studies – the normal Wednesday evening studies and weekly studies with members, studies with the international students, studies using the Bible to teach English (and more), lessons for the youth weekends and camp, curriculae for the camp weeks, and Sunday lessons. But again, these are dry facts. Here are some things that jump out from the year:
- a longer than usual discussion with Mieke at the end of an English lesson about who Jesus is. “I would like to believe like you do.”
- Gerard struggling with the idea of who he belongs to. He is interested in American Indians and is very tolerant of different ideas, but he wants to belong and is intrigued with the idea that God wants him.
- Watching the sunset with my neighbor during a long conversation about what he thinks about God.
- Shadira sharing how God is using her to help talk to her friends about her relationship with God. She wants to know more about the Bible and who God is.
- Camby (Shadira’s 12-year-old daughter) sitting listening intently during the sermon, reading in her own Bible and following the thoughts.
- Willemien using what we have learned from God in our weekly readings when she talks to her sister-in-law or when talking to local people when she lets her dog out for a walk.

- Wednesday evening Bible study at Shadira's house -

Reading the Bible can be a type of school work or it can be your food, your talking time with your best friend. That is what we are learning as a family and it is so good to see in the people who realize that God is real! Please continue to pray for all of those studying, reading and listening in various ways to God speaking.
LISTEN UP!
Scott’s singing group, Listen Up! is also an integral part of his work. This group is used by various churches to present the gospel to a public that often will not first listen to a sermon, but will listen to a song. In 2005 Listen Up! sang 15 times in 4 different countries. What we pray for is strength for the churches where we sing to continue touching the lives of those who were touched by the message in the songs heard.
Some of the comments and experiences at these concerts:
- An atheist friend of a doctor coming to the concert because of his colleague ( a christian) who was then openly able to discuss God and the message presented in the concert (‘Seeking? ...’).
- “This is the first time that I have heard the Christmas story put together with the Easter story. Yes, of course they belong together, but I had never really thought of it so.” After our ‘CHRISTmas Always’ concert in Antwerp.
- Singing for a benefit concert where the other ‘acts’ were secular and seeing the struggle in some of the audience as we presented our message of love and challenge.

PRAYER WARRIORS
- Pray for our young people who are struggling to grow in faith: Melanie, Cynthia, Joël, Shareya, Isha, Kyana, Semiye, Stephan, Sean, Camby and Shady
- Pray for our continuing studies: Mieke, Gerard, Cor and Titia, Angelique, Roger and Yvonne
- Pray for our outreach to the visitors to our concert in December
- Pray that we will be faithful in what we do as God’s servants in 2006

On the Family Side . . .
I am sure that December is just as busy for many of you as it is for us. In addition to the concerts that Listen Up! prepares and presents, one of which is in Maastricht, we of course also enjoy the various family times. December 5 is “Sinter Klaas” in Belgium and the Netherlands (actually it is the 5th or the 6th, depending on which country), when Saint Nicholas brings gifts to all good children (or Black Pete brings coal to the bad children). For us this means gifts for the boys and some nice time together as a family. This year Scott and the boys went to Harry Potter together.
Christmas is of course even more family time. Here there are two days of Christmas (no not 12!). Since the first day of Christmas fell on Sunday this year, we decided to have our church get together on the second day of Christmas, so that there was plenty of family time and “family” time. We had Willemien over to our house on Sunday after worshipping together with the church family. It was great to share that time with her – she is our unofficial grandma (and she is sister too – how great is that!). We also called Scott’s mom and spent some good time talking with her as well (while she baked for the morning).
The second day of Christmas we got together with church family at Ruud and Karla’s house for games, gifts and gab. The gifts were just fun things and we had some white elephants too (for those of you who don’t know what that is – drop me a note and I will explain). It was a great time to be together.

- Yvonne and Shirley on the 2nd day of Christmas together with family -

We will also be together when the year ends, when old goes into new. Usually that means plenty of fireworks here – although I have seen in the news that many of you probably shouldn’t use those (fires in TX and OK).
The boys have been thoroughly enjoying the vacation time not thinking about school at all. Sean just today remembered that he had to get started reading a book for after the vacation. Stephan has been enjoying visiting his friends, spending the night and such. School will come soon enough.
Of course our biggest family news this month is the additon of Snuffles to our family. Snuffles is a 5-year-old black Maltese mix dog who snuffles at everything (she doesn’t see too well). We got her fromthe Humane Society and have enjoyed her from the first minute she entered the house. And she seems to have completely accepted us as well. It has been great.
For those with internet you can see pictures of our goings on at our blog: ravenraab.blogspot.com. Please continue to email, comment, call, write – communicate. Thank you so much for all of the wonderful year-end newsletters. It is good to catch up on what has been going on with you as well (and to see how big the kids are getting and how grey you are getting!)

Enjoy each and every moment of each day as you walk with our wonderful and mighty God.
In Him, Scott, Shirley, Stephan and Sean Raab