September 2012

 It has been quite a while since we put up a newsletter, so this is an update of what we have been doing in 2012 and a bit of what is coming up. To read, simply click on the pictures at left.















If you would like the newsletter as text in an email, just let me know.

Thank you for taking the time to check out what is going on in our lives and how God is blessing us!

Meeting Jesus

This past weekend we hosted a youth weekend in Maastricht. Usually we have a bit more time to announce things and get a group together, but the short notice for this weekend (less than two weeks) didn’t keep too many from coming. We had a great group of young people willing to learn and looking forward to encouraging one another.

One of the things that we so want to encourage in our youth is to really get to know Jesus. That is what we consistently hear from Jesus in the gospels: Follow me. When Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus replies, “Philip, have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me? If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” (John 14:8-9)

So we took time from Saturday afternoon until Sunday afternoon to meet Jesus and see what we could learn about him in those meetings. Along the way we also had fun with eggs, a scavenger hunt and marshmallows around a fire. We spent time developing relationships with each other while we developed our relationship with Jesus.

I am always impressed by young people who are not only able but who are also willing to listen to the Word and dig into what is being said. We looked at the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple, at Jesus on the mountain and feeding the 5000, at Jesus washing the feet of the disciples and why he could do this, at Jesus in the garden and walking over the sea. The challenge now is to read one of the gospels in the coming month to continue getting to know Jesus. Why not read along with us? Choose a gospel and take the time to get to know Jesus. We can talk about what you have found next month. 

Thank you!

Photo from ACU Today

Each time that we are in the US we of course stop in Abilene, Texas. The day after we married (almost 28 years ago), we drove from Arkansas to Texas because I would be attending ACU. Our first Sunday we attended the congregation at 11th & Willis and fell in love with a group of people who were in love with Jesus Christ. One of those people was Neil Lightfoot. We heard from plenty of people how important a teacher he was at ACU, and in the years following I experienced that – although it was only in auditing Dr. Lightfoot’s ‘Gospel of John’.

But what we remember most are the wonderful Bible classes Sunday mornings, the dry laugh and wry little smile, the willingness to listen. Neil and Ollie were great encouragers and examples for us. We had come to Willis at our ‘young married’ stage (just-married as a matter of fact) and attended Sunday morning Bible class with Larry and Michelle McElroy, Neil and Ollie’s daughter and son-in-law. We saw in this young married couple the love Neil aand Ollie had passed on. Sitting in front of the Lightfoots Sunday evening meant sharing their voices in singing praise to God. They were able and willing to listen and guide, gently with their words and truly in example.

When we made plans to go to Europe to spread the gospel, 11th & Willis stood behind us and continue to support us. When I had theological questions and needed advice and guidance, I could email Neil and receive a response. It was good to know that the church was there, not only sending money, but truly as we had talked about – as co-workers. When Ollie passed away, we grieved for the family. We were happy, then, too when Neil met Marjorie.

The last several times that we have returned on furlough, Neil and Marjorie have always made sure to make time for us. A lunch out at the country club (quite a treat for the boys at that time) together with good, real conversation. A real interest and care not only for how we were doing, but how God was using us where we were. It is that heart for which we are so thankful. Neil has taught a thirlll for the word of God - and digging into it honestly - as well as a true, loving, deep concern for living that very word in our life. 

That strange English language

Language is fun! And it reveals so much about a culture. Cultures are influenced by their language and in turn influence that very language. Certain Inuit tribes have many words for the color white, since they can distinguish various shades of the color in their environment. To other cultures, white is white.

English is a language which has a rich history, but which also has allowed itself to be richly influenced by languages and cultures which it has encountered. To some this might seem a frustration. Why do we spell some words in such a strange way? And why do we use certain ‘foreign’ words. Why not use a good English word? 

When we first came to the Netherlands a man asked: “Why do you say ‘u’ for a word with two o’s, like ‘book’. If one ‘o’ is ‘oh’, then two o’s should be ‘ooh’,” he said, making a very rounded ‘o’ sound. “In Dutch we are consistent," he continued, "If one ‘e’ sounds like ‘eh’, then two e’s is ‘ay’. You English speakers confuse everything.”

Of course, much of this is because English borrows words vigorously from any language it comes in contact with. Unlike some countries which fight to keep their language ‘pure’, English simply swallows words whole and spits them out with adapted pronunciations (as one might expect after spitting something up).

I want to have some fun looking at this wonderful language. I will regularly use a Wednesday to pass on the weird way our words warp through time and cultures.

Consider today (although it is Saturday and not Wednesday), for those many of you so looking forward to the rain (something which we typically look forward to getting away from here in Belgium and the Netherlands!), the expression: It’s raining cats and dogs. For animal-loving Dutchmen, this seems an abomination! Although, really horrible weather is called ‘hondenweer’ or ‘dog’s weather’. It is weather even a dog would not want to go out in. So it simply does not rain cats and dogs here. Here it rains ‘steel rods’ or ‘pipe rods’. This is of course only descriptive of what we see in a heavy rain, but I don’t know that I would want cats, dogs or steel rods pelting me from the sky. I would much rather a nice refreshing drenching, whether needed or not.
 

(Want more info on 'cats and dogs'? Check this out.)