On the Family Side ...

We are so thankful for technology and what it makes possible. Almost every Monday evening we are able to sit down to eat with Stephan. It is his lunch as he comes home from work, it is our dinner before we head out to a study. But we get to spend at least 30 minutes together just checking in. Stephan and Natalie are doing well in Indianapolis and we hope to continue this good contact.

Sean used to be home from Brussels for sure every

© Joost Paulussen

weekend. But now that his band is past-tense, we cannot always count on seeing him. Some of you may have seen that ‘Wooly Mammoths’ pulled the plug (I am imagining the mess that will leave in the bathtub!). If you are interested in hearing their music, check it out here. This does not mean that Sean has stopped working on his music. It simply means that the guys were going different directions in their lives.

In the meantime, Sean continues working on and evolving his music. If we understand correctly, more news will follow in March when he presents a new project. So, although he does not come home for rehearsals on the weekend, we do still get to see him regularly. When he had two weeks vacation around Christmas and New Years, we planned another get-away together for a few days. This time we visited Prague and his girlfriend came along.

Shirley and Scott are both enjoying technology and people as well. Scott talks with his best friend almost every Sunday evening – something they decided on after the reunion at York College in October last year. Shirley uses her iPad to research, discover and communicate: the world at your fingertips.

We enjoyed family time around the holidays and especially the time in Prague. A quick trip (two and a half days) is short but sweet. We are thankful that there are so many interesting things close by. And many of the things far away can be brought close through some technology.

Oh - and Chester is still doing great. Any time we put Sean's music on, Chester starts 'singing' along. He guards our house and is a balm to our hearts (even when he doesn't listen or do what we wish). 

Thank you for sharing your joys and pains with us, making it possible for us to be part of your life as well. We are so thankful for the family that we have in Christ all over the world. If you would like to see some pictures of what we do at times, surf on over to our picturesite.

Living Stones

In December we always enjoy the people that make the month so special: Shirley’s birthday brings to mind how we met and our many adventures together, our wedding anniversary speaks to how we have grown together, Stephan and Natalie’s wedding anniversary is the very next day (it has already been 5 years) and Christmas brings us together with all sorts of family. So we share meals and moments and enjoy the end of the year looking forward to the beginning of a new year.

As January approaches we shift our focus to new and continuing activities. What is exciting about these moments is how we see God working in us all together to do His will. Shirley and I welcomed 2018 with members of the church from Eindhoven and otherwheres. Later in the month we held our first Wednesday singing on a Friday and decided to make a meal of it. We met with 22 people from our congregation in Maastricht and the church in Liége to share together and sing – in whatever language possible. It was great to see how ‘Aunt Nel’ (as we call our sister from Maastricht) made such an effort to fellowship, even though she can speak no French or English and they could speak no Dutch. The 3rd Wednesday of the month found us singing again, this time at our monthly singing in Eindhoven.

As the year progresses we will be working on various projects that include members from around the Netherlands and Belgium. At the end of the month we hold our annual Ardennen Bible Camp meeting and Family Day. Much has changed down at camp because of a generous legacy from our sister from Brussels. In February there will be time at the Advanced Bible Study Series (ABSS) in Germany and I will work further on a mentoring program with a brother in Haarlem. March will bring a new song workshop for the Dutch-speaking congregations – learning new songs and encouraging members to sing by offering tools to sing and lead singing.

Buildings in Belgium are made of brick – stone by stone. Each stone matters. Peter understood this image well and emphasizes how we all are being used to build this temple of praise for our Lord. Let yourself be used, wherever you are, together with those around you, for a building of praise.

As you come to him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5