Where oh Where Wednesday: Christmas markets

When we lived in the US one of the things we experienced were “Christmas in July” sales. Mind you, the real Christmas sales would not start until after Thanksgiving (on Black Friday, of course). Buut I knew plenty of people who started playing their Christmas music in July. 

In the Netherlands and surrounding countries (Belgium, Germany and France) what we see sprouting at a certain time are Christmas markets. Every self-respecting city fills their market squares with little wooden huts bursting with what someone somewhere decided were things people want to purchase around Christmas time. This includes hats and mittens and socks and little beautiful things to put on a shelf somewhere or hang in your Christmas tree. 

There are multiple wooden huts selling mulled wine and hot chocolate, as well as beer (depending on which country you are in). There are huts with pancakes or “oliebollen (deep-fried pancake batter in the shape of balls), wieners or pea soup. The smell of supposedly handmade chocolates (especially in Belgium) or candies waft along the walkways, pulling hungry noses into the sale. 

There is of course music playing everywhere. Most of it will be the known secular Christmas tunes, but sometimes, especially now, there might simply be an AI generated beat and sound that sounds “Christmassy”. But there are plenty of people to walk between the huts, smelling and listening and enjoying. 

The market in Maastricht has a giant wheel looking over the market and the ice-skating rink. I recently took part in a choir singing what is considered the oldest Christmas song - “Transeamus”. Together with many others from the city and surrounding villages, I joined the Mastreechter Staar - a famous men’s choir. But I usually do not frequent the market in Maastricht. 

On Shirley’s birthday we visited Antwerp, Belgium, where we first lived when we moved here. As in Maastricht, they had a large wheel, but this one was at the train station and purported to give a view of the whole city. The Christmas market was downtown by the cathedral and city hall. The state of Brabo (throwing the giant’s hand) looked down at all of the commotion below him. 

In past years we have visited Sean in Brussels and walked along the market there. This one is unique - not in what it sells, but in how it is set up. Brussels has several market areas in the center of the city which they connect into one larger Christmas market. So while the humongous Christmas tree is on the “Grand Place”, most of the market is elsewhere in the city. 

We have also visited the market in Aken, Germany in years past, which confirmed what we had already come to know - these markets seem to be made up of the same people traveling from city to city. This of course is not possible, since they are all stationed in these cities at the same time. Still, everything looks quite familiar. We have not yet visited the market in Cologne, Germany or in York, England, but something tells me we would recognize it. 

What is nice to experience are the smiles on some of the peoples’ faces who are walking around the markets. Many are stressed, trying to get those last gifts or trying to have fun while dragging from one wooden hut to the next. But some people’s eyes simply light up. Some are simply looking into one another’s eyes and smiling. They are using this places to be together. And that is very nice to see. We have usually enjoyed our times at these markets because we are together, sharing time with one another. 

What are the things you enjoy the most about the places you go during the holidays? 

(You can see some of our pictures from our walks in Mechelen and Antwerp this year here.)

Taking care of family

The end of the year is often a time for family and caring for family. The holidays take many off traveling until the new year. We always find it to be a time to share family with those around us. Of course as we have lived overseas most of our family is far away. This simply means that we find other ways of getting together or seeing one another. We look forward to being able to speak to the boys around Christmas via video-calling. 

But there are plenty of people around us who also ar not able to travel to family oir be with family at this time. So we want to make sure that we can all share that together as family. This year we will welcome several from the congregation in Maastricht to our house on Christmas for a Christmas dinner. A couple from Ghana will bring some special dishes to share and our airman will bring a friend who also is without family while stationed overseas. 

We are looking forward to some game time, amazing food and wonderful conversation. This will be the second Christmas for our granddaughter and we are excited to see how much of the time she experiences. She is becoming quite a character. After our afternoon with our guests we will look forward to video’s with family. 

We are thankful for the family we are part of all over the world. Yesterday we were all together as a church family and enjoyed good food, conversation and “white elephants”. We pray that you, too, have the opportunity to share what you have with those around you. 

Whensday: December 21, 1984

I can still see her walking down the aisle. Her dark hair was free. She had decided not to have a veil. Her smile was resplendent. I couldn’t see my face, but I imagine it was somewhere between nervous and silly happy. I was wearing a rented tuxedo, cummerbund and all, and stood next to my best man and his father who was performing the ceremony. 

Shirley and I had both worked through many of the things that were “normal” or supposed to be part of this day. Were we going to have an arch with flowers? Were we going to do a unity candle? How many cakes were there going to be and who was going to make them?

Neither one of us had any money - and that didn’t really bother us. Our rings were bought at a pawn shop. Her dress was on sale from a bridal shop going out of business and a lovely lady from the bakery made our cakes for a friendly price. In the meantime a mechanic had fixed the car we had been gifted and my mother had bought four new tires. 

In the end we had wonderful songs sung by amazing friends, we gave our lives to one another and then we loaded up our car and drove off. The car gassed us all the way to Abilene, Texas where we were moving after Shirley’s graduation from Harding. I would be attending ACU. 

We never did find the pictures of our wedding day. We had had to take the film rolls undeveloped with us (do you remember film rolls) and it was months later - after two moves - that we went looking for them and couldn’t find them. So our memories are what is left - and they are amazing. 

This Saturday those memories will be 40 years old and we have made so many new memories together. Most of the time we are not able to celebrate our anniversary on the day itself. This year we will at least spend some time on the day to remember and share together. We will look at a different time to celebrate more extensively. 

December itself is a month of memories. We spent a day in Antwerp on the 11th to celebrate Shirley’s birthday. The church has its Christmas get-together potluck this Sunday. And of course the two days of Christmas and then the New Year are on their way. But this Saturday is for remembering that smile of hers coming down the aisle. 

(Thanks to my mom for the few pictures we have!)

On the Family Side

The end of the year is family time: Thanksgiving and Christmas are all chances to catch up on what is going on and to share time together. We are thankful that we live in a time where technology makes much of that possible. When we were young, being way for the holidays meant not seeing family at all. We have the luxury of being able to connect with family through technology. 

Since we got to visit our granddaughter in the summer, we have looked forward to every single moment we can share with her (and with Stephan and Natalie). Stephan has changed up his time to video call so that this has become even better. In the past, Stephan would call at his lunch time, which was out dinner time. It worked out perfect as we could share a meal and a conversation together. When Sophia arrived, she was usually sleeping at lunch. And who wants to wake a sleeping infant? Certainly not a new parent. 

Now, Stephan calls us in his morning, our afternoon, when he is sitting with Sophia getting ready for the day. She babbles with us, shows us her toys and we get to share time with both her and Stephan. If we sing one of her songs, she lights right up, recognizing the song. We have been sending some video’s off songs with new items - in Dutch. That way she also learns that she can speak that language. 

We also enjoyed following both Stephan and Natalie running a Turkey trot on Thanksgiving. We get a link to their route and can see how they are doing (even their heart rate). At the end we were sent a picture of everyone together. It is amazing to be able to share in these kinds of moments - live and in the moment. We are so thankful for the technology that is now available. 

Over in New York Sean and Jill are also thankful for technology, but in a different way. We have enjoyed seeing pictures and videos of their new apartment which they were able to move into at just the right moment. Sean tore his ACL back in September and was able to have it operated on this past week. So he needs to be taking great care of his leg. Their previous apartment was on the 5th floor, without an elevator. Now they live on the first floor. 

We look forward to being able to say hello, even if it is briefly, to both Stephan and Natalie (and Sophia) and Sean and Jill on Christmas. As it suits young families and couples, they will be busy with their own plans on that day (as will we), but being able to jump on a call together will keep us bound together. We pray that you, too, are able to enjoy your time with family in these days - either because of the wonder of technology, or because you are able to get together. Savor each moment. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Shawl

A shawl is not inherently Belgian or Dutch. We know that people around the world wear them, except in the warmer climes of the world. But it is here that I first saw how important this piece of outwear is, for both men and women. Belgian and Dutch weather has a whole season for shawls - and not just one shawl. There is a whole fashion culture built up around this clothing accessory. 

When we first moved here, I knew that a nice “pashmina” would be a good birthday gift for Shirley. Today is her birthday and I still think about a good shawl. Shirley likes shawls. They can be used in so may different ways. There are silk versions, wool version and of course all sorts of blends. They can be one color, multicolored and patterned in every way. And each one can have a different purpose or time of year. 

You see, the light shawl is first brought out in the Fall as the weather starts to turn. One needs something around the neck to keep the sharper winds out, but the winter coat has not yet been dug out of the deepest closet. So every one is still wearing light coats, suit coats or windbreakers. But to add just that bit of extra protection and fashion sense, a colorful shawl is draped around the neck, sometimes tucked into the coat or suit coat. 

That was one of the things that struck me when I first came - shawls are worn in many different ways. You can see students wrapping a long, thick shawl around their neck, tossing it over their shoulders as they climb aboard their bicycles to race off to class somewhere in the city. On the shopping streets you will see posh gentlemen with a somewhat thinner shawl tucked around their neck and into their coat. Some men will even wear a light shawl around their neck, trailing down their back, in the cooler of the summer months. 

Women, as Shirley shows well, have all sorts of ways to accessorize their clothing in any season. Shirley drapes a silk shawl on one side to accentuate a color. Or she can use a thicker one to serve almost as a sort of poncho, adding some warmth which can be easily and quickly removed if needed. 

Shirley loves finding a beautiful shawl and adding it to her collection. So that remains a good choice for a birthday present. Which reminds me… I need to get to the store. 

Sport and fellowship

This past weekend was full of fun and fellowship. Saturday was a sport day organized by August. August is barely 10 years old, but he knows that it is good to get together with friends. So he had asked his mother last Fall if he could organize a sport day. I like getting to pay sports recreationally and getting to know the young people that I see at camp better. Plus I wanted to encourage August, so I went last year and had a great time. 

This past Saturday August held the 2nd version and the 3rd one is already planned for the Spring. We had about 20 people there to play basketball and a little bit of soccer. We took time to stop and sing together and thank God for the time together. There was plenty of time to sweat, talk, laugh and enjoy. I am already looking forward to the one in the Spring and getting some of the young people from our side of the country to go as well. 

The evening before all the sweating at the sport day we were home for our monthly singing. Every first Friday of the month is singing. We used to do this at the building, but it has become easier for now to do it at our house. This month we had some guests from the church in Eindhoven and we all enjoyed singing some Christmas songs and paying attention to the real reason for the season. I love singing, but the time afterwards, filled with conversation, is just as encouraging. 

On Sunday, since it was the 2nd Sunday of the month, we had some members stay afterwards to play games. We had had 3 visitors for services and were also able to welcome several members back who had not been in quite some time. Praise God for grace and compassion and hearts that long to be with God. We are so very thankful for the opportunities that God gives us to fellowship, to have fun and to encourage one another. 

Whodunit Wednesday: Thierry Neuville

There are plenty of young kids who dream of driving their cars over every sort of terrain, sliding through curves, jumping over hills and speeding on to win the race. But there are a few who actually do this - ij the dirt and dust, in the snow, in the mud. They are called rally drivers. I remember as a kid being amazed at the pictures and video’s of these cars flying through the air. 

Rally car driving is quite popular in Belgium, just as is riding bikes through mud and dirt and anything else that can get in the way. Belgians like seeing sport people get muddy, I guess. But there has never been a rally world champion from Belgium, until now. Thierry Neuville just won the world championship this year. So at the moment, Belgium and the Netherlands are top of the world as far as motorsport goes, since Dutchman Max Verstappen has been crowned Formula 1 world champ this year - his 4th time. 

Thierry Neuville comes from the German-speaking area of Belgium, in St. Vith. Belgium has 3 official languages and areas: Flemish (which is basically the same as Dutch), Walloon (which is basically French) and German. The German-speaking area is a small little sliver over in the East of the country, bordering on Germany, of course. It is just East and south of where we hold our Bible camp weeks every year. 

Neuville has been racing for quite some time, even though he is still fairly young (only 36 years old). He looks like a mild-mannered Clark Kent, with glasses and a little smile playing across his face. But he and his navigator know how to tear up the course in a rally car. These cars look somewhat like normal cars, except for all the stickers and the built out bumpers. Subaru’s, Peugeot’s, Citroën’s, Toyota’s and many more are all competitors in these type of race. Neuville has been racing for Hyundai. 

It is intriguing that we have so many sorts of racing so very close to where we live and work. One of these days we may get a chance to stand along the side of the road as the rally cars go roaring past, tossing up mud and dust as they race to victory. For this year, in any case, that victor is Belgian Thierry Neuville. 

God is good, all the time

This past weekend was Thanksgiving in the US. The Canadians already shared thanksgiving a month earlier. Here we tend to plan a day between Thanksgiving and Christmas when a group of expats can get together on a Saturday and share the time eating good food and having good conversations. We call it Thanksmas. This year Thanksmas was this past Saturday, just two days after the actual Thanksgiving day. 

I love Thanksgiving. I like the idea that all sorts of people, many without even knowing it, are doing what God has told us is so good for us - being thankful. “This is the will of God in Christ for you” is what the text in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says. And although it is a challenge, it is good to try to be thankful in all things. There are days when things are hard. There a times when we can be challenged to find something to be thankful for. But it is worth taking the challenge. 

This past year we have had some wonderful moments and some challenging times. Shirley’s only sister passed away, leaving a void that Shirley especially feels when the topics she and her sister would share come up during the day. Politics, jewelry or family were some of the things they shared every day, writing emails back and forth to one another. Just the other day Shirley took out a jewelry-cleaning machine that we had purchased. When she was done using it, she realized that she couldn’t share the results with Mary. Many of you understand the struggle and the challenge to be thankful for all the moments that they had together. 

We also heard fro two of our supporting congregations that things were changing. Our first congregation as a married couple (literally the very first Sunday after we were married) was at S. 11th and Willis in Abilene, Texas. Last month “Willis” held their last service as a congregation. The members have moved to other congregations in the city or joined the congregation with which Willis merged. This also means that our support from this congregation changed. 

Although it is a challenge to think that this congregation will not be there the next time we drive through, we are so very thankful for all that they have meant for us in the past. They are the congregation that showed us what it looks like to be a missions church and they have supported us almost from the beginning of our time here in Europe. And we know that God continues to work through the people who met at that location, no matter where they are. 

On the other side, we have very much enjoyed the times that we have been able to meet and speak with our granddaughter. We were there for her first birthday and were able to share this with Stephan and Natalie as well as Sean and Jill. After we came back home we have tried to find ways to keep connected so that she knows who we are. We send her video’s about things we have in our life. Stephan has adapted our video-call time so that she can be there as well (they call in their morning now - our afternoon). 

New life is always exciting and that is something that we have been thankful for in Maastricht as well. The congregation has seen two new members in the year - one who has come as a student and one who has given her life to Christ and joined the family. In addition to these new sisters, we have seen others return to their life in Christ after challenging times and we have seen several visitors coming regularly. It is good to see how God works in so many daily things. 

There are some days that are very difficult. But God is good in those moments, giving us strength and direction - even when we are not sure of the direction immediately. We know we can walk with Him and we will get to where we need to be. And there are times of joy and happiness where it is easy to praise His name. We thank God for all of you who continue to pray for us and the people we are working with here. We are so very thankful that we have been blessed with knowing you and have seen how God continues to bless us through you. 

Where oh where Wednesday: Sint Maarten

On September 6, 2017 hurricane Irma passed over the tiny island of Sint Maarten. In English, the island is called Saint Martin, but the island is actually French and Dutch. One half of the island is French and French-speaking, the other half is administered by the Dutch and officially speaks Dutch and English. In practice the lingua franca is English. 

This island has been populated for thousands of years, for the past 800 years by the Arowak and later the Carib. The latter called the island Salt island. Columbus discovered the island in 1493 when he landed on November 11, which is why it is named Saint Martin (the feast of Saint Martin is still celebrated in places in the Netherlands on November 11). The island was split up in its current form in the 17th century between the French and Dutch kingdoms.

On that terrible day in 2017, most of the Dutch half of the island was destroyed. Queen Juliana Airport was wiped out and people across the island had to struggle for weeks and months, trying to recover. Although the island originally was known for its salt-waning, both sides of the island survive and thrive with tourism. 

Sint Maarten, the Dutch half of the island, chose in 2010 to become a separate country under the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This gave them a bit more freedom to choose to direct their affairs as they desired while retaining important links with the Netherlands. It meant that, when the hurricane came, there was still some help. 

In Maastricht we remember that year because we reached out to help however we could. Some of us in the congregation knew people on the island. We had a group that could help with sending and receiving funds. There was a congregation on the island that was already helping those hit hardest. The church building there had been devastated. So we as a congregation helped where we could. 

This year the Queen Juliana Airport on Sint Maarten was officially opened, 7 years after the devastation of Irma. The airport had been working as well it could since the disaster, but now it has been completely renewed. Perhaps we will one day have the chance to visit and meet our brothers and sisters there. 

Sister Nel

Today our sister, Nel, turns 84. Yesterday the congregation did our traditional thing, but with a twist. Usually when someone in the church has had a birthday, we put them in the middle of the circle of us around them, pray for them and sing “Happy Birthday” to them. We want everyone to know not only how important they are, but how we all are blessed by them in this wonderful family of God. 

Usually we wait until the Sunday after the person’s birthday. Often there is more than one person in the circle, since several might have had a birthday in the previous week. For Nel we made an exception and sang o the Sunday before her birthday. And since Nel could not be with us where we meet together, we went to her, which is just around the corner of our building. 

In Spring this year I brought Nel to the hospital because of intense abdominal pain. After some examinations and scans and such she received the news that she had an inoperable tumor on her liver. She was sent home with the words that she was ‘terminal’. The doctor had even had the conversation about a “completed life” which is now typical in the Netherlands. IN other words, did she want to be euthanized. 

Nel made very clear to everyone in the doctor’s office (another specialist and a nurse as well as the doctor) that God is good and whether she were to die today or tomorrow or months or years from now, her life was in God’s hands. She was not going to presume to play God over her own life. 

So Nel has been waiting since the Spring to go Home to her Heavenly Father. But it has taken much longer than she had expected. She is still living on her own at home, cooking most of her meals and even doing some of her own cleaning. A nurse comes every day to check on her and clean her. Another helper comes once a week to clean in the house. And Nel wonders when she will get to go Home. 

In the meantime, she has been able to mend to a point a break with her daughter and has been able to regularly see her daughter and granddaughters. She is so grateful for these moments. She had never thought she would even make it to this birthday. But here she is. And there we were, gathered around her door to pray for her and sing to her and let her know how much wee love her. 

Of course we love her more than just this day. Several sisters visit her every week, taking her soup, reading with her in the Bible (one of her favorite activities), doing some cleaning or just talking. I see her every Tuesday to get her shopping done and take out her trash. And we all call or let her know how much we love her. 

One of these days in the future we will get a call and Nel will not be here anymore. She will have gone Home. But for now, we can still enjoy her in our lives. And we are so thankful that we got this time to be together with her again. 

Whensday: Mathematics, Politics and Moby Dick

Today (November 20) is someone’s birthday. I do not have any friends or acquaintances with a birthday, but history tells me that two interesting people were born on this day. The first is Belgian lawyer Victor D’Hondt in 1841. He was a lawyer at the University of Ghent in the 19th century and discovered a method for distributing seats in parliament in a proportional manner. Some would say he rediscovered it, as a similar method had also been presented by Thomas Jefferson at the end of the 18th century. The D’Hondt method helps to apportion votes in a fair manner and is used by countries around the world, including Belgium and the Netherlands. If you know anything about the complexity of Belgian politics and political parties, you will understand the importance of this method. 

In the Netherlands Willem Jacob van Stockum was born on this day in 1910. He was a mathematician who worked on the general theory of relativity. He died as a bomber pilot in fighting at the end of WWII. But his discovery of CTC’s (Closed Timeline Curves) showed that the possibility of traveling back in time might be possible. Just what some might want to do considering certain outcomes of voting in years past or present or the results of some wars. 

But on this day in 1820 (after Thomas Jefferson had figured out his method but before Victor D’Hondt had rediscovered it) a sperm whale attacked and sunk a whaling ship from Massachusetts. This became the basis of one of my favorite books from Herman Melville called “Moby Dick”. And anyone can travel back in time to this period, even today, simply by picking up the book and reading the story. 

COPA Benelux 2024

Each year an indoor soccer tournament is organized for the churches in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a fun opportunity to get together in a different way and to show how much fun can be had by Christians together. It is also an opportunity to invite friends to a different kind of activity. 

In past years the congregation in Maastricht has put together a team. As a matter of fact, we were the first ones to win in the Fun league (we have never had a team in the “pro” league). But in the past years it has become a bit more difficult to field a team. Last year we were part of “Fun United”. This year I signed up individually and was assigned to the team from The Hague - Den Haag Xtra (they said I was the “extra”). 

There were 7 pro teams and 4 fun teams, which is quite an increase from the previous years. It was great to see so many taking part. Halfway through the day we stop to have time to sing together, hear a short devotional thought and pray together. Each game is officiated by the players themselves. It was exciting to see the players being honest and helping one another, even those on the other team. This is what it looks like when Christians get together to have fun. 

And in the end Den Haag Xtra were the Fun champions! I was the goalie for the
games and enjoyed being able to help the team to this victory. It was fun to encourage, to have some good conversations between games and just to have fun together. Next year we will try to put together a team from Maastricht and see if we can bring the trophy home again. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Jar licker

I remember cooking with my mom and siblings in the kitchen when I was young. Whenever Mom made cookies or a cake or some such, we were allowed to help, especially with the clean-up. This meant, since there were multiple siblings, that someone got the spoon, someone else the spatula and two others the bowl. When we ended up having six, it got harder to be fair. Each kid had something to lick off and enjoy. 

So when I got to the Netherlands and heard that they had a utensil which is literally called a “jar licker” - pottenlikker - I was intrigued. What did this utensil look like and how was it used. But there wasn’t much of a mystery. It was exactly what it purported to be - a utensil which helps clear out a jar. 

Mind you, it is not a spatula. A spatula can be used to clean a pan or bowl or pot. It is a bit of silicon on a stick that can be used, better than a spoon, to clean the edges of the pan or bowl or pot. The “pottenlikker” has a different task in the kitchen. It is specifically used for (usually glass) jars. The word for jar in Dutch is “pot”, just to make things a bit more confusing. 

The Dutch are considered to be thrifty. Some call I stingy. The joke among the Belgians about the Dutch is: How do you know which yard is from a Dutchman? It is the one with the toiletpaper hanging up to dry. So wanting to get the very last bits out of a jar makes perfect sense for a Dutchman. After all, you paid for everything in the jar, you should be able to enjoy every last bit. That is what a pottenlikker is for - to get the very last bit. 

But it also touches on another desire of the Dutchman - being environmentally friendly. The Dutch have a lot of things in jars. They buy their vegetables in jars instead of cans. Glass jars can be recycled. There is a place in every neighborhood to bring your used glass containers (jars). But these should be dumped or gathered clean. If you leave bits of food in the jar, it will only attract bugs of all sorts and will stink up the area. So every jar should be cleaned. Enter the pottenlikker. 

Laying the weapons down

Today is another holiday in Belgium. At the beginning of our street is a statue of sorts. It is the Belgian lion and in front of the lion is a short stand which is hardly even noticeable most of the year. But on this day you can see it quite well since there is a flame on its top. This is the monument to the fallen soldiers of the village. There are two and they died in WWI. Today is Armistice Day, November 11. 

It is a day which is celebrated in Belgium, but not in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands they celebrate their fallen on May 4. In the US this day in November is called Veteran’s Day, although it does not always fall oil the 11th. For the Belgians it is always on November 11 because that is the day that the armistice was signed. It was a day to put down all weapons. In Dutch, the word is literally “weapons stillness” (wapenstilstand). 

In our world today there are many places that are trying to reach an armistice. One of our young Ukrainian brothers in the church in Maastricht heard recently that his father died in the fighting in Ukraine. We know others who want to see the fighting stop in Israel and Gaza and Lebanon. Fighting continues in areas of Sudan and South Sudan,Yemen, Syria and Irak, or civil conflicts in Libya or Myanmar.  

For some of us those may all seem to be far-away conflicts, the “far-from-my-bed show”. And we might think that it is normal as long as it is NIMBY (not in my back yard). But there are other conflicts every day in our own lives. Conflicts between parents and children, between family members who don’t like each other anymore, between people who think differently politically. 

Perhaps some of these conflicts must exist. Some would look at WWII and say that it was necessary to end the evil which was growing in the world. But are all conflicts of the same magnitude? Is it really necessary to pull out the heavy artillery when your husband leaves his socks on the floor or your wife leaves the drawer open (even if both are for the “bazillionth” time)? Sometimes we need to look at what we are fighting about and see if there is another way of dealing with the situation. 

We pray that we are able to be peacemakers as much as possible, without giving up our desire to see righteousness prevail. We want to take the time to examine situations to see what weapons are necessary. Because sometimes it is diplomacy instead of attack or defense. This is a day to think about laying the weapons down. 

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18

Whodunit Wednesday: Peter Paul Rubens

One of the first times we visited Antwerp I remember having someone point out that the famous painter, Rubens, had lived here. His house is now a museum downtown. I had heard the name of Peter Paul Rubens and knew that he had been a painter, but did not know much about him. 

Pieter Paul Rubens was born in 1577 and is considered the most influential of Flemish Baroque painters. He was also a diplomat who traveled around Europe and mingled with nobility. His paintings are well-known. Rubens’ female nudes were typically full-bodied, which was considered voluptuous at the time. Today we still might call a woman “Rubenesque”. Whereas later generations might consider a thinner woman more desirable, the fashion in Rubens' time was for voluptuous women. This showed that they were rich and healthy. 

Rubens painted all sorts of subjects. He painted portraits of the rich and famous, started with landscapes and continued on in later life with Biblical themes. Several of his apprentices became famous in their own right, just as he, too had followed the greats of his time. You might be familiar with his paintings "Susanna and the Elders", "Lot and his daughters", or "Landscape with milkmaids and cattle".  

Those who enjoy art either love or hate Pieter Paul Rubens. His technique is unmistakeable. One has to decide if the style fits one’s taste. His emphasis is on color, movement and sensuality. But it is clear that he is one of the greats - from the little country of Belgium, right “down the road” from us in Antwerp. 

Maintenance

This past weekend was the end of our Fall camps, a special religious holiday in Belgium and a day to get things ready at camp for the coming winter. Although Halloween is not really a holiday here, All Saints Day is. This is the day that many visit the graves of their loved ones. It is one of the biggest days for florists as everyone is getting flowers (mostly chrysanthemums) to put on the graves. It is a time to remember, to put family first, sewn into society and the social calendar of the year.

Down at camp it is a time for maintenance. We have to get the buildings ready to go into the winter, never knowing how bitter the winter might be. It is time to clean off the leaves from the roofs, clear off the driveway, and prep the buildings inside. This weekend we also had a hill of dirt to move from one place to another. The field had begun to settle after the flooding a few years back, so it was time to set things to rights again. This was especially important around some metal lids in the field which give us access to our septic system. We do not want any kids falling in or hitting their heads on these metal lids. 

More importantly, a day like this down at camp is a time to talk during the coffee breaks and lunch breaks. There were only 6 of us down there, but it was a good group that worked hard. Two of the 6 men were the young sons of one of our camp leaders. They did quite a bit of the work digging out the dirt, shoveling it into wheelbarrows and letting the wheelbarrows be wheeled to where they were to be dumped. In the end we all went home satisfied and dirty, knowing that camp was ready for the coming months. 

Back in Maastricht yesterday was the first Sunday of the month and was a good day to be back together with Christian family. Some have been off on holiday (it was a school holiday break in Belgium) and others were finally back after a short period of typical Fall colds. One of our Ukrainians heard this past weekend that his father was killed in a battle in the East. This young man has been with us for the last two years and so has not seen his father for the last three years. Death never seems to be expected, even in war. 

Wild Wonderful Wednesday: Hunting in the Ardennes

Hundreds of years ago the forests around where we now have our Bible camp would have been full of wildlife. The few people who lived in the area would have hunted all sorts of animals, including wild pigs and deer. The wolf would have roamed in the area, hunting as well. In the past century hunting of a different sort took place in these woods as soldiers of conflicting countries hunted one another during two world wars. Then the wars stopped, tourists started visiting the area and Bible camp was built (first just tents) in 1965. 

Throughout the years that we have attended and helped with Ardennes Bible Camp (ABK) we have experienced a little bit of this wild life that slumbers still in the woods around camp. Young campers love to run through the grass in our field looking for grasshoppers, butterflies, frogs and maybe even little grass snakes. In the creek babbling along the field they look for frogs and fish (although there are no fish). Periodically they cry out in astonishment as the cows on the other side of the creek come down into the water to drink. 

If you get up early enough in the morning to see the mist rising across the field, you might also surprise a family of deer munching on the tall grass just past the fence marking our land. In recent years we have been able to acquire that land, so the grass is not as high, but we still find signs of the deer visiting this area. But the land that is our camp is just a small postage stamp. Camp is still surrounded by forests full of wildlife. 

Stepping up the steep driveway leading down to our camp we regularly take the kids from a week of Bible camp on a walk through the woods. There is a short walk along the street that passes our camp. This is the most dangerous section as it is in a bend and the cars and motorcycles like to speed along this twisty road. So we make sure that the kids pay attention and walk 2x2 until we can leave the main road after about 100 meters. 

Turning left off the road we can ascend on a rough road between fields where the cows most often range peacefully. The bushhes along the road are full of blackberries and stinging nettle - a delicious risk of thorn and sting to get to sweet reward while climbing higher into the woods. The view back over the village below and into the next valley always elicits cries of awe. 

As we reach the beginning of the woods we have to chose at a typical crossroads: right, straight, or left. Going right looks like it goes downhill. It does just this for a time, again splitting with one section returning to the village. But another section continues higher up the hill. Going straight is clearly a climb and most do not want to go that way after having already climbed a bit to get to this crossroads. It is however the best place to gather blueberries. 

It is the path going left that we usually take. This is a level path running along the field we passed coming up, but just inside the trees of the forest. It follows a narrow, well-worn but muddy path. These days you can see that bikes come this way as well as horses. But if you look closely in the mud, you will also see that the wild pigs know their way through these woods and along this path. 

Each year we have to warn the kids not to pick blueberries too close to the ground. The fox and stone marten roam freely in these woods and like to mark their territory on the low-hanging bushes. So blueberries hanging low may have received a “blessing” that we do not want to share. These stone Martens, something like a weasel, have through the years also made their nests in the nooks and crannies between our building walls and roofs. One might also catch a glimpse of one of these elusive creatures if one is awake and about in the early morning. 

It is during our Fall Camp that we have to take special precautions at camp. This is hunting season. We are not allowed in the woods past sunset and there are areas where we are not allowed at all. Hunters are out hunting the wild boar. More recently we have also learned from the news that the wolf has once again made its way into these areas. 

This past week was our Fall Camp and we had a great group of young people learning about Joseph and how to deal with adversity. This week the younger kids are down at what has become our newest addition of camp Vacation Bible Camp (VBK). The Belgian schools all have a Fall vacation, so this is a good time to be down at camp with friends learning about God. 

The trees are all turning glorious colors, painting the forest in multiple shades of red and yellow and orange. The mist rises in the morning and sets into the field again in the evenings as the various wildlife steps quietly through the forest and fields, wondering who these loud kids are and what they are doing. The kids are simply hunting for a wonderful time and full life in God’s glory.