Easter Monday

It’s no joke. Today we have a holiday. You see in Belgium and the Netherlands there are three holidays that get two days each. There is a 1st and 2nd day of Christmas, an Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, and a 1st and 2nd day of Pentecost. So today most people have free, in Belgium some of the stores are closed and in both countries the banks and such are closed. 

The Belgians have school vacation, which means that they are off looking for the sun somewhere or perhaps off getting the last of the good skiing. The Dutch do not get a school break until May when they will get a Spring Break. I will be heading down to camp for Vacation Bible Kamp (VBK instead of VBS). This will be the first time to organize a VBK in the Spring and I have been asked to teach the older kids. The age group is from 8-14 years old. 

Before I go to camp I will also drive over to Antwerp to visit and old neighbor who is now in prison (and get this posted online before I go). When I get back (VBK ends on Friday) there is a sport day planned and I may head over there. I may be an old guy, but it is always good to get together with the young people from the various congregations. And I have been trying to encourage some basketball playing for some time now. We finally have a hoop down at camp. 

All of this activity comes to the churches because we know that we have a new life in Jesus Christ. The beauty of Easter is the resurrection. Jesus rose and that means that we can become a new creation. This is so important that we want to make sure that everybody knows about it. So shout it from the mountaintops. Whisper it in the library and in the halls. Pass it on to the people around you. Jesus lives! And so can we.