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.