Mother’s Day

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, in the US, in Belgium and in the Netherlands. Sometimes the days differ in the different countries. The flower shops will of course have all been quite happy. I must admit, I am always thankful for how easy it is to get flowers in our area. I love getting Shirley flowers, but even more so on this day. 

Yesterday both of our boys made a video call to wish their mom a wonderful day. We also got to see our daughter-in-love Jill (Sean’s wife) and our granddaughter (Stephan’s daughter). It is at moments like those that we are so very thankful for the blessings of being parents. And I am especially thankful for Shirley being their mother. 

It isn’t just about that she was willing to bear them and bring them into the world. That was challenge enough, for sure. I still remember the Lamaze classes we took together preparing for Stephan’s arrival. He didn’t seem to want to leave and in the end they had to remove him with forceps. Shirley had gotten so tired after quite a long labor that she couldn’t push any more. 

When it came time for Sean, four years later, we lived in a completely different country and Shirley knew that she would have to give birth in a different language. She went through some false labor (where we went to the hospital, they kept her a while and then sent her home) and then the day came. It was following a pretty intense couple of weeks of Bible camp where she had stood in the kitchen cooking and also caring for Stephan. 

Sean was different because she birthed in a sort of chair instead of on a bed. She also was almost required to stay 5 days in the hospital. IN the US where Stephan was born, she was sent home pretty much the next day. Of course in Belgium she asked to go home early because she wasn’t getting the rest they were hoping she would - there being 4 other mothers and babies in the room. 

But after the births came all the years of caring, feeding, teaching, learning from, and being amazed at these boys in our lives. Shirley has always been a serious, clear, caring mother and I am so thankful for her love for our boys and our family. It reminds me of all that my own mom must have gone through with me, all of the effort and care and love she poured into me. So I am glad that technology exists and I can call my mom as well. 

For all of you mothers - thank you for your love for your husbands, your children and for the Lord who has taught us what love us and given us this possibility. 

Whodunit Wednesday: Ruud en Karla

As you read through the New Testament and the history of the church, you might come across a few names mentioned here and there. But most of the time names are not mentioned, even though we are told of the various churches and people working to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. We have been working together with our colleagues for more than 30 years. Although you may not know their names, their faith and example have touched many here. 

Ruud and Karla Verheijen were the ones who originally asked us to come and join them in working with the church in the Netherlands. Together with their friends Jan and Rosa Blaakmeer we formed a team to establish the church in the south of the Netherlands on the border of Belgium. Throughout the years we have been here, Ruud and Karla have been “pillars of faith” in all that they do. 

Ruud was not brought up in a believing family. He was taken to church by his grandmother who continued to be an influence on him - even now as he talks of her, her faith and shares notes made from her Bible (given to him when she passed away). He has preached and taught not only in the congregation in Maastricht, but at camp weeks, evangelistic outreach campaigns and any other opportunity he can find to share the great news of Jesus. 

Karla is the youngest daughter of Jim and Ruth Krumrei. The Krumrei’s came to the Netherlands as evangelists and settled in Haarlem. I spent two years as an apprentice to Jim back in the 80’s. Karla has been active in children’s activities, ladies retreats, Bible camp weeks, Vacation Bible camp and as an encouragement to sisters around the country. 

Both Ruud and Karla are Dutch. Ruud is a Dutchman. Karla was born and raised in the Netherlands, although she has an American passport. They have lived in Belgium for more than 30 years. They allow God to use them wherever they are in whatever way He wishes and can. It is exciting to see how God can use us in so many different places and ways. 

This past three weeks Ruud and Karla were off to the US visiting family in Arkansas. It made it all the more clear to us how much we are a team here in Maastricht. I think of how the apostle Paul and Prisca and Aquila worked together and am thankful for such co-workers. In a list of workers in foreign fields we often only see those who are financially supported in some way. Ruud and Karla would not show up on such a list. But they remain a faithful hard-working couple for the Lord wherever they are and we are thankful that we can work together with them. 

Around the world

In the Netherlands today is Liberation Day. Yesterday was Remembrance Day when the country remembers the sacrifices of all of those who died in wars to make so many free. Today they celebrate freedom and what that means. It always strikes me that these two things are also inherent in our walk with Christ. We usually are quite aware of this each Sunday, but it was especially so this past weekend. 

We have been missing our colleagues for a few weeks. They had traveled to the US to visit their daughter and see their two granddaughters. They also got to meet with brothers and sisters in Arkansas. This past week they traveled back home, but we did not see them yesterday to worship together. We were off to a city in Belgium to visit with a congregation there (Roeselare). We had not been there for quite some times it was good to see the brothers and sisters there and meet new friends as well. 

While in Roeselare we always remember the saints who went before us and brought so many to faith in Christ there. Faith is not something that we simply have for ourselves. It is a way of true life that we share with everyone around us. Yesterday we were able to see Jose again. She is 100 and still going strong. It reminded me of our sister Willemien who went Home to be with her Saviour when she was 94. We have so many good examples of brothers and sisters who are faithful in walking in the light with Jesus, including Isaak who is only 12 and has just given his life into Jesus’ hands recently.  

Every Sunday we remember not only those who have gone before us, including the apostles and disciples from long ago, but we especially remember Jesus who died for us and lives still today. We celebrate our liberation. We do not only celebrate that we are living in a free country - not everyone we know who is in our Christian family is living safely. We celebrate that we are safe in the hands of Jesus. 

It was wonderful to remember yesterday how connected we are to the body of Christ around the world. We praise God for His grace and for making us into a family. And we will look forward to celebrating again this coming Sunday and each new day that we are given. 

Wild Wonderful Wednesday: Cats and dogs

The last three weeks we have been cat-sitting. For those of you who know us, you are aware that this is remarkable. We love cats, but we are dog people. And cats are for petting in the street or seeing in the yard. Our neighbor cat regularly drops down next to me when I am weeding in front of the house. But this time we had our colleagues’ cat, Mocca, in our house for three weeks. 

He is an inside-outside cat, but since he was at our house and we didn’t want to lose him (he might have tried to find his way back home which is 7 kilometers away), he had to stay inside while with us. We tried at the beginning to find an option for this.We purchased a harnas for a cat and planned on taking the cat for a walk. The cat had other ideas. I did get the harness on him, but by the time we got outside he had found a way to get it off. 

This morning I brought him back to his own house. His family will be back home in two days. He was clearly glad to be back in his own place, although he had also clearly gotten used to us and our house and habits. I brought him home because today we said hello to a dog which we will be watching for two weeks. Lizzy is a little Boomer (a Lhasa Apso, Shi Tzu mix). 

When Mocca got here, he hid under our couch for a day. Lizzy is pretty-well scared of everything, so she doesn’t just allow us to pick her up. But she has allowed us to take her walking twice already today. So we will see how things work out by the end of the time together. We will first have to see how she sleeps tonight. That is always the most important test. 

So cats and dogs (although the weather has been great) have meant that our house is full of animals again. It has been almost three years since Chester left us. We were not sure how we would feel, but it has been quite nice. Mocca, more like a dog, greeted us every morning when we came downstairs. Lizzy is already used to us and sits next to us (when she is not running away in a jitters). 

Wild and wonderful this Wednesday! 

What about your tongue?

We are so thankful for the opportunities we are given to work with young people and the members of the church in Maastricht. For the last two years we have organized a youth day, putting together a team from Maastricht and inviting kids from across Belgium and the Netherlands. We organize the day in the middle of Belgium so that it is more accessible for people than going all the way down to camp (which would be easy for us). 

This past weekend we organized the day around the theme of the tongue and what we learn in James 1 and 3. We had a smaller group (Vacation Bible Camp had just taken place e the previous week and this weekend was King’s Day in the Netherlands), but it was a great day. The sun came out to play and we enjoyed working together to learn about how to use our words in a good way and not be used in a bad way. 

James 1:19 has always been a verse to challenge me: Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger. In my younger years I was always quick to anger and slow to listen. But thankfully God has changed my heart and ways bit by bit as I have grown in grace as well. This is something we want all of our young people to know and experience - growth in grace. 

Thankfully we have a great team. Shirley organizes the food with Tonia. Tonia’s husband Mario takes care of the 2nd lesson for the older kids. I usually take the first lesson and welcome, which takes place outside. And Paul and Deysi come up with great visual activities for the second lesson for the young kids and a craft activity for everyone. 

Everyone works well together and the kids have enjoyed the days we have organized. Now we hope and pray they also remember the lessons we have tried to pass on. Hearing good things doesn’t help if we are not doers (James 1:22). We learned about how just as fierce and terrible things can be done with small words, so too amazingly beautiful things can be done with simple small words. How are you using your words today? 

(The picture is of how anger can boil over. Empty it out and fill it with clean water - the living water of Jesus.)

Where oh where Wednesday: Deventer

Because of a busy week, I missed Where oh where Wednesday on Wednesday, but I didn’t want to leave you without this post. So we will put this Wednesday post on a Sunday and just pretend it is still Wednesday. 

Several years ago Shirley and I were able to take a few days off in the middle of a week in the winter. This is usually when we are able to get away and celebrate our wedding anniversary and Shirley’s birthday. In those days I was still singing with Listen Up! Which meant that we were also giving Christmas concerts throughout December. So finally being able to get away for a few days was great. 

We decided to go somewhere we could reach with the car and that we had not yet visited. This included a stop in the city gf Deventer. Deventer is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. It is already mentioned in the 9th century and is mentioned in 952 as a city. It was part of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages. It is home to the oldest stone house in the Netherlands. 

We knew of the city because of my singing with Listen Up!. Years before we had been asked to sing at a soccer match between Ajax (Amsterdam) and PSV (Eindhoven) - the two teams at the top of the league that year. The game was being played in the ArenA - the home stadium of Ajax. We were to add atmosphere by singing Christmas songs wearing Charles Dickens costumes. 

The reason we had been contacted was that someone had heard us at one of our Always CHRISTmas concerts and knew that we had a repertoire and could sing. He was part of a group that did enactments with Charles Dickens costumes. This was something that was done every year in … Deventer. Not only that, but this city also host the largest book market in Europe every year. So stopping off in the winter was a bit of a no-brainer for the two of us. 

Most recently Deventer unexpectedly became the center of an even bigger celebration as its own professional soccer team won the Dutch Cup, beating PSV on the way to the final. Deventer is a city of fewer than 100,000 inhabitants, but its Go Ahead Eagles (their stadium is the Eagle’s Nest) not only went to the final for the second time in their rich history (they lost 60 years ago), but won the cup. 

New life!

Every Sunday we celebrate the powerful message and truth of God’s grace in the death and resurrection of Jesus. The blood of Jesus washes our sins, even today, because He is risen. And therefore we, who have died in Him, are risen to new life and hope. Around the world this is celebrated by many at least this past weekend. And the religious calendars were aligned this year so that Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant all celebrated on the same day. 

For us this day was even more beautiful than others because we were reminded of the beauty of the salvation that Jesus brings. Isaak, one of our young people, decided to give his life to Christ and be buried and raised in Him through faith and in baptism. He has become more and more aware the last months of his own life and how much he needs Jesus in his life. So on Friday afternoon, Isaak was buried in Christ and rose to new life. 

How much can a young heart know? He knows that he needs Jesus to save him from himself. He knows that Jesus is mightier than sin and death. He knows that life and happiness, both now and in eternity, are to be found in Jesus. He knows he wants to speak of this great news to any and all around him. We are encouraged to see how much a young heart knows. 

A few weeks ago, some of our older young people were together with young people from around Europe at CYC (Christian Youth Conference). This past week some of our young people were together down at camp for Vacation Bible Camp. Please keep all of these young hearts in your prayers as they too wonder if they need Jesus and if He is their King. In the meantime we have several others in Maastricht, not young ones, who are also considering this same question. And on a Sunday we all remember how beautiful it is that Jesus has given us new life as well. 

Whensday: April 1, 1980

It wasn’t an April Fool’s joke, it was really true. And if you thought that it was long forgotten, you would be wrong again. Teletkst began on Dutch televisions on April 1, 1980. Not every television set could show this special text news in the beginning, but within a few years every set could show it and many people swore by its use. 

Teletekst began at the BBC as Ceefax (See facts) in 1974. Several years later a few workers from the Dutch television NOS saw this special service and thought it would be great for the Netherlands, so they developed their own version. This became Teletekst. The first thing broadcast in the blocky letters was a chess match by Dutch chess legend Max Euwe. 

Teletekst has always been a place where viewers can find all sorts of information quickly, before the internet came along. Weather reports, sports scores, up-to-date news headlines and more could be found on the various pages of the service. The remote control had a special button to call up the teletekst, which could even be projected over the program being watched at the time. 

With the advent of the internet you would think that Teletekst would go out of service. Instead it remained a popular way to get information. Just a few years ago it was found that 11 million Dutchmen above 50 were still getting their news via teletekst. Many of them still did this via the television, but some followed the service via mobile telephone or internet. 

Walking into Spring

Officially Spring arrived more than three weeks ago, but In Belgium it kind of peeks around the corner before really arriving. In February the crocus flowers in the back of our yard poke their purple heads above the pile of leaves, telling us that Spring is truly coming. Sometimes we get a sprinkling of snow over them, but mostly they are followed by the little white flowers and then a batch of yellow flowers - all colorfully shading the bit of the yard under the walnut tree. 

Shirley and I have been trying to walk more regularly. Since we no longer have a dog, it takes more gumption to get up and go. But it has been working pretty well. And as we walk out of the house, up to the lock and around to the castle, we have been able to notice all the changes as Spring has arrived. We have a pair of swans above the lock and a pair below the lock. Both are more than willing to come say hello when we walk by. 

On the back side of our walk, we pass what used to be the pear orchard. All of the trees have been removed and replaced with a field, except for the line of trees that formed the fence. These have now flowered and are readying themselves to give the pears they have always given throughout the years. Across the way another field - sometimes corn, sometimes other crops - has turned bright yellow with rapeseed. The trees along the canal have turned from a light sheen of green to full-on leafy green as the Spring continues. 

We look forward to the warmer days (we are still wearing light coats on most days) and even more color as the year progresses. Even more exciting, we are looking forward to how God is bringing growth into the lives around us. This weekend many people will be celebrating Easter, some without even vaguely knowing what it is actually celebrating or means. But we are so very thankful for resurrection, for new life, for the defeat of sin and death and the victory of life in Jesus Christ. 

(You can share some of these spots on our walks at the album linked to the picture above - or click here.)

Whatsit Wednesday: Kliko

Tomorrow is trash day in our street and we can put the trash container out. But we have to know which one to put out. And in our street we have trash containers, but not everywhere does trash the same way. We have two of what the Dutch would call “kliko’s” - large rolling containers to put trash sacks or trash in. These kliko’s can be rolled out to the street where the trash wagon comes and picks them up, emptying them before putting back on the street. 

In our village we have several different kinds of trash and different pick-up days. There is compostable trash which goes in the green kliko. Any food stuffs, grass clippings, old dead flowers, or weeds that I have picked out of the driveway can go in here. They pick this up once every two weeks, but we probably only put it on the street 2-3 times a year. 

The interesting thing to us is what is NOT allowed in the green container. One used to be able to put the coffee pads we use every day for our coffee. We use simple pads here, bot cups made of some sort of metal. But in more recent years they have made the pads from a sort of plastic, so we are no longer allowed to put them in the green kliko. Then there is the meat. Previously we were not allowed to put this in the green kliko, but now all food remains are allowed. 

The plastic, if it has been separated, goes in a blue sack. This blue sack can contain plastic wrapping and plastic containers, but also ‘bricks’ than contained juice or milk or other drink, as well as any metal containers or lids of glass jars. This blue sack (PMD for paper, metal and drink cartons) is collected once every two weeks with the green kliko. At least in our village. 

But in the Netherlands things could be completely different. Most recently the whole system has changed in Maastricht, where we meet on Sundays. There we have no kliko (because we are in a group of apartments). The other trash - the ‘rest’ - which cannot be recycled, used put into a red-white sack which everyone could purchase. This was placed on the street on a certain day where it was picked up. For many in the neighborhood this meant almost daily walks to the ‘milieu street’ to separate out recyclables and a pile of red-white sacks outside the building on trash day. 

But recently the pattern was changed. Now the milieu street is only for paper and glass. All PMD has to go into a sack (of another color) and placed on the street for pickup on a different day than the general trash (which is still in a red-white sack). This has happened because people were not separating their trash correctly and the costs of keeping the mile station clean was getting pretty high. 

The word “kliko” is, as far as I can figure, a Dutch word. It gained its name simply because these trash containers were made by a company called Kliko. In the same way a tissue might be called a “Kleenex”. For most Dutch families living in a house (not an apartment) it is also important to have a place to put the kliko. So the local hardware stores have special containers to contain the container - made of wood, or plastic or recycled plastic. And the good Dutchman can build it and keep his driveway or yard looking clean, hiding the kliko’s until it is time for them to be put out on the street. You can see good house fathers outside regularly cleaning the kliko, perhaps on different days of cleaning the car.

Reaching out through the years

This past weekend was a reunion. In the US schools are used to having reunions. Every 5 years there is another reunion of the graduating class of specific year. This year is my high school reunion. But in Belgium, this type of reunion is not common at all. So it was exciting to be part of a special reunion. 

Since at least 2007 I have helped with the kids from the neighboring village where our colleagues live. The group that helps the kids in their confirmation (a Catholic ceremony) came first to our colleagues (Ruud and Karla) because they are known in the village as the people of the Bible. They asked Karla if she would be interested in helping with the group. Karla was more than happy to help IF she could teach them something about the Bible. I was added to help with the “2-Day” - a time of two full days when the group goes off to learn more intensely and get to know one another. 

The people I worked with then (and up until last year) had been working even longer with this group of young people in the village. So this year a reunion was organized for the 20 years this has been organized with this team. Although a reunion is not that common here, and people have busy lives, we were still thankful to welcome several of the young people who are now adults and share stories from when they were young. 

It is always interesting to see how much people remember from the times they spent together. Many of the young people stay in the village, growing up together through high school and even working with one another. I was intrigued to hear if any of the things we talked about during the year of activities we shared still remained in their heads. 

I of course could barely recognize most of them. They are 12-13 years old when they come through the group. Now many of them were 25-35 year-olds, with kids of their own. Some could remember some of the activities or the things they had built together (John, the other male member of the team is very creative and always comes up with something to make). Some could remember the songs we sang together (which was usually my task for the group - along with teaching about the Bible). 

We continue to hope that a decision when they were young to choose for God in their life will resonant into their adult lives. We pray that they will remember some of the Bible texts we shared and how we learned to read the Bible together. We continue to thank God for opportunities to touch people’s lives with the truth, grace and love of Jesus. 

(Picture of the part of the reunion group - including the retired priest from their time - that walked from the village to the "party" venue)

Whodunit Wednesday: Philippe Verbelen and the new birds

It sounds like a band from the 1960’s. Philippe Verbelen is an ornithologist from Belgium, although he is most often in far away places. He has already discovered 7 new species of birds. Verbelen, an ornithologist from from Ghent, has made his most recent discovery in Indonesia where he says there are many more species to be found. 

The “dwarf honey-eater” is a small bird with a red head and black body which is found on the island of Babar. Verbelen first found the bird in 2009, but it has only recently (March 2025) been officially recognized in the scientific world. While there seem to be various types of dwarf honey-eaters in Indonesia, this one can only be found on the island of Babar. 

Verbelen is one of the scientists who realized that the differences in species lay mainly in their song. The dwarf honey-eaters were on many of the Indonesian islands and scientists simply assumed they were all the same bird. But Verbelen has paid more attention to their song and has access now to DNA. 

The birds use their songs to call mates and scare away competition. If the birds react to the song, then they are members of the same group. But they can also simply ignore the song, indicating that it is a different species. So the Tanimbar dwarf honey-eater will pay no attention to the Babe dwarf honey-eater, and vice-versa. 

Verbelen had actually not been looking for this bird. He was only on the island for a week looking into unknown types of owls. He was taking recordings of those birds in the evenings and filled his days by recording the dwarf honey-eaters during the day when he realized his discovery. 

Verbelen also discovered the Rinjani dwarf ear owl and the Peleng forest singer. He has been visiting Indonesia since 1992 and continues to enjoy the many things he can see, hear and experience there. Besides his discovering of species, he uses his knowledge to support the protection of (rain)forests. 

Training to be a leader

One of the great things of our Bible camp (Ardennen Bijbelkamp or ABK) is that it is for and from everyone in the various churches in the Netherlands and Belgium. From the beginning this was a place to help church members grow, to grow contacts among church members, and to learn new skills - all in the wonderful beauty of the Ardennes. I know that I have learned and grown so much through the years because of the things organized at camp. 

One of the things that we want to make possible is that those who want to become a camp leader have the training necessary to do that. And those who don’t know that they can become camp leaders, actually can. We have done this in the past by inviting people to be an assistant camp leader and training them “on the job”. Those who have served as counselors have also grown into camp leaders. And we continue to use this way of training, because it is very hands-on and personal. 

In addition to this we have dreamed for some years of developing a training to help teach some of the things we have all learned through the years. This could be a weekend, a week or simply a day. It is always hard to find slots in schedules for people from across the country, so we settled this year, for the first time, on a day. This was a training session, as we called it: Inspiration for Aspiring leaders. We want those learning to lead to know that although it is scary to take this kind of responsibility, we are not alone. We are busy working with God and in His might. So His Spirit can lead us in these efforts. That is why I called it “Breathe”. 

I planned this together with pour colleague from Ghent, Luk Brazle, and with Shirley. We had a compact group of 5 others who in some ways had already helped at camp, either as counselors, assistant leaders or teachers, but wanted to learn more about being a camp leader. Our camp weeks take on the character of the camp leader who is leading them. There are some things which are always the same (like the age group of the campers, dates and some of the themes, but there is a lot that comes down to the style of the camp leader. 

The training day was a mixture of information that is necessary for a camp leader to run a week of camp as well as practical information and training on how to deal with certain situations that experience has taught us will always show up. “What is leadership?:” was the most important question and we looked at Jesus for our example and answer. 

We are so thankful to be able to be part of this effort. It is so good to see how camp has touched so many lives throughout the years and that it is still a place where members can learn to lead and serve. It continues to be a wonderful place and time where campers get to know who Jesus is, what God does and is doing, and how life in God looks like and works in everyday life. 

This summer Shirley and I will be working with a team leading the oldest age: Youth Camp (15-20 year-olds). We are thankful for the team we have been able to gather to help with sharing the beauty of this life in Christ. 

What experiences have you had with Bible Camp? Did you go to camp when you were young. Have you helped in the past? Are you a helper still? How else are you letting God change you and grow you in His grace and love? 

(In the picture - How do you work with a team to complete a task?)

Where oh where Wednesday: Borgloon

Not far from where we live is the Blossom region of Belgium. This is an area where much of the fruit grows on trees: mostly apples and pears. The herald of fruit season is the explosion of blossoms on all of the fruit trees in this area. Bicycle tours, walking tours, special accommodations - all are focused on this time of year and the fruit which is forming. 

The syrup made from pears is well-known in this area and in the French-speaking area around the city of Liege. Tourists can buy little jars of this specialty to put on their bread in the morning. In the area of Borgloon it is more apples. Both are spreadable, not fluid like molasses (as slow as that can be). 

Whereas the Netherlands has the cheese market in Alkmaar and the flower auction in other areas, this section of Belgium has its fruit market. It is in this area that the price is determined for how much a bushel of apples or a basket of strawberries, red berries or raspberries will cost. The major center of all of this sweet merchandizing is the city of Borgloon which hosts the largest fruit auction of Belgium.

Borgloon, which has now been combined with the city of Tongeren to Tongeren-Borgloon, has always been a smaller city, but steeped in rich history. Several Roman highways in this area show that the Romans were busy here from quite some time before others also settled here. In the 10th century Count Giselbert van Loon built a castle on the hill which now still looks out over the city. Even before the 13th century this little town gained city rights. Wars, witch trials and trade guilds continued to make this an important place throughout the centuries following. 

More recently people might be more familiar with the see-through church (“Doorkijk kerk” or “Read-between-the-lines church”) which was erected in 2011 as part of a project to let people see the surrounding landscapes in a different way. Borgloon is about 30 minutes from where we live and just down the road from where the Ukrainian couple from church live in Tongeren. 

Getting to know Jesus

One of the most important things we do here is help people to get to know Jesus. In our daily lives we want to be an example of the life we have been given in Jesus. We also want our speech to be full of the reality of living with the grace that Jesus has brought to our lives. This all means that we try to live intentionally in our lives together and our speech is full of the beauty of what we have found in Jesus Christ. And this takes different forms. 

When we meet someone who is wanting to know more about us and the life we are showing, that can come in different ways. Most recently we received a few phone calls from people who wanted to know if we could pray for them, if they could meet with us, if they could attend our worship time on Sundays. Sometimes these are short conversations on the phone. Other times they have turned into weekly Bible studies and conversations. 

I have often thought about set studies - booklets or programs that asre available. But in my experience, everyone is coming from a different place and meets Jesus in a different way. So I usually want to first hear where they are coming from and then start looking at the story of Jesus. In this walk together through the gospels, we inevitably touch on the points that need to be discussed in relation to life with Jesus. Then we can take more time where the need is greatest. 

This has been how my conversations have gone throughout the years. Sometimes people have met Jesus and have decided that they are not really that interested in what is being offered or the way it is being offered. Jesus is very exclusive and not everyone wants to accept this. In this case, sometimes my relationship with the person we have been talking to either ends or changes. Often times we may maintain a relationship, but it becomes one where I continue to help, but in a different way, offering mercy. 

This has been and continues to be the case with a few people in our lives - taking people to hospital visits and being there after the diagnosis has been declared, helping with physical limits and even being the person to help the family say goodbye when the time comes. 

Other times, the relationship turns into one of family as the person’s desire to know Jesus grows and they give their lives to Him. At this point then the relationship turns into one where we help one another grow in faith. It has been exciting to see how some of the new members of this family challenge us to be servants, to be listeners and to be faithful in times of difficulty. This has been true of several of our sisters who have been added to the church in the last 5 years. 

We recently put out an invitation for a series of “Getting to know Jesus” held at our building. We have usually held these at our home, which is a much less intimidating venue. But we wanted the neighborhood around our building to know of this opportunity. No one responded this time. We will look at offering the opportunity again in the Fall, but in the meantime we will continue with the conversations we have at the moment. 

This includes a conversation with a woman who originally called and asked about what we believe and if she could visit. She has been visiting for several months as well as reading through the gospels (getting to know Jesus) almost every week. Last week she said she has been confronted with the need to be bron again - everywhere she reads, every song she listens to, in all of her prayers. I think of Lydia (Acts 16) whose heart was opened as she listened to the story that Paul was recounting. We pray that we will soon be adding a sister to the family. 

And we continue to look for how God will use us, our example, our speech to touch those around us with the amazing story and life of good news in Jesus Christ. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. Consider yourself - are you willing to follow Jesus wherever He goes, as He wants? This seems to be our biggest struggle as people. Can we submit to someone else and trust. If we know that He is God Almighty, come to save us and risen from the dead, then we can follow Him even into death, but certainly into obedience in daily life. 

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Whensday: History of Neerharen

Just down the street there is discrete hammering and building noise. The village church is surrounded by scaffolding all the way up and around its discrete little tower. The building is being restored, the limestone cleaned and replaced, the roof  and gutters completely replaced and the mortar between the stones cleaned and repointed. It will still be many months before anyone other than the dedicated small group of restorers are able to approach the church building. We drive by it every day on our way out of the village and remark at any progress we can see. 

This little church building was built in the neo-roman style in 1875, but the village has a much longer history. Peoples, including the actual Romans, have been crossing the river at this spot for quite some time. There are graves from around 800 B.C. and Roman artifacts everywhere. Many of these things were found when the canal behind our house was dug. This canal is a connecting canal between two larger canals which lead to the two largest harbors in Europe (Antwerp or Rotterdam). 

We live on the Castle street, although it used to be called the Church street. When our village was incorporated into the town of Lanaken (which is made up of 7 villages), they renamed our street. But it was named the Castle street because this street led to three different castles in the area. One of these has disappeared, but the other two still exist. 

Neerharen took part in the 80 years war and the various Spanish succession wars. It was burned down in the 18th century because of this. The house across from ours is the oldest in the village and dates from after this time. It was built in 1818, well after the wars and well before our own house was built in 1936. Much earlier, in the 16th and 17th centuries, there were all sorts of trials against witches and several women were condemned and burned in Neerharen. This all seemed to stop around 1620. 

Although there is a good bit of history that took place in this area, we have simply been enjoying the area with our various guests this week. A walk along the canal, which is mostly peaceful if you watch out for the bikes, and the rural setting - as much as this is possible within 10 minutes of Maastricht - make for a restful spot. We are thankful for being able to host some good friends along the way. This week Dale and Vicki Hawley stopped in as well as Tom McKleroy. Both of them were on their way elsewhere, but made time to spend with us as well. Neerharen has always been a place of comings and goings. 

(You can find more pictures here of the area where we live).