Whatsit Wednesday: Bookbag on a flagpole or "hanging out the flag"

The last several weeks the Netherlands has become a country of book bags. As you drive through the city you will see them: book bags hanging out on the flagpole under a flapping Dutch flag. This shows that there is a graduate at that house. Everyone is happy. And everyone can know it.

In the Netherlands when you are in your senior year of high school, you can look forward to exams at the ends of the year. Not just any exams. Not just end of year exams. These exams are for your whole school time. These state exams test if you have truly learned all that the schools say you have learned, from beginning to end. There is no cramming for the exam this year and then forgetting it. Everything you have learned will be on this test. 

After the exam, students go home and wait anxiously. They have to wait for a call from their teacher. They will be called one way or the other, but of course they hope to hear that hey have passed. There are tons of examples of students picking up the phone and listening intently to the news given before exploding in joy that they have passed or silently putting the phone down to wonder what their summer will look like. If you do not pass now, you can still re-take the exams and hope to pass the second time. 

But if the scream of joy was heard in your house, then the book bag is ready to be hung out. These leather bags are typical of what the student has been using throughout high school, biking or bussing to school every day for the last 6 years or so. And now everyone in the street can celebrate with eh graduate. Everyone knows. It is not uncommon for neighbors walking by to congratulate the family or whoever is outside at the time. 

André Rieu

When I mention that we work with the church in Maastricht, some people ask if we know André Rieu. We have had people visiting from Australia who have asked about him, people we meet in Germany, and a few of the people we see on our Home Assignment to the US have asked. Who is André Rieu? 

For anyone who enjoys walzes, Strauss music and an entertaining way of presenting music to a broad public, André Rieu is well-known. For more than 20 years he has, with a whole orchestra and set of classical singers, entertained the world and brought classical (sometimes) music to the masses. He sets up a stage based loosely on the palace at Schönbrun in Vienna, Austria and all of the musicians and singers (and dancers) wear period costumes while playing and performing. 

André Rieu is from Maastricht, which is of course why people wonder if we have met him. We do know that he brings his concert to Maastricht every summer. In that week downtown is pretty much shut off to anyone who does not have a ticket. This who have a ticket sit on the Grand Square while hundreds of others (every night) have tickets where they sit at the restaurants which flank the square. They watch the concert on large screens (ro small screens at the restaurants further away) while enjoying a meal and drink. 

Last night I was able for the first time to attend such a concert. I volunteer in the neighborhood and the city decided to treat some volunteers. I got lucky. So, together with three other volunteers from the organization I help, we first went for a meal at city hall where we were welcomed and then enjoyed the concert together. It was a time to connect with others, get a taste of some Maastricht culture (Rieu finishes the concert with songs in the Maastricht dialect that parts of the audience sing along) and enjoy a very international audience. 

There were people from Germany, France, Denmark, England, Wales and Scotland and all over the Netherlands and Belgium. I had never seen the market (in front of city hall) so full of touring buses. It took us a good 20 minutes to shuffle along back to our car (which was only parked 5 minutes away). You could hear almost every language along the way if you listened carefully. 

It was a long evening, but a good opportunity to get to know people while enjoying music. I would never have been able to go to such a thing (the tickets were 170 euro a piece), but was glad to be gifted such a chance. And it was good to be able to talk with colleagues about life, faith and what is important, as well as laugh and sing. 

Whodunit Wednesday: Smurfs

This past weekend Brussels was q a-flutter with excitement over a movie premiere and a vist from Rihanna. That Rihanna would make an appearance in the capital of Belgium had everything to do with the movie premiere and her part in it. The 4th movie of the Smurfs will soon be in the theaters with a song written for it from Rihanna and her voice as one of the title roles. Everything in Brussels was "surfed", even Manneken Pis. 

What are “Smurfs”, you say? And how did they get to Belgium? Belgium has a rich comic book history. Lucky Luke, Tin-Tin (called “Kuifje” in the Flemish version) and many more all come fro Belgium. There is even a tourist walk around Brussels where visitors can discover various walls decorated with well-known comic book characters from Belgium. 

The Smurfs, the little blue characters with white hats, are loved all over the world, although they are not always called “Smurfs”. In Germany they are the Schlümpfe, in Italy the Puft and in Spain the Pitufos. They were created as a side character by Belgian artist Peyo (pen name of Pierre Culliford) in 1958 and were first known by their French name - Les Schtroumpfs. “Smurf” is the Dutch translation. 

These days you can find Smurfs in advertising, tv, the ice Capades, video games, theme parks, toys and - now 4 times - in film. In the film which hit theaters in 2011, Katy Perry played the voice of Smurfette. In the animated film from 2017, Smurfette was voiced by Demi Lovato. In this most recent version the tradition of voicing Smurfette by a leading pop singer has been fulfilled by Rihanna. 

In the US most kids from the 80’s will remember The Smurfs from the Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon. In all of the different media - comic book, tv series, cartoon, film - the word “smurf” is used generously throughout and can mean all sorts of things. It can be used as a verb (“Don’t smurf it up”) or a noun. What it might actually mean to say “I’m surfing to the smurf”, however, is up to the speaker and the listener. 

Giving Sunday

We often talk in our congregation about what the first Christians looked like. We aren’t interested in what they wore or anything like that. We want to know how they acted, what they found important, what moved them. And as we examine these things (most recently in our Wednesday night Bible studies together) we are continually struck by how they cared for one another. Even from afar, congregations saw the needs of other brothers and sisters and wanted to help in some way. 

This has been the example for our congregations’ 5th Sunday Special Giving Sunday. We knew that we could give out of our budget for various needs, but we had members who knew of special needs which they brought to the congregation. We then decided to have an opportunity, every 5th Sunday, to give specially, above and beyond our normal giving. We choose various needs (at least 1 and up to 3) and all the members have the opportunity to give as they see fit to these needs. 

It has been exciting to see how the love of God moves us to help others in so many different places and ways. Often these opportunities teach us that we have brothers and sisters in so many different places. We are one big family. We have helped after natural disasters, like in Myanmar, Laos and Sint Maarten. We have helped churches reaching out to the needy in their area, like Bibles and wells in Uganda, deaf orphans in Kenya, and a center in Ukraine that helps those escaping addiction in their lives and starting anew. 

We have also had opportunities to help locally, like paying for a wheelchair, financial assistance for visitors, travel costs for us when we wanted to visit family (and Shirley wanted to visit her dying sister), and helping kids go to a week of Bible camp.  Yesterday we gave for two children in Uganda with special needs as well as a water purification system at the facility we have helped before in Ukraine. 

These opportunities remind us that we are blessed and that all we have comes from God. We are blessed so that we can bless others. That is some of what we are seeing in the studies we have on the first church and it is working out in the lives of the members every day. We are so thankful for God’s grace that can work through all of us. 

Where oh Where Wednesday: Kerkrade

We live down near the boot heel of the Netherlands (although we are across the river in Belgium). The city of Maastricht is on the west corner. The city of Kerkrade is on the eastern corner, nestled up against Germany. As a matter of fact, there is a street in Kerkrade which is the border itself - one side is the Netherlands, the other side is the town of Herzogenrath in Germany. 

In the Middle Ages Kerkrade was famous for its abby, Rolduc. In the 20th century it was a mining center. After the mines closed it had to re-invent itself and has since become quite a tourist area. Mondo Verde is a social kind of zoo showing off architecture, sculpture and animals. The football (soccer) team Roda JC has its home and stadium here. And Pinkpop, a yearly music festival, is held just around the corner in neighboring Landgraaf. 

For us the most interesting for a time was that an electronics store was to be found in Herzogenrath (the little German town just across the border). Before the EU brought in the euro, electronic goods were cheaper in Germany. Taking a short ride to Kerkrade meant being able to buy electronics at a much better price. We could also visit the German Aldi, which had different things than we had in Belgium or the Netherlands. 

Now we visit the city because one of our families in the church lives there. They moved down from the north (Haarlem, the Netherlands) a few years back and have settled here in the south. The wife loves the hills and landscapes which remind her of her home country of Ecuador. The husband struggles with some culture shock, being a man from Amsterdam who is used to biking everywhere and easy public transportation. 

Either way, we are thankful not only that they are here, but that we get to visit them in Kerkrade. Most recently we were any their house to see their son give his life to Christ and be baptized. Soon we hope to visit them again as they have recently added a dog to their family. We are looking forward to meeting him. 

(Picture is of the Rolduc Abby)

The living Word

It is exciting to both os us to see how God works in our lives and others through His word, the Bible. When we get to know who Jesus is and begin following him in our daily lives, we are walking in the light, walking with the living Word. This is something that we just can’t keep from others. It is always wonderful to share with others and be encouraged by what we learn from the Word and what we learn through how others grow in the Word. 

We are thankful that we have various opportunities throughout the week to share this with members and seekers. On Monday evenings we are with a loving couple from church who live about an hour away from us. We began meeting with them years ago when they could not make it to the Wednesday evening study but still wanted to keep growing. They also wanted to learn about how to share what they were learning. So we have visited with them and continue to share what we know and learn from what they are learning. 

On Tuesdays Scott has a time at the building when people can come to ask questions about God. Through the years this has meant studies and conversations of all different kinds. Most recently he has been meeting with a woman studying about the old and new covenant, meeting with a mn who wants to understand his faith and daily choose to follow Jesus, and also takes time to encourage a sister in the faith who is shut in. 

Tuesday afternoons have become a time for a group of younger people who want to be encouraged and encourage one another. This is an English-speaking group and is held online. There are folks from nearby (our young Ukrainian couple who libre about 30 minutes away) and further away (two ladies from France and another even from Curaçao. Tuesday evenings we meet in person with a younger sister from the congregation who wants to grow in her faith. 

Wednesday evenings are what is our normal weekly Bible study. IN the past this was held at our house, at the building or at a different member’s home. But since Covid we began meeting online. This has meant that more members can be present. We still head over to our colleagues’ house (10 minutes away) and get online while sitting in their living room. This study (done in Dutch) is a great encouragement for all those who are able to attend. We are so thankful that so many are able to get online and encourage one another in this way. 

Thursday morning I head back over to my colleague’s house (in the summer I might even bike over, like I did last week) for a study we have with a man who wants to know more about the Bible and has plenty of questions about society, science and God’s will. I also uses this day about once a month to visit some people who nee encouragement - in prison in Antwerp and in a psychiatric hospital nearby. These are not Bible studies, but are conversations about the living Word. 

On Friday mornings Shirley gets online with the other ladies of the congregation for a study and prayer time together. As we let people know on our website (www.gvcmaastricht.nl) this is a study by and for women. It is exciting to see how the ladies take the time to help one another and encourage one another. 

We have always prayed that God can use us in the way that He sees fit while we are here (or wherever we are). These are moments that we can share so much of the beauty that we ourselves find in God’s Word. It is also so good to be able to discuss how the things we read fit into our daily lives. God’s Word is not just a study (a word we use a lot), but a discovery of how God works in our lives and what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Thank you for praying for the various opportunities we have to share this glorious news.

How does God’s word influence your live? What challenges have you experienced recently in reading and following Jesu as the living Word? How do you share what you find so beautiful? 

Whensday: Summer Solstice

Almost every Sunday evening I get to have a video call with my best friend. He has been my best friend since Junior High and is the one who brought me to Christ. We consider each other brothers (which we are in Christ). He calls around 9:30 in the evening my time, which is the beginning of afternoon for him, and we pray together. It doesn’t usually last too long, unless I get talking. 

This past Sunday was Father’s Day in the US and he and all of his kids (he has 4 girls and a boy), together with his lovely wife were celebrating outside in their backyard. He checked in to say hi and I got to wave to the girls. Then he commented on something that I have come to take for granted: “Is it still light there?” I flipped the camera and showed him the still light evening, sunlight fading in the background. Where he lives, the sun sets around 8pm at the very latest. 

This is one of the things that I truly enjoy about where we live and miss when we are visiting in the US. In the Summer, the sun sets at about 10pm. This is of course especially true around this week. The longest day of the year is June 20 or 21, the Summer Solstice. Further north, like in Sweden or Norway, or in places like Stonehenge, there are special celebrations for this day. There is nothing like that in Belgium or the Netherlands, but we all enjoy the long days. 

Sometimes this looks like concerts being enjoyed in the evening light. Other times you can go out for an evening walk (trying to get a bit cool after what is for people here a very warm day) and smell people still barbecuing, hear them laughing out in the yard. People here are always looking for as much sun as they can get. If that means staying up until the sun sets, then they will do it. Getting up at the same time the sun rises is a different question entirely. 

This Summer Solstice the congregation in Maastricht will be down at camp for the day. This has become a bit of a tradition for us as a church family. We take time to be together in this wonderful place, encouraging one another, getting to know each other better and enjoying the beauty of camp in the Ardennes. We will eat, sing together, discuss God’s word, take a walk through the woods and know that we are family that belongs to God. 

And I look forward to even longer days. God promises us eternity together with Him. The sun will not set and we will have enough time to do all the things that are the most important. That is part of what this time of year reminds me of. 

Generations

Last week we were able to talk to Sean, who called because in Belgium it was Father’s Day. Yesterday it was Father’s Day in the Netherlands and the US. In the video call with Sean, something happened that happens more and more: Scott tried to check something on the computer. He has to do this looking over his glasses. And he has trouble figuring things out and finding things on ‘modern technology’. 

Last week we were gathered with various congregations from around Belgium and the Netherlands on the 2nd day of Pentecost. This was held in The Hague, which is easy enough to find. But we all planned a day in the park, which was harder to find. At one point there were several calls coming in from some of the group who could not find their way. Scott was trying to help in the phone call, but was hampered by ‘modern technology’. His younger sister in Christ said over the phone, “Scott, find someone under 18 and ask them.”

And that is how it worked. The younger generation is much more savvy with everything that everyone seems to be using these days. It is Andrey, a young 20-something, who knows how to help those who want to print at the building from their phone. It is the young people who understand how to get something put up on the church Instagram. It is not that all of the older folks aren’t keeping up, but it is certainly that Scott struggles with some of those realities. 

Thankfully, God has put us in a family and we can all help one another. The day at the park finally worked out as we all met at the beach to witness new life in Christ. Everyone was able to get pictures and videos because of the technology. And this was all shared with members from around the country in seconds. We are thankful for how this can all be used to glorify God and help one another. 

At the end of this month we get to celebrate our granddaughter. One of the things she uses is a sort of speaker onto which she can place a little doll. But this doll has a memory chip filled with certain sounds which can then be played off on the speaker. We can send our sounds (our voices reading to her, singing to her, speaking to her) which she can then listen to when she wishes. Not something we would have thought even imaginable, but so thankful that it exists and we can use it. 

Whatsit Wednesday: “Hagelslag” - it’s hailing!

From the name, one might think that “hagelslag” had something to do with the weather. In a country where the weather is often the topic of conversation, this would be a good guess. Talking about the weather is something that everyone in the Netherlands (and Belgium) does. Complaining about talking about the weather is the other thing that most will do. 

But “hagelslag” has nothing to do with the weather. The literal meaning is “hail strike” or some such. But hagelslag is mostly reserved for a delicious meal (if you are Dutch). It involves bread, some butter and a typical open-faced sandwich. And hagelslag of course. Hagelslag comes in various colors. It can even be licorice flavored. In a slightly different form (little mice) it is used specifically for celebrating the birth of a child, when it shows if you have had a boy or girl (and in Belgium this is reversed!). 

But I am getting ahead of myself. What is hagelslag? It is (usually) chocolate sprinkles. It can be dark chocolate or milt chocolate or white chocolate. As mentioned there is a licorice version (which is white. And there is a multi-colored version, although older people will consider this quite modern. “In my day hagelslag was simply chocolate” you might hear them say. 

The “muisjes” or little mice are not chocolate at all, but are more like a candy. They are only blue or pink and are put on a sort of cracker  and passed out to guests to celebrate the birth of your son or daughter. But hagelslag can be eaten on any day, although most often only for lunch, or maybe breakfast. A slice of bread is lightly spread with butter and then generously covered with hagelslag. This is eaten open-faced and all of the sprinkles that fall off onto the plate are gathered and eaten as well. 

What do you put on your bread for lunch? What kind of sandwiches have you experienced before? Have you ever had hagelslag?

Hope and true life

Although many in the Netherlands don’t really know why they have a holiday on this day, we are thankful for the 2nd day of Pentecost - even more so this year. In the Netherlands there are three holidays that get a 2nd day: Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. The fist two have become ambiguous in recent decades, but Pentecost has always been a bit of a strange one. 

For the churches in the Netherlands and Belgium this is a day to get together and encourage one another. Since everyone has free, it is a good day to gather. The Family Day at camp in the Fall is more for the churches in Belgium and this day more for the churches in the Netherlands, since it held in The Hague. But people from all over both country are welcome. This year we had a group of about 60 visit from Maastricht, Antwerp, Ghent, Eindhoven, Haarlem and The Hague, but various countries were also represented. 

Our theme for the day was hope and we finished the day with a visit in a nearby park which concluded with a walk to the beach to see a death, burial and resurrection. Jef had been talking for some time about his faith as he visited in Maastricht. But yesterday after services he stated quite emphatically that he needed to be saved and Jesus was the only one who could do it. He wanted to give his life to the only One who could really give him hope for eternity. 

Jef was already planning on coming to this special day, so we simply planned a little further and took some things along to make it possible for him to be born. We are so thankful for the hope that Jesus truly gives. Praise God for your new brother in Christ and pray for his daily walk and growth in faith. It was great to see so many there today - some of them also young babes in Christ, walking in faith. 

It is so good to see how God can use us in so many different ways to bring life, joy and hope to this world where hope is far away. Our hope is built on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which gives us a living hope, tested by fire, founded on the promises of God, stretching into eternity. 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.   1 Peter 1:3-9

Whodunit Wednesday: Nikola Meeuwsen

You probably will not know his name, but this past week Nicola Meeuwsen, a Dutchman, won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition for piano. The third place winner was Belgian Valère Burnon. He is only the 2nd Belgian to ever place in the top 3. 

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is a yearly competition for music. Each year highlights a different type of music. This year was for piano. Next year will be for the cello followed by voice and violin in the following years. There have been winners from many different countries since the competition began in 1937. Most recently, Koreans have won quite often (winning voice in 2014, violin in 2015 and cello in 2022). 

The competition began when Queen Elisabeth of Belgium wanted to help encourage Belgian composers and musicians and set up the competition which was first envisaged by Eugène Ysaÿe. Ysaÿe, a Belgian concert violinist, died before being able to set up the competition, so Queen Elisabeth made it possible. It was for many years a competition for composers. It has taken its most recent form (3 instruments and voice in varying years) since 2015. 

Nikola Meeuwsen is a 23 year-old Dutchman studying under renowned international pianists and teachers. He won the prestigious Steinway competition when he was 9 years old. He is a regular guest at Dutch and international festivals and has played with various renowned musicians. This year will see the release of his first solo album and in the coming years he will continue to add to his list of amazing accomplishments. 

Working hard together

This past weekend was our annual weekend to get Ardennen Bijbelkamp ready for the summer camp weeks. It is always held during the Ascension Day weekend. Ascension Day is always on a Thursday (because Easter is always on a Sunday). It is a formal holiday in Belgium and all stores are closed. In the Netherlands it is like a bank holiday. Most businesses then also tack on the Friday to make for an extra long weekend. 

This is a perfect weekend to get everyone down at camp to help clean and fix everything that needs cleaning and fixing. Lots of mowing, pruning, cleaning, weed pulling and sorting are done to get the grounds and the buildings ready. This is also the time to do any large projects that are especially needed. This year we were working on dealing with water. 

At the end of the driveway we used a work camp several years ago to build a system to take the water that runs down the driveway off under our parking lot to the creek. (see pictures here) But the roster at the end of the drive has seen better days, so we needed to renew it. And since we were getting that fixed, it was also decided to put a water catch in the "new" parking so that extra water would have a way of draining into our field - but underground. 

I always enjoy the few days getting down to camp and working. It is also a great time to see people we don’t get to see very often and have some good conversations. Since we live fairly close by (55 minutes), I can drive down and be back home to sleep. I went down for two days and was able to offer my car and trailer to get materials and take junk to the container park. 

This year I will be directing the oldest age camp week (15+ years-old). Rudy and Pam Schellekens from Muscatine will be coming to help (Rudy is a Dutchman and will be giving the lessons). We are thankful that there is always such a great group of people willing to get camp ready for the various weeks that it is used. 

The pictures of the work camp can be found here. (Photos also thanks to Luk and Anneleen)

(Group photo above thanks to Luk Brazle. I am the crazy one with the machete.)

Where oh Where Wednesday: The Hague

In just 10 days we will be in The Hague again for our annual gathering of Dutch-speaking churches. The Hague is also called “Den Haag” or, to make things even more challenging, “’s Granevnhage”. That last one is the official version which was first used I the 15th century and means “the count’s grove (or hedge)”. 

The Hague is the administrative center and seat of government for the Netherlands. So although Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands, parliament meets in The Hague. It is here that you will find the “little tower” where the prime minister meets, here that parliament meets and makes laws, here that the highest courts of the land make judgements. 

The Hague is part of the province of South Holland (whereas Amsterdam is part of North Holland). It is the 3rd largest city in the Netherlands with a population around half a million. With its greater urban area the population comes closer to 800,000 and joins the other major areas which make up the “Randstad” - including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht - where roughly half the population of the Netherlands lives. 

The city itself is set along the sea and has a lively variation of activities. You can find Madurodam - a mini park where most of Europe is  shown in miniature, the beach and area of Scheveningen (which also houses a high security prison for international criminals), the International Court of Justice, Europol and a judicial arm of the United Nations. There is a world famous theater, a panoramic museum on the pier of Scheveningen and plenty of modern architecture. It is in the parks of The Hague that activists gather to make their voices heard. 

And this is where, in the 1970’s the church grew due to its international character. The international businesses of Shell, Dow and more meant that the congregation had a varied membership. When Shirley and I arrived in 1981 on a campaign, it was the members of the church here that touched our hearts and called us to return. We spent days delivering flyers I the city. And it was on the steps of the building in The Hague that we had our first kiss (on May 31 1981). 

On June 9 we will enjoy meeting with the various churches from around Belgium and the Netherlands in the building in The Hague. This time we will also spend the afternoon in a park nearby, enjoying fellowship and the beauty of the city. 

A few days with the French

It is not always easy finding some time to get away together. Thankfully we live in Europe and there are many places very close which we can visit for a day of two. And it is good to take these moments to share some rest time together. We are thankful that we have these opportunities. 

Last week we took 3 full days to head down to Normandy. For some this means WWII memorials on beaches. For us it meant a ton of history. Shirley has in the past years looked into her ancestry and found out that she has some viking. Welsh, Scottish and more in her line. Normandy was therefore a perfect place to visit and explore - this is where the “Noor mannen” or men from the North or Norway had settled centuries ago. 

William the Conqueror was first William the Bastard from Normandy. It was his conquest of England that mixed the cultures and languages that we have now so many centuries later. So we decided to spend some time in Caen and visit the areas around this city. Caen itself was the capitol of Normandy and houses two amazing monasteries - one for men and one for women. 

William was married to Mathilde of Flanders, daughter of Baldwin V, count of Flanders. So it was interesting to see this mixture which touches on our daily lives even now (the queen of Belgium is now also Mathilde). The monastery for women is named after Mathilde, although it has long stopped serving as a monastery. These days it is used for the provincial government. 

We spent a day going to Mont Saint Michel and then the city of St. Malo (in the next province over, Brittany). We spent a day walking everywhere we could in Caen visiting the old castle, cathedrals and the monasteries. Our feet definitely felt it at the end of the day, but it was exciting to discover so many different places. And thankfully we did not have to mangle too much of the French language to get around. 

The Bayeux tapestry was reserved for the one day that rain was forecast, since we would then be inside. This is a meter tall, 70 meter long tapestry which tells the history of the Norman conquest. The tapestry itself was amazing. Thinking about all that happened so long ago and that has influenced so many since then was also intriguing. But the rain meant that we simply returned to our room afterwards and enjoyed a nice evening together instead of getting wet. Although we have tons of pictures from the previous days, we only have one picture of that rainy day (we were not allowed to take pictures of the tapestry). 

The last day was reserved for our trip home (a good 6 hour drive) with a stop in Deauville along the coast. It is always good to be able to walk along the beach, take your shoes off and get wet in the waves licking the beach. Deauville felt more like stepping back into the early 20th century. The bathing changing rooms were all named after actors and actresses - some from a by-gone era, others very current, although it was hard to see and rhyme or reason in who was chosen. 

When we got home we took the next day to “slenter” (walk slowly) around our own Maastricht and spend time together. The sun had accompanied us on all of our days except the day at Bayeux and stayed until the Saturday when the typical Belgian rain reappeared. But it had been a very nice time to connect with history, heritage and one another for a few days. 

If you are interested in seeing our pictures (I know - home movies!), you can find them here. I tend to like to take pictures of things, although this time a few selfies also dot the landscape.

Whensday: May 1066

This day in 1066 was a Sunday according to the Julian calendar. Preparations were being made for the battles to come which would change English history forever. Tostig, married to Judith of Flanders, was ready to attack his brother, Harold Godwinson who would become King of England. 

As Edward the Confessor had died and Tostig’s brother tried to undue a deal between Edward and William of Normady, Tostig tried to take his place. He used ships provided by Count Baldwin V of Flanders, his brother-in-law. But Tostig would join forces with Harald of Norway but lose to the English at the Battle of Stamford Bridge and run off to Scotland. 

Also in May, William the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, was making his case for the kingship of England by the Pope. William was married to Mathilde of Flanders, the daughter of Baldwin V who had leant the ships to Tostig. William would go on to conquer England, becoming William the Conqueror. Whenever he was in England making the conquest certain - which took many years - he left Mathilde to run Normandy.

The city of Caen, where William and Mathilde had their castle and two abbeys (one for women and one for men) celebrates its millennium anniversary this year. It was 1000 years ago, in 1025, that first mention is made of the word “Cadomus”, an ancient form of the name of the town. These days Mathilde of Flanders would refer to Queen Mathilde of Belgium, wife of King Philip.

Whatsit Wednesday: Mailbox

When we first traveled to the Netherlands, on campaign back in the 1980’s, a lot of what we did for the campaign came down to distributing flyers to invite people to some preaching and singing. We walked all over cities in the Netherlands, up stairs in the big cities, in and out of small front yards in the less urbanized sections of the cities. We became quite practiced at shoving flyers into mailboxes. But we also had to become practiced at finding the mailboxes. 

In the Netherlands many front doors have a special flap put into the door through which mail is placed. These are easy to find. The ones in the old style even say “letters” or “brieven” on them. But some of these slots are much harder to find. They are simply vertical slots in the wall next to the front door. If a bush grows next to the door - as often is the case in a good Dutch front yard - then finding the slot is quite a challenge. 

For those without a slot in the door or wall, there are special mailboxes. Of course people who want to individualize their garden have special mailboxes: some looking like little houses on a stick, others presenting as modern marble-like columns and others a simple box. 

But often there would be a generic green box witha red lock on it. The lock was so that no one can steal your mail. These boxes were most often to be found at the beginning of the small front yard, making it possible to place the mail without having to walk up the yard to the door. 

When we first moved into our house in Belgium, we were accosted one day by the mailman on his bike. Our house is on the street. We do not have a front yard. Our mailbox was just inside a small open entranceway shielding our door from the rain and presenting a nice architectural arch. The postman announced that our mailbox was illegal. He had to be able to reach the box without getting off his bicycle or out of his car (if he came in a car). The box could not be too high or too low. Otherwise we would not get our mail. 

So our mailbox is on the outside wall at just the right height so that our postman can stop with his bike, put his feet on the ground and fish in his front basket for any mail that might be ours. Of course these days we do not get much real mail. Most of it is advertisements for the local stores. But the mailbox is legal and we are happy that our postman is happy. 

(If you look closely you can see the dog we have been dog sitting the last few weeks)

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.