Where oh where Wednesday: Suriname

50 years ago much of the world was in turmoil. As a child I was quite interested in maps and flags and countries. We had an encyclopedia - a set of books in which you could find all sorts of information, a paper “Google” if you will - and I would spend hours looking at and copying over the flags of the world. But it was difficult in those years because there were a lot of changes taking place, a lot of new flags. 

Many of the countries that had been colonies were declaring and finding the independence from their colonizers. Africa was changing rapidly, as was much of Asia. Even in South America there was some change. One of the little countries on the shoulder of South America also declared independence. Suriname was a colony of The Netherlands. Although the country at the time barely had a population of 300,000, it was rich in natural resources. 

Even today, Suriname only has a population of around 600,000 of which half live in the agglomeration of the capitol city, Paramaribo. But the country is still rich in natural resources and the population is still quite diverse - a remnant of its colonial past. And it is this colonial past which still calls many from Suriname to the Netherlands. The official language is Dutch and many young people have in the past traveled to the Netherlands to study. 

In 1975 Suriname declared its independence from The Netherlands. This was celebrated recently in The Netherlands by the Dutch and the population which was originally from Suriname. There are approximately 350,000 Surinamers in The Netherlands. At the time of independence, people from Suriname could choose to keep the Dutch nationality and many idd, emigrating to the Netherlands. 

The current president of Suriname is Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, the first female president of the country. She was elected this year by the parliament who are also elected for a term of 5 years. The Netherlands has recently offered official apologies for its part in the slave history of the country. The flag is a red center stripe with a yellow star, framed by a green stripe above and below and a white stripe operating the center red field from the green stripes. 

A certain future

This past Monday evening our sister, Rita Davison, went Home to her reward with the Lord. Her daughter, Tonia, is part of our family in Maastricht, together with her husband and son, Liam. Rita is well known among the churches in Belgium and the Netherlands. She and her husband Roy have been part of the Dutch-speaking work for decennia, having links to the congregations in Brughe, Ostende, Roeselare, Antwerp and Eindhoven. Rita was 88 years old.

As I was looking through the things so many said of her on the memorial site, many of the same things returned. Rita’s smile was amazing and her love for the people around her came from her great love for the Lord. She and Roy have been an influence on many people in the Dutch-speaking work. Rita was especially an encourager in all she did. 

This past month we have had her children visiting us in Maastricht because they were visiting her. We always get to enjoy Tonia and Mario and are grateful for her influence in Tonia’s life. But we also got to spend time with her daughter Connie who lives with her husband Ian McGuiggan in South Dakota. I was a counselor and teacher for both Tonia and Connie at Bible camp when they were both young. Rita’s son, Stuart, and his wife Connie were also visiting this past month. We all spent some good time singing spiritual hymns together. 

There will be many in the churches here (and it would not surprise me if there are plenty in Canada as well) who are looking forward to seeing Rita again and singing with her, hearing her wonderful alto voice lilting high, mixing perfectly with the other voices in praise to the King of kings. We are so very thankful for heroes of the faith, good examples of what it means to remain faithful to the end. So we praise God, comfort those who are hurting deeply, and look forward to the certainty of the future with our Lord and Master.  

What is so beautiful in all of this is how we see God working. The week that Rita went home to be with her Lord, Kristof decided to give his life to Jesus as his Lord. This young man works with our brother in Christ, Danny. He had questions about faith, which Danny talked about with him. And he realized that he needed a firm foundation and good future. So he was baptized this past Thursday, dying to his old self and rising to new life, eternal life, in Jesus Christ. 

God is amazing and gracious. We are so thankful for the secure future that we all can have in Him and that there are so many choosing for this life. 

Whensday: 2000-2025 in the Didohof

The last several weeks we have been feeling how full our little room on the street, Didohof, can get on a Sunday. Back when we started, of course, things were different. We first met as a congregation in a community center on Sundays. It was an upper room and we were a group of about 10. Within a few years we were meeting in a larger room downstairs. But it was still only available to us on Sundays. 

At one point, one of our regular visitors mentioned a room that was open next to her apartment. We called and were able to arrange to rent the room from then on. It was a new millennium and we had a room that we could use every day of the week however we wanted. It was an upper room again, but that didn’t really matter. That first year we had apprentices from York College who helped with our evangelism and outreach (Sue is still working with the Dutch-speaking work today, in Ghent, Belgium). 

In the following years we have hosted youth weekends here, concerts with singing group Listen Up!, study evenings teaching people how to read the Bible. Song workshops with a group from Harding where we also sang at the local nursing homes, and much more. We have seen members come and go, moving on to other congregations or different countries. We have seen kids grow up and give their lives to the Lord. We have even had some baptisms in the room using a blow-up swimming pool (getting the water out is the real challenge). 

We have a main room, a kitchen (which doubles as a children’s class during the Sunday morning Bible class) and two restrooms out in the hall. This coming Sunday is a 4th Sunday, which means that we hold our potluck (every 4th Sunday). We are able to warm up meals that we share with one another and can move the chairs before setting up tables to enjoy the fellowship together. It is exciting to see how everyone helps one another. 

In these years people in the neighborhood have come to know that we are here, although they do not always know who or what we are. A few years back we walked the neighborhood with a questionnaire about “Church and Society”. It was intriguing to hear if people even knew who met in the room. This coming year we will be repeating the questionnaire to see what people know about the group that meets. 

Our direct neighbors certainly know plenty about us. Some have noticed how we help one of our shut-ins who lives just across the way. Others hear us singing on Sundays and other days when we have a singing. Some have even come to our singings as well. If nothing else, the neighbors recognize that there are more cars parked in the street on Sundays and days when we have something planned. 

We can seat about 40-50 people if we put out all of our chairs. As mentioned, these past few weeks we have had more visitors than normal, pushing our attendance on a Sunday up near that 40 mark. During a Listen Up! concert we even had standing room only. We are thankful that God has blessed us with this space and for how we can continue using it to glorify Him. 

(Click on the photo for more pictures of our building and family throughout the years)

COPA Benelux

This past weekend we were united in fun. Really. Every year the COPA Benelux - an indoor soccer tournament for teams from around Belgium and the Netherlands - is organized. In Maastricht we try to form a team to play, but the last few years this has not been possible. So this year three of us from Maastricht joined three from Gent and one from Haarlem to form a team. We are FUN United.

You see, the teams are split up in Pro and Fun. The Pro teams are serious. They usually have people who know how to play, are basically fit and are serious about winning - although they are also there to have fun. Christians know how to have fun. God made fun. The other teams, made up mostly of kids (at least 10 years old), people who don’t know that much about soccer and older people make up the Fun teams. 

This year there were only 3 fun teams and 7 pro teams. But the fun teams definitely had fun. Our team did not win any games, although we made some of them fairly exciting. Still, we got third place. (This is where one would put an emoji sticking his cheeky tongue out). It was fun to play although my body definitely feels it still, two days later. We had some beautiful goals and plenty of screaming to root one another one. 

In between matches I always enjoy meeting new people and checking in with people we do not get to see very often. There were some players from Antwerp that we only see during this tournament. And it was good to check in with them. One of the other Fun teams was from Den Haag. As a matter of fact, last year I won the Fun tournament as part of their team. This year they also won in a thrilling final that only ended after penalty shootouts. 

I am always thankful for people around the country who make the effort to put something like this together. This is a place where young people can get together. It is a time when older people can connect with younger people in a different way. It is a moment when everyone sees that perseverance and fairness are part of having fun. It was great, nearing the end of the day, when we all gathered to sing praises to God and hear a pep talk. Like Luk Brazle always mentions - soccer and singing go together. We love singing to God who gives us such fun moments. 

The photo is of FUN United. You can find more photos of the day here. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Rake

This past weekend I was down at camp with some others cleaning up, getting camp ready for the winter. It was a brilliant, sunny Fall day, the colors glorious all around us. Much of the work we had to do had to do with all that glorious color falling to the ground. So we all had come prepared with a rake. 

In talking with Jef, who I picked up on the way to camp and who is a new brother in the congregation in Maastricht, he mentioned a different word for rake (in Dutch) that I had not yet heard. Jef is Flemish and has lots of different words. I learned my Dutch in the Netherlands so tend to have Dutch words for tools. This matters quite a bit, actually. Much like the differences in the US between Midwest, Southern or Eastern terms. (Do you use a spigot or a faucet?)

The thing is, there are all sorts of rakes. A “dissolute man in fashionable society” could be considered a rake, but that is not what I mean. There are rakes for loosening soil, rakes for gathering fallen leaves, rakes for gathering hay. Each of these could have its own name. I am used to calling the rake for soil (a firm straight head with teeth spaced evenly) a rake (“hark” in Dutch). 

But there is also a rake for leaves. This looks like a metal fan (or plastic these days) and is a bit springy. It is perfect for gathering leaves, whereas a rake for soil tends to get all bunched up with the wet leaves. In Dutch I would call this rake a “leaf rake” (“bladhark”). Jef called it a “gritsel” which sounds like the sound it makes as it scrapes along the dirt after gathering the leaves into a pile. 

If you live on a farm, you might even have various different rakes for the various tasks. A hay fork or rake might be a specific tool. In Dutch I would call this a hay rake (“hooihark”), although I have never used one. I only have a normal rake in my garage since the plastic leaf rake broke and I don’t really rake my leaves in the garden (I leave them for winter ground cover). 

I have at times in the past tried to comb my hair rakishly, trying to look cool (it didn’t work - my hair is pretty stiff) and I regularly rake my fingers through my hair when I am frustrated. And thankfully I have never had to experience gunfire raking the area. I am not quite sure which word would be used in Dutch. The word “rake” is an adjective meaning (more or less) “rough”. You can receive rough hits (“rake klappen”) from someone. I am simply glad that we could take care of all of the leaves at camp while still enjoying the glorious beauty around us. 

Visitors

I remember during my time at university taking part in some short plays. One of the plays was about a cobbler waiting om a very important guest. You might know the story, which is often repeated at Christmas time (a story by Leo Tolstoy) and tells of how important unexpected guests can be. Hebrews 13:2 also reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

We have recently enjoyed various visitors. A young couple from Ukraine came to visit “our” young Ukrainian couple. The law in Ukraine was recently changed so that young men younger than 23 can now travel outside of the country (before it was any man between 18-60 years old was not allowed to leave the country). 

Sasha (or Alexander) is just 22, so came to visit. He and his wife, Mika helped organize a Bible camp in  Ukraine this summer and the church in Maastricht helped out with the costs. Sasha came to thank us - as well as to visit Andre and Andre’s father (also Alexander) who helped bring him to Christ. While here we have sung with them, played games and encouraged one another in faith. 

Almost at the same time we have welcomed visitors from the US as well. Our members, Mario and Tonia, welcomed Tonia’s sister and her brother and sister-in-law. Tonia’s mother is not doing well and may soon be going Home to her reward in heaven. And even in these circumstances, it has been good to meet, talk, share laughs, sing and even make plans for coming years. 

This past weekend I went down to camp for the winter maintenance work day and took our new brother in Christ, Jef. We met up with several others from Ghent, Antwerp and even Canada. Getting your hands dirty and encouraging one another in the Lord is amazing. These short work days are always a blessing to all who are able to come as well as for our Bible camp. 

We have also recently received messages fro people we knew in the past who will be in the neighborhood or have returned to the area. A young man we knew as a boy (who grew up with our boys( asked if he could worship with us when he comes to visit his family. He has recently rekindled his faith in the Lord. Another young woman we know from several years past has also asked if she can meet with us. Shortly afterwards, her mother also asked if we could renew contact. 

At the end of October our sister in Christ celebrated her birthday by inviting her family to come to services with her. It was great to meet them and talk about the things we heard fro the Word of God. These moments are all moments of encouragement, challenge and grace. It is so good to see how God uses moments and visitors to touch lives and hearts. “Whatsoever you do to the least of these, my brethren, that you do unto me.” How has God blessed you recently with visitors? 

(Photo is of our First Friday singing with several of our visitors. You can see more photos at our photo site - see the link on the right). 

Whodunit Wednesday: Dutch politicians

Last week the Netherlands held elections for federal government. This was necessary because the last elections resulted in a cabinet that - in the end - could not work together. Politics in the Netherlands are always about compromise, but it doesn’t make it any easier. 

The last elections saw right-wing politician  Geert Wilders become the largest party. But the elections last week came out as a tie between his party and the party of D66 led by Rob Jetten. These two politicians couldn’t be farther from each other in character and outlook. But Dutch politics is never short of characters. 

There is a Party for the Animals, a Union of Better Farmers (abbreviated BBB), and a 50Plus party. There are politicians like Geert Wilders with his white sweep of hair that matches his passionate and loud personality. Or Henri Bontenbal from the Christian Democrats who was accused of being boring (which is what most leaders from this party are accused of) although he was young. 

The Green Party (GroenLinks) combined with the center left Labor Party (Partij van de Arbeid or PvdA) to form one party, but they took the older leader of the PvdA as their candidate instead of the young charismatic leader of the Green Party. At D66 they decided quite the opposite, choosing the young Rob Jetten who celebrated his victory on stage with a kiss to his male life partner. 

Now the parties will have to figure out how to form a government with all of these colors and characters. It may end up being much more boring than the voters had hoped for when voting for their particular candidate. In Belgium one time it took almost 2 years to form a government. The Dutch hope to have their government formed before the end of November. It will be interesting to watch. 

(photo of Rob Jetten and Geert Wilders)