Taxes

Nobody wants to pay them, but they are a part of everyday life. Jesus told Peter that it was normal to pay and the Bible makes clear that we should pay our taxes. But what do you do when things get a bit complicated? We have lived for the last 30 plus years in Belgium, working in the Netherlands and receiving a good bit of our support from the United States. So which taxes do we pay? All of them. 

We have always paid income tax and social security I the US. We also pay social security in Belgium. But it has been a real blessing all these years to have brothers and sisters who have helped us with our taxes in the US. E.B. Dotson did our taxes (and others) as a service for missions (now the office of Larry McElroy). And what a service this is. It is amazing to have these worries taken from your shoulders, not having to worry about figuring out how things work - because it is confusing. 

You see, we live in Belgium, but receive a part of our funds from the US. Anyone who has lived outside of the US knows about the various forms that have to be filled in (FATCA, FBAR and such). Knowing that your taxes are in good hands, of brothers and sisters who are putting their talents to this service, is extremely comforting. So we are very thankful. 

This is especially important now. This past year the Belgian tax office decided that things have not been as they think it should be. They are only allowed to go back 5 years, so they went back to 2022 and looked at our taxes in Belgium. Their conclusion is that we should have been paying income tax in Belgium, not in the US. This influences how much social security we pay in Belgium as well. 

So now we are looking at back taxes in Belgium, back payments for social security, and continuing to try to figure out our social security status in the US. This can be worrisome or frustrating, but in the end we know that things will work out. Our God knows what we can handle and knows what is going on. That doesn’t mean that it will not happen. It means that He will give us strength to deal with it. 

Thankfully we do not have to worry about anything more than VAT (Value Added Tax) in the Netherlands. And we all have to deal with that in some sense. And as oil prices (gasoline, diesel - which is what we use in our car, gas for our heating) rise exorbitantly, we know that although this may be difficult, we will be able to deal with it somehow. God trusts us to be able to handle what he allows in our lives - with His strength. 

Whensday: 1902 - Korfbal

March in the USA brings March Madness - colleges vying for a title in the team sport of basketball. Basketball was invented in 1891 by gym teacher James Naismith. About 10 years later a gym teacher in Amsterdam invented “korfbal” which translated is “basket ball”. This game was based on the Swedish game for women, but Nico Broekhuysen made it a team sport for both sexes. 

Korfbal, as a matter of fact, is one of the only team sports for both men and women together. Like basketball it can be played outside or inside and there is an outside season and inside season. And like basketball, the goal is to put as many points on the scoreboard by putting the ball through the basket (“korf”). 

In korfbal, the basket is on a tall pole (3.5 meters or about 11.5 feet) and has no backboard. The players, both men and women are on the field at the same time, may not walk with the ball. They also may not dribble. The player can take one step and must then pass the ball. This creates a game with a high level of team interaction and low contact. 

The International Korfball Federation was created in 1933 and there are currently 72 national federations. The sport was a demonstration sport at the Olympics of 1920 and 1928. It is not part of the Olympics, but is part of the World Games. Since it is mostly played in Belgium and especially The Netherlands, the World and European champion has always been The Netherlands (although Belgium was world champion in 1991). 

Whatsit Wednesday: Dutch door

I remember learning about Dutch doors when I was younger because we visited somewhere (I don’t remember where) that had them, probably a farm. This would have been in the US. So why are they called “Dutch Doors”? Well, actually the Brits might call it a stable door and the Irish might call it a half door. But it was the Dutch who brought it into normal cultural use, through painting and their general use of the door in their housing. 

In paintings fro the 17th century you can find plenty of examples of Dutch doors. It was also in this period that Dutch in the areas that would become New York and New Jersey were incorporating the doors in their homes. The purpose was to keep livestock out of the house and children inside while allowing light and air to circulate freely. 

One can easily imagine working in the house, not having to worry about the small children escaping or the animals bringing their dirty feet into the house, while still being able to see and be part of the outside or chat with a passing neighbor. As a matter of fact, this type of door was later also incorporated for a time on railways to facilitate employees carrying out tasks or visual inspections. 

Even into modern times, the doors could be useful in nursing homes (line of sight is maintained while the patients cannot wander aimlessly), childcare facilities (although safety concerns finally restricted this use) or barns and stables, where they were originally used. The romance of the past often makes people wonder about installing or using such a door. The practical limitations usually come to mind in later stages. But Dutch doors are still used in many places. 

Have you ever seen a Dutch door? Would you want one in your house? 

Sisters

This past weekend some of our sisters in the church were off to the Ladies Retreat. This is a retreat organized in Germany. Each year his organized by a different group - sometimes the Swiss ladies, the ladies from Germany or England, or the Belgian and Dutch ladies. It is four days (Thursday to Sunday) to get to know sisters from around Europe, hear lessons in English and sing together. 

We were thankful that several from our church family could go. One of our sisters who moved away a few years ago (first to France and now back to Belgium, but a few hours away, following her husband’s work) was able to attend for the first time. It is always exciting to see how getting together with fellow believers can be so encouraging and to see how God can use you in such times. 

Last year our young Ukrainian sister went to the retreat and ended up translating for many of the other Ukrainians who attended. This year our sister who moved away was able to get together with new sisters and friends from South America. She herself is from Brazil. So even though she speaks Portugese, she understands and can speak Spanish as well. 

The car that left with the group p from Maastricht included Shirley and three other sisters. While they were gone some of the brothers (husbands and brothers in Christ) got together to spend some time together on the Saturday. Cooking for one another and spending time together is always good. I ended up planning some work in the house while Shirley was gone. Our new brother, Jef, was able to help start om putting a ceiling in our pantry. It is a lot easier to get things done when you can make a mess while your wife is gone. 

Sunday morning was a bit different without the ladies. We have several ladies in the congregation who are strong singers. But even four being gone was definitely noticeable. We are thankful for the time that the ladies were able to spend together and how God uses each one to encourage others. But we are also thankful that they made it home safely.

(Top photo is of the full group. Bottom photo are "our" ladies.)

Whodunit Wednesday: Fred van der Weij

When we first moved to Belgium there were a few things we had to get used to. One of those was not only the food, but how food was prepared. We both love fries, so that was not really a problem. And since fries are the best in Belgium, it was definitely not a problem. But fries are meant to be deep-fat fried. And not only fries. Lots of other foods are fried. Hamburgers are not known in Belgium without a breading and being fi=ried (unless you get them from one of the well-known American fastfood chains). 

In order to do all of this, every house has/had a deep fat fryer. And all of the recycling parks have a place to reclaim your used frying oil. After all, a good diesel engined car (of which Belgium has plenty) can even run on “frietolie” - fry oil. So one of the first things we needed to purchase was a fryer. 

However, we do not eat that much fried food. That meant that the frying oil often sat for quite some time and needed refreshing before we made fries again. So when Fred van der Weij came out with his invention, we were pretty happy. It was also around this time that we were becoming much more health conscious, worried about the kilo’s (or pounds) we might be putting on. 

Fred van der Weij was a Dutch engineer, born around the same time as we, but in the Netherlands. He invented a small oven in 2006 and later sold it to Philips in 2010. The air fryer is not quite a convection oven, although both use heated air to cook. The air fryer does this quicker and in smaller amounts. 

These days almost every house has an air fryer - although many may also still have a deep fat fryer as well. Not many people will know the name Fred van der Weij (who passed away in 2022), but most will be thankful for his ingenious invention for cooking well known meals in a more healthy way. 

Family (travel plans)

Every three years we make a trip back to the US to visit supporting congregations and family in a two-month long journey around the country. This is our “Home Assignment”. Our plans for this Home Assignment 2026, which will cover May and June, are solidified and partially paid. 

We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as we can. If you are in the area of where we will be, please let us know before hand so that we might be able to get together. This will be quite the trip, as usual, so we will not have a lot of wiggle room, but we always want to meet with as many as we can. 

In short, our schedule looks like this: Leave Belgium on April 28, arriving in Texas.Texas (churches) from April 28 - May 4

FLY May 5 to Indianapolis

    Indiana (family and church) from May 5-12

FLY May 13 to Los Angeles

    California (church and family) from May 13-24

FLY May 25 to Minneapolis

    Minnesota (church) from May 25 - June 1

DRIVE LOOP:

DRIVE June 2 to Sioux City, IA

DRIVE June 3 to Spearfish, SD

DRIVE June 5 to Billings, MT

    Montana (family) from June 5-8

DRIVE June 9 to Colorado Springs

    Colorado Springs (family) from June 9-11

DRIVE June 12 to Denver

    Denver (church and family) from June 12-14

DRIVE June 15 to Omaha, NE

    Omaha area (family) from June 15-17

DRIVE June 18 to Muscatine, IA

    Muscatine (church) from June 18-22

DRIVE June 23 to Minneapolis

FLY June 24 to New York City

New York City (family) from June 25-29

FLY June 30 to Brussels, arriving on July 1

(You can see this all visually on the map above)

It is always a challenge to fit the puzzle pieces of family and church together, making sure that we leave Sundays for meeting with church members and connecting in that meaningful way. We also want to meet all of our family members, including our granddaughter in Indiana. 

This is not possible without the help of so many people. Some people will be lending us their car for the time we are in their area. Others will be putting us up and feeding us in their home, sharing their families with us during our stay. Many have given sacrificially so that we can make this trip. Thank you all so much! We look forward to seeing you. 

Where oh where Wednesday: Geleen

We work in Maastricht, the capital of Limburg, the southernmost province of the Netherlands. We also live in Limburg, the easternmost province of Belgium. Last week we drove through Limburg in Germany as well. But today I would like to tell a little bit about another city of Limburg in the Netherlands. 

Although Maastricht is the capital, the city of Geleen is also quite important. Most of the cities in this province were mining cities. When the mining dried up, other possibilities had to be sought. Just down the road from Maastricht (or “up” the road, heading North), Geleen is in the middle of the chemical industrial “city” of DSM and Chemelot. 

Ever since 1979 this chemical company has been making special fibers in Geleen. Dyneema is considered the world’s strongest fiber. It is 15 times stronger than steel but tight enough to float on water. It is based on polyethylene (technically a UHMWPE = ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene. Try saying that 6 times in a row!). Wikipedia tells me that this fiber weighs 0.97 grams per cubic centimeter. I am not quite sure what that is, but it is quite light. 

This fiber is used in competitive cycling, fishing line, repairing ligaments, protective gloves and bulletproof materials. It is used as a replacement for the steel cables which launch gliders, protects ice skaters (like recently during the Winter Olympics and the many Dutch skaters), anchoring Oil platforms in the sea (steel breaks, Dyneema doesn’t) and all sorts of uses in archery or climbing. 

We drive past the chemical towers regularly, but had never realized what kinds of things can be made so close to home. Geleen has in the meantime merged with the city of Sittard nearby to become Sittard-Geleen. 

Video calls

Getting to talk to family is a blessing. We both grew up in a situation where we were separated from family for longer periods. In those days, that meant air mail letters or long distance phone calls of very short duration. These days we can send video messages, songs, pictures and more by our phone or computer. And we are thankful that we are able to connect with our boys, their wives and our granddaughter via the computer on video calls. 

We were able to talk to Sean for quite a while yesterday, checking in with his life and sharing ours. Everyone has a busy life. When we were younger and starting our life together, we were sure that our life was full of busyness. Of course now that is exactly where our children’s lives are. Which is why it is so nice to be Abel to “drop in” on a video call. 

We can hear the fire engine sirens screaming by our son’s window as they race to a fire on a snowy day in New York City, while we sit comfortably on our couch in the closing of the day in Belgium. Or we can show our midday snow to our granddaughter who is just waking up 6 hours away. It is always a bit of adapting, but it is good to see one another. 

It is even better to hear one another. The cadence of speech reminds us again of times when we were together. The laughter we share warms our hearts. And it is sometimes much better to share things “face-to-face” than in an email or letter. 

Of course it is also nice to be able to show off anything new in the house, or let the dog say hello. Most of us are used to being on video while talking these days. We use it for our weekly study with the members (which means more people can join the study). We also hold a video study with the younger people who are English-speaking - and spread to various places in Europe. Whereas some might turn off the camera (we don’t, since I am teaching, but others do) to avoid video weariness, we are thankful to be able to see one another, especially on these family calls. 

But in a few months we will get to take the next step and actually hug our kids. We are looking forward to being with Stephan and the family in May and Sean and Jill at the end of our trip in June. Along the way we will also be able to see others in our family with whom we do not have video calls - although I guess that would also be possible if we all wanted it. 

We are thankful for technology, for mobility and for possibilities to gather together in various times and places. 

Whensday: January 2, 1994 - Blender

In January 1995 a Dutch guy named Ton Roosendaal and his software company released version 1.00 of an application called “Blender”. The software had been released internally the year before, was publicly released in 1998 and was distributed as shareware (does anyone remember shareware?) until 2002. When the company holding Blender went bankrupt in 2002, Ton Roosendaal changed course and made it into free open-source software. 

This software is perhaps best known for its 3D modeling capabilities and what it has been used for. It is an extremely capable and useful application used for various forms of modeling. It can simulate smoke, dust, rain, fluids, hair, clothing and rigid bodies. The files are forward, backward and cross-platform compatible. 

The software was used professionally for Spider Man 2 for the storyboards. The French-language film “Friday or Another Day” was the first 35mm film to use Blender for all its special effects on Linux work stations. Most recently Blender was used entirely for the 2024 Latvian film “Flow” (assisted by a Belgian company). This movie received two nominations for the 97th Academy Awards and won the Best Animated Feature. 

Family around the world

Today I will head off to ABSS (Advanced Bible Study Series) in Germany. This time three other guys will join me in the car. Alexander and Andrey are father and son from Ukraine who have lived in Belgium for the last 5 years. Alexander is a former widower who is now married to a Belgian. Andrey is his youngest son who came out with him and is now married to his high school sweetheart and living in Belgium. Both are amazing encouraging brothers in the congregation in Maastricht. 

Along with them I will be picking up Evgeny from Haarlem, The Netherlands. He is originally from Russia, but has lived in THE NETHERLANDS for quite some time. I first met him before he was married, when he was living and working in Maastricht. He was an integral part of the congregation then and now serves with the church in Haarlem. 

I am looking forward to the time in Germany at this study week because people from all over Europe gather there to learn from each other and encourage one another. I will see some folks I have not seen in quite some time, and others I see regularly. That is the beauty of the family of Christ. 

This past Saturday we were included in the church family from Eindhoven because we help them sing every month. We also feel part of the congregation in Haarlem for the same reason. I look forward to seeing Uli from Cologne again this coming week - we always plan a singing day together in September. The church has connections with church family in Uganda and Ukraine, Kenya and Canada and all over Europe and the US. We are so very thankful for the way that God builds family and that we can be part of this wonderful body. 

In May and June we will be traveling to the US to visit family and church family. We look forward to rekindling those bonds and reconnecting with family there. There will also be some time to meet new members of God’s family - whether they are simply new to us or new in the family. Next week I will post about our travel plans. We hope to be able to see some of you when we come through the US. 

(Photo is ABSS 2025)

Whatsit Wednesday: Wildlife bridge (ecoduct)

Every time we drive West from our home (which is pretty much every time) we pass under a special bridge. So on our way to singing or a camp meeting in Antwerp, on the way to our Bible studies on Mondays and Thursdays, on the way to the airport in Brussels, we pass under this bridge. And every homecoming from these events is met by this bridge just outside Maasmechelen. 

The highway enters the 60 meter long tunnel through gracious curves, the bushes and even small trees gracefully growing above as the river of traffic passes underneath. This ecoduct was built around 2005 and has proven to be a real help for the wildlife in the area. We live in Limburg, a province that has a lot of woods and natural elements (and a smaller population). But highways can cut up areas like this, leaving wildlife stranded or worse killed by trying to cross the highway. This ecoduct helps. 

In 2021 a 4th check was made on how well the ecoduct has been working and it became clear that it is doing even more than was thought possible. Reptiles and amphibians, like frogs, were some of the wildlife that was supposed to be helped by this massive project bridging the highway. But it is also used regularly by deer, fox and wild pigs as well as ermine, stone marten, and smaller mammals such as the shrew. Crickets, grasshoppers and beetles enjoy the crossing, making some very specific habitat come back to life. 

In the meantime this whole area has turned a few other bridges into ecoducts (though not as spectacularly as Kikbeek) and the province has become known for the various amazing ways to travel by bike among and through the beautiful nature present all around. There are bike paths winding through the trees, stretching over lakes and running along old train tracks. We are reminded of the beauty around us every time we return to the area and drive under this ecoduct. 

Sharing wisdom

Last Friday and the past Sunday we were thrilled to be together with several members of the congregation, but for different activities. On Friday evening we held our monthly First Friday singing. We learned some new songs, practiced some we had learned before, sang some songs we just love and had some good fellowship time afterwards. Sunday was our 2nd Sunday Games day and some of the same people were able to stay and just have fun together after our worship time. 

It has been exciting to see how God uses us and those around us to help in growth and wisdom. Sometimes I feel like an old guy, but when I mention that to Andrey, he always laughs and tells me not to say that. He and his wife are learning some things from us. They are two of the 5 or 6 who meet weekly for the English language Bible study. It is a time that God allows us (Shirley and me) to share some insight into God’s word and wisdom that we have garnered through life. But it is also a time to learn fro these young people and how they are growing in faith. 

There are two married couples where the wife is a Christian and the husband is not. The other young married couple are both Christians, helping one another grow. So we talk about how to be a good example, how to deal with stress in the relationship, how to apply God’s truths to our daily struggles and how to look ahead. We are thankful that God can use us to help these couples in any way. And it is thrilling to also learn fro them and their passion for Christ in their lives. 

In other ways we are trying to be good examples to brothers and sisters around us. I am trying to be a good example for our youngest brother in Christ, Jef. He is youngest in the sense that he was born into Christ just last year. But he is actually my age. I try to be an example as a brother so that he can see what it means to be a brother in Christ. We study God’s word together once a week and share our lives together. Shirley tries to do the same with our young sister in Christ, Gaiane. She is like our daughter and we want to be there for her. 

This is the beauty of how God created the body of Christ. We are truly to be a body, working together, learning from each other, depending o one another. We all have different experiences that we can learn from, passing that wisdom on to our brothers and sisters. Praise God for his design of church family and how we can share wisdom together. 

(Photo from 2025 with some of the young people we mentor)

Whodunit Wednesday: Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit

Everyone is looking at the thermometer lately. Freezing temperatures in places that haven’t seen it that cold in quite a while. But which thermometer do you consult? How cold is it really? When I hear that it is 10 degrees, my first reaction is: “Oh, that’s quite nice for this time of year. I will not need my warm hat or scarf.” But others are saying that it is freezing. That is because some of us are using the Celsius scale and others the Fahrenheit scale. 

Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, for whom the scale is named, was a Polish German (born in Poland to a German family) who lived and worked in the Netherlands in the 17th and 18th centuries. He is credited with improving thermometers, with making the first mercury-in-glass thermometers (which were much more reliable) and getting everyone to adopt his scale of measurement. And this all so long ago. So how is it that people in the US use Fahrenheit, but people in the Netherlands use Celsius? 

Fahrenheit was born in Danzig (Gdansk) Poland to a German Hanseatic trading family. He was just about 15 when his parents died from eating poisonous mushrooms and he was placed under guardianship. In this way he ended up doing an apprenticeship in Amsterdam. He ran away when this was completed and traveled around what was then the Holy Roman Empire while his guardians issued an arrest warrant. But it was in this time that he also was manufacturing thermometers and researching the various scales and methods used. By 1721 he was already perfecting his thermometers while in the Netherlands.

At the same time, others were still using another scale. “Centigrade” was used by the Swedes and French and much of the world. This is how I remember learning the “other” scale. But it was changed to “Celsius” in 1948. However you measure, cold remains cold. Listen to the weather man or woman and decide then if you need to put on your scarf or not before going outside. 

Growing as a family

Every year we try to be encouragers in all that we do. All of the activities we plan and are part of are connected to how we hope God can use us for His kingdom. This year has begun and will continue no different. We are looking forward to the various activities we can take part in. 

This past weekend we traveled up to Haarlem (2.5 hours north) for a day of singing. The church there is wanting to learn more about singing and how to sing better together. Mostly they want to do this so that they as a congregation can learn new songs and sing well to the Lord on Sundays. But they are also looking at using this as a means of reaching out in the community with the gospel. They asked us to come and help with learning and it has been a great time of encouragement. Each time we have been, there are at least 10 members learning and singing together with us. 

We have been doing the same thing in Eindhoven for several years, although we have had to miss the last few months. It is exciting and encouraging for us to be able to spend time with congregations in other cities and to see and show how God encourages and teaches us through song. But singing is not all that we are looking forward to in the coming months. 

Before we leave for the US for two months (in May and June) we are looking at various ways of reaching out in the neighborhood in Maastricht. In the coming month we will be going around the neighborhood with a questionnaire about church and society in order to gauge where the neighborhood is and also to encourage people to think about the choices they are making. At the same time we hope to again let people know that we are active in the neighborhood. 

We also hope to get downtown Maastricht at some point to engage with people on the street, asking them what questions they might have for God. We have been preparing for this during our Wednesday studies when we look at some of the questions that people ask and how we as Christians can answer them. We hope to be going into town as weather gets better and there are more people walking outside. We would love your prayers for these efforts. 

In addition we of course are also working on plans for the summer camp weeks and training church members for leadership in those areas. The leadership training “Breathe” will be organized at the end of March. Shirley and I will also be leading the Benjamin week at the end of the summer when we return from our trip to the US. Camp opportunities are always a chance to encourage campers as well as the team that we work with during the week that we lead. 

Before all of that comes, we are also looking at some growing time for ourselves and with church family members. Scott will go down to ABSS (Advanced Bible Study Series) at the middle of February with some brothers from Haarlem and Maastricht. Shirley will go to the Ladies Retreat in March with several sisters from Maastricht. It continues to amaze us how God can use so many opportunities to encourage us and others and to help us all grow in grace. 

(Photo: the invitation for the camp leaders training session "Breathe")

Wild Wonderful Wednesday: Neanderthals in the neighborhood

Just down the way, in the next village over (Veldwezelt), is a Neanderthal site. Our village (Neerharen) was on the site of a Roman crossing of the river and has a castle with parts from the 13th century. But all of that pales compared to the date of the Neanderthal site. It was here, back a long time ago (which all depends on how one dates things) that Neanderthals roamed the river valley and lived in the area. 

The site in Veldwezelt is the first protected archeological site open to the public. The visitors jump back into time, walking along an 80 meter long path where examples of wolf rhino’s, bison and a mammoth can be found - animals that the Neanderthalers would have known. 

The crazy thing is how present day and past cross each other. Right next to the Neanderthal site is the international golf course, running through both the Netherlands and Belgium. As you walk the course, you pass by the Neanderthal site, separated by a fence. As far as anyone knows, Neanderthals did not play golf. That game was begun in Scotland by a completely different people. 

Camp meeting and new beginnings

Every year in January we hold an official meeting for our Bible Camp. This is required by law, but it is also a time to get together and encourage one another. Camp has always been an amazing opportunity for the various congregations in Dutch-speaking Europe to work together and grow in faith. 

This year is one step in several that we are taking toward the future of Ardennen Bijbelkamp (ABK). For one, we are trying to instill some changes in the commission that runs the camp non-profit. Although we have a newer member of the commission, most of the members have been around for some time. To make sure that there is a future and that we do not keep doing things just “because that is how we always did it”, we want to make sure that everyone knows how things work. We also want to plan for a younger commission. 

Although the commission this year will remain the same, we are looking at getting newer members in while continuing involving all congregations and members in how camp is run. The camp leaders, cooks, counselors and teachers all come from the various congregations and give freely of their time to ensure that young people and church members are built up in faith. 

One of the other purposes of this formal meeting is that it is a place to formally announce plans for the future of camp. It was good to hear at this meeting that camp is being used more and more by more of the congregations, even outside of the usual camp week. The past years have also seen several new regular activities. This year will see another training session for camp workers as well as a first aid course so that all will be prepared for any problems. 

In addition, we heard about the renovation plans that are coming up. The first big renovation was done in 2012 when the “hall” was built. A further renovation of the dormitory was carried out before 2020. Now we will work on the earliest building that was built at camp. The kitchen and bathroom section was the first real building, built in 1968. It had been updated lightly through the years, but it was time to bring it in line with the rest of the building and open up new possibilities. We have planning permission and are now in the process of finding contractors and time to build. Next year may see the first use of the new building. 

In the meantime, we continue with plans for camp activities in 2026. I will be leading the Benjamins this year, learning from the gospel of Luke. That will be at the end of July, after we return from our Home Assignment in May-June. We look forward to another busy year in which God can use so many different people in the churches here.

(Photo of what the building will look like)

Where oh Where Wednesday: North Holland

This week we are off for a few days together and we decided to check out some cities in North Holland. The name of the country has often been called “Holland” although the official name is “the Netherlands”. This is because when the Dutch were the kings of commerce in the world, they came from the province of North or South Holland. North Holland is where you find the cities of Amsterdam and Haarlem as well as some of the most important cities historically that people would recognize from their cheese (Edam, Volendam and Alkmaar cheese market). 

Since we can also visit good friends and mentors in Haarlem, we started there. Haarlem (which is where the name for the section in New York City comes from) is where many well-known painters came from, where Corrie ten Boom hid Jews in her watchmaking shop during World War II and where Max Verstappen won the Dutch Grand Prix (actually in Zandvoort just outside of Haarlem). For a short afternoon walk we hit some historical memories for us as well. Scott spent two years working with the church here in the 1980’s and we both did a mission summer here a few weeks before we had our first kiss. 

We also took a walk around the town of Hoorn, which is where the VOC (The Dutch East India Company) had its start and Dutch economic superiority began. It was a beautiful, cold day and we enjoyed delicious goodies from a local baker, a walk beside the sea and an adventure in a parking garage. Boats, ice, dog-walkers, a Belgian woman born in the US married to a Dutch shipper selling English sweaters - an amazing, wonderful day. 

We will end our short trip with a stop-over in the city of Leiden where the oldest university can be found. We have previously visited the botanical garden where the share some of the wonders that were brought back by the VOC. There are also trees which are more than 200 years old. But we are looking forward to see some more of the downtown and sniffing some amazing history which is to be found in so many places, even if this city is in South Holland - but that is a different story..