Connections

This past weekend was Family Day down at camp. In the past this day was planned at the end of Family Camp, but it became clear that it could be better organized on a different day in order to really focus on getting people together. One congregation in Belgium usually organizes the day and people from around the congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands come to share the day together. This year the day was organized by both Roeselare and Brugge. 

The nice thing about this day is that we all have the possibility to see people we do not see very regularly. In our situation it was also a time to say goodbye to some people we may not see again, since we are moving. It was exciting to see that at least a third of the people there were from the congregation in Maastricht. It is exciting to see the connections that exist between the members of the various congregations and to see new ones forming. 

These connections between brothers and sisters in Christ are so important. In Maastricht we hold a special contribution every 3rd month or so, giving to any need we are aware of. This past month we gave to the church in Colombia who are recovering from a devastating earthquake. But we are able to give because of a sister in Maastricht who is from Ecuador. Her family has connections with the church in Colombia. And so we are all connected to one another and the church there can help those in need. 

Just last week we held our singing day with the church in Cologne and met new people from that city/country. This is something we have been doing for years. We are so thankful for the possibilities to nmeet new Christians from near and far. On this day we met some new brothers from Ukraine who are living in Cologne. But we also re-connected with brothers and sisters from Cologne who we have know since 1991 when we first arrived. 

Connections come in all sorts. As a sign went up on our window that the house had been sold, many of the people that pass by our house every day - walking the dog, walking with the kids, jogging - stopped to talk with us and see if we were really leaving. Some of them are parents of kids that went to school with our kids. Some are just our neighbors. Some just smile and stop to talk when I am out front pulling weeds. The ones who know us stop for longer and wonder about our next steps and the passing of time. 

It amazes us that this passing of time can also be helpful for some. As we plan to get rid of things in our house - which is necessary in getting ready for the move - we are thankful that there are people who can use some of the things in our house. We love helping a young couple and being part of the stepping stone in their young life together. And their parents know others who can also use furniture and more. So the connections help others to move into a new season of their life as we are moving into a new season in ours. 

Our house will soon seem to be regressing to the time when we first arrived. We are moving from moment to moment of saying goodbye to people we know. Our days now are taken up with figuring out what we can keep and what needs to go (and how to get rid of it). We keep running across old memories. But we are thankful for all the connections we have had through the years and are even building as we move forward.