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.

The beginnings of Life

Where does life begin? That is a big question discussed by all sorts of people at various times. As Christians we know that life comes from God. We are the created, He is the Creator. But not everyone accepts this view of life and the world. 

This past week we were able to take a few days off and visit a young couple who have moved down to the south of France. Pamella is our sister in Christ from Brazil. She is married to Tim, who is a wonderful young man who does not want to believe in God just yet. But he was always willing to attend Sunday services with Pamella when they lived in Maasmechelen. 

Shirley and I seldom get to celebrate our anniversary on the day itself, but knew that we wanted to visit this couple to encourage them. Since it is a 13 hour drive down, we decided to make the drive a two day journey and stop over in Dijon on the way down and on the way back. This would leave us about two and a half days oil the south with Tim and Pamella. 

We had a wonderful time in sunny but cooler climes and spent a morning in Dijon on the way back home. More importantly we were able to have some good conversations and moments together. When we got back home we had just enough time to get a little rest before the next event on the next day. 

Mike Houts is a NASA scientist who came to talk about Science and Worldview. He spoke to a full room in the church building in Antwerp about the questions we can and should have about what science really shows us and where life comes from. It reminded me of the questions Tim sometimes had. Mike asked, “Did someone choose to be an atheist? Then people must be more than simple chemical reactions. A person must have a soul if he/she can make a choice.” Intriguing questions. 

While we were down in France, we got news that a dear sister of ours was sick and at the end of her life. Leonie and George are members of the congregation in Liege and came regularly to our monthly singing or to church outings down at camp. But she has also struggled with her health as of late. By the end of the week we had heard that she had gone Home to her reward. We look forward to seeing her soon, when we also can go Home. 

It was a challenging week with reminders of what really matters and where life really is. Life begins with God and can only continue with God. Jesus Christ makes real life possible. This is something that Leonie not only knew, it was something she regularly shared with those around her and showed in her daily life. Mike Houts presented good information that showed the truth that what we see is clearly come from God. And we continue to know how important it is to pass all of this information on to everyone who is willing to question and listen. 

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!   2 Corinthians 5:16-17

Where oh Where Wednesday: Visits

We are extremely blessed to be able to visit all sorts of places because of where we live and work. Many Europeans would love to visit all the places we see in the US on our Home Assignment. Many Americans would love to be able to see the places we see as a matter of course in our work here in Europe. And we are very thankful for the opportunities we have had to travel, but also to meet Christian family in so many places. 

We are only 4 hours from Paris, France, so have visited there a few times - just to visit. We also were able to take day trips (or a day and overnight) to Rheims. But we have also been as far as Marseille a few times to take a group down to “Christians on Mission” - a week of missions with the church in Marseille. And we visited the church in Lille, singing there with Listen Up! in those days.

In Germany we regularly spent time at a castle youth hostel in Bacharach for German youth retreats where we sang with Listen Up!. Cologne is only an hour away, so we have visited the church on singing days, but have also shopped at the Music Store with the boys when they were younger and growing their interest in music. We have also visited the church in Hannover and Hildesheim, gone on the Euro-American retreat in Rothenburg and visiting Scott’s memories from his youth in Berlin. 

We regularly visited Switzerland as well, taking groups of kids from Dutch and Belgian congregations to the soccer tournaments organized by the church in Schaffhausen. At other times we traveled to Zurich, Thun, Bern, Lucerne and Schaffhausen with Listen Up! on a singing tour. At least twice, Scott went with a group led by Doyle Kee on a hike in the Swiss alps. 

Another trip with Listen Up! took us to Graz and Vienna in Austria where we sang with and for the churches there. This same trip took us to Zagreb and Varazdin in Croatia. 

We have visited the church in Prague as well as taken a midweek trip there when we could get free. Other midweek trips took us to Budapest, Hungary; Rome, Italy and Barcelona, Spain. We have visited brothers in England and toured the British museum. When you can fly around Europe for 20 euro a person, it makes a short trip (the flight is often less than 2 hours) quite easy. 

Back near home, we have visited various places in Belgium and the Netherlands regularly - with the church and simply on a day trip together. Antwerp, Brussels, Brughe and Ghent are all cities we have visited with youth weekends and evangelistic campaigns as well as tourist trips. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Haarlem have also been places where we go as a matter of working with the youth and the church in the Netherlands. 

We are always thankful for the opportunities to travel places with the church and to be able to see and meet with the church in all of these places. God’s family is everywhere, it feels like. We are not alone. And we are not working alone. I regularly remember the verse in 1 Peter which reminds us of this and how good it is to be working together in the family of God. 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.  1 Peter 5:6-9

You can find some pictures from our travels here.