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)

International thanks

This past weekend we were able to celebrate ‘Thanksmas’. This is what we here call the day that the Americans, Canadians and those linked to such get together to celebrate Thanksgiving. Since it cannot be done on a Thursday, we find a day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year it was actually very close to Thanksgiving - the Saturday following. We had just been able to talk to our son, Stephan, his wife, Natalie and our granddaughter the day before on a video call. They had been gone on Thanksgiving, so the Friday was better for all. And the following day we were with friends in Antwerp celebrating and eating turkey and pumpkin pie. 

This event brings several different cultures together, but all of whom have a link to the Thanksgiving in some way. Some Dutch or Belgian husbands or wives are linked through their spouse. This means that the kids also get a taste of the day. Some church family has been involved for many years. And sometimes people are invited to simply share the food and fellowship. 

Years ago we brought our Chinese professor friend, Jia (who passed away unexpectedly this year), to share as part of our family. Others have also brought guests. This year we had 5 Chinese visitors who came with their colleague - an American who was living in Belgium but has moved with his family to China for his job. Now he was back in Belgium for a few weeks with his colleagues for a work visit. And they were excited to be able to experience this American holiday.

I spent some time speaking with Justin (his English name). He was thrilled with the singing we did as well as the food differences. It turns out that his parents have also become Christians - in China. But he assured me that the songs they sing sound nothing like what we sang. And he asked if every family at Thanksgiving sings like this. I assured him that at least this group did. 

There are all sorts of holiday traditions. Our son runs a 5K Turkey Trot (with some of the in-laws). Our other son, who lives with his Belgian wife in New York City, has spent time in the past with friends who invite them to a sort of family gathering. This year they spent time on a walk in Central Park. We have previously invited our neighbors and members of the congregation in Maastricht to celebrate with us at our home. It is always a time of meeting, blending families and cultures, and sharing the many things we are thankful for. 

What did your Thanksgiving look like? 

(Photo: games after dinner and before dessert)

Ladies on top of the mountain

This past week was another wonderful opportunity for international cooperation and growth. Every year the ladies in Europe plan a Ladies retreat at the beginning of March. Different groups do the organizing, but ladies come from around Europe: Benelux, Germany, France, Switzerland and Great Britain. Because of refugees in Europe, there are also ladies from Ukraine who attend. 

Shirley went with a group from the congregation in Maastricht which included our young Ukrainian sister for the first time. She mentioned when we picked her up on the way to join the car going to the retreat that as she had been worrying about it. But then she was talking with a therapist she has (as a refugee) and mentioned what the theme was: Questions from Jesus. Questions like: Why are you afraid? Why do you not trust? And she realized that she didn’t have to be afraid. 

It was exciting to hear afterwards how well it went for her. There were other Ukrainians present for the weekend and she was able to translate for them from English. This from a young lady who, when she arrived, could barely say anything in English. Now she speaks English quite well and can understand a good bit of Dutch as well. She saw how God was using her in the weekend, assisting and encouraging others. 

The weekend, held at a youth hostel in Germany, starts on a Thursday evening and goes through to Sunday afternoon, with the ladies getting home just before dinner on Sunday evening. This gives the husbands enough time to get the house cleaned up and dinner ready before the wife returns (or at least that is always my plan). I am always thankful that Shirley has always arranged for food while she is gone, showing me what is in the refrigerator and explaining again how to do things (I do not cook very often). 

We are thankful for these kinds of opportunities. Shirley was with her sisters from Maastricht, but was also able to see others from around Europe. There was also one of the ladies we have had contact with in the past who lives in Brussels and seeks guidance and assistance from Christian brothers and sisters. That is what we are all about as a family, a body. We are thankful this year for the sisters from Switzerland who organized the retreat. Next year will be organized by sisters from Germany and France. 

Where oh where Wednesday: Around the world

When we first started making plans to work with the church in Dutch-speaking Europe, we looked at where might be good to go. There were already congregations in the north of the Netherlands and in the western and central parts of Belgium. I remember making a study of areas that not only did not have congregations, but which were also on a crossroads - as was Philippi when the apostle Paul showed up there. 

When we, together with two Dutch couples, established the congregation in Maastricht, it was because the Dutch couples were moving there, because there was no congregation in the province of Limburg, and because Maastricht sits at the crossroads of this area of Europe. 

Maastricht in the Netherlands, Aachen in Germany and Liege in Belgium form what is known as a Euregion. These cities work closely together. Students from Germany come to Maastricht to study and vice-versa. When we would go to market in Maastricht on a Saturday, in the days before the Euro was introduced, we could hear all three languages and use all three currencies at any stand. This area was exactly what the European Union had in mind when they thought of cooperation. 

The wonderful thing for us has been how we have been able to connect with brothers and sisters from across Europe because of these links and the location of the city and church. We have connections with the church in Germany in Aachen, Cologne, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Chemnitz, Hildesheim and Hamburg. We have also worked with German-speaking churches in Bern, Zurich, Luzern and Schaffhausen in Switzerland and Graz and Vienna in Austria

In France, Belgium and Switzerland we work together with or have worked with congregations in Liege, Verviers, Brussels, Lille, Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Geneva. We work with members from Russia and our members in Maastricht connect us with the church in Ukraine. Farther from home, our members connect us with the church in Ecuador and Ghana. The congregation has supported works in Kenya, Uganda, St. Maarten, Myanmar and Vietnam. 

And of course we are linked to friends and family - Christian and blood - throughout the United States. God’s family is not restricted to one place. When we hear our singing echoing in our small room in Maastricht as we meet with about 35 people, we know that song is also ringing out under trees, in huge meeting halls, in living rooms all around the world. It is good to know that we are part of an amazing, living body of Christ. 

How Great Thou Art

This past Sunday we were blessed with some wonderful songs. The one that really got me was when we sang “How Great Thou Art”. This is a great song whenever it is sung. But this past Sunday the song leader reminded us that it is in various languages. So we heard people singing it in Spanish, English, Dutch and Ukrainian. Perhaps it was also being sung in Arabic, but I could not really ask our visitor from Syria. 

The day before many of the members were out at our place for a birthday bbq. There are several members who have a birthday ij the summer months. And we like having an excuse to get together and a church family. So we prayed for good weather, planned for rain and met up with plenty of food and time for each other. 

This is one of the few times that our sister Nel gets out of the house (other than going to the store or the doctor). The kids had fun playing with Lego and cups and even a little disc golf (which I have in the yard). Some of the brothers took a walk out to the canal and talked while others sat around the table in the midday sun, enjoying encouraging conversation. 

We took a minute (or 5) to talk about how God had blessed us this year so far. Family, travels, daily blessings, visits with grandkids, safety in our country and more. Our Syrian sister told us (through the ingenuity of a translation program on a phone) that it is so good to be part of a family who helps her and cares for her. The kids were thankful for vacation and the little things of every day. 

It was a simple weekend. A bbq on the Saturday (and it stayed dry!), time to worship our amazing God on Sunday and encourage one another. We are so thankful for our family in Maastricht and in so many other places around the world. We can truly sing “How Great Thou Art”. 

Camp preparation

Are you willing to swim against the stream? To go against the grain? To live upside down? Our society pushes us in all sorts of directions, but God is calling us to stand firm and walk with Him. 

In just a few weeks we will be headed down to camp for a week with a group of teens. This year we have Teen Camp for the 12-14 year-olds and we will be welcoming 24 campers. We are almost full (we can house 28 campers with 4 counselors). 

We will be looking at Matthew 5-7 and the amazing things that Jesus says. “You have heard… but I say to you…” We are excited about the opportunity to work with these teens and share the things that we will lear together from God’s word. And we are looking forward to a great week of fun and making new friends as well. 

This year we have quite an international group of campers, as we did last year. We have a few who speak French and English, others who speak Dutch and Ukrainian or Russian, and still others who simply speak Flemish (or Dutch). We have a team that should be able to handle the language challenges as well as the normal challenges that comes with working with teens. 

In the two weeks before our week, the older teens (15-20 years-old) and the Benjamins (8-11 years-old) will hold their week at camp. The past week has been very warm, but we never know what it will be like down at camp until we get there. We may not be able to have a campfire at the end of the week (the area has been very dry), but that will not put a damper on the fun. Somehow, we always find a way to have fun and learn about how to grow in faith. 

We are thankful for this opportunity. Please keep our teams and all of the young people in your prayers as we work through the summer. At the end of the youth weeks we will also hold a family camp week. Everyone is welcome at this camp where we will look at prayer. I will teach one lesson and work with the teens during the second lesson every day. 

We know that there are various camps going on around the world. Our young Ukrainian couple is off to Camp Amerikraine in Poland. Friends are organizing various weeks at Midwest Bible Camp in Iowa. And other friends have just finished up with camp from Colorado (but held in Wyoming). We pray that all of these efforts are touching hearts everywhere to walk with God in our daily lives. 

Around the world

This past Friday we held a CHRISTmas sing-a-long, inviting our neighbors, Ukrainians in the city and any others to pion us in singing Christmas songs in various languages. We sang in French, Dutch, English, German, Ukrainian and Russian (and even in Latin). We wanted people to be able to not only enjoy this time in their own language, but also share this time with others. 

The Netherlands was playing against Argentina in the World Cup, so many Dutch people had quite a conflict for this evening. But we had a great group of Ukrainians who came from Eindhoven (about an hour away) to sing with us and to meet the congregation here in Maastricht. The singing was done before 9pm. The talking went on until about 10pm. We are so thankful for how God creates family. 

Last week we also heard from a small village in Uganda who received 50 Bibles in their own language. The church family here wanted to help with this need and took care of sending the Bibles in a responsible way. As a congregation we have helped with various congregations in times of need: in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, St. Maarten and Curaçao as well as with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. 

God’s family, the church that is the body of Christ, is not some small group of people in a city in a country. It is a body, truly linked around the world and serving as the hands of Jesus wherever they are. If you are a Christian, you are not alone. We are made to be in communion, in a body, working together. And even if you are isolat5ed, you are not alone. Write, pray, email, call, speak to those around you. God is mighty and is using us all mightily, wherever we are. 

Whither in winter weather?

In the Netherlands it was supposed to be a historic snowfall and terrible winter conditions. We live in the south, so it turned out to be a bit different. But we got some snow and we certainly got plenty cold temperatures. But it has been interesting to see how people ar dealing with it all. 

Usually, we would be heading down to Germany this week for ABSS (Advanced Bible Study Series). Of course this is not possible in corona days. It doesn’t matter that it is also very cold and perhaps completely snowed in. ABSS cannot continue as it usually would. But that doesn’t mean that it won’t happen. As with so many things, the week has gone online. 

That actually means that more people will be able to attend than might have been the case. At the moment the British contingent cannot get into Europe. Some past members have in the meantime moved to the US. And for many, the long journeys has always been a challenge. But now they can all be present fro their own living room (even wearing their pajama’s). 

So instead of worrying about travels, many are contemplating their internet evenings. And back in the Netherlands the whole nation began a conversation about the 11-city-trip. This is an ice skating competition that only happens when enough of the water in the Netherlands has frozen that the route between 11 cities can be skated. The last time it was held was 1997. 

So, as soon as the possibility arrived that water was going to freeze, people started thinking about skating. And suddenly the whole country had something else to talk about, something else to concentrate on, than some strange virus or vaccins or masks or government orders. Social media has been flooded with video’s and pictures of skating fun and the country has enjoyed a well-earned breather - in the middle of freezing cold weather. 

It continues to amaze me how God can turn what seem to be unbelievably impossible conditions into something that is truly a blessing for many. Some churches meeting online has meant that peoples in places where church must be clandestine have had more opportunities to enjoy some kind of contact. We have also had to go back online in Maastricht. This means that we have been able to be complete again, although we still look forward to the time when we can see one another in person again. 

People who might never have considered God have also been confronted with difficult times and have found their way to God’s family because of the internet. I had an email and video call with a student who was struggling through the dark days. She found her children’s Bible and wondered who this God was and why she felt she really needed to find out. She will be reading the gospel of Mark this week and wanted to know if she could contact me with her questions. 

Sometimes we do not need to go anywhere to get all the way around the world. I am thankful then - not necessarily for all the hardship and frustration. I have to admit that I am still not happy with all of that. BUT, I can say with the apostle Paul - if God can use my weakness to be immensely strong, then I will glory in being weak that He may be strong. Actually, he said it like this: 

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

So I am looking forward to the coming days when I will see the crocuses popping their beautiful heads out of the ground letting me know that Spring is on the way, but I will continue to revel in the mighty majesty of my God who can turn withering winter into wonderful. (Forgive me, I like alliteration). 

Chewing on meat

How precious it is to sit and share together at the table! This past week I was blessed again to spend a few days at ABSS - Advanced Bible Study Series in Gemünden, Germany with people from all over Europe. The lessons are always challenging on various levels and there is time and opportunity for real conversation about spiritual topics. It is also a time to meet new people and where young and old gather to learn from each other. 

I usually also go hoping to see and experience some snow, but that was certainly not to be this year. Instead, I was able to play some good, energetic basketball with a good group from Marseille. In the past we have played in the snow, we have played when we only had three and we have played with anyone - even those who don’t really know anything about basketball. This time we had at least 4x4, but the challenge was to play with a ball that was almost flat. Lots of passing, very little dribbling. 

As mentioned, the lessons challenge. This year brought questions about what third-culture leadership looks like. It even reminded me that anyone who is in Christ is essentially third-culture, as is anyone who is married. Another series asked us to look at our bias and consider how we approach others with the word of God. For me it was nice to get some lessons on Judges, since I will be teaching this at our Teen Camp this summer. It is always nice to get some information and different viewpoints at a week like this. 

Shirley and I are always apart during this study week. We cannot easily find someone for Chester for those days. At the end of this week (Thursday), Shirley heads out to the Ladies Retreat in Germany, so it will be her turn then for the challenging lessons, conversations and good fellowship. We are thankful that we have these opportunities and that we are able to take advantage of them. 

How has God been challenging your heart and mind around the table with others recently? 

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Ephesians 2:14-18

Light in the Lowlands, December 2015

Here is a quick update on some of what we have been doing in the last months. You can also find information on Facebook and follow our pictures by clicking on the photo's on the right. Thanks for stopping by!