Whatsit Wednesday: Wash hand

How do you wash up? Did you know that cultures vary, even within a country? When I first came to the Netherlands I first encountered something that I, at least, had not yet encountered in my life. It was called a “wash hand”. Now that I have been down at camp these past weeks I have seen plenty of them again, since almost every child brings one along in their toiletries for the camp week. 

A wash hand, simply put, is a wash cloth that you can put your hand into. So it looks like a small oven mit made of Terry cloth. It will have a little loop on the corner so that you can hang it up on a hook in the bathroom. And, as mentioned, almost everyone has one. It is used in the shower for cleaning your body, but can also be used at the camping grounds just for washing your face or doing a quick once over under your arms to freshen up. 

I have always found these to be much more useful than a simple wash cloth, which has to be folded or laid across some place to dry. And a wash cloth inevitably gets balled up in your hand as you try to use it when washing (my experience, in any case). But a wash hand fits over your hand so that you simply wash as you would naturally when using soap. 

It is simple. Perhaps it is in many countries and I was never aware of it. But I first encountered this wonderful tool when I came to the Netherlands. Have you heard of a wash hand? What is it called where you are from? 

Whodunit Wednesday: Nikola Meeuwsen

You probably will not know his name, but this past week Nicola Meeuwsen, a Dutchman, won the prestigious Queen Elisabeth Competition for piano. The third place winner was Belgian Valère Burnon. He is only the 2nd Belgian to ever place in the top 3. 

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is a yearly competition for music. Each year highlights a different type of music. This year was for piano. Next year will be for the cello followed by voice and violin in the following years. There have been winners from many different countries since the competition began in 1937. Most recently, Koreans have won quite often (winning voice in 2014, violin in 2015 and cello in 2022). 

The competition began when Queen Elisabeth of Belgium wanted to help encourage Belgian composers and musicians and set up the competition which was first envisaged by Eugène Ysaÿe. Ysaÿe, a Belgian concert violinist, died before being able to set up the competition, so Queen Elisabeth made it possible. It was for many years a competition for composers. It has taken its most recent form (3 instruments and voice in varying years) since 2015. 

Nikola Meeuwsen is a 23 year-old Dutchman studying under renowned international pianists and teachers. He won the prestigious Steinway competition when he was 9 years old. He is a regular guest at Dutch and international festivals and has played with various renowned musicians. This year will see the release of his first solo album and in the coming years he will continue to add to his list of amazing accomplishments. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Mailbox

When we first traveled to the Netherlands, on campaign back in the 1980’s, a lot of what we did for the campaign came down to distributing flyers to invite people to some preaching and singing. We walked all over cities in the Netherlands, up stairs in the big cities, in and out of small front yards in the less urbanized sections of the cities. We became quite practiced at shoving flyers into mailboxes. But we also had to become practiced at finding the mailboxes. 

In the Netherlands many front doors have a special flap put into the door through which mail is placed. These are easy to find. The ones in the old style even say “letters” or “brieven” on them. But some of these slots are much harder to find. They are simply vertical slots in the wall next to the front door. If a bush grows next to the door - as often is the case in a good Dutch front yard - then finding the slot is quite a challenge. 

For those without a slot in the door or wall, there are special mailboxes. Of course people who want to individualize their garden have special mailboxes: some looking like little houses on a stick, others presenting as modern marble-like columns and others a simple box. 

But often there would be a generic green box witha red lock on it. The lock was so that no one can steal your mail. These boxes were most often to be found at the beginning of the small front yard, making it possible to place the mail without having to walk up the yard to the door. 

When we first moved into our house in Belgium, we were accosted one day by the mailman on his bike. Our house is on the street. We do not have a front yard. Our mailbox was just inside a small open entranceway shielding our door from the rain and presenting a nice architectural arch. The postman announced that our mailbox was illegal. He had to be able to reach the box without getting off his bicycle or out of his car (if he came in a car). The box could not be too high or too low. Otherwise we would not get our mail. 

So our mailbox is on the outside wall at just the right height so that our postman can stop with his bike, put his feet on the ground and fish in his front basket for any mail that might be ours. Of course these days we do not get much real mail. Most of it is advertisements for the local stores. But the mailbox is legal and we are happy that our postman is happy. 

(If you look closely you can see the dog we have been dog sitting the last few weeks)

Where oh where Wednesday: Sint Maarten

On September 6, 2017 hurricane Irma passed over the tiny island of Sint Maarten. In English, the island is called Saint Martin, but the island is actually French and Dutch. One half of the island is French and French-speaking, the other half is administered by the Dutch and officially speaks Dutch and English. In practice the lingua franca is English. 

This island has been populated for thousands of years, for the past 800 years by the Arowak and later the Carib. The latter called the island Salt island. Columbus discovered the island in 1493 when he landed on November 11, which is why it is named Saint Martin (the feast of Saint Martin is still celebrated in places in the Netherlands on November 11). The island was split up in its current form in the 17th century between the French and Dutch kingdoms.

On that terrible day in 2017, most of the Dutch half of the island was destroyed. Queen Juliana Airport was wiped out and people across the island had to struggle for weeks and months, trying to recover. Although the island originally was known for its salt-waning, both sides of the island survive and thrive with tourism. 

Sint Maarten, the Dutch half of the island, chose in 2010 to become a separate country under the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This gave them a bit more freedom to choose to direct their affairs as they desired while retaining important links with the Netherlands. It meant that, when the hurricane came, there was still some help. 

In Maastricht we remember that year because we reached out to help however we could. Some of us in the congregation knew people on the island. We had a group that could help with sending and receiving funds. There was a congregation on the island that was already helping those hit hardest. The church building there had been devastated. So we as a congregation helped where we could. 

This year the Queen Juliana Airport on Sint Maarten was officially opened, 7 years after the devastation of Irma. The airport had been working as well it could since the disaster, but now it has been completely renewed. Perhaps we will one day have the chance to visit and meet our brothers and sisters there. 

Whensday: Day of the princes

Yesterday, the 3rd Tuesday of September, was a day for hats, briefcases, pictures with the Dutch royal family and the King’s speech. It was Day of the Princes - originally the day to celebrate the birthdays of the royal princes. This is now the day every year that the current government presents their budget for the coming year and that the King gives a speech - written by the sitting government. For many it is a day to do some royalty watching as the Dutch royal family takes a ride in the glass coach, waves from the balcony in Amsterdam and enjoys celebrations. 

All of the politicians and very important people in the land gather at the Knight’s Hall in The Hague to listen to the King’s speech. Women wear all sorts of special hats for the occasion. It is a bit like Oscar evening in the US with journalists all talking about who is wearing what hat and who looks good. 

The finance minister of the country arrives with a briefcase. The briefcase holds the budget which has been agreed upon by the governing parties in the coalition and sets out the policy for the coming year. It is this policy that the King alludes to in his speech. The speech is written by the new prime minister, but the King presents it. 

Plenty of pomp and circumstance, bright colors and lots of formality. This year the two eldest daughters of the King will also take part, since they are both older than 18. The youngest daughter has to wait her turn. Princess Amalia (the oldest daughter) will some day be Queen of the Netherlands after her father. 

In the news people are questioning whether this day should become an official holiday. Some say that it should not. There are plenty of other things that happened and are celebrated at this time. In Eindhoven, the city celebrates Operation Market Garden (the film “A Bridge Too Far”) since Eindhoven was the first city in the Netherlands to be freed by Allied forces in 1944. This year cities all over the Netherlands, including Maastricht, are celebrating the 80th anniversary of this liberation.  

Whatsit Wednesday: Computer Chips

(Being down at camp and enjoying a vist from Sean and Jill in the same days meant I missed posting this tidbit on Wednesday)

The biggest producer of computer chips in the world is Taiwan. To make these chips, these companies need machines that are exclusively built by Dutch company ASML which is headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. This has made the Dutch quite wealthy, but hit has also created a unique and perhaps dangerous situation in the world. 

ASML was founded in 1984 and makes computer chips. These chips are these days in everything that we use in our modern society. Everyone can understand that chips would be in our smart phones. We use our phones to take pictures, to pay at stores or with friends, to bank, to communicate or even to keep up on our health. But chips are also in our kitchen appliances, radios, clocks, and toys. 

What makes ASML so unique is that they are the only company making the extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) photolithography machines that are necessary for making the most advanced chips used in the world. These machines are used by companies to create the chips which are placed in all of our modern devices. If the machines were not present, the chips could not be made and much of our society would suddenly come to a halt in many ways. 

This is why in recent times these machines have become a political stress point. Most chips are made in Taiwan. Taiwan is considered by China to be part of China, although Taiwan thinks otherwise. China wants the machines that make the chips. The machines are made in the Netherlands but used in Taiwan. So there is pressure to keep these machines out of the hands of China or any other country which some believe might use them to alter the power balance in the world. 

All of this in a little city just about an hour away from where we live. We travel every month to the congregation in Eindhoven (Veldhoven is more or less a suburb of Eindhoven) to sing with the church there, learning new songs and encouraging one another. Eindhoven is the city of lights - the city of Phillips. So it is not strange that ASML would have grown up in this area. 

Small things can often carry quite a bit of weight in the world. The Dutch have always known this and put it into practice. They may be one of the smaller countries in the world (and Europe), but they have quite a bit of power on the world stage. 

Whodunit Wednesday: Olympians

At the time of this writing, the Dutch medal count is up to 19 putting them in the 9th place of all countries. When you see how small this country is, it is amazing that they are able to garner as many medals as they do, even if many are in a single discipline. It is perhaps not strange that they won 8 medals in rowing. As in the Winter Olympics when they win many of the skating medals, one would expect a country built on and near water to be good at water sports. 

But then there is also the 3x3 basketball gold, the amazing 4x400 mixed relay with the comeback of Femke Bol to grab the gold and the women’s road cycling silver of Marianne Vos. And the count has not finished yet, with medals expected in athletics, handball or other disciplines.

For the Belgians, the medals came in first from the cycling sports. Again, this is not a surprise, although it certainly was not a given. This became clear when the American Kristen Faulkner surprised everyone and won the the ladies road race through Paris. Even she was so surprised she forgot to celebrate at the finish line. The Belgian Lotte Kopecky took the bronze.

Celebrating at the finish line was something Remco Evenepoel did very well, creating an already iconic picture of him standing with his bike with the Eiffel Tower in the background. He has won the two gold medals for Belgium and has become one of the best cyclists ever for the Olympics. Belgium’s other 3 medals (putting them in 20th place so far) have also been in cycling, except for the one bronze medal in judo. 

The Belgians just missed out on a women’s gymnastics medal when Nina Derwael, coming back from injury, took 4th place on the uneven parallel bars. The women’s basketball team and hockey team both hope to grab a medal in the coming days. And then there are some other opportunities in a few less-visible sports.

Who are you watching and rooting for in these Olympic Games?

Whatsit Wednesday: Inline skates

When our boys were young, they loved skating. Stephan liked the skateboard, but also loved inline skating. We had our hands full making sure that they were safe as well as having fun. We don’t see as many people with inline skates anymore as fashion has moved on to something else. But skating in general is very well loved in the Netherlands, although it is most often done on ice. 

Still, it is interesting that the first inline skate was developed by a Belgian in the 18th century, depending on what you accept as a real inline skate, of course. Jean-Joseph Merlin from Huy (not far from where we have our Bible camp) was an inventor and watchmaker. He designed the first rollerskate in 1760, but did not take out a patent on it. 

When you look at who invented the rollerskate, you come out at a certain James Plimpton. He took out a patent in 1863 on the four-wheeled rollerskate that many of us older folks know from our childhood days. But the design from Merlin was easily a hundred years older at that time, although it was an inline model. There were even covered roller rinks in England in 1824. 

The idea of being able to skate was of course a much older idea, since people had been ice skating for quite some time. It was the need or desire to be able to skate when there was no ice that may have pushed Merlin to design his skate. And that was also why the skate looked more like a typical ice skate. The wheels were in-line so that the skater could also turn the foot and push off, just as with an ice skate. 

Inline skating is considered more a sport for long distance. Despite its popularity in various countries around the world, inline skating is not yet an Olympic sport, so we will not be seeing any of it this summer in Paris.  

Whodunit Wednesday: The tallest people in the world

According to a recent study and nay other studies throughout the years, the Netherlands has the tallest people in the world, generally. That doesn’t mean that the tallest man or woman in the world will be from the Netherlands. It does man that in general you will feel pretty short if you walk around in the Netherlands. 

The mean height for men in the Netherlands is over 6 foot. For women the mean is above 5 foot 7 inches. This simply confirms what I have always felt. I am not short. I know that I was pretty proud when I could say that I was taller than my father. He was always saying that he was 5’10” and a half. The “and a half” was important. I am just above 6 foot. And my “little” brother is taller than I am. But that didn’t matter when I came to the Netherlands. 

Almost any time that I am standing in line at the checkout of a grocery store or walking down the streets in beautiful Maastricht, I am towered over by the people around me. Young Dutch men, older Dutch men, and not a few Dutch women are at least as tall as me and many are easily taller. It is no problem finding a large size shoe in the shoe store (although I only wear a 10.5 or 11). 

Of course for Shirley this presents other difficulties. Shirley is petite. The Dutch women are not. So finding clothes in the Netherlands is not always a simple task for a smaller woman. Our colleagues are in the same boat as we. Ruud is a Dutchman. Although he has “shrunk” in the last years due to health challenges, I always remember looking up to him (he is 6’5”). But his wife is only an inch taller than Shirley. 

Down at our Bible camp we had inherited the beds from the Dutch army. We got them for a good price because the Dutch army needed to buy new beds. It seems that the typical Dutch man had gotten even taller. So even though the beds we inherited were longer than normal, the new beds the army was buying for their soldiers were even longer. My colleague has always had to order a special bed that will be long enough to keep his feet on the bed. He even had to special order a walker as he has come to need one. 

Although this height has sometimes helped the Dutch in sports, it has not always translated into victory. There have been championship men’s and women’s volleyball teams at the Olympics, but not that recently. Basketball was not a common sport in the Netherlands until modern history, so it is only recently that more Dutch men have started playing and breaking through. Women’s basketball is played more in Belgium than in the Netherlands where women’s cycling, ice skating and field hockey are more important. 

Genes, healthy food and healthy societal norms have all contributed to this truth. When I first came to the Netherlands, drinking milk was a given. The whole country was built on dairy and dairy products. Milk, cheese and more are part and parcel of the Netherlands, just like tulips and wooden shoes. 

Whensday: 1602 world’s first stock exchange

In the Netherlands and Belgium, throughout Europe, the lottery is something that is well-known. In the Netherlands you can “play” with the other people on your street, joining in the postcode lottery. The whole idea behind a lottery is that people can take their chances in winning a much larger sum. You buy a lot and take your lot in your own hands - or at least that is what is sold. 

This idea of risking your money to make even more has been around a long time. There has always been all sorts of gambling. But it was the Dutch who first came up with the idea of risking funds to help businesses grow. It was in the Netherlands in 1602 that the Dutch East India Company was set up. Some see this as the beginning of trading stock in a company. The Amsterdam Stock Exchange is often considered the beginning of modern securities markets, although lending had been present on a larger scale since the Middle Ages in places like Italy. 

The idea behind a stock exchange is that people can buy stock in a company. The buyer buys a part of the company and runs the risk that the company will do well, hoping that the stock will become more valuable as the company grows. But this is of course never certain. Some companies fail, others become suddenly very successful. Today we would say they go “viral”. The stock holders want the company to do well so that they can get their money back and more. 

The most well-known markets are now in the US and England: the New York Stock Exchange, the NASDAQ and the London Stock Exchange. The AEX is the exchange in Amsterdam. The buildings in which these exchanges are housed are often well-known, even as tourist attractions. The “Beurs” or the “Bourse” can be found in Brussels, in Amsterdam and in many other European cities. (The picture is of the exchange in New York on Wall Street).

Whodunit Wednesday: Joost Klein’s “Europapa”

Today is a holiday in Belgium, but not in the Netherlands. In Belgium `9and Germany) they celebrate May 1 as “Labor Day”. This is for these countries a day to celebrate workers and to enjoy the Spring weather, if it has come. The Netherlands doesn’t have this tradition, so in our area, the roads going into Maastricht are full of Belgian and German cars looking to shop (since the stores in Belgium and Germany are closed). Europe may have no internal borders, but various differences remain.

Around this same time (middel of May) the Eurovisie Songfestival shows up on tv and in the news. Most people can remember how ABBA became a household name and a mega group after winning this competition with the song “Waterloo” back in the 1970’s. It became so popular and the Europe ended up having so many more countries that the competition had to be split up and not every country gets to partake every year. 

This year the Dutch contribution is considered a real contender to win. Joost Klein sings in many languages about “Europapa”. That he sings in various languages is already unique. In some of the beginning years countries were required to present their song in their native language (otherwise there were too many languages in English). This rule was finally completely abolished in 1999. So now any country causing in whatever language they wish. Klein’s song is unique in that it uses many of the various languages of Europe, while poking fun at them as well. 

While many will hear the conglomeration of languages and images as a reference to Europe, the song is also about Klein’s father. So “Europapa” refers to his European “papa” or father. Klein lost his parents when he was young. If Klein wins with his song, the Netherlands will be the hosting country for the contest next year. This year the contest is being held in Sweden who has won the contest 7 times, as has Ireland. The winner from last year is the only female singer to have won twice (she also won in 2012). 

The contest has always been s how of extremes, including the costumes that are worn. Joost Klein will perform in a blue suit (the flag of Europe is blue with yellow stars) and will be flanked by two men - one dressed as a blue bird, the other as a yellow bird. 

Where oh where Wednesday: Emmen

Where will Kings Day be held this year? In Emmen. Every year the king of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, and his wife Maxima choose a city in the Netherlands to celebrate the king’s birthday. This year they will celebrate in Emmen. This means that this city will ben looking forward to the arrival of the king and will plan all sorts of local activities to celebrate his birthday. The day itself is a holiday across the Netherlands and cities everywhere will hold markets where anyone can come and sell things. In Maastricht it will be in the city park. The cities will also be decorated in orange.

Emmen is a town in the province of Drenthe. It was a city that was formed by combining several villages and only had any real growth after the 2nd World War. It went from 3,000 inhabitants in the 19th century to the 56,000 living there now. Most people in the country know Emmen because of its zoo which welcomes some 1.5 million visitors a year. 

Emmen is the most populous city of the province of Drenthe, but that is not saying much since the whole province only has a population of roughly 500,000. Drenthe is the 3rd least populated province and is mostly known for its agriculture. Ir borders Germany in the east. The whole province, due to its sparse population and rural nature, is known as a cycling destination. 

So this year Emmen will color orange as it welcomes the king for his birthday. It will show off all its treasures and history and will enjoy a day in the spotlight that is different from the spotlight that has recently shown o the Dutch farmers who have been protesting EU regulations causing their farms to be shut down. 

Where oh Where Wednesday: Curaçao

Many people have a certain picture in their mind when they think of a Caribbean island. Palm trees blowing softly in a warm wind as the seas gently roll in onto the sandy beaches which invite you to sit with a drink in your hand enjoying the sun. And some islands in the Caribbean probably fit this description. But I was surprised by the description of Curaçao given by inhabitants. 

Curaçao is one of the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) which are part of the kingdom of the Netherlands but lie just off the coast of Venezuela. Curaçao may have gotten its name early in its colonization in the 16th century because sailors who were left there with scurvy recovered after eating vitamin C rich fruit om the island. The island was then the island of healing. Another reason given for the name of the island is that this was the name of the indigenous people who lived there. 

During the 80 years war with the Spanish in the 17th century, the mighty Dutch navy took the islands from the Spanish. From that point forward the Dutch East India Company (the VOC) started colonizing the island. The capital, Willemstad, was established and settled. The city, and the island, were perfect for commerce of all types, including piracy. And of course the slave trade was well represented. 

The city of Willemstad is now a world heritage site and tourist destination. Its colorful houses show up in many pictures or movies about the Caribbean. The population of about 150,000 are from ethnicities. The slave trade, trade with South American countries, indigenous populations and all sorts of European peoples make as colorful a mix as the buildings along the blue seas. 

What surprised me the most was hearing that most of the country is quite desolate and dry. In the 20th century when Venezuela found oil, Shell set up a refinery on the island. But there is also a salt winning further inland. The coast looks like an ideal tourist destination, but driving into the middle of the island brings you to dry areas with cactus and stone. 

Many inhabitants of Curaçao come to the Netherlands to study or further their economic situation. The island inhabitants were first part of the Netherlands Antilles, but are now simply part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Although the Antilles guilder is used as currency, everyone is familiar with the euro. In the city and on the island people speak Papiemento and English, although many will also be able to speak or understand Dutch. 

The link between Curaçao and Maastricht is personal for us. Although a disgraced governor of Curaçao found a job in Maastricht back in the 19th century, we made a link when we helped a young family move to Maastricht from The Hague at the beginning of the 21st century. We also have worked together with a sister in the church in Eindhoven who is originally from Curaçao. Through her we also have contact with brothers and sisters in Alabama who have good contact with the church in Willemstad. You can find more information about the church in Willemstad at this link .

Whatsit Wednesday - Skates

Every year the Dutch wonder if it will be this year. Of course the temperature needs to be just right. It needs to freeze for quite a while to make it possible. The “11 City Race” is a skating race along canals between 11 cities in The Netherlands. It is what every skater wants to be able to say they have experienced, even if they never win it. Simply being able to take part is enough. 

The last race was held in 1997 (the 15th since the beginning in 1909) and most people do not expect this year to be the year that the next one will be able to be held. But you never know. I remember when I first lived in The Netherlands and spent the Christmas break with a wonderful family, they took me skating. Everyone seemed to have skates. It wasn’t a question of “if” you had skates, it was what kind of skates you might have. 

Ice skates come in all different kinds. I remember as a child that we had some metal contraptions that we attached and tied to our snow boots or shoes. In the summer we had roller skates that also attached to our sneakers. There are skates for figure skating, for ice hockey or for racing. These days there are also various forms of racing: short track, track and long distances outside. 

The Dutch have always been contenders in the skating sports. When you come to The Netherlands and want to watch sports in the winter, be prepared to hear plenty of skating news. It was the Dutch who invented the ‘clap skate’ which is a skate with a hinge, making it possible to put more power into the skating movement. The Dutch used this skate from the 1980’s but it was not allowed in international competition until 1997. 

Skating in Belgium is not as popular as in The Netherlands, but recently there have been several Belgians making news in the sport. Brother and sister Stijn and Hanne Desmet have made their name in short track skating and the European top female figure skaters include Belgian Loena Hendrickx. But the Dutch continue to dominate the sport, including names like: Irene Schouten, Marijke Groenewoud, Jutte Leerdam, Sven Kramer, Patrick Roest and Kjeld Nuis. 

Although skating races are very Dutch, the other forms haven’t really caught on. Ice hockey teams are not very common here, whereas they are everywhere in the US and Canada. Still, if the weather allows, one day it will be cold enough to finally hold the next 11-city-race and all of The Netherlands will put on their skates to take part if possible. 

And then there are the other skates and skeelers. But that is a story for another time. 

Across the country

Both Belgium and the Netherlands are small countries. We live on the far East side of Belgium and the church meets in Maastricht, the far South of the Netherlands. It only takes about 3.5 hours to drive across Belgium from East to West. And from South to North in the Netherlands would take perhaps 5 hours. When we were living in Texas, those distances were fairly matter of fact for many people. The same went for our time in California where we even now drive down to San Diego from Long Beach to visit family. 

This small size (if it were a house, it might be described as being “bijou”) means that the congregations in both countries can get together for activities much more simply than in places where the distances stretch out across the plains and mountains. This also means that the congregations work together quite often in various activities. 

Last moth the church in Maastricht organized a Youth Day. In order to make it easier for kids from further away - remember that we are at the ends of the two countries - we held there day in a town more in the center of Belgium. This meant that we were able to welcome many more kids for the day. It is important that our young people can develop friendships with kids from other cities around the country. 

When I have planned a song workshop, helping members of the church learn to sing or learn to lead singing, we also encourage members from various congregations around the country to attend. Twice a year a Family Day is planned for the churches in the two countries as well. In the Spring the churches gather in The Hague - this is mostly the churches in the Netherlands. In the Fall it is held down at camp and serves more of the Belgian churches. 

I remember helping out at a VBS various times when we lived in the US or were traveling during one of our Home Assignments. These were week-long opportunities to reach out to children in the city or direct neighborhood. This week a “VBK” or Vacation Bible Kamp will be held down at camp in the Ardennes. Instead of hosting kids from one city or neighborhood, this is a week for kids from all across the country. In this case only Belgium, since it is a school holiday win Belgium, but not in the Netherlands. This past weekend camp also hosted Fall Camp, which is a weekend at camp for teens which hosts teens from both countries. 

Within the next few weeks the same thing will be happening for different groups. The ladies of Maastricht (including Shirley) will be hosting a Ladies Day in Maastricht, welcoming ladies from around Belgium and the Netherlands for the day. It is thrilling to see how these activities reach out to church family as well as seekers who are interested in the good news of Jesus. 

A week later the church in Ghent is organizing an indoor soccer tournament for the churches. There will be players, young and old, as well as supporters from both countries. They will come to enjoy a day of sport and to see brothers and sisters again. Some players and supporters will just be getting to know the church. We hope to go with a group from Maastricht, both players and supporters. 

It is exciting to see how life in Christ means life in the body of Christ. It is thrilling to be able to take part in activities with brothers and sisters from around the country (two countries even) because we live in such a nice, ‘bijou’ place. Pray for all of these opportunities and thank God for how He makes us a family.  

Where Oh Where Wednesday: Haarlem or Harlem?

In October 1982 I moved to Haarlem, the Netherlands. I had been there on a campaign the summer before with a program from York College called the Master’s Apprentice Program (MAP). Now I would be working with the evangelist in Haarlem (Jim Krumrei) for 2 years in the same program. 

I have never been to Harlem, in Manhattan. We had some travel time while visiting Sean and Jill this past Spring, but we didn’t make it to Harlem. Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan. We were staying down in Chinatown, not far from where Sean and Jill live and work. Most people think of Harlem as a black neighborhood, considering its history in the 20th century. 

Originally, Harlem was a Dutch village, organized in 1658 in New Amsterdam - which would become New York. It was named after the city in the Netherlands. It has been home to large Jewish and Italian populations as well as the African-American migration in the beginning of the 20th century. Harlem in the 1920’s and 30’s was the place to be in many ways. 

Haarlem - in the Netherlands - is the capital of the province of North Holland. It received its city rights in 1245 and the first walls were built in 1270. It is sat on a thin strip of land which is above sea level and surrounded by bits that are below sea level (which is much of the country). The nearby airport of Schiphol is built on what is literally “ship hollow”. It is home to the painter Frans Hals and was famous for tulips, printing and beer brewing. 

I remember learning to speak Dutch among the local stores and listening to playing children. Learning how to talk about my faith with people who were sometimes interested and often not, taught me plenty about people and myself. I was thankful for the areas close by that also afforded respite and comfort. 

From Haarlem I could bicycle to Spaarndam where the statue of the boy with his finger in the dike stands. The statue is based on a book written by an American who clearly did not know what a dike looked like. On the other side of the city I could bike out to the dunes and the sea to watch the sun rise. Or I could head downtown and enjoy the busy market on market day, walk past the cathedral or consider the history that you can simply breath in wherever you walk in the city, like the smell of a sharp cheese. 

It was in this city, on the steps of the city hall, that my colleagues Ruud and Karla were married. Not far from the city hall is the home of Corrie ten Boom. Just a short walk further and you are among the canals where in the Spring a market is held throughout the night to sell flowers. Two years is not very long in a lifetime, but for a young man it was a time to fill up on amazing memories. 

We are still very thankful for the church in Haarlem, being able to share time with our brothers and sisters there whenever we can see them - even if it is elsewhere. Most recently we were able to send time with members of the congregation during Family camp. Jim and Ruth Krumrei, who are now in their 90’s, came to Family Day just 2 weeks ago. 

I haven’t visited Harlem yet. But I hope that we get the chance some day. Whether Harlem or Haarlem, both places are full of intricate, complicated, enticing history. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Sound carriers

I remember working together with my brothers and friends to create a sound recording of harmony. If we sang onto one cassette, we could then play that cassette and sing along with it while recording on another cassette. In that way we could get both voices onto one recording. You could even do it one more time, although the quality got worse each time. 

But wait a minute. What is a cassette, some may be asking? A tape cassette was a way to record sound onto magnetic tape and then be able to play it back. When I was growing up, my father had reel-to-reel tapes. These were large reels of magnetic tape that were played off on a large audio system. A cassette tape was the miniature version of reel-to-reel. 

You might have seen it in movies like “Guardians of the Galaxy” or some tv series that look back at the 70’ and 80’s. We would sit with our cassette recorders at the ready next to the radio, ready to hit record when “our” song came on and then hope that the dj would not ruin it by talking at the end of the song. In this way we could make a mix-tape of our favorite songs - the Spotify of our age. 

Cassette tapes were later replaced by compact discs - cd’s. These were plastic discs which had been “written” on by a laser and could be “read” by another laser. There had even been large discs, about the size of a long-play album (an lp) which could show a whole movie. CD’s could hold much more information that cassette’s and did not have to be played sequentially. You could choose whatever song on the album you wanted to listen to, followed by whatever other song on the album. 

The same technology was bettered and made able to hold even more information so that video’s in the end also ended up on these discs, which we called dvd’s (digital video discs). People had already been able to watch video on a video cassette recorder (a VCR), but now there was no more rewinding and torn and tangled magnetic tape. 

As we traveled this summer we were able to watch any number of video’s on the plane, simply choosing which video was to be played at our seat. Other passengers nearby were watching their own video’s on their laptop computers or their phones. In fact, people listen to any music or watch any kind of video content using their phones these days. 

This was all set into motion together with a Dutch company back in the day. It was Phillips who made cassette recorders, cd recorders and dvd recorders. More recently, Phillips dropped this side of their business and began focussing more on medical technology. Phillips is the major industry in the Dutch city of Eindhoven where we go every 3rd Wednesday to sing with the church there - without recording in any way. But if you are interested in hearing some of the recordings made of songs we sing, you can check them out at this video site (combining sound and video).

Where Oh Where Wednesday: Roads

Having just returned last Wednesday from New York to Belgium I thought it appropriate to mention in this ‘where’ a ‘who’ who makes some of our travels possible. The roads which take us to so many places are everywhere - except in some places - have a link to Belgium.

When we were in Texas, we noticed that the roads and highways are constructed of concrete slabs. And in some other areas we visited in the Midwest, the roads were simply compacted dirt. But in most places, in the US and all over Europe, roads are made of asphalt. 

The Germans are very proud that their highways are extremely well-cared for. They have to take a lot of very fast-driving cars. The Dutch have quite a few kilometers of highway for such a small country, and they are also well-maintained. In Eastern Europe, it used to be that roads were horrible, making a trip of 7 hours into a trip that could take 14 hours because the asphalt was not well-maintained. 

Belgium had one of the first modern highways and has an extreme amount of road for the size of the country. But every Belgian will let you know that there is plenty to complain about when it comes to roads. The asphalt is often pockmarked. Cities are required to place a sign if there is a pothole. But they are not required to fix it. If you see a sign and hit a pothole which damages your car, the insurance will not pay. There was a sign, after all. 

All of this to say that asphalt was first done by a Belgian - Edward de Smedt - in 1870 when he laid a stretch of road in Battery Park and 5th Avenue in New York City. So whether you are driving in Minnesota, Michigan, Maryland, Maine or Malta, whether the road takes you from New York to Connecticut or from The Netherlands to Belgium, it is most likely an asphalt road, originally created by a Belgian (in the US). 

Whatsit Wednesday: Types of ships

It is no surprise that The Netherlands and Belgium have quite a history wrapped up with boats, ships and waters of all kinds. Most The Netherlands is below sea level and its golden age was a time of sea exploration, world discovery and amazing sea battles with the English. Belgium was parts of various sea-going countries before it became its own country in the 19th century. So it, too, shared in these watery exploits. 

But there are some unique styles of boats designed or specifically used in these two countries. The Fluyt (or ‘fluit” which means “flute”) was a Dutch merchant sailing ship in the 16th and 17th century. It was especially useful because it could haul quite a bit of cargo while only requiring a skeleton crew to operate. 

On the Zuiderzee - which was quite shallow - special flat-bottomed boats were designed. They are recognizable by what look like wings on either side. These are used instead of a keel. These boats were fishing vessels as were so many other types of sailing boats in the time. Much of sailing has remained the same throughout the centuries. 

Both the Dutch and the Belgians used canals for transport across the country. Even today these canals are used for bulk transport. A canal runs behind our house between two major canals. The Albert canal brings goods to Antwerp, while the Zuid Willemsvaart brings goods to Rotterdam - two of the busiest harbors in Europe. The Briegden-Neerharen canal (which runs behind our house) connects the two. We regularly watch barges pass by with all sorts of bulk goods. 

Even in our modern day, the Dutch and Belgians remain two of the most important countries when it comes to shipping. Belgium has become one of the premier countries for dredging, with highly technical ships designed to do the job. What is dredging good for? Think of Abu Dhabi or Dubai in the UAE where they have created land from the sea. Or mega harbors in China. This is accomplished with dredging activity often involving Belgian boats. 

Another modern twist has been the need for LNG containers. Liquified Natural Gas is a way of transporting natural gas from where it is mined to where it needs to be used. The Netherlands has a good bit of its own natural gas, but they have decided not to use it. This means that they have to buy gas from places like the US. This gas is then shipped to places like Rotterdam where huge ships become gas terminals. 

And on a funner note, we still can jump on a ferry from Oostende to Dover and enjoy a quick visit to the United Kingdom. A few years back when the boys were still at home, we took a family day-trip to Canterbury using such a ferry. Of course one could also just drive through the ‘Chunnel’, but that’s another story for another time. 

Whensday: The Flood Disaster of 1953

On February 1, 1953 - 70 years ago -  the Netherlands experienced a terrible natural disaster that shaped the country from then on. In the middle of the night, after severe storms, the water in the rivers and the seas rose so much that much of the southwestern coast of The Netherlands was flooded and more than 3000 people died. 

This is a tragedy at any time an in any place in the world, but at this moment - not long after the ravages of World War II - and in this seemingly modern country, it was devastating. In the country that for centuries had tamed the seas and learned how to live under sea level, nature had struck back and the country was brought to its knees. 

But that was the impetus for a renaissance of technology that has stretched Into the 21st century. These days, when a country wants to know how to deal with water, they come to The Netherlands and ask advice. It was Dutch engineers who were consulted after Katrina devastated Louisiana. Dutch engineers have been consulted and are at work in solving problems in Bangladesh. This tragedy 70 years ago ignited again the desire in the Dutch to conquer the water around them and turn it to their advantage. 

The Dutch rebuilt the villages, towns and cities along the coast, but not before they built an amazing wall to keep out the sea. This wall can open and close, leaving life open to the sea when it is safe, and closing off the waters when they become precipitously dangerous. Knowledge about dikes, canals, tides, beaches and more became common knowledge for the Dutch - and turned into shared knowledge for the world. 

Interestingly, much of that knowledge could not really help in 2021 when the rivers south of the country flooded in a short week, flooding some villages and towns in Belgium and the south of The Netherlands and threatening the cities further north. Questions arose about how things had been built as well as about how to protect against such natural disasters. The tenacity and adaptability of the Dutch have made them the eminent scholars and practitioners of works with water. 

In recent days we have seen a disaster that will resonate for years to come with people in Turkey and Syria. It reminds one of the quakes in Japan and Los Angeles where v=builders learned lessons. But the pain remains as a reminder to all who will listen.