Looking ahead

We have almost been on the road for two months now. By next Wednesday we will be in our own house, our own bed, perhaps sweating from what we have heard is a heat wave in Belgium. Here in the US we have been able to visit with family and church family in so many places, sharing about what we are doing as well as picking up on what God is doing in these various places. 

We still have a day in California and then a few days with Sean and Jill in New York, but at times our minds are already turning to what is to come when we get back home. We fly on a Tuesday and arrive on Wednesday morning. That evening we will be able to share with the Maastricht family again in a Bible study we have missed for the last 8 weeks. 

On Saturday we will head down to camp with the congregation to share time together in God’s word and with God’s family. IN the morning we will study and discuss. We will then share lunch with the congregations from French-speaking Liege and Verviers. Following lunch we will join in song together - probably in at least three different languages. We are so thankful for these opportunities to encourage one another and be a family of Christ together. 

As we head into July we will be preparing for a week with the teens at camp. Shirley will be helping in the kitchen, Scott will be sharing the lessons and training new leaders and teachers. The week is full with 24 campers signed up. Please pray for these young people and the team leading them in this week. 

The week afterwards Scott will be down at Family camp once again helping with the lessons for the teens. This week is always a good opportunity to reach out to families who attend. We pray that we will be good examples while there and that God can use us in all of our conversations. 

Looking past the summer months we are looking at how we as a congregation can be God’s light and love in our community. Some of the things we have discussed while on our trip will come up with the congregation. How can we be reaching out to families? How can we be encouraging one another in remaining in the truth? We already have some plans for walks together, studies with students, games days and/or evenings for families and more. 

In all of this we are thankful that God is mighty, that we are speaking of His truth and love and that He is the One using all of us mightily for His kingdom. What is planned for your coming months? How is God using you now? What are you looking forward to? Let us know. And thank you so much for your prayers, your faithfulness as you walk with God and your example to those around you if you are walking with Him. 

This I have learned

On the first Friday of the month we welcomed three brothers from the French-speaking church in Liege once again for an evening of singing in Maastricht. I always enjoy these evenings and getting to see our brothers. I especially enjoy seeing George and Leonie. They are a couple that has been working with the church for quite some time. 

The interesting thing about my conversations with George is that he speaks neither English nor Dutch. I speak very little French. But we communicate. Sometimes one of the other brothers comes over and translates. But often we simply try to make it work, doing our best with hands and feet. 

This time we also welcomed Richard Wolfe who was visiting in Belgium. Richard used to work with the church in Liege and still works with them from a distance (he and his wife live in Kansas). They left Belgium about a year after we arrived. I still remember some of his lessons and was always thankful for how he and his family served the Lord here and still do wherever they are in the world. 

This past weekend Richard was speaking at the church in Verviers (also in the French-speaking area of Belgium). Verviers is only about 20 minutes from Bible camp and we know the preacher there, although I have never visited the congregation or the building. For years Freed-Hardeman University has had an exchange program working out of the building there. I wanted to meet the church and I wanted to hear Richard’s lesson. But everything was going to be in French. If I can read French, I can do alright. But trying to speak French and understand when someone speaks to me is well outside of my comfort zone. 

Then I though of George and Leonie. They come every month to Maastricht - even though they know we will mostly be singing in English and Dutch. George just does his best. He knows that we are brothers. He loves the Lord and has always done his best to encourage those around with him the grace of God. I had experienced this often. 

So I drove to Verviers. Being a preacher helps when a sermon is in a foreign language. If you understand the names of the books of the Bible and numbers (one of the first things people learn in a foreign language), then you can follow quite a bit of what is being said. And I was touched by a great sermon. 

Afterwards several members introduced themselves and tried to make conversation. Some could speak some English. Others were able to speak German (which I can speak). Otherwise, we simply used hands and feet and the few words we could share. It didn’t matter. We were brothers and sisters together. 

God’s family is amazing. I am so thankful for George’s example of courage and faithfulness. I am thankful for the many times he and I have done our best to converse, no matter the difficulties. I am so thankful for the few French words I have in my vocabulary. Mostly I am so very thankful that God makes us a family.