Updates and upcoming dates

As August comes to a close our camp season also reaches its end. This year Shirley and I were blessed to be able to help with Benjamin Camp, not long after we returned from our Home Assignment (2 months visiting in the US). We had a good week with active Benjamins (8-11 year-olds) and a good team of helpers. We were especially thankful for the three young people who came to help and learn about helping. I have already spoken to the young men (who attend in Maastricht) about next year and they both are looking forward to it. 

Along with the young people, we were also thankful for the help we had from a Ukrainian couple who came. They also took a group of Ukrainians down to camp after the end of Family Camp. They had to wait a few days because of the huge fires that were raging not far from camp. Thankfully the fires have been brought under control, not in the least through some very heavy rain. We are thankful for the camp weeks that can be added to the schedule of camp and that camp was not affected negatively by the fires. 

It was at the end of Family Camp, where Scott taught 2 days and attended the lessons all five days, that the fires in the Fenn took off. As we were leaving on Friday we heard on the news of the fires. When we got home, we heard about flooding in Indiana (where our son and his family live). Too dry in one area and too wet in another. It is amazing how we are much more aware of everything happening around the world. 

As we finished up camp, we have moved forward into the time of singing. Our first Friday singing was in the theme of preparing for a special Gospel Workshop that would be offered in the neighborhood where we meet as a congregation. We were thankful for the visits that evening and conversations. And it was a great time of singing! 

In just a few weeks we will be singing again as the congregation from Cologne, Germany comes to visit. We hope to encourage some local visitors also to come sing with us. This coming Wednesday we will also be in Eindhoven again for the monthly singing. We have not been there since April. We are so thankful for the opportunities that we have to sing with people throughout the country. 

In September we will also visit camp again for the Family Day and will hold our yearly evaluation and planing day. This planning day is a time to plan for next year and see who can help. The congregation in Maastricht is looking at taking a more active role in planning and helping with a week of camp. In the meantime we are trying to figure out how we can transition our role with camp as we work through our plans to move back to the US. 

We are thankful for opportunities to serve, to help people grow in faith and to grow ourselves in trust. We are thankful that camp has been used well and has been kept safe from the most recent possible dangers. And we are extremely thankful for t=all the people we are able to work with. 

(Photo of the Gospel Workshop held last week)

Growing as a family

Every year we try to be encouragers in all that we do. All of the activities we plan and are part of are connected to how we hope God can use us for His kingdom. This year has begun and will continue no different. We are looking forward to the various activities we can take part in. 

This past weekend we traveled up to Haarlem (2.5 hours north) for a day of singing. The church there is wanting to learn more about singing and how to sing better together. Mostly they want to do this so that they as a congregation can learn new songs and sing well to the Lord on Sundays. But they are also looking at using this as a means of reaching out in the community with the gospel. They asked us to come and help with learning and it has been a great time of encouragement. Each time we have been, there are at least 10 members learning and singing together with us. 

We have been doing the same thing in Eindhoven for several years, although we have had to miss the last few months. It is exciting and encouraging for us to be able to spend time with congregations in other cities and to see and show how God encourages and teaches us through song. But singing is not all that we are looking forward to in the coming months. 

Before we leave for the US for two months (in May and June) we are looking at various ways of reaching out in the neighborhood in Maastricht. In the coming month we will be going around the neighborhood with a questionnaire about church and society in order to gauge where the neighborhood is and also to encourage people to think about the choices they are making. At the same time we hope to again let people know that we are active in the neighborhood. 

We also hope to get downtown Maastricht at some point to engage with people on the street, asking them what questions they might have for God. We have been preparing for this during our Wednesday studies when we look at some of the questions that people ask and how we as Christians can answer them. We hope to be going into town as weather gets better and there are more people walking outside. We would love your prayers for these efforts. 

In addition we of course are also working on plans for the summer camp weeks and training church members for leadership in those areas. The leadership training “Breathe” will be organized at the end of March. Shirley and I will also be leading the Benjamin week at the end of the summer when we return from our trip to the US. Camp opportunities are always a chance to encourage campers as well as the team that we work with during the week that we lead. 

Before all of that comes, we are also looking at some growing time for ourselves and with church family members. Scott will go down to ABSS (Advanced Bible Study Series) at the middle of February with some brothers from Haarlem and Maastricht. Shirley will go to the Ladies Retreat in March with several sisters from Maastricht. It continues to amaze us how God can use so many opportunities to encourage us and others and to help us all grow in grace. 

(Photo: the invitation for the camp leaders training session "Breathe")

Camp meeting and new beginnings

Every year in January we hold an official meeting for our Bible Camp. This is required by law, but it is also a time to get together and encourage one another. Camp has always been an amazing opportunity for the various congregations in Dutch-speaking Europe to work together and grow in faith. 

This year is one step in several that we are taking toward the future of Ardennen Bijbelkamp (ABK). For one, we are trying to instill some changes in the commission that runs the camp non-profit. Although we have a newer member of the commission, most of the members have been around for some time. To make sure that there is a future and that we do not keep doing things just “because that is how we always did it”, we want to make sure that everyone knows how things work. We also want to plan for a younger commission. 

Although the commission this year will remain the same, we are looking at getting newer members in while continuing involving all congregations and members in how camp is run. The camp leaders, cooks, counselors and teachers all come from the various congregations and give freely of their time to ensure that young people and church members are built up in faith. 

One of the other purposes of this formal meeting is that it is a place to formally announce plans for the future of camp. It was good to hear at this meeting that camp is being used more and more by more of the congregations, even outside of the usual camp week. The past years have also seen several new regular activities. This year will see another training session for camp workers as well as a first aid course so that all will be prepared for any problems. 

In addition, we heard about the renovation plans that are coming up. The first big renovation was done in 2012 when the “hall” was built. A further renovation of the dormitory was carried out before 2020. Now we will work on the earliest building that was built at camp. The kitchen and bathroom section was the first real building, built in 1968. It had been updated lightly through the years, but it was time to bring it in line with the rest of the building and open up new possibilities. We have planning permission and are now in the process of finding contractors and time to build. Next year may see the first use of the new building. 

In the meantime, we continue with plans for camp activities in 2026. I will be leading the Benjamins this year, learning from the gospel of Luke. That will be at the end of July, after we return from our Home Assignment in May-June. We look forward to another busy year in which God can use so many different people in the churches here.

(Photo of what the building will look like)

Visitors

I remember during my time at university taking part in some short plays. One of the plays was about a cobbler waiting om a very important guest. You might know the story, which is often repeated at Christmas time (a story by Leo Tolstoy) and tells of how important unexpected guests can be. Hebrews 13:2 also reminds us: “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

We have recently enjoyed various visitors. A young couple from Ukraine came to visit “our” young Ukrainian couple. The law in Ukraine was recently changed so that young men younger than 23 can now travel outside of the country (before it was any man between 18-60 years old was not allowed to leave the country). 

Sasha (or Alexander) is just 22, so came to visit. He and his wife, Mika helped organize a Bible camp in  Ukraine this summer and the church in Maastricht helped out with the costs. Sasha came to thank us - as well as to visit Andre and Andre’s father (also Alexander) who helped bring him to Christ. While here we have sung with them, played games and encouraged one another in faith. 

Almost at the same time we have welcomed visitors from the US as well. Our members, Mario and Tonia, welcomed Tonia’s sister and her brother and sister-in-law. Tonia’s mother is not doing well and may soon be going Home to her reward in heaven. And even in these circumstances, it has been good to meet, talk, share laughs, sing and even make plans for coming years. 

This past weekend I went down to camp for the winter maintenance work day and took our new brother in Christ, Jef. We met up with several others from Ghent, Antwerp and even Canada. Getting your hands dirty and encouraging one another in the Lord is amazing. These short work days are always a blessing to all who are able to come as well as for our Bible camp. 

We have also recently received messages fro people we knew in the past who will be in the neighborhood or have returned to the area. A young man we knew as a boy (who grew up with our boys( asked if he could worship with us when he comes to visit his family. He has recently rekindled his faith in the Lord. Another young woman we know from several years past has also asked if she can meet with us. Shortly afterwards, her mother also asked if we could renew contact. 

At the end of October our sister in Christ celebrated her birthday by inviting her family to come to services with her. It was great to meet them and talk about the things we heard fro the Word of God. These moments are all moments of encouragement, challenge and grace. It is so good to see how God uses moments and visitors to touch lives and hearts. “Whatsoever you do to the least of these, my brethren, that you do unto me.” How has God blessed you recently with visitors? 

(Photo is of our First Friday singing with several of our visitors. You can see more photos at our photo site - see the link on the right). 

Whensday: Three summers

The summer of 1991 was our first summer as a married couple and evangelists in Belgium and the Netherlands. We had arrived in January of that year and only moved into our house in June the following year. But we were already plugged into the church in Antwerp and fully active in serving in any way that we could. That summer I was one of the teachers for Benjamin Camp at Ardennen Bible Camp. That includes the 8-11 year olds. 

I remember working out lessons and activities (for the first time in Dutch) and trying to make sense of the Dutch language. You see there are lots of dialects in Dutch and Flemish. And young kids usually speak their own dialect. This meant quite the challenge for me since I only spoke Dutch with a Dutch accent (the northern part of the Netherlands where I learned the language). 

In the summer of 2001 I experienced several different things. We had accepted apprentices from York College in 2000, so I was working with them in the summer. These were challenging and very rewarding experiences. It is nice to see how God continues to touch these two lives. 

But I had also taken steps in that year to gain Belgian citizenship. This was because our visa was going to be denied after 10 years. Rules were being changed and it became possible for me to become a Belgian citizen without giving up my US citizenship. I got the news in August that my citizenship had been granted, a short time before important events in September which made it hard for some to understand why I would want a different citizenship. But this way I was now able - like the apostle Paul - to use my citizenship for the kingdom of God. 

In the summer of 2021 we were scrambling to figure out how to continue holding Bible Camp after flooding had devastated the area where our camp is located. We had already dealt with a year organizing camp under corona rules and were thankful that it had been possible. But now our camp had been struck by the flooding. The first two weeks of camp even had to be held at different locations. But they turned out being amazing weeks. That year we not only led the Benjamin Camp at a different location, but also led the Teen Camp week as the first group back at our camp location. 

Our summers are always exciting and challenging, blessed by people and activities that God puts in our lives. 

You can find pictures of the camps in 2021 here: Benjamin Camp and Teen Camp. (The picture is of Benjamin Camp in 2021)

Camp conversations and challenges

We are in the middle of Bible camp season. Shirley and I started at Jongerenkamp (the 15-20 year-olds) and took the following week to recover at home. In that week the Benjamins (8-11 year-olds) were down at camp, enjoying a lot more rain that we had had. This week the teens (12-14 year-olds) are down at camp and next week the Families will arrive. IN that week I will go down each day and help with the teen lessons. We enjoy the various weeks that we get to help with these times of growth. 

Each week is different and unique every year. This year was the first time since before corona time that Shirley and I did the older young people. We had 24 campers and it was an amazing week. The questions that come from this group are very different than those which come from a Benjamin. And the conversations during the day are much deeper (and last much longer. It is always exciting to see how everyone at any of these camp weeks has multiple amazing opportunities to grow spiritually. 

During our week there were lots of conversations going on about the week’s theme (our identity in Christ) as well as challenges in daily life. We had all sorts of singing time with this group that loved singing and wanted to learn more. And our counselors - who were barely older than the campers themselves - could easily get a group together for an activity. The group mixed well and the young people even ran out for a game of soccer in the rain. 

We were thankful to have good friends from the past working with us that week as well. Rudy and Pam Schellekens joined us from Muscatine, Iowa after already having done good work at Midwest Bible Camp. Rudy taught the lessons and Pam helped in the kitchen. The kitchen team was a bundle of laughing, giggling girls at times and an efficient team for the group of hungry teens sat at every meal. Rudy sat patiently and fielded questions about the lessons and life all through the week, discussing patiently Greek words and their meanings as well as implications for our daily lives. 

Next week I look forward to dropping down to camp to help out and experience the group during Family Camp. We are blessed to live fairly close (an hour’s drive) and I can just drive down for the lessons and a bit of the afternoon. I will help out with the teens during the second lesson as we look at the Minor Prophets. I am also looking forward to the conversations I will be able to have with people I only see during this week of the year. 

In the meantime we are praying for the young people that were at our camp week, the young ones who attended the week after and for the teens experiencing camp this week. We are especially praying for the counselors - several of whom were campers at our week and counselors at the Benjamin week as well. Thank you for your prayers for these moments and for so many of you who also take part in camps and activities in your area. 

Whensday: Summer Solstice

Almost every Sunday evening I get to have a video call with my best friend. He has been my best friend since Junior High and is the one who brought me to Christ. We consider each other brothers (which we are in Christ). He calls around 9:30 in the evening my time, which is the beginning of afternoon for him, and we pray together. It doesn’t usually last too long, unless I get talking. 

This past Sunday was Father’s Day in the US and he and all of his kids (he has 4 girls and a boy), together with his lovely wife were celebrating outside in their backyard. He checked in to say hi and I got to wave to the girls. Then he commented on something that I have come to take for granted: “Is it still light there?” I flipped the camera and showed him the still light evening, sunlight fading in the background. Where he lives, the sun sets around 8pm at the very latest. 

This is one of the things that I truly enjoy about where we live and miss when we are visiting in the US. In the Summer, the sun sets at about 10pm. This is of course especially true around this week. The longest day of the year is June 20 or 21, the Summer Solstice. Further north, like in Sweden or Norway, or in places like Stonehenge, there are special celebrations for this day. There is nothing like that in Belgium or the Netherlands, but we all enjoy the long days. 

Sometimes this looks like concerts being enjoyed in the evening light. Other times you can go out for an evening walk (trying to get a bit cool after what is for people here a very warm day) and smell people still barbecuing, hear them laughing out in the yard. People here are always looking for as much sun as they can get. If that means staying up until the sun sets, then they will do it. Getting up at the same time the sun rises is a different question entirely. 

This Summer Solstice the congregation in Maastricht will be down at camp for the day. This has become a bit of a tradition for us as a church family. We take time to be together in this wonderful place, encouraging one another, getting to know each other better and enjoying the beauty of camp in the Ardennes. We will eat, sing together, discuss God’s word, take a walk through the woods and know that we are family that belongs to God. 

And I look forward to even longer days. God promises us eternity together with Him. The sun will not set and we will have enough time to do all the things that are the most important. That is part of what this time of year reminds me of. 

The youth these days

This past Sunday we were blessed to visit the congregation in Rotselaar where I preached. I the past we would visit this congregation regularly on a Sunday afternoon to practice singing. We have always had a good working relationship with the congregation and have a good relationship with many of the members in other capacities. This includes Bible camp. 

Many of the kids we have had come through Bible camp are now young people or even grandmothers. One of the sisters on Sunday was showing off her granddaughter. She mentioned that she herself was only small when she first went to camp with us as directors. And now she herself is a grandmother. It is amazing how quickly the time flies. 

But this of course also means that her kids are old enough to have kids of their own. Her son was also at our camps through the years. He was first a camper, then a counselor and then an assistant director and planner for the youth. Now he is also a father. His little sister has also been helping as a counselor in the last few years. It is exciting to see how people grow up. 

And yet, not everyone who came through camp has remained faithful or followed the Lord. There were a few people at the meal after services yesterday who came through camp, but are no longer attending or doing anything with their faith. This is hard to see and we continue to pray for all of the kids we work with every year. 

We pray that as they grow up into young adults, fathers and mothers, even grandmothers, that they hold onto what they have learned from the people around them. We pray that we, and all the people we have in a team for a week of camp, are good examples for all of the campers who attend. We know that a week of camp is only a week, but can mean so much more. We also know that our example needs to continue far past that week of camp. 

Bible camp was immensely important in my spiritual growth, but it was not the only influence. We hope and pray that we can continue to be a good influence not only for the kids at camp, but the kids in our congregation in Maastricht and the adults we have contact with every week. This past week we celebrated the graduation of one of our kids from the kid’s class to the adult’s class. He received a Bible and we all prayed over him. He joins two other young men in the congregation. Later this year we will graduate a young lady.  

We all were kids once. People were an influence on us as well. Now we want to be those people who are a good influence for the kids around us. Do you remember who was an influence in your spiritual life? How can you be that person to the young people around you now (no matter how old you are)? 

Some busy weeks

The year is well begun. January has already passed and we are into the second month of the year. And as February starts we’re looking ahead to a slew of activities planned in the coming weeks. Alongside our regular activities which have continued from last year, we are planning some new events for this year. 

We are thankful that the studies we had in 2024 have continued into this year. We have a regular mentoring study almost every Monday. Added to this is a monthly study with an atheist man who began our conversations wanting to know what the Bible was all about. Most recently he let me know that, although he still doesn’t think he will ever believe in God, he bought a children’s Bible for his granddaughter because he wants her to know some of what is in it. 

Also added on Mondays is a chance top learn Greek. Our young Ukrainian couple has good contact with their friends in Ukraine and there is an American teacher who is offering Greek lessons for all who are interested. I have at various times in the past looked at learning some more Greek, but have never gotten past the first 2 or so lessons. I know the alphabet and know my way around a lexicon. But this way I can learn more and also develop my relationships with some brothers and sisters in Ukraine. 

Our online English study on Tuesdays has expanded as some of the participants have asked if others may be added. We now have participants in France and in Brazil as well as those in The Netherlands and Belgium. In February I will add a week in Germany at the Advanced Bible Study Series (ABSS) which you have heard me talk about before. I look forward to meeting some others from around Europe during this week. 

We will travel to Rotselaar, Belgium to preach this coming Sunday and will go over to Roeselare.Belgium in May. Shirley will join several other ladies from Maastricht at the annual Ladies Retreat at the beginning of March. Then they will organize their own Ladies Day at our building on March 15, reaching out to the ladies of the neighborhood. At the end of the month I will lead a special training day for those wanting to learn how to direct a Bible camp. 

In April we will plan another Youth Day with the congregation and in May a day for the church down at camp. These days in the past have also been opportunities to write new songs. It has been some time since we have written anything new within the congregation. But this doesn’t mean that singing has taken a back seat. Most recently I have spent some time getting the music notes online in videos of songs we may already know so that members can also learn them in that way. I will also continue working on getting more songs into music notation. 

By the end of May we will take some time to get camp ready. This is always done during the weekend of Ascension Day, which is a holiday in Belgium. We are hoping to start the renovations on camp some time this year, although not before the summer camp weeks. This year Shirley and I will be working with the oldest group of teens. 

Thank you for your prayers for all of these activities and for your faithfulness in how God is working in your lives as well. Above all, we are thankful that we can simply live for Him daily, touching lives with His grace in everyday ways, no matter where we are. 

(Sunrise, sunset on our daily walk near our house)

Maintenance

This past weekend was the end of our Fall camps, a special religious holiday in Belgium and a day to get things ready at camp for the coming winter. Although Halloween is not really a holiday here, All Saints Day is. This is the day that many visit the graves of their loved ones. It is one of the biggest days for florists as everyone is getting flowers (mostly chrysanthemums) to put on the graves. It is a time to remember, to put family first, sewn into society and the social calendar of the year.

Down at camp it is a time for maintenance. We have to get the buildings ready to go into the winter, never knowing how bitter the winter might be. It is time to clean off the leaves from the roofs, clear off the driveway, and prep the buildings inside. This weekend we also had a hill of dirt to move from one place to another. The field had begun to settle after the flooding a few years back, so it was time to set things to rights again. This was especially important around some metal lids in the field which give us access to our septic system. We do not want any kids falling in or hitting their heads on these metal lids. 

More importantly, a day like this down at camp is a time to talk during the coffee breaks and lunch breaks. There were only 6 of us down there, but it was a good group that worked hard. Two of the 6 men were the young sons of one of our camp leaders. They did quite a bit of the work digging out the dirt, shoveling it into wheelbarrows and letting the wheelbarrows be wheeled to where they were to be dumped. In the end we all went home satisfied and dirty, knowing that camp was ready for the coming months. 

Back in Maastricht yesterday was the first Sunday of the month and was a good day to be back together with Christian family. Some have been off on holiday (it was a school holiday break in Belgium) and others were finally back after a short period of typical Fall colds. One of our Ukrainians heard this past weekend that his father was killed in a battle in the East. This young man has been with us for the last two years and so has not seen his father for the last three years. Death never seems to be expected, even in war. 

Wild Wonderful Wednesday: Hunting in the Ardennes

Hundreds of years ago the forests around where we now have our Bible camp would have been full of wildlife. The few people who lived in the area would have hunted all sorts of animals, including wild pigs and deer. The wolf would have roamed in the area, hunting as well. In the past century hunting of a different sort took place in these woods as soldiers of conflicting countries hunted one another during two world wars. Then the wars stopped, tourists started visiting the area and Bible camp was built (first just tents) in 1965. 

Throughout the years that we have attended and helped with Ardennes Bible Camp (ABK) we have experienced a little bit of this wild life that slumbers still in the woods around camp. Young campers love to run through the grass in our field looking for grasshoppers, butterflies, frogs and maybe even little grass snakes. In the creek babbling along the field they look for frogs and fish (although there are no fish). Periodically they cry out in astonishment as the cows on the other side of the creek come down into the water to drink. 

If you get up early enough in the morning to see the mist rising across the field, you might also surprise a family of deer munching on the tall grass just past the fence marking our land. In recent years we have been able to acquire that land, so the grass is not as high, but we still find signs of the deer visiting this area. But the land that is our camp is just a small postage stamp. Camp is still surrounded by forests full of wildlife. 

Stepping up the steep driveway leading down to our camp we regularly take the kids from a week of Bible camp on a walk through the woods. There is a short walk along the street that passes our camp. This is the most dangerous section as it is in a bend and the cars and motorcycles like to speed along this twisty road. So we make sure that the kids pay attention and walk 2x2 until we can leave the main road after about 100 meters. 

Turning left off the road we can ascend on a rough road between fields where the cows most often range peacefully. The bushhes along the road are full of blackberries and stinging nettle - a delicious risk of thorn and sting to get to sweet reward while climbing higher into the woods. The view back over the village below and into the next valley always elicits cries of awe. 

As we reach the beginning of the woods we have to chose at a typical crossroads: right, straight, or left. Going right looks like it goes downhill. It does just this for a time, again splitting with one section returning to the village. But another section continues higher up the hill. Going straight is clearly a climb and most do not want to go that way after having already climbed a bit to get to this crossroads. It is however the best place to gather blueberries. 

It is the path going left that we usually take. This is a level path running along the field we passed coming up, but just inside the trees of the forest. It follows a narrow, well-worn but muddy path. These days you can see that bikes come this way as well as horses. But if you look closely in the mud, you will also see that the wild pigs know their way through these woods and along this path. 

Each year we have to warn the kids not to pick blueberries too close to the ground. The fox and stone marten roam freely in these woods and like to mark their territory on the low-hanging bushes. So blueberries hanging low may have received a “blessing” that we do not want to share. These stone Martens, something like a weasel, have through the years also made their nests in the nooks and crannies between our building walls and roofs. One might also catch a glimpse of one of these elusive creatures if one is awake and about in the early morning. 

It is during our Fall Camp that we have to take special precautions at camp. This is hunting season. We are not allowed in the woods past sunset and there are areas where we are not allowed at all. Hunters are out hunting the wild boar. More recently we have also learned from the news that the wolf has once again made its way into these areas. 

This past week was our Fall Camp and we had a great group of young people learning about Joseph and how to deal with adversity. This week the younger kids are down at what has become our newest addition of camp Vacation Bible Camp (VBK). The Belgian schools all have a Fall vacation, so this is a good time to be down at camp with friends learning about God. 

The trees are all turning glorious colors, painting the forest in multiple shades of red and yellow and orange. The mist rises in the morning and sets into the field again in the evenings as the various wildlife steps quietly through the forest and fields, wondering who these loud kids are and what they are doing. The kids are simply hunting for a wonderful time and full life in God’s glory. 

Visiting with the family

Yesterday the congregation in Maastricht organized the yearly Family Day held down at camp. This has always been a day for the various congregations together from around Belgium or the Netherlands for a day of fellowship and encouragement. Each year a different congregation organizes the day. 

We were thankful to be able to put this day together and it was exciting to see all of the members doing their part. Shirley coördinated the food - we provided lunch for everyone that came as well as coffee, tea and drinks with cookies and cake for during the lesson time. Several of the ladies helped her throughout the day. Our youth teaching couple, Paul and Deysi too care of the young kids during the lesson - which was presented by our Ukrainian brother, Alexander. And two of our brothers took care of the singing (Mario and Paul) while I presented a quiz on the lessons that had been offered in the 4 camp weeks this summer.

The great thing about a day like this is that people come from all over who we don’t usually get to see. This year almost all of the congregation from Den Dolder in the Netherlands took the time to come to the day. This meant that some of them had to come earlier to stay in accommodation nearby instead of driving down for the day. But there were also several from Ghent and the Belgian coast, which is a good 2.5 or 3 hour drive across Belgium. But this is the kind of day people do not want to miss. 

For some it was the first time to visit camp. One of our sisters brought a friend with her. Since they were early, he got to help set things up with me - putting all the chairs out, sweeping the leaves away, moving tables outside. But that is the feeling on this day - everyone is willing to help and simply enjoys being together. 

We were really thankful that the weather blessed us as well. Several years back we moved this day from the end of Family Camp (in August) to the 2nd weekend in September. Although September can have some truly beautiful days, it is also a time for plenty of rain. We had a dry day, although it was a bit cool. That didn’t stop the kids from getting out to play on the basketball court or take advantage of the swings hanging in the trees. 

One of the special moments of the day was a time to pray together. We split up into various groups, including a group of women together, in order to pray for our world, the church, our local congregations, brothers and sisters around the world and much more. It was good to see the various groups and also a group of kids that Paul Brazle organized together to pray together as well. It is never too early to learn about talking to our wonderful Father. 

The day ended officially at 4pm after a nice walk in the woods, but some continued on with the yearly evaluation and planning meeting for camp. This was also well-attended and helped start things off for the camp weeks in 2025. Camp has grown from 4 full weeks and 2 weekends to 6 full weeks and 3 weekends, as well as various days and mid-weeks organized by the various congregations around the countries. We are thankful that God has made it possible for us to use this facility and that there are so many brothers and sisters willing to help and encourage one another. 

(You can find some pictures of the day here.)

Benjamin Camp

Today we have been home for a few days after our week with the Benjamins. It was a challenging and energetic week and we are still trying to get back to normal energy levels. Thank you all for your prayers for the team and the kids. This year we had a few kids at camp for the first time and we had several brothers and sisters, brothers and brothers, cousins and more. We had 15 boys and 9 girls, with the boys being a very active group. 

We are always so very thankful for a good team to take care of everything. While Andrew and Scott had to deal with quite a busy and loud group of boys in the evenings, the teachers (Lucinda and Karla) were able to get their messages about the miracles of Jesus across very well. And along the way we all tried to not only teach the kids the practice of doing what they were being taught, but giving them an example as well. 

What do you do when your friend or someone in your room doesn’t treat you well? How do you use your words? Is it okay to attack someone who has threatened your brother? What does it mean to forgive one another? Is “sorry” enough? How and when do you share your things? Is it okay to just “borrow” from someone if you want to? When is it important to be quiet and listen? When should you speak up? These were all very important and practical questions for the week. 

In the meantime we also had a great week of activities. We had a water day on the warmest day of the week, played inside on the following day when it was pouring down rain amid thunder and lightening, and went walking in between the moments of rain on another day. We were thankful for the rain, the sun and the possibility to keep going no matter what. 

This week the teens are at camp and we are praying for the campers and the team helping them for this week. Next week is Family camp where I will bring some of the lessons and see some of the campers once again. We are so very thankful that we have this possibility of helping young people grow in faith and helping Christians grow in service and sharing their faith. 

Once we get our pictures from Benjamin Camp I will post the link here as well. 

Summer days

I look forward to any day when the sun is shining. The grass grows very quickly in the back yard and needs to be taken care of, but one cannot mow the lawn on a wet day. Pulling the weeds on the driveway, on the other hand, is easily done in the rain, although it is not very pleasant. Keeping up on these kinds of activities are normal things for the summer. 

Summer in Belgium can have some very warm days. And since we are not that used to warm, a “warm” day can be anything from about 80 degrees Fahrenheit on. We may even get several days in a row of these sort of temperatures and then the weather men and women will speak of a heat wave. But most of the time it is going to be comfortably warm and we will try to keep up on house maintenance. 

Summer is also time for our Bible camps. We have always been involved with the camp weeks. Since returning last week from our quick visit to the US to meet our granddaughter, Scott has also been down to camp to mow the grass there. That is a bit more of a task than our backyard, but just as necessary. The camp weeks will begin next week and the camp terrain needs to be ready. Since we are within a 50 minute ride to camp, we are glad to be able to help with many things down at camp. We also drop down to take care that the trash is put out on the days to be picked up. In this way camp is ready for all of the activity coming up. 

Our other activities usually hit a bit of a hiatus for a few months. Our weekly Bible studies go on hold as most people head off for vacation or are busy with camp weeks, as are we. Other tasks, like caring for people and bringing them to hospital, do of course continue. This doesn't mean that we drop all contact. We continue to write, call, email and communicate with all of the people with whom we have been studying and talking. 

This is also a time for planning and preparing for the time after the summer. We have a youth day, a family day, a day for singing and a day for the church together all set on the calendar for after the camp weeks. Some of these are activities for the churches to encourage fellowship and growth in faith. Others are times that we can reach out to the people around us with the good news we have found in Jesus. 

In the congregation we are working on dealing with some changes in the make-up of the congregation. One of our families has moved away while we have had new people move to the city. Since Maastricht is a university city, we often get people who are here for a short time while they are studying. There is also a military base close by, so we may also get military members for a time. We are always thrilled with how God blesses us with these shorter visits and look forward to how we, too, can bless these people while they are here. 

What do your summers look like? How does God use you in these warmer months? 

Where oh Where Wednesday: Grotten van Remouchamp

Every summer we organize summer Bible camp weeks for various ages. There is a Youth group for those aged 15 and above, a Benjamins group for 8-11 year-olds, a Teen group for the 12-14 year-olds and a Family camp for all ages and any who want to come. In addition we have been trying for years to get a Young Adults group started and the various congregations use camp for retreats and more. We have expanded in the last years to include a Vacation Bible Camp twice a year as well as a Fall Camp (during the Fall break for Belgian schools) and a Winter Camp at the end of the year for the older youth. The camp weeks will begin in July. 

During the normal summer weeks the camp leaders of the different weeks try to find activities that fit the group and the budget. We have always tried to make sure that coming to camp is well within everyone’s budget. At the same time, we want to make it a fun time learning about God, getting to make new friends and seeing old friends, and experiencing God’s nature. Camp is situated in a wonderful area to the Ardennes. I have talked about that before on this blog. 

There are all sorts of activities in the area, including mountain biking, a waterfall, a dam with an amazing huge statue, castles, ancient European cities and ruins, the highest point in Belgium, an old mine with a tour, and lots of walks through all sorts of nature. One of the interesting outings that we do with the camp weeks is to the caves of Remouchamp.

These caves were first discovered in 1828 and have been a tourist attraction since 1912. When we take a group there, we are taken on a tour around the cave in two parts: the first part is done on foot and includes a visit to a huge cathedral like area. The whole walk and area is full of stalactites and stalagmites. As you continue the tour, you climb into a boat and fare the Rubicon river through the rest of the cave system. The site of the caves declares that this is the longest underground river in the world. 

It is an exciting visit and gives plenty to talk about, including how such formations come to be and how this fits with God’s creation.