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. 

Saying goodbye

This past week was a week of goodbyes. A dear sister in the church in Liege passed away unexpectedly quickly and quietly. Leonie and her husband George are stalwarts in the church in French-speaking Belgium, in Liege. They have both been involved with Bible camp from near the beginning and have been encouragers of many throughout their years. 

In Maastricht we have known this couple for many years as they come to our monthly singing every first Friday. This has not been possible this past year, but we were thankful to have seen them last year when the congregation of Maastricht went down to camp for a day of fellowship and the church in Liege joined us there for the afternoon. We also celebrated the 60th wedding anniversary of George and Leonie last year. 

Leonie was a quiet, beautiful, happy soul. We were not able to have long conversations because our French is not that complete and she spoke almost no Dutch or English. But when an interpreter was present or when we were sharing God’s word in a group, her joy and hope were always clear. She had struggled with some health problems in the last decade, but continued to be everywhere she could when she could. How beautiful an example she has been to so many. We look forward to seeing her again when we all get Home. 

This past Saturday I helped officiate a funeral for Marguerite. I met her as the girlfriend of a man I read the Bible with. Both Rob and Marguerite were in their 70’s when I met them. Rob passed away almost 3 years ago. Marguerite made it to 93 years old. In that time we got to know each other better. Shirley and I also got to know her family through her. Marguerite had no children, but many loving nephews and nieces. 

The most interesting thing about Marguerite and my relationship was how we were able to talk about God. Marguerite always had questions, realizing that Shirley and my faith was different than what she was used to. She would ask things like if we also had Mary in our faith. I would point out where Mary appeared in the Bible and we would talk about it. Or she would ask questions about Jesus and I would show her again what the Bible had to say about it. 

Every time we met I would ask if we could end the meeting with a prayer and she was always surprised that I would simply talk to God. At one point she asked if she could do that too. So she learned to pray in a different way than she was used to, simply talking to God. So much of her faith was a cultural faith - something we often talked about. 

At her funeral Shirley and I were able to talk to various members of her family who were present. We always hope to be encouragers and a place where people can ask questions if they have them. We are always thankful for God’s grace and leave Marguerite in His righteous hands. 

It has always been clear how different Marguerite and Leonie are.  Marguerite was often afraid. She feared death, even though she knew that it was inevitably coming. She fought cancer twice and was a sickly child, so she had fought all her life. Leonie faced death many times as well throughout her life, but she knew where she was going. We are so very thankful that we can say “See you later” to those we know who have clothed themselves with Christ and have a home prepared for them. 

As I post this we are praying for Shirley's sister who has gone to hospital and is on life support. We want the best for her and she knows the Lord. But we do not want to have to say goodbye just yet. This remains the reality and the struggle. Thank you for your prayers. 

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” John 14:1-4

[The picture is of Marguerite's grave right across from the grave of Rob Wessels]

On the Family Side: Seeking, sleuthing and saying goodbye

In 2023 we were blessed to visit some of our family. Every three years we try to make it back to the US to visit with supporting congregations and family. We aren’t always able to visit all family because our supporting congregations are not really in any of the places that our family lives. The last time we visited Scott’s father was in 2010 on what we remember as our “Road Trip”. This was also the last time that our oldest son, Stephan, traveled with us. 

Last year we were able to visit Scott’s mom and even checked in with an aunt that he had not seen for more than 40 years. But we were also able to stop in to our oldest son, Stephan, again just before he became a father and we became grandparents for the first time. We hope sometime this year to be able to visit and meet Sophia in person, perhaps before or on her first birthday. 

On Shirley’s side we were working through some detective work trying to find more information on her older sister. Shirley had only met her sister once in her life. Through a DNA site, we were finally able to find more information and the news that her sister had passed away in 2020. We are still looking into more information about her father’s side of the family as well as her mother’s side. 

Unfortunately, we were not able to meet with all of our family. Some of the brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces had moved or were sick when we came through. For some this meant that our previous visit would be the last time we saw them. Scott’s brother and a nephew passed away in 2023 without us being able to visit them. 

We were thankful that we were able to see Shirley’s brother before he too passed away later that year. This year we are praying that we will be able to see Shirley’s last sister again. She is struggling with health problems. It is difficult to be so far away and wanting to be able to help. We are so very thankful for a family in Christ who continues to keep us and our loved ones in prayer. 

Thankfully, we are still able to be connected in many ways to family. We have a video call with our oldest son almost every week. Sean, our younger son, and his wife Jill, jump online with us at least once a month as well. So we can hear one another, see each other and share what is going on. Shirley emails her sister every day so that she knows what is going on and can be an encouragement. We get a picture every month of our granddaughter, Sophia, so that we know what she looks like and can see how she is growing. 

Both of us grew up in a time of airmail letters (thin pieces of folded paper filled with writing on both sides) being the only way to communicate over distances. So we know how special it is to be able to be in touch with our family that is far away. When I left for university, my mother knew that she could not expect to see me until the holidays - IF I could get a ride home at that time. 

Imagine what it must have been in the past when people moved across the globe. Even today peoples are moving far away from their families. Our young Ukrainian couple in church are far from family and friends in this somewhat strange country of Belgium. They are learning the language, but we know how they still miss family and friends. It is good to be connected in every way that we can. We are so very thankful for the contact we can have with our family, our kids and our loving church family. 

Please be praying for us for the following things we are looking at in the coming months: 

- We would love to be able to visit our granddaughter Sophia. Pray that we can find a good time in our schedule and the means to do this. Also pray that all stay healthy. 

- We would love your prayers for Shirley’s sister’s health and for Shirley’s peace of mind at this time. 

- Praise and thank God for family and for technology which makes it possible to be and stay connected.

(The picture is of Scott's mom when she was in high school)