BBQ Days

Summer is usually days of sun, fun, sports and fellowship for many people. If the weather holds out, one could walk through any neighborhood and catch luscious smells wafting through the air as families and friends wait for a good meal. Sitting in the sun, laughing together, sharing the time with one another. And we even have summer in Belgium and the Netherlands, so we also have beautiful bbq days. 

This past weekend was our church barbecue. We have several members who have their birthdays in July and August, so we get together to celebrate. Especially since many of our members are gone in those months doing Bible camp or on vacation. This special day means that we can get together, invite friends and enjoy the fellowship with one another. 

We always offer our house since we have a yard that is large enough to put everything - two tents to sit under in case it is too hot or too wet, space to play for the younger kids, and a nice area to go walking after a meal for those who desire such a walk. Everyone brings the meat they like and a few other dishes - just like our “liefdemaal” (love feast = potluck) which we hold every 4th Sunday. But this barbecue is a time to meet one another in a different setting. 

For some, our backyard is like being on vacation and may be the only time they really get out of their house to a nice place. More importantly, we all have a good time getting to know one another. It is a time to invite family members who do not believe but are more than willing to attend a bbq. This past week we had almost the whole congregation and some fiends and family. 

In the coming month we will also have some good fellowship opportunities, but then in different forms. The first Saturday in September I will lead a singing with the church in Cologne. Several of our members and members from around the Netherlands will also attend. It is always good to meet brothers and sisters from other cities and countries. The second weekend of September will find us all back down at camp for Family Day which will be organized this year by the church in Eindhoven. 

We are so thankful for these days and the family that God has placed us in. What times of fellowship have you had so far this summer? Do you have some days coming up? Who will you be seeing? 

True North (Home Assignment 2023 - Minnesota)

More than 20 years ago I first learned about discgolf from some guys in Minnesota. We were stopping to visit with our supporting congregation and these two guys asked if me and the boys wanted to go disc golfing. We had never been, but it sounded like fun. (You can see some pictures of another time here) 

When you throw a disc, you try to throw it with enough speed and power to go as far as needed, but you also do your best to get it to go where you want it. I enjoyed trying that out again for a few days while we were here at our 2nd stop, once again in Minnesota. It is always a challenge to get the disc to fly true, but that is the fun of the challenge. And doing it with others makes it even more fun. 

I was able to walk a course close to where we were staying with two strangers the first morning I went out. The second morning I was able to go, I went alone. The last morning was once again with the brother who originally introduced me to the sport, Kent Davidson, so many years ago. It was a bit rainy and was a fair course, but the time together and the conversation helped make it what it has always been for me - a great time to refocus and think about flying true. 

That is what we are doing when we stop in to ‘our’ congregations. These congregations have been financially supporting us for quite a few years. It is because they are willing to send funds that we are able to be where we are to tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ. When we stop in, it means we share a lot of meals - sometimes with older members we already know, sometimes meeting new members. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all take a turn being the time to share a good conversation. 

This trip has brought us to an El Salvadoran restaurant (have you ever tried pupusa’s?), a few potluck meals and a sports cafe for pork chops and fried fish. Shirley had a breakfast meeting with the ladies where she shared some thoughts and got to spend time with lots of the women of the congregation. Scott went to two breakfasts (one at 6am!) to renew friendships and meet some new members. 

And in between there were some vacation moments as well. Besides the discgolf mornings that Scott enjoyed, both Scott and Shirley were treated to a visit to the Arboretum - a collaboration with the University of Minnesota in rolling fields where all sorts of trees and flowers grew. Unfortunately we were just a bit early to see most of the trees and plants blooming, but it was still a beautiful day in what will be an even more beautiful spot in just a few weeks. 

Each day we were able to travel to these meetings and then come ‘home’ to our hosts’ home. Members have loaned us their car for this week and the whole trip we will take driving through the midwest. Our hosts, the Sullivans, have hosted us before in the past and it was great to be with them again. These people are all willing to share what they have to make our visit pleasant and effective at the same time. It is wonderful to experience this family. 

On Sunday we worshipped together, shared about our work with the class (which we had also done on Wednesday with the youth) and shared one last potluck meal together. Our visit here has been a time of sharing, growth, relaxing and remembering. It is a bit like a game of discgolf: we do our best to make things fly true and enjoy the time along the way sharing with one another. 

You can see some of our pictures from Minnesota here before we move on to our next stop (in Omaha, Nebraska with Shirley’s family).

The Tale of the Big Apple

New York, New York. New York State of Mind. Feelin’ Groovy. Yes, we made it to the Big Apple, New York City. All sorts of preconceptions and expectations which are met by reality and true experience. Our arrival was no let down, in any case. As befits a city of this size, this tale will trail on longer than most. But we did not have to rush anywhere, so we could simply sit back and experience things as they came. 

Our first Lyft ride ever went surprisingly well, considering we only had wifi (and therefore contact with the service) until we stepped outside the airport to wait for our car. Thankfully, the info on the car was loaded before we stepped outside. The drive to our AirBnB was a journey of sights and sounds of city, highway and neighborhood. Our temporary home was a 10-15 minute walk from Sean and Jill’s place in a row of brownstones in a mostly Puerto Rican neighborhood (or so it seemed). Lots of sounds and smells and life. 

After meeting our hosts and getting installed, we were able to hug on Sean who had come to take us to his place – a sort of warehouse where they live together with some others in a sort of communal arrangement. This means that they have an amazing home atmosphere with a private space for a reasonable price in the city. It even includes a garden area where Jill was already growing cucumber, zucchini, eggplant and more. We enjoyed a meal together, catching up on the time we had missed. Simply being able to sit together, to touch, to laugh or be concerned as parents will be, thrilled our hearts. The dinner in the garden with fairy lights shining in the late New York city evening seemed the perfect atmosphere for another song. 

Plans were made and adapted. Scott’s mom was to arrive from upstate New York that evening, but things went a bit awry. Still, all worked out for a couple of days exploring in the concrete tourist-teeming jungle of The City. It worked out extremely well in the end that Scott’s mom (Patty) had her hotel right downtown on Times Square. This turned out to be our Headquarters, watering hole, rest place and cooling-off spot. Sean and Jill met us at the metro near our place and we headed out to Manhattan, meeting up at Patty’s in Time Square. 

What is it like to see your son after years? How do you first react to meeting your granddaughter-in-love for the first time and seeing your grandson? How good is it to hold on tight and take the time to share thoughts. Suffice it to say that we spent plenty of time before heading out into the city, but it was a wonderful homecoming. We talked excitedly about our plans for the day – a bus tour to all the sites so that we could see plenty and still save some energy. You can see our pictures here. 

The Chrysler building, Macy’s, a bit of Chinatown and Little Italy, the UN and much more. The fun of the bus tour was being together, hearing some history and getting to see so much more than we would have if we were to have tried to walk. Scott was intrigued by the repetitive ‘zorro’ slash of the fire escapes on many of the buildings. Of course we were tourists, but we were also family together. 

Visits often revolve around food. We have to eat, after all. And eating together is a way of sharing. But Sean and Jill are vegans. Scott and Shirley eat gluten-free. And all of us want to eat something delicious. We were blessed by Jill considering and finding good compromises. So we stopped at Chipotle in the city for lunch and headed out for the cable-car to Roosevelt Island after taking a side trip to Trump Tower. It began to sprinkle a bit and Patty was reaching the end of her energy, so Jill sat with a monkey umbrella protecting grandma while the rest caught a glimpse of ‘Manhattanhenge’. 

After returning to Patty Headquarters, watering up and leaving mom/grandma to rest for the evening (but she has her own very intriguing story if you are interested), we visited Grand Central Station, picked up some food at a street vendor and ate it in the rain in a local park before heading back home for the day. Amazing how much can be packed into one day in an amazing place with people you love. 

The following day we met Sean and Jill and worshipped together with the church in Manhattan before searching again for a good place to share a meal. This time it was a place with more vegan options and gave us a good opportunity to discuss the morning’s content in depth. The sun continued shining as we walked through Central Park, enjoying climbing rocks, listening to a cappella shooby-wap and wondering at some strange bird habits. We picked up Patty at headquarters and marveled at her Warrior Grandma Shoes. She was ready for the day (and they truly helped). 

Adventure is around any corner, wherever you go. That always depends on your attitude, not the circumstances. So we met the adventure of the metro (and all the stairs that one needs to climb in order to participate in this activity) as we made our way to the Staten Island Ferry. Scott is his mother’s son – both spent much of the time either meeting new people or taking pictures – of Lady Liberty, Ellis Island, of the city in the background, sprouting from the water. And this could be repeated once we made it to the other side and returned. 

From the ferry we were just around the corner from Freedom Tower and the 9/11 monuments. The setting sun glowed solemnly as we considered the history of this spot. So many thoughts and considerations tumbling around in our brains as we watched the tears streaming down the monuments. It had only been two days, but our time was almost ending.

Back at headquarters in Time Square we decided on a place to eat and sat to table together for the last time – at this time. Jill had an appointment the next day, so Patty would say goodbye to her granddaughter-in-love. After returning to Patty headquarters one last time we got some pictures at Time Square and headed home for the evening. 

The third day was a day of tasks and trips. Scott, Shirley and Sean took Patty to Penn Station where she would catch her train back to Rochester (another exciting adventure, but that is not our story to tell). We then stopped at the food court for something to eat (this time from a very vegan restaurant) before we headed off to the conclusion of The Passed Port: picking up Shirley’s passport. But that is another story to be told next time. Our time after that episode – several hours later – was filled with pizza, people-talk, strolls along the river in the sunset and ice cream in the evening glow of the city. This was our goodbye to our daughter-in-love, since we would not see her the next morning before we left for our flight back to Belgium. 

After an amazing walk the next day over the Brooklyn Bridge and lunch in Chinatown, our visit to the Big Apple ended as it had begun, with a Lyft and the airport. The city had been all that we had heard. It had wooed us, intrigued us, wearied us and shooed us on our way, leaving us with the taste of more and a desire to come again. If our children remain there, struggling to fit in and make their mark on this behemoth which swallows grateful inhabitants, then we will return and enjoy once again the adventures that we encounter along the way.