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. 

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? 

Whatsit Wednesday: Garden machines

Although we had to wait until the end of March to usher in summer time and the official time-keeping of Spring, Spring itself came a bit early this year. We always know that Spring is on its way when we see the crocuses at the bottom of our yard poke their heads above the ground. Beautiful little purple or whitish flowers with a yellow touch to them show up in clumps around our walnut tree. 

Of course the flowers are not the only things that start waking up. The cherry tree waits for some time to start blooming, but it is well on its way now in April. The weeds on the other hand have shown up with a vengeance. “Weeds”? I hear some of you saying: “There are no such things as weeds. Everything is useful.” Which may be true, but I have to admit that there are plenty of plants that I do not really want to see in my yard - and certainly not growing in the stones of my driveway. 

So I try to find time to do some weeding at times throughout the year. It isn’t nearly as often as Shirley or my neighbors might want, but it is what I can find. And I mow the grass. In May they have come up with a new thing: Don’t Mow in May. This is supposed to help the butterflies and bees and all sorts of other insects. It helps me because I do not have to feel guilty when I do not mow - a whole month long. 

Of course, but the time May is done, the grass is knee high and the moss is taking over the lower part of the yard. This is where the “scarifier” might come in. Although, to be correct, a scarifier is supposed to be used in the Fall, not in the Spring. But you may not even know what a scarifier is. 

I looked up the English translation. This is what I got. In Dutch it is a “verticuteerder”. Try saying that quickly three times. This machine is meant to loosen up and aerate the soil so that it doesn’t become mossy. It helps everything to grow better. I have to admit that I do not own a scarifier. I barely get around to using the mower. I would be adding guilt feelings to guilt feelings if I had a scarifier. Maybe that is why it has gotten that name. 

But as I said, one should not use a scarifier in the Spring. It would be like pruning your fruit trees in the Spring. This is what I did when we first moved here. I knew that I was to prune the cherry tree at some time, and it had been so cold in the Winter. So I waited for a nice day and pruned it then. Two older men walking by along the canal could be heard exclaiming at my ignorance for pruning in the Spring. 

The trees have continued blossoming (as they are now) and the grass keeps growing, no matter what I do to it. I use the weed pulling in the driveway as therapy. It feels good to be able to get a job done and see order.  And most Dutch or Belgian fathers, although they may look down on me, will not say anything. The Dutch will simply preen about their wel- manicured postage-stamp size front gardens. And the Belgians will simply brag about their newest tools. I can truly praise and be pleased with both efforts.