Update on Ukraine and Bible camp

When we first heard of the conflict in Ukraine and knew that refugees would be heading our way, we decided to offer the use of our Bible camp facilities for any refugees who might need it. We adapted the dormitory to use by families or groups and took some gifts of duvets for the beds. We of course had no idea how things would work out. Members from the congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands were ready to help with funds where needed. 

As things became clearer, also to the governments of Belgium and the Netherlands, systems were set up to help the refugees. In Belgium that meant that refugees first went to Brussels to register and then to their local city government where they were staying. This meant that no one was able to use the camp facility. 

We approached the local town government to let them know that, if they needed a temporary emergency location, we had space. The town thanked us for the offer but let us know that this was not needed at the time. The local village is tiny. The local town which the village is part of is not at all large. All of this is out in the middle of the country, surrounded by woods and about a 15-20 minute drive from actual stores or amenities. 

This means that, up until now, we have not welcomed any refugees at our camp facilities and probably will not be doing so in that capacity. Our camp weeks begin in July. We will be welcoming several children of families who are now (temporarily) settled in Belgium and the Netherlands to our summer camp weeks. We have already seen the churches step up to organize youth activities and fellowship activities to include those who have arrived in the life of the church. 

La La La and Who’s who?

One year ends, another begins, and life keeps moving on. We might have to learn how to make our fingers write (or type) that new number, but a lot of what we do remains the same. Our desire and task is to live daily in the will of God – especially in the little things.

A lot of what we are doing has to do with language, singing and relationships. At the end of 2016 we were invited by the congregation in Eindhoven to come for their monthly singing and help out with learning new songs. So now we get to meet with Christians from Liége, Maastricht and (soon) Hasselt on the first Wednesday of each month and then again with the members from Eindhoven on the third Wednesday. Learning new songs, enjoying singing together and encouraging one another is an amazing blessing for which we are so thankful.

We are also looking forward to Harding Chorus travelling in Europe. Besides hitting Germany France and the UK they will stop by Maastricht for two days and a concert. We have put together a program with local choirs as well as with the group Scott leads, called LAUS. We hope to not only touch hearts with the songs we sing and through the hearts of the singers, but also to let the neighborhood better know who we are as followers of Jesus. Think about us in your prayer time working up to May 16 and thereafter as well.

Multiple languages is simply a reality in Europe, and as more people arrive from various areas of the world looking for a safe place to live, we want to make the most of this opportunity to let people know who Jesus is. Last year we helped translate a basic book from Let’s Start Talking designed for beginning speakers. The plan was to use these with refugees.

Although we have not been able to begin this yet in Maastricht, in Eindhoven they have a group of refugees as well as a group of internationals looking to learn Dutch better. This means that we are looking at how best to get the normal FriendSpeak materials in Dutch as well. In Maastricht we are watching closely and praying about how best we can do this here. Would you pray with and for us?

Prayer is such a strength. It is in prayer that our relationships become clear. Every Wednsday morning at 7am Jan C. and Scott are together to pray for one another, fo r families, the church, the world and so much more. Brothers and sisters in Long Beach and Woodbury continue to encourage us as well as we take time together praying. What a blessing to know that we are a family and that God is in control. God’s design is glorious!

So we continue with our weekly activities. We meet five times a week with various groups to see what God is telling us in His word. Some of these are Christians and we are encouraging one another to live for Him. Others are those who are seeking God, but don’t always know where to look for what He really desires. Still others are simply trying to figure out how to get along in the relationships they have. We want to keep trying to be an example and a guide in these relationships.

As we look forward to the rest of 2017, we are excited about how God will use us. We just finished looking at 2016 at Ardennen Bible Camp and were excited by how much camp is being used not only for our summer activities, but also throughout the year by various congregations. We were thrilled recently by the news from our brothers and sisters in Long Beach who shared a gracious gift of $6000 to help make a needed renovation of our kitchen possible! This year we are planned to help out with at least two weeks of camp in the summer.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24

Let's get started!

Although we were far from idle during our Home Assignment – we enjoyed visiting with life groups, taking part in prayer breakfast’s, preaching and reporting on our work, and doing what we could from a distance via email or phone – it is good to be back and able to get back to work. When people ask what I do, I tell them, “I tell people about Jesus.” And although we do that wherever we are, we are thankful to be able to do that in this area of the world.

So, in the last week since we have been home, we have jumped right back into the activities we left in May. We are starting up various studies with those who are getting to know Jesus and with the congregation. We were so thankful to be able to see our sister, Willemien, again. She even remarked, “Oh, are you home already? I thought you weren’t coming back ‘til next week.”

In addition to the studies we had before leaving, there were several projects taking shape when we left. Now we can give these our full attention. We want to see how we can best serve the refugee population, which is arriving everywhere in Europe. The books we helped translate into Dutch will be a help in letting them meet Jesus. Now we just need to start making contact in earnest. Your prayers for this effort would be greatly appreciated. There is a workshop planned in Athens in November which we are considering attending. The church there has already had quite a bit of experience, which they can pass on.

In October we are planning a singing workshop for the congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands. This will be a day (hopefully this will be a twice-yearly event) to learn how to read music, learn new songs, practice singing, and enjoy singing together. In September, we in Maastricht will get together again with the church from Cologne, Germany to sing together for an afternoon. We did this last year and not only enjoyed the fellowship, but were encouraged by the opportunity to share Christ’s love with visitors in this way.

At this moment our summer Bible camps have started. The older teens are just finishing up their week and the younger teens will be starting tomorrow. The Benjamins are the week after, and during Family camp I will be bringing two of the lessons from 1 & 2 Peter. In the meantime, we have also already gotten together to think about and plan the youth activities for the coming year.

Sometimes it is easy to fall back into old patterns after a break. That can be good – if they are good habits. But we were greatly encouraged by some good ideas during our travels as well. We want to implement some of these changes in our lives – so now is the time, before we get too settled in our old routines. Thank you for your ideas, encouragement and challenges! We appreciate your prayers for strength and perseverance in serving each day.

It has been especially good this week to see all the people we so missed while away. It is a real blessing to have so many ‘homes’ with people whom we love and who love us. We have already had a great afternoon visit with our colleagues, Ruud en Karla, who just returned from the wedding of their daughter in Korea. And we have been able to worship wholeheartedly, singing with loud voice, with the congregation in Maastricht – although not everyone is yet returned from vacation.

Although our travels sometimes seem a distant dream, we hold fast to the encouragement they brought us as we move forward today, and tomorrow. There is work to be done God is mighty working through His body, His children, everywhere we all are!

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.  1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Making the most of every opportunity

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. 6Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.  Colossians 4:5-6

This afternoon a group of people met together to talk about some ways to use our opportunities with migrants, refugees, strangers. We have recently translated the basic book from FriendSpeak into Dutch so that we can use these lessons with people coming in as refugees. They will need to be integrated into society and so will need to learn Dutch. But they will also need to know about Christianity. And we want to be able to speak about Jesus. 

I was struck by the text from Acts 17:26 - God sets out the boundaries of lands, deciding where people will go. He is not unaware of what is going on and He is still busy saving people everywhere. And He wants to use us (you, too!). So we want to be prepared. 

We talked about how to teach a language, how it is that the Word is the teacher (not us - we are an illustration), and that God is mighty to save. We talked about some of the challenges we will meet. We do not yet know how all of this will work out, but we are willing to figure it out, in prayer, with the guidance of God's Spirit. Will you pray with and for us that we can speak the word as we should, that hearts will be prepared? 

You can find pictures of the day here.

Brouhaha

Much has been brewing in my brain for the last months concerning assaults, refugees and all sorts of reactions to the two. I know that many have written about this and that more will do so. Here are my questions and thoughts for/to myself.

Don’t conflate your faith with your politics

We have a task

Solve the problems of the world

My faith is not my politics

My politics should be informed by my faith, not the other way around. It is not my politics which should dictate how I feel about certain Biblical principles. When I hear someone say that the Bible teaches that we are to love our neighbors, love our enemies, do good for all – and my first reaction is to wonder what this person’s political slant on the topic is – then I need to beware. My allegiance is to my King, not my country, not my party, not my State and not even to my football team.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. ... Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Jesus    (Matthew 5:44-45, 48)

It is good that my faith impacts what I decide to do in my daily life. It is correct  that my beliefs should have an influence on what I consider to be good, valuable, moral, correct. But let it be then so: my faith impacts my politics. This is a truth – I will never find a political party that is good in every way as it should be according to my faith (if my faith is in Christ Jesus). And, I don’t really think that is what I want. Isn’t that what bothers most people about some Muslim countries? That they are a theocracy instead of a democracy?

I do live in a kingdom, but although it is here now on this earth (and should be impacting this earth as well) it is not of this world. My King is the King of kings. He is a dictator and puts up with no other trying to be monarch beside Him. I do not belong on the throne, Jesus does. And what He says is most important, above all. Could it be that I have allowed my faith, my daily life with Jesus to be dulled by my politics (whatever they are)?

Politics is an imperfect tool for what we as Christians want to accomplish. Laws and politics can only affect actions of people regressively. Jesus Christ affects the heart and changes how we think, which truly changes what we do. It is this change that we wish to see in the world. Evangelism is a precise tool, wielded by a mighty, loving King through us as His followers.

A task to keep I have...

What a beautiful song and what a truth. As a child of the King I have been given a task (and so have you). My task is not to make sure that everyone in the world votes in a democracy. My task is not to feed the world, or even to make sure that the earth continues. Of course these things are impacted by my task, as well they should be. But I have a specific task (as do you). My task is to live obediently for Jesus Christ and to be part of His body, bringing as many people as possible into the redemption of the blood of Christ.

There are worse things happening in this world than ISIS. There are worse things happening than global warming. There are worse things happening than cancer. People are dying eternally. And my Father does not want that to happen! “Well, why doesn’t He do something about it then?” He is. He came and died for us all, rose from the grave and lives now in us through His Spirit. Now He is working through us to sanctify – make holy – this world full of people. God is using me for the most important task there is: letting people know how they can be saved eternally.

And sometimes I lose sight of that task. I get sidetracked into the fear of what is happening in the world. I forget that God knows what is happening and He can use even me in these circumstances – if I will allow it. Will I allow it? At this moment God is bringing all sorts of opportunities and dropping them at my feet – I don’t even have to go looking for them. Will I keep to my task?

Solve the problems of the world

Where we live, there is a high rate of radicalization among the young muslim population (compared to other countries). People are worried about bringing more terrorists in to the country. How can we combat this radicalization, everyone asks. “Stricter immigration laws!” “More jobs!” “Integration courses!” “Acceptance and multiculturalism!”

How can I as a Christian think that any of the problems in society are going to be solved without Jesus Christ? Do I really think that I can combat corruption in the banking world by asking the banks to re-write their rules of engagement and be nicer? Do I really think that stricter rules will keep killers from finding ways to do what their evil minds think of day and night? The book of Proverbs tells me different.

Does that mean that we should not have laws or that we should and can do nothing? Not at all. But isn’t it true that if I were to focus on bringing people to Christ that those people would apply the good of Christ, the grace and righteousness that comes from the King, to their daily lives as well – in the bank, in government, in their daily lives? I truly do believe that God is mighty, able to change murderers into saviors. I have seen it happen before.

So, if we truly want to react to radicalism, we should be focusing on how we can bring Christ into this milieu. And look! God is bringing people to us! So now, shouldn’t we be looking at how we can use this opportunity to preach the Prince of Peace? Is that politically correct? Of course not! But I truly want to solve the problems of the world.

And why has it taken this to wake me up? There have been refugees before. There haven been opportunities before. Was I sleeping? Then no more. It took persecution to wake the first Christians up to their task. They fled Jerusalem as refugees. But everywhere they went they preached Jesus Christ

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.