Plans for the coming year

My last name is Raab. This comes from the German for “raven”. This is why our blog site is called “The Raven’s Roost”. Although we are ravens, we will find our roost wherever God places us and can use us. Our “roost” is wherever we are and wherever we will go. 

In the last two months we had the pleasure and the blessing to speak with so many of you, pray with so many about our situation and future plans. In the meantime, the church here in Maastricht was praying for our travels and our conversations. They too knew that we might be approaching a moment of change. Yesterday we took the time to talk about that change with our brothers and sisters here in Maastricht. In the coming days we will be talking about it with others we work with in both Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Our plan here in Belgium and the Netherlands was always to serve God however we could and in any capacity that God made possible. The idea is always that God works through each of His children - as He sees fit. We do not always know how this works best, where we might be sent or be useful. But we always try to be aware of opportunities and challenges that move us into trusting God. That is why we have always said we serve God wherever we are or wherever we go. And that is also what we teach others. 

We have been working with the church in Belgium and the Netherlands since January 1991. Actually even longer when we count the time we came on campaigns in 1981 and my two year stint from 1982-84. We will always be working for the gospel in these areas, wherever we are. But the time has come for us to plan moving out of Belgium (from the house where we have lived for 34 years) back to the Untied States. This is due to how things have changed financially for us - especially the Belgian tax situation - as well as how our family situation is evolving. 

While we were on our Home assignment (the trip we just took to visit family and supporting congregations) we were able to get to know our granddaughter in Indiana even better. She has just turned 3 years old and we would like her to know who Opa and Omi are. At the end of our trip we received the wonderful news in New York that our son, Sean, and his wife, Jill are expecting to welcome a little girl to the world in January of 2027, bringing our second granddaughter into our lives. 

So we are making frantic plans to try and be moved back to the US by the beginning of next year. Not only because the financial situation makes it necessary, but also to welcome a new granddaughter and get closer to family in general. This will be a new season in our lives as we head into the season of “retirement”. We are the right age, even if we don’t feel like we will ever retire. 

Before any of this happens, we have so much to do on the Belgian side. We will be leading Benjamin Camp at the end of the month and teaching at Family Camp. Our Wednesdays and Fridays singing with the church in Eindhoven and Maastricht will continue. In August the church is taking part in a neighborhood activity in Maastricht. In November Shirley and I are part of a marriage workshop. Life goes on and there is so much to do - wherever we are. 

We would greatly appreciate your prayers in the coming months: for our kids and their kids, for our wrapping things up here and the lives being touched with the gospel, for our moving plans (selling house, buying house, etc), for a full trust in our wonderful God who knows how things work and how He is going to use each of His children wherever we are. Our supporters have agreed to continue supporting us through 2027 as we make this change. Thank you for your continued prayers, encouragement and support in this time of transition. 

There where God is

This past week, as with most years, I was down in Gemünden, Germany for the Advanced Bible Study Series (ABSS). This is a week of Bible study with people from around Europe sitting at the feet of teachers from around Europe and one or two from the US. It is always a time of intense conversation and thinking as well as relaxing walks and even fun goofiness on the Thursday evening. 

It has always struck me how amazing and good it is to be with brothers and sisters from various places talking about the truth of God. This past week we were talking about the presence of God, how we see this in science, in beauty, in suffering and how we lear to follow Jesus in this Way. It struck me that there is no place where God is not; there are loci everywhere where God IS, together with His people. 

This is the very experience we have had throughout the years we have been blessed to serve in the area of Belgium and The Netherlands. We are blessed to be here because people in many places give their finances, encouragement and prayer so that we can be here. This past week reminded me of this truth as well. I was working through our financial statements in preparation for doing our taxes for the US and was reminded of all those who are it possible for us to be here. 

After this year we will no longer have financial support from the S. 11th and Willis congregation. They were the ones with whom we started our married life and were always a missional group of followers of Christ. Although this congregation has now folded into another in Abilene, Texas, we hold the memories and encouragements from through the years close to our heart. 

Another group of followers who have long supported and encouraged us is the congregation in Muscatine, Iowa. They, too will be dialing back their financial support in the coming year. Knowing the hearts of many of the members there we pray that they will not lose their focus on the mission of God around the world as they strive to discover how best to use the funds God has given into their care. We are thankful to be connected in many ways to the living fellowship there and to remember with joy how we are welcomed with open arms when we come “home”. (Find them here)

In a continuation of this movement towards the North we land at the Woodbury congregation in Woodbury, Minnesota (Minneapolis-St. Paul area). This is a group of people who have encouraged us from the beginning and worked through many changes to keep us in their prayers and minds and hearts. Every group of followers changes throughout the years as new people are added to the body and others go to their reward - waiting for the rest to join them soon. Woodbury continues to look for ways to pass on the grace of God in any way possible not only to the surrounding area 9which has changed immensely through the years) but also throughout the world. (Find them here)

Our sponsoring congregation and encouragers from the beginning are the members of the Lord’s body in Long Beach, California. It has always amazed me to see how this group has struggled through the various changes that come through the years, but always trying to focus on grace and salvation to any and all who come. This family makes sure we are linked to the others who financially support us, so that all goes well on the front. But they also continually share their hearts with us as well, praying for our needs. (Find them here)

Most recently (in 2023) we have become linked to the Oldham Lane church in Abilene, Texas. Although we still need to get to know this congregation better, we are thankful for their willingness to help us financially. We look forward to getting to know them better the next time we are in the US (normally that would be in 2026). 

Besides these various groups of people, we are also blessed with the encouragement, financial support and spiritual mentorship and friendship of various individuals and families. The Eck’s first visited us as students to work with us I this area and continue to support this work. The Bundy’s have supported and taken part in work in many places around the world including Belgium and continue to encourage, support and be an example to many, including us. The McNeill’s traveled in the past, experiencing this very idea of God’s people everywhere. Their hearts continue to be with the people they know and the people God knows in places around the world. The Cron’s and the Jablonski’s in California, and the Stovall’s now from Iowa, have remained strong encouragers and supporters throughout the years. In years past other families have helped, visited, encouraged and worked together with us, including the Skarin’s, Tornij’s and Rampton’s. 

God is in all places. He is here in the group of followers in Maastricht who also support us daily in their spiritual encouragement and monthly in their financial support. We have a connection with God’s family all over Europe, through to Asia and Africa, down through South America and even in Australia. God wants his family to be everywhere. And He is able to use any and all of us to make this possible. We are thankful that He has used us and continues to use us, with you, to reach people who do not yet know Him here. 

Know that God still wants to use you wherever you are now and that He is able. We are so very thankful for God’s faithfulness and for so many of you who have helped so many hearts here. 

Working together

This past weekend we heard that the congregation we attended from the first Sunday of our married life has decided to merge with another congregation in the city. South 11th and Willis church of Christ has been one of our supporting congregations for most of the time that we have been here in Europe. And they were a shaping force in our Christian lives, being a very mission-minded congregation from the beginning. 

We are so thankful for the time that we had with all of the members there (and the contact we will continue to have). And we are thankful for the other congregations that are part of the web of support that God has placed around us. This past month when we visited Stephan and Natalie to meet Sophia and celebrate her birthday, we made it a point to visit the Green Valley congregation who we had visited in the past when we were in Indianapolis. It is always encouraging to share the love of God with our brothers and sisters around the world. This time Scott was able to preach one Sunday and teach on another. 

One of the things we talked about while in Indianapolis visiting with Green Valley was how to help missionaries on the field and what the relationship between missionary and supporting church can look like. We mentioned how encouraged we were when our supporting congregation in Long Beach, California shared that they are always praying for us. While we of course need funds, it is the spiritual support that we feel immensely . 

We have enjoyed this kind of support and family from the congregation in Muscatine, Iowa as well. We have been hoping for years that Rudy and Pam Schellekens might even visit and use the time to reach out in the Netherlands. Rudy and Pam both worked in Rotterdam and The Hague in the past and are also a major influence on our lives serving God wherever we go. 

Our relationship with the Woodbury congregation in Woodbury, Minnesota (a suburb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul) started many years back and has continued throughout our time here in the Netherlands and Belgium. We actually began with a congregation which later merged with the congregation that - together - became Woodbury. We try to follow the goings on every week by keeping up with the weekly bulletin and even sitting in online once in awhile on the men’s breakfast. 

These relationships have taught us and the members in Maastricht about how we are all a family of God, working together wherever we are. The church in Maastricht also shares with us financially and spiritually. Most recently, when they understood that we were losing some financial support due to changes in the US, they raised their level of financial help. This was something we also were thankful for in Abilene, Texas when we picked up a new family in the Oldham Lane church of Christ. 

Besides all of these congregations, we also have various individual donors who not only send us funds, but more importantly keep in contact in various ways, supporting us spiritually. We are a family, working together. As we are preparing for a week of Bible Camp (we are directing the week for the youngest kids), we are thankful for a team made up of members from 3 different Dutch congregations, serving kids from all over Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Realizing that God works through community, through a body, using the talents and resources of many to help even more come to life in Him - this is immensely encouraging. We are thankful for a mighty God who can use us all in so many ways to do His will, wherever we are. 

(Photo of a Sunday evening class in Muscatine, Iowa last year)

Amazing love

As children of God we are witnesses daily to an amazing grace and amazing love of our loving Father. It is exciting to see how this works out among the household of God as well, each of us members of this body of Christ. The last few weeks and this past weekend have been very good examples of this reality. 

This past weekend was a day down at camp for the congregation of Maastricht. Everybody who could make it, planned to get down to camp. This meant that some would offer their car to bring others. Some would take care of coffee and tea when we got there. Our Ukrainian brother, Alexander, had spent the last weeks gathering Bible questions that we would discuss - and he would lead the discussion. All of us brought our hearts for one another and for the Lord. 

Although the weather reports had given rain (not unusual for this time of year in Belgium), everything stayed dry and we even finished the day with beautiful sunshine and warm weather. It was a day of real fellowship: singing to the Lord together, sharing thoughts from the Word of God, helping one another, playing basketball or frisbee or simply having some good conversations. This is a family that truly cares for one another. On Sunday we held our monthly potluck and people stayed again, including a few visitors for the day. 

In the past weeks we have also felt how strong God’s family is all over. On May 5 Shirley got a message that her sister had been taken to hospital in Omaha, Nebraska and probably would not make it through the night. But she did. In the following days and weeks, it has been an up and down struggle with a body that has had top deal with a lot in the last years. 

In these weeks, we asked for prayers and our brothers and sisters around the world have been praying. Sometimes being far away, we feel we can do nothing. But we all can pray. And that is far from nothing. We are so thankful for all who have been praying and continue to pray. Mary (Shirley’s sister) has recovered enough to be able to be operated and moved to a critical care facility where we pray that she can really recover. 

In the meantime, Shirley ahs made plans to fly to Omaha to help and be with her sister. Sisters here have offered to help with costs. Sisters in Omaha have offered to pick Shirley up on Sundays so that she can worship with this wonderful family into which God has placed us.  

Shirley will be in Omaha fro May 27 through June 10, arriving back here on the 11th just in time to get here bag ready to leave again on June 17 for our visit to our new granddaughter. That visit will also be a great meeting of family as we will also get to see Sean and Jill, together with Stephan and Natalie. The last time we were all together was in 2018. 

All of these moments are only possible because of God’s grace and His wonderful family. Thank you for your prayers and support. Thank you for your faithfulness in His family. Isn’t it wonderful to experience in so many ways, every day, this amazing love and wonderful grace! 

(The picture is of our day down at camp. We are missing three others who had already had to leave). 

A living body

The church is called the body of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12). Often when I hear people who do not believe ask why God doesn’t do anything, I remind them that He is doing things - through His body, the church. We are very thankful that God can use us in many ways, wherever we are. That has always been our desire: to serve Him in His Kingdom, wherever we are in the world. 

We are thankful that we are able to serve where we are in Belgium and the Netherlands because we are connected with other parts of the body of Christ around the world. We have had four different congregations in the US supporting us for many years, besides the individuals who also support us. This is certainly financial support, but is also support through encouragement and example. 

In 2023 we heard from one of our supporting congregations in Texas that they would need to reduce their support for us. They have been our ‘home’ congregation from the moment we were married and moved to Texas. We have always been thankful for their financial support and for the examples of mission-minded Christians that we saw in them. 

Since we were losing some support, we started looking around last summer and were introduced to Oldham Lane church of Christ while we were in Abilene. We were thankful to be able to talk to the missions committee and meet some of the elders as well as experience a Sunday evening worship time together. This year we received word that this congregation will be assisting us with financial support. Last night we had a video-call with the elders and missions committee. We look forward to getting to know this part of the Lord’s body and that they can get to know the body in Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Another piece of good news came when the congregation in Maastricht decided that they wanted to increase the amount that they support us financially. It was extremely encouraging to hear the brothers talk about the need to help us and how much they knew we were doing. One of the ways they will increase their help for us is by paying for our gas each month. We drive quite a bit in our work with the church here, so this is a real help. 

So let me take the time to thank all of those who help us financially throughout the year - many who have done this for many years. We have congregations helping us: Maastricht, Woodbury in MN, Muscatine in IA, S 11th and Willis in TX, Oldham Lane in TX and Long Beach in CA. We also have various individual families who help us regularly as well as some who help incidentally: the Crons, Bundys, McNeills, Ecks, Stovalls, Ramptons, Tornij's and Jablonskis. 

And then there are innumerable people who pray for us every day, every week, every month. We may not know your name, but we feel God’s grace, mercy and strength in our lives and know that this is also because you are speaking with our wonderful Heavenly Father about us and the work here. Thank you!

Being taken care of

Giving to others is great. Jesus spoke truth when he said it is more blessed to give than to receive. And yet there are many times that we need to learn to accept help. How else will we be able to accept the amazing grace that God offers us. If we are always trying to pay things back, or feeling ashamed of receiving help because we feel we should do it on our own, then we cannot experience forgiveness or grace or how good it is to be part of a loving, helpful family. 

This is something that I remember learning long ago from the first Christians I came to know - my best friend and his family and friends. Pizza every week or so with the youth group sounded great, but I didn’t want to be beholden. My best friend’s father let me know: “This is what we are doing now for you. Later you will do this for others. We do it because God has done it for us. We just want to be like Him.” 

This past month our car needed plenty of TLC (and then some!). And we all know that car care come at a price. Thankfully, we are well cared for because of so many of you who support us, making it possible for us to be sharing God’s good news here. And we use our car an awful lot. This was something that our church family here also understood. They have either been a recipient of us traveling to them, or have seen how we use what God has blessed us with. 

Every 5th Sunday the congregation in Maastricht holds a special contribution. This is in addition to our regular giving. The members can share a need that we can all decide to contribute to, according to our own desire and ability to help, One of the members put us own the list. We were surprised by this attention and even more by how much was given to help us out. It is amazing to be a part the body of Christ! These brothers and sisters give from the heart. 

Those many years ago I learned that the best thing about walking with God is how thankful we can be. He blesses so immensely. He does that through what He has given - true grace and forgiveness and love and peace - as well as through His body, our brothers and sisters. We are indeed so thankful for all of you who continue to support us in prayer and encouragement and financially, making it possible for us to be here. Our trip to the US this past month was also an example of this giving love. And we are so thankful for the group of people we are working with here who also know this wonderful truth of the joy of giving. 

(That is our car back in 2018 when Stephan and Natalie came to visit).

Vacation or business?

That is what they ask you at the customs counter. That is what they ask in questionnaires about travel. That is what some people ask when you tell them you are a planning a trip. Most people are shocked to hear that we will be gone for 8 weeks. “That’s quite a long vacation!” And to be honest, this trip is a very interesting mix of emotions, activities and purposes. 

We used to call it “furlough”. That is what a soldier took when he would head home for a bit after being on tour. In Dutch, the word “verlof” comes from the same root, but means vacation. In more recent years we have titled our trip “Home Assignment”, but perhaps it is not any clearer in that sense. 

We work as evangelists in Belgium and the Netherlands. We are financially supported by various congregations and individuals throughout the United States (as well as a few in Europe). It has been our desire to get back to the US every three years to visit with these congregations - to talk about what we have been doing, hear about how God is blessing those congregations, and renew the bonds that tie us together. 

Since we only go every three years and travel is not cheap, we combine this trip with seeing our family. In the earlier years that meant Scott’s family and Shirley’s family. Now it includes seeing our sons and daughters-in-love (and their families). But the congregations we visit and the families are not in the same cities, or States. So it means a lot of traveling and a good bit of puzzling to work out when we go where and how long we can be anywhere. 

The last time we were on this trip was in 2019. Our planned return would have been in 2022, but travel restrictions made that difficult. Although we took a short health visit to Shirley’s family in November, we had to delay our trip until this year. But now the puzzle is coming together and we look forward to the amazing mix that is a Home Assignment this May-June. 

In 8 weeks we will travel to 16 different cities in 9 different States, worship with 9 different congregations and see a good portion of our supporters and family while doing it - though not all. We will get on an airplane 7 times, rent a car 3 times and will be blessed to borrow a car in 2 other areas (one for 23 days!) while we drive roughly 3000 miles. 

While we will stay in at least 4 hotels in this time, we will mostly be blessed to stay with family and friends along the way. We hope that if you are not along our route (and we know that many of you are not), perhaps we can call or email while we are in your area. We are so thankful for the relationships that we have because of being family in Christ. 

If you are in the area, please let us know so that we can see you and spend some time together, even if it is only a cup of coffee somewhere. That is what makes a trip like this so amazing and different. Is it a vacation? We get to see a lot of people that we haven’t seen in at least 4 years. We get to hug on family and enjoy wonderful meals and conversations with family in Christ. We even get to see some places in the US that other people will never get to see. We get to travel. 

This is what our schedule looks like: 

We will land in New York City on April 26 and drive the next day to upstate New York to visit Scott’s mom on her 85th birthday. The Saturday after will be a drive down to church family ion Connecticut (family from in the Netherlands who are living in the US!). We are looking forward to being able to worship with them on Sunday before flying out the next day to Minnesota. 

We will spend a week in Minnesota with our wonderful church family at Woodbury before driving out for a Midwest loop hitting Omaha, Nebraska (Shirley’s family), church family in Muscatine, Iowa, our son Stephan (and his wife Natalie) and Scott’s brother in Indianapolis, Indiana, good friends in Chicago and returning to Minneapolis. This section is mostly possible because of generous hearts in the church at Woodbury loaning us a car for the whole trip (as they have done in the past as well). We look forward to worshipping with the church in Minnesota, Iowa and Indiana. 

After the Midwest loop we will fly down to Texas on May 25 hoping to visit with several supporters and worship with the congregation where we began our life as a married couple, 11th and Willis in Abilene. On May 31 we will fly on to Denver where we will visit Scott’s family in Colorado Springs and church family in Denver, worshipping in both cities on the same Sunday. 

We fly to California on June 7 and spend time with our supporting congregation in Long Beach as well as visiting family in San Diego. This leg of the trip is again made much easier by the use of a car from members of the church in Long Beach (which they have done on many trips in the past). We are also put up in all of these cities by members of the congregations we are visiting. What an amazing love and giving that make this type of trip possible!

Our last leg will begin on June 14 when we fly back to New York City, this time to spend some time with our son Sean and his wife Jill. We will worship in Manhattan for our last Sunday in the US before flying back after a total of 8 weeks exactly. We arrive in Belgium before the end of the month ready to jump into activities in June and Bible camp weeks in July and August. 

Along this trip we will have had some good vacation time - mostly because so many of you want to insure that we have some time to rest, knowing what all the traveling can mean. We will also have opportunities to tell about our work, preach, teach and visit. This is work, but it is good. We are so thankful that God can and does use us wherever we are or go. We want to be an encouragement wherever we are. 

Vacation or business? Yes. We travel in May-June if the Lord wills and because His family makes it possible. We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. Thank you for your help in making this possible!

Thanks!

I know, Thanksgiving is well past. But remember, we do not celebrate Thanksgiving here. And I know that we all understand that giving thanks goes far past one special day in November in the United States (or a similar day in October in Canada). As is usual, some of us here got together - online - for “Thanksmas” - a day to celebrate and see each other in between Thanksgiving and Christmas. We did get to see each other - on a computer screen, but there was no pumpkin pie, turkey and all the rest. There was some good fellowship. It reminded us all that giving thanks is for every day. 

That’s why we want to take the time to let you know how thankful we are for the brothers and sisters who make it possible for us to be here, brothers and sisters who work together with us through prayer. We are immensely thankful for these congregations and individuals who have for so long been a part of this effort in Belgium and the Netherlands. Even in a year that has been abominable in many ways for many, God has blessed in beautiful ways. 

One of the blessings of this corona year has been our contact with one of our supporting congregations in Minnesota - Woodbury church of Christ. Every Friday morning the brothers gather for a men’s breakfast. Scott was able to attend some of these when we were back in Minnesota on Home Assignment (the last time in the summer of 2019). But since corona rules came into effect, the brothers have to meet online, which meant that Scott could also meet with them. Morning in Minnesota is afternoon in Belgium. So a new connection has been opened up. 

This congregation is also where Scott and Shirley spent time while on Home Assignment with a young couple from the congregation.This couple helped develop an app which Scott will now be using for Bible study with brothers in Belgium and the Netherlands (check out Edji.it). It was designed to help teach reading and more, but can be used in many ways. This is a blessing which we hope will bless many more in our outreach here. 

When we first married and moved to Abilene, Texas, for Scott to finish his studies, we became part of the 11th and Willis congregation. This group was influential not only in helping shape us as a Christian couple, but also in shaping our desire for missions. They have always been completely supportive of members who want to be and are active in reaching out with the gospel, no matter where they are. Because of this congregation we have also been able to let congregations in Europe know about what God is doing in Kenya and Burundi. God’s family is everywhere. 

And that means that God’s family is also along the Mississippi River in Iowa. The church in Muscatine has a unique connection to the work here in Belgium and the Netherlands. Not only do they support us as well as our colleague in Ghent, Sue Foster, they are also home to Rudy and Pam Schellekens who were both influential in both Scott and Shirley’s training in missions. During the first lockdown, we were able to meet with them on Sunday’s (Sunday morning in Iowa being Sunday afternoon here). 

And throughout the years, from the very beginning of our time here, the Long Beach church of Christ has been our supporting congregation. There has always been a group of members there who pray specifically for us and the needs mentioned here. They email and ask how things are going - being specific in their questions because they know what is going on here. During this year we have been able to follow the worship time there on Facebook. 

In addition to these four congregations, there are several individuals who not only financially support the efforts here, but who regularly check in with us to see how they can help in any other way. Some have lived here and know people we work with. Others simply love the Lord and know what it means to reach out with the gospel in any way possible, no matter where you are. You know who you are and how God is using you, too. 

We have had to readjust how we work this year. We have had to re-evaluate how we can reach people with the gospel and how we can encourage and equip members in faith and grace. As far as changes go, 2020 has been a doozy (is that how you spell that?). But we are so thankful that we are blessed with brothers and sisters in these congregations who for years have been adapting and changing with the challenges that God allows. They - you - know that as long as we are keeping our eyes on the King of kings, that we will be able to do what He wants. 

Thank you, Father, for your amazing family in all the world. Thank you that you want to use us as living stones to build a temple of praise everywhere we are and in every day and moment that we live here. 

We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace. Colossians 1:3-6