VBK, sport and youth activities

This past week I was down at our Bible camp for VBK (Vacation Bible Kamp - we spell camp with a “k”). I was asked to teach the teen kids while my colleague, Karla Verheijen, taught the young kids. We both focused on teaching them some of the truths we find in Paul’s first letter to Timothy. 

This is the first time that this camp has been organized in the Spring. It has been organized twice already in the Fall during the Fall school break. That went well, so Shareya (Karla’s daughter) and Sue Foster, both from the church in Ghent, wanted to try it for the Spring break. These school breaks are only for the kids going to school in Belgium. The Netherlands has different holidays. 

Despite this being only for Belgian kids, we had 22 campers come down to camp. I had 9 teens (11-14 years old). The rest were all with Karla. Each day we focused on a different chapter of the letter and tried to help the young people see the beautiful truths Paul shared with this young man, Timothy, his son in the faith. 

I was once again impressed with how well young people can understand what is being presented, and how well they can remember and apply what they are learning. As is usual in Belgium, we put up with some grey weather, but it was mostly dry. I was able to teach a new song to the group, using one of the memory verses. Everyone learned it quite well. Hopefully it will show up on the YouTube channel soon. (There are already quite a few other songs there if you are interested in hearing them.)

The day after getting home from camp there was a sport day planned in the middle of Belgium. This came from a 9 year-old who thought it would be a good idea to invite his friends and others to come sport together. He said it, the adults made it happen and we all had a great day together (although my body is definitely telling me I did plenty this past week). 

It was fun to see how a neighbor of the 9 year-old’s sister wanted to visit for a play day. The mom mentioned that we were at a sport hall, but that they were welcome to come. So mother, daughter and father all came to sport with us all. And when we stopped to sing praises to God, they took part as well. Sharing how to have fun as Christians is a wonderful opportunity. 

In just 2 weeks the members of the church in Maastricht will also hold our Youth Day - about 10 minutes away from where we played sports this past Saturday. Some of the same kids will be there. We are looking forward to sharing some thoughts about our mighty God as well as give them time to have fun together. I will be able to teach yet another new song. 

This coming Thursday and Friday I will also spend time with some Catholic kids as they think about their choices in life. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to teach them how to read the Bible. The last 40 days a group of them have been meeting every Monday online to read through a bit of the gospels, getting to know who Jesus is. 

We are so thankful for these opportunities that God gives us to share how wonderful He is, the wonderful love and life that He offers to all who want to accept it. I am reminded of one of the memory verses fro VBK: 

This is a trustworthy saying and worth acceptance, that Jesus Christ is come into the world to save sinners of which I am the first. (1 Tim. 1:15)

Easter Monday

It’s no joke. Today we have a holiday. You see in Belgium and the Netherlands there are three holidays that get two days each. There is a 1st and 2nd day of Christmas, an Easter Sunday and Easter Monday, and a 1st and 2nd day of Pentecost. So today most people have free, in Belgium some of the stores are closed and in both countries the banks and such are closed. 

The Belgians have school vacation, which means that they are off looking for the sun somewhere or perhaps off getting the last of the good skiing. The Dutch do not get a school break until May when they will get a Spring Break. I will be heading down to camp for Vacation Bible Kamp (VBK instead of VBS). This will be the first time to organize a VBK in the Spring and I have been asked to teach the older kids. The age group is from 8-14 years old. 

Before I go to camp I will also drive over to Antwerp to visit and old neighbor who is now in prison (and get this posted online before I go). When I get back (VBK ends on Friday) there is a sport day planned and I may head over there. I may be an old guy, but it is always good to get together with the young people from the various congregations. And I have been trying to encourage some basketball playing for some time now. We finally have a hoop down at camp. 

All of this activity comes to the churches because we know that we have a new life in Jesus Christ. The beauty of Easter is the resurrection. Jesus rose and that means that we can become a new creation. This is so important that we want to make sure that everybody knows about it. So shout it from the mountaintops. Whisper it in the library and in the halls. Pass it on to the people around you. Jesus lives! And so can we. 

Fall camp activities

This coming weekend we will be holding our Fall Camp once again. This is a weekend organized mostly for teens (12 years and older) but also through the years for families. One of the first times that Shirley and I can remember going together down to camp was at a Fall Camp. We slept in a small caravan next to the dining hall - if one can call it that at the time. We woke to freezing icicles on the inside of the caravan and joined the rest in the dining hall to endure the dripping ceiling caused by condensation and cold. 

Things have changed quite a bit through the years for Fall Camp. What we have been able to do with the facilities because of the efforts and giving of so many in the church here in Belgium and the Netherlands as well as partners in the US has greatly increased the use of camp. Now we have a warm, dry hall, topped by a second floor used for teaching and playing games. 

This weekend a group of young people will gather at camp to once again encourage one another and enjoy the beauty of God in the nature surrounding the camp buildings. We have a good group of young people, including several Ukrainians this year. Although they are not especially happy to be away from their home, they are thankful to have made new friends and brothers and sisters in the Lord. 

Following the weekend a new Vacation Bible Camp will start. This is the second year for this camp week, meant for kids from 8-14 years old. It is a full week in the Fall vacation week for Belgian kids. This week is not the vacation week for kids in the Netherlands, so the camp is almost exclusively Belgian. It is a great time for the young people who have first met during the summer camp weeks to see one another again and encourage one another after the beginning of the school year. 

Good relationships are so very important for all young people. The world is never an easy place, and now it seems often to be even more difficult. To have friends who are not only interested in faith but living it daily is extremely valuable. These camp moments make sure that our young people have these opportunities. Thank you for helping to make this possible and for praying for these young people and the camps they attend.

Radio Silence - pure enjoyment

This morning is the first time in 10 days that I have been out walking with Chester (our dog) in the morning. After having dropped Stephan and Natalie off at the airport early this morning, I am enjoying the sun that seems only to be shining here in the south as I remember the beautiful moments we have had these past days. 

We tried hard to keep away from appointments and social media because we wanted to make sure that we were soaking up the time with our kids. It is strange to call them that: kids. Stephan and Natalie have now been married for almost 6 years and Sean and Jill are past the 6 month mark of their marriage. But this was the first time that we were all together. It was the first time for Stephan and Natalie to meet Jill and vice-versa. So radio silence at this time was more than appropriate. 

We are so thankful for the opportunity we have had to get to know each other in these days. It has been thrilling to see how our daughters-in-law have shaped our sons, to see how our boys are men, and to see thee couples shaping, forming, becoming. The time was too short (is it ever enough?), but we were thankful for every minute. 

We had time with all four down at camp on the 15th, where church family could also get to know our kids. Stephan and Natalie visited Sean and Jill in Brussels for a day as well. And then we all met up for a day in Brughe. We are thankful for the little bits of conversation that we could have, for the moments to discover more about each other. The boys have heard all of our stories about them, but now the girls could hear some of them too. And now we, as parents – with the safe distance of time – could hear some of their stories that we didn’t know.

We also got to spend some tourist time with Stephan and Natalie in Amsterdam, Haarlem and Oxford – all because of church family who took care of us as well (Jim and Ruth Krumrei and Johan and Ludwin Huyghebaert - and the Boonaerts family who watched Chester). Take the time to look at as many of the pictures as you dare and feel free to ask us any of the stories that go along with the visits. Here are our pictures of the time together. 

We are so thankful for the time that the kids made for us, for the financial ability to make this possible and for the life and love that God gives us in this family. 

On the road again (again)

The last 5 days of our time in the United States was spent on a road trip in California. Back in 2010 we took a road trip with Stephan – the last time he was able to travel with us. This time we traveled with Sean (perhaps the last time he will be traveling with us), two of his friends and the father of his best friend. It was a furious few days of fun with 5 guys and a gal in a van.

We drove up along the Pacific Coast Highway until we could marvel at the beauty of Big Sur (arriving almost at sunset). Elephant seals, coastal views, Carmel-by-the-Sea and laughter in the van got us to Monterey for the night.

The next day we drove on to San Francisco and the Golden Gate bridge. Having been warned, we all had a sweater or jacket – and it was necessary. But what a view! Mind you, some people enjoy heights and others do not. Still, we got plenty of pictures of the fog rolling in. We heard later that an hour after we left on that day a whole pod of whales was seen feeding not far from the bridge. We didn’t see them, but we did enjoy the Warming Hut (actually very necessary) and headed on to our hostel in the city.

Our evening in San Francisco allowed us to drink in the excitement and life. From our busy hostel downtown, to Union Square with live music, the Apple store, trolley rides down to the wharf where we watched the sunset and had an In-n-out burger (finally) and then back to the hostel via a mega-climb up Lombard street to the trolley.

The next day took us to Yosemite valley with its majestic beauty. Breathtaking scenery, cool clear water, and tons of tourists (of whom we were 6). Climbing the slippery rocks by the falls, gawking at yet another amazing view as we wound our way with the days’ traffic out of the park. Fresno put us up for the night after we finally were able to find a gas station (just in time).

Another day, another amazing park – Sequoia/King’s Canyon this time. One hears about these trees, one sees pictures of others standing next to them, but until you are there, it simply doesn’t sink in. These things are real, not something out of a Tolkien story! Massive, stretching into the heavens, these gentle giants grow on the shoulders of mountains with just as massive and amazing valleys and vistas. Our eyes were not enough – our hearts had to open to God’s beauty and glory!

And then – as quickly as it had begun – it was done. We were able to visit the beach again, peacefully, and Shirley went shopping in Beverly Hills for the day. We were able to share and worship with the church again before getting packed and ready to return to reality. Because that is often what it feels like – like we have been in a dream. We have been so blessed by the beautiful things we have seen – in nature and in people.

As we return, we are just as excited, because we are coming home. We have missed everyone here and there is so much to do. First, of course, are the ‘necessaries’ – the lawn has grown to my knees, the weeds on the driveway are swallowing the stones and the emails and appointments are knocking at the door. So we are thankful for the encouragement we have had with God’s family in the US, breathing in God’s wonder in His nature, and sharing all that we have with those around us. Now it is time to do the same here.

And there is a lot to do: we have already started some of our studies and visits, lessons are being written for Family Camp, invitations for a song workshop in October, plans for reaching out to refugees in our area need to be made and much more. It is exciting that, no matter where we are (no matter where you are), God has so much for us to do, so many ways that He would like to use us. Look what he does with wind and water and rock and wood and dirt (all that natural beauty) and then thrill at what He will be able to do with us when we allow Him full rein in our lives. Let’s get on the road again!

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.  Ephesians 2:10

Check out our pictures from the road trip here.

Vacation visits

A Sunday with visitors from
the US, South Africa and Belgium

I have said this many times to young people, members of the congregation in Maastricht and members throughout the States – we are blessed with the ability to travel. Most of us all are blessed with the ability to travel where we want and pretty much when we want. This is very different from those who are more recently in the news because they are fleeing war in their country. We can choose to visit other places, and we do this with regularity.

Because of this, we can take advantage of another huge blessing – getting to know our brothers and sisters, the body of Christ, in other geographical locations and even cultures and contexts. We do not have to simply imagine and trust that the body of Christ is larger than our local group, we can get to know this body. And more importantly, we can even worship together with this body.

We are always thankful when people come through the Netherlands or Belgium and take the time to meet with us as a congregation. On a Sunday morning in Maastricht we will do our best to accommodate you (translation where needed, songs are sometimes in English, all of us will try to talk with you). And we know, since you are our brother and sister, that you will also do your best to accommodate us – doing your best to speak with us and understand our situation and culture. This is the beauty of our life in the body.

But it takes some planning to make this really happen. Despite the beauty of the internet and websites, you will seldom be able to just drop into a country and Saturday evening hope to find the church in the village you are visiting. You need to plan ahead. Think about where you are going and research where you can find the church. Email and call the members so that you know you have the times right and will be able to encourage one another. And then pray for this body of which you are a part – before you get there. I can assure you, you will be greatly blessed and will greatly bless those you meet with. I know this not only because we have experienced this time and again in our travels, but because our God has made this family.

This summer we have welcomed folks from South Africa and the United States on various Sunday mornings and have been able to meet with others on a Wednesday to share the Word and prayer. Plan your vacations with the body in mind. It is well worth the time and effort – for all involved.

Will you be in our neck of the woods - in the south of the Netherlands, in Belgium or in the west of Germany? The church in Maastricht meets for Bible study on Sunday morning at 10 and to worship at 10:30. If you come on a fourth Sunday, we can all sit down to eat together as well. Look us up and come on by. We would love to share with you and worship the Lord together with you!