Wild Wonderful Wednesday - Walking on La Gileppe

One of the places that we take our kids while at camp is to a dam called La Gileppe. It is not far from camp, so if we need to drive several times in order to get the whole group there, it is possible. This dam was opened on July 28, 1878 by King Leopold II of Belgium. It was originally built to give water to the wool industry in Verviers and was considered one of the strongest dams in Europe at the time.

Atop the dam is a quite impressive statue of a lion. It looks off into the distance toward what at the time would have been the border with Prussia. The city of Eupen, the capitol of the German-speaking area of Belgium, catches this glance of the lion now. Germany is still not far away. The statue is made of sandstone and had to be de- and reconstructed in the 1970’s when the dam was heightened. 

Although at the time people made fun of the engineers for over engineering the dam, the caution that was taken then has been important in more recent years. In the Spring of 2021 the Ardennes experienced what weathermen were calling a “water bomb”. The area received more than 20 centimeters of water in 48 hours. This was far more than the many little rivers and creeks, which usually simply pass by and through the various villages and campgrounds in the area like a gaggle of geese. Instead, the waterways became raging rivers, flooding villages, cities and any campground in its path. 

Everything happened very quickly. At the dam, they weren’t sure if they should release water or not. In the end this became quite a discussion. It didn’t really matter to many down stream from the higher waters. Everything was overrun. Our colleagues were down at camp the morning that it happened and were awake early enough to escape on time. 

This week we will probably visit the dam with the kids from camp and walk the length of the dam talking about water, nature, keeping aware and the care that God has for all of us. And we will have a good look at the giant lion statue before heading back to camp. 

Where oh where Wednesday - Spa

Around the world people who speak English will talk about going to the spa. This could mean a day at a place where you can luxuriate in pools and hot waters and in, well, spa’s, while also getting a massage and/or beauty treatments of all kinds. But that word comes from a real place, a city called Spa. 

In Roman times the area of the town of Spa was known as ‘Aquae spadanae’. In medieval times drinking from a spring with iron-bearing water was thought to help some illnesses. The Walloon-French word for fountain was ‘espa’. But this Roman custom became popular everywhere and the word 'spa' took on a general meaning. 

The town itself has hosted noblemen in the 16th century who opposed King Philip II as well as the exiled pretender to the English throne, Prince Charles in the 17th century. There has been a casino there since the 18th century. In 1918 the German army established its headquarters there from where they finally signed the armistice ending World War I. 

It is still a town full of tourists coming to take the waters or play at the casino, and is Now it is also known for the formula 1 race at Spa-Francorchamps. For us Spa is the nearest town to our Bible camp. This is where we go for a day outing with the kids, where the swimming pool is and where we do our grocery shopping. There is a factory where the mineral water is bottled and a putt-putt golf course to take the kids to. The floods in the summer of 2021 raced straight through the downtown of Spa, but things have since been restored to their normal situation. 

Leave your jug behind

We have been reading through the gospel of John in our weekly study with the church here in Maastricht. This past Sunday the topic at the Lord's Supper mentioned the woman at the well (John 4). It was an interesting point I had not often stood still by: she left her jug. This woman who already had a difficult existence and was going to all this trouble to get what she needed that day (water) left her water there at the well after talking to Jesus.

This is the question for each of us as well. Is what we are running after, the ways we are trying to get what we think we want, really working for us? Are we willing, like the woman at the well, to give it up in favour of what Jesus is offering? Even more, do we truly understand, like that woman, that what he is offering IS much better? And that it is so important that we have to go tell others?

We have contact almost every day with people who are looking for love, looking for happiness, looking for fulfilment or acceptance. In their search, they end up in all sorts of places and positions in their lives that only make things worse. We know how it goes, because we have been there too. But we know better now. We know that what Jesus offers, really IS better, because He really is who He says He is. So we share this wonderful gift of grace - living water. A strength to be completely created anew - not into something we are not, but into that which we were meant to be.

Not everyone can see the reality of this gift. Some are too lost in what they have been doing all along for so long. "If I leave my jug, how will I get water again?" "If I leave this running-after-these-things that are supposed to make me happy, how will I be able to be happy ever again?" Some people have heard and go running, like the woman at the well, to proclaim to their neighbours: "Listen! This is important!" For us it is simply important to keep presenting what Jesus is offering: living water.

Jesus was simply himself, connecting with this woman. He offered her what is true, but unbelievable to her. We are offering what seems unbelievable, but is true. When she had questions, he answered honestly, without being politically correct. And he was clear without being judgemental when he let her know that he knew her real situation. He did not pretend it did not exist, he named it and left it with her. 

We are so very thankful for the people God brought into our lives to speak clarity and truth to us so that we could see the offer of Jesus. And we are so thankful that God wants to and is using us to do the same for others wherever we are. We keep praying for people to be willing to just leave the jugs behind.