Safe and sound

Today we received our luggage! It is fun to get everything together, open up all the bags and remember what we forgot we had brought back with us. But I am getting ahead of myself - we are home safe and sound! We made it home Saturday after a long day of flying and driving, stayed awake until about 9 p.m. and pretty much made it through Sunday as normal.

Our flight from Minnesota over Philadelphia was delayed. This meant that we barely made our transfer for the flight to Frankfurt - but we DID make it! That flight was great: pleasant service, good food (they even had metal silverware!) and long enough to get a little sleep in (although we didn't). Once in Frankfurt we saw what we had expected - our luggage had not made the transfer. Now, we had planned to be picked up by a brother in the church using our car and a trailer, knowing that we would have lots of luggage. Now the trailer wasn't necessary, but I couldn't cancel it. Still, now the airline would send all our luggage on to our house, saving us the trouble.

So our bags arrived today, mostly without any damage and containing all of our things. Which is a good thing, since we had taken quite a few of our clothes with us (or at least the important parts). In the meantime our wait for our ride from Franfurt meant that we stayed awake on Saturday, Sunday brought a wonderful homecoming with our church family in Maastricht (and Scott already started rehearsing again with Listen Up!) and we can sleep in our own beds again. God takes such good care of us! It is wonderful to live with Him. Thanks for your prayers for our trip.

Imagine that!

For the last week we have been in Abilene, Texas - temperatures in the high 90's, so you stay inside. Sean has gotten to practice with a soccer team twice, putting up with the inability to breath in order to get some soccer in. And then it started to rain! Yesterday dropped a good 5 inches (12 cm) in a few hours in this place that barely has gutters since it hardly ever rains. Suddenly the city discovers how many creeks run through the city, how many roads become rivers, and how hard it is to get from one side of town to the other. Imagine not coming to work because it rained (those of you living in Europe)!

This means that I may not get to go discgolfing today. So far we have golfed in every city we stayed in. Stephan and I went the other day here in Abilene, too, so that's okay. It has been great to be able to get out of the house, get a little exercise and see the cities we are in. We usually go quite early (to avoid the heat). Today we planned to play in a mini-tournament, but hole 13 had a water hazard and is now probably UNDER water. We'll see - the play is in the afternoon, things can clear up quite quickly in Texas.

In the meantime we are talking about the different schools we have seen along the way. It is hard for us to imagine that Stephan will soon be gone from home. We want him to have some good opportunities and have visited a few Christian universities here in the States. As we have said goodbye to people along the way of our furlough ("See you in three years."), we realized that Stephan will not be with us the next time. Imagine that!

Southern Cal sights

Furlough stage 5 part 2

One of the things most of our supporters want for us is that we get some time to look around, do some vacation type things, chill out. This isn’t always possible – we also want to see a lot of people who we haven’t seen in so many years. But as in the other States we have visited, here in California the church family took good care of us. The boys were hooked into the youth group almost right away and had a great time. Sunday afternoon they went eating visiting, played guitar hero and were just plain goofy together. Later in the week was a youth evening at the Jablonskis. The end of our stay in California was closed off with a visit to Universal Studios with our home family (Kerry, Marisol, Zoey and Tiger). But that was just the guys – Shirley and Scott had other plans.

One of the days that the guys were off having fun, Shirley and Scott headed off to Santa Monica. That evening they would be able to visit with a wonderful church family in “beautiful donwtown Burbank”, but before getting there they decided to do some sightseeing. Scott even got stuck in an Apple store (now how could that happen, I wonder?). So we saw Warner Brothers, Disney Studios, the place where Nickleodeon and Cartoon Network are made and the Santa Monica pier (with PCH running next to it).

The last full day in California was reserved for a visit to San Diego for Scott and Shirley. Scott’s sister-in-law and nephew live just 2 hours from Long Beach, so we jumped in the car and headed down. Although we only had a few hours together, it was great to see Pricila and Matthew again. It is always good to see family and to be able to renew those bonds each time we are in the States. A great meal together (we get to eat out so much while we are here!) and some good conversation gave us a little more for the next few years (though not nearly enough!).

Thanks again to all those who made this financially possible (support, shared cars, putting us up – putting up with us, feeding us). God can do so much through so many – it is wonderful!

California Cool, part 1

Furlough stage 5

Flying in over Los Angeles, we all got that California feeling:
“Look at all those pools!”
“Did you see the ocean?”
“Okay, the 405 to the 5, or was it the 10? Traffic looks pretty good.”
We were met by David Cron with his familiar smile and welcoming heart. Then we went out to the palm trees of southern California. We were wondering what this stay would be like since we were staying with a family we had never really met before – Kerry and Marisol Jablonski and their two kids, Zoey and Tiger. But we have always been warmly welcomed by our brothers and sisters in Christ and this was no different. Isn’t it great to be part of this family!!

As we walked into the Jablonski home and through the kitchen to the back yard Sean asked, “Am I dead, cause this sure looks like heaven.” Palm trees, banana trees, a pool with waterfalls all welcomed us in. Even better, Kerry and Marisol opened their hearts as well as their home to us. We have been so blessed with the families we have stayed with at each stop – all of them truly making us feel at home while being in their home. This house and family was no different. The first evening included some time for the boys in the pool and the hot-tub, and then off for a really good nights sleep.

One of the things the church in Long Beach wanted us to be able to do while here was to relax. Naturally there were many families who wanted to see us again (and who we wanted to visit) and there were those who wanted to hear about the work, but the idea was also to get plenty of down time. Our first week was a perfect example of this. We were able to go over to the Cron’s house and eat some great home-made pizza while visiting about the work and our lives together. During the day we had plenty of time to lounge around the pool, sit in the cool pool house working on emails or go garage-saling (that sounds interesting – can you imagine a sailing a garage?).

One of the nice things about staying with the Jablonskis was that they allowed us to be part of their family whiel there. They ahd planned a wedding reception for Kerry’s brother and new bride and we were able to help set up and take part. It was a wonderful evening of family and fun (check out the hula dancers and cake pictures on the flickr site). We were so honored to be able to expereince this together with them. The boys even got to earn some extra spending money and gain some experience serving as waiters during the reception.

Which brings us to shopping. Since we were worried earlier in the trip about how many bags we could fit in the rental car, we kept purchases to a minimum – even though we usually plan on buying some things while in the States (shoes, jeans, towels are usually cheaper here). So far we had found a few things at garage sales and had crammed them into spaces in our current luggage. Butu now we could expand a bit – and we did. Sean was especially happy to find soccer shoes (football shoes) at a MUCH better price than at home, while Scott got some shorts (he had packed at the last minute and didn’t have any warm weather clothes). This would of course mean repacking with wisdom, but we were ready for that.

While here we have also spent plenty of time with the church family. Scott preached on Sunday morning and the boys headed off with the youth group Sunday afternoon and evening (check out some of those pictures as well). But we also had plenty of time swimming in the pool, visiting downtown Long Beach, getting to know the kittens in the house, and just relaxing with this church family.

Next time I will talk about the rest of the time in California (San Diego, Santa Monica, Universal studios and beautiful downtown Burbank).

Goodbye California, Hello Texas!

We are now down in Texas after an exciting exit from Los Angeles. Our flight from LAX was at 6:40 a.m. and we thought that 1 hour before time would be enough - we JUST made it on the plane!
We arrived in DFW, rented a car (by now it had to be a small SUV, since we have grown to 5 big bags) and drove out to Abilene. It is great to see that some things don't change that much - everything is still where we left it three years ago in Abilene :-)
We will put up the update on our time in California in a few days, along with all the new pictures. Thanks again for all the prayers and for the communication while we have been traveling!

Luggage swap and birthday bash (stage4, part 2)

During this leg of our trip we have had a rental car (picked up in Minneapolis and to be dropped off in Denver). This car was quite nice (air-conditioning, satellite radio etc), but the trunk was just big enough for the suitcases we had, with one sitting between the boys. But we came planning on returning with more suitcases than at the beginning. This is one opportunity to purchase some well-needed clothes and shoes for growing boys. But as long as we were using the car, we could not expand our luggage. Now we were in Colorado, however, some of that shopping could begin (although more may be done in California and Texas). So Shirley and Yumiko had a great time looking for garage sales, going to the stores and looking around.

- the flour war at Kamp Koinonia -

One of the highlights of the Colorado visit was the day up at Kamp Koinonia. Scott’s search for Jesus began many, many years ago at this camp (though not this campground). And many of the things that he now incorporates into his camp weeks in Belgium had their origin at this camp. So it was a sort of homecoming for him. He and the boys arrived in time to take part in the flour war and later that evening helped with and took part in the Jewel Hunt. In between Scott sang with his ‘brother’ Bret and reunited with the old ‘Four on the Floor’ – a quarrtet formed more than 25 years ago. Amazingly, the songs came out pretty well! What a joy to see old friends and experience new places all at the same time!

The end of our time in Colorado Springs was another highlight in this trip. Scott celebrated his birthday with almost all of the siblings (his brother Mike was still in Indiana). Scott’s brother, Marc, has a birthday a few days after Scott’s, so it was a double birthday with all of the siblings and almost all of the nieces and nephews present. Scott’s sister, Barb, hosted everyone and helped organize the whole thing. Plenty of guitar playing, reminiscing, laughing and getting to know one another. It is great to have family!



Before we left Colorado, we did a few interesting things: Scott went shooting with his brother John (John had recently bought a Romanian AK-74 and wanted to try it out), we all drove up to Denver and visited with Scott’s second family (Ron and Jean Carter and the Carter clan present) and spent some good time with Scott’s older brother Chris and his wife Lynette. It is amazing how good and filled two days can be! We were so thankful for all the time with so many people we love so dearly.


We finished up the CO leg by spending several hours in the airport in Denver with Bret. The car had to be returned by 10 and our flight left at 4 p.m., so we had plenty of time to talk about movies, books and the future. Then it was through security (shoes off, don’t forget to take the fluids out of your carry-on) and off to California!

Rocky mountain high (stage 4, part 1)

Colorado gave varying welcome messages to each of us. The first was that we should have tanked up in Nebraska! This went together with the other thought that Sean had: “Where are all the people?” After leaving Ogallala (yes, that’s a real name) and turning southwards to Colorado, there is literally nothing (okay, not literally, otherwise we couldn’t be driving, breathing, etc), just vast amounts of open country with not a house or mark of humanity in sight (other than the road we were on). So when we needed gas and a gas station finally showed up – well they could ask just about anything they wanted for gas, couldn’t they? But in the end we got to Denver, passed along the airport and drove down to Colorado Springs where Pikes Peak welcomed us.
Sean: “Now where is Pikes Peak?”
Scott: “The big one shrouded in cloud at the top over there.”
Sean: “I thought it was bigger.”
Scott: (a bit flustered, this is ‘his’ mountain) “Yeah, it’s only 14,000 feet.”
Sean: (a few minutes later) “WHICH one is it?”
Scott: “See those black mountains? Look past those to the clouds. The mountained crowned by the clouds is Pikes Peak.”
Sean: (with a sudden recognition) “Oh! Is that the peak! I thought it was one of those black mountains in front.”

Our ‘task’ in Colorado Springs was to relax and spend time with family. Scott was going to speak up at Kamp Koinonia, but other than that there were no obligations. We settled in to the well-ordered cave at John and Yumiko Raab’s house and just sat back. John and Yumiko have a house with a lovely basement, nice and cool on the warm days. They give us the basement to ourselves – the boys in one room, the adults in the other bedroom. What a luxury! But even more is just being able to sit with everyone in the livingroom and enjoy the conversation, the laughing, the time together. No matter what happens, we know we are family.

The day after our arrival Scott went with his brother John to get John’s kids who were up at camp. Kamp Koinonia is up in the Colorado mountains just southwest of Denver (Sedalia for those who know the area). In addition to seeing the kids, Scott got to see several people he had not seen for many years (one from about 30 years ago!) and got a tour of this facility with its 140 acres. The following week Scott would come up with the boys to spend a day here at camp – that would be a treat!

One of the things we love about traveling and that we have mentioned everywhere we go is that we get to see all of our brothers and sisters in Christ in so many different places. It is so good to know and experience that as Christians we have family everywhere! A Sunday morning is such a wonderful time – even if you don’t know the people and are just meeting them. But we were coming home to this congregation. It was great to see so many who are supporting us in so many ways. Thank you Father for such a wonderful way of helping us, linking us together, making us one.

Shirley's family

Shirley's family
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

Come meet Shirley's family - check out these pictures of our visit to Nebraska. We weren't able to meet everyone, but it was great to spend time with those we could.

Iowa pictures

In Muscatine
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

I have finally gotten some of the pictures uploaded from our time in Iowa and Indiana. Click on this picture to go to our photo site and check those out.
I hope to get the pictures from Nebraska and Colorado loaded very soon. We are so thankful for all the family and friends who are sharing so much of their time and themselves with us. What a blessing you all are!

Family and hotel cool

If you have never been across Iowa, then you do not know how beautiful farmland can be. Some people find this state boring, but I have always pictured God gently forming its beautiful rolling hills with care (as opposed to the force and fun necessary for, say, the Grand Canyon). And it is also an amazing place to hear an awful lot of talk radio. Our drive across the state to Omaha, Nebraska, where Shirley’s family live was full of snacks (Lucky Charms and pretzels), talking, snoozing and waiting.

Once in Omaha (although we actually stayed across the river in Council Bluffs, Iowa), we settled into our hotel and made some phone calls. It was great to be able to call, thanks to the hospitality and forsight of the church in Muscatine who bought us a phone to use while in the States. So we made oru calls and planned the coming days with family and then settled in to hotel life. This is the one section of the trip that we stay in a hotel. This one had a fitness room, pool and was in close proximity of plenty of fast-food restaurants and stores.

Omaha, Nebraska is the largest city in Nebraska (though NOT, as Sean mentioned, the capitol). With a population of about half a million it is large, but still doesn’t feel that way. It has all sorts of cultural activities (opera, dance, music concerts, art galleries etc) and, most importantly, also has lots of discgolf courses! We played on one hot morning while Shirley was off at the mall having a good time.

The best part of this section of the trip is of course getting to see family. Shirley’s family lives in an around Omaha. Years ago, when we first lived in Abilene, Texas, Shirley’s sister, Mary and her two kids, Chris and Nikki came to live with us. This gave us a very close relationship and it is still so good to be able to spend time together. While in Omaha we also want to visit a congregation, usually on a Wednesday evening. This time we went with Mary to a congregation in North Omaha. This was the congregation where Shirley was baptized. The evening we arrived was an evening for singing, so we enjoyed the time together. Afterwards Shirley saw someone she recognized and there was a great reunion with some of the very members who had been there when she attended so many years ago. And the next day, even after we had traveled on to York, Nebraska, we received a phone call from a woman Shirley hadn’t seen in so many years but who had been influential in her life! God’s family is so good!

As mentioned we moved on from Omaha to York. We were able to stay with some people we had met while up in Minnesota. They had stopped in at the people’s home we stayed with in Minnesota, but lived in York. They offered then to put us up for a night since we had to be in York early to show Stephan around the campus and talk about the possibility of him attending there next year. It is always so refreshing to be refreshed by the saints. These are the kind of people we want to be as well. God blesses us and teaches us at the same time!

Even better, while with the Lynn’s, we realized that there were several old friends in York who we hadn’t seen in years. Shirley and Scott first went on a campaign with 12 other students from York College (and Tom Schulz) back in 1981. Two of these students lived just around the corner from where we were now staying – so we got to reminisce and catch up on how things were going in their lives. The next day, while being shown around the campus (amazed at all the changes and constantly mentioning “When we were here . . .”), we ran into several others who we had not seen in so many years. It is great to know that we have a relationship together that transcends distance and years (that of being brothers and sisters in Christ – although the York bond is awfully strong too).

After a quick tour and information, we headed out for Colorado Springs – a 9 hour drive across Nebraska and the north corner of Colorado. Scott was able to drive 75 mph (just about 130 km/h) most of the way, we had plenty of snacks, could listen to Sequel to Adam’s cd once again (the boys love it!) and stayed awake through the unending miles of nothingness stretching away from the highway. It had been a wonderful visit full of all sorts of family in Nebraska. What a blessing!

VBS, FSC and IN

The second installment - pictures may be delayed since an internet connection is not always available.

After a wondefrul time up in Minnesota and Wisconsin we got our rental car and headed down to Muscatine, Iowa (just take I-35 south and turn left at I-80). The car had airconditioning and that was definitely necessary. We know that some of you have been praying for rain, while others have been praying for sun – we got the sun. But it has been warm and wonderful – no complaints here (we just smile and sweat).

If you have never been to the Pearl City, you need to go. Muscatine is a sleepy little city along the Mississippi that is full of industry (4 or 5 Fortune 500 companies) and some wondeful people. We were able to see old friends (Rudy and Pam Schellekens) and past students who have worked with us (Jimmy Schellekens and Sue Foster). And we were encouraged by God’s family in Muscatine. It is so great to see how large our family is!

While we were here we stayed with a family who had also opened their house to us last time. This time they were even here, so we got to know the Huddlestons better. And since they had cable, they also had 1001 channels – none of which mattered except FSC – Fox Soccer Channel! If there was one thing Sean would like to take back it would be this channel (Shirley would take HGTV). But there was an awful lot going on in Muscatine.

We arrived on a Monday – the day the VBS started. For those who don’t know (and that included our boys) VBS means Vacation Bible School. This is a time when a congregation can invite local young people (and their parents) to learn more about the Bible, Bible stories and the gospel in a friendly, fun way. Muscatine was presenting crafts, puppet shows and short plays and we got to help. Scott got to play Elijah and Jesus a couple times, Shirley played Mary (sister of Martha) and Salome (check it out in the gospels), Sean got wrapped up and came back to life as Lazarus and Stephan helped a group of kids go through the various stations. For three evenings it was busy, but fun. And you get to know people pretty well when you work with them (Sue’s mother and father, Connie and Ed, also played characters in the plays, Sue did puppets, Rudy narrated and Pam was Mary, the mother of James). Check out the pictures if you don’t believe it (when I get the pictures uploaded).

At the end of the week we were able to jump over to Indianapolis (a 6 hour drive) where Scott’s brother Mike and his family live. We had not seen Mike, Amy and the kids for 6 years, and of course all the boys have grown. It was great to spend time watching the boys do tricks on their bikes, playing chess, playing pool or just walking and talking. We are so thankful for these opportunities to see each other and we are so thankful for many of YOU - it is because of you and your love for God that this has been possible. Thank you!

While in Muscatine we were also able to play some discgolf and soccer. Jimmy Schellekens is the city soccer coach and took Sean and Stephan along for some training sessions as well as a fun session behind the Muscatine church building. Scott, Stephan and Jimmy went discgolfing. Scott has been trying to find some courses in each place they travel to and so far it has been pretty easy. So we are staying active as well as meeting, learning and encouraging (and being encouraged). Our last evening in Muscatine was a Sunday evening with a wonderful church family. It is so good to see how God blesses us with His family!

More next time on our trip across Iowa to Nebraska.

We have arrived, alive and well

It is amazing how quickly time moves on – how much can happen in such a short time. It has aonly been a few days since we left Belgium and already it seems like so much has happened.

Most importantly of all, we continue to see how faithful and good God is – even if we do not always see it at the time. Our trip over was safe, albeit NOT uneventful. We saw an airport in Frankfurt wityhout any chairs to sit on (with a three hour wait), things on our flight not quite as planned (but a safe trip!) and some short worries in the middle of our trip when we were somehow put on “standby” (even though we had bought our tickets months in advance). Still, as mentioned, God is still God and we arrived safely at got into bed after a good 25 hour trip.

The very next morning, after about 7 hours of sleep, the ‘boys’ got up to go discgolfing! There was no way they were going to pass this opportunity up. Some great brothers from the church in MN know all the courses around the city (there are a lot of them – and they are all free!), so for the next few hours we walked around a park throwing frisbees into metal baskets. You may think it sounds very interesting, but we had a great time! (and if you DO think it sounds interesting and live in Europe, we need to get together and see what we can do about it!).

Shirley in the meantime went for morning coffee with our host and stopped by a rummage sale or two on the way back. One of the things that we are always so thankful for on these trip are the more than giving hearts of t=all the people we stay with. Dale and Vicki Hawley have us at their home – even though their kids are around, half of the band (from one of their sons) is still living in the basement and summers are prime time to end up with visitors passing through. This family is willing to help out however they can. What a blessing!

We are working up to the 4th of July – which for us tends to be forgotten, since no one in Europe celebrates it of course (the 4th of July is ‘Independence Day’) – but the town we are staying in also has their ‘Booster Days’ which end with fireworks. We went out to the river beach Sunday evening (along with most of the families of Hudson, WI) to watch the spectacle. It was fun to see all the families out together and to hear our boyus laughing the whole time. We were all very tired that evening and have slept well the last several nights.

This week we are still in Minnestoa, visiting with families here, getting to know more brothers and sisters. Isn’t it great that as Christians we have such a large family! I have said it many times before but will reiterate here once again: when you are traveling – anywhere, MAKE the effort, PLAN to meet with your brothers and sisters in Christ. It is such a blessing to see how God is working all over the world and to get to know your family. What a wonderful family God has placed us in!

Next week we will be moving on to Muscatine, IA. In the meantime, check out some of our pictures here once I get a chance to load some pictures.

May/June Newsletter

LIGHT in the Lowlands
Reaching out to the people of Belgium and the Netherlands

May/June 2007

The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come, and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life. Revelation 22:17

Dear brothers and sisters, family and friends,
By the time you read this you may be able to greet us personally! Thank you so much for making our upcoming trip to the States possible. It is always so good to see you again (or meet so many new people!).
The heart of the gospel
I want to take a little time in this newsletter to tell you about some of the studies we have here. There are very different kinds of studies, different kinds of people, but the same gospel.
As you read in our last newsletter, and as many of you have been praying, I started studying with Mr. W. after our Getting to know the Bible course (abbreviated “WoW” in Dutch). He loves opera, loves song and has a heart that is willing to hear what God is saying. He feels like the world is leaving behind the real truths that God has given us. At the same time, when those truths come close to his life, he is not so sure he wants to listen. But he is willing to listen, to think about things. We have only met three times. During the summer he will be reading the gospel of John. Please keep him in your prayers.
You have also been praying for my studies with LJ. She is always asking penetrating questions about the texts we are reading together. We are currently reading in the gospel of Luke. Luke is a favorite because he is a very good historian. It is clear that the things he has written were well-researched. But still it is difficult to read some of the things - like the miralces - and accept that these really happened. How can a thinking person accept this? Yes, Jesus said some very important things, but can we really believe that he did all these miracles as well?
It is exciting to be able to speak clearly with LJ. She wants to know and is willing to be confronted. She is also willing to think things through. And the cultural differences also make for some very interesting conversations. It is amazing how universal the gospel really is (or is it so amazing?!)
These two studies get to the heart of the gospel. Does Jesus really want us to follow him? Or is just listening to him enough? Why him? Is he really capable of the things he says? Who is this man?
Family tries
In these last two months we have also continued our studies with our young people. It is so good to see how Stephan and Shareya are growing in their faith and actively following God in their lives. We are blessed in Maastricht with a good group of young people – a fairly “large” group for Dutch standards. They can encourage one another, and if we want to have a get-together, we have a group of more than 10 people already. In some of the cities in Belgium and the Netherlands some of the young people are alone in the church.
It has been good to see how these young people have taken part in the studies we organized with them. We are looking specifically at the gospel, what it means and why it is good news. The same questions come up once again - Who is this man? Even when we “grow up in the church” we need to really find out who Jesus is and why it is so good to be with him.
Besides these studies Scott was asked to preach in Rotselaar and explain a difficult biblical passage. This always means that Scott himself grows. None of us have all of the truth - that is why God gave us his word. And a good challenge is always good for growth.
This has also been true in the conversations and emails in the last two months. Scott and Shirley have been trying to encourage the members who are struggling with their faith. What do you do when you feel like no one in the congregation understand who you are? How does this affect your walk with God? Pray for our efforts to help the church grow in faith and love.
Listen Up!
When Scott started with this singing group, the desire was to help people to “listen up!” to listen to God. Through the years they have encouraged the church in song, challenged audiences to think about God and have equipped members to use song in praise and teaching. June was an extremely busy month with Listen Up! The youth weekend planned for Maastricht ended in a concert which was a wonderful day of encouragement for the church. The meeting place was packed full! In addition, the new cd finally arrived and had to be gotten ready before we left for the States. We are excited about the possibilities to tell others about God in this way, but also about the continued opportunities to encourage people in their singing. It is great to be so blessed by such a wonderful God!

PRAYER WARRIORS
Please keep the following in your prayers.
- My reading in the Bible with LJ. She is seeking, listening and willing to hear. Pray for courage.
- Praise and thank God for His working in the youth weekend and concert last month!
- Pray for the coming summer camp weeks. This is a time of growth for the young people and their friends.
- Pray for our safe travels this summer in the States and that we can be an encouragement wherever we go.
- Thank God for Shirley’s health as she is doing much better!
- Pray for Mr. W. - with whom I started studying - that he will continue reading through the summer.

DID YOU KNOW?
Fashion
For several years now the city of Antwerp, in Belgium, has been a center for fashion design. The fashion school there regularly turns out designers who go on to make their name. You have probably heard of Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Kaat Tilley or Vronique Branquinho (if you follow fashion or are interested in names).
Although the Dutch are less well-known for their fashion designers, you probably have heard of Viktor and Rolf, a Dutch design team.
Have you come across something typically Dutch or Belgian? What did you think of it? Let us know.

ON THE FAMILY SIDE . . .
As mentioned, by the time you read this we will be in the States - we may even have already seen some of you. Unfortunately, we will not be able to see all of you. Here is a very summary list of where we will be stopping:
July 1-9 in Minnesota
July 9-16 in Muscatine, Iowa (and Indianapolis, IN)
July 16-20 in Nebraska
July 20-30 in Colorado (Colorado Springs and Denver)
July 30- Aug. 10 in Long Beach, CA
Aug. 10-23 in Texas (Abilene and the Dallas area)
If you are in the area, please contact us and let’s try to get together! We would love to see you. Our email address is on the front of this letter and we will be chekcing all along.
Back in the news from May and June - Sean’s elbow (see last month’s letter) was broken, but not really. When the doctor took him out of the first cast (the one given him because they weren’t sure if the arm was broken) the elbow was x-rayed and examined and the doctor said that there was a very small break. The remedy was movement. Sean just needed to take it a little easy for two weeks and then get back to normal. You don’t have to tell him twice! He is glad to be back to active. And he is growing! You will probably not even recognize him.
Stephan, as you may have been able to read and see on the blog, was basketball champ for the state (not just him, his whole team of course). There was a medals ceremony held by the city and everything. Next season Stephan will play with the men’s team. And that is how he has been acting with many things. He takes responsibility around the house and in the church. Mind you, responsibility at home has always been important for the boys, but now Stephan is also cooking and helping in the kitchen at times (Scott doesn’t have to worry about eating cereal when Shirley is gone for the Ladies Retreat!).
Shirley had a very stressful couple of months - especially when the youth weekend came in to town. We had expected a smaller group, since the Belgian young people had exams - not a great time to have a weekend. But we ended up with plenty of young people. There were 13 boys i our house, with four more adults and a baby at our house alone. This meant a lot of cleaning, preparing and organizing. But that is what Shirley is good at. Our biggest worry actually during the weekend was with Snuffles - she does not do well at all with babies (one of which was staying at our place). But even she did well - although she was VERY glad when all those loud things (the teenagers, not the baby) finally got out of her house!
As we have been trying to get ready to be gone for two months (that’s a really long time to leave your house!) we have gotten together several people to watch the house and the dog, fixed some of the weird things we see as normal before these people arrive, and tried to get all of our important papers together. But it’s worth it - we’ll soon see you!

What’s coming up?
JULY/AUGUST
Furlough
Camp weeks
SEPTEMBER
Youth weekend
Listen Up! CD presentation
WoW course
Bible studies

THANKS!
- For all the planning for this summer
- For your prayers for our studies and for the church here
- For your encouragement

Don’t let busyness get in your way - have a great day!

Yesterday is coming

"Listen Up" is the a cappella singing group I have sung with for the last 10 years or so. This is a part of our work here - in bringing the gospel through song, in helping congregations with their outreach activities, and in encouraging singing in the church (like at our last youth weekend here in Maastricht).

In the time that we have sung together we have also recorded two cd's. Many of you already have the first cd - "Old Stories, New Songs". The making of this cd is a story in itself - made possible only by God's graciousness and his children's love and faithfulness (ask me about it some time). You have been able to follow the making of the second cd - "Yesterday is coming" - on this site. We went in to the studio last year and the final product has finally arrived! Now we look forward to how this can be used further to let people know about God's love and life.

If you are interested in what we do with Listen Up, if you haven't heard the first cd and would like to, and if you want to hear parts of the new songs - just head on over to the website. There is a link right over there ---> (under "links"). But you can also just click here if you want. On the website you will only be able to hear parts of the songs, but if you head over here, (our site on myspace) then you can hear two full songs from "Old Stories, New Songs".

Youth weekend

Goede lessen
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

This past weekend we had about 40 people in our house - we are so thankful that God blessed us with a place like this to be used for Him! The church in Maastricht organized a youth weekend on the theme "Music man!" talking about why it is important to know what we are listening to.

The boys stayed at our place while the girls stayed over at the Verheijen's house. Sean and Stephan were glad to have their rooms full (literally: Sean had 5 in his room, Stephan had 6 and there were two in the playroom donwstairs!) During the together times it was packed, but exciting.

We went to a "bare-foot-path" where we walked through the woods, over stones, through rivers and all sorts of things - all on bare feet. It was great. (check out our photo site for more pics). In the afternoon the young people split up into groups and wrote their own songs, based on any text they wished from the letter of James. These kids continue to surprise and impress us! What wonderful songs!

On Sunday the meeting room for the church was packed full (overfull) with all the youth and several visitors (including my Chinese Bible student!). The singing was great, as was the fellowship. Afterwards we ate together and finished up the weekend with a concert from Listen Up! For this even more people showed up to make it standing room only.

What a blessing God has given us in music, in song, in his family and his Word!

Furlough Schedule

In just a few weeks we will be leaving our house at about 6 am to drive three hours over to Frankfurt, Germany to start our trip this summer through the USA. We are so excited about everyone we will get to see! When Jesus promised Peter that he would have family everywhere, he knew what he was talking about. And we won't even be able to visit all of you!

As you might be able to make out from the puzzle here, we will be visiting 9 different places in 7 different states - not counting the ones we just fly or drive through. We will do our very best to keep this blog updated regularly - with pictures (on the photo site) - and let you know how we are doing and how we are enjoying your company!

Here is a summary of our travel schedule:
June 29 - Leave Europe and arrive in Minneapolis/St. Paul
June 29-July 8 Together with the Woodbury church in St. Paul, MN
July 9 - Drive down to Muscatine, IA
July 9-15 Together with the church in Muscatine
July 13-14 Drive over to Indianapolis and back to visit with Scott's brother, Michael, and his family
July 16 - Drive across Iowa to Omaha, NE
July 16-19 In Omaha with Shirley's family
July 20 - Drive to Colorado Springs, stopping at York College to visit
July 20-28 In Colorado Springs with Scott's family
July 28-29 In Denver with Scott's brother, Chris, and church family in Denver
July 30 - Fly to Los Angeles
July 30-August 9 Together with the Long Beach church, including a visit to San Diego to visit Scott's sister-in-law and nephew
August 10 - Fly to Dallas and drive to Abilene, TX
August 10-19 Together with the 11th and Willis church in Abilene and including visits to LCU and ACU
August 20 - Drive to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area
August 20-22 With church family (McNeill's) in the Dallas area
August 23 - Fly to Minneapolis/St. Paul
August 24 - Fly to Frankfurt, Germany and drive back to Belgium

If you are in the area (or fairly close) let's try to get together!
As mentioned, we will not be able to see everyone we would have liked :-( Florida and Canada are a bit off this particular beaten path that we have to take, and Kansas and Oklahoma, nestled nicely in between, were just not possible in the time we have. We will miss you! Please keep up with how things are going and let us know how you are doing too.

NONE of this is possible without the love and care that so many have shown! On this end we have had to figure out how to take care of Snuffles for two months while we are gone. Several people form the church in Maastricht and even our neighbors have offered to watch the house and walk the dog. We are so blessed!

And we know that we will be welcomed in every city with open arms and genuine love (and lots of food ;-) ) wherever we stop during our trip through the States. It is so good to be a child of the King! We are looking forward to seeing you, hearing how God has been working in your lives, seeing how much taller everyone has gotten (the "kids" who aren't kids anymore!) and sharing together how good God is. Thanks for making this possible!

Close to You (some more dog wisdom)

"Just like me, they long to be . . ." Can hear the Carpenters? Then I guess this dates you too.

Snuffles loves to be wherever we are. If we are sitting on the couch in the living room, she will either be on or under our feet. If we get up to get something in the kitchen, she will follow. As I am writing this on the computer, she is sleeping on "her" ottoman behind me. So, of course, when we leave, she misses us. If we leave anything personal in the kitchen where she stays when we are gone (and I mean ANYTHING: socks, a shoe, a scarf or handkerchief), we can be assured that we will return to find her laying on it - just to be close to us. (This is Sean's sportsbag she's laying on).

Nice thought when you translate this into our relationship with God. Wanting to be so close to Him that we spend all of our time with Him - wherever He may be, or what He may be doing (or wanting us to do). Another one of those links that my mind makes.

Weird and wonderful (2)

This is for our hot water in the kitchen. It looks a bit like a mini-boiler, but it isn't. It heats the water as it goes through. We used to have a boiler (5 liter), but you had to wait until the water was hot and then hope you didn't use that much water for the dishes. This works okay, but to get really hot water you have to keep the pressure down - so it becomes a game to see if you can get the water hot enough with enough pressure. I am always ready for a game.

These are our electrical outlets. My brother might find these pretty interesting, considering he is an electrician. But these are NOT Belgian outlets. The person who did the electricity in our house was wise. You see, the Belgian outlets have a pin sticking out of them. Only a Belgian plug will fit. But a Dutch outlet will take a Dutch, German, French or Belgian plug. But don't plug your American hair-dryer into these - it still won't work. Not because I don't want you to have dry hair, of course, but simply because it works with 220v and your hair-dryer (if it comes from the States) runs on 110v. Your dryer will blow up and my electricity and your hair will go on the frizzle.

A long, long time ago - and plenty to come

It was 26 years ago that Shirley and I first started dating - during a campaign to the Netherlands, on the steps of the church building in The Hague. We have never looked back. It would be 3 years of dating - most of those with me in the Netherlands and Shirley in the US - before we were able to give ourselves in marriage. But May 31 is still our special anniversary. This year we spent time together in Maastricht - just being together. That's how we belong. We are looking forward to everything that the future brings - as long as we are together.

The weird and wonderful

I just wanted to take you on a short tour of some of the weird (have you ever noticed how weirdly this word is spelled?) and "different" things you might find in our house, compared to yours. Then again - I have been in some of your houses!



This is a birthday calendar. Every Dutch house will have one. Of course we live in Belgium, but a lot of my "upbringing" is Dutch and we work with the church in Maastricht - the Netherlands. One puts all important birthdays on this calendar - family, uncles and aunts, special friends. The interesting thing is where you will always (or most often) find this calendar. Care to guess? It is where you will always be able to see it and be reminded.

Sometimes our visitors, when asking where the milk might be, search our kitchen for the refrigerator. It is right in front of them, hidden in the kitchen cabinet.


This is not that different from many homes. The size might surprise many of our friends from the US. We had to learn quickly how to pack efficiently.


But they don't sell supersizes over here either - so that is a plus. And if you are looking for the milk, you may not find it in our refrigerator anyway - we use sterilized milk which can be stored in the cabinet without refrigeration. (not very Dutch - they hate the stuff - but very efficient)
More later.

Don't Forget

Scott reminds us "Don't forget!"
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

This past Monday was the yearly gathering of the Dutch-speaking churches, held in The Hague. This is a time of fellowship, of encouragement, and of challenging one another in our Christian lives.

It was great to be able to sing with Listen Up! again after the long hiatus we had taken to finish the CD (which is almost done!). It is such a blessing to be able to serve, to sing and to be with these people who love God so much. Days like these help you to remember what is most important.

My best friend and I always put a PS in our letters - "Don't Forget!" This is to remind us that we have a place we are going, we have a Home, we have a Father who is taking us there - so we want to live as people who have such things. That is the song I am singing - based on 2 Peter 3:9. Don't Forget!

Ascension Adventure

Years ago, when Shirley and I were young marrieds (wait a minute - we are still young marrieds!). we would often go off on a walk somewhere, just wondering where it would lead us. We looked for "adventure" this way. Sometimes taking a new road, sometimes not worrying about whether our shoes would get wet or muddy - whatever. When the boys came along, these adventures slowed down (although they were just as much a part of the adventure!).

Now that the guys are older, can handle themselves at home alone, and aren't always interested in doing what Mom and Dad are doing (did that surprise you?), Shirley and I decided to leave them on their own for a bit and go on an adventure. Ascension Day is a holiday here, so we jumped in the car and drove off - we had a general direction, but simply chose a turn whenever we approached an intersection.

We are blessed to live in a very international area, and a very beautiful area, so we drove through hills in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany - all within 10 minutes of each other. There is a "three-country-point" (which we didn't visit since we have been there before), and lots of rolling hills and picturesque villages. A stop for coffee and lunch in one village, wondering where that road leads to (and finding out), several castles and ending up at a village where they were holding an antique and rummage sale (one man's junk is another man's antiques!).

We got home in time for dinner and played a game with the boys before watching a movie together. It was a great adventure-filled day!

Of dogs and the Holy Spirit

When I first came to the Netherlands I was quite a young Christian. I remember being frustrated at how much I didn’t know and thrilled at how much I could learn. I am still caught in this dichotomy and enjoying it as much. But back then I would take a walk each evening to clear my head and just think and pray. There was a beautiful park close to where I lived and I enjoyed walking there. It was there, while watching someone walking their dog, that I saw for the first time how the Holy Spirit worked at times in my life.

I don’t remember now exactly what was going on, but I had been reading that evening in my Bible (often trying to read in Dutch as well) and that evening I was able to put some things together. Just watching that dog put together some of the points that had been made in the Word barely an hour before. And it made sense because I could see it (I am visual and tend to visualize a lot of things). I believe that that is how the Holy Spirit works. Of course, if I don’t put any of God’s Word into my head and heart, then there is not much for Him to work with.

Yesterday the Holy Spirit was teaching me through Snuffles. Snuffles – for those of you who may not know – has been our dog for the last year and a half (for an interesting lesson concerning “our” dog, click here and see "Finally 'ours'"). She was born with tunnel vision and is basically blind. Since she doesn’t smell that well either, she is pretty wary of other dogs. As a matter of fact, she will attack first in order to make sure that she is not attacked.

This has several consequences for our walks. First of all, she likes to stay on the beaten path. She does NOT want to run off into the grass or whatever, because more than likely she will get some twig poked in her eye or fall off the edge of the road into the canal beside our road. If we go off the path, she has to stay right close to me (following me) to be sure that she doesn’t get in any trouble. And I have to take a path that is not dangerous for her. Where it is safe, she is free to roam around and get spooked every once in a while by the sounds of the rabbits in the bush. She can stretch herself and try new things. She knows I am close by.
Secondly, Snuffles is most ferocious with other dogs when she is on the line. She knows that I am going to pull her back. I have been trying to teach her to be calm around other dogs. But at the same time, I DO have to protect her from other dogs. Some dogs want to bite her head off (and could do with no great difficulty!) If she is loose (which I do when I know no dogs will be around), she is actually a scaredy-cat and stays nice and close.
Finally, she trusts me to keep her out of trouble – I am her eyes. I know when things are approaching and can see the whole picture. She only sees what is right in front of her (and can’t even see that half of the time!). When we drop a special snack for her, we usually have to tap the floor until she finally finds it!

So the HS pointed out how similar we are, Snuffles and I. If I am to stay safe, it’s good to be in close contact with God. Now it may sound strange, or even upsetting to think of this as a leash, but the only reason the leash is there with Snuffles is to make sure she doesn’t fall in the canal or get eaten by big German shepherds. God sees the whole picture, where we often only see what is right in front of us (and not even that half the time!).
When we are loose, it is in a safe environment, although we may not think so at times. And God will always keep us safe, so we need to trust him. When he says we are okay, we shouldn’t be growling like vicious animals (and I think about how we treat one another sometimes – attack first and think later).
Psalm 119:105 says that the Word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path, but 1 John 1:7 reminds us that we WALK in the light as HE is in the light. Having the light isn’t everything – we are walking along. And if we stop, the light continues and we are left in the dark. One of the most endearing things about Snuffles is how she always runs back to me to make sure that I am still there. She hears me, turns around with a little jump and confident walk, and heads back out to find out what is ahead, knowing that she is okay – I am there. Good thoughts. Amazing what the Holy Spirit can do with a dog and a walk.

April Newsletter

Light in the Lowlands
Reaching out to the people of Belgium and the Netherlands

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you have refreshed the hearts of the saints. Philemon 6-7

Dear brothers and sisters, family and friends,
This has been a very challenging month - God is so good and mighty. I’m glad He is in charge - He does such a good job!

Reaching out and reaching in
One of the joys of knowing God is that we have the opportunity to let others know about Him and how good it is to live with Him. Sometimes that means studying or talking, and other times that just means singing His praises.
In April we tried again with the “Getting to know the Bible” series we offered in March. This time we put it in the newspaper as well. We had four good responses, of which one was able to find our building (something to work on in the future). Mr. W. not only came to the first three lessons, he also continued through the second set of lessons and wants to know more about the church. Hopefully you will be reading more about him in next month’s newsletter. Please keep him in your prayers.
At the end of the month Listen Up! went to Antwerp to sing with the a cappella vocal band “Agape-la” from Paris. This was a great opportunity to reach out to people in the neighborhood in Antwerp. Posters and flyers were printed, people were invited and in a meeting place meant for about 70 people we had more than 120 listening to good news about Jesus Christ! It was a sweaty evening (there is no airco in this building and it was one of the hottest days in history for this time of year), but everyone listened with pleasure. We heard afterwards that there were several from the neighborhood as well as a couple who had come from more than 2 hours away because they had seen it on the internet. It’s great to sing of such a wonderful life!
Speaking of singing, at the beginning of the month we went down to camp with our young people for an Easter weekend. Before the weekend we had told the young people to prepare by knowing Philippians. Down at camp we had a quiz and talked about what we had learned, but we also put that knowledge into song. We sent them off in groups for 90 minutes with the task of writing a song based on something in Philippians. Now we have four new songs for our songbooks! Amazing what God can do with willing hearts and minds!

- the view from the "Love Tree" -

We closed out the weekend with a sunrise service up at the “Love Tree” (a tree at the top of a hill nearby camp) remembering what Jesus has done for us. Then everyone headed back to their respective congregations to celebrate this wonderful family that God has given us. It was a great weekend which we are already planning to repeat. First we have a weekend to prepare for June which will also include singing and song-writing. This weekend showed me never to underestimate what God can do.

Studying
In addition to the regular studies Scott has with several adults, he and Ruud have also started working with the youth of the congregation. At least once a month they get together to have fun and games, and on other days to challenge their hearts and brains. Sometimes these studies are about current topics (most recently - creation), but also about the basics of real life with God. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they struggle to see if this is real or just something adults do. Pray also for us that we will not be just teachers, but examples of how real this life truly is.
On Monday evenings Scott is involved with university students from Maastricht in a weekly Bible study. Students from Germany, Romania, Ukraine, the Netherlands and the US get together to discuss all sorts of topics. Scott recently led a study on “Who is Jesus” as part of a group of studies on God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus. It has been interesting to see that although these students don’t want to be “told” what is right, they are more than willing to listen to someone who has a little more experience (and hopefully more knowledge). Pray that we can always simply get back into God’s word and see what is really there.
Next month Scott will be presenting a study and helping with a discussion over homosexuality and how Christians should respond. This is quite a current topic for these students (and all of us). It is exciting to see that instead of running away from difficult topics, they are more than willing to examine them based on God’s word.
Some months can be very busy and very challenging. There have been times this month that I felt like the day had stretched into 36 hours. But each evening God brought rest and created new opportunities and strength for the new day. What an awesome God!

Prayer warriors
Please keep the following in your prayers.
- My reading in the Bible with LJ, Gerard, Cor and Titia and Mieke.
- Our continued contact with people in our villages.
- Upcoming youth weekends and concerts in May and June.
- Our upcoming youth activities. What a blessing to see them growing in so many ways!
- Thanks for the “Getting to know the Bible” series and continued prayers for the participants.
- Shirley’s and Ruud’s health. Shirley is doing better.
- Thanks and praise for a wonderful church family!

ON THE FAMILY SIDE . . .
Although many of you may have gotten showers in April (or even snow - we heard), we have been enjoying summer weather. As a matter of fact, we broke a record for the most days without rain here. Thankfully (yes, I can truly say that!) it has started raining again. But during the sunny days we have experienced a good mix of fun,beautiful and challenging times.
Stephan went off at the beginning of the month to some friends outside of Eindhoven. It’s not always easy when your friends live so far away. But he also spent plenty of time with his school friends and his teammates from basketball. As a matter of fact, his team became champions - which meant that he had to shave his head! Sean couldn’t stop laughing, some girls were quite impressed and Stephan simply continued with a smile (as always).

- Stephan, the champion -

Sean had a real up and down month. He was approached by the coach for the C1 team (two levels up from where he plays at C3) to play with them. Unfortunately, his own coach didn’t want to lose him. So he played for both teams for a little while. But in the next to last game, one the C1 had to win in order to continue at their current level Sean fell and broke his elbow (maybe)! Scott was off in Antwerp at a concert, Shirley was off to the store, but thankfully Ruud (our colleague) was there to accompany Sean to the hospital. After lots of x-rays, they still weren’t sure, so now Sean is in a cast and waiting on new x-rays and certainty about what has happened.
In the meantime, he had been having a good time with his best friend Wouter. Wouter’s parents were off together and didn’t want to leave Wouter alone, so he stayed with us for several days. Both he and Sean are big Genk fans (the pro soccer team) and followed all the news together. Genk is fighting to win the season and they have a good chance.
Shirley is doing well. The latest EMG showed that things are actually getting better. She has doubled her medicine so that it is more effective (according to doctor’s orders) and we will check in again just before we leave for the States this summer. In the meantime it is definitely Spring, which means new flowers and trying to keep up on what is happening in the yard (but being careful about what she does!).
We all have enjoyed the times getting together with our brothers and sisters around the country. At the end of the month Listen Up! had a concert in Antwerp together with a group from Paris - Agape-la. Shirley and Sean had to stay home (the day Sean got hurt, Shirley taking care of him), but Stephan went with Scott and got to see lots of friends and meet new people.

EXTRAS
DID YOU KNOW?
Tidbits of information about
Belgium and the Netherlands
Delicious?!
- Most people have heard of Dutch cheeses: Gouda, Edam. Some other typical meals include pea soup and many different ways of preparing cauliflower or cabbage.
- Although the Belgians are not as well known for their cheeses, they do have quite a few varieties. Currently Belgium is more known for their beers and their chocolate. But you might also want to look into recipes for cooking venison or rabbit.
Have you come across something typically Dutch or Belgian? What did you think of it? Let us know.
What’s coming up?
MAY
Getting to know the Bible
Listen Up! concert
Youth studies
JUNE
Youth weekend and concert
Outreach in our neighborhood
THANKS!
- For praying for us - and letting us know that!
- For your continued desire to know and follow God
- For your blogs, emails and calls - it is great to hear what is going on with you.

Sometimes we think we know what to expect. April is supposed to bring flowers and the beginning of showers, right? But if it ends up doing something different - well, then, just keep on going, with a smile (Stephan is always a good example!). We have been blessed through all the things we experienced this month and pray that you too have been able to see the blessings in all that has happened in your life this month. Have a great day today!

Wiser on the Way

This evening we finished up the "Getting to know the Bible" series of lessons. In Dutch it is called "Wiser on the way". A "wiser" has two meanings: to be wiser and something that points (like the hand on a clock). So the title means that you can become wiser on the way and you can be pointed to the right direction with the Bible.

We had put a press release in the local papers and had 5 good reactions. Mr. W. showed up for lessons 1-3 last week. (We know that at least two others tried to find it, but got lost in our neighborhood - something to learn from for next time!). We have had some wonderful discussions with him each evening. He decided to stay for lesson 4, 5 and 6 this week and has asked for more information on the church and on the Bible. Thank you for your prayers and please keep him in your prayers.

One of the most encouraging things throughout this series has been Willemien, our 85-year-old sister. She has been present each time we have offered lessons 1-3. She makes sure the room is open, turns on the heat if needed (we started these last Fall) and gets coffee ready. But more importantly, she takes part. As she has said, most of the time she arrives tired (the lessons are in the evening) and leaves completely energized. This time she was telling everyone to be sure and come - and she takes the information she has learned and passes it on to people she meets and talks to. What a wonderful blessing she is to the church here!

Thank you for your prayers for this effort. We will repeat the series again in the Fall, hopefully reaching more people from here in the neighborhood.

Stephan - the champ!

Stephan - the champ!
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

Stephan came home yesterday looking a bit different. This season his basketball team had decided that if they won the championship they would shave their heads.

As the end of the season came into view this promise became a bit more serious - they hadn't lost a single game. The next to last game they lost (their only loss!) to the second-place team. This meant they had to wait for one more game before knowing if they were champs or not.

Well, last night they were crowned (can you say that with a head like that?) champions. Click on the picture to see a few more pictures of Stephan's new style.

What do you believe? (2)

I wanted to respond to one of the questions on the last entry about the Catholic weekend.


It was really exciting to see these young people struggle with what they do believe. They expected, I think, that we (the adults) would simply tell them what they SHOULD believe. And as usual, when asked the first answers were typical answers (the ones they know you as adults want to hear).

But then they realized that the question was serious. If they could choose, which elements from the "articles of faith" would they keep, which would they throw away and what would they add to it? There was a time of discussion to talk about things that they believed. Some of these points included: "That man and animals will always live well together" or "That God will always help me to love animals." There was also mention of "eternal love", "friendship" and "forgiveness".

One of the most interesting points came after everyone had had a chance to say some of the things they believed. We then voted on what should stay or go. What with Idols and such, that is what these kids were used to (and to be honest - that is what a lot of adults would like to think they should be able to do with their "articles of faith"). But they only had three votes! They had two blue (a full "YES") and one red ("maybe?"). At the end, we had a board with the various points blue or red-dotted.


An intriguing point came from the article (mentioned by one of the participants): "That we should forgive because Jesus forgives." This point was one that had the most stickers, but they were mostly red. When discussed it was made clear that many thought this a VERY important point, but they also realized that it was very difficult to do.

Some other points concerned whether there really is life after death, whether God created the earth or what it means to be part of the church. The most exciting point of all of this to me was that these young people were seriously THINKING about all of this, instead of just learning something by rote or writing something down. They will struggle with these concepts, for a little while at least. And that is what we are supposed to do!

No - just because we decide that something shouldn't be on the list does not determine whether it is true or not. We don't get to vote on what is true. But we DO, we MUST decide what we really believe. Belief is not cerebral, it is entire - encompassing our thought AND our life-actions. That is something these young people were exposed to in this weekend and I hope in the coming months and years still.

February-March Newsletter

LIGHT in the Lowlands
Reaching out to the people of Belgium and the Netherlands

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ - to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11

Dear brothers and sisters, family and friends,
Some months just fly by! These past two months have shown us why it is so important to know what we believe.

What do you believe?
Our regular studies, our youth activities and our outreach has been focused on this question - either by purpose or providence. It has been enervating and exciting as well as frustrating at times.
Every week I read from the Bible with four people (for whom many of you have been praying). It has been interesting to see how each meeting is becoming a confrontation - not because I am doing anything differently, but because the message of Jesus is getting through. We mustn’t underestimate how much smoke and miscommunication blurs this message to people in a culture where one assumes the message has already been heard (and long ago rejected). So when the real picture of Jesus - as presented in the Bible - finally gets through, it can be quite confronting.
Some don’t like it. Jesus calls us to follow him and only him. He makes clear that there are good things and bad things - no relativism for him. And he calls sin “sin” - without beating around the bush. So what do you do with Jesus?
One of the people I read with has come to realize what it means to be adopted nito Christ - at least that he is not yet part of Christ. Another has been considering this question for some time. She knows that if she accepts Jesus that this means changing her life. This change can be literally dangerous for her in her own country. She wonders if she is willing to make this choice. Does she really believe?
This is also what came up during the Catholic weekend in which we had an opportunity to participate. The “articles of faith” are usually quoted during confirmation - the moment for Catholics when they accept the baptism they were given as babies and declare their own faith. But do these young people (11 and 12-year-olds) really believe these things? That is what one of the organizers struggled with, mainly because he also is not sure if he believes them. So the young people were encouraged during an activity to put together the things they DO believe in. These young people will have been challenged to think about what they really believe when they make this choice.
Thank you for your prayers for this opportunity. There were some really good opportunities for discussion - with the young people and with the adults. We pray that God will continue to use us in this village in the future. There are so many who do not know what they believe or why.
This is why we want to get people into reading their Bible. Our course “Getting to know the Bible” was offered in March, but there were no takers. We sometimes don’t know if this is because of the time (just after Carnaval), our advertising methods, or some other reason. It was frustrating to have everything ready and no one show up. But we are not giving up. We have put ads in the papers and will offer the course again at the end of April, beginning of May.
Growing together
In February I presented a series of lessons at the Advanced Bible Study Series (ABSS) in Germany. The lessons were on “Glory and suffering” and camne from 1 Peter. Difficult material when you are one who has not yet really suffered - considering that in the West we aren’t really persecuted as Christians. But it is important information to internalize. We all expereince what we feel is suffering, and the message remains the same: If we hold on to God, He is glorified and will carry us through, shining as never before.

- Scott taught at ABSS -

The week after ABSS Shirley was able to go to the Ladies Retreat in Germany. We weren’t sure if her health would allow it, but she did well on the drive there and back and enjoyed the time with sisters from around Europe. We are so thankful that several of the ladies from the congregation here are able to go - and want to go.

- at the Ladies Retreat -

Back in Maastricht we continued working on some memory verses - another possibly confronting situation. It was exciting to see some of the young people learning these verses, while the adults were the ones struggling. But it was also a challenge to make clear that this is a opportunity and not a badge of superiority. We want everyone to know the pleasure of knowing God through His word. In April we will get together for a weekend at Easter and test our knowledge a bit, but in the meantime we will put our knowledge into practice - the best test. What a wonderful, challenging, life-changing God we have!

PRAYER WARRIORS
Please keep the following in your prayers.
- My reading in the Bible with LJ, the Chinese PhD student.
- Our contact with young people in the village of Ruud and Karla (Veldwezelt).
- Development of a program for our older youth (18-30) and helping them to grow in their faith.
- Our upcoming youth activities. These contacts are going well, with our own young people and their friends.
- The “Getting to know the Bible” series in April and May - for good visitors.
- Shirley’s and Ruud’s health.

ON THE FAMILY SIDE . . .
I want to use this opportunity first to update you on what has been going on with Shirley’s health. At the time of this writing she is feeling pretty good and we are very thankful for your prayers and for the wonderful care we always have in our Father.
In December Shirley realized that the pain in her arm and neck were not going to go away, so we went to the doctor. He sent us to the physical therapist, who really couldn’t help, so we were referred to some tests. Shirley has now had the pleasure of expereincing a CT scan, an EMG and an MRI. To clear up that alphabet soup a little: a CT scan is like an all-around x-ray, and EMG measures electrical impulses, and an MRI uses magnetics to look at the soft tissues in your body (sees what the x-ray cannot).
All of these tests confirmed what the first specialist said - Shirley has two major hernias in her neck pressing on two nerves which go to her right arm. The hernias may be caused by or exacerbated by the arthrose in her neck (arthrose is basically wear and tear - the bone is worn out). She has anti-inflammatory medicine to help what may be swelling (although it is not certain that anything is swelling) and takes some pain madeicine. She also needed to stop doing the things that hurt (easier said than done!).
At the end of March we had a further meeting with the neurosurgeon (works on nerves) about the possibilities of surgery. He is happy that Shirley seems to be doing well with the medicine. Shirley will go in for another EMG in April to make sure that the nerve is not deteriorating (even though she does not have as much pain). At that point they may discuss surgery again.
In the meantime, Shirley continues being the joy she has always been in the lives of those around her. She makes bread and muffins and cookies (as long as one of her “men” gets the things from the tall cabinet), makes sure that everything is running well in the household and shows a continuous and firm trust in God. She knows that this physical ailment is frustrating, but not eternal.
The boys have continued growing and learning in all they are doing. Sean is now well above Shirley in height. In fact, he may pass Stephan soon. They both continue to enjoy their sports and keep going in school (whether theyreally want to or not). Stephan takes the SAT in May, so he has been doing some extra studying.
It has been great to see how both of the boys have tried to help in all ways when needed while Shirley was not feeling well. Stephan is truly a young man, willing to accept responsibility, taking the consequences when he does something wrong, willing to make things right, sharing in his victories. It is exciting to see.
At the end of March we were pleased to be able to see Sue Foster. She is still planning on joining the team in Ghent and was able to spend some time with them there. We were just glad to be able to visit some. What a joyful spirit!

EXTRA'S
DID YOU KNOW?
Tidbits of information about Belgium and the Netherlands
Well-known current sport celebrities
- Women’s tennis: Justin Henin and Kim Clijsters
Interestingly - Justin is from the French-speaking area, Kim from the Flemish-speaking area of Belgium.
- Swimming: Dutchman Pieter van den Hoogenband was American sensation Michael Phelps’ major competition in the 200meter freestyle at Melbourne. He won 3 Olympic gold medals in Sydney.
-IOC: Jacques Rogge, a Belgian, is the chairman of the International Olympic Committee.

What’s coming up?
APRIL
Youth weekend
Getting to know the Bible
Listen Up! Concert
MAY
Getting to know the bIble
JUNE
Youth weekend and concert

THANKS!
- For your emails and comments on the blog
- For all those helping with our furlough
- For your continued prayers and encouragement

Thank you for all of your prayers and comments (on the blog). We are enjoying the things that God has brought into our life, knowing that we are always with Him - so it’s going to be great!

Sonrise

Zonsopgang / Sunrise
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

This past weekend we held a youth weekend down at camp for our young people. We have been learning memory verses and looking at the letter to the Philippians, so we put some of that to the test with a quiz.

We also split up into groups and wrote some new songs based on texts from Philippians. Unbelievable what these young people can do! We have four new songs to add to our songbooks. And they did that in 90 minutes!

Sunday morning we got up early to see the sunrise - you can't really see the sun rise from here, but you can see it getting lighter. It was so beautiful! A good time to remember what we have in Jesus. Back at camp we ate breakfast together and headed out to our respective congregations (we did this weekend with some of the youth from Tongeren).

It was a wonderful weekend that we are looking forward to repeating at different times in the year. What a great family we have been put in by such a wonderful Father!

What do you believe?

This past weekend I took part in a youth weekend for Catholic youth preparing for their confirmation. You might remember that Karla Verheijen was approached in her village by the committee which organizes the catechism for these young people. They knew Karla and Ruud were believers and that they know their Bible, so they asked if Karla wanted to help. Along the way Karla mentioned that I had experience with youth weekends and the committee asked my help with this weekend.

This was a unique opportunity – both Karla and I want people to consider what they believe and to look deeper at what they are taught. We also encourage all people to read the Bible. The other adults in this committee not only don’t know much about the Bible, they aren’t really sure if they believe in God. But they do believe that the church is important for these young people. So this weekend was organized to help prepare them for their confirmation – the time for Catholics when they accept the decision made for them when they were baptized as babies, and the moment when they receive the Holy Spirit, according to Catholic teaching.

At the weekend, one of the activities was to look at the creed that they were to know. Often this must simply be learned by rote and repeated at the ceremony. But the committee member who isn’t sure if he believes in God thought it better to have these young people look at what they really believe. In this way they will not be saying that they believe something that they don’t believe. So we had them list some things they believe in. Then they were allowed to vote for the points they considered most important. It was very interesting to see what came out of the voting.

What do you really believe? What are your articles of faith? Do you believe that God is creator of heaven and earth? That Jesus died and was raised on the third day? That we can live eternally? That the Holy Spirit lives in us and guides us and gives us strength to be different people? And what is the most important for you? And what does this mean for your daily life then?

And then the thought: does it really matter what we think? We can vote all we want – and we live in a world where the publics opinion is the most important (“Idols” with the tele-voting) – but that does not change what is. When we say: “I believe”, are we saying “I think this is true” or are we saying “I accept this truth”?

It was an exciting weekend. And these young people have been challenged in ways that others certainly will not have been. And that happened because a man is not sure what he believes and is willing to ask others to help. I am glad that we were able to participate and look forward to what will happen in the future.