Let go

Recently I have been struggling with and thrilling to the lessons I am learning from three women in my life. How much do I want to hold on to? How much can I let go and really trust God? These three ladies have struggled with these questions far more and far more seriously than I have ever had to. One is struggling through MS and cancer, another is soon to die from cancer and one has lost yet another child to a miscarriage. Their attidues are challenging me to examine how much I really trust.

Many of you may know Sandi Rog. We have worked with them in the past here in the Netherlands. You may have read her books or followed her situation on her blog or prayed for her in a Wednesday evening group. I am thankful for her wording of her struggle here.  Am I willing to let my children go, knowing that they are in God’s hands, that they will have to make their own decisions and that God has surrounded them with wonderful people (as he had surrounded me as well at that time in my life)? A wonderful, challenging thought.

We work together with Luk and Holly Brazle, who live in Ghent, Belgium. Youth weekends and Bible camp are just a few of the things we do together, even though we live separated by most of the country (but it’s a small country). We are encouraged by their faith and gentleness, their joy in the Lord. And we have seen some of their struggles through the years. They recently expereinced another miscarriage. They have two wonderful boys, but have also lost several other children in miscarriages. Their attitude is also one of faith and trust which so inspires me (please read their thoughts here).

And then there is Irene. She will soon be going home to be with our wonderful Father. She has struggled with cancer in her body. She is a young woman, not yet 50. I know that sounds old to some, but so many have so many more years. But for Irene, this is a time to be used by God. She is ready to go home, if this is the time. She is also willing to have her sickness be used to show the greatness of a God who carries us through pain. But this has only been possible because she has put her whole life in God’s hands – not just the good things, not just the bad things – everything!

I want to trust God fully with my life. This is what gives real peace and real strength. Can I trust God with my life? Do I give him all my anxiety and joy? I am not alone in this struggle. I know that you know what I am talking about. I am so thankful for my Father who also not only knows what is going on, but is always present and helping.

Of course the Holy Spirit says it best:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:6-11

Team work

When a couple gets married there are many ways their unity is emphasized. Rings are exchanged, a marriage book is signed (here in Belgium and the Netherlands), and of course we are reminded by God in His word that we are one, no longer two, but complete, whole, in Christ Jesus. Each couple then has to go on and realize the reality of this oneness.  Which side of the closet is used by whom, and on which side of the bed do you sleep? Who does the cooking? The cleaning? When children come, who trains them and in what?

Before we arrived in Belgium, we had already discovered the various ways that we complemented each other’s strengths. Still, it is always exciting to see it in practice. Throughout the years that our boys were growing up, our tasks were more varied. Shirley is a fantastic manager, making sure that we always have enough with whatever we have at the time, providing for a place that we as a family and the church family can always feel at home.  She is a teacher and example for her children, for her neighbors and for church members – always ready to help. I was more active preaching, teaching, visibly leading.

When we worked with a week of summer camp, I would lead and/or teach and Shirley would take care of the kitchen. We always knew we could depend on one another doing our jobs. And we were able to leave the work for that area to the other member of the team.

Now that both Stephan and Sean are out of the house, we have more time to work together in our outreach and teaching. Recently we have begun a series of studies with the members from the book of Mark. We are not only challenging ourselves as body members to be changed by our lives following Jesus, we are also training in learning how we can help others do the same.  How do you help people see who Jesus is in the Bible and in your life?

Every two or three weeks we are meeting with at least three different groups in the congregation, reading, sharing, challenging, encouraging. It is exciting to see how God is changing the various members, changing us. It is exciting to be doing this together. I am so thankful for this team, that we are a team together.

Extreme makeover at Camp

Everyone got into the work
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

Down at Ardennen Bijbelkamp we moved on to the next phase of our Extreme Makeover. In Spring 2012 a new hall will be built where the old hall used to stand (we tore that down in phase 1). But before that can happen, we needed to remove the old foundation.
My back definitely did NOT enjoy this work (at least not the next day), but it was exciting to see so many people working together to get this done. As I talked about with some of the little guys, we all can use our strengths. Some guys can swing heavy hammers, some guys can't. But we can all help.
It is great to be part of a body that can work together!

Our 90-year-old teenager

This past week we celebrated Willemien’s 90th birthday. We had a great time making her day especially special. The smile she usually graces us all with was even brighter that day.

I may have mentioned it before, but Willemien has pretty much ruined my idea of what “old” is. She had two new knees put in a few years back and was recovered and back to full steam within 3 weeks – this was after she was 85. She walks the dog twice a day. Although she has someone come in to help clean once a week, she still lives at home alone and takes care of herself. So when I meet someone who is, say 78, I think, “Ah, that’s a young’un.”

Willemien came to know Jesus back about the time we started working in Maastricht. She and her husband, Cor, had been searching for truth and God for 40 years (at that time). God brought us together and we have never looked back. So, technically, Willemien is about 16 years old in her faith life. And she is a great teenager. She loves mixing with all ages, is willing to listen, and shares her stories as well. She is a true prayer warrior in the church and always willing to learn.

Join with us in thanking God for His rich blessings in Willemien’s life and through Willemien’s life to so many around her. Willemien has no other family than her Christian family, but what a great family that is!

Willemien and Josephine celebrating together 

Now that's fellowship!

Thanks to Luk for the photo

Once again, members from the various congregations around Belgium and the Netherlands gathered for some fun fellowship. It is moments like these that thrill me about God's family. I learned long ago from my first mentor, Ron Carter, that Christians are the best one's to know how to really have fun. And the COPA Benelux is a good example. 

Usually the congregation in Maastricht brings a team as well - as a matter of fact, we have won the FUN cup twice (in the 4 years the competition has existed), but it's not about the winning (is it?). But this year we had several members not able to make it, so Scott and Michael sought a team that might need some extra players. We hooked up with the guys and gals from Brussels for their PRO team ... and look what happened! 

Not that our presence was that important to the win, but we sure had fun! And to be able to meet with brothers and sisters, having conversations in English, Dutch or French, making plans for other activities in the year, encouraging one another with struggles - it is a great time to be together. Luk Brazle's lesson on the body and finding our place was an encouragement for our spiritual lives. 

I am glad that Christians understand that something like this day is helpful, encouraging, beneficial and fun! I think of the years of camp in Colorado, California, Nebraska or Iowa, or of biking in the Tour de Togo in Minnesota (haven't made it yet, but I will), or so many other activities. Getting to know one another, encouraging each other, learning how to deal with winning and losing, showing non-Christian friends how to really have fun ... that is what a day like this is all about.

It is time

We are dealing with some basic realities, in our home life and in our work. Reality: there always comes a time of doing after the time of planning and preparation.

At the end of August, after several official years of planning (and several more unofficial years), our Bible camp site finally got official permission to begin with the renovation works that we have been planning for so long. We want so much to be able to make better use of the facilities we have in the Ardennes. If all goes as planned and as God wills, we will have a new meeting hall in the Spring and everything will be ready next summer to welcome our summer campers.

But before that could happen, the old hall needed to be taken care of - torn down. The old fiberglass roof which rained on the inside just wasn't getting the job done. When it rained, the holes in the roof leaked. When it wasn't raining, the moisture would often condense on the roof and rain down anyway. The windows on one side of the hall came from a different era. We had double glass on one side of the hall and plexiglass - actually simply plastic on wooden frames - on the other side. A lot of hard and loving labor went into making this hall. Years of great lessons and fellowship in what the various churches created here for each other. But now it was time to move on.
So we did. It was time. You can see some of the pictures (and maybe you already have) as well as a video showing some of the fun in getting the demolition done. It was a bittersweet labor of love. But we are looking forward to what will take its place and how we will be able to enjoy that.

At home, we have enjoyed watching Sean grow up. He has shown interest in so many things. His first plan was to be a professional football (soccer) player - and he was very adamant that he would do it! And he still enjoys playing, but that is not where his interest lies. Then he talked about having his own business, but in the end - somewhat out of the blue, though not completely - he is moving over to Brussels to study film.
In the last months we have prepared by finding out about the metro and the train (he will come home each weekend with the train and will use the metro to get around Brussels), about what he needs for school, visiting Brussels, setting up his room (he will be staying with good friends Bill and DeeDee Bundy) and getting things ready back at home. Sean still plans on working each Saturday and rehearsing or performing with his band as well.

Brussels - what a mix!

But there comes a time when it will start. And today it was time. On Sean's birthday (for all his life until now he always spent his birthday at school - it is the first day of school here) we went to Brussels with most of his things. Today we took the last bits and left him behind there, with advice and admiration, our prayers and admonitions. This week he will get used to living in Brussels before he really starts classes next week.

We are so thankful for the things that God allows us to see in this life - the work that He is completing in so many people. We are thankful that we can be part of that and will keep planning and doing each day, because it IS time.

This old house

This house is full of sounds. Every door has its own special creak. And don’t get me started on some of the floors! When the boys were younger I thought that this was perfect – no sneaking around without us knowing. If their bedroom door opened, I knew it, even in my sleep.

After years of practice, I know how to get around most of these sounds (and so, probably do the boys), so when I woke up early in the morning I made an effort to be quiet on my visit down the hall for a call of nature. But for a moment … for a moment I was surprised at Sean’s open door. Even in the dark and without my glasses I could see that he wasn’t in his room, he wasn’t in his bed. Then I remembered that he was spending the night at his friend’s house.

None of this changed the sudden feeling in my heart – a feeling of exhilaration, of worry, of change. This will soon be a regular scene. Last night we got to talk again to Stephan as he is starting his fourth year at Harding. And Sean is not yet gone to his study in Brussels, but it won’t be long. He’ll be home on the weekends, but there will be less creaking around the house.

Exciting – we are so thrilled for the things the guys are learning, the people they are meeting and the opportunities in their lives. Change is different. We have to adapt. Things will not be the same. But they will be good – of that I am sure.  Exhilarating, a bit scary, but full of expectation.

Camp is where it's at

For the last four weeks young and old have taken advantage of Ardennen Bijbelkamp. We are so thankful that we have this facility and can encourage one another here. Each camp week (there are four) are organized and run by various members from various congregations working together to serve the youth and  anyone interested in learning more about God during such a great week. We have a week for "jongeren" (15 and older), for "Benjaminen" (8-11 yr-olds), "Tieners" (12-14 yr-olds) and a "Gezinskamp" for families or anyone who wants to come.

Jongerenkamp (click on the photo here to see more pictures) had the theme of "Serving". (You can see more complete compilation here on Luk Brazle's site.) It was exciting to discover together the various ways that we can serve one another and to dream about how we are going to put this into practice after camp. During the week we helped people in the village, shared candy during "snoepwinkel" (where you can buy chocoalte, chips and cola) by buying for someone else instead of yourself, and of course enjoyed "corvee" (kitchen duty).

The Benjamins learned about the gospel of Luke. Karla Verheijen worked with her father and Annette and Mainor Boalanos from the church in Haarlem to teach 23 kids during this week. This was a full week! There were also good helpers among the young people.

The teens learned all about the parables of Jesus. The members from Rotselaar pretty much took care of the organization of this camp. Although they had fewer campers, they enjoyed their time learning together immensely. Check out the photo's on Daniel's site by clicking here.


The last week of camp, Family camp, was a rainy week. While much of the world has been groaning under heat and drought, much of northern Europe hasn't seen very much of summer. But every moment that the sun shines, or that it is simply dry, we rejoice and enjoy. So the theme of Salt and Light was appropriate for our time together as well. How can we make an impact on our world, bring the goodness of God to where we are?

Each day brought a different teacher. I was blessed to teach on the first day and enjoy all of the speakers throughout the week. Family week is always a great mix of young and old, married and single - even different languages sometimes (although we do the lessons in Dutch). It is great to see how God is helping us to grow, to have this time to encourage one another, to know, as Peter says in 1 Peter 5, that our experiences are shared by our brothers and sisters around the world. Check out some of the pictures by clicking on the photo.

We are so thankful for these opportunities because we see how these short weeks, rainy or not, bless us. Tey give us challenges to take us into the rest of the year. They give us moments of friendship so that we know we are not alone. They bring new relationships into our lives that strengthen and challenge us the rest of our lives. Thank you, Lord, for Bible Camp!

Catch me if you can

I need to learn to stop for a minute and continue on afterwards at full speed. Some things happen all at once and you have to get it written down before it is too late. Here are some of the things that passed by very quickly after my last post:

The graduate!

Sean graduated from high school on June 28. We are so thankful for his daily effort doing his best. He is excited at the moment to enjoy the summer before starting a new chapter in his life in the Fall.

In September Sean will be attending Narafi (www.narafi.be), a film and photography school in Brussels. We are also thankful and grateful that he will be able to stay with Bill and DeeDee Bundy while he is there this year. He is still planning on being home in the weekends (“So don’t get any ideas about my room,” he says.)

Vieny Wanga’s new life!

Vieny is the daughter of our sister in Christ, Shadira. Vieny has been living the past year in Curacao with her grandmother (who was baptized there this year as well), but has grown up with us here in Maastricht for the last 10 years. In those years she has attended youth weekends, Bible camp and had plenty of questions. Many of you have been praying for her as well.

On Thursday, July 14, she and Scott had made an appointment to discuss her growth and any questions she was struggling with in her faith. When Scott arrived, Vieny said, “I don’t know why I am questioning. I want proof, but God has shown me all I need to know. I know He loves me and has done everything for me. I know that I want to give my life to Him.” So that afternoon, Vieny put her Lord on in baptism, dying to her old life, rising in new life through faith in Jesus Christ!

Bible Camp

That same weekend Scott and Sean headed down to “Jongerenkamp” (a week of Bible camp for 15 years and older). Scott was teaching on “Service”. It was a gray-weather week, but a wonderful time of learning how to serve one another and dreaming of how we can serve after returning home. It was exciting to have several from the congregation in Maastricht there, learning from each other and encouraging one another. Check out some of the pictures on our site or here.

Mr. and Mrs. Fenny

At the end of camp, several of the campers and helpers, all of whom were also part of the congregation in Maastricht, headed back to Maastricht to share in the marriage of Shadira and Farley. Some of us sang, some helped, others spoke – and all of us enjoyed sharing this new life together. We are so thankful for the love that God teaches us. The congregation looks forward to the example that Shadira and Farley already are and will continue to be. In the coming year they are planning on moving to Curacao to be with Shadira’s girls.

In the meantime

We also headed down to Paris for a day with Sean and our interns. Very quick, but a wonderful time as family. You can see some of the pictures over on our photo site, but be assured, the memories made were even better. 

We also have been helping a young couple learn about ministry – as best we can. Shane and Rachel Morr have been with us for 5 of the last 8 weeks, evangelizing in Maastricht, meeting the members, participating in Bible studies and singing evenings, helping out wherever they could. We enjoyed our time with them immensely and hope that they were able to learn a bit from us what it means to be servants in this way. They headed back home this week. They are also friends of Stephan, so it is good to have that link connecting us as well.

Sean has played several times with his band – the playing great, the results (some were competitions) sometimes disappointing, but all exciting for us as parents. He hopes to continue the band in the Fall, combining school, work and playing in the weekends. Quite a challenge. 

Okay, take a breath. I’ll try to get up little bits a bit quicker in the future. Thanks for stopping by. It is always good to talk with you. And praise God for all that He is able to do in so many ways!

New life for Farley!

Farley has been visiting our services, participating in the weekly Bible studies and asking plenty of questions for a while. He and our sister in Christ, Shadira, are planning to wed next month. He has a lot on his mind and likes to make his life decisions certain. And he had a lot of questions about a life in Christ. But there are some things you just need to do.

We had talked about how giving your life to Christ is so much like a marriage. If you love the other, you want to belong completely to them. Jesus has already shown us that He has given everything so that we can be with him. Farley was already to the point that he knew he wanted to belong completely to Shadira, to give his life to become one with her. So when we talked about life in Christ in these terms, he understood that it was about the love he had for Jesus and making the decision - yes or no.

He had talked about being baptized in the sea. Both he and Shadira are from Curaçao. The ocean is part of their life - even if much of their lives have been in the rainy, hills of the Netherlands. But we also wanted to be able to share his birth with the brothers and sisters of Maastricht. So when someone said, "Why not this afternoon at the barbecue? We'll all be there," his response was, "Yeah, why not? Let's do it!"

A spatter of rain couldn't ruin the fellowship at the barbecue and definitely couldn't dampen Farley's spirits in giving his life to "my Lord and redeemer!" A swimming pool, some water and, most importantly, a family of believers and the blood of Jesus made for a wonderful afternoon of praising God for new life! Welcome Farley!

Let's do it!

Photo thanks to Luk Brazle

Monday, June 13 was the annual Spring fellowship of the Dutch-speaking churches in Belgium and the Netherlands. held in The Hague. This is always an opportunity to meet and encourage one another through word and song.  The theme this year was based on the Acts of the Apostles – how can we “act”-  do and live as christians, not simply say that we are.

The lesson brought by Ruud Verheijen encouraged all to make their faith active, to allow the word of the Lord to live in their lives in reality. This was followed by a quiz on the book of Acts. Teams formed loosely from the congregations “competed” against one another on their knowledge of the the truths in Acts, the things we could learn from those first Christians. And there was still plenty to learn, but everyone seemed ready to try. A jury made up of Ruud Verheijen, Roy Davison and Jim Krumrei not only made sure that difficult questions were answered correctly, they also gave important background information.  This was a fun and informative way to dig into the word of God.

To encourage all to understand the concept of a living body, tasks for the day were spread out among members from the various congregations. Brothers from 5 different congregations led the group in song and prayer. Helpers from other congregations made sure the youngest children were cared for during the quiz. And everyone brought their own lunch – and more (there were about 80 people from 8 different congregations present). This cooperation was exciting to see. When we remember whose children we are, when we are challenged to live as such, we do just that!

There was more than enough food for all present. There were more than enough helpers to set up and clean up afterwards. There was an abundance of activity from a real body on that day. We are so thankful  for how God can work through us and look forward to continuing to be active as His body wherever we go.

See another report of the day here. 

Thank you!

Our car
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

You heard us call for help and you responded! Thank you so much for being willing to help us out financially with a car. I talked a little bit about the joys of struggle while looking for a car - this is the one we found.
Sean likes the tinted windows along the back since he was convinced that the sun always had it in for him and somehow only shone through his window. Now he is protected.
This car has plenty of space - even though it is technically a smaller car than the one we had. I have already put bikes in it, helped people move, and taken things to the dump. The motor is set to go since we changed the timing belt this past week - ready for another 150,000 kilometers.
Thank you again for your willingness to sacrifice, to help, to share. It is so exciting to experience these things in the family of the Lord!

So…. Who is He listening to anyway?

Today we got some more rain … and I was thankful. We have been going through quite a dry spell here in Belgium. At one point they were telling us that we would need to have 14 straight days of rain in order to get to where we should be. Imagine Belgium without rain! So we have been praying for rain.

But many of my friends and family have been praying that rain, snow, storms and weather would cease. Tornados and flooding have caused terrible troubles in too many places. And so we have been praying with our friends and brothers and sisters in other countries.

But who is God listening to? What is best: rain or drought? And this is “simply” weather. What about when someone is sick and/or dying? When I am praying for my son’s safety and he is praying to have good fun? Does God hear me more than you? To whom does He listen?

For me the question has been more – what do I ask. I know He is listening to me – even the most inane things I might say or think. He cares about all of that. I know because Jesus told us so. And Jesus shows me what is important, how to ask, what to see as most important. Jesus asked for what he wanted, but he left all in the Father’s hands. “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Paul, too struggled with what he desired. Wouldn’t it be better to leave this life and go Home? But there is still so much to be done! (see Philippians 1:21-24). Perhaps instead of praying for rain, I should pray for strength to help those struggling with drought.

We are missing the rain, so I will continue to ask my wonderful Father for rain – as I will continue to ask for strength. And when the rain comes, I will remember to give thanks (and not complain about how wet it is!).

Enjoying the struggle

About a month ago our car “died”. There are times when things go wrong with your car that you simply fix them. But there is a moment when the costs outweigh the benefits. We were long past that moment with this car (which had served us well for about 5 years). The motor stopped and it was going to cost more than what the car was worth simply to figure out what was wrong. So we were suddenly car-less.

It’s amazing how much your life is planned around your mobility. We live in a village. There is a supermarket fairly close by. We can walk or bike there. But of course you have to be able to carry what you purchase. Sean still needed to get to school, but we had a bicycle for that. All of Scott’s appointments, however are in Maastricht, which is seven kilometers away. Sunday mornings are then also a challenge.

But challenges can bring out the best in people. Before we had much of a chance to even ask for help, help had been offered on all sides. Brothers and sisters in Christ made sure to pick us up on Sunday mornings. We were offered the use of a car from colleagues in Antwerp. And when the bus schedule didn’t work out, someone was there to get us home. It is so exciting to see the desire to help. It is an immense comfort and encouragement.

For daily tasks we still needed a way to get around and we were pleasantly surprised by the offer of a moped from a friend. He offered the moped, with helmet and a tank of gasoline (and we all know what is happening with the price of gas). Of course a moped brings certain challenges as well, but more about that another time.

In the meantime we also were presented with financial help from various sources close by and far away so that we could purchase another car. Finding the right one is a task in itself, and we were thankful for the help of our brother in Christ, Jan Blaakmeer. Hours of driving around looking at possible cars, hours of scouring the internet and calling in various languages about cars finally resulted in a good find.

When this first began, the day that the car broke down, you wonder what will happen. But, to be honest, I was mostly intrigued to see how God would use this time. We have seen how he takes care of things, how he turns struggles into triumph. And this was a simple, everyday problem. The question was never IF it would be solved, but HOW and what we could learn along the way. It has been wonderful to see God’s hand in all of this. Although it may seem strange to say it, we are thankful for the struggle. James put it this way: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds.”

Getting into the Acts

The group
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

Last weekend we had a group of young people take over our house (we are so thankful for a house that can be used!) for a youth weekend on the book of Acts. There was a quiz, styled after Jeopardy! (for those of you who are old enough to know the show) and some fun, practical activities.
What was the first church like? What did they find most important? What can we learn from those first followers of Jesus? That is what we wanted to look at - not only in knowledge, but in reality. So we helped each other serve tables, shared, told others what we were doing, studied the apostle's teaching and encouraged one another. We even looked at persecution, although that is something we most definitely do not experience here.
It was a great group and so encouraging to see the young people wanting to learn more. Thank you Lord for using us all in so many ways to show Your love and grace!

(click on the picture for more pictures)

Welcome!

Welcome our new brother, Rob Kok, to the family of God. Rob is the identical twin brother of our Peter Kok. For years he has been considering his life with God and wondering what he wants to do. He grew up in a strict Dutch Reformed home, but both he and his brother rebelled against this faith, although both have said they never felt they completely left God.

Peter has been part of our family here in Maastricht and in those years Rob’s life continued in the north of the country, closer to the place he grew up. But the brothers have never really been far apart, and it is certainly due to Peter’s life and stuggles, questions and discussion with his brother that Rob thought more and more about giving his life to Jesus. So when he came by recently, while visiting Peter (who lives in our street), it was to talk about if it was possible to be baptized.

It was during the Christmas break. Stephan had gone down to Peter’s house to say hello and Rob was visiting. Rob talked with Stephan about it who suggested that Rob should “just go talk to my dad.” So he did. And this last weekend Rob drove all the way down to us here (about a 3 hour drive) so that he could share his new birth with us and with his brother.

It has always thrilled me to see how the Holy Spirit works in people’s lives. Rob has had many people influence him in this choice to live now totally for Jesus. His brother, the memory of things his father said and did, talks with us during visits, and even Stephan on a simple visit. The Good Shepherd is always out doing all he can to find the lost sheep and get them home. I am so glad that I can be part of that.

Rob’s new life has begun, and it is just a beginning. He lives with a loving wife and has two wonderful sons, but they do not share his faith – are even against it. But I know, and he has experienced, that the Holy Spirit continues to work through people all around us. Thank you Father, for your grace and might, for your love for Rob!

Where do you go?

Next week we will deal with a great problem, once again. Someone we know, who has been struggling with his life and now knows that he wants Jesus to run things, has asked to be baptized. He wants to give his life completely to Jesus, to die and be born again. We are so thankful for the grace that Jesus continues to show!

This man will come down to our area, since he doesn’t have a congregation where he is. As so many times before, we are looking for some practical ways to deal with his death, burial and resurrection. You see, our building doesn’t have a baptistry. I know that we are not the only ones who deal with this “problem”. I remember seeing pictures of soldiers in the desert, crowds lining up for a muddy pool in India or Africa, and have myself been part of baptizing people in freezing waters.

The where doesn’t matter. As long as you can find water to bury someone in, you are going to be fine. I used to look for deeper waters which were long enough for tall people (the Dutch are some of the tallest people in the world). Then I remember seeing a baptistry in Croatia that was basically a cylinder in which the person being baptized could stand. When he bent his knees, he would sit in the water, which would of course go over his head. This was what some of the first baptistries were like.

Who doesn’t matter either. I mean, who is doing the baptising. The apostle Paul even makes the point that he did not baptise many personally. And further, we are seldom told who does the baptising. It’s just not important.

What matters is the heart of faith of the person who is giving their life to Jesus. What matters is that the family of Christ knows that God is adding to their number that day. What matters is that we understand that the angels are rejoicing – and that we will do so as well with this new brother or sister.

So on Saturday we will look for a place to bury this man’s sins and welcome his new creation into the body that is Christ’s. We have a blow-up pool which we could fill in our kitchen/livingroom. We could go to a local lake. We have friends who have an outdoor swimming pool. The one thing we do not lack in Belgium is plenty of water! So, no matter what, we will rejoice!

What kind of baptisms have you seen?

Shirley's surprise

Shirley's surprise
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

In Belgium turning 50 is a big deal. Usually you invite the neighbors (your whole street), any colleagues you have, perhaps the parents of your children's friends and of course all family and any friends. Food and rink must be arranged for all, as well as music and entertainment of some sort. This usually means that some venue must be arranged to hold the party.

A life-size doll of an grey woman is placed outside your door (if you are a woman). This is "Sarah", because you have "seen Sarah". This comes of course from the saying of Jesus (although most people here are not aware of these origins) that he was before Abraham. His listeners then say, "You are not even 50 and you say you have seen Abraham." Next to the doll is usually some sort of poem about the life of the woman, with funny anecdotes.

Shirley was not looking forward to any of this. But she also knew that it would not be polite to just let everything pass unnoticed. So we planned a day with the church after worship on the Sunday following her birthday (we were in Antwerp at a Listen Up! concert on her birthday). But she did not know that Scott was already planning a secret party.

Thanks to so many of you who helped make this a special time for her as well. Snowfall prevented several from making it, and kilometers prevented others. But you were still al there - so many of you sent memories of your time with Shirley. They were bundled and presented that evening and she has continued reading them in the days since then.

This year (2011) Shirley will be 50 almost the whole year. She may have shivered a bit at the sound of the number, but she weathered the party that she feared (even enjoyed it) and is enjoying each day - as she always has.

Thankful

Thankful
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

This past weekend we took time for what we jokingly call "Thanksmas". Since Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Belgium or the Netherlands and falls on a Thursday, we seldom get to celebrate on the real day. Instead, we get together with other Americans (or interested parties) on a day that works for all of us - which is usually closer to Christmas.

This is always a time of good food, good feelings and good fellowship. We get to have some things we don't generally get, like a great big turkey, pumpkin pie, yams, and such. Many of these foods come with great memories or feelings. It has come to be comfort food.

We play games and even watch a football game (downloaded from the internet). This year we watched Green Bay lose to Atlanta (or should that be Atlanta winning from Green Bay). It's fun, even if you might by chance know the score before watching. For some this is the only time they see American football.

Above all, we all enjoy the time together. This is a time of planning for the coming months, hearing about the ways God has been blessing us, and sharing in new joys, like little Liam who was at this Thanksmas for the first time. Last year we witnessed the birth of Adrian, who gave his life to Christ during this celebration. This year we cooed and drooled over the beauty of a new baby. So many things to be thankful for. We are especially thankful that we make time to share these things together.

(Want to see some more pictures? Click on the picture above or here.)

The "Old" testament

Recently one of the people I have been studying with commented that things would be a lot better if we simply threw out the old testament and used only the new testament. Even better would be to use smaller portions of the new testament. Then maybe people would not be so daunted by this book, the Bible. Or by the difficulties with all that “old” stuff in the old testament.

Mind you, most people still aren’t even willing to read small sections of the new testament before passing judgement on the whole library (the Bible). But is was Jesus who “began with Mozes and all the prophets and explained to them what was written about him in all the Scriptures.” Jesus said that Mozes talked about him. That the prophets mentioned his suffering. That if his followers had read these writings, they would have known about him (although Jesus himself had to explain it).

Think about it: Paul went always first into the synangogue in a city and proved from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. We take as our example the people of Berea because they were willing to check the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true. These Scriptures were what we call the Old Testament. And they spoke of Jesus!

So we have been studying the Scriptures, looking at where we see Jesus who told us that “Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44). It is an intriguing study, a challenge for us all. And maybe we will be able to help others also see that they shouldn’t throw out their Old Testament just yet, but instead start reading it with the eyes of Jesus.

Football fun and fellowship

(photo by Kay Minne)

Last weekend a bunch of people got together to play some football (soccer for the Americans). Actually that’s not quite right – family from all over the Netherlands and Belgium got together to share some wonderful time of fellowship. Football happened to be the catalyst.

It is so important to know that we are family, to spend time getting in touch with one another again, to meet new members of our family. I am so thankful for activities like the Copa Benelux (organized by the guys over in Ghent) to do just that. The church in Belgium and the Netherlands strives to be a family, a close family. But that is because we have gotten to know one another, we pray for each other and we share our lives together.

So this last weekend we had fun, most of us. In Maastricht we definitely had fun – we took the “FUN” trophy home with us for the second time. But we also had some great conversations, talked about what was concerning us in our congregations, sang together to praise our Lord, and spent some time getting to know people we were acquainted with but didn’t yet know.

In Maastricht we understood very well that, trophy or not, we came home real winners.

By the way, my camera was lost at this tournament, but you can see some more pictures (from Luk Brazle and Kay Minne) by going here.

The finale

The finale
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

Gentle rain of leaves

dancing on the wind,
tempo rising, swirling,

tossing with increasing urgency,

hurling themselves to the ground
leaving their patrons bare and stark,

staring in silence
at the vari-colored finale

on the floor.

Sharing a weekend

Crossing the "High Bridge"
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

We were so thankful that Dale and Vicki Hawley got to share some time with us this past weekend! They are in Heidelberg, Germany for a year and would be meeting up with family in Amsterdam on Monday - a perfect chance to stop it at our place!
It was great to talk about what God is doing in our lives (theirs and ours), have them meet the members of the church and enjoy the beuaty of a colorful Fall season in our area. We know that there are so many who would love to visit and can't, so we are thankful for this visit - Dale and Vicki shared your love with us as well!
It is so good to experience in so many ways the family that God has created for us!

Follow along

Family
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

As we are traveling in the States this summer I am finding it quite difficult to find time to sit down and update our blog with the update it deserves. Instead we are spending some very wonderful and valuable time with everyone we are so blessed to see along the way. We have so enjoyed seeing so many of you and still look forward to seeing so many more as our trip moves toward its end. Please take the time to visit our pictures and follow our travels in that way.

Furlough schedule

Next week we will be stepping on a plane to the United States to begin our trip visiting so many of you. Here is our schedule as it is planned so far. Some parts may change, but we will keep you updated. We are looking forward to seeing you!!

June 30 - Fly in from Europe!

July 1-9 - In Minnesota visiting with the Woodbury church

July 9-13 - In Muscatine, Iowa with the church there

July 13-16 - In Omaha, Nebraska with family

July 16-23 - In Colorado Springs with family and the church at Pikes Peak Avenue

July 24th - a Summer Breeze reunion (for those who know what Summer Breeze was)

July 23-25 - In Denver with family and church family

July 25-28 - traveling to Long Beach over Utah and Nevada

July 28-August 5 - in Long Beach with the Long Beach church

August 5-7 - traveling to Abilene, TX over Arizona and New Mexico

August 7-15 - in Abilene with the 11th & Willis church

August 15-19 - in the Kellar (TX) area with the McNeill's

August 19-20 - traveling to Searcy, AR (through Oklahoma?)

August 20-23 - in Searcy installing Stephan and visiting church family

August 23-24 - traveling to Naples, FL through Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama

August 24-26 - In Naples, FL with family

August 26 - fly back to Europe!

Please let us know if we can see you along the way! We would love to visit and be encouraged by how God is working in your lives.

Hope to see you!

Our travel plans
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

This summer we will be traveling all over the States, visiting family and church family. As usual, we are looking forward to seeing so many of you and getting to catch up on how God is blessing your lives.

This little map will give a bit of an idea of where we will be going. Thanks to some wonderful brothers and sisters we will be able to make this trip a road trip - since it will probably be the last time we make this trip as a complete family.

We will arrive in Minneapolis on June 30, move on down to Muscatine, Iowa on July 9 and further on to Omaha, Nebraska on the 13th of July. Three days later we ill drive over to Colorado Springs where we will stay until the evening of the 23rd when we drive up to Denver.
We leave Denver on the 25th on our way to a stop-over in Grand Junction, after which we move on to Las Vegas. After a few days in the desert, we arrive in Long Beach on the 28th of July, where we stay until August 5 (with a trip down to San Diego).
On August 5 we travel to Flagstaff, Arizona, where we spend the night. The next day takes us to Albuquerque, New Mexico. We may hook up with some friends in Clovis on the way to Abilene, Texas. We will be in Abilene until August 15 when we travel up to Haslett, Texas for a few days. On the 19th we are considering traveling to Oklahoma City before moving on to Searcy, Arkansas where we can install Stephan.
A few days in Searcy willbring us to August 23 when we drive on, without Stephan, towards Naples, Florida, stopping in Oxford, Alabama. We arrive in Naples on the 24th of August and drive over to Miami to fly home on the 26th, hoping to be able to speak Dutch by the time we get back.

Along the way we look forward to vacation Bible schools, a Summer Breeze reunion, birthday celebrations and lots of good fellowship. We hope to see you! Let us know how we can get together if we are in your neck of the woods.

Keep the trash out

- thanks to Olga Zhigulina for the foto -

During our weekend of footbaal in Switzerland I was the goalie for "Holland Pro" (don't take the names too seriously). I didn't keep my goal completely clean. One or two got past me. But the only reason I was able to keep some out was because I wasn't alone. My teammates kept running back to defend, save, help.

It is so good to know in my life with Christ that I am not alone. My brothers and sisters are helping, running themselves ragged sometimes. And when they are standing in the goal, trying to keep the trash out, I am there for them as well. We are a team, a body. We dont work alone.

April 2010

LIGHT in the Lowlands

Reaching out to the people of Belgium and the Netherlands

April 2010

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5:10-11

Dear all,

Every day is a new beginning, an opportunity to grow, to see something new. But growing is not always easy!

Sing!

We have always loved singing. God has given us a song of love and grace in our hearts that can’t help but be expressed. And doing this with brothers and sisters is the best. This month we welcomed the Dela family into their new home in Belgium with an evening of singing and prayer.

Every first Wednesday of the month we get together to learn new songs and encourage one another. The church from Liege comes over for these Wednesdays and we get to practice our French (and they practice Dutch).

How do you do this?

- the kids trying to figure out how everything fits together -

We want people to know Jesus, to come to enjoy the real life that He gives us. To do this, people need to meet Jesus, know who he is. That means reading, discovering, digesting the Bible and

getting to know the Word - Jesus. But how do you do this? It sounds so easy to say simply,

“Read your Bible. Pray every day.” And yet, that is exactly what we are helping people to do.

This past month we worked with the Catholic young people from Veldwezelt. It is exciting to see that not only they, but their parents and people in the village are expecting to hear from the Bible (something that was not always expected). Our discussions with RW and LJ center around how real life is informed by what we see in Jesus’ life (which we see in the Bible). “But can I understand it?” is the question most often asked.

As we have been working through a deeper study with some of the young people in Maastricht, we, too have been faced with how some things may seem easier than they are. The reality remains that we are able to understand what God wants from us, but certainly not all at once (and not everything). We need to keep trying to understand (asking questions, listening to God speak in His word), and in the meantime live what we know is right.

PRAYER and FELLOWSHIP

We cannot continue without the strength and guidance that our King gives us every day. The song is right - if we want to grow. Sometimes we forget that we need each other. It is good to know that there are others exeperiencing the same struggles as we (1 Peter 5:8-11). I have tried lately to help the brothers in the Netherlands and Belgium see how they can encourage one another. We have been meeting to share our lives and pray.

Yes, we meet at an Ikea for breakfast (only 1 euro!) because it is a central place and makes things easy. But the sharing time and prayer in the weeks afterwards are invaluable. I pray that this idea and desire will spread locally as well. It is absolutely necessary that we know that we need each other.

Which is why playing football in Switserland is simply amazing! This is the third year that we have taken several groups (about 40 people this year!) to the soccer tournament put on by the church in Zurich and Schaffhausen, Switzerland. Fun teams, “pro” teams, plenty of soccer, and even more fellowship - in a whole slew of languages!

Sunday morning is a time of singing in German, French, English and Dutch. We partake of the Lord’s supper, realizing that the death and life we are celebrating is what binds us all together. And then listening to a wonderful message in English, but translated sentence-by-sentence in French and German - even the movements at times! God has placed us in His family so that we can stretch and grow. Sometimes it can be a bit of a struggle. But some times can be so enjoyable!

Let God have his way with you today so that you can grow. Read his word, every day - even if it is sometimes difficult. And pray. Talk to God every day.

PRAYER WARRIORS

Please keep the following in your prayers.

Keep our studies in your prayers - that we can understand what God is saying and put it into practice in our lives

Pray for our contact with K., LJ., A., R., C&T., and RW.

Pray for our sister, Shadira, and her plans to move to Curaçao with her daughters. Pray that her daughters will also be able to adapt to this move.

Pray for the Spring conference “Love Works!” on Pentecost Monday and afterwards - that the church here will be encouraged to be active.

Thank God for our oppotunity to visit this summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tidbits about Belgium and the Netherlands

Working together

Just recently the prime ministers of Belgium and the Netherlands signed a document stating their desire to organize the World Cup in 2018 or 2022 together. Some in both countries have wondered if two small countries should even try this. But Belgium and the Netherlands are willing to work together for this.

Of course, both countries will first have to get their governments ready. Both governments have recently fallen becasue the parties in the governments could not work together. In the Netherlands that means the normal right and left parties. In Belgium that means the French-speakers and Flemish-speakers AND left and right parties in each language!

ON THE FAMILY SIDE ....

April can be such a joy! Everything begins to bloom, the trees gain a hazy green, everyone is busy with muddy hands getting the yard or the garden ready, and the weather finally begins turning. Though not always as quickly as we would like.

We too were able to get out in the yard and get some work done. Of course most of it was simply heavy moving. We had a tree cut down earlier and all of the wood needed to be taken out of the yard. Several trips to the container park with gummy hands later and the yard started looking like a yard - albeit a messy one still. One of these days we will be able to get it completely finished.

In the meantime we enjoyed a wonderful Easter break. Sean gets two weeks off of school. A great time, except that he then gets no more breaks until the end of June when school ends. So we decided to make the most of this break. We wanted to have at least one family day, and it became a day to The Hague. (You can see our pictures at www.flickr.com/sraabs) We drove to the edge of the city (about 2,5 hours) and took the tram to the beach at Scheveningen. Mr. Blue Sky was our friend for the day, although it was still a bit chilly.

Walking along the beach, picking out seashells to take to Stephan in the summer, a walk through the parks of The Hague and a short tram ride back to downtown brought us to the center of the city. This is where the government meets, where the queen gives her annual speech, where people demonstrate ... and of course where the shops are. After looking around a bit, we had another tram ride back to the car, a ride home, and a film when we got back. A good time together!

Sean is hanging on since then, willing himself to do well at school (and doing well). He has gotten a job at a local restaurant and cafe boat, hoping to make enough money to invest in amps and guitars. His third gig went well, and he is looking forward to playing twice at his school for their open day. His life is quite a bit busier, but this has helped him to prioritize as well.

And all of us are trying to get our work done here before we leave for the summer. Being gone for two months takes quite a bit of planning and organization. We look forward to seeing so many of you again and are so thankful for the help we have already received. We will be starting in Minnesota, as usual, followed by Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, California and Texas. This time we will also be dropping Stephan off in Arkansas before heading on to Florida. Check out our blog in a few days for the schedule and please plan on hooking up with us while we are there! (http://ravenraab.blogspot.com)

Enjoy the moments together! They are meant to be times of love and joy, struggle and strife - real life. So good.

THANKS!

For the funds for our furlough, cars, and places to stay. It’s going to be great to see you!

For your prayers for our work!

For encouragement, wisdom and answers to questions.

What’s coming up?

MAY

Soccer in Switzerland

Love Works! Spring meeting

JUNE

Ladies day

Youth weekend