Whodunit Wednesday: Discoverers and travelers

I love maps. Shirley knows that if I had a choice I would decorate our walls with world maps. Old maps. Maps with all the countries. Simple geographical maps. Brown, tea-stained maps in great frames behind glass. Globes sitting on tables (maybe made into a lamp). I love maps. 

I have always loved traveling. Maybe that was because my family grew up traveling. We lived in 4 countries before I was in 3rd grade and I had already traveled in a ship, a plane, a train and a bus in that period. I always say that I was born with ‘wanderlust’ in my veins (the desire to travel). So maybe it is not strange that I love maps - and that we live in Belgium and work in the Netherlands. 

Mercator - the one who made the Mercator projection of the world, the map that most people are familiar with when thinking about world maps (and which grossly misrepresents the sizes of continents) - was a Belgian, born in Rupelmonde in the area of Antwerp. Gerardus Mercator was a geographer, cartographer and cosmographer. All of those ‘graphers’ means he put it on paper. His world map saw the light in 1569 and was used for sailors. 

And many of those sailors in those days were Dutchmen opening up the world with their sailing voyages of discovery. New Holland (later to be known as Australia), New Zealand (the original “Zeeland” is in the Netherlands), New Amsterdam (later known as New York) were all Dutch. The Dutch East India Company opened trade to Indonesia, China and India. 

The Dutch were also busy in the West, putting their stamp on South America (Surinam) and the Caribbean (Curaçao, Saint Martin, Aruba, Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba) through the Dutch West India Company. This was the golden era of sailing, trade and discovery (I wrote about this here).

What is thrilling is the idea that whether we stay where we are or travel, the world is at our feet and God is everywhere. We have talked about all the cultures present in our worship services every Sunday and how we have been blessed to travel to visit and work with the church in so many places. It amazes me to see that God’s kingdom is everywhere - wherever He is King. Is He King of your life? 

Where oh Where Wednesday: Visits

We are extremely blessed to be able to visit all sorts of places because of where we live and work. Many Europeans would love to visit all the places we see in the US on our Home Assignment. Many Americans would love to be able to see the places we see as a matter of course in our work here in Europe. And we are very thankful for the opportunities we have had to travel, but also to meet Christian family in so many places. 

We are only 4 hours from Paris, France, so have visited there a few times - just to visit. We also were able to take day trips (or a day and overnight) to Rheims. But we have also been as far as Marseille a few times to take a group down to “Christians on Mission” - a week of missions with the church in Marseille. And we visited the church in Lille, singing there with Listen Up! in those days.

In Germany we regularly spent time at a castle youth hostel in Bacharach for German youth retreats where we sang with Listen Up!. Cologne is only an hour away, so we have visited the church on singing days, but have also shopped at the Music Store with the boys when they were younger and growing their interest in music. We have also visited the church in Hannover and Hildesheim, gone on the Euro-American retreat in Rothenburg and visiting Scott’s memories from his youth in Berlin. 

We regularly visited Switzerland as well, taking groups of kids from Dutch and Belgian congregations to the soccer tournaments organized by the church in Schaffhausen. At other times we traveled to Zurich, Thun, Bern, Lucerne and Schaffhausen with Listen Up! on a singing tour. At least twice, Scott went with a group led by Doyle Kee on a hike in the Swiss alps. 

Another trip with Listen Up! took us to Graz and Vienna in Austria where we sang with and for the churches there. This same trip took us to Zagreb and Varazdin in Croatia. 

We have visited the church in Prague as well as taken a midweek trip there when we could get free. Other midweek trips took us to Budapest, Hungary; Rome, Italy and Barcelona, Spain. We have visited brothers in England and toured the British museum. When you can fly around Europe for 20 euro a person, it makes a short trip (the flight is often less than 2 hours) quite easy. 

Back near home, we have visited various places in Belgium and the Netherlands regularly - with the church and simply on a day trip together. Antwerp, Brussels, Brughe and Ghent are all cities we have visited with youth weekends and evangelistic campaigns as well as tourist trips. Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Haarlem have also been places where we go as a matter of working with the youth and the church in the Netherlands. 

We are always thankful for the opportunities to travel places with the church and to be able to see and meet with the church in all of these places. God’s family is everywhere, it feels like. We are not alone. And we are not working alone. I regularly remember the verse in 1 Peter which reminds us of this and how good it is to be working together in the family of God. 

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.  1 Peter 5:6-9

You can find some pictures from our travels here. 

Vacation or business?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is what our schedule looks like: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Whensday: Ardennen Bijbelkamp (ABK)

I talk a lot about Ardennen Bijbelkamp. That’s because a lot of what we do has to do with this wonderful tool that has been given us. At the end of this month we will gather with members of the church from various congregations around the Netherlands and Belgium to talk about how camp has been used and how we can continue to use it wisely for the churches. 

This place was first conceived and purchased back in 1965 by various brothers in the French- and Dutch-speaking churches at the time as well as some brothers from the US. The desire was to have a place in God’s wonderful creation which could be used to help members grow in faith. This would be a place for youth and family camps, a place where congregations could go for a retreat together, a place where members or families together could simply get away and meditate on God’s Word together. 

From the very beginning it was a place that was for all of the congregations. The work that was done to clear the land was done by various churches. Later, as buildings were erected, this works was done again by members of the various congregations working together. In the first days, everything was done in tents. Later a simple shed-type ‘building’ was constructed. 

In the 1960’s many of the French-speaking churches made good use of the land. It is, after all, in French-speaking area in Belgium. Solwaster is only about 20 minutes from the resort town of Spa (you can read more about that in these articles). As the congregations grew, partially because of this tool, more possibilities were added to the camp terrain, including a kitchen and toilets. 

Mind you, in the beginning there was no running water and certainly no sewage system. That had to be taken care of by members as well. When a plumbing system came, the toilets were still flushed by buckets of water hauled from the creek which runs through the terrain. I even remember washing in the creek, and that was in the 1980’s. 

We didn’t have electricity at camp for quite some time. Lighting was done with gas lamps. Food was bought each day fresh or was planned to be food that would not spoil. In the 1990’s we were able to purchase a generator, the church members getting together for the funds and the installation. And for years the sound of the oil-spouting diesel generator was added to the sounds of camp - alongside the squeals of kids playing in the creek, the quiet of people reading their Bibles, the joyful singing together. 

By the 2000’s we finally had real electricity, plumbing had been around for some time and we began dreaming about maybe finally putting the plumbing into the dormitory that had been built in the 1980’s. But it was the demolition of the main hall in 2012 that was first to come. This was to make way for the new hall and upper room. Many of you worked on this building or helped to finance it. 

After the main building was renovated, the use of camp was able to move further. From being usable for perhaps 10 times in the year (4 major weeks in the summer and various weekends through the year) we moved to using it almost 20 times a year. The last three years, after a renovation of the dormitory, we have used camp om average 30 times a year. 

And there are more plans coming. The next renovation will be to the kitchen and toilet/bathroom section, bringing everything into the new century. This has all only been possible because of an inheritance from a sister who had been there from the very beginning in 1965. When she passed away - to wait for us all at the Home prepared for us by Jesus - she left her funds to make sure that camp would be provided for. 

I am thankful that we (Shirley and I) have been able to experience quite a bit of this history. Another time I will talk about how much Bible Camp (this one, but more importantly a few others) have been in my faith wak and life. We pray that this place has been such an influence to the people who have come to Ardennen Bijbelkamp. Thank you for your prayers and your working together throughout the years. 

Go here to find all sorts of pictures from many years of camp. (choose a year, then click on the photo)

(By the way, find me and Shirley in this first photo. Our colleagues are in the second photo. Both of these taken before we were married couples)

Blue Monday

Back in 1922 Goerge Gershwin wrote an opera (only 20 minutes long) in which the main character sings a song about how everything goes wrong. The song is the “Blue Monday Blues”. But in 2005 a PR company (or a scientist, supposedly) pointed out that the 3rd Monday of January was the saddest day of the year. The PR firm made this announcement for a travel company which was trying to sell vacations to the sun - so for them it may have become the best day of the year. 

In Dutch, “een blauwe maandag” (a blue Monday) means ‘a short period of time’ or an unexpected moment. So something can just show up suddenly, or show up unexpectedly in your life. Or perhaps something good might happen, but only for a short time. 

I can imagine people dropping into a sort of depression on the 3rd Monday of January. Family events are all passed, but the consequences of feasting and good fun remain. New Years resolutions have had enough time to have all been broken, leaving us frustrated with ourselves. The weather is freezing (or rainy as it is here), grey and wet. And the year stretches out before you. 

Or… the year is still to come! Look at all the new opportunities that God is presenting us with. And look at who we get to walk with every day. How we look at things determines a lot of how we feel about things. This year the congregation in Maastricht is focusing on Jesus saying “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” We will be unpacking that through our studies and conversations with each other. 

On Wednesday evenings we meet partially online and partially in person for a Bible study. We have started in the Psalms - to examine the truth - and this week we look at an evening song and a morning prayer. In both of them the message is: we are with the Lord who is mighty and righteous, so we can sleep and be at peace when we wake each new day. 

Our year looks a bit uncertain. We are making plans for our trip to the US in May and June, trying to make sure we get as many people and congregations worked in as possible. This month the churches here get together to plan and look forward to the various Bible Camp weeks and how we can best serve our youth and members using this wonderful tool. And as a congregation, Maastricht is looking at how we can further encourage one another and reach out with the gospel. 

This is exciting! It’s not depressing, no matter the weather. It is not temporary, flitting away like the birds that inhabit our bushes. It is not a time when everything bad is happening at once - and even if it is, we walk with the Almighty God at our side, so we can handle it (because He can handle it). 

We are excited about a new study with our English-speakers, of chances to gather to regularly pray, of planning new activities to share with each other and those around us. How has God already blessed you this year? What are you looking forward to? Wherever you go, go with the Lord. 

Here is a song based partially on Psalm 5 and co-written by Shirley. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Appliances

When someone here mentions something that is ‘American’, they usually mean that it is large. So they might look at purchasing a new refrigerator and mention to their friends in a proud voice that it is an American refrigerator. Appliances in Europe are different from those in the US. 

As mentioned, a large refrigerator would be called American. That is because the typical refrigerator when we first arrived here (which was of course 30 years ago) fit under the kitchen counter top. There were those who had larger refrigerators and there were those who had freezers as well. And combination fridge-freezers were available. But they were all typically smaller than what one would find in the US. And let’s not even think about water or ice dispensers in the door. 

Of course sizing is smaller here as well. We get milk or cola or water in liters, not gallons (4 liters) or even half gallons. So a refrigerator doesn’t need a door that will accommodate such sizing. The same thing applies to washers and dryers as well. Things are smaller - more manageable? Since most of Europe could fit inside Texas, that probably makes sense. 

Washers and dryers are a different situation however. A washing machine here will always be front-loading, not top-loading. It might take 7 liters of wash if it is a larger one (so it might take your duvet cover, but certainly not your duvet). It will however take about 3 hours to finish a wash load. On our washing machine we have a ‘speed’ button which gets things done in 90 minutes. Then it still needs to be dried of course. 

Drying clothes on a line would be a good choice, saving energy, keeping things fresh. But it also implies a certain amount of dry weather outside. Drying clothes in the rain just doesn’t work as well. And yet, before dryers became ubiquitous, most people dried their clothes on a rack - but inside. 

Now there are plenty of dryers. We have to have one that uses condensation since we cannot hook a vent to the outside. That means that we empty a reservoir in which the wetness of the clothes has been captured after each drying session. But it still takes forever to get a load of clothes dry. Often it means drying them first and then finally hanging them up or putting them on the radiator. 

Radiators - they are meant for heating. Where I grew up in Colorado we had forced air heating. That meant ducts on the ceiling in the cellar and vents in the floors upstairs where we lived. You could sneak on what people were saying by listening at the ducts (which I may or may not have done when I was young). Here most house have floor heating or radiators - if they have central heating. There are still plenty of houses with heating downstairs where the living room and kitchen are found, but next to nothing upstairs where the bedrooms are. 

We have a water heater that heats the water for use (shower, dishwashing, drinking) as well as the water in the combined boiler which runs through the radiators to heat the house. Radiators take up space along the walls in each room where you find them. But you can’t use them to listen in secretly to conversations. 

Back in the kitchen you will find various common appliances here. An air fryer or deep fat fryer must be present. One could not do without fried foods (either in the Netherlands or Belgium). A fryer is essential for french fries, frikandel and many more things. And alongside the fryer one will find a coffee maker. Although these might be of various brands (pods or pads), you will always be able to get a cup of coffee. You will not find a 'Keurig' - even though that is a Dutch word meaning 'neat'. You may find a Nespresso or a Senseo or some other brand. And tea can still always be made with a kettle on the stove. 

We are thankful for the many appliances we are able to have in our lives that make things easier. Sometimes it has been a journey of discovery in learning how things are different, but in the end we are well fed and clothed. 

Ardennen Bijbelkamp

We love Bible camp. Ardennen Bijbelkamp has been a tool for the churches since 1965 and continunes to be a place where faith is grown. The camp is owned by a non-profit organization made up of the various congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands called ‘The Sentinel’s of the Faith’. And it is wonderful to see how this place can touch so many hearts and lives. 

At the end of this month we will hold our annual meeting where we talk about what was done in 2022 and look forward to what is planned for 2023. As I look back om this past year I am thankful for the place, for the possibilities and for the people who make it all possible. Many of you reading this will also have had a part in this effort. Some have visited, helped counsel, helped build, offered financial support or attended as a camper. 

In 2022 it was exciting to see things getting back to normal and even expanding. For years we have been increasing the use of camp. Not only do we organize the summer weeks, but there are various other groups that use camp, including fathers with their kids, mothers with their kids, churches on retreat and families from church getting together. In the last three years camp has been used more than 30 times in the year, compared to around 25 times a year in the 5 years before that. 

This past year was the first time in a while that we as a congregation from Maastricht had been able to plan a day. It was a great opportunity to get to know one another better as we have grown a bit this year and welcomed several new members. Camp always gives good opportunities to talk. A long walk through the woods, playing games and singing together make for great fellowship. 

The reason we put so much effort into camp is that it is a place for fellowship, increasing opportunities for churches to work together. Each camp week in the summer is a combination of members from around Belgium and the Netherlands. But camp is also a place to help members learn to lead and serve. Young people come to be counselors and are made aware of how important their example is to the kids they help. Teachers, camp directors, cooks all see how teamwork is essential, useful and fun. These lessons are plugged in again in the local congregations. 

We look forward to this coming year and how God will use members and this facility for growing faith in many. We will be leading Teen Camp when we get back from our trip to the US. We also look to get down to camp again with the congregation in Maastricht as well as attend Family Camp and the Family Day in September. Thank you for your help along the way. Maybe we will see you again at camp sometime soon? 

Interested in seeing some more pictures? You can find a photo album at the camp website (as well as a neat flyover: www.bijbelkamp.eu). You can also see plenty of our moments at camp at our photo site. 

Whodunit Wednesday: Film

As a New Years starts some people look to the various awards ceremonies for film which will soon be talked about. People will watch other people walk down a red carpet, listen to names presented and decide if a movie is worth watching or not - sometimes simply based on whether there has been an award or not. 

The Dutch-language world is quite small, so although there is a Dutch-language film market, most Dutch-language film makers make their films in English. Paul Verhoeven known Dutch filmmakers include Paul Verhoeven was a film director who was successful with both Dutch-language films and within the world scene. Although his movies not be ones you might have seen, they were well received within the film world and include: RoboCop, Total Recall, Starship Trooper, Hollow Man and Basic Instinct. 

Dutchman Theo Van Gogh is best known perhaps because of his name and the fact that he was assassinated because of his film content. He made controversial films about controversial politicians. The film for which he was murdered was about women in Islam and their treatment. 

Jan de Bont is another Dutch film director, perhaps best known for his action films Speed and Twister, but he also worked as director of photography on films such as Die Hard, The Hunt for Red October and Basic Instinct. 

For Belgians, the list runs a bit differently. Belgium is of course a multi-language market, serving both Dutch speakers and French speakers. The French-speaking market is much larger than the Dutch-speaking market. There have been plenty of directors within the French-speaking market who would not be known by English-speaking followers of film. 

Chantal Akermans is best known for her film ‘Jeanne Dielman’ which is considered by some in the film world to be one of the best films made. Others, like Akermans, have made their fame either in Dutch or French, including Stijn Coninx, the Dardenne brothers and Erik Van Looy. Van Looy directed his film ‘The Loft’ first in Dutch before also directing the US-remake. 

More recently films like “The Broken Circle Breakdown” and “Beautiful Boy” from Felix van Groeningen, “Girl” from Lukas Dhont, “Bullhead” from Michaël R. Roskam, and the “Bad Boys for Life” with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah have brought Belgian filmmakers into the spotlight. 

Depending on what kind of film you might watch, what kind of film might garner an award (Foreign Language film, for example), or if a film is in English or not, you might have watched or be planning to watch a film by a Dutch or Belgian director. Sometimes the name might give it away (with a “van” or “de” in the middle), but you might not know unless you look into it a bit further. 

Hang on!

“Hang on!” When you hear those words, they could mean two different things. 

“Hang on!” Could be like the poster I saw when I attended York College so many years ago. It was of a small kitten holding on to a branch of a tall tree. Hold tight - help is on the way. That was the thought. This past weekend I was down at camp with 6 young people for Winterkamp. We talked about New Years’ resolutions and how to keep them going throughout the year. In my lesson on Sunday I talked about the apostle Peter and why I like his example so much. 

Throughout his life we see Peter as someone who was passionate about almost everything he did. So when he messed up, he often did it in a big way. But he never gave up. He picked himself up and kept going, knowing that Jesus (the one he messed up with so often) loved him. So I know that I do not have to give up - even if I have messed up. I can pick myself up and continue on, knowing that Jesus loves me. 

Hang on! That is what a lot of 2020 and 2021 looked like for many. This past year was a bit different, but still held a lot of this sentiment. 

“Hang on - here we go!” This is something I can remember from some exciting activities in the past. A rollercoaster just getting to the top of the hill before the scary, exciting, scream-inducing fall. Holding onto a bar, my feet in skis in the water, just before the boat pulls away with a growl and I have to try to stay upright and feel the thrill of sliding over the water (just before splashing face-first into the spray). White-water rafting. Driving a car for the first time or riding a motorcycle. Bicycling down a hill, racing against my brothers. Jumping across a chasm or the creek at camp, hoping not to fall. 

The excitement that comes with new moments, something dangerous, difficult and yet wonderful arriving at that moment. That is also where we stand now. This is a new year with new challenges and new blessings. We can face it because we walk with the one and only Almighty God who loves us deeply. So let’s go! 

It was a great weekend. We enjoyed many good conversations, watched some amazing fireworks on a night that was completely clear - even though it was supposed to be raining - and got to know each other better. We each of us headed home to different challenges, thankfully with still a little time to rest after a weekend of excitement. I am thankful for young people willing to get together and help one another. I am thankful for a place like camp that we can do these things. And I am so very thankful for a wonderful God who also says, “Hang on!”

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

Where oh Where Wednesday: Capital cities

You would think that talking about a capital city would be easy. After all, every country has their capital (their head city) and their capitol (the building housing the government) somewhere. Sometimes they move it or build whole new cities to be a capital. But every country has one somewhere. 

In the Netherlands, it is not so difficult as simply a bit unclear. What type of capital does one mean?  Many people when thinking of the Netherlands would say that Amsterdam is the capital. But this is as with many US states, the most well-known or populous city is not necessarily the capital city, where the capitol is found. As a matter of fact, in the States, the capital is seldom the most populous city. 

The government of the Netherlands, parliament, meets in The Hague (and has done since 1588). This is where the prime minister has his office - a little place called ‘the tower’ (the little pointy tower in the photo). When the King gives his yearly speech at the opening of parliament on the 3rd Tuesday of September, it is in the Knights’ Hall. The Supreme Court is also in The Hague. We might say that the capitol is in The Hague.

And yet, Amsterdam is the capital of the Netherlands. This is even established in the constitution. Even in a 1983 revision of the constitution, Amsterdam is noted as the capital city of the country. And yet, Amsterdam has only once in its history housed the government (and this for only 2 years between 1808-1010). The king’s palace (one of them) is here in Amsterdam. 

For Belgium it might seem that things are simpler,. Not so fast. Nothing in the political arena is easy in Belgium. The capital of Belgium is indeed Brussels. The region around Brussels even has its own government and the area is called ‘the capital region of Brussels’. One could also argue that Brussels is the capital of Europe, since the European Parliament meets here. But even that is not easy - and is a story for a different time. 

Although Brussels is the capital of Belgium, Belgium itself is a confederation. It is made up of three almost separate areas working together: Flanders, Wallonia and Capital city (Brussels). And then there is the federal government over all of those layers. There is then a capital of Flanders and a capital of Wallonia. 

So you have choices when you come to visit Belgium and the Netherlands. You could visit up to 5 different cities to have visited the capital of these two countries. Come on over and we will help you figure out what to do. You can also visit the church in 4 of the 5 cities as well. 

A flexible year

This past year was a time to be flexible and see how God could use each and every moment. We all like to plan. To know what is going to happen. But we have all learned that this is not always possible. It may not even be desirable at all times. Often it is simply good to see what is coming and be able top ‘roll with the punches’. That is what this year looked like at various times. 

In January we were still planning on getting to the US for our regular Home Assignment. We try to get back every three years. The last time was in May-July 2019. But the world changed a lot by the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020. Our plans for returning to the US in the Spring of 2022 was looking more and more unlikely as travel restrictions were still in place. So we started looking at planning a Fall trip. Since we do not travel with the boys (2016 was the last time we traveled with Sean, and that was only for part of the trip), we can choose different moments in the year. 

In spite of those plans being changed, some of our normal activities continued: weekly studies, singing evenings each month in Eindhoven and Maastricht, As the year continued, corona restrictions lightened and we were able to make more concrete plans. A lot of this had to do with our summer Bible camp weeks. This would be the first year in a while that we would be able to hold a Family Camp week and everyone was looking forward to that. 

The congregation was also experiencing quite a few changes. In March we welcomed a group of Ukrainians in the congregation and looked into how we could help in this refugee crisis (including looking at how to use camp). We suddenly had more people to care for in the congregation, but we also had to look st how to do this (including translation, housing, helping). A year on, two of these young Ukrainians are getting married in 2023 and have been a strong part of the church here. 

We were able to hold in-person events as the weather cleared up and brought sunshine. This included our yearly gathering in The Hague where we included the various Ukrainians spread across the Netherlands and Belgium. We also planned and took part in various activities in other cities, trying not only to make refugees feel welcome, but looking at how God could use us all together. 

After great summer Bible Camp weeks, we started looking seriously at our plans for going to the US in the Fall. By this time prices were rising everywhere. Travel restrictions were still not completely clear, so we made the decision to move our plans to 2023. Trying to fly and drive for 2 months visiting family and church family from the East coast to the West and all through the Midwest was proving to be a challenge. 

Still, when we saw that Shirley’s sister’s health was not doing well at all, it was important enough to plan a full week (plus travel days) to visit and see if we could help in any way. We didn’t really think or plan that much. We simply looked at what was possible, asked for guidance and help and went. We are so thankful that God has put us in a position to be able to do just that. 

The year has ended with plenty of great activities with a congregation that has grown very close through a year of dealing with change and learning to trust. We react to challenges with trust in God and being active with one another. This is what we are looking forward to in the coming year as well. 

It is not easy to consider being gone for a full two months. This means leaving people and plans behind. But we know that these plans, if they are in God’s hands, are well-cared for. We know that the church is Christ’s church. We know that God can do far more than we ever even imagine or plan. So we will try to make our plans for visiting the US in May-June 2023 as well as continuing normal activities and being ready to develop any new opportunities that God presents us with. Please keep these things in your prayers. We will update you with our possibilities in the coming months. 

God blesses us every day, each year. We are so thankful that, no matter where we are, we know that He is in control and is able to use us mightily for His will and to His glory. Thank you for walking with us this past year. We look forward to hearing from you, seeing you and working together in any way possible in this coming year. 

Whensday: Anniversaries

Today (December 21) Shirley and I celebrate 38 years together. We were married on this day in 1984 in Cloverdale church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas. Since that day we have celebrated this day in all sorts of places and doing all sorts of things. Most of the time we do not get the opportunity to celebrate on the day, but we make sure that we spend some time together around this period (usually in January). 

That very first day we left Searcy and spent the night in Hot Springs, Arkansas, driving on to Abilene, Texas in a car that almost killed us from a leaky exhaust pipe. For the next few years we celebrated in Abilene with church family encouraging us (we had a great ‘young marrieds’ group at church). 

Our 5th year saw us celebrating with the addition of Stephan, who had shown up on Halloween that year. We were still in Abilene, but by the next year we had moved to Long Beach, California just before moving overseas. Our anniversary was shared with the church family in Long Beach and we flew to Belgium in January the following year (3 weeks later, in other words). 

The anniversary in 1991 we were living in Antwerp, Belgium, on a busy street in a busy city with a growing little boy and planning our move to the area of Maastricht, the Netherlands. It would still be another 6 months before we moved, but the plans had been set in motion by this time. We had started the year out living with our colleagues in their small house. We then moved to an apartment where we could welcome guests and finally get the things we had shipped from the US. We celebrated this anniversary in January 1992, leaving Stephan for a few days with colleagues and spending time together in the area where we were to move. 

In June 1992 we moved to our house in the village of Neerharen, Belgium (a village in the town of Lanaken). The following anniversaries were most often spent at home or nearby doing all sorts of activities. In 1995 Scott began with the singing group Listen Up!. For several years they organized a concert around Christmas called ‘Always CHRISTmas’. These concerts could be in Eindhoven, Woudenberg, Haarlem, Maastricht or Antwerp, but very often fell on our special day. So we celebrated in abbreviated form wherever we were at the time. 

In 1993 we shared the anniversary with our second addition to the family when Sean arrived in September. We also took our first furlough to the States that year in the winter, spending our anniversary with Scott’s mom in Colorado. For most of the years following we would take our furlough in the summer months because of school vacations. 

One of the years, we figure it must have been 2006 (so 22 years married), we took a short mid-week together as a family. We had some time in a bungalow park in the south of the Netherlands where the boys ran around (‘parcours’ was in fashion), we bowled together and enjoyed some family time. 

On our 25th anniversary, in 2009, good friends in Brussels (thank you Bill and Deedee) had us at their place and we spent a few days in the city, taking in some museums, getting some good food and sharing the time together. We were able to relax and spend the time together. The boys were old enough to be left alone and we made the time to make it special. In the year after we took 3 or 4 days together for a real celebration, traveling to Breda, Apeldoorn and Deventer (in the Netherlands).

Fast forward to 2012 and we celebrated in Oregon, OH while preparing for Stephan’s wedding to Natalie. This was only the second time in the US during winter. We met Natalie’s family and spent the day before the wedding making the wedding cake pops together as a combined family. We did spend the evening of our anniversary in a hotel.

In March 2018 Sean married Jill and they moved to New York City in October. This meant that this year was the first time that we had celebrated our anniversary without the kids in any way. Of course, we once again had various activities at the time, so celebrated on a different day. 

We seldom are able to celebrate on the day itself, but we know every year how good it is to have had another year together. We continue looking forward to the places and times we might celebrate in the future. This year we will look at heading off to a nice city ion the Netherlands - sometime in January. 

What does church look like?

“You can’t ‘go’ to church because you are the church!” I remember hearing this early on in my new life as a Christian. And it is so true. The family, the Christians, are the ecclesia, the church. In Dutch, the word for church - “gemeente” - is the same word used for the city government. Some might use the word “kerk”, but this refers more to a building. 

This past Sunday showed once again what it looks like to be the church. In Maastricht we try to make sure that we do things in Dutch. We are, after all, a Dutch-speaking group in a Dutch-speaking city. But we are much more than that. We have 6 Dutch-speaking couples and 7 Dutch-speaking singles. But that only tells a part of the story. Most of these couples are mixed in some way. There is an Ecuadorian wife, a German husband, Belgians, and two Americans (guess who). Among the singles, there is an Iranian, Armenian, and a Belgian. And this is just the group that speaks Dutch. 

You see, although we try to make sure that things are done in Dutch, we know that we have quite a group that does not speak Dutch. So we translate into English. We have one English-speaking family and 8 English-speaking singles. There are Americans, a Nigerian (who also speaks Russian), an Albanian, a Brazilian and four Ukrainians. Around this time of year some might start singing about partridges and pear trees. 

So what does church look like? On a Sunday people filter in (some with a cultural time adaptation - if you know what I mean) and those who are earlier will be greeting each other and already drinking some coffee. After the study, some others will grab their cup of coffee in the space that we leave between the study and the beginning of our worship time together. This is a time of more greeting, hugging and general hullaballoo. 

We worship, as I mentioned, mostly in Dutch. This means that most songs are in Dutch. But we have talked with the Ukrainians and found out which songs they also have in Ukrainian and Russian. This means that the song-leader can choose songs which they know. At that time you will hear singing in Dutch and a bit of Ukrainian at the same time. A few months back, we would also hear some Spanish when Deysi’s parents were visiting from Ecuador. 

The sermon and prayers are translated into English or from English into Dutch. Sermon outlines are available in Dutch and English. Sometimes you will hear some translating of a difficult point into Russian or Ukrainian. More importantly, when all is said and done, we all gather around the coffee and discuss the lessons and how God has been blessing us in whatever language makes things clear. There is a pleasant hum of discussion and sharing. 

One of our ladies takes the Lord’s Supper to one of our shut-ins. In the week we gather online for a Bible study. The ladies just returned from a week together. Some of the members get together in the week to help each other or just meet and talk. Our Nigerian will be moving, so others will help with a car and trailer. Our young Ukrainian couple is marrying in January, so we look at how to help them get settled in. Family stuff. On a Sunday or any other day of the week.

Yesterday we spent time together having Christmas fun. We played games with gifts (white elephants), ate goodies that everyone had prepared and brought, and had a good time together. This is what church looks like. Language doesn’t matter. Where you are from doesn’t matter. There are some challenges, but we can get through those because we are family, we are church - the body of Christ. 

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.  1 Corinthians 12:12-14

(If you do Instagram, you can find us there @gvc_maastricht)

Whodunit Wednesday: Scholars

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘scholar’? If you search for important scholars throughout the ages, you come upon several connected with the Netherlands. 

Many university students would like to get an Erasmus scholarship. The Erasmus program encourages and assists with international study through its scholarships. The scholarship and program is named after the scholar Erasmus, who was full out: Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus, or Erasmus of Rotterdam. He was a philosopher and scholar in the mid-15th through beginning of the 16th century. He wrote about changes that needed to be made from within the Catholic Church during the reformation and is considered a Christian Humanist.

Baruch Spinoza, or Benedictus de Spinoza was born in Amsterdam in the 17th century to Portuguese-Jewish parents. He was one of the exponents of rationalism and pushed the idea of the Enlightenment. He developed ideas against the authenticity of the Hebrew Bible and was considered by many as an ‘atheist’, which meant that his works were banned for a time. 

More recently, Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali has made a name in philosophical and scholarly circles. She was a member of the Dutch parliament before moving to the US in 2006. She has especially been outspoken against the Muslim faith and considers herself and atheist. She continues to work against the influence of Islam, especially as it has to do with women. This has put her high on the death-threat list for terrorists. 

These philosophers, scholars and politicians have greatly shaped the Netherlands and how people here think - about God, about the world, about religion.

(PHOTO: Yeager-Crasselt, Lara. “Scholar in His Study” (2017). In The Leiden Collection Catalogue, 3rd ed. Edited by Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. and Lara Yeager-Crasselt. New York, 2020–. https://theleidencollection.com/artwork/scholar-in-his-study/ (accessed December 14, 2022).)

Around the world

This past Friday we held a CHRISTmas sing-a-long, inviting our neighbors, Ukrainians in the city and any others to pion us in singing Christmas songs in various languages. We sang in French, Dutch, English, German, Ukrainian and Russian (and even in Latin). We wanted people to be able to not only enjoy this time in their own language, but also share this time with others. 

The Netherlands was playing against Argentina in the World Cup, so many Dutch people had quite a conflict for this evening. But we had a great group of Ukrainians who came from Eindhoven (about an hour away) to sing with us and to meet the congregation here in Maastricht. The singing was done before 9pm. The talking went on until about 10pm. We are so thankful for how God creates family. 

Last week we also heard from a small village in Uganda who received 50 Bibles in their own language. The church family here wanted to help with this need and took care of sending the Bibles in a responsible way. As a congregation we have helped with various congregations in times of need: in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, St. Maarten and Curaçao as well as with our brothers and sisters in Ukraine. 

God’s family, the church that is the body of Christ, is not some small group of people in a city in a country. It is a body, truly linked around the world and serving as the hands of Jesus wherever they are. If you are a Christian, you are not alone. We are made to be in communion, in a body, working together. And even if you are isolat5ed, you are not alone. Write, pray, email, call, speak to those around you. God is mighty and is using us all mightily, wherever we are. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Dog breeds

Back in June, we said goodbye to our sweet dog, Chester, who was not even originally our dog. He was chosen by our 90 year-old sister, Willemien, when she could not do without a dog after her previous dog unexpectedly passed away. Willemien had always asked that we care for her dog if she herself were to pass away first. She made it to 95 years old, so we took Chester at that time. Chester made it to 94,5 in dog years. But Chester was a cocker spaniel,  a common dog here, but not a Belgian or Dutch dog. Whats’s that, you say? What is a Belgian or Dutch dog? 

There are several Belgian breeds that are well known around the world, although you might not have known that they were Belgian. The Malinois is a very energetic dog often used for police and military purposes. The Brussels Griffon, on the other hand, is a well-known lap-dog as is the Papillon (a toy Spaniel, named as such because its ears look like butterflies). 

The bloodhound is actually called a St. Hubert hound from Belgium. Then there is also the Schipperke, a lesser well-known dog that doesn’t know how small he is. Sometimes nicknamed the ‘little black devil’ it looks a bit like a Tasmanian devil and has the energy to go with it. This is the Belgian version of a sea dog. 

And the Bouvier des Flandres is a huge wooly dog, from Flanders (the Dutch-speaking area of Belgium), which monks formed by crossing Irish Wolfhounds and Scottish Deerhounds. These Bouviers (which means cattle herder) are one of the first dogs I saw when I first came to the Netherlands. It amazed me, because the Dutch live in tiny apartments, but have no fear keeping such a dog as it lived on ships.  

The best known Dutch breed is the Keeshond. Every Dutch child at one time knew this dog, even if they had never seen a dog before. The alphabet was learned from a ‘leesplank’ a reading plank that had pictures to show the letters of the alphabet. So ‘a’ is for ‘aap’ (that is: ape) And ‘k’ is ‘kees’ with a picture of this dog. 

The dog was often kept on Dutch barges and was familiar throughout the country. At one point it was a symbol of the Dutch patriots. The name means ‘Kees’ dog where ‘Kees’ is a common name in the Netherlands. The name could have come from a well-known dog during the patriot days, or one of the patriots themselves. These dogs are family of the Samoyed and Pomeranian. 

These days we don’t really care what breed a dog is, as long as we get a chance to stop and pet it. On our most recent trip to the US a young woman had her dog with her in the airport. When asked, she was more than willing to allow me to say hello to her dog, understanding that we could use the comfort. We will not be getting another dog, but will continue enjoying seeing dogs around us. 

Family Time - again and again

The last few weeks have been full of family time. One of the things that I learned early on in my Christian life was how wonderful God makes family. Not only has he designed the family - father, mother and children - but he has designed the church as family. 

Jesus tells Peter and the disciples, after speaking with and about the rich young ruler, that “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age.” (Mark 10:29-30)

I have always experienced this, from the moment I became a Christian and left my own family but gained a Christian family. So too with Shirley in her life. And yet, we never left our families, our brothers and sisters - they simply had a different place in our lives. 

From November 14-24 we traveled to the US to visit Shirley’s family. Her sister is not doing well and we wanted to see if we could help, to be there for her. Usually, when we are back in the US for Home Assignment, we have about two and a half days in Omaha for Shirley’s family. This time we had 8 and a half days. It felt as if we were able to lavish this time on her family and we were very thankful that it was possible. The travel itself went very well. We would appreciate prayers for the health of Shirley’s sister. 

The Sunday we returned, we were able to share and see family again - in the spiritual sense. We have a young Ukrainian couple in the congregation who are far away from home. They will marry in January, far away from home and most family. But they are with their Christian family. We held a wedding shower for them and blessed them financially as a congregation to help them on their new journey.

The congregation in Maastricht is indeed a big, amazing family. We have several young men studying or working, far from family and culture. We have three young ladies from varied cultures who have made their homes in Belgium or the Netherlands. We have mixed culture families, Belgians and Dutchmen all together in one loving family - because of Jesus Christ. 

This past weekend Shirley and I helped get the Americans in the church in Belgium and the Netherlands together for “Thanksmas”. We cannot meet on a Thursday for Thanksgiving and often have other obligations for Christmas, so we meet in the middle and make it Thanksmas - sharing our American culture and our Christian culture together. Although Shirley and I got sick and couldn’t attend, we were thankful that the others were able. 

This coming Friday evening the congregation has moved our regular 1st Friday singing to the 2nd Sunday and invited people of all cultures to come and sing of Jesus Christ in this time that welcomes Him into everyone’s lives. Our CHRISTmas singalong will be with songs in all different languages. We have specifically invited Ukrainians in the city to come join us. It should be a great time of fellowship and let people know how beautiful family is to God our Father. 

We pray that you have enjoyed family during Thanksgiving and will be able to see family during Christmas. But if you are not able to travel, open your home to others and experience family as God has always intended. We are meant to be together and He does that best. 

Go here (Instagram) if you want to see our fun with Andrey and Adriana.