Whensday: Ides of March, taxes, and more

The middle of March could mean various things to various people. It is the ‘ides’ of March on March 15 and some will have heard the expression: ‘Beware the ides of March’. The ‘ides’ just means the middle of the month and was part a way of counting the days in a month. 

There are ides in other months as well. The ides of April will bring the tax man in the US. So many might say “Beware the ides of April.” Today in 2023 in The Netherlands a national election is being held which will lead to the choosing of the upper House of Parliament. 

It was Julius Caesar who made the ides of March so important. Marcus Brutus, along with others, assassinated Caesar on March 15, 44BC, effectively ending the Roman republic and eventually leading to the Roman Empire under Augustus. 

Skakespeare is the one who penned the infamous lines in his tragedy ‘Julius Caesar’. In the play a character warns Caesar ‘beware the ides of March’ since - as the soothsayer in the play knows - this is the day Caesar will be stabbed. In the play we also get the words: ‘Et tu, Brute?” “You too, Brutus?” 

At the time Caesar was dying and Augustus was building an empire, Maastricht was rising as a garrison and later as a city. Further south, in what is now Belgium, Tongeren was taking shape as a Roman city along an important road. These days both cities have remained important provincial capitals and important tourist locations, even in the middle of March. 

For us the day took on a larger significance in 2018 when our son, Sean, married Jill in Ternat, Belgium. For them, and for us, this is not a day of which to beware, but a day to look forward to.  

Whatsit Wednesday: Types of ships

It is no surprise that The Netherlands and Belgium have quite a history wrapped up with boats, ships and waters of all kinds. Most The Netherlands is below sea level and its golden age was a time of sea exploration, world discovery and amazing sea battles with the English. Belgium was parts of various sea-going countries before it became its own country in the 19th century. So it, too, shared in these watery exploits. 

But there are some unique styles of boats designed or specifically used in these two countries. The Fluyt (or ‘fluit” which means “flute”) was a Dutch merchant sailing ship in the 16th and 17th century. It was especially useful because it could haul quite a bit of cargo while only requiring a skeleton crew to operate. 

On the Zuiderzee - which was quite shallow - special flat-bottomed boats were designed. They are recognizable by what look like wings on either side. These are used instead of a keel. These boats were fishing vessels as were so many other types of sailing boats in the time. Much of sailing has remained the same throughout the centuries. 

Both the Dutch and the Belgians used canals for transport across the country. Even today these canals are used for bulk transport. A canal runs behind our house between two major canals. The Albert canal brings goods to Antwerp, while the Zuid Willemsvaart brings goods to Rotterdam - two of the busiest harbors in Europe. The Briegden-Neerharen canal (which runs behind our house) connects the two. We regularly watch barges pass by with all sorts of bulk goods. 

Even in our modern day, the Dutch and Belgians remain two of the most important countries when it comes to shipping. Belgium has become one of the premier countries for dredging, with highly technical ships designed to do the job. What is dredging good for? Think of Abu Dhabi or Dubai in the UAE where they have created land from the sea. Or mega harbors in China. This is accomplished with dredging activity often involving Belgian boats. 

Another modern twist has been the need for LNG containers. Liquified Natural Gas is a way of transporting natural gas from where it is mined to where it needs to be used. The Netherlands has a good bit of its own natural gas, but they have decided not to use it. This means that they have to buy gas from places like the US. This gas is then shipped to places like Rotterdam where huge ships become gas terminals. 

And on a funner note, we still can jump on a ferry from Oostende to Dover and enjoy a quick visit to the United Kingdom. A few years back when the boys were still at home, we took a family day-trip to Canterbury using such a ferry. Of course one could also just drive through the ‘Chunnel’, but that’s another story for another time. 

We hope to see you there!

Putting together our travel plans for May-June is quite a puzzle, but fun at the same time. We will be in quite a few places and look forward to seeing as many groups as we can, considering the time. We already know that we will not get to see all of our family (Scott’s dad and older brother), but we have also had some fun surprises. 

Back when Scott first moved to Colorado with his family, his dad needed to travel back to the East to finish hos military requirements and retire (at about 40 years-old). This was the last time that Scott saw any of his family, who mostly live on the east coast. But now that Scott and Shirley will be landing in New York and driving up to Rochester, they saw that Newburgh, New York was along the way. Scott got contacted information and it turns out that they will be able to visit his aunt who still lives in the same house Scott visited back when he was a teenager. 

If you are anywhere near where we will be, we hope that you will get in touch with us before we leave (April 26) so that we can plan some way of getting together. Maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle. Maybe we can call. Maybe you are in the same city and we don’t have your contact information any more. Drop us a comment here if you don’t have our contact information. 

We are also looking forward to meeting all sorts of new people in the congregations that support us. It has been a long 4 years since we last back and a lot can change in 4 years. It has here in Maastricht and certainly will have done where you live. So when we get to your city, your congregation - don’t be shy. We want to meet you. We may not be able to get to know you well, but we want to know who you are and thank you for your working together with us in God’s kingdom. 

Here again are the cities and states we will be visiting. We will begin in New York (and also visiting in Connecticut). We then move on to Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Woodbury congregation. They will help us on the next long leg of our trip to Omaha, Nebraska; Muscatine, Iowa; Indianapolis, Indiana and even making a quick stop in Chicago before returning to Minnesota. 

After the Midwest loop, we will fly down to Texas and drive out to Abilene, hoping to do some visiting along the way. From Texas we fly to Colorado where we will visit up and down the Front Range in Colorado Springs and Denver. By this time we will have hit our oldest son, Stephan and daughter-in-love Natalie (in Indianapolis), Shirley’s family (in Nebraska) and most of Scott’s family (in Indy and Colorado). 

We finish the trip by flying first out to California to visit our sponsoring church in Long Beach and to see some more of Scott’s family in San Diego. From LA we fly to NYC to finish up by visiting with son Sean and daughter-in-love Jill. After 8 weeks of traveling we will get back to Belgium before the end of June and just in time to have a church get-together down at Ardennen Bijbelkamp on the Saturday after our arrival. 

Whodunit Wednesday: Lurch from the Addams Family

Bubba-da-bump (tik-tik). Bubba-da-bump (tik-tik). Bubba-da-bump, Bubba-da-bump, Bubba-da-bump (tik-tik). 

The door creaks open and a VERY tall disturbing looking butler answers the door with an impossibly low voice: “You rang?”

I always enjoyed ‘Lurch” from the Addams Family series. He was meant to be a sort of Frankenstein monster that acted as the butler of the family. He looked a bit scary, but was actually a softy. This Lurch was played by actor Ted Cassidy, who was 6’9”. 

In the later film (1991) Lurch was played by a Dutch actor, Carel Struycken. He owed much of his succes in acting to his height. He was 2 meters 13 cm tall (in Dutch we would say he was that ‘long’). This equates to 7 feet tall. He was diagnosed with acromegaly when he was 20. This was about 10 years before he was discovered in Hollywood. 

He was born in 1948 in The Hague and moved to Curaçao with his family when he was 4. He returned to the Netherlands at 16 and started into film, taking him to California. It was here in 1978 that a woman leaped out of her car and chased him down to tell him that he was needed for a film. This film ended up being Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

In the Netherlands it is not at all unusual to feel like a pygmy in the land of giants while standing in the checkout line at the grocery store. Dutch men and women are among the tallest in the world. Carel Struycken is clearly just that little bit taller and was able to use that to step into people’s lives through film. 

Youth, camp, walking, studying

As this year continues to roll out, we are looking as a church in Maastricht at how best to serve one another, reach out to our community and be a family of God. There are all sorts of activities planned not only by the congregation here, but also others in Belgium and the Netherlands. 

This past weekend was a console weekend organized for teens from 12 years-old and up and held in Antwerp. One of our young people was able to attend, along with his father as a helper. These weekends get young people together to have good time gaming (within boundaries) and also consider some real themes in life. 

In Maastricht we are looking at when we can best plan another youth weekend for our own youth and their friends. Last year we planned a day around the armor of God. This year we hope to get the young people together again - probably in April, but maybe in September. We may even look at planning two events. 

We are also looking at getting together again for a day down at camp. This is a time of study together and fellowship. Last year we spent an encouraging day learning about the Bible before spending the rest of the afternoon in a walk through the nature that speaks so eloquently of God’s existence. We will probably plan this day in the weekend Shirley and Scott return from their trip to the US. 

One of the suggestions made by one of our members was to plan a weekly or monthly time to walk in the city (or areas around the city). This would be an activity to which members could invite friends and family and affords good time for good conversation and prayer. Many of our members live in wonderful areas for a good walk. We are blessed with living in one of the most beautiful areas of the Netherlands and Belgium. 

We have already started with a study group on Tuesday evenings for our English-speaking young people. We have several university students and young professionals in the congregation. We are currently looking at the wisdom that Paul passes on to Timothy in his letters and are blessed with a group that not only enjoys the time together but is serious about growing in faith. 

These are all activities that are planned for before the Summer. Of course Shirley and Scott will be off for two months in the US visiting family and church family, but activities continue. And in the Summer the Bible camp weeks are already planned. Scott and Shirley will help lead and teach at the Teen week in August. This year will also be the first time that a week is planned for young professionals. There may also be a special week planned for Ukrainians in the Netherlands and Belgium. 

Pray with us for these efforts. Thank you for working together with us in reaching these areas of the world with the good news of a life in Jesus Christ. 

Where oh Where Wednesday: Travels in the US

As mentioned a little while back, Scott seems to have born with wanderlust in his veins. Since living in Europe we have been blessed to visit with brothers and sisters, churches in many European cities and countries. But the wanderlust began much earlier for Scott.

He was born in San Antonia, Texas and lived there about a year, just long enough to gain a brother in the same city. From Texas, the family moved to Mississippi and the to the area of Buffalo, New York before ending up at Fort Meade, Maryland. This was all before Scott was 6 years old and the family left for Europe. 

When Scott returned to the US, he was 5 years older and the family settled in Colorado Springs, Colorado. So when someone asks Scott where he is from, it is not always an easy answer. He claims Texas (his birthplace) and Colorado (where he mostly went to school). But before even hitting his graduation Scott had had a chance to visit even more States in the US. 

When his dad retired form the Air Force, the whole family took a trip across America to New York and visited the cousins there. Along the way we drove through Kansas, Missouris, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. This trip was done in one shot, Scott’s mom and dad sharing the driving until they arrived at their destination. 

Scott and Shirley met at York College in little York, Nebraska. While attending there, Scott traveled with a singing group from the college, hitting Christian summer camps in most of the Midwest, including Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and New Mexico. They also traveled to Wisconsin, Illinois and even Tennessee. 

After Scott and Shirley married, they made their own road trips, mostly driving from Abilene, Texas to Colorado Springs, Colorado and Omaha, Nebraska. But during one summer as they were planning their missions future, they drove up to Calgary, Alberta (Canada), passing through Wyoming and Montana again. It was around this time that they also flew out to California to interview with what was to become their supporting congregation in Long Beach, California. 

While Scott gained his wanderlust from literally traveling all around the world, Shirley always had a desire to travel. She grew up in Omaha, Nebraska and only left twice before she went to York College. She visited Oklahoma with family when she was 8 years old and went to a youth rally in Kansas later. When she attended York, she became a Master’s Apprentice and went to Minnesota to serve the church there before traveling to the Netherlands where she and Scott got together. 

After moving to Belgium, they traveled together in the US every 3 years or so, hitting most of the States that have already been mentioned here. In 2010 they traveled with their eldest son, Stephan for the last time and took a road trip, adding Arizona, Alabama, Georgia and Florida to their destinations. 

We do not know how the many changes in our lives will be used by a gracious and mighty God who has the big picture in mind. Joseph (in Genesis) would never have called his journeys ‘road trips’, but God was still shaping and forming him. We are so thankful for the many ways that God has shaped us both to serve Him wherever we find ourselves. 

Whensday: The Flood Disaster of 1953

On February 1, 1953 - 70 years ago -  the Netherlands experienced a terrible natural disaster that shaped the country from then on. In the middle of the night, after severe storms, the water in the rivers and the seas rose so much that much of the southwestern coast of The Netherlands was flooded and more than 3000 people died. 

This is a tragedy at any time an in any place in the world, but at this moment - not long after the ravages of World War II - and in this seemingly modern country, it was devastating. In the country that for centuries had tamed the seas and learned how to live under sea level, nature had struck back and the country was brought to its knees. 

But that was the impetus for a renaissance of technology that has stretched Into the 21st century. These days, when a country wants to know how to deal with water, they come to The Netherlands and ask advice. It was Dutch engineers who were consulted after Katrina devastated Louisiana. Dutch engineers have been consulted and are at work in solving problems in Bangladesh. This tragedy 70 years ago ignited again the desire in the Dutch to conquer the water around them and turn it to their advantage. 

The Dutch rebuilt the villages, towns and cities along the coast, but not before they built an amazing wall to keep out the sea. This wall can open and close, leaving life open to the sea when it is safe, and closing off the waters when they become precipitously dangerous. Knowledge about dikes, canals, tides, beaches and more became common knowledge for the Dutch - and turned into shared knowledge for the world. 

Interestingly, much of that knowledge could not really help in 2021 when the rivers south of the country flooded in a short week, flooding some villages and towns in Belgium and the south of The Netherlands and threatening the cities further north. Questions arose about how things had been built as well as about how to protect against such natural disasters. The tenacity and adaptability of the Dutch have made them the eminent scholars and practitioners of works with water. 

In recent days we have seen a disaster that will resonate for years to come with people in Turkey and Syria. It reminds one of the quakes in Japan and Los Angeles where v=builders learned lessons. But the pain remains as a reminder to all who will listen. 

Super Bowl Monday?

Last night (or was it this morning) I watched the Super Bowl live - I think for the first time in my life. It didn’t kick off until midnight thirty here I the Netherlands and I got home just before 5 am. But it was an interesting experience. 

I volunteer as a board member for a local organization that gets people together for activities. It helps to link older people who have fewer contacts with others, helps those who don’t have much money for food, is a place for caregivers to come and rest while their partners with Alzheimer are cared for and tries to help neighbors get to know one another. One of the other board members is a young man who also happens to play American Football for the Maastricht Wildcats. 

In the US this might not seem so strange - except that this young man is recently into his 30’s. In the US every self-respecting high school has some sort of football team. But if you talk about football here, you usually mean soccer. Everyone plays soccer. There are even teams for 5 year-olds. 

American Football is something else all together. But Maastricht has a real team, in the first division of the Dutch league. And I was invited by this young man to come watch the Super Bowl with his teammates. So I made sure that I had taken a quick nap and headed off to see if Kansas City could beat Philadelphia (I am a Bronco’s fan, but the Chiefs are a close second for me). 

I spent much of the evening/morning talking football in Dutch and English. Many of the players are international, so speak English. Most of the people present were Eagles fans, so it made for a fun tension. And the game did not disappoint. The most interesting thing for me were some of the conversations. 

One of the players was introduced as “our church-going player” who also sang in the choir. I was introduced to him as someone who would know what he experienced, since I was also an active Christian. 

During the game two ads were shown about “He gets us… Jesus”. One of the guys I was sitting with asked: “Who is this?” 

I looked a bit surprised and asked “Jesus?” 

He responded, “Yeah, I know who Jesus is. But an ad like that cost big bucks. Who is behind it?” 

This led to a conversation about what the ads were saying and how the focus was on Jesus. I do not really know who paid for the ad, but it gave me an opportunity to focus conversation on Jesus as well - for a moment. In the meantime my board member friend had apologized for his rough language and we continued with good topics, including football and life. 

By 4 am we were all cleaning up and heading out to our cars or bikes to go home in the very thick mist that had set in. Everyone was happy. Well, no. Me and one other fan of the Chiefs was happy. The others were resigned and tired. I am sure some of them would need to study for the next day (some are students). Others would have to go to work. But I was thankful for this opportunity to get to know some people because of a sport event. 

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:2-6

Whatsit Wednesday: Klompen

Often, when people think of or talk about Holland, they think of tulips and wooden shoes. Perhaps in the same way that when people think of the United States they think of cowboy hats, boots and big cars or hamburgers. Every country has some sort of stereotype. 

But stereotypes usually have some basis in fact and there are indeed tulips in the Netherlands and the Dutch do have a historical and modern link to wooden shoes. In Dutch the wooden shoes are called ‘klompen’. These days you are only likely to find klompen in the tourist shops in the tourist cities - sold to tourists. But that is not how it began and not necessarily how it stands. 

The klomp (single tense of the plural ‘klompen’) is actually a very practical tool. These days people elsewhere might wear crocs or steel-toed shoes, but the klomp was the forerunner of these practical shoes. A good piece of wood keeps your toes safe in dangerous work conditions, so klompen were used by Dutch workers in some situations. But they are also easy to clean and cannot easily be pierced by such things as a thorn or stones. So Gardners and farmers wore them as well. 

As a matter of fact, there are still plenty of gardeners and farmers who wear them. They sometimes wear a sort of leather sock, so that the klomp doesn’t shift too easily. But such a shoe is still quite handy. I have seen street layers wear them as they put down the ‘kinderkoppen’ (more about that here). 

So if you visit The Netherlands (or Holland as a tourist might call it) and purchase some nice wooden shoes, remember that they are still very much a practical, useful style of footwear. And if you are interested in tulips, you can read more about that here.  We will save windmills for another day. 

Working out

As I have mentioned here before, we have quite an international group now in Maastricht. This means that our worship time is translated from Dutch to English and vice-versa. But several of the young people, students and young professionals, wanted to organize a weekly time together to dig into the word of God together and invite their friends. This would be in English. 

So we have been able to meet the past month with these young people and have been looking into Paul’s letter to the young man, Timothy (1 Timothy). It has been exciting to see the desire of these young people to not only walk with God in their lives, trying to be good students, good colleagues and choosing to do what is right, but also to see their desire to learn from God’s word. 

1 Timothy has presented us with various examples of what they are experiencing in their daily lives as well. What do you do when you have a problem with a manager? How do you make things right when you have said something wrong? Which things are most important to speak about and how can we do that? How can we be an example? 

We are thankful for these young men and women and look forward to the coming weeks as well. As with many young people and professionals, it is not always easy to find a time to get together. But they struggle with that and find time. We are encouraged by their example. 

For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance.  1 Timothy 4:8-9

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.