Whensday: War and peace

Right around this day in 1940 the 2nd great war began in our area. No one knew it was to be World War II. They simply knew that planes had bombed the bridge or their city to bits, killing many. And the war had begun. The village next to ours, where our colleagues live, was one of the first places in Belgium to be bombed. The cemetery in town is still a silent witness to how many families were impacted. 

In 1945 the war ended in this same period. May 4 is remembrance day in the Netherlands, when all remember the fallen in war. May 5 is the day to celebrate victory and liberation. The area around Maastricht was the first part of the Netherlands to be liberated. People were extremely thankful top the US soldiers who had come to help them throw off the invaders. 

A cemetery outside of Maastricht, in Margraten, is a witness to the many soldiers who lost their lives in this struggle. Many Ditch families have adopted graves in this cemetery, knowing that the soldiers’ families cannot be there to care for the grave. So they take care and let the families know that all is well. 

For now, in the area around Maastricht and where we live in Belgium there is peace. It had not always been that way. This area was a hodge-podge of small barons and religious powers who fought over which strips of land belonged to whom and were under which authority. Since the end of World War II there has been peace and prosperity. 

But peace is relative. In the past decades the area has welcomed refugees from what was Yugoslavia, from Afghanistan, from Syria and from Ukraine. The congregation in Maastricht has two sisters in Christ who originally came to the Netherlands as refugees - one from Iran, the other from Armenia. The church family is now also home to 4 Ukrainians who have settled - at least for now - in Belgium. Most recently the congregation has welcomed a Syrian couple on Sundays. 

And although their countries may or may not still be at war, these people have found true peace. It is not to be found specifically in a certain place, but in the life and family of Jesus Christ. We are so thankful to celebrate every Sunday the liberation that has come through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. The members in Maastricht understand this very well - being made into a family from so many different places, finding peace together.  

Through the storm (Home Assignment 2023 Nebraska)

When I was young I remember a film my dad showed. It was a movie film, a super eight, perhaps, but he had taken it with a film camera and showed it to us with a film projector. You know, the kind that you used to see in school with two reels of film whirring as the light flickered the pictures out onto a blank wall or a roll-up screen. My dad made movies of several things when we were young. 

This one showed a back yard, the area and some big clouds as the cameraman moved around and panned the area. Dad explained that this was taken in the eye of a hurricane - the moment where one finds oneself in the calm of the storm, the middle of the hurricane enclosed by the whirling, blowing, swirling winds all around. I guess we experienced this when I was still quite young. 

As we drove down to Omaha from Minnesota we enjoyed the typical midwest scenery of rolling hills, farms with silos and interesting looking tractors on the roads. We stopped in Sioux City to get a picture with a house of friends we will not be able to see in Texas because they are moving to Iowa - but not until we passed by and before we get to Texas. So we will not see them. But we got to see their new house before they did. 

The radio told us that there were some storm brewing in the area, but we got in to Omaha under clear skies and dropped in to Shirley’s sister, Mary. The next few days were spent enjoying family time, trying to get some health appointments and doing our best to see if we could get together with other parts of the family. Shirley has one sister and two brothers still living. Her eldest brother was undergoing surgery on his neck, so we weren’t able to meet with him. 

And one of our major concerns was to see how we could help Mary. And although it ended up being a very long day for her, we were able to get her to the hospital for some tests. This made clear that the worst fears were unfounded and also gave some idea on how to progress in treatment. In the meantime, we were spoiled by Mary and Junior at their home with food and snacks galore and especially good time together. 

Later in the week we drove out to Valley, Nebraska, west of Omaha, where Shirley’s brother, Roger, lives. A Dairy Queen at the crossroads is about the only thing out that way, so we took time there to enjoy a good talk and a chocolate mint sundae made with an almost evil green sauce poured over chocolate soft-serve ice cream. We left as more news of tornadoes sounded over the radio, but we got back into town without any problems. 

That evening we were able to attend The Lion King, put on by our great-niece and her elementary school. She was Pumba and did an amazing job singing (Hakuna Mattata). As we left the school we noted the rainbow sitting atop one of the buildings in downtown Omaha, letting us know that the storm, for that day, had passed. 

The day before we left the storm finally hit, but not in the city. Our nephew and his family went out and took pictures, reminding me of the movie my dad had made. Thankfully they, as we so many years ago, made it through the storm. 

One morning I was went early to a local park and threw the discs I had been able to pack with me. On Wednesday we said our goodbyes and drove off in our borrowed chariot (thanks again Mark and Angela) to head on to our next stop in Iowa. As we drove the radio once again let us know that tornadoes were in the area, but that is the next story. You can see our pictures from this stop here. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Traffic innovations

Traffic is everywhere. As we are traveling in the Midwest we are thankful to have the use of a good car to make our way around and the travel in each of the cities we visit. Most cars in the US are automatic whereas most cars in Europe are “standard” where you have to be able to shift, using a clutch. 

In northern states in the US it is quite common to see cars with whole sections rusted out - and the cars still taking part in traffic. In Belgium and the Netherlands yearly inspections make it impossible to keep driving cars with so much rust. This also means that much older cars are less likely to be part of daily vehicle traffic. 

While we were driving in Minnesota we noticed a few things that are quite common in the Netherlands and Belgium. In many neighborhoods in the US a 4 way stop sign is common. This means that cars from each road stop at the intersection, yielding to any cars which arrived earlier. In Europe, and especially in the Netherlands, this type of intersection is solved by a roundabout. Traffic remains flowing at an efficient  and safe rate. We saw several of these in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. 

An innovation that was innovated by the Dutch and is extremely helpful are links in the road in front of a stoplight. These links are pressure sensitive and send signals to the stoplights which then regulate the traffic based on how much is coming from which direction. This means that, if you approach a stoplight and there is no cross traffic, the light automatically turns green. 

Another innovation from the Dutch is perhaps less-desired by most drivers: the red-light camera. This is of course used to catch any cars traveling through the intersection after the light has already turned red. Although no one likes to get a ticket for running a red light, people who have experienced the shock and disaster that can come from being hit by a red-light runner are happy that such an innovation has reduced the number of drivers running red lights. 

Another thing we saw plenty of in Minnesota which is quite common in Belgium and the Netherlands was bike paths. In the Netherlands the bicycle is a major way to take part in traffic 

True North (Home Assignment 2023 - Minnesota)

More than 20 years ago I first learned about discgolf from some guys in Minnesota. We were stopping to visit with our supporting congregation and these two guys asked if me and the boys wanted to go disc golfing. We had never been, but it sounded like fun. (You can see some pictures of another time here) 

When you throw a disc, you try to throw it with enough speed and power to go as far as needed, but you also do your best to get it to go where you want it. I enjoyed trying that out again for a few days while we were here at our 2nd stop, once again in Minnesota. It is always a challenge to get the disc to fly true, but that is the fun of the challenge. And doing it with others makes it even more fun. 

I was able to walk a course close to where we were staying with two strangers the first morning I went out. The second morning I was able to go, I went alone. The last morning was once again with the brother who originally introduced me to the sport, Kent Davidson, so many years ago. It was a bit rainy and was a fair course, but the time together and the conversation helped make it what it has always been for me - a great time to refocus and think about flying true. 

That is what we are doing when we stop in to ‘our’ congregations. These congregations have been financially supporting us for quite a few years. It is because they are willing to send funds that we are able to be where we are to tell others about the good news of Jesus Christ. When we stop in, it means we share a lot of meals - sometimes with older members we already know, sometimes meeting new members. Breakfast, lunch and dinner all take a turn being the time to share a good conversation. 

This trip has brought us to an El Salvadoran restaurant (have you ever tried pupusa’s?), a few potluck meals and a sports cafe for pork chops and fried fish. Shirley had a breakfast meeting with the ladies where she shared some thoughts and got to spend time with lots of the women of the congregation. Scott went to two breakfasts (one at 6am!) to renew friendships and meet some new members. 

And in between there were some vacation moments as well. Besides the discgolf mornings that Scott enjoyed, both Scott and Shirley were treated to a visit to the Arboretum - a collaboration with the University of Minnesota in rolling fields where all sorts of trees and flowers grew. Unfortunately we were just a bit early to see most of the trees and plants blooming, but it was still a beautiful day in what will be an even more beautiful spot in just a few weeks. 

Each day we were able to travel to these meetings and then come ‘home’ to our hosts’ home. Members have loaned us their car for this week and the whole trip we will take driving through the midwest. Our hosts, the Sullivans, have hosted us before in the past and it was great to be with them again. These people are all willing to share what they have to make our visit pleasant and effective at the same time. It is wonderful to experience this family. 

On Sunday we worshipped together, shared about our work with the class (which we had also done on Wednesday with the youth) and shared one last potluck meal together. Our visit here has been a time of sharing, growth, relaxing and remembering. It is a bit like a game of discgolf: we do our best to make things fly true and enjoy the time along the way sharing with one another. 

You can see some of our pictures from Minnesota here before we move on to our next stop (in Omaha, Nebraska with Shirley’s family).

Whodunit Wednesday: Faith formers

No one grows in faith all on their own. God created family for a reason. In faith, family is called ‘church’. And as Peter learned from Jesus, we can have all sorts of family who are more than family. 

“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “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: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”    Mark 10:29-31

Shirley and I both grew in faith because of some influential people in our lives. Some of these people may not even know (or have known) what part they played in our lives - but we know. This is how God works. You and I may be touching people’s lives even today, forming faith, without ever knowing it. But we are focused on living for a loving, mighty God, as the examples we had lived. 

Shirley became a Christian partially because of her neighbor, Mary Evans, who was willing to ask if the girls (Shirley and her sister) wanted to join her at church. Later when Shirley attended and was growing, it was Jim Grimes who influenced her. He was an elder in the church who led a young people’s class. The Collins’ gave her an example of sharing faith, as did her time with Iowa Mission and Harding University in Florence (HUF) which taught her about worshipping God in another culture. L.V. Pfeiffer and Jerry Jones were influential teachers and examples in her life. 

Scott was challenged by his best friend, Bret Carter, to really think about faith in God. It was Bret who brought him to Christ and has remained an example even to this day. Scott’s first professor at York College, Tom Schulz, showed how important it is to know the Word and live the Word. Tom took Scott on a trip to The Netherlands where Tom and his wife Dottie had been missionaries. This started a fire in Scott for missions. 

In many of the congregations which still support us we have seen multiple examples of people of faith, people willing to put into practice what they preach and what they see in Jesus. These are followers of Jesus, disciples. Dub Orr in Abilene showed what it is like to shepherd, even from the very first day. Teachers who said things like: “If you are not serving the Lord here and now, what makes you think you will serve Him in some other country?” Made us think deeply about our daily life in Christ.

What we do and say each day is being watched and seen by all sorts of people around us. As we travel and get to see so many various people and places from our past and present Shirley and I are so very thankful for the many examples we have had in our lives, shaping and forming and firming up our faith in the One who deserves all faith, Jesus Christ. Tahnk YOU for the influence you have had in our lives. We pray that we remain focused on Him in all that we do and that God is able to use our example to help others grow in faith. 

As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-5

Familiar faces in various places (Home Assignment 2023 - New York)

Sleeping after a long flight is never really easy. Jet-lag. Bloated legs and feet. Phones with push messages set for 7 hours ahead (which ping in the middle of the night). So the next several days after our arrival in the US were a bit of a struggle. But we are acclimating. And the climate is something we are getting used to as well. We have seen the sun - a little bit. But there will be plenty of sun to come. 

For now we were excited to get on the way with our visits. First stop: Aunt Betty in Newburgh, New York. As mentioned, the last time Scott was here was over 40 years ago. And yet the house is still standing and looks pretty much as it did then. Aunt Betty saw the car driving up and stood at the door to welcome us - a bit grayer than she had been then, but we are all a day (or more) older, a few shades grayer. 

We spent a wonderful time sharing stories from the past, catching up on where the kids have all landed in their lives, and talking about what life looks like now in the present. Scott recognized pictures of cousins and we shared some pictures of our life. An hour goes by quickly when you are digging in the past and sharing the present. But that was about all we had. Still, it was wonderful to be reacquainted with someone that, without knowing it, had been a major influence on Scott’s life in many ways. 

When we left Aunt Betty, we headed off for what was to be a 5 hour drive to Rochester. The rain was drizzling down, just enough to make it and interesting morning. Driving away from Newburgh we headed up into the hills and valleys of New York. If you did not know that it was Spring, you might be tempted to think that it was Fall, as the hills were covered in a haze of light orange and the trees were not yet completely blooming. But it was a nice backdrop to some country music on the radio and the sun starting to peek through the clouds. 

By the time we finally reached Rochester, after a few short stops along the way, the sun was starting its slow descent for the evening. We got to our hotel and were able to call ;Scott’s mom who came to pick us up. She and Paul took us out to an asian restaurant where we could also share some conversation before heading back to the hotel. 

Another slightly restless night brought us to a new day when we could visit Scott’s mom at Paul’s house. She had prepared all sorts of good things for breakfast and we took our time getting to know Paul, looking around the house and sharing stories. Paul’s son, David came over for a short visit so that we could get to know him. We have both heard of each other for years, but this was the first time for us to meet. 

In the afternoon we drove out to Lake Ontario and walked out on the pier to the gray churning lake. Seagulls screamed at us along the way and Scott’s mom screamed back. Scott and she laughed, since this was typical behavior for Scott as well. He is definitely his mother’s son. After a brisk walk, though not too cold, we headed out for another meal together at a local hamburger joint before saying goodnight for the evening and heading back top the hotel. 

The next day began as part one of three parts. Part one started the day with breakfast at Patty and Paul’s and left with hugs and smiling hearts for part two driving 6 hours to our next destination. This trip was much grayer than the drive up. It rained all day and made for some beautiful misty scenes and challenging, busy roads. But we made it safely to our next stop. part three of the day, the home of Mark and Oneta Tornij in Connecticut. 

We have known Mark and Oneta for some time. When we first came to The Netherlands to start the church, Oneta and her family were meeting with the church in Aken, Germany. They began meeting with us from the beginning in Maastricht. Years later, when Oneta met Mark, Scott baptized Mark and officiated Mark and Oneta’s wedding, sharing this beginning moments with them. As the Tornij family started taking shape, their faith led them to touch lives everywhere they went and they wanted to support this effort in any way they could - so they have helped with Bible camp, in various church needs and with regular financial support for us. 

We were met at the door with a hug from Ezra, the youngest, followed by warm greetings from Boaz and Fayah. Fayah is soon to graduate from high school and start another chapter in her life. We enjoyed this last section of a long day, sharing a meal and getting reacquainted with one another. 

On Sunday we joined the family to worship in another city in Connecticut - it amazes us to see how much traffic can clog a road even on a Sunday - and then went out for lunch with Mark and Oneta. After lunch we drove out to Long Island Sound as the rain beat down and the wind blew the sea and rain around us. It was exciting, rough and exhilarating, but it was also very wet! 

Back at the Tornij’s Scott played some chess with young Ezra, we shared a pizza meal and some good conversation and wound up the day planning what the Monday would look like. Should we take the George Washington bridge or the Mario Cuomo bridge? How long would it take to get into Newark? Our flight would leave at 11:40, so we shouldn’t have to leave too early. 

And suddenly, we would be moving on. It seems like we have already been away from home for weeks and it has only been 5 days. But some of those days have at least three parts, making it feel like we have had various days. But we are so very thankful to be blessed to share these moments with so many people we truly love and who love us. 

You can find the pictures from this first leg of the trip here. 

Planes, lanes and automobiles (Home Assignment 2023)

When the clock struck 5am I (uncharacteristically) jumped out of bed and announced, “Time to get up!” The trip was beginning, after several days of trying to make sure that everything was going to be okay at the house, that everything we needed was packed and that we weren’t forgetting anything essential. Now it would all begin. Brother Alexander from the Maastricht church was picking us up in an hour and would take us to the airport. 

The first information I got after a quick shower was that our flight had been delayed by 2 hours. So that meant we didn’t really have to hurry, except that we were going to get stuck in Brussels traffic if we left much later. It meant that we would have plenty of time to sit in the airport in Brussels, but I was taking a book, so no problem. 

It also meant that we would be late to pick up the car I had reserved in Newark. I tried to call to see if we could let them know and adapt the reservation, but you know how ‘help’ desks are these days. After typing in several 1’s and 2’s to let them know what I needed, a friendly voice announced that they could not help me with that. 

I figured we would just have to see what would come. We knew that we would be likely to have all sorts of hiccups along the way, and God would help us deal with all of them. These types of things are good moments to re focus us on God and His good care of us through everything. 

We left the house a bit later than planned, thinking we had time, and got a little stuck in traffic to Brussels, but nothing terrible. We said goodby to Alexander, made it through all of the lines in the airport and sat down to wait for our flight. I was thankful for. Good book and that we had decided to travel with only hand luggage. It made the lines much easier and would mean that we needn’t stop at baggage claim on the other end. 

Although the space on the flight - which left even later - was minimal, that is not something I need to tell any of you. I=f anyone has flown in the last years, they know how seats have gotten narrower, closer together and more upright. But we survived without any trouble and were glad to be standing, finally, in front of the car rental counter and hearing that there were no worries with our rental. 

Our little warrior car for this section - a little Nissan Kicks (a kind of ’SUV’ if something this small can be called that) did a good job on the hills and highways getting us out of New Jersey and into New York. We had brought our gps, so finding the way was not a problem. And the scenery was beautiful. 

Often people think of New York as New York City. But New Jersey and New York is also beautiful rolling hills, much like the Ardennes. New Jersey is “The Garden State” and was wearing its name proudly, even on the highway. Green trees covered thick outcroppings of granite rock as the highway meandered between what I later saw were parks and swamps and rivers and lakes. 

When we finally made it to our first destination for the day - our hotel in Newburgh, New York - and were able to contact my Aunt Betty and pan for the next day, we headed out to get something to eat. A Denny’s just down the road welcomed us as it began to rain in the darkening evening. 

When we returned to the hotel we went to bed at what for us was an unbelievably early hour - 9 pm. But it was all our bodies could take at the moment and tomorrow was a new day. It would be a day for visits with family, drives through beautiful countryside and celebrating a birthday. That is the next story. 

As soon as we get a chance we will get some pictures up here.

Where Oh Where Wednesday: New York

This morning we headed out at 6am on our two month Home Assignment. As you are reading this we may already be in New York. We will do our best to keep you updated on our travels, but may miss some of our normal days, posting instead on a Thursday or even on a Tuesday. 

Just a quick review - here is our schedule for the time that we are in the US. We will be switching between church visits and family visits as we move around the country. 

Apr. 26-28 - Vist in New York with Scott’s Mom and family

Apr. 29-30 - Visit with Tornij family in CT

May 1-7 - Time with Woodbury church of Christ in MN

May 8-13 - Visiting Shirley’s family in Omaha, NE

May 13-17 - Time with Muscatine church of Christ in IA 

May 17-22 - Visiting Stephan and Natalie and Scott’s brother in Indianapolis, IN

May 23-24 - Visiting family in IL on the way back to MN

May 25-30 - Time with 3 families and 11th & Willis church in TX

May 31-June 6 - Visiting Scott’s family in CO

June 7-13 - Time with Long Beach church of Christ and family in CA

June 14-20 - Visiting with Sean and Jill in NYC

Our first stop along the way will be with Scott’s Aunt Betty. When Scott’ family first returned to the US after having lived in Germany, they moved to Colorado Springs. Around the time that he was 12-14 they traveled back to New York so that his Dad could finish up his military chapter and move on with new things. This visit was also a visit to family who were all in the East. 

Aunt Betty is Scott’s aunt on his father’s side - his dad’s sister. Scott remembers playing hide and seek in the high trees and corn fields, playing with firecrackers, shucking corn and racing buggies with lawn mower engines. This was all at Aunt Betty’s house. Now, as we were making our plans and planned on driving up to Rochester (upstate New York) to see Scott’s mom, the idea to spend the first night in Newburgh just made sense. 

Scott’s dad still had his sister’s phone number and she still loved at the same address some 50 years later. After a phone call it was arranged. Scott and Shirley will stop in Newburgh to meet and re-acquaint themselves with Aunt Betty. That is what family is about. 

After a short stop in Newburgh, we will drive on to Rochester to celebrate Scott’s mom’s birthday (along with most of The Netherlands who will be celebrating the king’s birthday - Mom was first). We are thankful to be able to make this trip and to celebrate 85 years with her. The last time she came all the way down to New York City to spend time with us and Sean and Jill, even designing special “warrior shoes” (see the story here). 

We may also get to see another of Scott’s aunts. Aunt Janet is the sister of Scott’s mom and lives in Buffalo, not that far from Rochester. If it all works out we will see her on the way to Rochester or perhaps during the visit with Scott’s Mom.

But we will do our best to get these tales out on time so that you can follow what is going on. Suffice it to say that we will see plenty of New York - the state itself at the beginning of our trip and the city at the end of our trip. Stay tuned. 

The body of Christ

A congregation, the church, as Paul talks about the church in 1 Corinthians, is a body. We all need each other. While we are gone to the US things will continue here in Maastricht because we are a body and a family. It is Jesus’ church. 

We are head out to the US on Wednesday morning early and we are looking forward to being able to see so many people we haven’t seen in four years or more. We will also get to meet lots of new people. But the last month has also given us the chance to see and welcome visitors from the US here. 

Raymond Blasingame, an elder in the 11th and Willis congregation that supports us from Abilene, Texas, dropped in for about a week. We were able to share our city, our village and the congregation with him. We also shared a great day with an old Belgian friend and got to see what our golf course in Maastricht is like. 

On Sunday Raymond shared the good news of being family in Jesus Christ and told us about brothers and sitters in other countries. This coming Sunday the congregation in Maastricht will have the opportunity to share financially with Sam’s  Place in Kenya. 

Not long after Raymond moved on to Kenya and the Philippines, we visited with folks from our supporting congregation in Minnesota. First Jared Hawley spent two days with us and we were able to share our Christian family here once again. He was able to spend a Sunday and spent the afternoon at a games day organized by our young Ukrainian couple. 

Last week we were also able to meet up with Dale and Vicki Hawley (uncle and aunt of) in Cologne for a few hours. They were on their way back from visiting with other missionaries in Greece and we were thankful to be able to see them as they passed through. We talked of life, family and how God blesses us in so many ways. 

As we plan to leave, the brothers and sisters in Maastricht have showered us with love and care making sure that we get to the airport on time, sending greetings to our supporting congregations, and covering some of the costs that we will have for this trip. It is good to kno0w that there are good brothers and sisters who will continue supporting one another and growing in faith. 

The body of Christ - it is not just symbolic. Together all of us as brothers and sisters in Christ work together, wherever we are, to accomplish His will in His Kingdom. It is amazing to be a part of this and to experience this daily. 

(Coffee time in Maastricht after worshipping together on a Sunday)

Whensday: Flanders in the past

When one first visits Europe, one is struck by the age of everything. Maastricht is built on Roman ruins. I explain to people that when the Romans were first settling this area, Jesus was walking the streets of Jerusalem. When walking around Maastricht or Brussels or Antwerp or Amsterdam it is impossible to escape the age of everything. 

And yet, if you were to ask how old Belgium is, you would get a technically correct answer that Belgium is younger than the United States - while almost everyone would say that the US doesn’t have much history at all. But it is true: Belgium became a country when their king was crowned on July 21,1831. This was 55 years after the United States of America were formed. 

So how can places like Antwerp, Ghent, Brughe and Kortrijk be so old? Because these cultures have been around a lot loner than the borders of the country were decided on. As a matter of fact, many might be quite familiar with various Flemish historical figures. 

Ini the 13th and 14th centuries the cloth industry boomed in the area of Flanders and this area became one of the richest in Europe. Think of lace and linen and brightly coloured silks. It was in Flanders that these were made into products being sent all over Europe. And it was this luxury that was at the center of several conflicts with the king of France in that time. 

The ‘Battle of the Golden Spurs’ is celebrated as an amazing victory of the Flemish militia against a large force of mounted knights in 1302. The Flemish, unexpectedly, won the battle and shocked the known world at the time. France quickly set things straight and regained control of the province. 

Before this time, back in the 12th century, Flanders was ruled by counts. Philip 1, count of Flanders might have a connection to some movies that have been made about the crusades. He was a cousin of Baldwin IV who was the leper King of Jerusalem. Philip I tried to change various political situations in Flanders and ended up being the dividing line of when Flanders was independent to when it fell under the power of France. 

It was Philip who built Gravensteen (the castle of the counts) in Ghent. It is an imposing structure meant to let the burghers (literally citizens) who were the economic power of the city and area know that he was the one in charge. This struggle between political power and economic power has continued in this area to the present day. 

In the 14th century Flanders gave England its queen in Philippa, who married Edward II. She brought the textile industry to Norwich, encouraging Flemish weavers to settle there. She followed a long history of strong Flemish female leaders. And in Flanders, these women inherited and kept their names. This is why still today women in Belgium retain their maiden names. In Belgium Shirley is officially Shirley Ann Walker, even if she is Shirley Ann Raab in the United States. 

Where are you going?

This past week my best friend’s father-in-law passed away quickly and unexpectedly. In my prayer time I have had two songs knocking around in my head and heart. The first is a song I heard as a new Christian, many, many years ago, and I am not quite sure what the title is. It says: “Where will you be when you get where you’re going? How can you know that you’re taking the right way?” 

The gentle man who is now Home with the Father was someone who knew where he was going. He took great pains to let those around him know where that was and how to get there. He did this with gentleness and clarity. And I only met him a few times, but I have followed him and know his children.

Our theme this year in Maastricht comes from John 14:6 where Jesus says: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.” So we have been looking at the idea of following the way. We can know the way to go, because Jesus says that we simply need to follow Him. This is something Marty was always talking about and sharing in his life.

The song got caught in my head because it meant a lot to me when I was a young Christian. There were lots of voices trying to tell me which way to go. There still are lots of voices telling us all kinds of ways. “How can you know that you’re taking the right way?” Because Jesus died for me and rose from the dead to show that He knows the way. He IS the way.

And it was Jesus’ great love, which Marty knew so well and talked about in so many ways, that brought the second song into my head. When we know this amazing love, then we do not fear wherever we are. We know that God is using us at all times wherever we are.

Do you know where you are going? I am not trying to make you feel (too) uncomfortable. But it is an important question to ask. We do not know when our life here will end. So we want to make sure that we are on the right path, walking in the light with Jesus, going Home. Stop and think today, this minute if you can, about amazing love and where you are in your life. 

Here is the second song.

Whatsit Wednesday: Flowers

Everything is starting to bloom. In February we see the tiny purple crocus flowers at the back of our yard and know that Spring will arrive. In April a veritable explosion of flowers. trees, grass (and weeds) screams that Spring is here!One of the things that we truly enjoy about living here is how normal it is to have flowers all the time.
When people think of the Netherlands, they think of windmills, wooden shoes and tulips. And if you have ever been to Keukenhof, you will definitely remember it. This is where a sort of open-air museum cum flower factory welcomes tourists fro all over the world. In the park grounds you walk past various presentations of tulips. In the greenhouses you can explore the various types and names. And in the fields next to all of this you can be astounded by the depth of color of all the tulips being grown for sale.
When I first saw those colours I seriously thought that they had been painted - or that my glasses had somehow enhanced the colours. It just didn’t seem possible for some of those colours to be real. And I have since often thought of how wonderful it is going to be when we are Home with God and can really see color as He has made it. It will astound even more.
But these tulips are not Dutch! Yes, flowers of all kinds do very well in these countries and the Dutch perfected the flower market (as they perfected lots of other markets, selling being their strong suit). But the tulip came from Iran. The name ’tulip’ may have come from a word for ‘turban’ (although this is not certain). The cultivation may have begun as early as the 10th century in Iran, but the trade was taken over by the Dutch in the 17th century. One tulip bulb could at one time be used to by whole parcels of land.
But these days, I can go into the supermarket and purchase a bundle of 10 or more for less than 5 euro. And throughout the year I can purchase roses, carnations, lilies, or whole bouquets for under 10 euro. This is nice when I want to make sure that my wife knows how much I love her and to add a touch of color and Spring to the dark winter days. 

(The picture is of the flower auction in the Netherlands)

The second day

Today is the second day of Easter. Didn’t you know that Easter had two days? So do Christmas and Pentecost - at least in Belgium and the Netherlands. For Christmas people might be familiar with ‘Boxing Day’. Here, that is the second day of Christmas. Each of the major Christian holidays is celebrated with two days. Some are official: people get off work the stores and banks are closed, and people do family things or go on holiday.
It is interesting to see how much people want the holidays without much knowing what they are for or what they mean. At the same time, it is good to be able to speak of Jesus and his resurrection since people will be aware that that is certainly done on this holiday.
Here in the Catholic south of the Netherlands, or in Catholic Belgium, most would expect to go to mass on Easter Sunday. But most of the churches these days are struggling to find enough priests for the various churches. Our village celebrates mass weekly on Thursday. The village over on Saturday. The village up the hill on Monday. This because there is only one parish priest who has to spread his time around.
This is an addition to the disconnect that occurred during the corona years. At that time churches in Belgium were shut down, officially. In theNetherlands, although the constitution made it possible to still meet together, many churches closed their doors and tried to open internet windows. But people who were already separating themselves from religion in their daily lives found it even easier to do so.
So it has been interesting to see, now that these restrictions are no longer in place, how people have welcomed certain elements back into their lives. In Maastricht, there has traditionally been a procession on Good Friday. It was once again well-attended. In many places you can hear people saying “Blessed Easter” instead of “Happy Easter”.
In our conversations we often talk to people about being a cultural Christian. Many would say that they are Christians because they see this as a cultural distinction. They are not Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. They are Christian. It does not necessarily describe any belief or faith on their part. It is their tradition, their family history.
And family is good. Even better when we truly know why we belong together. There is family that we are born into and family that we choose. We are looking forward to seeing our family all around the US soon - both our family into which we were born, and the family into which God placed us at our new birth.
And here, when we go walking on the second day of Easter and meet others walking, we may say to some: “He is risen.” Some will know what we are talking about. Others might even respond: “He is risen indeed.” Some still know this phrase. Many do not consider if they truly believe it or not. But for a day, for a moment, there is a focus on what is true and amazing, even on the second day. On the third day, and each day afterwards, we will continue speaking of this amazing love, hoping that people will see that this is more than a tradition or religion.

Whodunit Wednesday: Biblical names in society

The first two days of this week I was off with a group of Catholic kids and leaders and had the opportunity to talk about faith in work and about what we find in the Bible. Religion and faith are words on many peoples tongues, but concepts which are often far from the heart. As a matter of fact, the news stated this past week that trust in religion is in Belgium the lowest of all Europe. People in Belgium feel that religion is dangerous.
Faith, on the other hand, is something that most people still talk about. During these two days with these teens, they took a quiz (using QR codes and their phones). Questions popped up about how many apostles there were, what the name of Jesus’ father was (nice trick question) and more. Another activity looked at what they say to believe and if they truly believe it. A third activity looked at what the names of the children meant and where they came from.
In all of this it was amazing to me how important names are. Pontius Pilatus was a real historical figure. Some of the kids’ names came from names in the Bible: Mathis from Matthew, Thomas (with an ‘h’), Maria and Marit (both from Maria) and more. In Belgium and the Netherlands we have lots of names that come from this biblical history and culture, even if they do not always immediately sound like it.
Maria is, of course, a well-known and well-used name in Catholic Belgium. It may show up a bit less in the Netherlands (mostly in the south where we are), but versions of it will still show up. Remnants of the Roman past also show up in normal everyday names. Some are Roman and Biblical at the same time.
My younger brother’s name is Marc - with a ‘c’. This was very different when we were growing up. But here in Belgium it is very common. In fact, Mark - with a ‘k’ - jumps out immediately as different. This is because in Belgium they are working with the name ‘Marcus’ - the Biblical name of the 2nd gospel and a typical Roman name (i.e. Marcus Aurelius).
There are some differences between the countries. Take, for example, Luk or Luc. The Dutch will more likely use the ‘k’ where the Belgians will use the ‘c’. The Dutch language version of the name is ‘Lucas’ but this can also be spelled ‘Lukas’. And then there are all the varied versions of Peter: ‘Peter’ (pronounced ‘pay-ter’), ‘Pieter’ (pronounced ‘pee-ter’) and of course also ‘Pierre’. These kan all be shortened: ‘Peet’, ‘Piet’ or otherwise.
When we named our son, Sean, we thought to be right on track. Sean was born in Belgium (Stephan was born in Abilene, Texas, just before we moved here). There are various versions of ‘John’ here: Johan, Johannes (which can shorten to ‘Hannes’ or ‘Hans’) or Jean (the French spelling and pronunciation). You could also use Ian, John or Johnny (or Jonny) here.
We chose for more Anglicised version, but one we thought most people would recognise, since the actor Sean Connery was well-known. It turned out that many people pronounced ‘Sean’ as ’see-un’. The way we were pronouncing Sean was closer to the pronunciation of ‘Jean’. But it was even closer to ’Sjaan’ (pronounced ‘shaan’ with a long, open ‘aa’ as one would do at the doctor). This name, however, is a girl’s name, so it obviously did not fit Sean.
In the end, people get used to using your name if they get to know you. That is also what we try to get across to the young people we work with. It is possible to get to know the people in the Bible, even if we can’t quite hear how they might have pronounced their names. Then the question is whether we will share in their faith or not, live as they lived in trustin God.

Digging in the past

Family is important. Knowing where you come from, what your background is. Knowing doesn’t mean that you are fated to be a certain way, but it always helps to put things into perspective. 

Both Shirley and Scott come from relatively large families. Scott grew up with 4 brothers and a sister (he is in the middle). Shirley grew up in a family of 8 kids, where she is one of 3 sisters. Except that she never really knew her oldest sister, Elizabeth. 

As we have visited her family in past years, her sibling group has thinned out considerably. Starting out with 5 boys and 3 girls, it had gotten to only Shirley, her sister, Mary (who we visited in November for health reasons) and her two remaining brothers. This was not counting Elizabeth, since no one seemed to have any information about her. 

Elizabeth was the oldest of the children, but left the home early on. Shirley only met her once in her life. So it has always been a desire to find out what we could about this sister. As technology has gotten more robust and there are things like DNA tests, we have had some new tools. This past week we finally got the test results back from a DNA kit that Shirley had sent in. We were hoping to perhaps get some matches which would lead us to more information about Shirley’s sister. It might also give some interesting information about her ethnic background. 

As we sat with the information, we started digging deep into records and files online. We both enjoy reading and watching detective stories and this was right up our alley. All we had about Elizabeth was her name. We knew approximately when she was born, but not with certainty. We did not know where she was born or when, with any certainty. We didn’t know where she had lived since her 16th, when Shirley had met her. 

In the end we found out quite a lot of information. We found Shirley’s maternal grandparents (and even great-grandparents). This helped in finding Elizabeth. We had one place where Elizabeth was mentioned as “Elizabeth F. Walker”, but we had no idea what the “F” could stand for. Then we found that Shirley’s maternal grandmother was named “Faye”. Mystery solved and we could start searching further. A marriage certificate and some census information nailed down that Elizabeth must have been born in 1953. We found an Elizabeth Fay (born Walker) of about the right age and living in Missouri - not far from where we thought she might have gone to school. 

In the end we found an obituary and everything came together. Elizabeth had never gone far. She had lived for a bit with her maternal grandparents, had a child young and married the man she would stay with until his death in 2013. She passed away in 2020 in the small town in Missouri where she had lived for most of her life. She was 67 and died with emphysema (as did Shirley’s mother). 

It is disappointing to realize that we were too late. We do not think that we could have found her earlier without some of the tools we now have at our disposal. And we still do not know why there has never been contact with the family. That is the next step. 

Still, it is good to know a little bit about who she was: a mother with three children, lots of grandkids and even a few great-grandkids. And we have discovered that these tools may help to uncover some more about her father’s side of the family - another mystery. 

We are thankful that we can know a little bit about our families. We are even more grateful that we get to visit from time to time. Scott will get to meet his Aunt Betty after having seen her last when he was a teenager. We will both get to see our siblings and their children soon on our trip through the US. And we will of course get to see our own children. 

Family forms us in some important ways. We are especially thankful that we also will be blessed to see our Christian family across the US as we travel from congregation to congregation. This is our eternal family and has formed and is forming us still in the most important ways.

Where oh Where Wednesday: Eindhoven, city of light

The “city of lights” is a moniker most used for Paris in my experience. This is because of the romantic associations, I think. Paris in the spring (which means that you will get rained on), or Paris at any other time of the year can be quite beautiful in the night as the lights shine. The same can be said of Las Vegas, which during the day may look like a jumble of dusty oversized children’s toy sets, but at night transforms into a wonderland of beautiful, dancing lights. 

So it would not be strange if you had no idea that the ‘city of light’ in the Netherlands is considered Eindhoven. You see, Eindhoven is the hometown of Philips, the electronics giant. You may not know that Philips is from the Netherlands and certainly would be forgiven not knowing that it comes from a city called Eindhoven, but you know Philips products. 

From air fryers to blenders to coffee machines, Philips is in the kitchen. Bottle warmers, breast pumps, pacifiers and thermometers are offered by the company for mothers and babies. Headphones, televisions and media players fill rooms throughout the house. As a matter of fact, the compact cassette, the cd and dvd came originally from Philips (the cd was developed together with Sony). 

Years ago the radio and the shaver were the main seller of this company. More recently the company has focused on medical care and technology, producing cpap machines and the medical tomography machines used to show babies in the womb or help see anomalies in your body before a surgery. 

But even up to 2012 Philips was the largest manufacturer of lighting in the world. They started with carbon-filament lamps in 1892. It was this begin which gives the city of Eindhoven, where everything began, the name: city of lights. It was literally the city where the lightbulbs came from. 

These days we enjoy visiting the city every 3rd Wednesday for an evening of singing with the congregation there. The church began in Eindhoven with Let’s Start Talking campaigns conducted with a few faithful members who are still working with the church today. We are blessed to be able to encourage and be encouraged in singing every month and joining in various other combined congregational activities throughout the year. 

Informed or transformed?

This last week we have enjoyed a visit from Raymond Blasingame, one of the elders at S. 11th & Willis church of Christ in Abilene, Texas. This was our very first home congregation as a married couple. We married on a Friday, traveled on a Saturday (arriving from Arkansas in Texas) and attended Willis that Sunday morning. 

Raymond was on a world tour, stopping in to visit us before moving on to Kenya where he would meet with others supported by the congregation and finishing up in the Philippines where his father-in-law shared the gospel for 50 years. He would then move on around the globe back to Texas. 

We wanted to be able to share with Raymond what we do and were especially thankful that he could meet many of the members of the congregation we serve with. He joined us for various Bible studies in the week and spoke on Sunday morning. But we were also thankful for the other moments in the week we could share. 

We walked around Maastricht to show him the city where we live. Scott can do a pretty good tourist tour of the city and we saw quite a few of the things most visitors want to see: the medieval walls, Roman ruins, churches turned into all sorts of other things and the two main church buildings right downtown. In the evening we drove to Eindhoven for our monthly singing there where Raymond could also meet the members in that congregation. 

On Thursday we visited our Bible camp and enjoyed the beautiful ride down there through the countryside, before heading back to the city for another Bible study in the evening. On Friday Raymond was able to go golfing in Belgium and The Netherlands on the same day and same course. And then we finished the week with a visit walking around Brussels. All of these days were blessed with beautiful sunshine  - quite a treat for our part of Europe. 

On each of these days I was touched by how we were able to share information about the world and places, but were also able to see how important transformation in Jesus Christ truly is. There are so many places in Europe that are culturally Christian - meaning not Muslim or Hindu or Buddhist. But people who choose daily to live a life full of grace in Jesus Christ is truly amazing. 

On the Saturday in Brussels we were able to meet up with a former exchange student who spent some month with Raymond back in 2003. She has experienced all sorts of things in her life since then and is willing to think about what it really means to find Jesus. At a concert on Sunday, Raymond was able to talk with a man who was not really interested in religion - having lost the little bit of faith he had as a young man growing up. 

Choice is something that we all have in our lives. Time moves on, sometimes far more quickly than we even could have guessed until we stop and look. But if you can see the choice, you can still make it. And people do. Some consider information the pinnacle, the top of the mountain. 

But information only brings us to the choices we must and can make. Transformation is what comes from choosing to follow Christ, from allowing grace to actually touch your daily life. That was beautiful to see in the various encounters this past week with Raymond and the people we met. 

Are you informed? Or transformed? 

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.  Proverbs 1:7

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.