Whatsit Wednesday: Licorice (“Drop”)

Every Tuesday I visit our sister from the church who is homebound and terminal. We talk about family, church family and God. We pray together. And I take her list to the grocery store down the street so that she has enough food in the house. I have come to know her writing and her list quite well. But the other day she had a new one on the list, since she has been getting some visits from people: “drop”. 

Some of you who know us and are not from the Netherlands or Belgium might have heard of and even tasted “drop”. This is something that Dutch ex-pats miss immensely when living outside the Netherlands. Our friends who recently visited fro Muscatine also came ready to buy things to take back to the US. “Drop” is one of those things. It is certainly something one will never forget once one has tried it. 

“Drop” is black licorice. I don’t know that I would call it candy, but it is something for eating between meals. Whereas some in the US might recognize the word “licorice”, they would not recognize “drop” if they tried it. Dutch “drop” comes in at least 4 types: salt, extra salt, double salt, and sweet. Most would recognize the sweet “drop” as licorice. It can come in various colors, is chewy and is sweet. But that is not what the Dutchman is typically looking for. 

The real “drop” is salty. It is black and comes in various shapes, although most often in the shape of a coin. Some are shaped like little cars. There are specific brands that people would swear by, and there are store brands for those who are just looking for a hit, needing to be able to put some “candy” on the table for the visitors. Some people can eat 3 or 4 pieces. Some people know that they have to have someone put the sack away before they eat the whole thing. 

Most non-Dutch people are quite surprised by “drop” the first time they try it. They are expecting sweet licorice and are hit by the extreme salty nature of this candy. But some come to like it. I do not. My son Stephan is also not a fan. But Shirley and Sean love it. If you get the chance when you are in the Netherlands, drop in a store and get some. Don’t worry about getting it at the souvenir shop where you will pay too much. Just go in to any Dutch supermarket and you will find it on the shelves by the candy. 

(The picture is of "double salt")

Whodunit Wednesday: Mark Rutte

Yesterday, Mark Rutte was sworn in as the new Secretary General (or SecGen) of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO is headquartered in Brussels, right down the street from where I used to have to bring my Sony videocamera to be repaired. Rutte takes over the reigns of NATO at a very serious and difficult time in the world. 

Mark Rutte is a Dutch politician known for being able to bring people together and keep his own job at the same time. Some in Dutch politics consider him a slick dealer. Others consider him an accomplished politician. He was able, in any case, to remain prime minister of the Netherlands for longer than any other, lasting 13 years until last year. 

Rutte is not married and was known in The Hague for riding his bike to work, even as Prime Minister. He is always ready with a smile and a quick handshake, but knows how to throw out a sharp one-liner as well. At one point he bit off the words “Doe gewoon” (Act normal) in response to a political leader. At another time he was not ashamed to tell young people who were being rude to “Get out” (“Pleur op” in his own dialect) if they didn’t like what was going on. 

It will be intriguing to see how his form of politics and diplomacy work with the various countries tied together in NATO. He becomes SecGen as the Middle East is once again heating up and as the war in Ukraine and Russia seems to be growing even bigger. 

Another great youth day

The past two years the congregation in Maastricht has decided to expand our focus on our youth. Youth activities in the church are organized generally by the various congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands and spread throughout the year. But all of these weekends begin at qo years old. Our young people were younger. 

In the past we have also organized “Dieno”days (servant days with a play on words to include it sounding like dinosaurus). These were even for kids as young as 4 years old. So we decided as a congregation that we wanted to have a day for our kids, knowing that there were also other kids in the congregations of this age who would also be interested. 

Our age spread was actually from 7-13 at the time. So we planned a youth day utilizing our members who were very interested in the task and in the spiritual welfare of the kids. One of our members brought her grandkids to the first one, which was held in our backyard. But we realized from the beginning that doing the day in Maastricht (in our backyard in Lanaken) meant that parents had to travel quite far, since we are on the edge of both Belgium and the Netherlands. 

So in 2023 we moved the day to a community center in the village of one of our members - in Herselt, in the middle of Belgium. This meant that parents even from theWest could get to the day, spend some time in the area, and head home with their kids at a reasonable time. And more parents lived closer to this central area. The community center was well-suited to our needs for the day as well. 

The day in the Fall of 2023 went well, so we planned two for 2024 - again in Herselt - one in the Spring and one in the Fall. We have a great team working together from the congregation and the parents of the kids are quite happy that there are activities for their kids (even the younger ones). We focus the lessons on the younger and older ages, splitting the ages up for the 2nd lesson. 

This past weekend was the Fall Youth Day. Being in Belgium we always having to hope and pray that we can work well with whatever weather we get. This time the weather was not great, but it was also not terrible. We were thankful to have Rudy and Pam Schellekens visiting who could also help out. Some of the kids got sick at the last minute and could not come, but that is the reality of working with kids. 

The theme of this day was the elements which help us to grow in faith - based on 2 Peter 1:3-11. It always amazes me, although it should not anymore, how well children can learn and remember. Even the boys who have trouble sitting still are actually listening! We are so thankful for being able to work together with such a great group of brothers and sisters from the church in Maastricht for these days. We already have the next ones on the schedule for 2025. 

Thank you for your prayers for these activities, for the team and for the kids. You can find some pictures on our picture site. 

Where oh Where Wednesday: Mechelse Heide

About 20 minutes drive from our house is a nature park called “Mechelse heide” or the “Mechels heath”. It is nestled between the little towns of As and the bigger town of Maasmechelen and is part of the National Park in the area. It is 700 hectares of lightly wooded, sandy ground covered in heather. 

All sorts of birds, snakes, butterflies and grasshoppers make the area special and a desired place to take a walk. In the right season (right about now) the heath colors purple and the sunsets and sunrises make for amazing picture opportunities. And all of this within shouting distance of a large area for gravel mining. 

Every time we drive to Antwerp we drive past this swath of nature as the highway cuts through, with two vast sections on each side. We have often visited for a walk with friends.and members of the church. One of my fondest memories of a dear sister in the past was walking through this heather not long before her passing away. Other memories include running the sand paths between the heather with our boys when they were young. Not far from the heather is a special "bare foot walking path" where you can walk through all sorts of natural areas in your bare feet. 

Listening for God

This past weekend I was privileged to teach at the Fall European Singles Retreat (ESR) in Gemünden, Germany. As I mentioned to someone who asked - I taught in English, not in German. The retreat is for singles from around Europe. We had people there from Germany, Romania, Belgium, Netherlands and the US. There were three people who had never attended before and had found the information at the website. The theme was “Listening for God”. 

What a challenge to think about how we listen for God, why we want to listen for God and what that looks like. In the end we also talked about how - even if we can hear God, are we listening “to” Him? This group had lots of questions and good and intense conversation time - especially at the campfire on the Saturday evening. But it is also a group that likes to laugh. 

I have always enjoyed being able to be with this group. Singles are at a different season in their life and have different questions in their walk with God. The Single’s Retreat has always been a good place to share those questions and encourage one another in faith. 

The first morning I went out for a walk as the sun was rising. I love walking in this area. The campground where the retreat is held is in the middle of the German hills. I am usually here in February for a different Bible study week, so seeing the trees with leaves was a bit different. But the beautiful quiet, the birdsong and blanket of silent mist, the peacefulness remains the same. 

God wants us to walk with Him. The most important thing that we can hear, and that he continuously tells us, is that He want to have a relationship with us. HE is making this possible. If we are listening, He continues to say this. He tells us through people (I am telling you right now), through the beauty of His nature, through songs that we hear and sing and through our conscience and minds that have been filled with His words. It is not that God is not speaking. It is that we need to listen. We can check what we hear by comparing it to His words in the Bible. 

And when we hear God - “Please come to me. Follow me. Turn around. Don’t fear, I am here. I am the mighty one. You can have true, abundant life in ME.” - we can truly listen “to” Him and do what is good and right and precious. Then we will truly be listening. Are you listening?

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”  Luke 6:46-49

Whensday: Day of the princes

Yesterday, the 3rd Tuesday of September, was a day for hats, briefcases, pictures with the Dutch royal family and the King’s speech. It was Day of the Princes - originally the day to celebrate the birthdays of the royal princes. This is now the day every year that the current government presents their budget for the coming year and that the King gives a speech - written by the sitting government. For many it is a day to do some royalty watching as the Dutch royal family takes a ride in the glass coach, waves from the balcony in Amsterdam and enjoys celebrations. 

All of the politicians and very important people in the land gather at the Knight’s Hall in The Hague to listen to the King’s speech. Women wear all sorts of special hats for the occasion. It is a bit like Oscar evening in the US with journalists all talking about who is wearing what hat and who looks good. 

The finance minister of the country arrives with a briefcase. The briefcase holds the budget which has been agreed upon by the governing parties in the coalition and sets out the policy for the coming year. It is this policy that the King alludes to in his speech. The speech is written by the new prime minister, but the King presents it. 

Plenty of pomp and circumstance, bright colors and lots of formality. This year the two eldest daughters of the King will also take part, since they are both older than 18. The youngest daughter has to wait her turn. Princess Amalia (the oldest daughter) will some day be Queen of the Netherlands after her father. 

In the news people are questioning whether this day should become an official holiday. Some say that it should not. There are plenty of other things that happened and are celebrated at this time. In Eindhoven, the city celebrates Operation Market Garden (the film “A Bridge Too Far”) since Eindhoven was the first city in the Netherlands to be freed by Allied forces in 1944. This year cities all over the Netherlands, including Maastricht, are celebrating the 80th anniversary of this liberation.  

Visiting with the family

Yesterday the congregation in Maastricht organized the yearly Family Day held down at camp. This has always been a day for the various congregations together from around Belgium or the Netherlands for a day of fellowship and encouragement. Each year a different congregation organizes the day. 

We were thankful to be able to put this day together and it was exciting to see all of the members doing their part. Shirley coördinated the food - we provided lunch for everyone that came as well as coffee, tea and drinks with cookies and cake for during the lesson time. Several of the ladies helped her throughout the day. Our youth teaching couple, Paul and Deysi too care of the young kids during the lesson - which was presented by our Ukrainian brother, Alexander. And two of our brothers took care of the singing (Mario and Paul) while I presented a quiz on the lessons that had been offered in the 4 camp weeks this summer.

The great thing about a day like this is that people come from all over who we don’t usually get to see. This year almost all of the congregation from Den Dolder in the Netherlands took the time to come to the day. This meant that some of them had to come earlier to stay in accommodation nearby instead of driving down for the day. But there were also several from Ghent and the Belgian coast, which is a good 2.5 or 3 hour drive across Belgium. But this is the kind of day people do not want to miss. 

For some it was the first time to visit camp. One of our sisters brought a friend with her. Since they were early, he got to help set things up with me - putting all the chairs out, sweeping the leaves away, moving tables outside. But that is the feeling on this day - everyone is willing to help and simply enjoys being together. 

We were really thankful that the weather blessed us as well. Several years back we moved this day from the end of Family Camp (in August) to the 2nd weekend in September. Although September can have some truly beautiful days, it is also a time for plenty of rain. We had a dry day, although it was a bit cool. That didn’t stop the kids from getting out to play on the basketball court or take advantage of the swings hanging in the trees. 

One of the special moments of the day was a time to pray together. We split up into various groups, including a group of women together, in order to pray for our world, the church, our local congregations, brothers and sisters around the world and much more. It was good to see the various groups and also a group of kids that Paul Brazle organized together to pray together as well. It is never too early to learn about talking to our wonderful Father. 

The day ended officially at 4pm after a nice walk in the woods, but some continued on with the yearly evaluation and planning meeting for camp. This was also well-attended and helped start things off for the camp weeks in 2025. Camp has grown from 4 full weeks and 2 weekends to 6 full weeks and 3 weekends, as well as various days and mid-weeks organized by the various congregations around the countries. We are thankful that God has made it possible for us to use this facility and that there are so many brothers and sisters willing to help and encourage one another. 

(You can find some pictures of the day here.)

Whatsit Wednesday: Val Saint Lambert crystal

With a history resounding from the conquests of Napoleon, the defeat of the Dutch to the French and the changing borders in the late 18th and early 19th century, this Belgian crystal has quite the pedigree. The specific crystal which is called Val Saint Lambert comes from a factory which was set up after the fall of Napoleon in what was a former abbey in Seraing, near Liege. This area had changed hands between the French, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands and finally Belgium. 

The glass works served mostly Belgium, the Netherlands and Russia of the time, but they also opened a market in New York. It was after visiting this city that the then CEO realized that they had to step up their game and started creating what is now known as their “bright period”. The Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces from this period are what made the name for the company. These pieces are still desired for collections. 

If you visit the factory in Seraing today - this is a city we drive by often when visiting churches in the west of Belgium - you will find only modern buildings built in the current century to replace the derelicts left after the bombing of WWII. A modern steel and glass factory with museum greets the visitor next to the restored office buildings of the 19th century. 

Singing with the family

On Saturday we had a full house in our building. It has been 5 years since we were able to host a singing with the various regional congregations: Cologne and folks in Aachen, Germany; the French-speakers in Liege, Belgium; and our brothers and sisters in Eindhoven. We also had our Ukrainian brothers and sisters.

In 2022 we were able to hold a singing workshop where we learned some of the songs which were written or put on video during the corona years. But this international gathering hasn’t been possible for some time. So we were looking forward to being able to see everyone again and share in raising our voices to the Lord. 

It was fun to have members in Maastricht who are also able to help on a day like this. Mario is a German (originally from East Germany) married to a Belgian, attending a Dutch congregation. And he loves to sing. So it was great that he was also able to teach one of the songs in German for the group there. And since we had a group from Cologne, it was great to hear this song sung heartily. Mario will also be helping to lead the singing next week at the Family Day. 

We also advertised this day in the neighborhood and were thrilled with a few visitors who came to share the day of song and international fellowship. It is not all that common for people to sing a capella, so this was already a challenge. But to come to an event where one doesn’t know anyone was quite courageous. We were thankful for these visitors and everyone who was able to attend. 

After singing we had plenty of time to fellowship as well, sharing stories and getting to know one another. Plans have already been made for next year when we (Shirley and I and some members from Maastricht) will go to sing in Cologne. How good it is to sing to the Lord and share the joy that He brings to our lives!

(Picture: Learning a new song in German)

Whodunit Wednesday: Eddy Merckx and Remco Evenepoel

Belgium and The Netherlands are cycling countries. Every Saturday and Sunday we can see the groups of cyclists flits by along our canal. When we had the dog and went walking, we always had to watch out - although you can hear these groups coming from afar. Even though they are bicycling quite fast, they seem to be going at a normal pace for them, gabbing as they pedal. 

Anyone who follows cycling knows the name Eddie Merckx. Many other names may also come to mind (from various countries), but this is the one almost every cyclist will mention. That is because he won the Giro d’Italia 5 times, The Tour de France 5 times, the Vuelta once and he was world champion 3 times. He had 521 total wins and was known as the best cyclist of his generation. 

This past year Remco Evenepoel did something amazing. In 2023 he became only the 2nd cyclist in history to win the road race and the time trial in the World Championships. At the Olympics this summer he won the gold medal at both the time trial and the road race despite getting a tire puncture. He is the first man to win both gold medals. 

Evenepoel surpassing some of what Merckx did is like when Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth. And this by a young man who was also played soccer for Anderlecht and the under 16’s for the Belgian national team before putting all of his energy into cycling. To live in a time when you see history being made is amazing. 

Pictures

As I have posted the most recent pictures from our week at Benjamin Camp (you can find them here). I notice that a lot of my pictures come from camp. These are most of the moments that I can be the picture taker and thereby give people a view into some of what we do. 

I have to admit that I have more trouble finding opportunities to take pictures of other activities that we do. It has become a bit more of culture to take pictures of all sorts of activities throughout the day, but I am becoming more and more of a dinosaur, perhaps. I see younger people taking all sorts of selfies, pictures of their food, pictures of everything. It has always been a matter of principal for me to ask people if they want to have their picture taken. Not everyone does. So I do not always take pictures of everything we are doing.

Some would say that we need take no pictures and simply live the moment, with the memory as a blessing. But pictures are also a way of keeping hold of the past and what we have experienced. Shirley’s sister, Mary passed away this past week and we are thankful for the pictures we have. We can look back at those pictures and bring back the moment. Still, we are also now mindful that we will not be making any new pictures with her. 

So I am thankful for the moments that we can share some of what we are doing through pictures. It does help to get an idea of what things are really like. If we speak of people we know, studies we are holding, activities planned, it is helpful if you can get a picture - literally - of what we mean. I hope in the coming month to be able to share some of what we are doing. 

In the meantime, let me share some of the most recent photo’s of things we have been doing. 

We live relatively close to camp, so sometimes I get to drive down to put the trash up on trash day. This also means that I get a beautiful morning drive, most of the time (depending on traffic). 

Family camp is always a special time. This was "Bonteavond" the talent show night. 

Back at home the moon was full. This is a view out our backyard at the moon shining over the canal. 

Almost every Monday we are able to have a Bible study at Mario and Tonia's place outside of Aarschot (about 50 minutes away. Ion the summer, the sun doesn't set for quite some time, so we get a beautiful evening and stars when we get ready to drive home. 

Where oh Where Wednesday: Lommelse Sahara

Just about 30 minutes away from where we live we can visit the Sahara. Not the Sahara which one would find in the north of Africa, but the “Lommelse Sahara”. This is an area that has become a tourist attraction and national park due to man-made activities. First of all a pool was created due to the mining of pebbles (which is done quite a bit along the river where we live as well. Added to this, a Zink factory caused all of the trees to die, having an area of white sand behind. This was all before the 2nd World War. 

The history of this area, including an explosives factory which contributed to what it looks like today, in the end has created what many in the country have called one of the most beautiful areas of Flanders. These days it is a go-to place for hikers, bikers and youth clubs who love the nature that has been created. 

I still remember as a kid when we visited the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado. We drove for hours to get behind the mountains (we lived on the Front Range in Colorado Springs) and approach an other-worldly pile of white sand in the middle of dark mountains. 

This otherworldly element is exactly what one experiences by this Belgian Sahara. Lommel is still Belgium, where we expect to see trees, grass and some heather. But sand dunes aren’t what anyone expects. This is what makes the Lommel Sahara such an amazing place to visit. 

On the family side

In the middle of this month we were blessed to see Sean and Jill again. We had seen them for a weekend when we were visiting in Indianapolis for our granddaughter, Sophia’s first birthday. The whole family was together for three days in June. Now we got to see Sean and Jill again as they came to Belgium to visit friends that they had not seen in a few years. 

We have also enjoyed being able to video visit with Stephan and Nathalie. When we were visiting them in June they gifted us a digital picture frame which means that they can add pictures of Sophia on their end and we see them immediately on our end. Most recently we were able to see that Sophia is walking. She was just testing out standing when we saw her last. 

Technology is a real blessing in keeping us connected. Shirley is still connected daily to her sister who is struggling with her health in Nebraska. The 7 hour time difference sometimes means that Shirley takes her phone to bed with her, hoping to hear news that will come in at what will be the afternoon in Omaha. But it is good to be able to have information. We of course remember a time when letters or phone calls were the only ways to communicate.

Thank you for your prayers for our family. Praise God for good health and growing families. Continue to ask for healing and strength in the situation surrounding Shirley's sister..

Whensday: Light festival in Aarschot

Last week was Mother’s Day in Antwerp. It was only mother’s day in Antwerp, mind you. In the rest of Belgium (and only in Belgium - not in the Netherlands) it was the holiday of the Ascension of Mary on August 15. This is also why it is Mother’s Day in Antwerp. It is a celebration of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The rest of Belgium took the opportunity to make it a holiday, however. The stores were closed and many people go for a day off on vacation.

Along this same line is a light celebration on August 15 in Aarschot, Belgium. August 15 is the celebration of Saint Rochus there. The whole city turns off its electrified lighting and all of its inhabitants put out candles all over the city. A magical atmosphere is created which the city tourism has turned into a special festival with extra attractions, including concerts and special markets. 

Saint Rochus (Roch or Rock or Rollox in other languages), was a Catholic confessor in the 14th century. This was the time of the “pest” (in Dutch) or the plague. The city of Aarschot celebrates its salvation from the plague by celebrating this patron saint of plague sufferers who regularly helped those who were sick. So August 15th has become a festival of light in darkness. 

We first visited the festival years ago when visiting a brother and sister from the church who live in a village nearby Aarschot. It was an amazing evening. The candles are lit at 9 pm and are all extinguished at midnight. We have hoped to get back again some time, but it has not yet been possible. We have a Bible study almost every Monday evening with this couple, but the August 15 date of course falls on different days each year (this year falling on the Thursday that I was at camp). 

Planning ahead

As the summer comes to an end and our Bible Camp weeks finish, we look ahead to the coming months and the activities planned for various groups. In September we as a congregation will be quite busy. Each weekend has an activity planned which we hope to use to encourage and challenge in our faith. 

In the first weekend of September we are inviting the congregations from Germany (Cologne and any in Aachen) as well as the French-speaking members in Belgium (from Liege and Verviers) to join us in Maastricht for an afternoon of singing. We are also inviting all of the Dutch-speaking congregations, but especially Eindhoven, who is only an hour away and is in the Euregion. 

It has been a few years since we have been able to hold this day of singing. We look forward to singing in German, French, Dutch, English and maybe even in Russian or Ukrainian. We have also advertised the day in the neighborhood of our building, so we may get some visitors from the neighborhood who enjoy singing and meeting new cultures. It is always a nice time to see old friends and make new ones while singing for the Lord. 

The weekend after the singing, the congregation from Maastricht is organizing the Family Day down at camp. This is a yearly event bringing the various congregations from Belgium and Netherlands together for a day of encouragement. We take care of a meal for all who come, present a lesson and do plenty of singing. It is also a time for the congregations to share any news they have. This year we will also plan a quiz with information from the camp weeks this summer. 

The following weekend is the European Singles Retreat in Germany. Although we do not have any singles attending, this is an event we encourage among those we know in the Dutch work. It is a good time for single Christians to gather and encourage one another in their walk with the Lord. Attendees come from all over Europe for an encouraging and challenging weekend. 

The last weekend we as a congregation will plan our second youth day this year. We have a good team and have found a good location the last three times we have hosted the youth from the churches. This is a chance to help our youth get to know and see youth from other congregations. This will be a reunion for many who saw each other during one of the camp weeks in the summer. We are looking forward to welcoming them for a day focused on what we can learn from the Bible for our daily lives. 

The day after the youth day I will also be attending an evaluation meeting for the camp weeks. This meeting is held every year in September and serves as an evaluation and planning session at the same time. We will decide who will lead the camp weeks in 2025 and will talk about changes that are happening or need to happen. The meeting this year will include news about coming plans for renovations and will be the first with our new board. 

So September will be a busy month for us, simply in the weekends. This doesn’t count all of the normal activities that begin again after the summer camp weeks. And suddenly it will be October and heading into the end of the year. Sometimes it seems days move very quickly. We are thankful for the many ways that we can be utilized for the church here and that we can work with a congregation that is so willing to be active in this many ways. Keep these events in your prayers. 

Whatsit Wednesday: Computer Chips

(Being down at camp and enjoying a vist from Sean and Jill in the same days meant I missed posting this tidbit on Wednesday)

The biggest producer of computer chips in the world is Taiwan. To make these chips, these companies need machines that are exclusively built by Dutch company ASML which is headquartered in Veldhoven, the Netherlands. This has made the Dutch quite wealthy, but hit has also created a unique and perhaps dangerous situation in the world. 

ASML was founded in 1984 and makes computer chips. These chips are these days in everything that we use in our modern society. Everyone can understand that chips would be in our smart phones. We use our phones to take pictures, to pay at stores or with friends, to bank, to communicate or even to keep up on our health. But chips are also in our kitchen appliances, radios, clocks, and toys. 

What makes ASML so unique is that they are the only company making the extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) photolithography machines that are necessary for making the most advanced chips used in the world. These machines are used by companies to create the chips which are placed in all of our modern devices. If the machines were not present, the chips could not be made and much of our society would suddenly come to a halt in many ways. 

This is why in recent times these machines have become a political stress point. Most chips are made in Taiwan. Taiwan is considered by China to be part of China, although Taiwan thinks otherwise. China wants the machines that make the chips. The machines are made in the Netherlands but used in Taiwan. So there is pressure to keep these machines out of the hands of China or any other country which some believe might use them to alter the power balance in the world. 

All of this in a little city just about an hour away from where we live. We travel every month to the congregation in Eindhoven (Veldhoven is more or less a suburb of Eindhoven) to sing with the church there, learning new songs and encouraging one another. Eindhoven is the city of lights - the city of Phillips. So it is not strange that ASML would have grown up in this area. 

Small things can often carry quite a bit of weight in the world. The Dutch have always known this and put it into practice. They may be one of the smaller countries in the world (and Europe), but they have quite a bit of power on the world stage. 

Family Camp

This week I will be down at Family camp every morning for the lessons. We are blessed to live fairly close to camp - about an hour away. This means that I can just drop down to camp and head home to my own bed in the evening. I want to be present for the lessons and some of the afternoons when I can. It is always good to see different groups of people at this camp week. 

On Friday I will present two lessons on Prisca and on Deborah. The whole week is focused on what women in the Bible can teach us. It is always encouraging at this week of camp that we can have extended conversations about the lessons throughout the day. There is of course time to play or take part in some activities, but people also enjoy discussing what has been taught and what it means for our lives every day. 

Somewhere near the end of the week there will also be a “Bonteavond” which is the talent show for the week. This is also always a fun time to incorporate campers who perhaps would not take part in such activities. It is a time of singing, play acting and just goofing off. If this is on Thursday or Friday I may be able to participate. The ;ast two years I have helped an elephant trainer for this show.

On Friday evening there is always a campfire - if the weather permits it. During the older teen camp, the campfire was rained out. This meant that their already built stack of wood was left for the Benjamins. But the evening of the Benjamin campfire was also almost rained out. The teen camp was a week of basically dry weather and they had a great campfire as well. So I hope that the Family camp will simply be able to enjoy their fire and the fellowship that goes with it. 

On Thursday I will offer a discgolf tournament and have already had some campers mention that they are waiting for that day and activity. It was fun this morning to see some people we only see at this week but also to see some of the kids we had at Benjamin Camp. Hugs from thankful campers are always welcome. And it looks like this is a great week of many families - tents all spread around the field. 

Whodunit Wednesday: Olympians

At the time of this writing, the Dutch medal count is up to 19 putting them in the 9th place of all countries. When you see how small this country is, it is amazing that they are able to garner as many medals as they do, even if many are in a single discipline. It is perhaps not strange that they won 8 medals in rowing. As in the Winter Olympics when they win many of the skating medals, one would expect a country built on and near water to be good at water sports. 

But then there is also the 3x3 basketball gold, the amazing 4x400 mixed relay with the comeback of Femke Bol to grab the gold and the women’s road cycling silver of Marianne Vos. And the count has not finished yet, with medals expected in athletics, handball or other disciplines.

For the Belgians, the medals came in first from the cycling sports. Again, this is not a surprise, although it certainly was not a given. This became clear when the American Kristen Faulkner surprised everyone and won the the ladies road race through Paris. Even she was so surprised she forgot to celebrate at the finish line. The Belgian Lotte Kopecky took the bronze.

Celebrating at the finish line was something Remco Evenepoel did very well, creating an already iconic picture of him standing with his bike with the Eiffel Tower in the background. He has won the two gold medals for Belgium and has become one of the best cyclists ever for the Olympics. Belgium’s other 3 medals (putting them in 20th place so far) have also been in cycling, except for the one bronze medal in judo. 

The Belgians just missed out on a women’s gymnastics medal when Nina Derwael, coming back from injury, took 4th place on the uneven parallel bars. The women’s basketball team and hockey team both hope to grab a medal in the coming days. And then there are some other opportunities in a few less-visible sports.

Who are you watching and rooting for in these Olympic Games?

Benjamin Camp

Today we have been home for a few days after our week with the Benjamins. It was a challenging and energetic week and we are still trying to get back to normal energy levels. Thank you all for your prayers for the team and the kids. This year we had a few kids at camp for the first time and we had several brothers and sisters, brothers and brothers, cousins and more. We had 15 boys and 9 girls, with the boys being a very active group. 

We are always so very thankful for a good team to take care of everything. While Andrew and Scott had to deal with quite a busy and loud group of boys in the evenings, the teachers (Lucinda and Karla) were able to get their messages about the miracles of Jesus across very well. And along the way we all tried to not only teach the kids the practice of doing what they were being taught, but giving them an example as well. 

What do you do when your friend or someone in your room doesn’t treat you well? How do you use your words? Is it okay to attack someone who has threatened your brother? What does it mean to forgive one another? Is “sorry” enough? How and when do you share your things? Is it okay to just “borrow” from someone if you want to? When is it important to be quiet and listen? When should you speak up? These were all very important and practical questions for the week. 

In the meantime we also had a great week of activities. We had a water day on the warmest day of the week, played inside on the following day when it was pouring down rain amid thunder and lightening, and went walking in between the moments of rain on another day. We were thankful for the rain, the sun and the possibility to keep going no matter what. 

This week the teens are at camp and we are praying for the campers and the team helping them for this week. Next week is Family camp where I will bring some of the lessons and see some of the campers once again. We are so very thankful that we have this possibility of helping young people grow in faith and helping Christians grow in service and sharing their faith. 

Once we get our pictures from Benjamin Camp I will post the link here as well.