Every age, every tongue

God’s family is amazing! Even though I grew up in a military family - moving fairly often and living far away from aunts and uncles - family still always meant everyone together. Old (I considered my parents at that time ‘old’ although they were only mid-30’s) and everything in between. There was an age-range of 10 years between us all as kids as well. Family is the group together. I love seeing how family interacts and how this helps us grow.

Family is designed by God and is exactly what we need to help us grow in faith. So it is great to see activities that bring different age groups together to reinforce the idea of family. Both young and old have examples right before their eyes, both groups helping the other to stretch and grow. Young people get a vision of older people who are serious, loving and who can also interact with young people. They see how to live out faith in the lives of these ‘elders’. Older people are challenged by the energy and desire of youth to be active, see things in a new way, be daring and excited by the truth as it is discovered for the first time.

Every time we get the opportunity to share in intergenerational activities, we encourage everyone to take part. We also do our best to plan such activities. Recently we went to Switzerland for a weekend. It’s a six hour drive for us and we only stay about a day and a half, but it is well worth it. Church members from all over Europe gather, young and old, to play soccer and have fun as children of the Lord.

We take the time to get to know one another as best as possible, speaking several languages. We worship the Lord together in at least three languages, singing praises as I imagine it will be in heaven. And we play soccer, learning how to deal with frustration, play fair and be just, put things into perspective and give your all. We see young people jumping every language and cultural barrier to get to know one another. Older members try to be a good example in fair play. And all of us see that it is possible to live this life with Christ, having a great time. 

This past week I ran down to our Bible camp facility – shared and maintained by the various congregations in Belgium and the Netherlands, both Dutch-speaking and French-speaking – to help with one of the work weekends. 

Camp is another place where family gets together. Yes, we encourage one another in our summer

Photo thanks to Luk Brazle

sessions with Bible lessons and good teaching, placing an emphasis on our knowledge of Christ. We also have every opportunity to observe this knowledge in working as we shovel dirt, move rocks, try to explain how to get certain jobs done, put up with having to do the cleaning that no one will see, face tasks that are neither fun, nor glorious or easy and do all of this together. Young observes older and ‘old’ (do we ever really get old?) and their example. Old is encouraged by and observes the growth of young.

It is good to be together. It is challenging and encouraging to incorporate this unique design – intergenerational activities and learning. God calls it family. 

Check out some of the pictures at camp! 

For more pictures of the Swiss soccer tournament, check on facebook.

King's Day

Next week the Netherlands will take a historic step that none alive have seen in the Netherlands. They will once again have a king instead of a queen. The last King of the Netherlands was Willem III who died in 1890. Since then there have been three queens. But on April 30 the monarchy will pass into the hands of Queen Beatrix’ son who will become King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

What is so great about a king (or queen)? Isn’t that what most countries without a monarchy fought to free themselves from? Of course, most modern monarchies are mostly ceremonial unless we look at some of the examples in the middle east. The monarch is beholden to the constitution and often has very little real power in the country, although he/she may have quite extensive wealth. These monarchs do have various forms of influence, however, which they exercise to varying degrees of success.

In Belgium, King Boudewijn had to step down for a day for a law allowing abortion to pass.This was a law the government had written and passed but which the king personally would not sign into law because of his beliefs. In Thailand, the king has often been called on to help settle political disputes between parties. Queen Beatrix in the Netherlands has always been seen as a powerful influence in getting Dutch companies good contracts around the world. Her networking is what makes the difference.

So next Tuesday, the Netherlands will turn orange (the color of the royal family, the house of Orange) as the country welcomes a new monarch. It is a time of parties, parades and plenty of fun for a day. And when, as happened in 2010, someone is unhappy and the day ends in tragedy, it is the whole country that mourns. Queen’s Day is a day of national unity, in joy and in sorrow. And now it will be King’s Day.

And because I come from one of those countries without a monarch, certain links between this and the King of kings, Jesus Christ jump out at me. Here are just a few thoughts:

- A king is not elected. He is king, whether we want it to be so or not. Jesus is King, not because we like him or want him. We can choose to accept him for our lives, but he is King whether we follow him or not.

- On King’s Day everybody (or almost everybody) is a fan of the king, at least on the surface of things. It is only after this day, in the day-to-day living that we see how much we really follow or rely on the king.

- Our kings are limited by us. Am I limiting Jesus’ influence in my life? Making him simply a ceremonial head of my days? Using him to influence business deals and parties, but not really paying attention otherwise?

- Can I be crazy for my King? Does it really matter to me so much what others think of me? Or can I put on His colors – act like Jesus in my daily life – and let people know who I belong to?

I will enjoy King’s Day next week and I will continue to allow it to remind me of who is really in charge, and who I really want to be in charge of my daily life. 

Were not our hearts burning within us?

Here below is our latest newsletter. We have had some exciting meetings sharing Jesus with our neighbors and showing why and how God is real. How has God been blessing you recently?

Borrowed

The other day we were able to talk with our son, Stephan, and his wife, Natalie in Ohio. Technology is truly a wonderful thing. We were able to see each other and talk about their new life together. It seems just a few years ago that Stephan was a little boy climbing trees. Now he is a husband, starting a life together with his wife, planning their future together.

With children it is easier to see the truth that all we have is borrowed. Children are not ‘ours’ and that becomes clear when they leave home and start their own life. We never did own them; they were given into our care for a short time so that we could help them grow in their faith. They were given to us for a short time so that they could help us grow in our faith.

Everything we ‘have’ is actually on loan. It is not ours. We don’t ‘have’ anything. Our bodies do not belong to us. When the time comes, they will return to the earth from which they were formed. As Christians we should understand this completely. ‘This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through’. Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit; we are not our own, we were purchased with a price. Our possessions, wealth, houses, abilities – all are given to us by God for a time so that He can bless others through us. We are here so that righteousness is seen in the world, bringing glory to God (Titus 2:11-12).

So, what we have is not ‘wrong’ or ‘broken’ or anything else. If we have it, God can use it – if we allow Him to. Now, if I were renting this, I might run the risk of not valuing it properly. How carefully do we deal with a rental car, or the tools we rent from the hardware store? After all, they’re insured aren’t they? And I didn’t buy them. But I didn’t rent these things in my life. I didn’t pay anything. They have been given me to use – they are borrowed. It’s not ‘just’ a rental car – you know the owner. You are borrowing it and need to give it back. So I take care and cherish that which has been given me, knowing that it is given with a purpose.

Enjoy the moments you have with all that you have, no matter how much or little it is. God can do amazing things with what He has given us, much more than we can do with the same things. 

A picture is worth ...

If you would like to see some of what has been going on, head on over to our photo site. There you can see pictures of our time with Stephan and Natalie, some work we have been doing down at camp and a study week in Germany recently.

WoW, Willemien and Wonder

This past month has been busy with such a mix of different tasks. That is the reality of what we do here. I seldom know how to respond to the question: So what does a typical week look like? I am not sure I know what a ‘typical’ week is. But whatever we run into, we deal with, while we continue planning ahead.

So this past month we planned for our WoW course. ‘Wijzer op Weg’ or ‘Wiser along the Way’ is a course that I designed to teach people some simple tools to help read the Bible. It is just three evenings with some practical tips. We planned and prepared, got everything set up after having gotten the word out in the local newspaper and through distributing … and no one showed up. That can happen. It is frustrating, I must admit. It was Sean who encouraged us to simply put out some more cards and invite people again. So we will, and we will see what comes of that.

In the meantime, we were dealing almost daily with our dear sister, Willemien. She is 91 and now has a geriatric nurse coming every day to make sure she takes her medicine correctly as she has begun to move slowly into dementia. The only problem is that she can hardly hear, so no one is able to get in the apartment (she doesn’t hear the bell or the telephone). Add to that that she is stubborn and doesn’t always want people in her apartment, and things get interesting.

But I am thankful that we can be there for her. I am reminded of God’s care for us. We think that we are doing well, doing what we should, listening, but we are not always. Have we forgotten His name, His face? I have had some serious, clear talks with Willemien, letting her know that we are there for her, no matter what. I am thankful that God has brought us together to care for one another. What a real blessing that is.

And then I get a call from someone who has received one of the cards for the WoW course. He is interested, but wants to be sure that he will not be wasting my time, since he is a confirmed atheist and there is no way that I would be ‘winning souls’ (as he puts it). I thank him for his candor and let him know that I have no problem as long as he understands that I always desire people to come to Christ, knowing the power of God. We have met together for the first lesson and are planned to meet this coming Monday for the next.

I love seeing how my Father does things. It is definitely not the way that I think things should go, or the way that I plan things, but He is always there with His strength and guidance. That is wonderful (full of wonder)! Have a wonderful day!

(Why) Do you still follow him?

When I look at the first followers of that man from Nazareth, I see all sorts of reasons for their initial reactions to him. Some followed him because he was perhaps the first person to really see them as a person (Levi at the tax table). Some were shocked by how clear he made things, telling them in love, not in judgement, that they need to change their ways – and then showing them how. Some were amazed and enthralled by what he could do, others by what he said and how he said it (on a mountain, in a boat, in or on the water). Some saw all the people following and followed because of all the people following – it must be something interesting if so many followed, right? But why did these people keep following him?

Remember when Jesus said some hard things? He often said hard things, since he was quite clear and challenging in what was necessary. He didn’t waste time bantering about this-and-that, although he always spoke sincerely and with love. But there came a time when a whole slew of his followers up and left him (John 6). They couldn’t handle it any more. Maybe the shine or the fun or the newness had rubbed off and reality started to settle in – this guy was serious! Maybe the message simply came too close to home (his messages always do). Whatever it was, they left.

But some still stayed. Even after he was captured and they ran away – they still stayed. Even when they thought all was lost, they still wondered how they were to continue, wanting to stay (remember the guys on the road to Emmaus?). Why? Some had figured out that, even if they didn’t understand him completely, he had shown that he was true and worth following. Some who had started with amazement, had progressed through discussing and come to a realization of what he was saying. Some were beginning to understand who he really was and wouldn’t dare leave, even if they might have thought about it at one time.

Why did you start following Jesus? Do you remember? What made you want to listen to him, know more about him and follow him? And why do you still follow him? Or… if you do not, why not? How has your relationship changed? Do you feel like you are a follower (a disciple) or are you simply following (like a twitterer)? I would really like to know.

Here am I, send me!

Here below is our latest newsletter. I wanted to take the time to look ahead at how God can use us, wherever we are. There is some very important family news as well. Thanks for stopping by and for your continued encouragement!

On Assignment - at home in Indiana

How often do you need to see people in order to retain a close relationship? This is something that has intrigued me almost my entire life. I grew up traveling all over. I had lived in six cities in three countries before the 6th grade. So family was always important, and making friends meant figuring it out quickly, or keeping things on the surface (I would not immediately call this superficial).

This continued when I went off to university, where I traveled all over the US, traveled to Europe and in the end spent two years in the Netherlands. My brothers and sisters also traveled. Three of my brothers were in the military and the other roamed off to Alaska. But we have always been able to re-connect. And we are still there for each other.

Our last leg of our Home Assignment brought us to Indianapolis where my ‘little’ brother, Mike and his family live. We keep and eye on how Mike and Amy and the four boys are doing through the wonder of modern communication – and I have always been very thankful for that. Since Indiana is not in the normal ‘loop’ of our travels on home assignment, the last time we visited was in 2007. Now we not only got to visit, we were blessed to spend Christmas together!

We arrived a day late so that Shirley could recover after the wedding. That left us two and a half days to enjoy the time together. And we were mixing several families as well. Marc and Wouter, who had traveled with Sean to New York city and then joined us for the wedding, were experiencing their first Christmas away from their rather large family back in Belgium. So it was good to share, to experience some local family traditions, and to just have fun.

And all along our travels we had expected snow but had seen barely a flake. Each time we left somewhere, they received a foot of snow after we left, but we were not burdened at all on our travels with snow-covered highways or backed-up traffic. Now, with a few days, we expereienced a blizzard, right in Indianapolis, for Christmas! And when it was time to leave, the roads were clear where we were headed.

Our last day was spent in Chicago with another blast from the past – Jimmy Schellekens is a young man that I knew when he was about 2 years-old in Schiedam. We spent time getting ready to leave, saw some of Chicago, had some great food (again) and even played a bit of football (the real kind). And we could relax the English or work on Dutch by speaking Dutch with Jimmy. We are so thankful that Jimmy and Amy were willing to share their apartment with us for that short visit on our way out.

After two months in the US we were now finally headed back … home. But we have been home all along the way, everywhere we stopped. You are why we can be home when we are with you. We are so thankful for the reality that wherever we are, if we are with God and his family, we are at home. Thank you!

Here is wher you can see pictures of our visit to Indiana and Illinois. 

A wedding … and so much more

A lot of planning goes into a wedding. That was certainly the case with Stephan and Natalie. We only saw some of what had to be decided upon, chosen, made and planned. We were able to help with some of the planning: making cake-pops, setting up the venue, working through some of the ceremony. But there is a lot more that happens before a wedding – at least, that is what we were thankful for. A wedding can be simply a wedding – a big party to mark a certain day. Tht is not what this was.

Stephan and Natalie wanted to have a great day. They wanted the people who would come to the wedding to have fun. But they also knew that this day was what they had worked toward in their relationship and would be the beginning of a lasting life together that was just starting.

We wanted the day to be special for them. We were looking forward to seeing them begin their lives together. But we were also looking forward to getting to know this young woman whom we had, until then, only spoken to via Skype. We knew too that we would be meeting her parents and family. We knew that this day meant we would be giving up our son, gaining a daughter and, hopefully with grace, would be letting go so that they could start this new life together.

How do you let go? Many of you will have experienced this already. Perhaps it is different each time with each child. There are so many emotions on the day (and following, as things start to settle in). Since we hadn’t seen Stephan since December 2010, we were excited to see him again. But of course this would be to see him start a new life as a husband, not just our son. And that is good! That is why he was put in our lives. Our children are placed in our hands for a time so that we can prepare them to grow, to live in Christ and to be a blessing to others. That time had come.

So, we enjoyed the preparations. We had a blast making cake-pops, laughing with our new family. We enjoyed the day, shedding a tear or two and taking that deep breath of pride in these two young people wanting to give themselves totally to each other and to God. And we look forward to the many times coming that we can watch them grow.

You can see a few of our pictures of the wedding over here. Thank you all for being a part of this through the years – seeing these two grow and helping them along the way. We are so thankful that God, who is love, continues to guide their lives together. 

On Assignment - at home in Ohio

Years ago, on one of our home assignments, sitting in the airport of some city in the United States, a man sitting next to us began talking to the boys (they were quite young at the time). Stephan turned to us and asked: “Do we know him too?” We had been meeting with and getting to know so many new people on our trip, and even family was new for Stephan and Sean. As far as Stephan was concerned, this too could be family.

That is one of the blessings of God’s family – that we can be at home in so many different places. And we have so enjoyed seeing so much family – blood relatives and spiritual family – on our travels. But as we drove away from Muscatine and through Indiana, we knew we were headed to Ohio, where we would be meeting another sort of family. We were soon to meet the in-laws and become the in-laws for the first time. Although we had talked with Natalie on Skype and had briefly talked to her parents as well, this was to be the time to meet the whole family. And what a blessing it was!

We were able to stay at Jay and Pauline’s while Sean, Wouter and Marc (when they arrived on the Thursday) stayed at Natalie’s grandparent’s house (John and Fran). We were taken up in the family – which meant being able to help out making cake pops, making our own coffee when needed, sharing the Christmas concert of Natalie’s youngest sister, Rachel, working toegtehr to get everything ready for the wedding – it was a real pleasure and a blessing to be together. We are so thankful for Natalie and her family – our family!

Our time in Ohio was filled with moments like this. Sean and his best friend, Wouer, and Wouter’s father, Marc, had spent five days in New York City before arriving for the wedding. Marc and Wouter had never been to the States before and were welcomed with open arms by so many people. They arrived in the middle of the preparations for the wedding, helped out moving chairs, cleaning up, blowing bubbles. They attended worship services with us on Sunday as well. They were surrounded by people all around welcoming them. John and Fran shared stories of Egypt with them, we played ping-pong in the garage with the gathered family, and made one huge family.

It was great for us to also be able to meet up with Scott’s Mom who has moved back to New York to be with Paul Drushler. This was the first time for us to meet Paul (and he us, of course). It was great for them to have made the trip to share this time with us and with Stephan and Natalie.

After the wedding we had planned on driving over to Indiana, but Shirley was hit by a bout of dizzyness and a migraine, so instead we spent some more family time. This was exactly what we all needed after such a wonderfully busy time – a day to wind down. A trip and walk to Maumee Bay on Lake Erie, the sun shining even as the cold wind blew, reinforced us as a new family, caring for one another. We are so thankful for the love that comes in God’s family. 

Check out the pictures from this leg of the trip!

On Assignment - at home in Nebraska and Iowa

One of the biggest joys on our trip around the US is seeing family again and meeting new people. We usually have a mix of both at each stop on our way, seeing church family we have stayed with before and meeting new members while there. But in general our family is in different States than the congregations we visit.

Leaving our Minnesota church family we rented a car and began the 'road trip' section of our Home Assignment. From Minneapolis we would drive the rest of the trip - to Omaha, Nebraska, over to  Muscatine, Iowa, on to Curtice, Ohio, back to Indianapolis, Indiana, and finally to Chicago, illinois where we would fly out. We left Minnesota with a light powdering of snow on the ground and fog in the air wondering what Omaha would be like when we arrived about 5 hours later. We heard that Minnesota received a foot of snow after we left, but we arrived in Omaha with no snow.

Once arrived in Omaha we found a hotel, checked in and headed over to Shirley's sister's, pretty much just around the corner. From there we were able to go to her son's house where we were all together for dinner. What a great evening - finally being able to see each other again!
The next day we planned to attend Southwest church of Christ, where we had visited back in 2007. Walking in the door we were enthousiastically welcomed by Joan Hazelwood who knew we were to be in Omaha and hoped that we would be coming by. How fun and encouraging to be so welcomed! Joan and LaVerne had been in the congregation when Shirley was growing up and Joan had allowed us to translate her curriculum for Belgium and the Netherlands. We also ran into Lane Hinton, who had been one of our 'students' for a summer back in the 90's.

We only had a coupe of days in Omaha, but we were able to spend as much time as possible with family, doing a bit of shopping, Scott got his hair cut and we did a lot of catching up. We even drove over to see a neighborhood with an amazing light display. We are so thankful for these opportunities and how this is made possible by the generosity of so many. We couldn't have been in the States if others hadn't brought us over.

After a much too short visit in Omaha, we jumped in the car and headed over to Muscatine, Iowa. It was Shirley's birthday, so we had some heartfelt goodbyes with her sister, stopped to get a Nebraska sweatshirt (some things are just important!) and went out to eat when we finally drove in to Muscatine about 5 hours later.

in Musactine we were staying at our 'regular' place. This place is far from regular, but the Huddleston's see us as family (since we have stayed with them several times) and we feel very much at home. So we simply let ourselves in. Muscatine is a congregation where we have many familiar faces and church family (including the Schellekens, with whom we have worked since 1982!), but it was here that we were thrilled to meet a whole group of new people.

In the 5 days we were in Muscatine we had several chances to meet the congregation and get to know them better. On Wednesday evening Shirley went to the ladies group while Scott went to a different class. Afterwards we had a meet and greet around dessert foods.
We found out that the church family in Muscatine often meets around food. The following three evenings we had dinner and then dessert with various groups - elders, deacons, wives included, long-time friends and then the youth as well. The exciting thing was being able to meet so many new families as well as reconnect with old friends. On Sunday we talked about our work during the class, Scott preached and then went to sing with a group at a rest home. In the evening we visited with the youth again and two different classes before praying with the elders. We always want to be of use when we visit and we were glad to be able to do so many things here.
In the meantime we also enjoyed a quiet home and even went out to The Hobbit - it's a three-parter, so be warned (tongue firmly in cheek). On a rainy morning we drove off on our way to Ohio where we will finally meet our soon-to-be daughter-in-law and see our son.

You can see more pictures over here. We were busy meeting people in Iowa, so we don't have much of any pictures. Did you take some? We would love to see them!

On Assignment - at home in Minnesota

As we arrived in Minnesota, expecting cold, winter weather, we were greeted by the providence of God and the grace shown through his children. Our family at Woodbury blanketed us in warm fellowship and sharing. It was a very busy visit, but full of a restful busyness. And to start it all out we were welcomed with a car on loan, a gps to get us around, and a hotel room for the first night – time to be together after a lot of traveling.

Our time in Minnesota was mostly filled with visits with the various ‘Life groups’ which meet throughout the week – church in practice outside of the Sunday morning. Each evening we met a different group and on Sunday we met three! Sometimes we talked about what we were doing, but most of the time we simply took part in the study and discussion (this time about ‘downward mobility’ – very interesting thought!) and did some singing. So we not only met the members, but heard their hearts for Christ as well.

In the meantime we spent time in the hospitality of two homes as different and similar as can be from each other. We started in the home of the Chenoweths, whose children are married or off to college – much like ourselves. Their home is in the country, out by a lake, and provided wonderful daily walks for us. There was a quiet, a peace – except when we watched Nebraska lose to Wisconsin on the big screen one night. Otherwise, our time was filled with gracious and challenging conversation, gathered in the living room together.

About half-way through we moved over to the Davidson house – a family we have known for some time, but which has changed in the years. This is a growing family, with four young boys (the oldest being just 10) and the last of the four girls (we still remember Malia, now 16, when she was just 5). Plenty of activity, questions, fun and evident loving hearts. Scott played lego all day with the boys, we went for walks in the park and continued to enjoy the life groups in the evenings. Both homes – for they are truly homes and we felt very much at home – were places of rest. One was a place of calm rest and discussion, the other an energetic vibrancy that hugged us deeply.

We met many new people on this stop and look forward to getting to know them more in the future. We saw a vibrant, caring, living church caring for each other. What a great encouragement for us! As we moved on from Minnesota, now driving to Nebraska, Iowa and Ohio, we were greeted with a light snow – just so that we knew that it does snow in Minnesota. It was a day later – after we had safely arrived in Nebraska – that we heard that about a foot more had fallen. Some more busy rest?

Check out our pictures from this leg of our journey.

On Assignment - at home in Texas

Our relationship with the congregation at S. 11th and Willis in Abilene, Texas molded much of our mission-mindedness. We were married on December 21, 1984  - the day Shirley graduated from Harding University - and drove from Searcy, Arkansas to Abilene, Texas where Scott would finish at Abilene Christian University. We arrived on a Saturday late and Sunday morning went to services with the couple we were staying with. It was S. 11th & Willis that welcomed us and we have remained with this congregation in our hearts all the years since. They took us out to lunch that Sunday (everyone drinks sweet ice tea), showed us around town and made sure that we had everything we needed (including, in the coming weeks, a place to stay and a car to use). 

When we attended ‘Willis’, it was a congregation with a strong emphasis on missions and reaching out no matter where you are. They are still a missions congregation all these years later. It was exciting to see the work being done with some of the refugees from Burundi, the long emphasis and dedicated love for the church in Kenya, both deaf and hearing, the deaf congregation at Willis and all the local efforts to be the body of Christ in the community. We usually end our home assignements here – that is how the loop of travel works out, and it means that we have a safe, restful place before we head back to Belgium. This time Texas is in the middle of our travel loop, but it was just as encouraging.

We were treated to a surprise when the congregation held a reception and money tree for Stephan and Natalie on the first Sunday we were present. They had mentioned to us that they wanted to bless the couple, and Stephan was ‘theirs’! Stephan was born in Abilene and his first Bible came in cradle roll from this wonderful family. To make it complete, we mentioned that we could skype with Stephan and Natalie during the reception – what a great thing technology can be! So, although it was quite difficult to hear one another, many in the congregation were able to meet Natalie and say hello to Stephan.

E.B., Jean and Max

Throughout the week we took the opportunities offered to meet with members – often for lunch or dinner (everyone still drinks sweet tea). Sitting down together always brings with it a level of fellowship and unity. We stayed with E.B. and Jean Dotson who originally arrived in Abilene about the time we did all those years ago. E.B. takes so many missionaries' tax worries on his shoulders and  Jean's heart goes out to everyone seeking peace who doesn't know that peace is truly to be found in Christ. We are so thankful that we are able to spend time with them (and with Max, the parrot this time). We also visited Amanda Martin who is now studying at ACU – amazing to see how ‘our’ young people (Amanda is from the congregation in Long Beach) are all grown up! Scott was also able to connect with a friend from his high school days for a good talk.

Thanksgiviing beckoned and Black Friday loomed this week as well. We were blessed to be ale to share Thanksgiving with the Bundy’s in Graham, Texas (about 90 minutes away). Good food and fellowship there as well. This was all possible because of the giving hearts of members back at Willis lending us their car. As someone mentioned recently: perhaps it was fitting that we were leant a convertible in California and a pick-up truck in Texas. We were very thankful for both!

At home with the McNeill's

Scott brought the sermon the second Sunday morning in Texas and we headed out to Haslet, Texas to meet up with the McNeill’s, our long-time friends and supporters. It was good to drive up, unload and be completely at home. There are some families that can do that for you and such are the McNeill’s. It was a very short visit, but we were thankful to be able to see them and check up again before they drove us very early in the morning to our flight to Minnesota.

These people were some of the first to teach us about giving and sharing. It was good to see them, hard to miss some who have passed away, but encouraging to know that we will all meet again. That has always been enphasized. And their example of giving and sharing is something we try to continue in our lives. Now we are the ones who welcome young couples, young people, young Christians and show them the beauty of living daily with Jesus Christ. 

On Assignment - at home in Colorado

Visiting with Yumiko

Our next stop was Colorado where most of Scott’s family lives. We only had 5 days to cover Colorado Springs and Denver, so we tried to get in as much as possible within everyone’s schedule. We usually come in the summer when at least the kids are out of school. People cannot simply drop their jobs and spend time with us, but it was great to be able to plan an evening when Scott’s family was able to get together for pizza. A chance to meet the new husband of a niece, talk about plans and school and jobs, and see how everyone has grown. We want to be an encouragement wherever we are and hope the time we spend together is just that.

For the few days in Colorado Springs, we were able to visit with our sister-in-law, do a bit more shopping (shoes!), enjoy a good Bible study evening at the Pikes Peak Avenue congregation and drive around the city visiting old haunts before we headed up to Denver. In the meantime, Scott was also checking his email every morning to make sure that things were going okay back in Maastricht and with son Sean. Technology is great when it keeps us in touch with one another! We were even able to call Willemien (our sister in Christ in Maastricht) one morning. We usually see her every Tuesday afternoon. This time we were only able to give her a call while others are caring so well for her, but it was so good to hear her voice.

We headed back up to Denver to spend time with Scott’s older brother and sister and their spouses. Gathered around the table with good food and lively conversation, memories and stories flowed freely. We all change over time and it is good to see what that change looks like. Imagine if we only allowed everyone to remain as they were when they were our ‘little brother’ or ‘older sister’. We change and we want to allow others to change as well.

We also had a good visit with the Rog family, re-connecting and seeing how they have been blessed. The connection that is shared in Christ is special and exciting. Our visits in Denver hold many of these blessings. Scott’s best friend, Bret Carter, met us for lunch and a good heart-to-heart. The next night we finally got to see one of his musicals performed as well. That evening and the next day at the airport (you try to fill every possible minute) we made the most of the conversations with Ron and Jean Carter and Hans and Julie Oehlert as well (AND we got to see Rachel and Caleb!).

Colorado was a whirlwind family visit full of emotion, nostalgia, beauty and family of all kinds. This leg seemed to fly by and left us slightly gasping for air for various reasons. We were able to get an early birthday/Christmas present for Shirley (an iPad) with the financial help of Scott’s brother, Chris, and generous gifts from church family along the way. But the visit seemed too short. And this will not be the first time we experience this elation and evisceration.

On Assignment - at home in California

I recently read a very good article stating some things that for us were very obvious, but for many are obviously not very clear. You can read the article here. What Dale mentioned spurred me on to take a moment to let you see what it is that we are doing on this trip. I know that when we explain to our neighbors and some others that we are going to be gone for two months they are astonished that we would take such a long vacation. 

Home Assignment (I used to call it 'furlough') is a blessed mixture of encouragement and encouraging – or at least that is how we see it and what we desire it to be. We want desperately, not only to have time to get to know new people in the congregations supporting us, but to re-establish ties with those we already know and have been missing, to use any time we have at a congregation to encourage and help, and to learn new things while we are in the US. Along the way we also get to see our family. And there are so many people who so much want to be a blessing to us, to give us a time of refreshing and rest.

As you have read, our Home assignment every three years covers quite a bit of territory – usually at least 6 states and 9 cities, visiting at least 8 different congregations. We basically have 4 supporting congregations: Long Beach, 11th & Willis in Abilene, Texas, Woodbury in Minnesota, and Muscatine in Iowa. Our family, however is in neither of the four states those congregations are in. So we are blessed (and it truly is also a blessing) with the possibility for lots of travel – usually a combination of air travel and road travel.

We are now about halfway through our travels. We started this time in Long Beach, California where we were blessed by being able to take part almost right away in ‘First Fridays’. The local businesses spend the evening showing themselves along the boulevard, getting people to come inside, doing something special to let the community know who they are. The congregation in Long Beach understood that they, too, could let people know that they are a presence in the neighborhood. So they pass out water along with information about the church. They are the face of the congregation on that evening and we were able to share this with them.

Our visits are often a micture of food and conversation. This way we get to meet members and catch up on what is happening in our lives or get to know each other. Thankfully, members often invite others along so that we all share this time. In Long Beach Scott preached and answered questions at a meeting of the elders and deacons (reporting on how things are going in Maastricht) and Scott and Shirley were able to sit in the Sunday morning Bible study as well as a mid-week study. We were able to take part in a prayer evening that is regularly organized by the church. This group regularly prays for us and keeps abreast of our needs - what a blessing! And Shirley headed off for a weekend to a Ladies Retreat in the mountains.

Along with these moments of sharing we also were simply part of our host family in Long Beach, the Jablonski’s. Scott went with the family to daughter Zoey’s volleyball game (they were in the play-offs vying for State).  Shirley knew that she needed to find her dress for the wedding at the end of our travels, so Wanda Martin took her shopping – and they found a dress! More shopping time would follow, since shoes are also needed. Walks in the park, making lunch together or taking an afternoon to see local sights were also among the encouraging moments before we moved on.

These are times of blessing and giving that always astonish us - even though they should not. We have learned about giving and how much God blesses, from people like these. The congregation got together to bless us in a special way financially before we left, but they had already lent us their cars, hosted us in their homes and fed us bodily and spiritually. 

Learning to share

Thanksgiving with the Bundy's

When we married - the day Shirley graduated from Harding University - we jumped in a car laden with all our worldly goods (they all fit in that run-down Chevelle) and headed off for Abilene, Texas where Scott would finish his degree. We had already both expereinced the amazing wealth of blessing that comes from people who have learned to share.

Arriving in Abilene (gassed by our car - but that is another story), we attended the congregation at S. 11th and Willis. The elders there, the young marrieds there, eeryone was full of a servant attitude that permeated the congregation - a church that put missions above buildings and welcomed all comers with open arms and hearts tuned to Jesus Christ. We began a relationship that has lasted and blossomed in all the years our marriage has also grown.

It was these men and women who taught us to give by their example of giving. They helped us when they could and were always there. Since then we have found similar congregations and people all over. These are the amazing, faithful examples we are blessed to visit along our trips when we come back to the US. And we have again been blessed by their great generosity - for us and for Stephan and Natalie who will soon be married.

This bounty has taught us how to walk, has shown us how good it is to share God's blessings - even when we think we have nothing to share. Bounty comes from our gracious Father and we are blessed with the opportunity to be part of passing that on.
We are so thankful for so many lives through which God has blessed us.

Stop here to see our most recent pictures from the Texas leg of our home assignment.

Old memories and new

At Denver Airport
Originally uploaded by sraabs.

Things change. Kids grow up. Houses are sold. But memories remain and new memories are made. All of this is what Colorado was to us this past week.
We drove down to Colorado Springs to spend time with family there. In order to accomodate everyone we decided to meet at a restaurant - Fargo's pizza - a pizza place themed around the old west. Waiters walk around in period costume, piano's play while moose and deer heads gaze down on the pizza-eating patrons.
This place held all sorts of good memories from when we would come here for church youth activities. It's a good family place. And it was here that we got to meet our niece, Kimberly's husband, Derrick, and talk about their quickly changing life together (new baby on the way). We also had time with the other nieces and nephew, trying to get to know each other a little bit better.
While in 'the Springs' we drove around visiting old haunts. The Raab house on Illinois has been sold, but still looks the same. Elementary school, high school, where we rode the bikes down the hill, where the donkey used to be ... all sorts of memories. The streets have all changed. The city has grown tremendously. But it was fun to reminisce.
Up in Denver we met up with more family for a great evening of food and discussion. The next day we met up with old friends and church family (wonderful how that goes together!). We were also finally able to watch a play from Bret and Ron Carter! We have been wanting to hear and see one of these musicals for years and now finally had the chance.
As we headed out (meeting more friends at the airport) the view in this picture struck me. The kids playing still as time marches on and a hotel is built next to the airport. It's fun to mix old memories with new ones. We are so thankful for family and this opportunity to share this time.