So since Friday I've been staying in West Flanders. My former Pastor and his family are living here at a nice little farmyard. It's quite a big property, and they are keeping hens, a donkey, a goat, and a cat there. They especially needed someone to take care of the chickens while they are traveling for a few days; and today, a church member came to drop off their young dog, which I also took under my supervision until Wednesday. It's been fun taking care of the animals, although the dog is quite exhausting! I'm especially enjoying the beautiful country side out here. In this kind of setting, you don't think about a pandemic raging or anything else of that nature.
Indeed, things have gotten worse in Europe, as we are facing a second wave with this corona virus. Rules have become more strict, and doing everyday life is challenging in different ways. One positive aspect is the fact that my organisation is still strongly encouraging staff to work from home. Thus, I can stay here at my friend's place without having to take a vacation. I just hope that my travel plans for the end of the month will not be hindered in any way. I'm scheduled to attend the ASI Germany meetings, and then stay with my folks for a week. Since Belgium is considered a "red zone" or a risk area, the German government requires a negative corona test or alternatively quarantine when people arrive from this country. Of course quarantining myself is not an option, and therefore I will go for the test. It's such a nuisance, but I will comply - even though probably nobody will stop me at the border or ask me any questions. It's outright impossible to trace everyone. I'm just thankful that they still allow travels at all.
So I'm looking back to quite an eventful summer with lots of joys, but also many lessons learned. All in all, I'm thankful for the Lord's leading and for His never changing love, patience and faithfulness.
Our German summer camp meeting turned out a great blessing, in spite of corona restrictions. At the same time, I'm sad for the loss of my former boss from Uchee Pines, Mircea Dragomir, who unfortunately died from this insidious disease. I authored an obituary in his honor, and if you can read German, you are welcome to check it out under this link.
Back in September, we held our first Health Club via Zoom, which was great success. There were about 15 participants, including some non-SDAs. I'm very thankful for these online opportunities to share the health message, and I'm planning another one before the end of the year.
We are indeed living in interesting times. But these signs and happenings are making it clear to me that we need to double our efforts to finish the work here on earth rather sooner than later. It's really time for the Lord to come back! I recently read a sobering statement in the devotional "The Faith I Live By":
The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18. Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony. He will bring in spurious visions, to mislead and mingle the false with the true, and so disgust people that they will regard everything that bears the name of visions, as a species of fanaticism; but honest souls, by contrasting false and true, will be enabled to distinguish between them. {FLB 296.6}
May we be among those honest souls, who will be able to distinguish between truth and error!
With the Voerman family in front of their house waiting...
...for the "Tour of Flanders" (like the Tour de France of Belgium) coming through.
