Home Improvement

Today is the first day of March and I'm thankful for some sunny, yet pretty cold days here in Brussels. Lately, I've also been grateful for the completion of my home improvement project. Back in November, I had shared a bit about the renovations in this post. The walls were completed still before Thanksgiving, and subsequently, I started buying and assembling IKEA furniture in my guest room/home office. It took a while to get all the needed parts, and for the wardrobe, I needed some help from an experienced person, but now it looks very nice, as you can see in the pictures below.

Last week, I also enjoyed a visit of my good friend Carla from Brazil. We had met at Newbold College when we were both studying there back in 1997. Ever since, I already had the opportunity to visit her twice in Brazil, but it was the first time that her and her family could come over to visit me. It was a blessing to have them, and I'm grateful that this friendship has lasted for so long. On Sunday, we took a wonderful trip to Bruges. Although it was cold, we enjoyed the picturesque scenery alongside the little canal flowing through the city.

Tomorrow, I'm off to another trip to Germany, both for work and for leisure. I look forward to speaking at a school again, and then to spending an extended weekend in the Black Forest. 

As I'm enjoying my "new" home, I've also been pondering about the heavenly home that Jesus is preparing for us while we are awaiting His return. As much as we can appreciate our earthly surroundings, it's nothing in comparison to the celestial mansions that are waiting for us on the earth made new! 

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." John 14:1-2

May the Lord help us not to focus so much on what we have here on earth, but rather to fix our mind to a much better place that He is preparing for us in the Heavenly Mansions! 

My new wardrobe

My new home office furniture

With my friend Carla, her daughter, and Janice in Bruges

Views from our boat trip

Berlin

This past Wednesday, I returned from a 5-day trip to Berlin. It would have normally been just a 2-day business trip, however since I hadn't been to the German capital for over 20 years, I decided to add a long weekend to my journey. It was a very nice experience, in spite of the cold weather. I would have appreciated a little more sunshine though, but that's the way it is. 

I got to take a boat cruise on the river Spree in the city centre, followed by a tour through the government district and the famous Reichstag building. What a view! And of course I got to stroll through one of the numerous Christmas markets. The work meeting was quite interesting. It helped me to widen my horizon a little bit, and I got to meet new people. We met in the Representation of the EU in Berlin, which is right by the Brandenburger Tor. Very nice location.

Other than that, these past few weeks have been quite eventful. I haven't blogged about my Thanksgiving dinner and Health Club meeting in November, but both events were very blessed, and I'm so grateful that I was able to do all this, in spite of the delays with my renovation. When I returned from my Germany trip in November, I came back to a huge mess in my apartment, and had to camp on the living room floor for two weeks! But I'm thankful that it's done and over with, and that my walls are looking so much nicer now! 

Now I'm wrapping things up here, before I travel to Germany again this Sunday, in order to be with friends and family for the year end. I'm definitely looking forward to this change of pace!

Me at the Brandenburger Tor

Famous "Schupfnudeln" (potato dumplings) with Sauerkraut

Government district

Famous tower on the Alexanderplatz - with a small church in front

Germany To And Fro

Wow - time flies so quickly! This past Monday, I came back from my Germany trip, and I'm thankful for all the blessings that came with it. 

So after my Back to School experience (see my previous blog), I enjoyed some more days with friends and family, while doing some "teleworking from abroad" as we call it. The weather was very mild all through my stay, in fact too warm for the season, but I definitely enjoyed it. 

The ASI Germany convention was a great blessing. Our planned Center of Influence in Brussels was shortlisted as one of the projects that would be sponsored through the proceeds of the offering; and as the only representative of our church, I was the one presenting it. The outcome was that we are going to receive the full amount requested! We hope and pray now that this will be really the kick-off to get started with this project. Of course we still need more funds, but I'm confident that the Lord will provide. I can't wait for the outcome!

After that, I travelled four hours north east to the Harz region, where the family from my father's side lives. I hadn't been there since my grandmother's funeral beginning of 2016, so it was high time to catch up. It was nice seeing them, and it was definitely the most relaxing part of my trip. My aunt and uncle's home is beautifully situated in the country, so the air is fantastic; and they also have an orchard and vegetable garden. This was a great opportunity to recharge my batteries. 

Now I'm back to a mess here at my home. I had some renovation going on during my absence, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, the works haven't been quite finished. But I look forward to enjoying a renewed apartment very soon!

At ASI Germany

The main speaker Conrad Vine

My second home in Germany

Walnut harvest

A hotel near my aunt and uncle's place

A stone saw

You have only really been where you have been by foot

Beautiful scenery in the Harz region

The reason why I'm sleeping in the living room right now...

Looking forward to a renewed guest room!

Back To School

Oh my, it's been two months already since I've posted something here. Sorry for that! I'm still determined to post at least once a month, if not every two weeks from now on. Let's see if that will work!

On Monday, I went "Back to School", which does not mean that I have taken up another educational challenge. It's just the working title of a project initiated at my organisation (the European Commission in case you don't know where I work). So since 2007, EU officials go back to their home countries to visit their old schools and even universities, in order to share with the students about how the EU works and their own personal experience working in these institutions. 

I have done this for the first time back in 2012/2013, before I went for another career break to the United States. Back then already, I found it a very rewarding and enriching experience, but it was also quite exhausting! Some of the young folks were very inquisitive, others seemed rather indifferent, and basically everybody was ignorant about how the EU works, and what's in it for me as an individual citizen. 

I had a couple pictures with the students taken, but will not publish them here for data protection reasons. But below are some pictures of my former school. Yes, I was so surprised when I saw this skeleton building! But this is where I went in and out about 25 years ago. It was actually built in 1972 (so it's as old as I am :-), and now they thought it was time to renovate it. But thankfully, they can use the building adjacent to that one now, which is very nice and comfy!

Reviving a Dead Blog

I know it's been a long time since I've last published a blog. It's not that there wasn't anything happening during this time, but I wasn't sure if I should really continue blogging. However, I've changed my mind and I would just like to consider this time of silence a Sabbatical. So let's see if I can fulfill my commitment!

The last few weeks have been a whirlwind. This has certainly not been a relaxing summer, but definitely a very blessed one! 

About three weeks ago, we concluded our annual German camp meeting, which was the first one after two years that we could organize without any covid restrictions. You could see that people were hungry for such meetings, as we had more than double the amount of participants compared to last year. Our main speakers (Mark Sandoval, Christopher Hudson, Gabriel Maurer) were a blessing. We spontaneously ended up having Chris Hudson with us here in Belgium during last weekend, where he spoke in West Flanders. His preaching was so powerful. It reminded me about the urgency to finish the work on this earth. 

In our church, we are going to start a new two-year term of officers. Besides Health Ministries coordinator, I'm elected as church clerk for this term. I held this office between 2010 and 2014, before I went to the US again. It's rather humbling to me to play such a pivotal role in our church life again. May the Lord help me to serve His church in the way He wants to use me. 

As for my work, I'm very thankful for the current conditions at our offices, which are extremely helpful to balance home and career. We only need to come to the office two days per week, and the other days we can work from home. They also allow us to work up to ten days per year from abroad, which gives me more time to be with my family in Germany. 

So all in all, I look forward to these months to come, which will certainly give me no dull moment!

This morning, I've read a rather sobering devotional reading, entitled "Work, for Earth's Night Is Coming." The messenger of the Lord says:

"My heart is often burdened because so many who might work are doing nothing. They are the sport of Satan’s temptations. Every church member who has a knowledge of the truth is expected to work while the day lasts; for the night cometh, wherein no one can work. Erelong we shall understand what that night means. The Spirit of God is being grieved away from the earth. The nations are angry with one another. Widespread preparations are being made for war. The night is at hand. Let the church arouse and go forth to do its appointed work. Every believer, educated or uneducated, can bear the message."

(Be Like Jesus, p. 252.4)

Sometimes, I think how in the world the work on this earth can ever be finished, so that Jesus can come soon to take us home. How shall it happen if so many church members just go with the flow and make no personal efforts to win souls for the Kingdom? What about the numerous opportunities that I did not cease to spread the gospel in whatever way? I can only determine for myself right now to get moving and do what is in my power to make a difference. May the Lord help us in this solemn task, and may the Holy Spirit wake up many people who are now in ignorance before it's too late! 

                                                              Camp meeting audience

                                                         Some of the speakers on stage

Christopher Hudson

                                                                          Music

                                                           Gabriel Maurer speaking

                                                                Children's programme

                                                           Children's story on Sabbath

                                    Mark Sandoval with Johannes Kolletzki interpreting

Austria

This past Wednesday, I returned from one of the most blessed and beautiful journeys I've ever been to. 

I first travelled to Germany to be with my family again for a few days. Then I took a whole day train ride to the south of Austria, a region called Carinthia, situated in the eastern Alps. This area is characterised by alpine lakes and mountains, as well as medieval buildings. Already the train ride was stunning to me, as I had never been to this particular area in Austria. 

My first destination was the TGM Institute, a self-supporting school which also runs a small lifestyle center. Young people are trained there in medical missionary work and agriculture, and anyone can come to attend the lifestyle sessions they offer. The place is beautifully situated, with mountain ranges round about and a small lake right by. I especially enjoyed my early morning walks, when I could not only hear the lovely birds singing, but also frogs croaking and deer grazing. 

The second European Agriculture Conference was held there. This is a lay movement within my church, and it's all about encouraging people to get into agriculture as a part of true education. And there are so many spiritual lessons we can learn from the garden. Actually, the spiritual aspects of the programme where the elements that spoke to me most. I especially found the speaker family from Sweden a great blessing. The Karlssons run an apple orchard there, and it was intriguing to learn about their experiences. Furthermore, Simon Karlsson is a physical therapist, and he gave an excellent lecture on good posture. Having been trained as an exercise physiologist, I came to realise again how important this issue is, and how desperately I need to implement in my daily life what I know about good posture.

After the Conference, some participants from the area around Vienna gave me a ride, as I was going to visit the capital for a couple days. This turned out a special experience to me, because I have gained new friends now. One couple actually offered me to stay at their place in the middle of Vienna - close by the hotel were I had originally booked a room. So I was still able to cancel that room and enjoyed their hospitality! 

The ride on the night train from Vienna to Brussels was quite an experience. I would have never thought that they would do border controls in Bavaria, but they actually did! When I suddenly heard them loudly knocking at our compartment, I thought I was in the wrong movie! So they asked me for my passport and whether I was traveling alone. After my response (in perfect German of course), they obviously realised that I was not an illegal immigrant, and so they didn't insist to see my papers anymore :-). 

All in all, it was one of the most beautiful trips I have ever made - and I'm actually planning to do the same again at the end of the year. I think winter in Austria must also be very nice!

At the conference, Simon Karlsson gave a talk about the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:3 23). One aspect that stood out to me was his interpretation of the seed that fell in stony places, and how we can apply this to our spiritual life. I really liked how he brought this home:

• They do not believe he will give them power to overcome their sins
• Many claim to serve God, but have no experimental knowledge of him
• They do not crucify self
• They do not give up their particular sins
• Love must be the principle of action
• We do not belong to Christ unless we are His wholly

"The effort to serve both self and Christ makes one a stony-ground hearer, he will not endure when the test comes upon him."

And finally this sobering statement from Ellen G. White:

”The “time of trouble, such as never was,” is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal. In that time of trial, every soul must stand for himself before God.“ (The Great Controversy, p. 622.4)

In fact, I can't say that I'm afraid of the things that are ahead of us. Of course this statement makes you think somehow, but we do not know exactly what is ahead of us after all. Back in 1989, when I had my leg surgery, an osteotomy, I had no clue that the pain would be so excruciating when I would wake up. Nevertheless, I made it through, and I'm so thankful now that I did the surgery. And the same way we will be thankful when we enter the Gates of Heaven, the Golden City, the New Jerusalem one day. And we will all say it was worth it to go through all this trouble! Oh LORD, please come and take us home soon!

Aren't these mountains beautiful?

We all received seeds for microgreens

Beautiful flowers on campus

Early morning walk

The Karlsson family singing

At the highway direction Vienna

In the city park in Vienna

Handwash station in a pharmacy

They have such funny signs in this country

Public "showers", i. e. nebulizers

A Memorable Day

So our adventure last weekend turned out a great blessing! There were many people gathering at the "Bois de la Cambre", one of the most popular parks in Brussels, where the demonstration started. We had some very good conversations with the participants, and many took our literature. The police was present, but didn't have to intervene. They only didn't allow them to access the European Institutions after the crowd had marched down there. So the police systematically blocked all the entryways. However, there was no violence emerging. 

We were very thankful for the outcome. Please pray with us that this event will bear fruit for eternity!

The gathering in the park

Police checking the scene

Participants talking with police officers

Offering Literature

People were interested

March to the EU Institutions

Police blocking

Ramblings and Prayer Request

I usually only blog to report about some special event that has happened in my life. However, this blog will be different. If you are not so interested in my everyday life, you may skip the next two paragraphs. But please make sure you read the last one. Thank you!

So my main concern at this very moment is my shower. I recently made the unforgivable mistake not to refill the water in my heating tank (or whatever you call that in English) in the bathroom in a timely manner. So just before my vacation, it looked like the apparatus had given up the spirit, so no more hot water and heating. While the landlord was on his way to my place, I did manage to refill the water properly, but there was still this error message on the display! But he seems to have the "magic touch", because after he pressed just one button, everything started working again!

However, now as I have returned from Germany, I noticed that I can only take contrast showers somehow! It's only hot for several minutes, and then cold for at least 30 seconds; then starting over the cycle again! Well, I know it's healthy to take contrast showers, but I would like to choose at least! And also the water pressure went down remarkably. So I need to contact my landlord again. I guess I will have a bill to pay soon. Just hope it won't be that expensive...

And here comes an urgent prayer request: I just found out that this coming Saturday afternoon, there will be a demonstration for freedom and democracy in Brussels (http://www.europeansunited.eu/). An SDA colleague from Luxembourg now suggested that we all go there to distribute the Great Controversy in different languages. What an amazing opportunity! So we have a few more days left now to mobilize people and get as much literature as we can. Please pray for us! More to follow later...

Germany - from West to East

At the time of this writing, I'm sitting in the ICE train heading back to Brussels, after spending more than two weeks in Germany. I'm thankful that I could do this journey, in spite of Covid. Of course I had to undergo testing again as well as a five day quarantine after arrival, but I could spend this time of confinement working from my parents place. 

As far as the encounter with my loved ones went, it was almost like pre-Covid times, as most of my family members are vaccinated by now; and thus, especially my mother and my aunt are not so concerned  about my dad and grandmother anymore. So we gathered without masks, hugging each other like in the past. Of course this was much better than Christmas, when we were sitting there with our masks on, not even sharing a meal together. 

I also spent a few days in our holiday apartment in the Black Forest, which was nice and peaceful. At the beginning of last week, I travelled on to spend some days with dear friends in Thuringia, Eastern Germany. We had a very blessed time together, although it was a little more rainy than we had wished for.  

As I'm writing this blog, I can see the Wartburg Castle near Eisenach from the train. This brings back nice memories when I was able to visit this place about five years ago. Yesterday, we went to a beautiful nature resort with a lake, and while the children were throwing little stones into the water, Alberto shared with us an illustration about these stones making circles in the water, which become bigger and bigger. I was just contemplating that the work of Martin Luther also made a big impact until this very present time. I think this man had no clue back then what far reaching influence he would have in the world. But in a similar way, we may not be aware what kind of impact our words and actions can make within our sphere of influence. May the Lord help us to continuously make circles that become bigger and bigger!

                                             Some impressions of the Black Forest