Back with a Vengeance

I know I have abandoned this blog in the past few months, so I guess it's high time for an update!

But where shall I start? I wanted to share about our health evangelism in June, but this has been already two months ago. In any case, we were very blessed having Ashwin Sukumaran from Uchee Pines at our church, and we even had attendees from outside.

And a couple weeks ago, we were very blessed again at our Westerwald camp meeting in Germany. This time, it was Michael Carducci and Ron Woolsey from Coming Out Ministries, Eugene Prewitt, Paul & Natasha Dysinger, as well as Johannes Kolletzki who served us as seminar speakers. The workshops on different (practical) topics were also very well received. And we managed the logistics for about 370 participants. It's getting better and better I would say. Having been at that place for the 8th time in a row certainly helps to get more and more routine. Our new registration software is also improving, and I'm learning to delegate more with the logistics. In fact, I'm already looking forward to our next camp meeting!

After the camp, I spent a couple days in Eupen, the German part of Belgium, just to relax. I like getting out of the city one more time after the camp meeting. In the past, I would usually choose the Belgian cost, but this time I decided to go to the east of Belgium. I really like this part of my adopted country. I fell in love with this area when we went there for our church retreat last year. I found a very nice Airbnb with a super friendly and helpful host. This lady went out of her way to make my stay comfortable. I look forward to visiting her again next week when we will go back there with the church! We will do our annual retreat at the local youth hostel in Eupen again, and I'm expecting another blessing. More about that will follow!

Hohegrete Christian recreation center

Eugene Prewitt and his interpreter Alberto

Johannes Kolletzki preaching

The food was great as usual

Edwin Voerman giving a workshop

Jay Krueger's workshop

The technicians did a great job

Nice octet

Children singing

Everything has to come to an end....

From Paris to Germany

So here I am in Germany visiting my folks. It is my birthday today, so as I often do, I chose to spend this occasion with family. I'm thankful for another year of life and look forward to what the Lord has in store for me for this coming year, aiming to draw closer to Him and to become the woman He wants me to be.

The weather has been rather nasty though - doesn't feel like May at all. However, I'm trying to make the best out of it. Thankful that the trip by rental car went well in spite of the rain.

The ASI meetings in Paris were a blessing. It's always encouraging to see how the mission work amongst lay people is moving forward. In parallel with the meetings, Doug Batchelor gave a public evangelistic campaign in the evenings. There were many decisions for baptism at the end.

I'm following the daily bible readings of the General Conference, and currently the book of Joshua is on the plan. So I came across chapter 21 verse 45, which is my favorite verse in this book:

"There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass."

Isn't that a wonderful promise? Here is a statement I found in an online commentary on this verse:

"all came to pass; exactly, precisely, and punctually, even everything relative to their temporal and spiritual good: so all that God promises to his spiritual Israel, with respect to their present comfort or everlasting happiness, all is exactly fulfilled, all his promises in Christ are yea and amen."

And this is valid even for us today! The Lord will bring to pass all good things with respect to our present comfort or everlasting happiness - at the right time. This may not be exactly the time when we expect or hope for it, but we can rest assured that in God's eyes it will be precisely at the right time and in the way He deems best for us. Aren't you thankful for this today?

Sacré Coeur - my favorite site in Paris

View from Sacré Coeur

Jardin desTuileries

River Seine

Notre Dame is still standing

Interesting house

Doug Batchelor preaching

Spring Blessings

It's been a while since I wrote my last update and many things have been happening. Springtime is in full swing with even summerlike temperatures these days. As every year, I'm enjoying to see all the flowering trees around here in Brussels.

Our Health Emphasis weekend with Silvia Rojas was very successful. It definitely created more awareness about the health message amongst the church members. Last month, I gave another cooking class, which for the first time took place at our church. Since we have a hyper equipped kitchen there now, I don't see a reason to still organize these events at my home. Of course it's much more convenient for me if people come to my place, however there is always a limit with space. This time, I had two great helpers from church who also presented some recipes, which took some weight off my shoulders. I was happy to see that about half of the attendees were either non-Adventists or backslidden Adventists. I pray that our health evangelism event in June will also be successful.

Also last month, I visited Alberto and Patricia in Germany, with their two little sons Henoch and Noah. We had a very blessed time together.

So having some days off over the Easter weekend, I've been enjoying time outdoors with beautiful sunshine, as well as some indoor activities like several sewing projects I've been working on. This is such a rewarding hobby (at least as long you don't struggle with the sewing instructions that come with the patterns!). Tomorrow, I'll be headed off to the ASI Europe meetings in Paris, which promises to be an interesting event. I will also have a little time for tourism, which I'm going to use to see some of my favorite spots in that city. Most probably I will also take a look at Notre Dame. Too bad there was this fire, but this tells me once more that no human construction is really safe from whatever harm. It actually reminds me of Mark 13:2, where Jesus said: "Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." But in all that, Jesus promises peace for our souls, which brings me to a text that I read this morning in Desire of Ages:

Sin has destroyed our peace. While self is unsubdued, we can find no rest. The masterful passions of the heart no human power can control. We are as helpless here as were the disciples to quiet the raging storm. But He who spoke peace to the billows of Galilee has spoken the word of peace for every soul. However fierce the tempest, those who turn to Jesus with the cry, “Lord, save us,” will find deliverance. His grace, that reconciles the soul to God, quiets the strife of human passion, and in His love the heart is at rest. “He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.” Psalm 107:29, 30. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” “The work of righteousness shall be peace; and  the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” Romans 5:1; Isaiah 32:17. ~ Desire of Ages, page 336.4

Indeed, there is peace found in Jesus, even in this confused and terror-stricken world we live in!

Some impressions of our cooking class

With little Noah and Henoch in Germany

Singing songs with Oma Maria

And fun times on the trampoline

Puerto Rico

It's been already over two weeks that I'm back from vacation, but because of a stomach bug and just getting absorbed with my everyday life, I'm only blogging about it today. 

It was a great experience visiting the Caribbean for the first time. It was back in the summer of 2016 when I had a lifestyle guest at Uchee Pines who came with her husband from Puerto Rico. I had a nice time with Sister Ada, and she invited me to visit them one day. It was a warm and sunny break from the grey winter here in Brussels. Christine, my former co-worker from Uchee, also came along, and our hosts went out of their way to make our stay pleasurable. So we went to San Juan (the capital), to the beach of the Caribbean sea, to the observatory in Arecibo (where they have the largest telescope in the world), and to other pretty places on this beautiful island. Sister Ada also made sure that we could preach and teach the health message. So we were invited to speak in several different churches. It was a blessings. The people were very receptive. If it wasn't for this long an tiring journey, I would do such trips more often; but for now I think I have enough from these overseas trips!

So I'm back to my daily routine now. At work, things are going well. I'm alone again in the secretariat, but next month, my new colleague will finally arrive. I look forward to that. At church, there are lots of activities as usual. Next month, we will have a naturopathic doctor from the UK with us. Silvia is originally from Peru, and I met her at Uchee Pines many years ago. She is going to hold a health emphasis weekend at our church. We are also preparing for a week of health evangelism in the month of June, with my former co-worker Ashwin. This also promises to be a blessing. 

Some years ago, I started participating in the daily bible reading plan of the General Conference. So that means you read a chapter a day, followed by some comment/devotional thought of a theologian or some other church member. Currently, we are in Leviticus, and chapter 15 deals with bodily discharges and how men and women should deal with such issues. I really liked the spiritual insight that the comment writer drew out of this chapter (which at first glance has no meaning for our lives today). He stated the cleanliness was one of those qualities that originated with a holy God. Cleanliness matters to God. And not only did He redeem us with His blood, but He also cleanses us from all filthiness. Aren't you thankful for that fact today? I certainly am!

A beautiful rainbow

At the Castillo San Felipe del Morro

At the Atlantic Ocean

Visiting the Fortress of the Spaniards

Enjoying the Caribbean Sea

A Lighthouse

With Christine

Breadfruit - a new taste!

At the world's largest telescope

Year End Blessings

As I'm writing this post, I'm at my parent's home in Karlsruhe. This past Friday, they have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. It was held in the closest family circle enlarged by some dear friends. I'm thankful that my parents have made it that long. It doesn't go without saying after all that couples stay together nowadays, whether they are Christians or not.

In a way, the months of November and December were much quieter for me than the previous, rather hectic months when I didn't really have help in the office. Actually, at a point when I couldn't have gone any further, things worked out for me to have at least a temporary help until January, and then as of mid-January, I'm going to have a new colleague who promises to be very nice and competent.

For Thanksgiving, I had another dinner with co-workers at my home. It was a smashing success. They really liked the food, and I was also able to raise some money for my project in Serbia. I'm very thankful for these opportunities.

On Wednesday, I'll be headed towards Puerto Rico, where I'm going to visit a former lifestyle guest with her husband. Sister Ada already wanted me to come visit a couple years ago, but then it didn't work out; and last year I wasn't up to flying overseas already having just returned from the US. But now I really look forward to this sunny break, even though it will be only for a couple weeks. I will also preach there and give some health talks at the weekends. This time, I will have some help from Christine, a former co-worker from Uchee Pines. I pray that the Lord will bless our efforts.

I'm currently transcribing some talks on mental health that I have found insightful. One of them is by Vickie Griffin from Michigan, US. I can highly recommend watching it under this link on Audioverse.

"It is possible to feel wrong and to do right. God gives us the energy, and it’s a miracle. It’s not all about feelings. As a matter of fact, the opposite of depression is not joy. It isn’t. The opposite of depression is resiliency. It’s the ability to tunnel through problems until you get to the lighter side of things, until you get to solutions. God actually uses trials to build character and resiliency into our lives. So we are waiting to get happy when there won’t be any problems anymore, but God allows problems to grow us into resilient people that aren’t depressed."

I also appreciate the fact that there are verses in the bible that don't only tell us that God is our helper and comforter right now, but that also contain promises for the future, like Psalms 27:13-14:

“I had almost fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart.” 

Yes, even if we don't feel like praising the Lord right now, we can believe that we will see His goodness in the future, and that He will make a way out of any darkness we may find ourselves in!

"Why are thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Psalms 42:11)

My parents on their big day

Back to School

Since yesterday, I'm with family in Germany. I'm enjoying this short break over Reformation Day, All Saints and All Souls Day. Wow, so many holidays in short order, but at least the latter two are also official holidays in my organization. I'm actually combining this trip with a mission from work, because on Monday, I'll go "Back to School". Yes, after almost five years I will go back to one of my former schools again to share with the pupils about my work and about the EU in general. They started this initiative over a decade ago with a lot of success. I'm very much in favour of such actions, as it is not only a very rewarding experience for me, but it's also great promotion for the European Institutions. And since the work of my current Directorate-General is very close to the life of EU citizens, they even encourage us to go on these trips.

Right now, I'm still recuperating from the stresses of the last couple months. It's been mainly positive stress, but of course every human body has its limits. It all started with this really bad cold I contracted while at camp meeting in August. Then I had a lot of visitors - which was great, but in a way also exhausting. Then my workload at the office steadily increased - and the fact that I still don't have a new colleague in the secretariat didn't help with that of course.

The fall is coming in with great force now; the temperatures having dropped notably in these past days. But it's already been back to 15 degrees (60 F) and we are enjoying some nice sunshine. We actually had a lot of that in the past couple months, with warmer temperatures than usual at this time of year. That's how I especially like Brussels, because during winter time, sunshine is a rare commodity, and thus I'm determined to enjoy it while it lasts! I also look forward to my upcoming mission trip to Puerto Rico at the end of December. I'm invited by a former lifestyle guest from Uchee Pines, who lives there with her husband. I'm going to combine this short vacation with a couple of weekend health seminars which I'm going to conduct together with a former colleague from Uchee Pines. I'm sure we will have a blast!

So today, I went to the cemetery together with my grandmother and her care taker. Since it's All Saints day, there were a lot of people visiting the graves of family members. I even saw some moslems there, bowing down and even kissing the tombs of their passed loved ones. And I witnessed a Catholic procession that went through the graveyard. I captured the group when they had a little service next to the graves of people who died during the bomb attacks when World War II was raging here (see picture below).

I don't believe in the immortality of the soul, but from time to time I enjoy visiting the tombs of dear people who are resting there, notably my grandfather and my great-grandmother. But how much more am I going to enjoy resurrection day, when I will finally see them again! Interestingly, one of the priests holding the little ceremony in front of the graves was reading from the book of Revelation:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! Gods dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!"  ~ Revelation 21:3-5

 Oh what a joyous day that will be!

Grandpa's tomb

Great-Grandmother's tomb

The Catholic procession

The victims of the bombings in Karlsruhe

Where Shall I Begin?

Indeed, I have no idea where to begin with my sharing for today. So many things have happened in the past weeks.

Again, our German camp meeting was a tremendous blessing. This time, 15 people from my local church attended (plus three former members who now live in Switzerland), as well as five members from other places in Belgium. Them and all the other participants where blessed abundantly. Unfortunately, I got sick during the week, but I kept up well till the end - with the exception of my voice. Nevertheless, I actually found it not such a bad fate to be relatively "speechless" towards the end. After all, I had had to talk so much in the first phase of the camp meeting, trying to put everything together with registration and tackling our new software. So at the weekend, I was able to step back. In fact, that's the advantage if you do logistics, because Sabbath is really a day of rest for you then. In a way, those who are involved with the programme are getting extra busy that day. Thank God, I made it safely home, in spite of not feeling so well.

And we were also blessed again with a nice group of Uchee Piners. I was so thankful for having had the Pershin's as main speakers. In addition, my former co-worker Ashwin came - initially only to help with the health workshop, but then we asked him to replace Dwayne Lemon, who unexpectedly had to cancel his participation as one of the main speakers. We also had Alberto from Serbia, who did a great job together with Andrey and Ashwin to hold the afternoon hydrotherapy/natural remedies workshop. They really made an effort to make it very practical for the participants. Like for example we didn't have any ice available to demonstrate contrast treatments. So I organised a ride for them to the closest gas station, which was less than 10 minutes away. Later I found out that they had to go to two more gas stations until they finally got the ice! They were really dedicated - and the feedback was very good.

The weekend before last, we had a wonderful church retreat in the German part of Belgium. Again, the Pershin's were main speakers, and they were such a blessing to my brothers and sisters. We stayed in a cosy, newly renovated youth hostel. Would love to go back to this place. Not only because of the nature aspect of this area, but I absolutely enjoyed being able to speak to everyone in my mother tongue :-).

And last weekend, I was again blessed with visitors! Tes, a former Uchee Pines student who lives with her husband in California now, came over to Europe. After a few days in Antwerp, they arrived in Brussels last week on Saturday and attended the church service. In the afternoon, they got fully involved with the distribution of flyers for our stop smoking programme that will take place at the end of September. On Sunday, I did some tourist activities with them. It was really nice to talk about the "old times" at Uchee with Tes. On Monday, they took off to Paris and London. First time in Europe for both of them. Uh, that reminds me of my first trip to the US back in 2000, noticing that this vast country is a totally different territory, although the people look quite similar to the people in Europe.

So I thank the Lord for His guidance in everything. Especially the latest happenings (of which I can't share right now, for the sake of brevity) have shown me again that HE is still in control, and that HE still holds every single atom of the universe in His hands! Praise Him for that.

Finally, I would like to share an experience: On Tuesday, during our "Away Day" with my Directorate-General, we (more than 500 people) were asked to gather in groups on the grass and form the letters of our DG, which is REGIO. Then, in order to take pictures of us, a drone was sent up to the sky forming our name. So as we were all standing there, smiling and waving at this drone, I was imagining Jesus Christ coming back in the clouds. Will we be first of all ready to meet Him? And if not, will we greet Him the same cheerful way?

"And the Lord himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."            ~ 1. Thess 4:16-17

May the Lord find us faithful.

Picture of the Belgian group at German camp meeting

Bryan & Penny Gallant together with Alice and Janice

Children sharing from their programme

Enjoying nature at camp meeting

With the Pershin's at the Belgian coast

With Tes under a giant smurf :-)

Tes and her husband with a giant waffle

Zwin Nature Park

Although Knokke has become my favorite place at the Belgian coast, and meanwhile I have been there several times, I had never made it to the "Zwin Nature Park" just outside Knokke. So last Sunday I finally went there. I didn't plan my coast trip long ahead, and thus it was difficult to find somebody to come with me; so I ended up going by myself.

It turned out a very worthwhile visit of one of the most idyllic places I've been to. They also call this place "the international bird airport", where all kinds of different birds come during the warmer season in order to hatch and enjoy the summer. There is a trail with different observation points, and you can also take a hike in the nature reserve.

Of course whenever I go this direction, I have to visit the sea side. So I spent another couple hours on the beach, enjoying the water and the rustling of the ocean. Given the time of year and the lovely weather, it was pretty crowded; nevertheless the world cup final obviously held back some people who might have otherwise traveled there for the day (at least I got a place to sit on the train back, which doesn't go without saying during this season). But since I couldn't care less about soccer (or any other competitive sports for that matter), I didn't have to stay put in Brussels :-).

Other than that, I've been working on some home improvement projects lately. Thus, after almost 16 years, I decided to change my bathroom shelves. It was really high time, as they had started to get rusty. So I found some beautiful and inexpensive bathroom furniture at the IKEA store. The problem is always the assembling, as I wouldn't consider myself a "handywoman", In fact, it's always a headache for me if I have to figure out technical stuff, and thus I was very thankful that it all worked out.

At my work place, it has been a bit more busy for me, as my co-worker in the secretariat took up a post at our Director's front office. But things are still manageable, and hopefully I will have a new colleague soon. I look forward to our German camp meeting, which is only three weeks away now. As usual, some organisational aspects have been challenging, but I pray that we will resolve all issues and that it will be a blessing. I especially look forward to having my friend Amy from Uchee Pines with her family this time. They will not only be speakers at our camp meeting, but also at our church retreat in Belgium at the end of August. So I'll be able to have them at my place for a few days. I'm sure that will be fun!

The stork had a little one

The nature resort

Lookout point

The ocean - just beautiful

My new bathroom furniture :-)