Journal 2019

This Month’s Trimmings

All the way from South Africa, the wooden star travelled, to be pitched on the tip of the tree, representing the light of newness. We did not realise it then, but we had to look with the eyes of our heart and not only with the rational mind to see the Light.

During the years in our new land (18), we’ve collected colourful small trimmings – each with its own story. The tree used to look somewhat boring with odds and ends compared to pretty colour-coded trees of friends.

As I decorated the tree again, same old trimmings, I’m seeing…

Our tree has many soft dolls: our ‘Dolly’ fills our lives. She had respite care for a few days giving us time to ‘be normal’. We celebrated 26 hard, joyful, blessed, messy, interesting years with her. We are still smiling.

Many different hearts: we appreciate each other. We love our children, our family in South Africa (we miss being together), our friends. The children and their dogs spent Christmas Day with us. We are grateful for strangers welcoming our message through life stories, especially when Wim shares.

Cuddly bears: we could sleep in and linger in pj’s until…

Delicate glass balls: the final church service with our retired pastor and his wife was emotional; even more so as we helped them pack up to move to England. They lived the life they taught. We are rich.

Strings of lights: farmers in the area decorated their tractors and trailed through villages providing a colourful spectacle.

For the first time in many years, Wim and I visited the Grand Place (picturesque market square) in Brussels to see the huge tree, a gift of gratitude from the municipality of Stavelot, in the Ardennes. Stavelot was a rampart for Brussels in the last Nazi German offensive rank, during the war. Brussels adopted Stavelot in 1945 providing aid in many forms.

This year, maybe for the first time, I ‘saw’ our odds-and-ends-tree – one long story of Goodness and Presence. We are grateful and there’s room for more odds and ends to add!

Father’s Gift

Home had found us.

Come,
rest
and behold the One who brings new beginnings.

Old fashioned letter to family and friends

Dearest family and friends

Kirsty is in bed and the dishes are done. I still have some ironing to do but decided to sit down and write to you all.

It was so good to talk to some of you, to hear your voice and be part of everything life presents you. It is encouraging to learn how you deal with that life-threatening illness; we smiled at how much you enjoy your grandchildren visiting; thank you for sharing the beautiful image of a sunset; learn about your exams and that you have passed! We had a giggle about your struggles with technology and all your travel experiences.

My birthday was celebrated by having a meal with the family and guess what? I had to cook!!! My gift was a ‘drill’… a cookbook. Maybe I’m not getting the message? At least we sipped from a golden cup and celebrated harder. I’m talking about the Rugby World Cup which we won in Japan, of cause. Just like that rugby match, we are playing our own game – hard, messy, victorious at times and hoping to finish well. Eighteen years ago, we arrived in Belgium. It was hard but we are still counting our blessings.

Wim was in Spain for a week to share with students about our journey of discovering the Father’s love – so different to what we think or believe. He loves Spain as it reminds him of South Africa in so many ways.

He also still enjoys his counselling training although he is seeing less clients, he has to, because the weariness does not leave while pushing through. He did a hard thing to cancel a trip to Lithuania, but it was necessary. Kirsty had respite care for this time. I felt guilty to have her stay with her friends at the centre for a few days while we were just at home… Is this what ‘normal’ feels like?

Ellen, (my dear friend) and I had a fun day in Leuven (a neighbouring university city), lingering and browsing in quint and quirky little shops. Wim would possibly have managed two shops with me. That is why I have my own friends, like Ellen!

Kirsty was also her talkative self with the magistrate at the court in Leuven. It was all about us becoming her lawful representatives as she is now a mature young lady/girl/our Dolla/still our baby who charms with her simplicity, ten recognisable sounds and no signature.

There was a request for the coming festive season. Wim’s offer was accepted and mine denied – something like the story of Kain and Able from the Bible. Mine wasn’t acceptable because I was in South Africa in the last 6 months. They struggled a bit with Wim’s because he travels extensively, posing a risk. But then eventually they took the blood he donated. I was offered coffee and a biscuit.

It is rather late…

Thank you so much for your love and encouragement. We love and miss you. Hoping to hear from you soon unless the postman loses our letters like he did with our parcel from South Africa.

Keep well. Hugs and kisses,

Wim, Amanda and Kirsty

P.S. We are still trusting with you all for the much, needed rain.

The Rock and the Dance

Training; connecting with people for prayer, listening, sharing, planning; discussions; reports; one part of the broken car repaired and a conference with our extended church family in the Benelux Region.

Blessed with 3 nights in a hotel, we headed to the south. Autumn had her beautiful coat on. It was cold. We were tired.

Following the narrow road: only one car fits through the rock, split right in two, then along the water of the Meuse River to the little town with its 13th century Gothic cathedral at its heart, old, very old, centuries old and as a backdrop, the prominent rock cliffs with an old citadel perched right on top.
This town, Dinant, in Belgium’s Walloon Region, has learned to live with its rock and its water while swaying to the jazzy tunes of the saxophone.

This town belongs to Adolphe Sax. The founder of the saxophone was born here. Throughout town, large scale saxophones speak of pride and presence.

It rained for 3 days. We stood on our Rock as we received news that both my mum and my sister were in hospital. Mum recovered and my sister is learning to live with a life-threatening disease. And we are learning the new steps of this dance with our God, pushing boundaries of releasing and loving more fully.

Kirsty had a cold and Wim consulted a doctor friend who said, “Stop, time for a sabbatical.” He is in the process of stopping.

Deuteronomy 32:18
You have forgotten the Rock that fathered you and have gotten out of step with the God who danced with you.

We Celebrated.

Wim, Stiaan and Laura had plans for a meal together. But Stiaan ended up in a small room in hospital to recover from an infection. He received a big card from the hospital to celebrate his birthday. Not special, he thought, but, we think he is hugely special.

Coffee and pancake in a quirky little shop called Past 2 Present Creations (Tzaneen, South Africa) was a good way to celebrate my sister’s birthday and for just being sisters.

The best mother ever! I cherished our time together.

Family and friends (from the time we were singles) are ALWAYS worth celebrating.

After three long weeks in South Africa… It was good to be home!

I always celebrate the gift of words. Kirsty enjoyed observing the many browsing people while I decided which books to buy at the annual English second-hand book sale.

When the car broke down on the way home one day, super kind people were around, even the Romanian guy with a British accent in the tow-in truck.

By now, the YWAM base in Saint Hippolyte-du-Fort in the South of France feels like home to Wim. He shared on coming home to the Father – the celebration that really matters!

Nature celebrates in rain. We dance in the rain.

This Month in Pictures

To-Do List

• Write that article.
• Card and gift for Carina. (Our severely challenged neighbour’s birthday. She is an inspiration of courage and endurance.)
• Laundry, ironing, pack. (Wim off to Lithuania to speak at a retreat. He was encouraged. They were encouraged. I received pots of delicious raw honey.)

• Remember Kirsty’s appointment with the doctor. (Drawing blood failed. Taking blood pressure failed. Measuring her temperature failed. She always seems tired… but still chatted big time with the doctor.)
• Complete and mail questionnaire for anaesthetist. (Kirsty scheduled to have her teeth cleaned under sedation.)
• Call Stiaan. (Their dog had surgery.)

• Funeral at 10:00. (A friend’s father passed on – what a celebration of a life!)
• Return my sister’s call. (Mum has pneumonia.)
• Pray with friends.
• Complete and mail questionnaire for Kirsty’s annual summer camp.
• Call my sister. (Mum was admitted to hospital.)
• Wim to lead the church service and pray for people at the end of the service.
• Call my sister. (MRI scan was taken of mum’s brain.)
• Call the doctor in SA. (The brain tumour that has been removed some years ago, has grown again affecting many of her organs. Not good news about mum.)

Lord, what are we to do? When is the right time to go and see her? Help us to keep our eyes on you. Help us breathe-in the Peace that surpasses all understanding. Give us wisdom.

• Laundry. (Kirsty wet the bed, duvet and all, again.)
• Change appointments, schedules and speaking engagements.
• Laundry and ironing, mark clothes, pack, medicine, toiletries. (Kirsty to go on annual summer camp. Heat wave on its way!)
• Wash curtains.
• Browse for plane tickets.
• Fetch Kirsty at 10:30. (She enjoyed the camp and did much better than last year – even went into the swimming pool!)

• Shave Bella. (Her hair is thick and black, and we have a heat wave. Shabby-chic style.)

• Call my sister. (The strong antibiotics seemed to have worked. Mum is very weak, but better.)
• Bake scones. (Stiaan, Laura and dogs come to visit.)

Keep the eyes of the heart focused on Hope.

Blue Mind

(With gratitude to Dr Wallace J. Nichols who teaches on red and blue mind and how much in need we are of water to revive us.)

From outer space
A view of
ONE
blue, marble-like earth-planet,
mostly made of water and
billions of human specs,
mostly made of water
with each a brain,
mostly made of water.
ONLY ONE PLANET.

Water is medicine for ‘red’, over stimulated, tired minds and bodies. We are promised life from the Fountain that never runs dry and our personal deserts are not without wells – drops of ‘water’ to revive us. We just need to see.

Our spot (Europe) on this ‘blue marble planet’ is heating up. We had our first heat wave of the season with code red announced, schools closed, people dying, wild fires consuming and retailers of air conditioners and fans running out of stock.

Things are heating up in the European Parliament in Brussels. The member states struggle to agree in choosing the new president and other candidates for key positions within parliament.

But water is healing to our ‘red minds and bodies’. We go to water to be alone, to relax, to create, for love and romance and even a touch of nostalgia.

Our personal ‘go-to water’ was an apartment on the Opal coast of France overlooking the broad walk, the beach and the sea. The coastline is dotted with the remainders of the Great War. And now, 75 years after horrific D-Day, British, French and Germans kite surf together on windy days. And I was wondering if there might have been maybe some German soldiers, whilst guarding the channel from a bunker, also stood in awe at the magnificent display of sunsets, maybe a ‘go-to water’ moment…

We were awed (like the visiting toddlers) at the colorful, delicate heart of the ocean at Europe’s biggest aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer. (The visiting teenagers raced through noisily and were mostly interested in taking ‘selfies’.) Man, plants, animals, sea and solar system are all brilliantly, intricately, mysteriously inter-connected. Whatever good or bad happens with the one, affects ALL the other!

Hopefully Wim and the message he shares, were like a stream of fresh cold water from the water fountain we use to drink from at school, long before water came in plastic bottles. He shared with students in Paris for a week, spoke at our church and a small congregation in Flanders and to a group of lay counsellors in training at our church.

‘Fresh water’ from the southern hemisphere (South Africa) were inaugurated as senior pastor and his wife at our local church. May the retiring couple find their waters of rest for the new season in their life. We honour them for freely giving water to us all.

The leaders of our 4 YWAM ministry locations in Belgium came together to share life – a drop, hopefully creating a refreshing pond for others.

*

Looking from outer space, even deserts are surrounded by water. This is how it was made. We stand in awe and wonder, grateful to be part of it all – connected as one living community.
May we see the true value of ALL our water.

This month we paint

Colour palette I will be using:
Red: love.
Blue: heavenlies, divine.
Green: hope, new life, peace.
Yellow: joy.
Gold: Christ, divinity, Kingship.
White: peace.
Black: mourning.
Pink: relationships.
Orange: endurance, fire.

This month started off in slow orange/amber – Labour Day. My amber earring is a beautiful reminder to endure and keep going even at a very.slow.pace when a particular family member keeps persisting in being… not agreeable.

On a Sunday afternoon we had to choose either green, blue, red, orange or yellow. Red and yellow won. They now, have to find a way of working together because they are the political parties to form our new government in Belgium – they are not friends. Hopefully, they will learn to cross cultural boundaries and work together so that we can all live in harmony and hoist the white flag.

Then Kirsty’s centre hosted a loud summer barbeque – all vibrant orange, red and yellow. (With our adult-children almost nothing is done quietly.) Good food, caring company, laughter about shared struggles and the joy of pure love expressed in sincere hugs were the recipe for a fun evening together.

Mother’s Day was pure red love. We so miss our mothers!

Wim had a pink and green weekend, and week, with dashes of the same colours throughout the month – saw clients for counselling, received more counselling training and shared at a church). He was part of the leadership team of our local church who organised a weekend away for a group whose desire was to learn to let go of past difficult relationships and learn more about the all-important relationships with Christ, self and others.

At Heidebeek, The Netherlands, with our extended YWAM family, the same happened with a diverse group from different parts of the world. Hope flourished.

A speck of black – we remembered my father walking on only two years ago – we miss all our parents.

My disabled neighbour and I do art together on a Friday afternoon. When I walk away with a tiny painting under the arm, my heart sings pure green gratitude.

Oh yes, Bella is black… no actually grey!

A friend walking through some tough challenges and I, walked beside quiet waters. All green.

And then of cause the stunning colours of our summer garden…

We paint a golden halo around it ALL, gloriously connected to our Royal Source.

Pattern of Everything

time called Easter,
eat and drink of this one miracle
death – resurrection – renewal.
pattern of everything
to befriend and embrace.
and now,
not one miracle,
but
everything a miracle.

Wim’s trip to South Africa had him breathe out some weariness on a farm called Salem, in a small bungalow, all on his own; walk bare foot in the sand to watch the displays of color at dawn and dusk. Simply peace.

Then came the waiting and more waiting in ques for the bank-man and the tax-man. Family and friendships were celebrated around coffee with cake and countless barbeques.

The final touch of South Africa for this month was the time to vote at the South African embassy in Brussels. We have hope for this pattern of everything in our beloved country – renewal.