Well, friends, here we are…in the Netherlands.
The past few months have been insane. Truly crazy how things have changed and developed and happened. Many many many instances of a Divine Hand at work in a human world. Many many many instances of resistance and opposition by a darker force also at work. And yet, those of us with faith in God know the end of the story: "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
Here's a brief synopsis of some recent events.
Sunday November 10th, we were driven by Christy's parents to Chicago, from which we had a departure out of O'Hare on Monday November 11th.
After a HAUL to O'Hare with our luggage (Imagine moving continents….with a 16-month-old) and a bit of trouble checking in, we made it to our gate, only to see snow falling out the window.
We briefly panicked as we knew that that could mean delays. After conquering the airport shuttle, hiring the baggage guy at the curb to lug our stuff in to the check-in counter, successfully making it through airport security (no small task…), and making it to the front of the line at the gate with all three of us alive and well, all three of our overloaded carry-ons, all three of our overloaded "personal items," Sofie's stroller in a gate-check stroller bag, and Sofie's car-seat in tow for the plane ride, the thought of possibly having to leave that area, or even move to another gate was MORE than enough to cause a small panic attack.
Nevertheless, we made it onto the plane, where we endured about an hour-delay as they de-iced and prepared the plane and runway for take-off.
Sofie did fabulous! Thank you for the prayers as we were concerned that she, an active toddler, may not exactly handle an 8-hour plane ride OK, but she did! It helped that we left Monday afternoon, and arrived Tuesday morning as she got some sleep. As we were getting settled into our seats, we met a young lady that was sitting behind us. Her name is Sarah, and she was en route to Uganda to do mission work. We don't know much more than that, but it was a blessing for all of us to meet and to swap prayer requests.
After arrival and customs and gathering of luggage, we were warmly greeted by Adriaan Bais and Jamie Nachtigall! As our Regional Coordinator, Jamie flew over to welcome us and spend a few days with us, helping us settle and acclimate to our new world! Thank you, Jamie!
Jamie and Adriaan drove us and our luggage the approximate two hours to Brunssum, in the province of Limburg, where we are currently calling "Home."
Over the first week we've been here, we have had several interactions with people from the Church, in small settings and in large settings. The hospitality and welcome that has been shown us is nothing short of extraordinary. The Dutch Church truly understands the biblical emphasis on Hospitality and on welcoming the stranger in your land.
We have felt such great love and support from the Church literally around the world. We think of so many of you dear friends who have supported us and hosted us in various cities and states in the US this past year and-a-half. We think of our friends in Canada who showed us such warmth and encouragement in August '12. We think of our friends scattered the world over who have committed to praying for us. We give thanks to each of your presences in our lives.
The Church is not bound by language, culture, race, or nationality.
As we arrived here this past week, our friend in Australia, Pastor Dave Ravell changed his Facebook profile pic to a pic of our family as a way of supporting and praying for us. Dave, we thank you. And in honor of your tribute to us, I sported an Aussie shirt our first day here! Know that we in the Netherlands are in prayer for you all in the Land Down Under!
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