Gone to the Dogs Part 2

For Part 1 see: (Kevin's take on Holland dogs),

If we would have been a little more savvy when we first arrived 3 1/2 years ago, we would have gotten our puppy right away. But we finally have become Holland dog owners. As our good friend Eric says, "If I were reincarnated as a dog I'd want to come back to Holland". Though we don't have a yard for our dog to run in, we do have lots of open fields and "dog runs". The city maintains areas between canals where dogs can run and play with other dogs off leash. We take our dog to the dog run regularly, though recently a local shepherd took his sheep to the dog run for its bi-annual mowing, which has been problematic since dogs love to flop on their backs and roll around in strange smelling things. We've been avoiding the dog run since the sheep were there, unless we want to go straight home and give Sammie a bath.

The Dutch don't greet one another on the street, unless you each have a dog. Dog socialization is very important here, so you are guaranteed to be greeted and have a friendly chat with other dog owners anywhere you go walking, consequently we've met more Dutch neighbors in the 3 months we've had our puppy, then in our first 3 years. We even have a daily doggie playtime every afternoon between 4:00 and 5:00 when several neighbors meet in the little park in our neighborhood. The dogs play while the adults visit. Conversation starts with the different traits of each dog, but quickly moves on to other things. It sort of reminds me of days gone by when I would take my preschoolers to McDonalds playland with another mom, except that doggie play time is supervised by both male and female, young and old.


Dogs have it good here, and we are enjoying our little pup. Sammie is half lab and half friese stabij (a Dutch breed similar to a spaniel).

If you took a peek at Kevin's post "Gone to the Dogs" I can give you an update. Kevin pretty much got his wish, a Dutch-American breed, she obeys but is a fun rascal too, he didn't even have to train her to chase the ducks. I get a little grin on my face everytime she chases the ducks and birds, remembering Kevin's wish.

posted by Kathy

The Simple Truth

I (Kathy) read a book recently by David Baldacci called "The Simple Truth". After years of covering up the murder of a young girl, the simple truth of what really happened was at long last revealed. In an era when racism held a tight lid on the facts, an innocent man on death row finally gets his justice.

Sometimes we spend so much time questioning, doubting, and being cynical, that the simple truth of the gospel gets lost. In an age of post-modernism, both here in Europe and in America, a lot of great questions are being asked. I am all for digging deep and having the courage to probe, but I wonder if part of the price tag has been a cover up of the simple truth.

My daughter Kristi witnessed a very unsettling event in Seattle this past year. A man stood in a park yelling a gospel to an unlikely audience including a woman without shoes and a man who didn't know where his next meal would come from. I say "a gospel" rather than "the gospel", because, as Kristi put it when describing this event to me, "his gospel is not the gospel that I know. Christ's love met needs. It gave away shoes and food and a place to stay."

So the questions get asked and the answers seem elusive. But today it all seems so simple to me. I was reading in Revelation 2, about hanging onto our first love. And as I studied the word love, I found very simply that Jesus said "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself". Pretty simple. We don't only love God, and we don't only love people. We love God. We love people. The simple truth.

A day with IJM

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. They have 4 facets to their work: rescuing victims, prosecuting perpetrators, providing victim after-care, and working towards policy change within the legal systems of countries where slavery abounds. Kevin met the Director of IJM Europe, Terry Tennens, at the Christian Associates leadership conference in Portugal this past February. Kevin's interest in bringing justice issues to Crossroads was sparked. He spent many hours during the last several months recruiting and meeting with a team of Crossroaders who have taken the vision on with a zeal. Many team meetings as well as meetings between our team and various attorneys and government officials culminated this past weekend with a visit from Terry Tennens along with the COO of IJM, Scott Lewis (from Washington D.C.). They spent a full day with several local pastors, Europol, and the former chair of the Christian Democratic Party of the Netherlands. The day ended with Terry and Scott in our home for dinner, joined later by our Crossroads team. By the end of the evening our committee was given the green light to pursue next steps in setting up an affiliate office here in the Hague.

To quote Peter Luttik, a key player in our Crossroads IJM team, "the excitement about what we discussed last friday doesn't seem to ebb...". That sentiment is shared by many others as well. Kevin feels very privileged to have played a role in what may become a pretty significant force right here in The Hague in the fight against slavery.

Warfare versus Vacation

We just got back from the annual Christian Associates Conference in Sopron, Hungary, where Kevin was instrumental in bringing Greg Boyd over as the keynote speaker. The CA crowd loved Greg and the message he brought. He spoke at 5 main sessions on The Kingdom of God: “Revolting Beauty”, plus held some extra Q and A seminars.

One of Greg’s talks focused on spiritual warfare, his first point regarded the need for a “Warfare versus Vacation Worldview”. I was struck by the realization that even out on the mission field I can get caught up in a “vacation” mentality. Meaning I can all too often primarily be looking out for my own comforts and interests, rather than being continually aware of the spiritual battle we face. As we begin another year in The Hague, our desire is to be kingdom bringers by the love we show and by looking like Jesus to the world over here. Thanks Greg, for sharing your heart for the kingdom with us.

Throughout the week both Kevin and I relished the experience of bringing our worlds together. It was great to share Greg and Shelley with the CA folks, and to share the CA crowd with them. We also had the privilege of taking Greg and Shelley into Vienna one day and had a great time touring.

Hello, Goodbye, Goodbye, Hello

We arrived back in Holland this week, after saying goodbye once again to family and friends in the states. Kathy babysat Kayden for 9 glorious weeks, giving Kari a couple months of working without using Day Care. The bonding that took place between Grandma and baby was a gift never to be forgotten.

Grandpa and Kayden bonded pretty well too!

Kristi flew in from Seattle mid-June, with Kevin and Kenny following shortly after. Following are a few snipets of our summer highlights:

Pictured below are photos of a weekend at Kevin's sister Kathy's lake cabin. Kayden liked the water splashing on his feet.

Just being together was the best. We went out one evening to celebrate a nice promotion Kari received at work.

More pictures from our weekend at the cabin:

Being grandparents in awesome!

Kenny enjoyed two afternoons of paintball at our house.

We had great times connecting with our families.

We are very grateful for family and friends who made the summer possible. We were hosted by Kathy's mom Phyllis, Kevin's sister Kathy, and our friends Paul and Dolly Smythe. Our friend Dianna McCartan opened her home all summer for Kathy to watch Kayden during the days. Pictured below is Eric McCartan enjoying time with Kayden.

Kenny had lots of good times connecting with his friends Jeff, Ryan, and Spencer.

After a great 9 weeks for Kathy, 3 for Kevin, and 4 for Kenny, we said our goodbyes in Minnesota. We are still saying our hello's in Holland, but in the midst of that we said goodbye to our good friends the Husthwaites. Bill and Margo and their 3 kids Rachel, Hannah, and Joel have been at Crossroads for 8 years. Bill, Margo and Joel are moving to Singapore where Bill will be working.

Life abroad is marked more by the hellos and goodbyes than it is by the seasons. We wish Bill and Margo all the best as they venture out. Its been great to have them be a part of our lives.

Four Things

Our bodies don’t work as well as they used to. Caring for a baby 9 hours a day didn’t leave me with sore shoulders in my 20’s and 30’s, but it does now. Kevin’s eyesight used to be a source of pride, but not any longer. Now reading glasses perch themselves in several places throughout the house. I can eat less, exercise more, and gain weight. Kevin’s body protests when he treats it like it was still 30.

What has happened? It’s the FIFTEYS! Yes, they have hit us both. And we are finding that the body does age and neither of us is crazy about that idea.

After a bit of time bemoaning the AARP mail and the new aches and pains, Kevin decided to do something constructive. "What are the top four things I want my 50’s to be about", he asked. I was so inspired by his short but profound list, I thought I’d do the same.

You may not be in your 50's, but whatever decade you are in, what are your Four Things? Here are ours, perhaps they’ll inspire some more lists.

Kevin - Four Things I want my 50's to be about:

1. Surprise people with genuine love.
2. Order my inner world so that I can listen well - to others and to God.
3. Boldy bring forth new life.
4. Be more playful than I was in my forties.

Kathy - Four Things I want my 50's to be about:

1. Love Well.
2. Foster a spirit of gratefulness.
3. Have an impact amongst the poor and/or oppressed.
4. (my secret - after all, this is a blog. You can have your secret too)

Let's go forth and make a great world in this decade. Who says getting old is no fun?

On Living Well (and dying well)

"Not again" was my second thought upon receiving the news about the Adrian’s. My first thought was grief, knowing all too well what lies ahead for this precious family. Pam and Alan Adrian, along with their 2 children Meghan (5), and Zach (12), moved to the Hague 8 months ago, leaving their home in Calgary, Canada for a 4 year assignment with Shell Oil. Two months after their arrival Pam’s health declined, but doctors were suspecting colitis or allergies until recently.

Two weeks ago a colonoscopy revealed a massive growth in Pam’s colon and more tests revealed advanced colon cancer which has already spread into the lymph nodes and ovaries. Her prognosis is six months to live without treatment, one to two years with treatment. In the midst of tests Pam boarded a plane for her home in Calgary, followed by her husband and kids a few days later.

I walked alongside Deela and her family during her last 18 months of a 3 year battle with ovarian cancer, aided my mother in caring for my father during his last months of life, stood at my father-in-laws deathbed, journeyed through the grief of my brother-in-law’s horrific accidental death, and buried my own brother as a young child. I am far too familiar with loss and grief.

Prayers of Crossroaders have beseeched the throne of God for the lives of three other members with a terminal cancer prognosis in the time we have been here, and wept as they buried each one. One sure thing in this life is that one day we will look death square in the eye. Whether it happens when we are old or young, from a killer like cancer or another cause, our death is one of life’s few guarantees.

Pam’s diagnosis came as a shock. Thursday’s life held an adventure in the Netherlands as a family of four. When the sun rose on Friday morning a new life greeted the Adrian’s. A life to prepare a family for death.

There is no surety of how any of us would react to news like this. I pondered how I might respond. What would I choose? How I would I prepare for death?

One week ago I left Kevin and Kenny at home in the Netherlands to help my daughter out with Kayden for a couple months. I asked them what they needed from me before I left. I also asked myself what preparations were important to me. Kevin wanted a big batch of homemade pizza sauce, some Italian sausage from a specialty meat market and clean sheets and towels. Kenny was pretty easy-going about the whole thing, didn’t ask too much. We all wanted some special time together, so we had a pizza feast and a "24" marathon on one of my last nights. I was compelled to cover all the upcoming details for the remainder of the school year with the guys, and have some last words of instruction and encouragement for Kenny.

How would I prepare my family to leave them forever? Pizza sauce and clean towels would be irrelevant.

Jesus knew what was important before his death. In his final days he shared his heart with his friends. He tried to prepare them, to comfort them, and to encourage them to remain in him and to love each other (John 14,15).

Jesus lived well. He didn’t have any regrets to patch up or issues to resolve. He lived a life of integrity, he knew who and whose he was. He poured his life into his friends. He knew his mission and finished the work given to him.

Satan wins many skirmishes in our lives. I don’t believe that death, disease, and tragedy are a part of God’s plan. But I can do my best to live a life of integrity, to know who I am and whose I am. I can "live at peace with everyone" as far as it depends on me (Romans 12:18). I can strive to know and fulfill my calling, and pour into my loved ones. Perhaps then should tragedy raise its ugly head there will be grief and sorrow yes, but no regrets. Perhaps then my legacy will live on and peace will reign.

My heart is heavy for the Adrian’s. I pray that whether it come in the form of physical healing or not, that the next few months and years will be marked by one evidence after another of God’s intervention and mercy. And I pray that somehow Pam can leave this earth well, whether it is far too soon from this deadly cancer, or someday many years from now after living through her present nightmare.

True Love Prevails

posted by Kathy

Have we mentioned that we have 2 kids here in Holland? Besides Kenny and his friends, that is. Miriam and I found each other spring of 2006. We shared a tent together at Soul Survivor and there began a most gratifying friendship. My girls were far away, and she, a young 19 year old, was alone in Holland having left her parents one year earlier. Miriam, though Dutch, grew up in in Papau New Guinea with her parents, who are Bible translators with Wycliff, her brother and two sisters. She was the 2nd to the last to leave home to continue her studies in Holland. Miriam and I enjoyed lots of movie nights together, and she often spent the night on Saturday's and attended church with us on Sunday. Miriam was a little lost in the world with her parents being so far away, but equally as difficult was being separated by an ocean from her boyfriend. Not a conversation went by that didn't include a lot of talk about Andy.

We met Andy in the spring of 2007 when he came to visit Miriam. They became engaged druing his trip, and we instantly approved. In fact, when we found out that Andy was going to be moving to Holland that fall we offered him a place to live. He took us up on that offer and lived with us for 3 months, until he could no longer remain in the country because of work permit issues. We provided Andy with a "safe" American type haven in a new culture, while he provided us with many warm memories, lots of laughter, and was a wonderful big brother to Kenny.

I've never seen anyone so sad as Miriam, the Sunday after saying goodbye to Andy at the end of those 3 months. Having said so many hello's and goodbye's over the past 2 1/2 years, that last goodbye was just too much. She would not see him again until 2 weeks before their wedding. After 2 1/2 years of long distance phone calls and skype, wading through stacks of red tape and bureaucracy trying to convince one of their countries to allow the other in, Andy and Miriam were finally married on March 18.

Dutch weddings are very different than American weddings. The festivities last for an entire day. Their day began at 10:00 am when the day guests (30 of us, including the family, wedding party, and a few close friends) arrived at Miriam's parent's home (they moved to Holland this fall to be near to their 3 children who left Papau New Guinea). Miriam got dressed and ready in her room, after which Andy arrived and the couple had a few minutes to be alone. They came downstairs and were greeted by the day guests. Of course tea and treats were served.

Next, we all proceeded to the town hall for the civil ceremony. In Holland the church wedding is not a legally binding ceremony. Only Christians will continue on with a church wedding, others just have the civil ceremony. While the woman officiating the event did a beautiful job of telling Andy and Miriam's story, it was quite a godless ceremony and I understood why Miriam said she "only felt half-way married" after the service.
Next we all headed for our home, where we had a luncheon plus the wedding cake for the day guests. Caroline, our youth director, coordinated all the food and we only supplied the house. Andy and Miriam prepared a surprise video for their guests, paying tribute to each and every one of us. It was really special to have the bride and groom in our home for this part of the day.

Then we headed for dinner! Yes, a mere 3 hours after this spread came another. The day guests were treated to a lovely dinner and a slide show of the couple.

Now it is finally time for the real wedding. Kevin performed the ceremony, Kenny and 2 of the other youth, Jamie and Timmy, were ushers, and the rest of the wedding guests came to take part in their marriage and party afterwards. A great end to a perfect day.

Hidden Blessing

Kathy's reflections:

I'd like to dedicate this post to what I am calling our "hidden blessing". Todd and Katie have been renting our home since we left for the Netherlands August of 2005. Todd and Katie had sold their home a few months prior to our move to Holland, without knowing what was to come next. They acted in obedience to a sense from God that they were to sell, downsize, and rent for a time. God acted in their hearts preparing them to fill our need. As an added blessing, Katie and I have developed a special friendship, sprung up through our shared common interest, the house. Katie has been a huge source of encouragement to me, and hopefully I to her.

We contracted with Denny to do a walk through every so often, checking up on the house, fixing problems or finding someone to fix them. It only took Denny a couple of months to write us saying he couldn't in right conscience take our money for doing this anymore, as Todd did such a wonderful job with the house. Todd keeps things up meticulously, as though he were the homeowner taking high pride in his property. It is their home now, and they consider it a ministry to us - caring for it while we are away.

A little about our home, we have a 1931 home that was in Kevin's family since 1981 - the woods behind the house was in the family since the homes in that area were built, sometime in the 1930's. When we bought the home it was quite small, and Kevin labored many hours building the patio and retaining walls, and helping the contracters with the addition wherever he had the opportunity. Our kids have spent many hours going through grandma and grandpa's attic, snow sliding down the back hill, and ice skating on the rink across from the house. Our house has always been a ministry home, starting before we owned it when Kevin's parents used their home for ministry and continuing on today with Todd and Katie and their family. Our home has hosted many a bonfire, stogie night on the patio, and small groups for youth and adults. Its been a haven for those in need and a safe place to drop by and process life. We'll always remember the night we arrived home about 11:00 pm to find a biffy on the front lawn. Later that evening we were awakened around 1:00 am to the hushed sounds of the Life Challenge ministry setting up tents in our backyard - just to have a camp out and play a joke on us. Our home has ushered in new life, and said tearful goodbye's to loved ones passing on.

I miss our home in Minnesota, but am eternally grateful for Todd and Katie, who treat that little cedar shake house with tender loving care and make it possible for us to serve the Lord internationally without having to say goodbye to it forever.

Thank you Todd and Katie, may God bless you richly for ever and ever for your hearts of service and love toward us.

New Life

I've always heard it said that being grandparents is the best, but now I know "they" are right. I (Kathy) was waiting outside the surgery doors (c-section) for Kayden's arrival. What I didn't realize beforehand was that those maternal instincts kick in with grandchildren. This little guy is certainly the most adorable baby ever born. I watched my daughter bond with her baby, witnessed the two of them get to know one another during those first hours and days, a memory I'll treasure forever. In true Grandma form (a term I have grown to love), here are some pictures of Kayden.

New Year Contemplations

I, Kathy, have my own ideas of what this New Year will entail. My own dreams, aspirations, plans, hopes, wishes and purposes fill my mind and prayers much of the time. But as I enter 2008 I ask God what HIS dreams, aspirations, plans, hopes, wishes and purposes for me are. And my prayer in entering this New Year is that God will interrupt me, will in fact, re-set the navigation system if any of my settings are off course.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer challenges me to start out my New Years thus:

"We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people, claims, and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with more important tasks...When we do that, we pass by the visible sign of opportunity raised in our path to show us that, not our way, but God's way must be done. It is a strange fact that people frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. They think they are doing God a service in this, but actually they are disdaining God's 'crooked yet straight path.' But it is a part of the discipline of humility that we must not spare our hand where it can perform a service and that we do not assume that our schedule is our own to manage, but allow it to be arranged by God". Dietrich Bonhoeffer, German theologian, murdered by the Nazis during WWII.

On a lighter note, our "schedule" was interrupted in a most delightful way this past weekend. We had 3 young men in their early 20's (kids of Kathy's cousins) stop by to see us during a 10-day European tour. We were able to give them a little taste of legalized anarchy on New Years Eve, when our usually quiet little neighborhood housing somewhere between 600 - 1000 people (covering a territory equal to approximately 3 square city blocks) turned to bedlam. Millions of dollars go up in smoke in Holland between 10 pm and 2 am every December 31, when anything, anywhere, is legal. The net effect is, you get the kinds of fireworks displays going on 360 degree around you, similar to public shows on the 4th of July in the states. Here are a few pictures of the carnage about 12 hours later, noon on New Years Day.


















































Brian Nuth, Brent and Randy Johnson