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

A few clips of our summer

Kristi had one dream for her 21st birthday - and here it is. We all went to Baldwin and watched her get on the plane, watched the dot fall out, and she landed right in front of us. Awesome!




















Kevin's family got together one weekend at his sister's lake cabin.













The 3 kids, happy to see each other again.

Father's Day

Kevin had two of his three kids home for Father's Day, and got to talk to the third on the phone (in the 15 minutes he was home, good job Kari on timing that call). We started the day out at church, then the church picnic, you can view pictures on the previous post. What he really wanted to do for Father's Day was to watch the sunset into the ocean with his family. So we all headed for the beach. Here are some pictures, enjoy.

Crossroads Annual Picnic

Great food, water balloons, a pool, and a silent auction to raise funds for Omallas who will be heading off to Uganda in three weeks (2400 euro was raised) made all the work well worth the while. Kevin doesn't often lose, but he lost this battle, as you can see!

Anybody from Woodland Hills recognize the face on the last picture? I got a tap on my shoulder on Sunday morning at church, and there stood Terri Christopher. He was in the country on business, which he is every once in awhile, but he still catches us by surprise every time. Kristi has been home since the 3rd week of May, Terri gave her quite a shock.