Bits from Belgium - Week 8

~ Psalm 57:7-11 ~

Bonjour les amis et la famille! (We're back to French for this week! :-)

So how has your week been? How are you?

Can you believe it's September already?! I can't!

... Nither can I believe that I've been here in Genval, Belgium for 2 months... that I leave in 4 1/2 weeks... that I'm cooking and ironing and actually liking it... that I'm learning a tiny bit of French... that I'm keep my hair down sometimes... that I love Belgium and Europe... that I've met so many incredible people and have added to my family of friends... that I've been able to be a part of this amazing family and household... that I am here... now... loving, learning, laughing, and living the life I've been given! WHAT A PRIVILIGE!!!!!!!!!!

All is well here, and most of what I'd like to share this week is below, so on to the bits!
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Jeudi - 30 Août , 2007 - I woke up at 5:30 a.m. with the nearly full moon shining on my face again. It's so pretty and so neat! Makes me kind of want to get up and dance in the moonlight, but I was tired, so instead I just smiled, thanked God for it, and tried to go back to sleep...
Paul left for a 12 day visit in the United States today. How very strange to be saying good bye to him while knowing he will see my family tomorrow. It was not as difficult as I'd imagined it would be to say good bye to him knowing he'd see my family. Only when I gave him a hug and asked him to send my love to my family did I tear up and ponder the possibilities of hopping into his baggage! The day went very well otherwise though, and knowing I only have 5 1/2 weeks left here makes me want to make the most of my time that's left!

Vendredi - 31 Août, 2007 - Today is the first day of our annual church Labor Day Family Camp. To our family and many of our friends, Labor Day weekend is synonomous with Labor Day Family Camp. I believe this year marks the 3rd camp I've missed in my 21 years of life (correct me if I'm wrong Mom!). At any rate, it's hard to know what's going on and not be there. In addition, Paul is at the camp and is seeing my dear family!!! I thought I would be much more upset over that fact, but knowing he's seeing them and was able to deliver a few small packages made me quite happy, and I'm thankful that they at least get to see him and vice versa. It's been easier than I thought it might be to miss camp. There was a a bit of consolation when I realized I would be asleep during most of the important parts of camp, so I at least wouldn't be here looking at the clock and knowing what's going on too much! That's a selfish consolation, I'm afraid. The other consolation and encouragement is that in the very first few moments when I felt the "call" to come here, (at LDFC, in fact! More on that later...) I also had a strange sense that I would not be at LDFC this year (2007), but would instead be in Belgium. At the time it was an amazing, almost unbelievable, and overwhelming thought, but I clearly remember it, and it has encouraged me through this weekend and given me an internal "okay" to not be there, if you know what I mean! Kind of makes me want to pay a little more attention to some of those little "whispers" we hear from God as well... He doesn't lie! :-)
Another huge encouragement came after returning from a long, much-needed walk this morning. Upon returning to the house I found a "suspicious" package awaiting me from a very special friend in the U.S. I ran up to my room and opened the package... out of which wafted the irresistable smell of Jessica R.'s homemade chocolate mint cookies which have become our Labor Day Camp cabin tradition! In addition to the cookies,, Jessica had written up a multitude of hilarious, heartwarming LDFC memories we've shared over the last few years. I literally laughed out loud reading several of them! She also had several very sweet notes from some of my friends who shared a few of their favorite memories from our times together at LDFC. What a heartwarming, most amazingly considerate gift Jessica! It left me speechless, and I don't think THANK YOU is nearly sufficient!

Samedi - 1 Septembre, 2007 - Happy Birthday Stephen! A beautiful, but pretty typical day here! I was able to sleep in and have a quiet morning. I took a shower and actually dressed up a little (for me anyhow! ;-) I usually don't have time (or make the time) to do that, but I think everybody appreciates some variety in their lives, and I don't want to be an eye-sore too often! :-) We had a quiet afternoon as well, and watched a movie "The Devil Wears Prada" together (Rebecca, Annie, Susannah P. and I) at dinner. We got "kabap's" gyros for dinner. D-licious! They are like the gyro equivolent to Chipotle! Big, scrumptious, filling... etc. :-) Today was also LDFC back home, which I was of course thinking a lot about!

Dimanche - 2 Septembre, 2007 - A quiet day here. Beautiful, but cool. We watched the movie "Sabrina" together. Nothing exciting to report... just another day of enjoying eachother's fellowship and the life and moments we've been given!

Lundi - 3 Septembre, 2007 - Labor Day in Ohio... first day of school in Belgium. (Labor Day in Belgium is in mid-October I believe? I can't remember, but it's definitely not today!) A rainy, gray, warmish, and kind of pretty day as it kept changing between rain, sun, clouds, and back again. The rain sounds so nice on the windows and through the trees. It seems it is often a rainy day like this on Labor Day in Ohio, so it seemed appropriate here today somehow, even though it wasn't rainy in Ohio. :-)
Today marks the day exactly one year ago when I first felt called to come here. It actually happened at LDFC while I was praying and trying to surrender more of my life and the concerns I was holding onto to God. I suddenly got a very strong impression and realization that I could and SHOULD pursue going to Belgium the next Summer (now) after I graduated from college to offer myself to our friends for a few months. It was a very "strange" sensation because it was one of those things I had known about for a long time, ("that" being the fact that the family could use people to help take care of Rebecca and had young ladies from around the world that would come and help take care of her), but never had a huge interest or feeling of being called to do it. It was also strange for me to realize I had not made ANY plans or thoughts about my Summer, 2007, which is very unlike me normally! God apparently knew that I would have a harder time going if I had previously made plans! Anyhow, it happened suddenly at camp, and it was almost like God dialed my phone number and called me up to go... I don't recall ever having such a strong certainty that He had called me to something like I did for this. I hope this isn't the last time He "dials me up" either! :-)
Through the end of LDFC last year, the praying and looking into this opportunity, the planning and preparing for the trip, and now the finally coming here and experiencing it, God has proved Himself SO very faithful and true to all His words! It's been SO amazing to see His promises fulfilled and His grace given through an experience I can't imagine doing alone, but LOVE doing with Him!
A somewhat hectic day here with many peopole coming and going (including a representative from the organization Joni and Friends). We were nicely exhausted by the end of the day! School is also now in session here in Belgium, and with the school just behind the Petries' house, we hear the happy shouts and cries of children on the play ground throughout the day. It's much louder than it was during the Summer, but as we say... "at least they're happy sounds"! Besides that, it makes me feel more at home. :-)

Mardi - 4 Septembre, 2007 - I finally saw the movie "Amazing Grace"! WOW! I LOVE IT! The lines in the movie are fabulous (made me want to have a notebook and pen just to record some of them!), and the movie is a nice compilation of tension mixed with some humor and romance, history, and good acting! I'm usually a few months to a few years (or lifetimes!) behind on the latest movies, but this is one many of you had been talking about, and now I know why. :-) Otherwise a very quiet day, which was very nice after Monday's zoo! :-)

Mercredi - 5 Septembre, 2007 -
A quiet morning and cool, cloudy, misty day. Late morning a friend of the Petries (Norma, one of the ladies I went "kringwinkeling" with last week) came and took me to visit the monument and site of the Battle of Waterloo, where Napoleon met his defeat against 4 other nations. The monument includes a huge mound with a lion erected on the top, as well as a couple informative "museum-ish" things. We went into a panorama building that contains a 3-D, 360 degree wall mural of the fight, complete with battle surround sound and some artifacts and models surrounding the ground. It was impressive and a bit saddening to think about the thousands of lives lost on that day and the chaos and fear and anger and everything else that might have gone along with that battle. Wow.
After the Waterloo visit we went out to lunch at... McDonalds! Have you ever ordered McDonald's in French before? I hadn't until today! One of the things I'm realizing I enjoy so much about being here (or in any foreign country) is that even the littlest experiences can be so exciting, a bit scary, and quite fun! It's a bit of a game to try to work at communicating what I would like and how I would like it, and it's most interesting to see little kids stare at me with wide eyes when I speak to my friends in English! It really is a taste of life from a different angle, and it's certainly not dull! :-) I was able to order what I wanted, although when I asked for a bag since we were trying to do take-out, I was given salt instead. Oh well... sel and sac...same thing I guess... :-) Actually, the place was incredibly packed and noisy, and my French is pathetic anyhow, so I was happy with the salt and we ended up eating in anyhow, so it didn't matter that I didn't get the bag. :-) Norma and I finished our day by visiting a couple more kringwinkels (thrift stores), before coming back home around 4:00. The afternoon and evening has been rainy, gray, and quiet.

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* * * Over the past few weeks, in my "spare" time, I have been working on a short photo compilation/slideshow covering some of my favorite pictures from the first 2/3 of my visit here! I hope to do a more complete presentation when I get home, but for now, if you would like to get a taste of my past 8 weeks here, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imbXFSSdVbo (let me know if you have any problems viewing!)
(Please make sure you have your volume turned on!)

I apologize if many of you have seen some, if not all of these photos already, but perhaps you can enjoy the music if nothing else. :-)

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Blessings in Belgium:
* The opportunity to sight-see a little!!!
* The amazing people I'm getting to meet and learn about!
* The giving of time and self from other people, which has allowed me to see and do what I have!
* The knowledge and experiences I am gaining here in areas so different from those I had at home
* The ability to communicate with "all ya'll" at home and throughout the U.S.!
* The beauty of this place and the world we live in!
* The amazing privilige it is to be here in this place, doing what I'm doing, with the people I'm with!
* The surprising enjoyment I have found in the challenge of learning and practicing a bit of the French language!
* God's faithfulness and grace each and every day...
* Good sleep and less tiredness this week!

Prayer Requests:
* Some mischievious, very itchy "something" bites that have showed up on my arms! Not sure if they're mosquito, spider, or something else, but whatever they are from, they've caused several red, itchy, bumps to develop on my arms. I wouldn't mind them leaving now. :-)
* That I can be humble and serve the way Jesus has taught and demonstrated
* That I might decrease so that He might increase
* That I can love, be a light, and bless those I interact with
* That I will be in tune with and always seeking and listening for His guidance throughout each moment and day

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Thank you for another week of note, letter, picture, package, e-mail, and especially prayer blessings!

~ MB

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"A sacrifice offered,
In response to His call,
Nither half nor three-quarters,
We're asked to give all.

We're urged to give up,
In order to gain.
To learn and to trust,
His goodness through pain.

Faithful, forever,
He knows the grand plan.
Who, why, and how?
All I know is, God can."
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--- www.mbbelgium.blogspot.com ---
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