MB to Belgium and Back

Photos from Week #6

2011-07-24T08:50:00.001-07:00

Somewhere... over the rainbow...

Family dinner around the table! Raclette! Mmmmmm!

Back at the Chateau de La Hulpe with my friend, Diana!

We met several statues in the gardens...

And encountered a beautiful bridge on our walk

Part of the camera and filming crew at the Chateau

One of the many horses at the Chateau

A Belgian slug... they are very healthy and happy here... much to the Petries' chagrin!

Adorable Elliot :-)

Bits from Belgium - Week 6

2011-07-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 16, 2011

I am sitting here at my desk in my room, listening to the rain pour onto my sunlight. It. is. lovely.

I love listening to the rain. I am excited to go to sleep to it.

Today was a blessing. I was up early, but once I got Rebecca up, with Jenna, I was able to go back to bed for awhile. It was really nice. I was tired today... like all the tiredness from the week piled up into one day and just hit me. Honestly, God has been so faithful these past weeks and I have been so strong, healthy, and covered in His grace to have the stamina and joy in all of my tasks. Things I wouldn't have thought I would have enjoyed (like all the cooking!) have been incredibly enjoyable and relaxing even, to me. After a good little nap this morning, I got up and got ready for the day, started making the crust for my banana cream pie, and started getting lunch together, doing laundry, stocking stuff, writing the schedule out for next week, etc... all the usual busyness. :-) Paul went to pick-up Mary from her rehab center and brought her back for lunch. We had a nice and delicious lunch - I bought a bunch of new cheeses the other day, and we had several of them for lunch... mmmmmm!)

After lunch was naptime, and a nap sounded good again, so I did some e-mail stuff, worked on next week's schedule some more, and then lay down for another short nap. The weather earlier today was the typical Belgian sun, clouds, rain, clouds, sun, etc. We also had more wind than usual, so it was lovely to listen to and feel the wind through my window as I rested. When I got up I managed to keep busy for the rest of the afternoon and evening, finishing the banana cream pie, helping Jenna make dinner (turkey burgers with bacon and cooked in the bacon grease... DELICIOUS! :-) Dinner was nice, Mary left, and then we watched The Italian Job. GREAT movie... and intense! I feel like I'm tense all movie and have lots of adrenalin released, and then the great relief afterwards, which leads to some other hormone release and a great feeling. I think we're leaving our chic flicks for awhile and getting into an action-film kick. Paul is happy about that, and we are all loving it so far! :-) We watched "Sahara" yesterday. Boy... that was intense too! After the movie, it was time to get Rebecca ready for bed, so we did that, I cleaned up a few more things in the kitchen, and then it was back upstairs to check and write a couple e-mails and then... back to sleep! I feel much better now - my body is re-energized and I'm not tired. I do hope I can sleep tonight, but I don't think I will have too much trouble with that rain sound lulling me... :-)

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Today was a relatively quiet, busy day. You know, the typical here! This morning we got Rebecca up and a little bit after that I started working on our dinner-lunch: chicken, potatoes, green beans. It took longer than I expected, but all turned out well and was acceptably eaten. :-) We also did some more cleaning of kitchen cabinets and Rebecca's room. After our wonderful lunch and conversation, we got Rebecca down for a nap, I did some e-mailing, and then I went for a walk around the lake... 1 1/2 laps! As usual, I got home right as it started to rain. It's truly miraculous how often it looks like rain, but doesn't start until I walk into the front door! I had a little bit of down time late afternoon, then back to preparing food for our "laid-back" lunch-dinner (popcorn, fruit salad, leftovers, etc.) We ate dinner and watched "Did You Hear about the Morgans" (cute movie!). After dinner and the movie, Jenna, Michelle and I were cleaning up the dinner dishes and talking, when all of a sudden I gasped as I looked outside and saw a super-bright RAINBOW outside! We all three dashed up the two flights of stairs, laughing and gasping to our rooms to get our cameras and look out the high windows. It didn't last too long, but it sure was beautiful! I LOVE rainbows!

And now, I really must be off to sleep, as I'm back on 7 a.m. shift in the morning (every morning, this week, in fact, except Weds. Tuesday night will be my only midnight shift this week.)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Today was another fine day. The weather was chilly with many showers on and off throughout the day. 7 a.m. came, but not too soon. I got up and helped get Rebecca up, but then had a couple hours of quiet to read, rest, and do some computer stuff. I've been working on my Fall class and teaching schedule, and the course times just came out, so I think I finally have the first quarter more finalized. I just have to decide what classes to offer to teach, and then find out which one(s) I get!

I ran a few errands today and went to the pharmacy to pick up some meds for Rebecca. There is a huge Lab who was there. He belongs to the pharmacist and his name is Scotch. I met him 4 years ago, the first time I was here, and actually went into her back yard and played fetch with him. :-) He must have been 3 then, because he's 7 now and starting to gray. She let me say hi to him, and it was wonderful to get licked and leaned on by a great big lab again. I've missed that! It was also fun because dogs speak a universal language, and he didn't care that I stumble my way through every public conversation everywhere else in Genval, but with him - the communication was quite clear, and we were both happy. He got a good petting, and I got a few licks and walked home smelling like a dog, and very pleased. We had tomato soup and grilled cheese for lunch today --- it was "that" kind of weather... so gray, chilly (low 60's!), and wet. It stopped raining a bit in the afternoon, so I walked to a nearby store for a few groceries, and then came back home, read awhile, and then started dinner. We had raclette, which is a fun meal, kind of like fondue. I had not heard the story before, but apparently it originated with the Swiss. There is a specific raclette cheese that is put on a little pan inside a little open oven thing, and then we top the cheese with various vegies or meats, and when the cheese is bubbly, we pour it over boiled potatoes. Mmmmm... delicious! I had it for the first time last year when I was here, but it was fun to see Jenna and Michelle enjoy it for the first time. It's typically a Fall or holiday dinner, but we had fun with it "partying" for no reason. :-) Trying to be a friend and "manage" two 17 year old girls isn't without it's challenges, but they are really sweet, amazing girls, and so respectful, generous, and kind to me. I love them both already.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

All's well here. Rebecca and I slept well I think. She called me at 3 a.m. because she was uncomfortable, hot, and thirsty. We got that all taken care of, talked a minute, and then I headed back to bed. She was being funny and said she was laying there, awake, and thought, hmmmm... I miss Mary Beth. I think I'll just call her. :-) Of course, she really had reason to call me, but it was funny none-the-less. There's a good chance I won't be on midnights again until possibly next Thursday night (the night before I leave). I will continue doing 7 a.m.'s so Paul can sleep in, and the girls will alternate midnights. It means I will have the opportunity to get uninterupted sleep, which is nice, but I enjoy doing midnights with Rebecca and the one-on-one time, so I will both be grateful to get full nights' sleep, and miss it at the same time!

I have a Bible verse from 1 Peter that I've been meditating on the last couple days...

1 Peter 4:10-11 "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen."

I like this verse a lot. It challenges me in any situations I have to speaks and/or serve, and re-orients me to the focus of everything I do - "so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and power..." I think that's what God has been sharing with me the last couple days, along with the usual dose of "being content with where I am and what I'm doing" (And I am! Even if there are moments of longing, God is enabling them to not slay the appetite of my living!

I had a nice, busy day off today. This morning I got up a little after 8 and puttered around until 9:30, when Diana arrived. We went to the Chateau de La Hulpe and walked around and talked. The weather was humid and gray, but dry. We saw horses and cattle, slugs, trees, a tiny black frog, and lots of birds. There were a bunch of vehicles up at the Chateau itself, so we went to investigate, and from the best we could tell, it looked like they were video-ing for a movie or something! They had several dogs there being involved in the filming as well. We were terribly curious to find out more, but a guy "guarding" the area told us we would have to make a wide circumference because they were filming. We should have asked for more info, but it was in French, and we didn't want to get in trouble, so we walked on. :-) Afterwards we went out to lunch at a really nice little place with delicious sandwiches.

Diana dropped me off at the Petrie's about 12:30, and then I had about 20 minutes before Donatienne (the kine/physical therapist) came to pick me up. She had her adorable 2 1/2 year old son with her, who speaks the cutest French ever!) We went to the store to get some bread and meat for sandwiches, and then just hung out at her house for the afternoon. She offered to take me wherever, but I don't really have anywhere else that I feel I "need" or want to see, and I enjoyed just visiting. Elliot (her son) napped, and we talked and she showed me their yard and the work they hope to do on it this summer. She has SO much energy and is so lively! It was fun and nice to get to know her more and just chat.

She brought me back to the Petries at about 4:30, and I spent the rest of the evening reading, writing, eating dinner, posting pictures on facebook, took a shower, and visited with the gang (had a great conversation with Jenna this evening too... guess it was a day of great, deep conversations for me!) I'm tired tonight - I think all those "deep" conversations have worn me out! I was encouraged, challenged, and excited by all the good conversations, but it is draining too. Paul and the rest of the "family" were watching the last Bourne movie tonight. I decided to pass on it and spend the time in my room reading and writing. I'm tired and decided I wasn't in the mood for more loud shooting, chasing, violence, and drama.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Hard to believe I will be at the airport this time next week, getting ready to board a plane back to Ohio, USA... I will probably be getting up around midnight (Ohio time) on Friday morning, and should be at the airport, boarding my plane, about 4:00 a.m. Friday morning. It'll be a long day! As far as I know all the flight info is the same.

Thank you for your prayers here. Things are going really well. The girls have settled in so smoothly and are really doing a good job. It makes me feel much more peaceful about leaving, knowing the girls are able to handle things and that Paul and Rebecca will be in good hands and not have to go through a stressful transition. We are all so grateful for how carefully the Lord planned and orchestrated these months for all of us! I think taking over the cooking will be the biggest challenge for the girls, so you can pray for that, but otherwise, they seem to have a good handle on how things roll around here, and are able to almost everything now. I defrosted the last freezers and fridge yesterday, so all our "extra" caregiver jobs should be finishing up. It's very satisfying to be able to look at Annie's list for us and mentally check off each one: done! :-)

Yesterday was the Belgian National Holiday (the Belgium equivalent of the USA Independence Day :-). I stayed and helped with Rebecca yesterday so Jenna and Michelle could go into Brussels with Diana. They all had a great time, and I enjoyed a quiet day with Paul and Rebecca and Annie. I had a really nice talk with Rebecca over tea, and Paul and Rebecca gave me a couple nice decorative dish-things as a gift - something to decorate and use in "my" home some day, that I can remember them by every time I look at them. With so much activity here the past weeks, I really treasure the one-on-one time I get with Paul and Rebecca. Last night, after helping get Rebecca to bed, Annie drove all three of us across Genval to the "fete" (party) where there was a little carnival, concert, and at 11:15 p.m., fireworks!!!! (They have to wait until 11:15 here for it to be dark enough to do the fireworks!) Annie dropped us off and we walked around a bit and then stood and watched a magnificent fireworks show! Jenna and I especially enjoyed it because we hadn't seen any 4th of July fireworks! It was really awesome, and right above our heads (quite loud too!) The music accompanying the fireworks was also quite splendid. We had a great time, and then walked back home, getting back around 12:15. I was too wound up to be able to fall asleep right away, but slept hard once I did. Poor Penny (the dog we are still watching for Mary) was panting and shaking when we got back, but she handled the various firecrackers and explosives throughout the day very well. It was an interesting experience to be the "foreigners" at a national celebration, but being all together was really fun, and we laughed a lot and had a good time. Tonight, Annie and I are going to a dance performance which I believe will be featuring Mexican, Hungarian (?), and Flemish and Wallonian (both Belgian) dancing. I am excited to go! I never expect or plan on doing much outside of my off days when I am here, but it is a treat when we do get to do something like last night or tonight! I will not be getting an off day next week (it'd be silly, since I'll be leaving on Friday!), but I am/will be phasing out of my responsibilities to help the transition hopefully go smoother, which may leave me some time to go back into Brussels and visit the Royal Palace again. They are opening it up for free to the public to go inside and tour for a couple weeks, starting Tuesday. I have seen the outside so many times, but never been inside, and from what I've heard/seen in pictures, it's quite magnificent inside! Other than that, this next week will be spent savoring my time here with my "family", preparing and packing to leave, and then hopping a train at 7 a.m. Friday morning to head to the airport...

I am trying to focus on what (who) I will be seeing at my return, rather than who I will be leaving here. The good-bye's will be hard, but will probably be more of a "see you later" or "a la prochaine" (until the next!) than a good bye! These last days are flying by... which is both exciting and sad for me! There were times when this visit seemed to be long, but when I look back on it now, it really feels like it's flown! So much has happened since I've been here (where you are and where I am!). I am so glad I came.

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Today has been good. I had another good tea time with Rebecca (she has been sharing such gems of wisdom for me to bring home and "practice"... I can't get enough of 'em or her input, and value it so much! :-) This evening I called my family while they were together for a Kopechek Family Reunion. I got to be passed around and speak with my Grandma and Grandpa Kopechek, a bunch of aunts and uncles, a couple cousins, Bethany, and my parents. It was really nice, although I always hate missing the reunions... I love my family! :-) After dinner tonight we watched "The Terminal". I love that movie! I liked how it really showed how important relationships, as well as simple honesty is, and how far they can get you. For whatever reason, after the movie, Jenna, Michelle and I were cleaning up the dishes and got all giddy and goofy and were laughing about everything. It was a riot, and so much fun. We just laughed and laughed and kept cracking jokes and being silly. I'm afraid to say a lot of the laughter came from my actions and the crazy things I was saying. I was so tired, and couldn't stop saying goofy things and mixing up my words! Anyhow, it was a fun time, and Rebecca joined in the fun while we got her ready for bed. I guess those late nights and early mornings are getting to me, but I don't mind being giddy tired if it means we all have a bit of fun and laughter. I haven't laughed that hard in awhile, and it was great. I love this "family" too, and am so grateful for the gift I've had to get to be here for awhile, to be trained, grown, challenged, loved, and blessed.

I have so much to be thankful for, and I realize that even more when I think about how amazing it is to have people on both sides of the world who I almost cry (or do!) at the thought of leaving, but also can hardly contain my excitement at getting to see the ones on the other side of the world as a result of leaving those I care about on the one side. Wow... I'm confusing myself, but I think you know what I mean.

A Visit to Oostende, Belgium (7/14/11)

2011-07-17T08:41:00.001-07:00

On a cool, blustery, wet day, I traveled by train to the northern coast where Belgium meets the North Sea, to a town called Oostende. When I arrived, it was pouring down rain, so I stayed in the station awhile to wait the storm out...

First impressions of Oostende... boats... LOTS of them! (And water for them too! :-)

I spy an American flag! Do you?

The next observation was the smell... fishy! Yes, I was definitely at the sea!

And for a few of the drier moments, in between wind gusts, I admired the beautiful, churning North Sea and the powerful sound of it's waves beating on the shores of Belgium, and the sea gulls flying and screeching around me. Interestingly, there were not the sounds of tourists and crowds... I wonder why?

Perhaps this was why? Approximately every 15 minutes or so, while walking on the "brickwalk" along the coast, another Oostende deluge would strike, with "hurricane" winds and pouring rain. I would take cover in a shop doorway 'til the worst of the rain had passed, and then step back out to walk another half mile or so before the next deluge would hit. :-)

A few poor tourists following my example, broken umbrellas and all!

On my way back to the train station, after a very "refreshing" and exciting walk along the North Sea, I came across this awesome church, The Sint Petrus-en-Pauluskerk (Church of St. Peter and St. Paul). Built in 1905. Some interesting information about the church: The "West Front" of the church faces east, so that the church points its most impressive face towards travelers arriving to the port. All the original stained glass windows were destroyed in the World Wars. The current glass windows depict Belgian kings and queens and Saints Peter and Paul.

The rose window of the church, at the entrance (just below it are the amazing organ pipes!)

The altar area of the church... also very beautiful!

A unique painting I found in the church.

Then, it was back to the train station to head back towards Brussels... with a stop in Brugge first!

A Visit to Brugge, Belgium (7/14/11)

2011-07-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

Next stop? Brugge, Belgium! Also known as "mini-Venice" because of all the beautiful canals that wind their way through the city!

The Brugge Market

The streets in Brugge reminded me a lot of those in Prague! I like 'em a lot!

Lots and lots of canals and beautiful water! It was a day full of seeing water, feeling water, wearing water, tasting water... it was a watery day! :-)

On the way home, I ate some more Belgian frites...

And a Belgian baguette sandwich... Mmmmm!

Meanwhile, in Ohio...

2011-07-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

Neo, the last CCI puppy I raised, was successfully placed as a successor service dog in a side placement at CCI this week! Since I am currently in Belgium, I did not get to meet his partner or see Neo, but I did send a letter to CCI for them to give to Neo's partner. I got an e-mail from his new "Mom" yesterday!

"OMG! I've met Neo, and he's such a sweetheart! He has done so well today. I'm impressed. He has been very easy to work with. I'd love to have a scrapbook of him. He looked so cute as a pup. It was a real hard decision to get another dog, but he is making it so much easier. You should know that he will be loved dearly, and I can't thank you enough for all that you've done to help me and others. I don't know how you do it.

Thanks again!
------- and Neo"

My heart is full and happy! Neo is where he was born and raised to be, and this is the perfect beginning to end Neo's story with me!

A puppy raiser friend of mine who raised Neo's partner's previous service dog (the dog passed away earlier this year at the age of 14 or so), had lunch with her yesterday and snapped a photo of Neo for me. I'm attaching it. He looks great!

Thank you for supporting and encouraging me through this journey!

Have a great weekend!

~ Mary Beth

Where in the World is Mary Beth Kopechek?

2011-07-16T00:32:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder where exactly I am?! (Sometimes I do!)

I am in Europe, in Belgium, which is snuggled in between the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Luxemburg. I am about as far north as the middle of Quebec, and southern Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

I am about 4,055 miles from Columbus, Ohio.

I am about 23 kilmometers southeast of Brussels, Belgium.

I am right here!!!

Photos from Week #5

2011-07-16T00:15:00.000-07:00

My happy, crazy tomato plant!!! It makes me so happy and exciting every time it "sprouts" a new tomato. I only wish they would start changing color so I can taste one before I leave!!! :-O Come on, tomatoes!!!

The "Petrie Three" - Rebecca's caregiver team for July-August, 2011: Michelle Cottingham, Jenna Wolfenson, and me.

We had a fun little photoshoot in the Petrie garden!

Hiding in the hydrangeas!

These hydrangeas are my favorite!!!

Tree-hugging...

My Belgium sisters! These girls are so wonderful, and it is a privilege to be here with them!

Bits from Belgium - Week 5

2011-07-16T00:13:00.000-07:00

Monday, July 11, 2011

I am doing well. I was very busy today... and the last few days! I wouldn't have it any other way. Everything went smoothly, but I am tired tonight. Trying to do all the "normal" things, plus "host" and train the new girls (the next girl arrived today :-), is exhausting! Michelle is also 17, like Jenna, and has been settling in well. Michelle, like Jenna, is also very willing and eager to help. They're both great girls, and I consider it a privilege to be here helping them in their first visit to Belgium and also helping them help the Petries. If you think of us, please pray that I can be a good teacher to them both, set a good example, and also be a friend to them. It's a hard balance to be trying to teach and lead, but also want to be friend with them too.

I made my first crockpot meal today. It was a pork roast, and turned out well, even though it wasn't quite what I expected. It was quite tangy and almost sweet and sour-ish. I was just excited that crockpot worked so well and required so little attention! :-) The crockpots here run much cooler than in the US, so I had the roast on high for about 9 hours, and it was just done in time for dinner!

What else? I picked up Rebecca's shirt at the dry cleaners, got a few things at the grocery store, and went to the post office. All not very remarkable or exciting to do in the USA, but here, every outing is a nerve-wracking, exciting, sometimes embarassing adventure as I stumble my way through language barriers, cultural differences, and new experiences in general (I mean, how often do you see me going to the dry cleaners?! :-) This has been so good for me! :-)

I laughed earlier this week when I realized another thing God has been doing "to" me with this visit. Typically, my work is focused more on Rebecca and her care, which is great and enjoyable for me. However, this time, the need for me is in more of Annie's role, which happens to be helping "run" the household (meals, laundry, shopping, making sure things are stocked, etc.). God is having me "play house", which is great experience for me since I have lived at home most of my life, and probably have it pretty "easy". :-) Talk about good preparation... and God's sense of humor in working out a way to get that experience for me! :-)

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Today was a good day.

The morning was busy with laundry, taking medicine inventory, dishes, helping with the morning nurse and also teaching Michelle. At lunch, Paul and Rebecca ate alone in Rebecca's room, so us girls went out to the garden and had a lovely lunch in the beautiful weather, and then had a fun photo shoot. It was a nice, relaxing time together, and I guess Rebecca was watching us from her room and laughing at us. :-)

The afternoon was a little quieter. I helped Jenna with finding and understanding the train schedules and then went for a walk around the lake. It was starting to cloud over and some storm clouds were rolling in. I loved it! There were sailboats on the lake again, and when it started to rain, the kids' instructor (?) came around on a motorized, blown-up boat and "rounded them up". It was so cool to see all the sailboats turning and heading in the same direction together. I took a nice, relaxing shower afterwards, and then set out to defrosting the refridgerator (one of Annie's requested jobs for us this week). It was a big job, but I'm pleased to say it's done, and looks much better! We cleaned the whole fridge and shelves, and it was a very rewarding process when it was all over! It's cooler and windy tonight and has been raining off and on.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

I had a good day today. This morning, was up at 7 with Michelle (the newest caregiver). All went smoothly, and I had a quiet-ish morning while Rebecca had her quiet time. I read two particular scriptures that jumped out to me... The first was from 2 Corinthians 1, and was so, well, comforting! I shared it with Rebecca too.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. ⁶ If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. ⁷ And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.

The other scripture was from 1 Corinthians 15:58:

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Paul took the three of us girls grocery shopping this morning. We got so much food... I felt like we'd surely never have to shop again while I'm here. But... with 6 mouths to feed, it will go quickly, no doubt! :-)

Tomorrow is my second to last day off. I am hoping to take a train up to the northern coast of Belgium and see the North Sea and beach, and then take a train back and stop in Brugge, another beautiful Belgian city with pretty churches and canals and chocolate and... stuff (I've been there once). :-)

The moon must be near full. It was cloudy, misty, and very chilly here today, but this evening the moon shined and was so beautiful and bright. I loved it. If you see it tonight, or tomorrow night, look for the reflecting coming from the east. I'm waving and smiling at you!

Thursday, July 14

Happy Bastille Day! (France's "Independence Day"!)

I had a great day today!. Today was my day off again, and I took a train this morning from Genval to Brussels, then got off that train and onto another one headed for Oostende, the very northern tip of Belgium. It was chilly, gray, and wet today, which kind of "put a damper" on things, but at the same time, I found great entertainment and joy in the excitement of the various "elements" I faced, and, for most of the day anyhow, maintained a positive attitude and had fun with the elements. :-) There are many positives to having perfectly miserably weather to go "tourist-ing": 1) you don't find crowds, 2) you don't get hot and sweaty 3) you cover a lot of ground because you need to walk quickly to stay warm 4) If you ever visit again, in different weather, it could be a whole new experience 5) you see and do things you not otherwise have seen and done (like go inside buildings, shop, etc. 6) you have better stories to tell (like almost getting blown away, or meeting the family that went through 3 umbrellas!)

On the approximately 1 1/2 hour train ride up to Oostende, I randomly sat next to a family who... gasp... spoke American English! I was shocked at first, and then immediately asked them where they were from. Turns out they are from Macon, Georgia (just outside of Atlanta... we went through it on the way to FL! earlier this year) I had a nice time visiting with them and it made the time pass really quickly. The family is doing a little "tour de Europe" together, and are spending a couple days in Belgium, and were touring Brugge today. They had three kids, two daughters and a son, all who looked to be mid to upper teens? We stopped at Brugge about 15 minutes before Oostende, so I wished them a good time in Brugge, and jokingly told them I'd look for them later when I stopped by Brugge on the way back. Little did I know, I actually WOULD see them again there, but I'm getting ahead of myself. So, on to Oostende. We arrived in Oostende in a downpour, so I waited in the train station for about 15 minutes until the rain lightened, and then started walking. The train station is right by the marina and a short walk down a brick "boardwalk" to the "beach". I immediately discovered that the weather was going to win today. First, my feet quickly became soaked outside and in. Oh well, I've had that happen before. Next, the incredible winds of Oostende took care of ripping my umbrella up to the point that it got thrown out this evening. Actually, it was the Petries' umbrella, but thankfully not an expensive one! :-O I guess the North Sea beach is known for its winds, and today was, I think, worse than usual. I don't know that I have ever faced such strong wind gusts. At one point I was being blown down the sidewalk/road, and was slightly concerned that I wouldn't be able to stop at the bottom before crossing the street! It was almost hurricane like, but really cool too! There was a lot of construction around the beach, but I did find a nice spot to observe the roaring, surging sea, watch the sea birds, and smell... ick, fish! There were all sorts of cool boats around too (even one with an American flag on it! It also had a Belgian flag). There was hardly anybody around, and we were all soaked to the skin, carrying shabby, beaten umbrellas, and mostly smiling, laughing at the situation, and cheerful. Though I didn't get to touch the sea, (it was just too rainy and windy to get down on the beach) I did taste the salt in the rain. Does that count? :-) After walking around and dodging in and out of doorways to hide from the downpours, I headed back to the train station, made a stop at a magnificent church, and then hopped a train back towards Brussels, but first, stopped in Brugge.

Brugge is called "mini-Venice" because it has lots of little canals and waterways weaving through it. I had been there once, but it was fun to go back, and it reminded me a lot of Prague, actually! I walked and walked and walked all over - I had a map, but everything was so wet still that I just chose to keep walking around somewhat aimlessly, admiring the buildings, and half-lost most of the time. The city is surrounded by a circular-ish river, so I knew as long as I stayed within those boundaries, and in the areas where most of the tourists were, I was fine. There were also maps around the city for when I was ready to head back to the train station. So yeah, I was mostly lost most of the afternoon, but enjoyed it. I stopped and did a little chocolate shopping and found a couple shirts for Rebecca.

After taking lots of pictures, and did I mention that I walked a lot (? :-) through the misty rain and varied winds (it was milder in Brugge, but not by much!), I started heading back to catch my 5:35 train back to Brussels and then Genval. Along the way, guess who I ran into? Yep, the family from Macon, Georgia! It was so funny! They were on their way back to the train station too. They were taking a different train back, but it was nice to hear briefly about their day, and I was able to take a couple family pictures for them before they headed on. It's so funny how something as simple as meeting up with a couple other Americans and visiting with complete strangers can make such a difference in brightening a day! The train rides back home were quiet... wet... and relaxing. I got home, ate a little, took a warm bath... ooohhh.... ahhhh... don't think I've done that since the last time I was here?! I was going to bring along Leafy Luke today, but found him a little dry and losing leaves. :-( So instead, I grabbed a picture of Luke and I together, and was going to take pictures of that everywhere. But alas, the weather was such that I could not risk having such a precious photo ruined by rain or wind, and so it stayed in my bag. Nevertheless, it was there with me the whole time... through rain and... well, more rain!

14 days. I'm rounding the bend into the "bittersweet" part of my stay here. I'm already a little teary when I think about having to say good-bye to Paul and Rebecca. For everything I "give" them, they always give me so much more when I am here. At the same time, I am ecstatic about who I am coming home to! And so, I shall live with strong mixed emotions as I near the completion of this time. Once I am out the door and on my way back to Ohio, I will be fine, but walking out of here is always hard. Really hard.

Stephen Petrie Updates / Continued Prayer Request

2011-07-10T04:18:00.000-07:00

Psalm 55:16-17, 22 - "But I call to God, and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice...Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you..."

Psalm 94:18-19 - "When I said, "My foot is slipping," Your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul."

If you are all interested in reading more about Stephen Petrie's current situation, what has led up to it, and what he will be facing in the future (as far as we can tell...) he and his wife, Sarah, and family are posting updates at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/stephenpetrie/journal.

Here is the most recent post, to help you as you pray:

Friday, July 8th, 2011 3:53 PM

The diagnosis is solitary bone plasmacytoma, which is essentially a single location myeloma. From what we can gather thus far this will certainly mean radiotherapy and possibly some stem cell work (all my own cells of course). The likelihood of this sort of cancer occurring in someone of my age and general health is truly minute and immediately statistics cease to be helpful. There are still more tests to be run. Please pray for our doctors. Probably the biggest danger now would be multiple myeloma. There does not seem to be anything that I could have done to avoid this. We will keep you posted. My head has been so foggy today, I'm not sure if it's the meds, the new place or the recent surgery (probably all of the above), but it is very frustrating to be unable to think clearly on diagnosis day. I am once again keenly aware of my many layers of weakness. My dear friends Matt and Sam are working in the driveway and I envy their legs:) I'm glad that on days like this the bustle of things to be done never slows. The cardinals outside the window don't care about my diagnosis and that seems right. Thank you for your prayers.

Stephen

9 Months

2011-07-10T01:42:00.000-07:00

9 months (and a day) ago, I went on a first date, to a rodeo, with a college friend/co-teacher's assistant. I don't think either of us expected anything long-term to come of it and just set our minds to enjoy the evening. We had a marvelous time being ourselves and enjoying eachother. So... we got together again and made dinner and ate it together. That was fun too. So we did it again... and again. And before long, we realized we were doing something that people call dating! Gasp!

9 months later, this college friend/co-teacher's assistant has become one of my dearest, most trusted friends, who I still enjoy being with, talking to, thinking about, and praying for. These past four weeks have been the longest time apart from eachother since that first date in October, 2010. And yet, somehow, instead of growing apart, we draw closer to one another. We have had to work at new modes of communication and have had to arrange our schedule more carefully to get time "together"... and when we do get a chance to write, skype, or talk on the phone, it's not nearly as often, personal, or long as each of us would prefer. And yet, still, we grow closer...

"Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders You have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak of them, they would be too many to declare." ~ Psalm 40:5

Like a baby at conception, our relationship started with just a few small cells of attachment, attraction, attention... whatever you want to call it (or my case, denial)! Also like a baby in gestation, 9 months can bring about a lot of positive changes, resulting in something miraculous, beautiful, amazing, and unexplainable in any way other than: GOD. It was His design and plan and it happened just the way He wanted it to.

Thank you, Luke Adam Morrow, for leading and accompanying me on this journey of getting to know eachother and the Lord better every day. It's been a great 9 months... and that's a great understatement! :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

p.s. In case Luke (or any of you!) worry that I have perhaps "forgotten" about him on my Belgian adventures, I put together a little video, based on a true story about a girl in Belgium, which you may find enjoyable... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RwANoNXZvs

Une Visite va Bruxelles

2011-07-10T01:20:00.000-07:00

Riding the train to Brussels!

The Grand Place

One of my favorite spots in all Brussels!

The Palace

Way cool! :-) Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I did not see the dog referred to...

Notre-Dame-Church-of-Sablon

Taking time to "smell the flowers" in one of the many beautiful parks of Brussels!

I am not usually one to admire art galleries - I don't understand most of the "art". However, I walked by this particular exhibition, and stopped... and admired! This artists gallery was covered wall to wall in laughing, happy people! I didn't go inside or get the artist's name, and kind of wish I had, but I did get a couple photos of his/her work. I was encouraged by this artist. There was something incredibly joyful about the pieces, and I walked away with a smile on my face, from nothing more than admiring the artwork!

Street entertainers are all over the place... and quite good! I passed a man playing classical pieces from memory on his violin, under a little arch that made the acoustics just marvelous! It was beautiful! These two guys were playing accordions, and there was a saxophone player jazzing away to some beats by the mannekin pis!

Speaking of the Mannekin Pis, here he is!

This is a classic street in Brussels. Cobblestone, narrow, and lined with restaurants. The list on the far left is just the kinds of beer that that restaurant offers. There are rows of Belgian flags hanging across the street. The Belgian National Holiday (their version of our Independence Day) is July 21.

I went into a little "fast food" "frite" shop to get the classic Belgian fries, and thought you all might be interested in their drink selection... :-)

There they are... frites classico! Mayonaisse, ketchup, and onions. I did have a bit of a stomach ache after eating them, but they were good! (The ketchup was a little sweet, so I avoided that, but the mayo and onions and frites... mmmmm!)

And of course, no visit to Brussels is complete without a Belgian Waffle! My favorite is the simple waffle with powdered sugar! Just don't inhale as you take a bite or the powdered sugar may go down the wrong pipe! :-) D-licious!

Photos from Week #4

2011-07-10T01:00:00.000-07:00

Paul brought home flowers for the ladies of the house as a little "thank you"! They brought a little "sunshine" to my room and brightened my day more than I ever thought flowers could!

Marta and I took a lovely walk/stroller ride to the lake while Susannah and Rebecca had some mother/daughter time. We fed the "quack-quacks" with "num-nums" and admired all the "Molly's" walking with their owners around the lake. :-) It was so much fun!

The dogs always congregate around Marta's high chair at meal times! I wonder why?

Speaking of the dogs, here they are! From back left to front right, Penny (aka "Pooda", according to Marta). Penny is staying here while her "mother" recovers from knee replacement surgery. Penny has been my buddy these last few weeks, and sleeps in my room with me. :-) Molly and Maddie are the Petries' shih tzu's, and quite the characters! They are both sweet and fun, and also help fill my "dog void" while I am here. :-)

Jenna and I!

The magnificent Petrie garden!

Paul tending to our wonderful 4th of July campfire!

Rebecca looking sharp and ready for a day at the races! (or an evening around the campfire!)

First, we roasted sausages over the fire! Mmmmm! We also had "American" potato salad to celebrate.

And we brought out a few American flags to mark the occasion!

After the meal, it was time for MARSHMALLOWS! Mmmmmm again!

These marshmallows were only found in the "international" section of the grocery store... under "American" foods! Who knew?!

A delicious and fun night was had by all! Happy Independence Day to my American friends!

Bits from Belgium - Week 4

2011-07-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

Friday, July 1, 2011

Thank you for praying and hurting with us. This has been, in some ways, an awful week, climaxing this afternoon. We all wish we could run away from it or re-wind and change what's happening - but because the Petries are going through this, and it's real, I am thankful I am here. Please continue to pray for miracles and however else you feel led. There have been so many ups and downs the last few days. I am okay and able to continue serving, but I hurt so much for this family and it hurts watching them hurt and suffer even more than me.

We let the family have dinner alone together tonight. They are holding up well, considering the circumstances. People are obviously praying, and God is hearing our prayers.

I spent some time pouring over Bible verses this evening, and repeatedly came across "appropriate" and comforting verses. One moment, I'm upset and confused as to why God allows this to happen to a family already so heavy-laden... and to a young, newly married son, husband, and father. But then I also know there is Nowhere else to turn, No one better to trust, and Nobody who cares more than God does for Stephen and for this situation.

Rebecca went to bed peacefully tonight... a blessing and surprise. Stephen should be in surgery right now to have the tumor on his spine removed. We will probably get phone calls throughout the night.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Stephen came through his surgery well yesterday. Rebecca got to talk to him on the phone today. They have sent his tumor cells for biopsy and should know more by late next week. They're pretty certain it's cancerous, just not sure what kind. It's incredible, and heartbreaking, to be here with the Petrie's through this. Their faith is strong, and I'm getting a taste of what it must have been like when Rebecca fell. It's a privilege, though painful to be here. I had a special prayer and crying time with Rebecca last night after doing midnight and helping her call Philip and Josie and Matt (all are with Stephen in Michigan). While there is constantly a "heaviness" on our hearts, thankfully the emotions seem to come in waves for the most part, and we are all holding up okay.

The new caregiver, Jenna, has settled in well and is an eager and hard worker. Michelle Cottingham (the third caregiver) will be arriving around July 12. Annie is still here, but on vacation, and has written a list of things for the caregivers to do (deep cleaning, de-frosting, organizing, etc.) when there are several of us here working together.

I hope you all have a great 4th of July weekend! It's so strange here because there's no such celebration going on - it's just another weekend! I keep forgetting that it's a big holiday weekend in the states, until people remind me! At any rate, enjoy it!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Today was relatively quiet. I got up with Rebecca at 7:30-ish, and had a really good quiet time while she had hers. It is soothing, healing, and re-charging for me these days, to just sit (or lay) and pour over the Bible, pausing to re-read verses or pray. I am emotionally tired, which is wearing on me a little physically, although in general, I think I'm holding up well. The new caregiver is doing well, but with Annie on vacation, it is mostly my responsibility to make sure she knows what she should be doing, how to do it, etc. So I'm teaching/training on top of trying to "do stuff" that I normally do. Thankfully, Jenna has a great attitude and is a very willing worker and learner. Paul, Rebecca, and Susannah are dealing with so much emotional stress and exhaustion right now. I'm trying to do all I can to take care of "running the house", to enable them to be together, rest, pray, or do whatever they desire to help cope with all. It's really hard for Rebecca because she knows she can't go to see him, and she wishes it were her in his place. She's been through hard times like that before, but it's even harder for Paul, who has always been able to just go when something like this happens. He is physically drained still (he was just starting to get better before the news of Stephen's stuff hit), has a spasming back, and says he is "feeling his age". In some ways I think this is a blessing for Rebecca, who needs Paul here for her as well, but she also worries about him being so worn down. They are in this together - helpless physically, but strong spiritually. They take turns being strong for eachother, and I guess I am somewhere in there as well... constantly lifting them all up in prayer and trying to encourage, listen, love on, or cry with them as the Lord leads. I'm sorry I'm rambling and that this is all probably so depressing. Through all this heaviness and the intensity, I am glad I can be here to be whatever help I can. I think I understand a little better why God "needed" me here... and I'm glad he didn't tell me ahead of time!

Monday, July 4, 2011

Happy 4th of July!

I just wanted to send you a quick update of encouragement. At the risk of sounding bi-polar, I wanted to share that we all had a WONDERFUL evening together tonight - like "old times". We made a little campfire and had sausages, sauteed zuchini, home-made potato salad, and marshmallows (I had to go to the "international" section of the grocery store to get them! They were with the peanut butter, microwave popcorn, "marshmallow fluff", and several other "American" foods that I didn't know were strictly "American"! ;-) All of our spirits were good this evening. It was sooo nice! There are still the ups and downs as the phone calls and/or fears or realities of the situation hit or sink in, and we miss Susannah and Marta a lot, (they left his morning) but it was refreshing to have a quiet, light, fun evening together. THANK YOU for the prayers!

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

The morning was pretty quiet, as I got to sleep in a bit and didn't have too much to do until lunch time. The rest of the day was busy, but not overly so. I made lunch, did laundry, made Susannah's bed with clean sheets, did dishes, mailed your letter, dropped a shirt off at the dry-cleaners, and got in a lovely walk around the lake. (The weather today was beyond amazing! Blue skies, upper 70's, sunny...ahhhh). I was trying to remember some of the things I see here that I want to share and remember. One of those things that I thought you would like is that there are so many elderly couples (or single elderly men or women) who walk around the lake. I love to see them so alive and active, just out for a stroll around a beautiful lake. There's a lot of PDA here between significant others, but also just friends. It is not at all strange to see women walking together, arm in arm, talking like friends. And no, I'm quite sure they're not gay... just "normal" Belgians! There were bright colored sailboats out on the lake also. I wished I'd had my camera. I can't remember if there were other things I wanted to tell you about my thoughts as I walked around the lake, but I will try to write them down if I do! Walking here has always been a relaxing, fun, de-stressing activity that helps me "clear my mind and soul" for a bit. It's funny that I don't get into that nearly as much back home. I don't know why. I guess I just don't make it a priority. I didn't used to listen to music as much as I have been here as well, but I find it helps me worship and think about things I want to be thinking about while I walk. Kind of helps me "walk with God", if you know what I mean.

I made Mexican lasagna and sauteed green beans for dinner. Sometimes I can't remember what all I did in a day, but they sure are busy and sure do fly by! We watched the movie Sabrina last night (a cute and funny chic flick - I've watched here before, but it was fun watching Jenna see it for the first time) and an episode of Poirot (the Belgian detective guy).

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Slept great - was awakened once by Rebecca at 4:00, but we both got back to sleep quickly. It's so funny that I can almost bet it's either 2 or 4 a.m. (nearly on the dot) if and when she calls in the night. It must be something about the sleeping meds wearing off then or something. Anyhow...

Paul and Rebecca are doing well. He and Rebecca have been spending a lot of "together time" (private lunches, which can't hurt either. Rebecca is doing well too. She has emotional moments still in thinking about or after talking to Stephen, but she's holding steady and their faith isn't wavering. They should get the pathology reports on the biopsy by the end of this week, which could be upsetting again - although I think they're more prepared now. Stephen himself is recovering really well. I guess he's walking around a lot and doing great physically and spiritually and emotionally. His 25th birthday is tomorrow. Other than the fact that I know his parents and a few of his sibs really well and love them dearly, I think the other thing that really saddened me about all this is the place in life he's at. That could be me... ! Our lives are so not our own... and that's a good thing. But it's kind of a reality check to know somebody my own age facing what he might be facing.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Things are fine here. Rebecca and Paul are getting time together (private lunches, time visiting in her room, etc.), which is good for both of them. They should get word on Stephen's biopsy results by the end of this week. Today is his 25th birthday. Other than that, not much new around here. I am very busy, but not too much so or stressed about it (not too much, anyhow!) My meals are coming out okay so far and the errands I've had to run have gone smoothly. It's nice that Annie is still "here", though on vacation, so she can verbally walk me through things. :-)

I had a good time in Brussels. I did something fun, because I was feeling kind of lonely (I went by myself), and though I was excited to see all the usual sites again, I was almost "bored" and thought it silly to take a bunch more pictures in front of all the same landmarks. But then I had an idea (I think it was God-given :-) Remember Flat Stanley? Well, I didn't have a Flat Anybody, but I did find some pine branches and realized I could take and spell out "Luke" everywhere I went with those little pine branches, and do a little "photo story" about his visit to Brussels. :-) It turned into great fun... almost like a treasure hunt, as I visited each famous site and tried to figure out a creative way to get a picture with "Leafy Luke" in it. In the process, I of course had lots of stares and people trying to figure out what I was doing. Several smiled when they saw it, and all of that made it all the more exciting and fun. I ended up having a GREAT day, at some delicious waffles and frites, made some purchases that I am excited about, and was ready and eager to come home!

A Visit to the Netherlands (Holland)!!!

2011-07-05T00:32:00.000-07:00

Crossing into the Netherlands!

Dutch landscape!

More beautiful Netherlands

Eating a "Beschuit met muisjes", a traditional Dutch celebratory cookie/cake that is colored blue or pink to celebrate the birth of a new baby!

The baby whose birth we celebrated! This is my friend Diana and her twin sister, who had a baby at the end of May! He's adorable!

I got my "baby fix" and got to see, smell, and feel a baby just 2 weeks older than my own nephew, John, who I can't wait to meet when I get back to Ohio!

Diana and I got lunch at McDonald's! Ever see a Dutch Big Mac? :-)

We ate by a BEAUTIFUL lake!

One of many "typical" Dutch houses

A typical Dutch street: straight, orderly, pretty, clean...

Good bye Netherlands! It was WONDERFUL meeting you! Hello again, Belgium!

Photos from Week #3

2011-07-04T04:34:00.000-07:00

Good morning, Genval, Belgium! This is about 4:30 a.m., outside my bedroom window. :-)

Our guests, Bill Hightower and Dennis Coll made us an AMAZING grilled steak dinner! The food, environment, and company were all wonderful!

Paul and Rebecca (and a row of phones, just in case somebody should call with an update on their son, Stephen)

Rebecca and I.

Bill and Dennis divide up their chocolates for the trip back to the states. :-)

Marta visits with Grandma!

My first home-made lemon-meringue pie (I felt like Amelia Bedelia! :-)

Sweet, adorable Marta

My "less happy" tomato plant

My very happy tomato plant (which currently is covered in ~ 6 cherry tomatoes! :-)

Bits from Belgium - Week 3

2011-07-04T04:28:00.001-07:00

Bits from Belgium! (From various e-mails sent out in the past week :-)

Friday, June 24, 2011

Happy Friday!

I had another good day. It started with a cappucino and good quiet time, and then in between helping with Rebecca, I did laundry, made lunch, made dinner, read a little, and wrote a little. When I did my laundry, I decided to hang dry a lot of my clothes in y room since the weather was nice, and oh, they smell SO good now! :-) I had just enough clothes to last me two weeks, so I desperately needed to do laundry today. I turned one of my socks blue too. Ooops!

Today was busy, but not stressful or exhausting. I made stuffed peppers and home-made macaroni and cheese for dinner, which I thought turned out okay... although there are lots of left-overs. Still not over cooking for just 4! I got a most adorable letter from Keri today, with a drawing of a dog and two "googly eyes" glued to it. The letter read: "Dear MB, I miss you so much and I can't wate till you come Back. My riting mite be rong but I dont now how to spell it so thats the best I can do. Love. Keri." And then in a little dog bone on the page she wrote: "for a loving sister" It is the sweetest thing! :-) I love her!

So yeah, not much excitement today. Tomorrow, Susannah (Paul and Rebecca's daughter), and her 1 year old daugther Marta will be coming. They're from Macedonia. Susannah and I have really hit it off, and I even visited them in Macedonia last year. I can't wait to see her and visit. We have much catching up to do, and I am so excited that she will be here for awhile while I am here. As usual, the upcoming week should be rather exciting with lots of people coming and going! Dennis and Bill come back from Oslo Monday or Tuesday, until Thursday. Another caregiver, Jenna, arrives Wednesday. I don't know where they'll put everybody, but it's a good thing there are lots of bedrooms! (3 for guests, plus the family room).

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Susannah and Marta arrived safely this afternoon.

It was a fairly typical, but good day here. Nothing too exciting to report! It was gray and cool here, still, but they're still saying it will warm up and be "summer" here soon! I'm looking forward to it, although gray, cool days are very peaceful and relaxing also I suppose!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

The weather here is turning BEAUTIFUL today! Blue skies, WARM, and sunny. AND, I just checked on my tomato plants, and the "happy" plant has a TOMATO on it! I'm SO excited! :-) I feel bad for the plant that is squished in the garden among the flowers. I imagine that's part of why it's not as happy as the potted one, which has more space and sun. :-/ Livin' and learning'!

Monday, June 27, 2011

It's been a busy, but good day here so far. We have the usual Paul, Rebecca, Annie and I, plus their two dogs, Maddie and Molly, but in addition, for the next couple of nights, we have Susannah and Marta, Mary's dog Penny (Mary is having knee replacement surgery today), and Bill and Dennis return from Oslo. So... crowded house and lots of excitement!

Other excitement? My tomato plant has grown ANOTHER tomato! :-D It's ridiculous how happy it makes me! :-)

It was HOT today here! I LOVED it! :-) First really "Ohio-summer" day we've had since I've been here. Unfortunately, it's hard on Rebecca, who's hypothalamus was affected by her injury and surgeries, and doesn't always regulate her temperature well. You can pray for her for that in these next couple of hot days (I think it's supposed to cool back down in a few days).

We had a good day here - and busy! Bill and Dennis arrived this evening, so it's a full house! Just the way I'm used to and love it! But it does put additional stress and work on all inhabitants to keep things running smoothly, so it's been a busy, but good day. One of the highlights came from a taco salad I made to go with our left-overs for dinner. Paul and Rebecca LOVED it! Paul said it may have been in the top few dishes he's ever had. Wow! That was a high compliment for me, and I was touched! He wants it again for a meal. It was actually quite easy to make and not really that extravagant, but it always makes me happy to be able to make them happy. :-)

What else? Well, I just got out of the shower and need to be heading to bed since I am NOT on midnight tonight. It feels great to be clean after a hot, sweaty day! I love that feeling! The house is not air conditioned, and I'm on the third floor... and all the fans are in use, but my window is open and my hair is wet, so I think I'll sleep okay. :-)

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Wow... what a day here! It's been busy and crazy, and only gotten more so as the day went on! I need to try to get a good night's sleep tonight since I didn't sleep well last night and have another busy day tomorrow, (please pray the Lord would continue to uphold my energy and attitude as He has so faithfully these almost 3 weeks so far!)

Today started out sultry hot and sunny, and then quickly followed with the first excitement of the day, a sudden rain shower that started pouring down on Rebecca having her quiet time in the garden! I rushed out to help her back to the house, and shortly thereafter, Paul and Bill followed suit with umbrellas. We got wet, but it was kind of fun and we could laugh about it. I made a sort of cinnamon/nut roll thing while Rebecca finished her quiet time in her room. Right after that, the kine came, so I had a couple minutes to myself, and then immediately after that the nurse came to help get Rebecca dressed and ready for the day. About 15 minutes after we finished the nurse, a couple ladies arrived for Rebecca's weekly Bible study (which sadly takes a break over the summer, after today - we were studying John, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!) Bible study was really good (John 9 today). Afterwards, it was time for lunch, so I helped prepare that... it was just one thing after another today! Nothing too difficult or awful, just constant! It has been emotionally stressful for Rebecca especially today, as her youngest son (who is married and living in Michigan) had an MRI today for a possible growth on his spinal cord on his back. It's been there for awhile, so unlikely that it's malignant, but she's worried sick about him, and I think the fact that she can't just go be with him makes it worse. It's also stressful having so many people in the house, even though it's fun and she mostly enjoys it, it wears her out, and then she feels "icky" or overly exhausted. Add the heat factor, and she had lots of uncomfortable moments today. :-(

While she napped, I did have time to go out to the lake for a lovely walk! It was HOT, but wonderful. I walked and listened to music and thoroughly enjoyed it all. I came back sweaty, red, and hot, so hopped in the shower, cleaned up, and then it was time to get Rebecca up from her nap. The men went out for a dinner at the Parliament, so it was just the ladies for dinner. We had chips and salsa and delicious frozen pizzas (heated up, of course! :-) I love the pizza here... it's is... unusual, but delicious! (one spinach pizza, one mozzarella and pesto pizza, Hawaiian, etc.) As we were eating our pizza and watching a movie, it started to get very dark, and we could here thunder in the distance. Eventually, it started storming, and the wind got really strong! The rest of the night, one storm after another rolled in, with lightning, thunder, wind, pouring rain, etc. It cooled off quite a bit, and felt great, but it was a strange night, with all the storms. Rebecca was still quite warm in her room and needed her windows and sliding door open to let in the cool air (she had a fan as well, but no AC). At one point, enough rain came in to soak a portion of her floor, so I laid towels all over. In addition to this, Penny, the dog we are watching for Paul's secretary, has thunderstorm anxiety and spent the evening shaking, drooling, and following us all over. At about 11, the guys still had not returned, but I helped get Rebecca settled for bed, and went to the kitchen to work on the lemon meringue pie, keep the dogs company, and be close by in case Rebecca needed anything (it was still storming). The guys arrived shortly after, and poor Rebecca just couldn't get to sleep, so called me about every 10 or 15 minutes or so for various things. I was glad I was in the kitchen (next to her room), rather than my room, which is two stories and two staircases away from her room! I did the midnight roll, (yep, it was still storming), and headed to bed with the shaking, panting Penny. (At one point, she jumped up on my bed and made my whole bed feel like it was having seizures! :-O) Rebecca did not awaken me in the night, but I woke up at about 4 a.m. to the sound of the phone ringing... then again at 6 a.m. I was supposed to take care of Marta on Wednesday morning, so I got up a little earlier than usual to be available. It was then that Susannah told me she was not going to the Parliament because of all they had heard about Stephen's situation. And so began a long, hard day of unknowns and prayer, after a long, strange night. I can't even really describe the "strange-ness" of the night. It was just eerie somehow, and the awful-ness of Stephen's situation just fit right into it somehow. I like thunderstorms and the cooling off felt great, but there was just something "in the air" that night, that I can't describe. A heaviness? Foreboding? Fear? Something.

Thanks for reading, if you made it this far! Thank you for your prayers, patience, and understanding as we go through all this, and for being there to read my updates when they're happy or sad, encouraging, emotional, boring, exciting, or whatever else! :-)

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

I'm sorry I haven't had much time to e-mail or call you lately! It's been oh, so busy, both with good and hard things (as you know!). I have been holding up well both physically and emotionally --- both to a greater extent than I expected. It is a blessing and the joy of the Lord has been my strength!

Tomorrow will be my second day off, and I may be going with Diana to the Netherlands for a few hours! It's about 1 1/2 hour drive, and we will see her twin sister again, meet her new nephew, and see her home and town! The new caregiver, Jenna, arrived safely this morning, and we have enjoyed getting to know her today. She's settling in well and already helping out a lot. Please pray for her jetlag and settling in to continue to go smoothly. I think she will do well here, and I look forward to getting to know her better in the coming weeks. She will be here until the beginning of September.

Prayer Request

2011-07-04T02:23:00.000-07:00

"This is what it is to be loved and to know
That the Promise was that when everything fell
We'd be held
If hope is born of suffering
If this is only the beginning
Can we not wait, for one hour
Watching for our Savior
This is what it means to be held..."

"Held" by Natalie Grant

29 June, 2011

Dear Friends,

We have an urgent and serious prayer request. Please feel free to pass it on.

Our son, Stephen, has had back problems for some time, which finally resulted in the Doctors doing an MRI. Yesterday at 3:30, PM, EST, he went to have it read. The Local doctor said he must go immediately to the regional hospital. There the doctors said he needed to go immediately to Michigan State Hospital in Ann Arbor. Stephen and Sarah drove directly there, arriving sometime after midnight.

The Mich. State hospital had assembled a group of doctors, including a Neurosurgeon, who were waiting for them upon their arrival. It is now about 4:30 AM, EST and Stephen has been checked by several doctors and has had another, more sophisticated MRI, etc. And surgery will take place as soon as it can be arranged...

Right now please pray for Stephen, his physical recovery, and his doctors.

With much appreciation, in Him,

Paul

1 July, 2011

Dear Friends,

I apologize for the amount of e-mail communication, and appreciate your prayers.

Our son Phillip just met with the surgeon, who apologized for the miscommunication. Stephen's surgery is in 2 hours, probably 7 to 8 hour operation. The doctor believes it is either myeloma or lymphoma. I’m not sure I know the difference.

But Rebecca and I wanted to ask for your prayers. I’ll keep you updated.

Love from R & me,

Paul

Photos from Week #2

2011-06-23T08:58:00.000-07:00

A small part of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium

Place Luxemburg - the view from a window inside the European Parliament

Paul and Rebecca at the European Parliament for the Middle-East Project music performance

Paul and Rebecca were very respected (and popular!) among the people who attended! Rebecca constantly had people coming up to introduce themselves and meet the "wife of Paul Petrie, who they had heard so much about"! It was a delightful and inspiring evening for all!

My friend Diana and I had a picnic lunch at the lovely Chateau de La Hulpe!

At Diana's house, we saw a white dove! What does it mean?!

I gave Diana an American flag, which she was very excited about (I have a mug with the Netherlands flag on it that she gave me last year :-). I took a photo of my Dutch friend, in the Belgium, with an American flag. We live in a small world, folks! :-)

Bits from Belgium - Volume 3 - Issue 2

2011-06-23T08:55:00.001-07:00

Bits from Belgium! (From various e-mails sent out in the past week :-)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Wow. 9 days already!

I just returned from a wonderful, long walk. I think I walked 3-4 miles, down near the next town and back. I listened to music and meditated, and it was so nice! It stormed just before I left, with a little bit of hail even! But once it stopped, the skies cleared and it was beautiful. It's chilly today and windy, (maybe low 60's?). There is a children's festival going on behind the Petrie's house (there's a school there), and I am currently listening to many happy children's voices (and parents), music, and the lively sounds of a festival. During the week, I can hear children out playing, and it's always funny to me to hear the little French voices - I usually can't make out what they're saying. Schools here won't get out until the last week of June.

Tomorrow morning a friend of the Petrie's (who I've met a couple times) will be arriving from the states to help out with the Mid-East meetings this week. The big event is Tuesday at the Parliament (we will go Tuesday night), and then a large group will travel to Oslo, Norway to continue their usual annual conference - although Paul will stay here. Another friend from Ohio will be arriving Monday, also for the conference. Visitors are always fun here, although it will be busy, I'm sure! :-)

Sunday, June 19, 2011

It turns out that one of the guys that was supposed to be coming today missed his flight yesterday (like I almost did!), and won't be in until tomorrow morning. Soooo... the dinner with the visitors tonight is being pushed to tomorrow night, and the rest of today is restful, peaceful, and quiet. Just another typical day in the Petrie house; where flexibility and adaptability is one of the most essential characteristics! :-)

Monday, June 20, 2011

Phew... what a day! It was wonderful, exciting, quite a change in routine, and tiring! But I am happy and well, no doubt a testament to your prayers!

The morning started a 7 with helping Rebecca get up and have her quiet time with the Lord (she loves to get at least an hour of quiet Bible reading, prayer, and just "being" with the Lord EVERY morning!). Once she was in her wheelchair and settled, I got her breakfast and tea and stayed in the kitchen (next to her room) in case she needed anything. I made banana bread, unloaded the clean dishwasher and loaded dirty dishes, and had a little time for reading and prayer myself. :-) Then the physical therapist (called "kine" (key-nay) came and I had a few minutes to finish readying myself for the day. Right after kine, the hairdresser came to wash Rebecca's hair (she comes weekly), and I helped get the water, etc. for her. While we were doing this, Dennis Coll (the pastor of our "sister" church in Lancaster, and Bill Hightower (from Alabama) arrived. They're both long-time friends of the Petries and have been here many times. I have met and know both of them a little. I helped get lunch together and we all ate, then Annie and I took the shih tzu's to the groomer. Then everybody was ready for naps, so I helped Rebecca get comfortable, cleaned up lunch, and had an hour or so to read and rest. I did both, although again, actually napped, which is somewhat uncommon for me. Guess I was tired again! It's nice to have that restful time, "if needed"!

Later, I helped Annie prepare dinner for a possible 12 people, (dinner at the Kopechek's? :-) and eventually the guests arrived. The dinner was casual and laid-back, which was nice (the Petries can throw some very fancy dinners, which are quite a bit of work and I feel a bit more out of place :-) The two guys who had arrived from the states were here (They're staying in the Petrie home), plus the songwriter Michael Hunter Ochs, and an "ambassador"-ish guy from Israel and his "deputy". Another music-writer person from Oslo, Norway also came. He was baptized in the Jordan river by Dennis Coll a few years ago. (!!!) The two Israeli guys were from Jerusalem and Galilee. Can you imagine! These guys LIVE where Jesus lived!!!!! Amazing! They were fairly quiet, but very nice, and it was fun to listen to the conversation between them all.

I am in an interesting position of being very interested in all of this, but also wanting/having to make sure my role as Rebecca's caregiver never gets pushed out of the way from my own desire to hear more or ask questions, etc. In many ways, I am like a volunteer servant here... and how incredibly rewarding and wonderful it is! Jesus was not joking when He talked about the importance of "being a servant". I think one of the highlights of the evening was hearing one of the Jewish guests talking about his Palestinian friends from this group, and talking about radical muslim-hating people and how upset that made him. Can you believe it? A Jewish person upset over people hating his Palestinian FRIENDS? It gave me chills!

The final special part of the evening was the CD's the guys left. The group of top Middle-Eastern, Scandinavian, and American performers and song-writers have formed a "band" and produced a CD called "My Favorite Enemy". I have a copy that I can bring home! I can't wait to share it with you! It contains traditional middle-Eastern music, some very poignant songs about peace, and is very, very cool!

Tuesday is the big event at the Parliament, and it will be fun now that we have met a few

of the people involved. Should be quite the production! :-) I can't wait!

Tuesday, 6/21/11

Happy first day of Summer!

Phew! What an evening! I think I said that yesterday too, but wow... today was another wild and wonderful day! :-) This morning was somewhat the usual, but with a bit of added stress and "anticipation" for the evening. Poor Rebecca was really tired and I think stressed and nervous about the thought of having to get ready and go out. Anyhow, we had lunch and I made a couple nectarine/strawberry tart/pie things with some fruit that needed eaten ASAP. Rebecca took a long nap, and I took a bit of one also. Once she woke up, it was a flurry of activity getting clothes ironed and on, her make-up done, everything together, etc. We finally piled into their van (Rebecca, Annie, a friend, Laura, and Bill Hightower, from Alabama driving). The van is small, so Annie and Bill were in the front, Rebecca and her wheelchair took up the back of the van, and Laura and I sat on cushions on the floor, facing Rebecca. It wasn't the most scenic or safe way to travel, but it worked, and we enjoyed it. :-) We got to the Parliament with plenty of time to spare, despite a bit of "confusion", and Paul met us and helped us get through the security (much like airport security). They let us in really smoothly (I think they knew we were coming, and Paul gets around pretty easily there), and then we were headed up to the performance. I of course don't know anybody (other than those who came over last night), but it was weird to be among these "famous" and really important people. I always feel so out of place! Nevertheless, the environment was relaxed and fun, and the music performance was AWESOME! They played songs from the CD, but watching them perform in person was so cool! They all were so happy and goofy and just having a good time! I caught several clips on my camera to share later. :-) It was, as expected, so amazing to see Israelis, Palestinians, Jordanians, Americans, and Norwegians not just "co-existing", but thoroughly enjoying eachother, and obviously very good friends! And these aren't just "anybody's" in their culture - they're top musicians!

During the performance, servers from the Parliament came around offering wine, champagne, and fancy little finger foods. I again, felt so out of place! :-) I thoroughly enjoy events like these, but also recognize that God did not program me to spend my life in that kind of atmosphere. Somehow, I'm more at home in the big open spaces of the outdoors, with mud, boots, jeans, t-shirt, and animals!

We got home around 10 or 10:30, and Paul went right to bed (he tries to go to bed at 9 p.m. prompt every night). Rebecca is more like me, and stays up. :-) Anyhow, a bunch of us were hungry because we hadn't had a proper dinner, so at 10:30 last night I was scrambling eggs and making toast for Rebecca, and eating left-over lasagna. :-) After all that, Rebecca was exhausted, so I helped her get ready for bed, and had a about 30-40 minutes to wind down and get ready for bed before the midnight turn.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

I just finished a deathly-delicious dessert of Belgian chocolatey goodness. Mmmm. I also received a most enjoyable letter from my sweetheart today, addressed to a "mademoiselle Mary Elizabeth Kopechek". I felt very important and distinguished... :-)

Today was another very "Belgian" day, and relatively relaxing - especially after the last two! This morning and most of the afternoon was cloudy, with a mix of rain and clearing periods with sun. It has been chilly (in the low 60's), but is supposed to warm up this weekend. Laura (Rebecca's friend and the same lady who went to the Parliament with us last night) comes on Wednesday mornings to help with Rebecca and to visit and be with her, so my morning was free. I slept great last night and slept in (much needed after all the excitement the last two nights!). In the afternoon I called home and got to talk to Mom and Dad for a nice long-ish while. I had not talked on the phone with them since... Hmmm... can't remember? I talked to Daniel on Friday, but neither Mom nor Dad were home. Anyhow, it was nice to visit and hear their voices and get filled in on some of the goings-ons... although there is so much more I missed and could have gone on asking about! Afterwards, I took a walk to the bank to try to get my money exchanged (how's that? 13 days in a foreign country and still hadn't exchanged my money... or used any! The Petries are very generous! :-) Anyhow, turns out the bank I went to is under construction and I got to try to use a little French with a lady to see if I could exchange money. She spoke a little English and explained that they weren't able to right now, and I would have to go to another bank. So... I still have no exchanged my dollars for euros! Hopefully tomorrow! Nevertheless, the weather was nice for the moment, so I took a brisk, short walk instead.

The evening was fairly quiet. I found out that Paul's secretary/assistant, who visits often, is going to be having knee-surgery next week and has asked the Petries to keep her dog (a friendly, small/medium-ish terrier mix). I've met Penny many times as Mary usually brings her here when she visits. Anyhow, she's asked if I might help take care of her (in other words, mainly just let her sleep with me at night :-) You certainly don't have to ask me twice! While I would be a bit overwhelmed with having to take care of a high-maintenance dog in this situation, Penny is low-key, and I believe will be a blessing to have! It will give me company in my lonely room and something soft and furry to pet and snuggle.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

I have had a good day, although my days off can be a little "odd" for me. It's hard NOT to "work" when I am around, and when I leave, I can't wait to get back "home"... although at the same time, I recognize the importance of taking advantage of a day off in order to help myself be more mentally and physically able to serve my best the rest of the week. The concept is both important and healthy, and I appreciate having a day off each week. You can pray that I will be able to take advantage of them to rest, recharge, etc... although so far I haven't felt I "need" a day off.

I was awakened once in the night to help Rebecca get more comfortable, but other than that, slept great! When I got up, I had another leisurely morning and was able to take a shower, read and write some e-mails, and play the piano a bit before Diana arrived. I also walked down to another bank to try to exchange my money, but alas, I am not a bank "member" and the lady was giving me a hard time about exchanging my money (and didn't seem to speak any English either), so I left with my American dollars in my pocket still. I exchanged some dollars for euros with Paul to get me by for awhile. My Dutch friend Diana arrived at 11 and we went down to the grocery to get some foods for lunch, and then drove down to a beautiful, large park a few miles from the petries (I think it's about 3-4 miles away... it's where I walked nearly to on Saturday). We had a delicious picnic lunch and got caught up. It was beautiful out, though a bit chilly. It has rained off and on every day this week, and today was the first sunny morning. I was so thankful! After lunch we took a few photos around the Chateau and garden, and then she drove me over to her house, nearby. At Diana's house we looked at pictures from various trips and of family members. We ate some more and talked some more, and then she brought me back to Petries. I took a quick walk as it was still lovely out. I listened to music as I walked, and am finding this very peaceful and soothing. I like to walk quickly so as to get my heart beating faster, (but yet, not running), and just take in the sights, sounds, and smells. I walked by the school/daycare that is behind the Petries' house and past a playground full of little children playing and fighting. It's amazing to see so many children under the care of so few adults. Yikes! At the same time, I do have to say the sound of their little French voices is simply adorable! I wish I could somehow walk by and record them. :-) They are very, very cute!

Shortly after getting back to the Petries, guess what? It started to rain! First time today! Yes, God is good! I smile again as I think about how beautiful the weather was all morning and afternoon, until I was safe and sound and dry at the Petries. God doesn't have to do that for me... and yet He does! I feel so loved! :-)

The rest of the afternoon has been spent "organizing", writing, looking up some recipes, and relaxing. It is still hard to not "work", but I am "working hard" to relax, and looking forward to another full day with Rebecca and the Petrie household tomorrow :-) It will be Annie's day off tomorrow, so I will be busy - and I don't mind!

Photos from Week #1

2011-06-17T06:29:00.000-07:00

First return to my favorite lake!

"No fishing, private lake" (in Dutch)

"No fishing, private lake" (in French)

One half of this lake lies in the French speaking part of Belgium. The other half lies along the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, and thus, the signs and road names on either side of the lake are different. It humors me every time! :-)

I intended to take a photo in front of the Chateau, but messed up my self-timer, and caught myself moving into position instead. And thus, you get a perfectly candid picture of me walking around Lake Genval! :-)

The clouds rolling into my walk at Lake Genval. Quite beautiful!

The littlest European car I've seen yet! I should have gotten a picture of me standing next to it to give you an idea of the proportions. It made ME look big! :-)

Bits from Belgium - Volume 3 - Issue 1

2011-06-17T06:27:00.000-07:00

Bits from Belgium! (From various e-mails sent out in the past week :-)

June 11, 4:22 a.m. (Ohio time)

Hello dear all!

Just wanted to send you a very quick message to let you know I am safe and sound in Genval, Belgium!!! I will send a longer update later, but just wanted to let you know I made it, and it is WONDERFUL! I am exhausted, but excited and was greeted by not one, not two, but THREE delightful, love-filled notes (two carefully hidden in my bags, and one mailed from Wooster, awaiting my arrival :-)

Off to have some tea with Rebecca. I will write more later!

Happy Saturday! Hope you're sleeping soundly!

~ MB

June 12, 2011

I am doing well. I slept for nearly 12 hours last night (woke up a few times, but was able to get back to sleep). That was so good. Today I have been tired, but much more myself, and much more functional. The weather this morning was gorgeous: sunny, blue skies, about 60 degrees. It is cloudy now and kind of gray. Typical Belgium. :-) Today has been quiet, which is nice. Paul went to the garden store today to get more flowers (their flower gardens are amazing!), and we talked him into bringing two tomato plants home! :-) I planted them this afternoon. I am not terribly confident in my abilities to care for them and/or their ability to grow in the Belgian weather, but we will see!

Some other interesting news around here. Today is Pentacost, which is a holiday, so tomorrow a lot of places are closed. It is a bit ironic that in a highly "unreligious" culture, many very "religious" holidays are observed - even those which aren't really celebrated in the states. Next week, Paul and many people from the European Parliament will be holding a gathering of important people from the Middle-East in a really neat peaceful conference that encourages dialogue, communication, and relationship building. They have been doing this for a few years now, but this is the first year it will be held in Brussels. I don't know a whole lot of the details, but I do know that they would appreciate your prayers - especially Paul, as he's fairly worn down from the events of the past few months and will need strength to help lead this event. It sounds like we all (Rebecca, Annie, and I) might get to go for a part of it as well, which could be really neat! It's next Tuesday evening. Finally, I found out that another caregiver will be coming June 29 (to stay until September), and yet another mid-July (to stay through August). This will be good, as it will lighten the "load" on Paul and Annie, and will also probably lighten things a little for me - although I don't mind and am used to a pretty full schedule when I am here. :-) This also guarantees that I can come home when scheduled... not that I had any doubts that I wouldn't! :-)

I'm doing my first "midnight" tonight (which involves going down to Rebecca's room at midnight and turning her from her side to her back, putting on some braces, making sure she's comfortable, and then taking a pager with me to bed in case she needs anything. If you think of us, pray we all get another good night's sleep! It has been a rather hectic month or two for everybody here, and they're all quite tired. Please pray that they will all be able to rest, relax, and be strengthened and encouraged.

June 13, 2011

"Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt (in full) every situation you believe to be the will of God." - Jim Elliot (Elisabeth Elliot's husband) from "Let Me Be A Woman" by Elisabeth Elliot

Monday, June 13, 2011

The sky is beginning to darken at last (it's 11:05 p.m.), and an almost full moon is shining right in my window. I hope you get to see the moon tonight... the same one I am looking at!

I am very much enjoying my time with Paul, Rebecca, and Annie, and this quiet weekend has been especially nice in helping me settle in. I feel quite like myself now... just a bit tired version of me.

I had the opportunity to go outside for a walk this morning. It was cloudy, but that delightful warmish/cool where just a light sweater is all I needed. The walk was wonderful, and I tried to take in everything that is familiarly new (in other words, familiar from previous visits, but "different" from Ohio). The houses here have quite interesting and varied architecture. Maybe I'll try to take some pictures of them. Many are very narrow and tall (like the Petrie's: 4 floors, very narrow). The sidewalks are very narrow, and most vehicles are small. I think gas here is quite expensive (I'm not totally sure because they sell it per liter, and the price is in euros, and I've never made the effort to do the conversion :-)

My tomato plants are a little pale on a few bottom leaves today, but the rest of the plant looks "ok". We had a peak of sun and I moved the plant that's in a large pot to an area of more sun. I'm not optimistic about their survival (with me as their caretaker!), but I am hopeful!

I made dinner tonight, which turned out okay! Miracles do happen around here! ;-) It was a marsala chicken (Indian dish) from a seasoning packet, with rice and steamed broccoli. Paul and Rebecca are into a TV series "Poirot", about a French detective. We watched one tonight. They're kind of like Sherlock Holmes type mysteries - generally murders, and very complicated, but so fascinating to see how he figures them out. :-)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

As I type this, a lunar eclipse is taking place behind me. How cool is that? I don't recall if I've ever seen an eclipse, and certainly not one as big as this! It's supposed to be a full moon out, for awhile it was pitch black, then looked like a tiny sliver of moon, and now it's about a half-moon. Soon it will be back to a full moon. All in one night! Sweet!

Tomorrow I hope to take a little walk to Lake Genval - one of my favorite and most beautiful places to think, pray, walk, think, and ponder. It is a gorgeous place. I am so amazed and thankful for how smooth and peaceful my transition and time is and has been here. I have been so incredibly at peace with everything... the busyness, the quietness, the running around, the sitting still. Things sort of ebb and flow here, so there are moments of "controlled chaos" as well as moments of waiting quietly, being available but not doing anything, or just quiet. Both are good for me, and can be outside my "comfort zone". I think that is one of things that makes being here so wonderful, challenging, and growing. There is such a necessity for moment by moment dependence on the Lord, every new hour, new day, situation, challenge... you can't help but spend more time each day and each hour thinking about Him, praying to Him, and watching Him work mini-miracles all the time! It is something I want to learn and practice forever, everywhere, all the time; but is harder to do when I'm "comfortable". Not to say I'm not "comfortable" here, but it's not just my comfort I am concerned about when I am here. "My" comfort is determined, to some extent, by everyone else's comfort, so I'm praying for all four of us (Rebecca, Paul, Annie, and myself). It is a joyful "weight" to bare, and as an author once stated, "Prayer gives us the dignity of causality"... meaning, it allows us to feel a part of something the Lord is doing. What a privilege! Anyhow, I don't know if I make any sense; I'm just now trying to understand myself, and trying to put the experiences and thought processes that I go through here can be difficult sometimes.

Thursday 6/16/11

It's raining here this morning. Funny, because last night I was just realizing I had been here almost a week and we had not had more than one quick rain shower (very unusual for Belgium!) I may not get to the lake this afternoon afterall, but that's okay. There's more time for it later! Besides, this is Belgium, so it could be perfectly clear and sunny in another 10 minutes! :-) The rain sounds so soothing on my skylight, and the clouds are magnificent too.

...God worked another mini-miracle for me this afternoon. As you know, it was raining on and off this morning, with just a little bit of sun. This afternoon, the sun came out for awhile and I was able to walk to and around Lake Genval again. It was so wonderful. I walked, listened to music, took a few pictures, and prayed and thought. As I was walking, some large, darker clouds started to roll in. I wasn't too concerned about walking home in the rain (that's exciting too), but I thought "wouldn't it be neat if God held off the rain just until I got home?" Not quite a prayer, but a fun little discussion with God and allowing Him to do as He pleased. Sure enough, as I rounded the corner to head up the street to the house, it started to sprinkle. I walked inside, and about 15 minutes later, it started pouring down rain and thundering. God is good, and it's little things like that that make me feel so special and loved.

Introducing...

2011-06-17T06:14:00.001-07:00

It has become a bit of a routine now for me to come to Belgium and miss at least one large family event while I am here. The first time I came to Belgium, my oldest brother, Jonathan, asked his girlfriend Pam to marry him. (He was so very thoughtful as to write me a letter to read on the flight over, which hinted that such a delightful thing just might happen while I was away :-). Pam said yes, and we have been so blessed! Last year, I returned for a second visit to Belgium, and while I was away... lo and behold, my next youngest brother, Josh, proposed to his girlfriend Bethany! (This also, did not come as a surprise, but oh, what a joy!). I like to joke that when the time comes, I will have to return to Belgium 5 more times in order for my younger brothers to be able to propose to their future wives! Thankfully (or not?), I do not have any brothers (or sisters) close to engagement this trip. :-) But, not to be outdone, this morning brought the birth of Jonathan and Pam's second child (first son!), John David Kopechek. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 13 oz. and was 21 inches long. I am beyond thrilled to be an aunt again! It is difficult to be so very far away geographically, but they are all very close to my heart... especially right now! So proud and happy for them all (and us!) Congratulations Jonathan and Pam!

Lunar Eclipse!

2011-06-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

The almost-full moon on Tuesday night, 6/14/11

Photo taken outside my bedroom window

The eclipsing moon, Wednesday 6/15/11

Photo taken outside my bedroom window

As I type this, a total lunar eclipse is finishing here in Belgium. I don't recall if I have ever seen an eclipse, and certainly not one as full and clear as this! Interestingly, though viewable from most continents, it is not viewable in North America (too light out still!) It doesn't really get dark enough here to even see the moon until between 11 and 11:30 p.m. (and dawn arrives around 5:00 a.m. :-) When the moon had finally risen, I couldn't anything for awhile, then a small sliver of moon, then a quarter, then half, and now, it's at about a three-quarter moon. Pretty amazing for a night that is supposed to be a full moon! In about a half hour, it will be full again. What a cool thing to get to experience while I am here! :-)

A rare total lunar eclipse is happening today, June 15, and will be visible in parts of South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa. The event will be the longest lunar eclipse in 11 years, beginning at 1:24 p.m. EDT (17:24 GMT) and ending at 7 p.m. EDT (23:00 GMT). During this time, the Earth's shadow will completely cover the moon for one hour and 41 minutes."

A Note From My CCI Puppy, Michael III

2011-06-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

(Michael, my current CCI puppy, is in the most excellent hands of long-time CCI puppy raisers and friends, Marty and Dave Carvour. I can't thank them enough for taking care of my CCI pups when I am out of the country! It's so comforting to not worry about them and know I will return home to find them in as good, if not better shape than when I left! I got this e-mail from Michael today... (please excuse his spelling and grammar - he's not quite 9 months old :-)

dear mom

michael angel boy here i asked marty where you were and why

i couldnt go home to you and she said you werent home you

were in belgium whats a belgium and she showed me on this big

ball where you are well that makes no sense to me its only this

far_____________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

______________________________________ so why cant i be with

you

im having fun here with nathan he is a lot of fun and he gets tired like

me so we sleep and play and sleep and play and sleep and play we got

to run outside together yesterday i had to drag a long rope but i didnt

mind I could still run fast so can nathan so we ran side by side most of

the time marty called us and we came running we almost hit her but

she didnt mind because we came when she called and that made her

happy so I guess its ok to runned into her

i get food here and water and marty says my poop looks good should

she say things like that you dont say things like that I sleep in a wire

room its comfortable i can sleep on my back and my paws are off the

floor they stay cool so does my tummy

they dont have any animals here cept dogs and rabbits and birds and

no kids i miss the kids i miss you too even though you dont think i do i

i also get lap time and scritches daves a nice person i havent gone

anywhere they dont go to school here is that ok i kind of like not

having to get up and hurry off to school i can play with nathan we

have a blast

i have to go now i hope i can see you tomorrow dream about me and

ill dream about you bye

Bonjour, Belgium!

2011-06-11T10:23:00.002-07:00

A small part of my wonderful "sending off" committee! Friday, 6/10/11 :-)

Bonjour from Belgium!

Ahhhh... it is wonderful to be back in my European home and amongst my European family! Thank you all for your prayers these past weeks, days, and hours. They were heard!

Yesterday's good-bye's went very smoothly and I was peaceful and excited. The check-in and security went smoothly, and then the excitement started. When I reached my boarding gate in Columbus, we were told that "our" plane had a not arrived yet, but should be there in about 10 minutes. No big deal... I had a 1 hr 11 minute layover to my next flight, so could afford a few minutes delay. 10 minutes turned into about 20, and we finally began boarding. After we boarded our plane to Atlanta, the captain notified us that a runway had been shut down in Atlanta and there was a back-up of planes there, so we were not being given clearance to leave Columbus until that was dealt with. We waited about 30 more minutes, and at that point, I realized that unless my flight in Atlanta was also delayed, I probably wasn't going to make it to Belgium on that flight. Oh well, I thought. I love airports and travelling adventures, so whatever happens, happens. The flight to Atlanta was very smooth and fast. I played the "inflight trivia" game on the fancy computer screen in the seat in front of me, and had a great time, winning 2 out of the 3 rounds... despite the fact that I had almost no clue as to what half the questions were talking about! :-) The pilot must have been going a little over the air "speed limit", because despite the fact that we left about an hour later than scheduled, we arrived only 1/2 hour later than scheduled. My seat neighbor had a "fancy technological device" that was able to look up my gate and find out that my flight was on time (!). So, with about 15 minutes left until my Brussel's flight's scheduled departure time, I de-boarded the plane from Columbus and began the walk-run across the Atlanta airport. The terminal we landed in and the terminal I had to get to were the two opposite sides of the airport - about the longest distance possible from one terminal to another. At any rate, between the little subway thing, escalators, and my walk/running through the airport, I made it to my gate just after hearing the PA system call out the last boarding call for my flight (they called a couple other peoples' names, but not mine... :-) I got checked in and boarded the plane and sat down huffing, puffing, and sweating, and very happy. At that point, I pretty much expected my luggage to follow on a future plane, but I was just glad to make it on that flight! Once again, the flight itself was very smooth and uneventful. I was able to doze on and off for about 3 hours of the flight (from 3 a.m. - 6 a.m.), enjoyed the food and once again, was struck by the oddity of spending 8 1/2 hours and a short night's sleep with about a hundred of my closest strangers. At any rate, we arrived in Belgium this morning and customs and border patrol went super smoothly (in fact, not a question was asked or word said other than "hello" :-). Paul Petrie met me at the airport and took me "home", and I have unpacked, taken a short nap, and thoroughly enjoyed visiting with everybody again. Stephen Petrie's wife, Sarah, her sister Emily, and Stephen and Sarah's 8 month old daughter are still here (they've been taking care of Rebecca the last couple weeks). They will leave on Monday, but it's been wonderful to get to meet the final Petrie's I had not met, and it is of course enjoyable to have an adorable baby in the house! I have been able to pick right up with some of the responsibilities here, with a lot of freedom to rest and settle in as well. The responsibilities will pick up more in the upcoming days! :-)

Please pray that I get a good night's sleep tonight and that my body adjusts quickly to the time change. Other than that, I am healthy, happy, and so very grateful for the exciting and successful trip! :-)

Happy weekend, all!

A la prochaine,

Mary Beth

Back to Belgium!

2011-04-30T09:27:00.001-07:00

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." ~ Proverbs 16:9

Dear friends,

It is with great excitement that I get to share with you the news that I will be returning to my friends in Brussels, Belgium this summer! Another opportunity has arisen for a care-giver to help my friend, Rebecca Petrie, (http://www.rebeccasjourney.com/), and it just so happens that I am available! The Lord's ways are beyond understanding for sure! :-) I had been leaving my summer relatively open, anticipating the possibility of helping my brother and sister-in-law in Boston, MA, with their new baby arriving in June. As it turns out, God's plan is not to have them move there yet, and a week after I found this out, I learned about the need for a caregiver in Belgium this summer! God knows me well and knows he needs to have me "schedule" something in order to "leave something open". :-) In addition to this, a friend of the Petries has generously offered to pay my airfare for my trip! Wow!

I will be leaving for Brussels around June 10, as soon as I finish giving and grading my classes' final exams. (Exactly 1 year and 5 days after I returned home from Europe last year! :-) I plan to return to Ohio the last week of July. Once again, my amazing CCI puppy raising friend and mentor, Marty Carvour, will be taking most excellent care of CCI puppy Michael III (thank you! thank you! thank you!) Because I had already planned to not be around this Summer, I am SO relieved to not have to cancel many prior commitments (that was the hardest part last time! :-O)

If you would like to be praying for me as I physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually prepare for this trip, please pray that everything falls into place smoothly (I have a good 6 weeks to prepare this time, as compared to the 10 days last time :-), and especially pray for my boyfriend Luke and I, as I anticipate this will be a very good time for us to grow and trust the Lord, but will also be hard. Luke will be working on his master's research in Wooster, so it will be a good time for me to be gone and enable him to focus on his work. :-) That said, I'm rather attached to the guy and anticipate missing him a lot! Many other people in this world and throughout history have been separated for longer distances and periods of time however, so I know it will all be fine. :-) Besides, technology is such that we really won't have to be that "far" apart. :-)

Thank you for your prayers and sharing in my excitement! I plan to resume my Belgium blogging at: http://mbbelgium.blogspot.com/ for the duration of my visit.

A la prochaine!

~ Mary Beth

"From prayer that asks that I may be,

Sheltered from winds that beat on Thee.

From fearing when I should aspire,

From faltering when I should climb higher,

From silken self, O Captain, free,

Thy soldier who would follow Thee.

From subtle love of softening things,

From easy choices, weakenings.

(Not thus are spirits fortified,

Not this way went the Crucified)

From all that dims Thy calvary,

O Lamb of God, deliver me.

Give me the love that leads the way,

The faith nothing can dismay.

The hope no disappointment tire,

The passion that will burn like fire.

Let me not sink to be a clod,

Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God."

~ Amy Carmichael

Back in Ohio - For now!

2010-06-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

Praise the LORD and pray in His name!

Tell everyone what He has done.

Sing praises to the LORD! Tell about His miracles.

Celebrate and worship His holy name with all your heart.

Trust the LORD and His mighty power.

Remember His miracles and all His wonders and His fair decisions.

~ Psalm 105:1-5

Dear Friends and Family!

This e-mail is being sent from none other than Blacklick, Ohio, United States of America! I arrived safe and sound to Ohio on Saturday evening, after just over 2 incredible months with amazing friends and family throughout Europe! It completely awes me how incredibly and perfectly all the details of this trip fell into place (hmmm... almost as if Someone had been planning it way ahead of time?! :-) At the end of March, I packed and left with one week's notice and a one-way ticket to Brussels, Belgium... not really sure what would come next! Now, the first week of June, I am back in Ohio... carrying with me the wonderful memories and experiences of 7 awesome weeks in Brussels, 27 hours in London, England, 2 1/2 days in Paris, France, 3 days in Italy (Rome and Orvieto), 3 days in Skopje, Macedonia, 2 days near Thessaloniki, Greece, 4 days in Prague, Czech Republic, and 2 days in Stavesice, Czech Republic (birthplace of my great-grandfather Kopechek!). At each stop I had the privilege of staying with incredibly sweet, hospitable friends and family (some who I had met previously, and many who I had not!). Miraculously, I experienced no delayed, cancelled, or missed flights (9 different flights, 10 different airports), no lost baggage, and was remarkably healthy throughout the whole time! I can't even begin to describe the overwhelming awe I experienced repeatedly throughout this trip through the people met, sites seen, and wonderful cultures experienced. On more than one occasion I was brought nearly to tears - tears of joy and gratitude for the incredible experiences and opportunities I was so undeservably blessed to be a part of, and tears of awe at what a magnificent world we live in. I could not have asked for or dreamed of a more wonderful and exciting past couple of months! I was challenged, awed, overwhelmed, and overjoyed! I learned more about myself, this crazy cool world we live in, and the magnificent God we can embrace living life with!

Thank you for your prayers, notes, e-mails, flexibility, and help that made it possible form me to go on this incredible adventure!

I am attaching two photos from my return on Saturday. Special thanks to my family and grandparents for coming to welcome me back, as well as dear friends the Simmons family and Carvours, who have been taking wonderful care of Neo while I was away. Second photo is my reunion with dear Neo, who has grown (again), and looks magnificent!

And what's next? Good question... which I would love to know the answer to also! The next few days and weeks will be spent unpacking, resting, getting back into the Ohio time, catching up with friends and family, and praying, waiting, and watching for who/what/when/where I am to go next... still to be discovered!

Have a wonderful week, dear friends!

~ Mary Beth Kopechek

Girls' night out... to Antwerp!

2010-05-14T03:44:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to ride out to Antwerp, Belgium with my Dutch friend Diana, where I met her twin sister, Sandra, for dinner. Afterwards, we went to the theatre to see a movie. While getting our tickets, we ran into one of the girls' best friends from the Netherlands and another friend of hers! It turned out they were all going to see the same movie we were, so we grew to a group of five and had a lovely evening watching a good movie, enjoying some time together afterwards, and then home again to Genval, with Diana!

Antwerp is in the northeastern part of Belgium and is primarily Flemish speaking. It was quite the experience to be surrounded by people speaking Flemish/Dutch (made me miss and realize how "comfortable" I've gotten around the French speakers! ;-), and the movie was great fun; in English, but with French and Dutch subtitles, and the commercials beforehand were all in Flemish! The girls all spoke varying levels of English... and spoke Dutch fluently.

Once Upon a Time in a Land Far, Far Away... Chapter 1

2010-05-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a little girl.

One day, this little girl went on a big adventure and visited an even bigger city!!! She spent 27 packed hours in this city, had a wonderful visit and made lots of new memories, learned lots of new things, took lots and lots of photographs and then took a train and returned to her far away home... where she lived happi... well, I don't know actually!

But I am that girl, and this is her story... well, a small part of it, anyhow! :-D

Touring London on the Big Bus Tours!!! The touring included a 24 hour ticket to hop-on and hop-off at any sites, a free river "cruise" on the River Thames, and commentary along the ride.

Trafalgar Square; supposedly one of the most famous squares in the world. The square is also used as a location for political demonstrations and events including the celebration of New Year's Eve.

The stone lions especially caught my attention... because they reminded me of dogs. It turns out the creator actually used dogs as his model. Hee-hee! No wonder I found them cool! :-)

The National Gallery - There was a London-wide, plastic, painted baby elephant exhibition going on, which made for a rather interesting visit! It turns out the elephants are there for some kind of charity/fundraiser/auction to support endangered elephants somewhere else in the world...

Some of the elephants were... disturbing?!

The Horse Guards of London - Every day (from 10:00-16:00), a mounted guard is posted at the gate of the Horse Guards grounds to stand (changing horses every hour or so), guard over the stables (or rather, draw attention from tourists?)

The Royal Courts of Justice - cool architecture!

St. Paul's Cathedral, a working church located at the highest point in the city of London. Important services held in this church include the funerals of the Duke of Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill, peace services marking the end of the First and Second World Wars, and the 80th Birthday of Her Majesty the Queen. In 2001, Britain's memorial service to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks was held at the cathedral, attended by the Royal family

It was kind of a big, awe-ing place! The photo on the right is of the front doors to the church. They were quite tall :-).

The Bank of England headquarters

The Tower Bridge. For some reason, this is one of my favorite spots from the touring I did in London. It's so classic and noble and... British?!

The Tower of London - Home to Sir Isaac Newton, among others. (I was told that this is where gravity was invented, and that before that time, people just floated around through the air. Hmmm... anybody know if we can "uninvent" things?)

This photo is the gate where none other than William Wallace/Mel Gibson was taken and tortured and killed (in a manner very historically accurate, it appears!). The only problem with the scene is that the portcullis that he held up with one arm while fighting a half dozen men with the other, weighs about 2 tons. Hmmm...

The Jewel House, under armed guard. In this building lie the Crown Jewels, which include all the regalia and worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and other state functions. This building houses the crowns, sceptres (with either the cross or the dove), orbs,swords, rings, robe, and even the spurs used, as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself. Security around the actual items (which can be viewed, but not photographed :-(,including fiber optics to light the displays, and 2 inch thick, bullet-proof glass. The cases are brass and contain inert materials with filtered air. The jewels rest on French velvet. The entire building is, obviously, guarded as well.

The crown picture is not one I took, but one I found online. (Thankshttp://www.fondosanimados.com/wallpapers/paisajes/ciudad/londres/las_joyas_de_la_corona/las_joyas_de_la_corona.php). However, picture this and about 15 other similar, but different crowns, and you'll get the picture. Many of the gems on these crowns are so huge that you don't even notice the smaller diamonds --- which themselves put any engagement ring diamonds to shame! Simply... amazing!

One of my own kind --- a beefeater! Beefeaters, also known as Yeomen Warders, are the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. In principle they are responsible for looking after any prisoners at the Tower and safeguarding the British crown jewels, but the prisoner work has become quite scarce (the economy?) in recent centuries, so the beefeaters serve more as tour guides to the Tower of London, and apparently have some "tourist appeal" themselves as well!

Prisoners' graffiti in the Beauchamp Tower of the Tower of London..

You know you're in England when...

This wall is of ancient Roman origin. And when I say old, I mean really, really old!

Chapter 2 - Once Upon a Time, In a land far, far away...

2010-05-10T05:56:00.000-07:00

Tried my first oyster... see below:

Dr. Neville (one of my master's thesis committee members and my wonderful personal London tour guide (he lives just a little ways outside of London and met me in London to show me around and keep me from getting squished on the roads or lost in the city - THANK YOU DR. NEVILLE!) and I. We coated the oysters with lemon, pepper, and a bit of hot sauce, and then... slurp... chomp... chew... gulp! Hmmm... I think I just may have thrown up if the oyster was plain, but other than the texture and a bit of "fishy" flavor, the lemon and pepper and hot sauce were quite good! :-) What an adventurous day!

THE London Bridge... not really very glamorous actually, although I am very happy to say it did not fall down while we rode under it...

View of London skyline from the River Thames - You may notice a large number of cranes invading the skyline... just a little reminder that the 2012 Summer Olympics will be taking place in London, and they apparently want to make a good impression!

The London Eye - aka the largest ferris wheel in Europe

The London Houses of Parliament (and Big Ben himself!) (Left: the view from the Westminster Bridge - Right: the view from the River Thames)

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben (continued)

Westminster Abbey
The story of the making of this Abbey is quite remarkable, and ancient - but I don't have time or room for it here, and neither do I fully understand it all. :-) What I do know is this is a magnificent building and tEherein lie the bodies of such notable people as: David Livingstone, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, William Pitt, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, Elizabeth I, and Mary Queen of Scots. Alas, I did not have the opportunity to meet or converse with any of the above. Perhaps I shall try to take time to do so on a future visit! :-)

BUCKINGHAM PALACE!

HORSES marching around Buckingham Palace (We're pretty sure they did that just for me - the timing was perfect! :-)

Had Chinese food in London's "China Town" for dinner. Mmmm.. duck!

Then we visited the "West End"and saw a most incredible production of "The Phantom of the Opera" in "Her Majesty's Theatre". It was fantastic!!!

After 14 hours of exploring London, it was time to get a couple hotel rooms and crash for the night! Amazingly (or not surprisingly?), I slept really well! (Thought I'd be a real tourist and model my new t-shirt too. Don't worry, didn't sleep in that shirt! :-)

The Science and Natural History Museum: if ever a museum was a "museum", this is it! WAY COOL, and definitely a place I would go back and visit again... and probably again!... and it's FREE! :-)

DINOSAURS!!! The skulls on the right were actually found in the U.S. in the states of Nevada and Montana I believe.

It was like visiting a zoo... but better. The animals held still and weren't depressed or pacing, and you could get a really good, close up view of them too! They had species from ALL over the world, and many animals I had never seen or heard of, as well as just about every kind I have seen or heard of! If I've never mentioned it before or let on, I REALLY like animals! :-)

Hanging from the ceiling and stretching across the entire length of this huge room, was a Blue whale skeleton! (As well as several other whale skeletons. There is also a life-size whale model on the ground level - notice how small those people look? Oh yes, and I could not pass up getting a photo of the angler-fish. :-)

Made a quick stop to visit the Albert Memorial. Note to all my friends: you do not have to do something like this for me when I die... PLEASE

The Royal Albert Hall

I only almost got squished a couple times for looking left before right (and I could be entertained by watching cars drive on the roads in London for hours! :-) ...Then it was time to take a taxi back to the train station for the ride back "home"... The taxi and train ride were very smooth and uneventful; just the way we like them! :-)

Cheerio, London! You were wonderful, and I hope we may meet again!

A Visit to Villers Abbey in Villers La Ville

2010-04-30T14:22:00.000-07:00

Going on an adventure! I took the train from Genval to the train station in Ottignies, waited about 40 minutes, then changed trains to head to Villers Abbey in Villers la Ville! From there, I walked the ~ 1 mile to the Abbey, had a LOVELY couple of hours there, walked back to the train station, rode to Ottignies, waited another 30 minutes or so, and took a different train back to Genval! So much fun!

The earliest buildings of the abbey no longer exist, but the abbey was completely rebuilt by the end of the 13th century. The first restoration work was done in 1893, and a larger scale restoration in 1984.

The Abbot's Palace (built in 1720-1721).

In the gardens, looking towards the church (original construction

began in 1197!)

The abbey is such a peaceful, beautiful place. There is a quiet spirit about the place, and you can almost picture the monks walking quietly around several hundred years ago! Amazing!

This was an interesting, old tablet I found... Don't really know what it says other than it appears to be in memory of someone (or something?) and has interesting dates at the bottom. :-)

The church was incredible!

I had a lovely time in the Villers Abbey!

Another Wonderful Week - Week 4

2010-04-29T01:13:00.000-07:00

Skyping with Grandpa (Paul Petrie), Uncle Matthew, and cousin Gabriella!

I LOVE THIS BABY!!! :-D

Because of the volcanic ash advisory, Marta and her Mommy weren't able to leave Belgium on Monday as planned, (they ended up leaving on Wednesday), so Marta had to spend some time on the phone with travel agencies, airline companies, friends, and family. At least, that's what we think she was doing?

Just like the bananas all over the world that couldn't get to Belgium because of the flight restrictions from the Icelandic volcano, the bananas in the Petrie garage were going bad... so... I made my first Belgian banana bread (sshhhh... don't tell, but it's actually the first banana bread I've ever made! Rebecca and I tried a fresh, still-warm piece before bed and decided it probably won't kill anybody...)

I believe there is a song about Rebecca's Garden. It has a line that says... "Two [turtle] doves..."

... "And a partri... I mean... PIGEON in a pear tree!"

He's All That I Need

2010-04-24T01:30:00.001-07:00

From a journal entry 9-25-07

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow His calling,
To a place of unknown,
With dependence on Him,
There His greatness is shown..

Trust just grows stronger,
When it's put to the test,
At each stage believing,
Every next step is blessed.

His grace has new meaning,
Poured out at great need,
More Him and less me,
In word and in deed.

Serving is easy,
At my time and place,
But when dying to self,
One must serve by God's grace.

Asked to surrender,
There is humanly pain,
But your giving away,
Brings God's greatest gain.

God's proved Himself faithful,
He's all that i need.
Lord, help me to live,
A life at Your lead.

Brussels!

2010-04-19T06:12:00.000-07:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to again visit Brussels, Belgium, this time on a BEAUTIFUL, clear, blue sky, warm sunny day with a new dear friend, Diana (from the Netherlands). We had a wonderful day, and of course took lots of pictures to help remember it! :-)

We began by taking the train from Genval to Brussels. I LOVE the train, and also get a bit of an adrenalin rush in trying to make sure we get the right tickets and get on the right train! :-) This is Diana and I on the train...

Then came the big job of making sure we got off at the right station... Bruxelles Centraal! We did, and were greeted in the train station by a most outstanding live band performed by a group of senior citizens... and they were awesome musicians! (see video) I kept thinking somebody was going to suddenly jump out and yell "Candid Camera" or that the band was going to do something really random, like my siblings and I have seen from "Improv Everywhere" (google it online if you haven't seen it before! :-)

From the train station we headed to the Grand Place... which was every bit as grand this visit as it was 2 1/2 years ago! What incredible architecture!

We also visited the Manneken Pis, (http://www.trabel.com/brussel/brussel-manneken.htm) who was dressed as a soldier this day and peeing some sort of drink (probably beer or wine?) into cups for people to drink. Diana and I passed on this opportunity, but enjoyed observing the excitement. There were also several Belgian military veterans (?) there, so we presume there was some sort of ceremony or celebration going on. (On a side note, Diana and I also found out that Manneken Pis has a sister, Jeanneken Pis, who we eventually found (after much searching) in a small street hidden behind a bunch of restaurants. She too, is urinating... sigh. Such indecency?!

We came across a few really old looking walls and what looks like the remains of a castle. They are so interesting because they are just stuck right in the middle of Brussels (or rather, Brussels was built right around them!), so they are surrounded by more modern buildings, but have obviously been around for a lot longer than I have! :-)

We visited the cool clock with the statues

representing the different trades of Belgium

(and this time nobody was missing!)

And we visited the Royal Palace ... and the park behind the palace, which used to be the king's hunting grounds! I love this park!

And this, I believe, is my favorite spot in all Brussels... I just LOVE the view! Diana and I walked past and through this spot quite a few times on Saturday, and we laughed each time we had to go back through that way (let's just say we did a LOT of walking and didn't really plan our routes well, so backtracked a lot, much to my joy! ;-)

I know you will find this hard to believe, but we ate a lot in Brussels!!! First was a lunch of delicious sandwiches in fresh, HUGE baguette (Subway... how's THAT for a foot long?! :-). Then, a few hours later, we had some amazing waffles... and a few hours later, rounded out our day with some Belgian frites and mayonaise (the "real" way to eat frites! :-) We decided to pass on the Brussels sprouts and have enough Belgian chocolate at home that we decided not to invest in that route this time... :-)

We also visited one of my favorite churches in Brussels! I've never been inside, but the outside awes me every time... and on this visit there was a WEDDING at the church! Can you imagine being married here?! (Maybe my newly engaged brother will consider a Belgian wedding? ;-)

This is just another beautiful church in Brussels.

And we saw the Atomium, which is one those things that you "HAVE" to see, but don't really know why. It was built for the World Fair in Brussels in 1958... http://www.atomium.be/

And then... we took the train home; happy, exhausted, foot-sore, and did I mention, happy? What a great day to enjoy a beautiful city!

More Photos From Week #3

2010-04-19T05:56:00.000-07:00

Marta is quite in awe of the "diaper cake" for her baby shower! What a cool idea! :-)

Marta and her "diaper cake" made by Mary Floyd for her baby shower! Baby showers are not traditional in Belgium, so it was fun to both have a shower and also share with some of the Belgian guests what a baby shower is! :-)

Marta loves kisses; especially from Mom and Grandma!

(p.s. If you think I've taken entirely too many pictures of Marta... you're right! But I treasure every one of them, and each one marks a fun and special memory with her! :-)

My first attempt at a version of bacon and bleu cheese burgers! They were actually tasty! Looking forward to "perfecting" them when I come home!

Dinner :-)

More Song Lyrics...

2010-04-19T02:50:00.001-07:00

The music and lyrics from songs are a frequent mode of encouragement from God, for me. It amazes me how many times a certain song will stand out with specific lyrics that either seem to fit my exact situation or be exactly what I need to hear for that moment. Sometimes they're songs I have heard many times before, but that weren't so applicable at that time. It's kind of like the Bible... living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword! :-) I love to put my ipod on shuffle mode and then wait and see what songs God brings... :-)

The other night I was listening to music and this song came on. It is an "old", familiar song to me, but the lyrics struck me in a different way that night, and I hope they can maybe encourage you as they did me. If not, well, thanks for reading anyhow! Happy Monday!

"Warrior is a Child"

By Twila Paris

Lately I've been winning battles left and right
But even winners can get wounded in the fight
People say that I'm amazing
Strong beyond my years
But they don't see inside of me
I'm hiding all the tears

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor
The warrior is a child

Unafraid because His armor is the best
But even soldiers need a quiet place to rest
People say that I'm amazing
Never face retreat
But they don't see the enemies
That lay me at His feet

They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and and cry for just a while
'Cause deep inside this armor the warrior is a child
They don't know that I go running home when I fall down
They don't know who picks me up when no one is around
I drop my sword and look up for a smile
'Cause deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armor
Deep inside this armor
The Warrior is a Child

A Glimpse into Belgium Visit 2 - Week 3

2010-04-19T02:36:00.000-07:00

I woke up one morning to see this BIG bird perched in the tree outside my window! My bedroom is on the third floor, so it was rather interesting to be looking at this huge bird at the top of a tree... right about at my level! :-)
I would like to tell you that this is an amazing scene of the ash cloud from the Icelandic Volcano (which I will not try to spell or pronounce), (please refer to my post from 4/18/10 if you have no idea what I'm talking about :-), but alas, we have seen no signs of any volcano... other than the absence of airplanes. :-) In fact, ironically, the skies have been incredibly clear and the days beautiful and sunny since the declaring of the "Volcanic Ash Advisory". Oh well... we're not complaining! The cloud formations here ARE pretty spectacular, and I have to say that this is one of the best I've seen yet... even if they did appear before the volcano's eruption! :-) These clouds met me in front of the Petrie house when I was walking back from picking up dinner at Donner Kebab's...
"The heaven's declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the works of His hands!"
Psalm 19:1

"Proclaim the power of God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose power is in the skies."

Psalm 68:34

Donner Kebab's! The great Turkish (?) restaurant that we all love! Donner Kebab has gotten to "know" the Petrie household through the comings and goings of girls who bring the Petrie household order every now and again. He calls it "the girls' house" and has been known to invite girls to Turkey with him... don't worry, nobody's taken him up on the offer, and he hasn't invited me... yet.
My first experience with raclette... Mmmmmm! I hope it won't be my last!

Bath Time in Grandma's Room!

2010-04-19T02:20:00.000-07:00

April 13, 2010

Brussels International Airport Info: Glad I'm Not Going Anywhere This Week!

2010-04-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

Belgian airspace remains closed at least until Tuesday 8:00 am

As a result of the volcanic activity in Iceland and the ash cloud over Europe, Belgian airspace remains closed until Tuesday 8:00 am. This means that all passenger air traffic to and from Brussels Airport is suspended.

Brussels Airport strongly advises passengers not to come to the airport as long as the Belgian airspace remains closed. Even after it reopens, passengers are advised to contact their airline or travel agent before coming to Brussels Airport to make sure that their flight will be operating.

Airline list:
http://www.brusselsairport.be/nl/Phone_numbers.pdf

Posted by corpcom on April 19, 2010 6:42 PM

Belgian airspace closed until further notice

As a result of the volcanic activity in Iceland and the ash cloud over Europe, Belgian airspace remains closed until furhter notice. This means that all passenger air traffic to and from Brussels Airport is suspended.

Airline list:
http://www.brusselsairport.be/nl/Phone_numbers.pdf

Posted by corpcom on April 19, 2010 5:13 PM

Belgian airspace remains closed at least until 20:00LT

As a result of the volcanic activity in Iceland and the ash cloud over Europe, Belgian airspace remains closed at least until Saturday 20:00LT. This means that all air traffic to and from Brussels Airport remains suspended.

Brussels Airport strongly advises passengers not to come to the airport as long as the Belgian airspace remains closed. We advise passengers to contact in first case their airline or travel agent before coming to Brussels Airport to assure that their flight will be operating. Some airlines communicate that their flights are delayed instead of cancelled. There will be no flights as long as the airspace is closed.

Airline list:
http://www.brusselsairport.be/nl/Phone_numbers.pdf

Posted by corpcom on April 17, 2010 6:46 AM

Belgian airspace remains closed

As a result of the volcanic activity in Iceland and the ash cloud over Europe, Belgian airspace remains closed and will NOT open at 10:00 LT. More info will follow.

All flights in and out of Brussels Airport will remain suspended.

We therefore strongly advise passengers who were due to fly today Saturday or tomorrow Sunday to contact their airline or travel agent before coming to the airport.

Phone list:

http://www.brusselsairport.be/nl/Phone_numbers.pdf

Posted by corpcom on April 16, 2010 11:45 AM

Belgian airspace closed as from 16:30 LT

As a result of the volcanic activity in Iceland, all flights in and out of Brussels Airport will be suspended from today Thursday 15 April at 16:30 until Friday 16 April at 18:00.

We therefore strongly advise passengers who were due to fly from this time today to contact their airline before coming to the airport:

http://www.brusselsairport.be/en/Phone_numbers.pdf

Posted by corpcom on April 15, 2010 12:51 PM

Cloud of volcanic ash disturbs air traffic

An ash cloud from a volcanic eruption in Iceland has made air traffic impossible in large parts of Scandinavia and the UK. As a result several flights had to be cancelled.

Chances are that Brussels Airport too will be forced to suspend all flights in the course of the day.

More details will follow.

Posted by corpcom on April 15, 2010 10:45 AM