Dix-Neuf (19) The Netherlands and Phillipe…
Bonjour à tous !
At the beginning of August, we were in the car and headed to the Friesland region of the Netherlands to visit Doeteke Jagger and her mother, Yanka (Sp?). We saw an opening in the weather—SUNSHINE!! And we decided to take the opportunity to do so while we could! We loaded up our camp gear and found a campground that would be close to their home!
We got to the campground and set up our tents. Doeteke and her mother met us there. We walked back with them to their house. They prepared a simple soup and bread meal, and catching up with them was very nice! After dinner, we walked along the water's edge, and as soon as the night began to fall, we headed off to our tents. (The campgrounds are PRISTINE in the Netherlands. We have found it this way in most of France as well!)
The next day, Doeteke had a college course to study for, so we headed to a nearby town to see if we could find some daily bread. We found a small bakery that made expresso, and we bought a little bread to eat. By the time we made it back to Doeteke’s, her mother was making coffee. She informed us that coffee break was always at 10! So we drank more coffee! (pas de problem!")
After coffee, we decided to go on a drive with D & Y as our tour guides! The countryside was very beautiful. They were excellent guides, showing us the interesting highlights of their country. ((By the way…” Frisian” is NOT a dialect!! It is a language of its own!!)) We saw many Frisian horses in the fields…that is what a real horse is supposed to look like!! We also saw many of the old windmills that everyone tends to think of when they think of the Netherlands!
We ended up arriving at the beautiful seaside city of Harlingen. We ate some kibbling (fried fish) at an outdoor food stand and then walked along the dyke overlooking the sea. There were sheep all along the walk as we meandered along. They seemed to be quite unaffected by our presence; they were very used to people.
Harlingen and Sheep on the dyke
After walking the streets for a while, they took us to the small town of Pingjum. This is where Menno Simons started out as a Catholic priest. There was also a little house right down the road from the Catholic Church. This is where he would later worship after he left the Catholics. We couldn’t go in because you had to call ahead to schedule a meeting. We returned home before the sunset and headed to our tents after a full day of seeing the beauties around us and enjoying the good talks with Doeteke and Yanka.
Catholic Church, where Menno SImons was a priest
Location of Menno SImons church after he left the Catholics
The next day, we stopped at D & Y’s house and visited a bit more before getting back on the road. We really enjoyed our time with them!
Our next stop was a campground about 30 minutes from Amsterdam. We decided to split the trip home up a bit so there would be less driving in one day! It was probably one of the most interesting campgrounds that we have stayed at. It had an organic garden and a little farm stand where you could buy the produce!
On the way home we stopped in a quaint city called Zaandam. It has an old-time village that you can walk through, with a cheese-making shop and a clog maker. Zaandam is known for its charming architecture and picturesque canals. We didn’t walk away wearing clogs, but it was interesting to watch them make them!
Also, we drove through the big city of Amsterdam. We zipped in and zipped out of the traffic; it was a difficult city to drive in. A little word to the wise: all “coffee shops” are not created equal in Amsterdam. Even if Google Maps says that it’s the ¨best coffee shop in Amsterdam¨! Coffee houses in Amsterdam can also be “weed shops,” where they often serve more marijuana than espressos. After about 3 or 4 attempts? We finally found a place to get “coffee” sans the marijuana!
Surprisingly, Amsterdam is not that far from our home in Lille! Only 3+ hours or so, so we took it easy as we journied home! We stopped in the beautiful town of Delft for lunch. Delft is well known for its historical facades and the world-famous Royal Delft Ceramics. We walked through the Delft store, and if you asked Bella and Sterling how many times I told them to be “VERY” careful and “NOT” pick up anything, I wonder what number they would come up with!?!? The Royal Delft was insanely expensive but very, very beautiful. Walking around the city square was a site as well. One interesting thing about the Netherlands is that quite a few buildings will be leaning just a bit. Some more than just a bit! One church we saw (I couldn’t find a picture online), we wondered how it could be left as it was; it seemed like a real hazard!
The Dancing Houses-Amsterdam-click through the first few pics to see the leaning ones-
Oude Kerk- (Old Church) leaning-Delft, Netherlands
After our Netherlands trip, life seemed to settle down in a way. We spent a good chunk of the month working on our VISA renewals.. phew!…((they don’t make it easy!))
Also, at the beginning of this month, we started making contact with a man named Phillipe, who lives in a village near us. He had received a tract package in his mailbox and was interested in meeting. We first talked with him on the phone, and then Tyson invited him over to listen to the Roxton Falls church service on the first Sunday of August. He came and was very nice. I would say he’s in his late 60’s early 70’s. He left the Catholic church and wanted to find a Mennonite church because he felt aligned with Mennonite beliefs. However, the ones that he has been in contact with in Paris, Brussels, or Strasbourg were either too far away or not what he was looking for.
The first time he came over, we listened to the church service, sipped coffee, and learned about his life. His father was from Spain, and his mother was French. (He looks Flemish) He has six grown children! Most of them live in parts of France, but one lives in Cuba! He is not married anymore, and he is retired. He wanted more church literature to read, so we gave him three or so books to read, and he said, “He was happy that he had come.” He wanted to shake hands before he left and told the children in French (he only speaks French) that they “were not monkeys,” he acted pleasantly surprised! Sterling, of course, thought that was a great compliment. He had been on his best behavior. Bella was unsure about the reference to monkies, even if It was a compliment! LOL!
And…he has been back every Sunday with us to listen. Each time, we learn a little more about him, and he has a real sense of humor!
One thing he has mentioned several times is, "How did you get the tract package into my mailbox?" He lives in an apartment building, and we can't access the apartments; only the residents can enter using their access codes. He said, “It’s a miracle!” And honestly, we think it's pretty amazing how God works, too. We wonder if someone in his apartment picked up tracts off of the bus station bench and put one in his mailbox?? ((When we pack tracts, we put five in each plastic bag and leave them all over the city at bus stops. )) Almost every time we meet, he mentions it as a miracle. While we may speculate on the tract's path to reaching him, one undeniable truth remains: God can deliver his message to those who earnestly seek it no matter the limitations. What a comforting thought!
We hope Mr. Phillipe will continue to come. We have really enjoyed getting to know him. If you have an opening on your prayer list, say a prayer for him and us that we know how to be friends with him and help point him in the right direction.
We hope you all are well and maybe even enjoying a touch of fall like we are here. Au revoir for now!
