Day of Rest (Day 4)

Worship, naps, good food, great walks, lots of good conversation—that’s what this Sunday was all about.  And---ta da!—Jenni’s 29th birthday!

We accepted Sjoerd’s and Annette’s offer to join them in worship at their church in Draachten, about 20 minutes away.  It was a large, contemporary church built on the site of an older Reformed Church, and was a combined congregation of Christian Reformed and Reformed.  The sermon was excellent, though all in Dutch.  We stumbled through our Dutch pronunciation of the praise songs and hymns but sang along anyway, happy to be part of people who seemed to love God and want to be together.  We especially loved watching the children go to children’s worship, carrying smaller candles that had been lit from the Christ candle.

Sunday dinner was roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and vegetables.  We are staying very Dutch in our cuisine.  Though I noticed it’s impossible to find roasting chickens in the grocery stores—only chicken parts.  I had to ask especially for these, and they were just little tiny things (kind of like the coffee cups in Holland).  So I roasted two for today.  Then Jenni opened her card and gifts, which included lots of goodies from the US that are not available in the Ukraine—brown sugar, chocolate chips, peanut-butter M&Ms, and Doritos, among other things.

After dinner, we followed the strict Calvinist tradition of taking a nap.  Then we piled into the car and drove into town, to the entrance to a footpath I had seen earlier.  Mom stayed in the car and read a book (still feeling poorly), and Jenni, Gayle, and I walked out under the dappled-green shadow of leaves and sunlight on a straight path (there are no other kinds of paths in Holland). 

Meadows and cows, meadows and cows—and no fences.  All are separated by small canals that are much more effective than electric or barbed wire.  We enjoyed not only the chance to stretch our legs, but also to talk together about Jenni’s ministry in the Ukraine and her plans for the future.  And to take more pictures!

When we returned, we had a special invitation from Annette and Sjoerd to join them for tea at 4:00.  We were ushered into their really lovely home and sat around a crackling, blazing hearth fire.  Annette brought out a tray of oranje koek, a specialty of Dutch bakers that is often served at birthday parties.  

We were joined by Martien, a young accounting student who will finish his master’s this coming year and then look for work in a missions setting.  Annette presented Jenni with a bouquet, Martien played the piano, and Annette and Sjoerd sang the traditional Fries happy birthday song.  What fun!

After a long and warm conversation, in which we discovered that Annette knew not only Jenni’s parents, Barb and Gord, (from her days at Dordt) but also my old boyfriend (from her teaching days in Canada) and various other “Dutch bingo” connections, we parted with such gratitude for having been brought to this place and these people.  As we said when we left the house,  the best part of travels abroad is not the sight of new places but the people met and friendships made.

That evening, it was great to listen to Jenni and Mom, deep in conversation about family history and memories.  That's part of what this trip is all about, to listen to each other and learn and remember, and to celebrate our family and our roots.