BelgianBreeze

Spring Belgian Breeze Newsletter

2008-06-21T14:35:00.003+02:00

February - May Belgian Breeze Newsletter

Greetings
Hello from beautiful Belgium. We hope this newsletter finds you well and healthy. We are so thankful for support from you, your church, brothers and sisters who want to give to the Lord's work even when it is not easy to give. Thank you for your commitment to sharing God's message with the lost. We would like to introduce you to Isaak. God has entrusted us with another wonderful gift. Praise God with us for this little boy who arrived june 3! Mama and baby are healthy. God has blessed us these past months with studies, contacts, and more opportunities to serve. Please thank God with us for that.

Sharing the Good News
Luk has continued with his weekly bible studies and I (Holly) began a Pregnancy focused bible study with our friend Vanessa. Luk continues to preach, teach, or lead worship in several churches on Sunday morning, and then we meet with the brothers and sisters in Ghent in the evening. It is neat to see how many in the Ghent church are taking opportunities to teach, and lead. The Monday after Easter we drove to The Hague, the Netherlands for a wonderful fellowship day. This was a day for all the churches in Belgium and the Netherlands to get together and grow closer to God and renew old friendships! Near the end of April Luk was fortunate enough to join 27 others from Belgium and The Netherlands to represent our countries at a Church of Christ soccer tournament in Thayingen, Switzerland. 17 teams from all over Europe including, Frankfurt, Vienna, Paris, and Marseilles all came to share in some fun and to make their home churches proud. Some of the highlights for Luk were singing in 4 different languages during the Saturday night devotional, and the Sunday morning worship, and the focus on God and fellowship during the whole tournament. Please keep our Ghent weekly Bible Study contacts like, Edison, Bert, Cecil and Herman in your prayers.

Focus on The Youth
In February the youth weekend in Antwerp focused on music. We talked about guarding our hearts, spotting the lies in the media, and learned about some new Christian alternatives to the not-so-positive music out there. Pray that the young people that were there, and the rest of us, for that matter, learn to spot the lie, and that we daily allow ourselves to be transformed by God. In early March we enjoyed being together with the young adults in Hever. The young people there had planned a time to get together to talk, go on a walk and play some games together. Thank you Lord for Fellowship! In mid-March was the 5th Annual Guys video game weekend in Antwerp. This year the theme was "How do I get from here to there" with a focus on making a decision for Christ. We talked about how God changes lives when we choose for him.

Outreach
For the past 6 weeks we have enjoyed having two university students here from Oklahoma Christian. We advertised in several newspapers and stuffed folders in mailboxes to let people know that Mica and Kaylee were coming to give English classes using the Bible. They ended up reading with 18 contacts. Please pray about the seeds that are being planted, and that we can follow up well with these contacts.

New Songs and Encouragers
In the church in Antwerp we have experienced some wonderful growth. Many of the new people have asked for a chance to practice the songs so we organized a singing evening to practice some songs that we sing regularly. It is encouraging to see new people put forth the effort to praise God even with the challenges of a new language. We were blessed to have Holly's mom, Cheryl, come and visit for 3 weeks in March. She and Gideon had a wonderful time playing together and getting to know each other again. And it was an enormous blessing for Holly to get to spend this time with her mom! We have also enjoyed the encouragement of other friends like the Robert’s, and now Luk’s sister Karina who is coming to be a helping hand with the kids. It is a blessing to have her around.

Family Facts
Gideon is two and a half. In Belgium this is the age you start school. So he has started to go half days. His vocabulary is growing everyday as he tries to say whatever you say, and he has brought home a lot of new Dutch words from school. Just when you think you are making some progress on your house.... you have to break out the living-room and dining-room floor. 11 People from The Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, and Roeselare Church of Christ’s came to lend a hand. There was much noise, dust, and groaning, but the whole floor was removed by the time dinner time came around.

More Information
If you are interested in more up-to-date news on our family and work you can find this at: www.BelgianBreeze.blogspot.com. Please be praying about our support situation. The dollar has weakened considerably and so each month we receive less funds. We will be making a trip to the states this fall to do some fund raising. Thank you for your love and support as we serve together with you in taking the gospel to people who need Him. In His love, Luk, Holly, Gideon and Isaak.

Holly's Side Of The Story

2008-06-06T07:54:00.002+02:00

Hello from the hospital! So I am now the proud mother of 2 beautiful boys! We are so thankful to all of you for praying for us and for our little one, God truly surrounded us and and we are eternally grateful.

Ok, this is a pretty lengthy story, just giving you fair warning! J We were scheduled to go into the hospital Tuesday evening (June 3rd) to be admitted and monitored and everything, then to have the c-section on Wednesday. So on Monday, I was trying to get everything ready and put in a good place and just do those last minute nesting things. Our ritual is that when Gideon gets home from school, we have lunch then both he and I would take a nap. Well, after my nap, I went downstairs and Luk told me we got a call and things had changed. So he told me that the hospital called and asked if we could come in on Tuesday morning and then have the c-section in the afternoon? Something came up for the doctor (we found out later that the doctors and some of the nurses were going on strike all day Wednesday). Luk told her that would be fine. So I sat down and tried to wrap my brain around the fact that I would see our son the next day! So fun! So we contacted our parents and Luk tried to finish some projects he was working on on the house. We played with Gideon lots when he got up and just relaxed in the evening as a family. Then Tuesday morning, we got up and Luk had breakfast, I had to fast after midnight, and we left for the hospital at 6:55am. I gave Gideon lots of kisses and picked him up (for the last time for a while) and gave him lots of hugs. We went straight up to the labor and delivery ward and checked in. I was put in a recovery room and put on the monitor and given an IV. We had some fun "small world" moments while there. There were 2 nurses that were attending me. One had spent a year in Akron, Ohio and did her senior year at a school in the Cuyahoga Falls area (very close to where Luk's family is now) at the same time that Luk was in his senior year in Tallmadge, a town very close to Cuyahoga Falls. So crazy!! The other nurse turned out to be a friend of our good friend Pieter Good. They both are a part of the University of Ghent's Campus Crusade for Christ type program. So those were some fun conversations while we were waiting around. They told us we would be in surgery either at 1pm or 2:30pm. At around 11am or so, another nurse came and moved us to the maternity ward to our room for after the birth. She also told me that we were now scheduled for surgery at 3pm. They brought me a lovely hospital gown and told me to put it on and then just to be ready. So I got all ready and then waited…and waited…and waited. So I just crocheted and Luk and I had some really random conversations. Then at 3:30pm, I was wondering if they forgot me, but a nurse came in and asked if I was ready. So 10 minutes later, they came and got me and wheeled me in my bed down to the operating room area. There is this long hall that they have you wait for your operating room to open up. They hook up your iv and ask about your allergies to any meds and stuff like that. Then it is just waiting until your room is ready. While I was waiting in this hallway, Luk was getting scrubs on in a changing room. The poor guy ended up having to wait in there a long time. It wasn't until about 5pm that I was finally wheeled into my operating room. The anesthesiologist was telling me about giving me my epidural when this huge fly flew into the room with a nurse chasing it with a big can of Raid! So they told me I needed to wait outside the waiting room while they tried to kill this massive fly. They were successful, but then they had to air the room out, since it reaked of Raid. So weird! They also had to clean some things up, since they didn't need Raid on the stuff I was to be laying on and everything! So funny!! So then I went back in and had the epidural put in, which was different from the last time. With Gideon, I was having hard contractions and had to lay on my side in the fetal position and Luk had to watch. This time it was just me and a nurse and the anesthesiologist and I was sitting on the operating table and I had to round my back like a big "C". It was painful, but fairly quick. Then I layed down on the table and they strapped my arms down and the anesthesiologist gave me the meds and my legs got all warm and tingly. My doctor came in and started preping me with the help of the nurses. They called and got Luk (poor guy had to wait forever in that changing room). So he came in all dressed like a doctor or nurse. So fun! It was great to see him. Then we just had to wait for the pediatrician to get there, which took 5-10 more min. Then they began. I had a sheet in front of me, blocking my view, but Luk got to see the whole thing. So he would periodically tell me what was happening. So I don't think I had enough of the numbing meds, because I felt a lot of what was happening. From my incision and below it, I didn't feel anything, but above my incision, I felt everything. Well, it was a very weird combination of feelings. One was like when you electricute yourself on an outlet or something, like all your nerves are saying"WOW"at the same time. The other feeling was intense pulling and stretching. So I was squirming a bit on the table, and the anesthesiologist had to keep coming over to me and telling me to try to relax and he gave me more meds, but it was still just a feeling like, "just get this over with"!! And the anesthesiologist was really sweet, he kept coming over and rubbing my head and trying to sooth me and tell me what was going on and telling how far they were. Luk got to tell me when she broke my water, saying, "congrats your water just broke!". And then lots more pulling and tugging and Luk told me they had his feet out and then lots of pushing on my tummy and pulling and his hips were out, then lots of pulling and an arm was out and more pushing and pulling and his other arm was out then lots and lots of pushing and pulling and finally his little head was out. He coughed then screamed right away! So great to hear, and boy was it high pitched and LOUD!! They held him over the little sheet so I could see him and say hi then they took him off to check him out. I looked at the clock and it said 5:37pm. Welcome to the world, Isaak Ahrens Brazle, 3.6kg and 49cm long! Luk followed and took lots of pics. Then they came back and layed him on my chest and shoulder while they were stitching me up. It was such a great feeling, getting to see him and feel him and look into his eyes and feel him sucking on my chin! What a blessing! We were able to stay like that for 10 min then they took him up to our room and Luk got to hold him on his bare chest (kangarooing) while they waited for me to be brought back up to the room. They kept working on sewing up my uterus and then the other layers they cut through. This took quite a while, at least another 30-45min. Then they wheeled me off to the recovery area. There were tons of people in there, so it took a while for a nurse to come over to me and check out my charts. She hooked me up to a blood pressure, heartrate and oxygen monitor. They monitored me for another 45 min or so and then finally they came and got me and wheeled me up to my room! It was around 7:30 or 8pm. I got to let him nurse and hold him. So wonderful!! Then the nurses came and put him in his bed. Luk left to go put Gideon in his bed, so we said bye. I was also told that I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything until I passed gas (the only time in my life that I've prayed to have gas!!). They gave me more pain medication through my iv and got me all situated in my bed and put compression socks on my legs. It was a very busy evening and night, he was only happy when he was either nursing or laying on me, until 3:30am. Which is super sweet, but I was really tired, but loving every second of it! And I wasn't allowed to really do much, so I had to call the nurses like every 15 min or so to help in some way or another! But after he finished nursing at 3:30am he and I slept until the nurses came in to wash us up at 7:30am.

The first full day was pretty rough. My stomach hurt quite a bit and I was really tired and Isaak was pretty whiny. But thankfully Luk was here most of the time and the nurses are really wonderful and definitely made me very comfortable asking them for help. Nursing Isaak was pretty uncomfortable, laying him on my belly hurt and laying on my side hurt, so it was just trying to get comfortable while making sure he was still trying to eat. He is a great eater, he latches on pretty quickly and will drink for a very long time. He really doesn't like to have his diaper changed or to have a sponge bath. Both include lots of screaming! J I got to talk to family yesterday, so that really made my day! Gideon finally got to meet Isaak yesterday, and was super cute! He is very concerned when Isaak cries, but we try and tell him that he is just hungery or tired or cold. So he does pretty well. He loves it when Luk holds Isaak, how sweet is that! He also loves to touch his head and stroke his hair. So cute! Last night was another long one, lots of screaming, but he finally dozed off at 4am until they came and washed us again at 7:30am. And I still had no gas, so no eating!!

Meeting Isaak

2008-06-05T08:33:00.002+02:00

- Gideon Meets Isaak -

Since the C-section ended up being quite late in the day we did not have enough time to go pick up Gideon, who was being watched by his aunt Karina, and bring him to meet his brother. So it ended up that he came to see his new brother the next day after school and a nap.

- Playing Buddy's -

Holly is doing well. She said that Isaak is very clingy. He does not like to lay in his bed, that he likes to eat, and that he likes to sleep with his mama. All well and good except that Holly didn't get much sleep. She was tired, and uncomfortable, because of the soreness of having a baby ripped out of you. But she was in good spirits and looks amazing. Just glowing. Pray for her recovery because I know it breaks her heart that she can't fully take care of Isaak yet on her own.

- Being a Part of Things -

Thank you for all of the congrats and well wishes. We feel so surrounded by your love! Thank you for your prayers. We have enjoyed the visit of some of our friends that are living here in Ghent. Pieter, Kaylee and Mika came by to hold the little guy and to see how Holly was doing.

- The Visitors -

Gideon's reaction to Isaak was priceless, and I hope we got some of his good reactions on tape. He was mostly curious and amazed by this little baby. He calls him baby all the time and points in a careful way, but has also come close in saying his name. Every time Isaak cried, Gideon would say "sad" and have a worried face. He would point to me and say "Hold ya" and want me to hold the baby so he would stop crying. Such a giving brother, since "Hold ya" is the phrase I hear most from Gideon wanting me to hold him. Gideon played with the bubbles Isaak was blowing, let Isaak hold his finger, and was content to sit and watch him.

Some have asked about his name:

Isaak - A biblical name, that we liked the sound of, that is not used very often. We liked that it works both in Dutch and in English. In Dutch it will sound more like ee-sah-k. I love the thought of a name that was given thousands of years ago that means laughter. God gives us so many reasons to laugh, and it is fun to use this name to think of that.

Ahrens - Is a family name, like we did with Gideon, (Gideon's middle name is Thomas which is Luk's middle name, and Opa's first name) we wanted a tie to a family name in the middle name. Holly's grandpa was known as John O. A. - the A. stands for Ahrens, which was the family name of John O. A.'s uncle. We liked the sound of it and the family tie.

Brazle - Well no choice there, but we like it. It is different, wierd, and hard to know how to pronounce in Dutch. Oh, your a Brazle, do you know....

Isaak Enters The Scene

2008-06-04T07:25:00.003+02:00

Happy birthday Isaak, welcome to our world. You have been loved for so long already. Carried so carefully by your mom. You have heard our caring muffled voices, and today you got to hear your own voice for the first time. Your brother is so much fun! I know you will follow him around for years. Welcome to a place full of people who have been awaiting your arrival, who can't wait to meet you. But most of all, know that you are here because God is good, faithful, and Great!

Isaak Ahrens Brazle

Was born Tuesday around 17:37
3.6 Kilo (Almost 8 pounds)
49 cm long (just over 19 inches)

The C-Section went smoothly with some discomfort. Isaak got to lay on Holly as she was being sown up, and then Papa got to bond with Isaak as mama was in recovery. As soon as mama came up Isaak has some food. Isaak is healthy and perfect. Thank God for such gifts, and for the possibility of a C-Section. Pray for Holly as she heals up, Pray for Luk as he strives to be a good father and husband, pray for Gideon that he doesn't mind sharing his house with another kid, and pray that Isaak follow God's lead in his life. Praise God for His greatness!

Auntie Karina To The Rescue

2008-05-30T09:31:00.002+02:00

- Meet Auntie Karina -

Probably the thing we miss most living in Belgium is our family. We are very thankful for phones, web cams and the internet so that we can stay in touch with them, but it isn't the same as hugs, doing things together, and helping each other. This is why we were so thrilled when Karina, Luk's sister, decided to move to Belgium for 7 months.

- On Guard! -

Karina will be staying with us, to be a helper where needed. This has already come in handy as she has already babysat twice and tiled our bathroom. She is amazing let me tell you. She just finished school and is taking this opportunity to help take care of the new baby, to make some Euro's by getting a part time job, and to work on her Flemish.

- Normally I do not stand in the shower with my sister! -

Thank you Lord for family! And thank you for those are able to come and be an encouragement and help to us in this way. Thank you for making this possible. Thank you for a serving heart like Karina's that is a blessing to all that she comes into contact with. We pray that Karina enjoys her time in Belgium (and I secretly wouldn't mind it if she gets stuck here...).

Let's Start Talking in Ghent

2008-05-25T15:37:00.002+02:00

- Speaking English In Ghent -

For the past three years we have enjoyed the help from teams coming from the states to come and teach English using the book of Luke in Ghent. It is a fun time to meet new people, play games during parties, and to start new friendships. This year our workers are Kaylee and Mica from Texas. This is the first time they have done this program, but they are not afraid to try anything. We are proud of their work and are always excited what new stories they come home with of their adventures with readers and around town.

- Kaylee and Mica -

The program invites people from Ghent to come and practice their English with native speakers. We advertised in 3 newspapers, on-line through 4 websites and by stuffing mailboxes. The workers have one on one sessions from Sunday to Thursday and then host a party on Thursday nights that we can come and enjoy as well. Gideon enjoyed pin the tail on the donkey last week at the Fiesta themed party.

- Practicing English At The Parties -

The program has been going on for several weeks now and the workers read with 16 regular readers. The girls are an encouragement to the church here as well as they attend service, and add some great singing voices to our worship. We thank God for their efforts here, for being open to new things, and for their encouragement. Thank God for opportunities like these!

- Mika abusing one of the readers at the party -

Holly's 36 week update

2008-05-24T15:33:00.002+02:00

36 weeks and 2 days

Ok, so we just got back from the doc's office and all went well. I was put on the monitor first and everything looked good. I had a contraction, but that is totally normal, and it was only one. Then I saw the doc and she cut my purse-string. She said my cervix was still good and closed. The baby is still head up, breech, so she told me to go ahead and move around more and try to lay with my bum in the air everyday to get the little guy to turn. But she said that things could go pretty fast so we could deliver today, tomorrow, in a few days or next week. So we will see how it all goes. She also told me that some doctors will only cut your purse-sting in the hospital and then make you stay there for a few days to see if you go into labor, but she said she didn't think that was necessary and she knew i would like to be comfortable and would be more so at home and if anything starts to happen, i am just supposed to go to the hospital. We are blessed with such a wonderful doctor!! :) She said since things can go pretty quick now that as soon as I start feeling regular contractions or if anything else changes, that I need to get to the hospital right away, so I don't plan on going anywhere from now until the baby is born!! My next appointment with her is next Friday. I go in on Tuesday for them to take an X-ray of my hips to see if they are wide enough for me to try and deliver breech, but she said that there is a good chance it will need to be a C-section. So basically if I start to go into labor now, they will probably just take me in and do a c-section. So that is the latest on me and the next little Brazle to come.
Gideon is doing well, he started school the first Monday in May. He did pretty well, didn't like being away from us, but did well when he was in class. Then on Friday that first week he had to stay home with a fever, which turned into Chicken Pox!!! But he ended up having a mild case and recovered well (not before getting all of us a bit sick, we had all had Chicken Pox before, but still got the weird flu-like symptoms that are part of the virus). So this was his first full week of school and he has done really well!! He seems to like it and we are so proud of him! Oh and our Let's Start Talking (English Conversation lessons using the bible) team arrived May 6th (2 girls from Oklahoma Christian, they are staying for 6 weeks) and Luk's sister Karina came on May 9th, she will be here until November to help with Gideon and the new baby and just to have fun with us!! :) So we are a bit of a full house, but loving every second of it!! So fun!! Ok, that is the update on us! Let me know updates on all of you when you get a chance!! Sending love and hugs and slobbery kisses from Gideon!! Toodles!
In Him-- Holly Jean

Gideon's First Day

Papa walked him to school

Football Fellowship

2008-04-29T21:33:00.003+02:00

- The Arena -
Who knew that organizing a little soccer tournament in a small Swiss village would have the potential of growing into an event that brings Church of Christ-ers from all over Europe together to practice the sport that trumps the rest of them, and to praise their God together in song, and in play.

- They Even Let Me Play -

Well this past weekend I was fortunate enough to join 27 others from Belgium and The Netherlands to represent our countries at this tournament in Thayingen, Switserland. 17 teams from all over Europe including, Frankfurt, Vienna, Paris, and Marseille all came to share in some fun and to make their home churches proud as they competed for the honor of playing well. The Zurich and Schaffhausen churches in Switzerland for the past 4 or 5 years have put this tournament together and it has slowly grown to host 150 players in a big rented sport hall just a 10 minute drive from the border with Germany.

- Pieter Briefs His Team -

When I asked our young people (and the older people) if they wanted to go play in Switzerland I got a lot of good responses so we ended up needing to rent two vans. It was a quick weekend, but the time in the car and on the field meant there was a lot of bonding going on. Some of the highlights for me were singing in 4 different languages during the Saturday night Devo, and the Sunday morning worship. The countless prayers all day between games asking God to keep us safe, and thanking Him for the ability to play.

- Some Of The Best Players I Could Find -

Thank you Lord for opportunities like this, for those who organized this, for those who drove, for those who played fair, and for the conversations that were filled with your love and wisdom.

- Devo Time With All Of The Teams -

Time To Talk

2008-04-29T21:23:00.002+02:00

We have used the program "Let's Start Talking" in the past and have been impressed how it opens up more and more opportunities to meet new people here in Ghent. It provides a safe place to exchange ideas in a world that mostly keeps to itself.

So this years team is about to arrive and we have been placing advertisements in several newspapers over the past weeks, online, and now have printed flyers to make sure the neighborhood knows about the program. The next few days will be filled with me stuffing mailboxes making sure people know about the next six weeks of talking in English about the texts that are read about in Luke.

Expecing Devotionals

2008-04-10T09:26:00.002+02:00

- 'Expecting Joy' by Mary Lou Graham & Marianne Kelso

Holly has been using this book with Vanessa, one of our friends who is also expecting. They have been getting together weekly to talk about the scriptures and principles presented in this devotional book. It has been very encouraging to Holly to have a friend to talk with who is going through the same things. To share about faith, and the challenges and joys of being pregnant. Thank you Lord for opportunities to learn from you and talk about you, and for friends to share these times with.

Console Party V

2008-03-29T08:52:00.002+01:00

"So what is a console party", I asked... "well it is when we get together with our friends and play video games all night long." I had just asked them for their advice on what youth activity we should have... and didnt want to shoot down their idea, so.... ummm... I asked: "What does Video Gaming have to do with God? Where does God fit in this?" They promptly replied: "You are good at figuring that out." This conversation uttered on a Sunday morning more than 5 years ago started the yearly activity that is now known as the Console weekend. A time when young guys from Belgium and The Netherlands get together and play video games, for hours on end. Breaking to eat, sleep, and read scripture. Sound Crazy? It is! But I love it.

- Getting Ready To Game -

This youth activity is a boys only activity which is great because we get to talk about some topics that are a little more difficult to talk about, and the guys get to act like themselves. We invite them to bring their friends, so their friends can see that being a Christian doesnt have to be weird and boring, which is the way most young people think about Christians here in Belgium.

- The Gamers -

This year the theme was "How do I get from here to there" with a focus on making a descision for Christ. We talked about how God changes lives when we choose for him. We put on our nerd glasses, and compared our soul to a hard drive full of viruses and glitches that needs God's new operating system and a wipe of all of the mistakes off of it. We talked about having a life that doesnt look back at monuments in our life, but looks forward to the path that God is planning for us. There was some good discussion and great comments shared.

- Time Out With Luk -

- Some Cold Fresh Air Time -

- Generation Next Fellowship -

Thank you Lord for this great group of boys! They are growing up so quickly, learning so much, and so helpful. Please guide these kids as they go their seperate ways to different school where their faith is mocked. Help them to follow your leading, and help us to know how we can encourage them in thier struggles and triumphs.

Demolition Fellowship

2008-03-19T08:36:00.002+01:00

Just when you think you are making some progress on your house.... we decide to break out our livingroom and diningroom floor. WHen we bought the house the floor was a rough unfinished cement that we thought we would smooth out in a few years. Well after some advice from friends and contractors, the cheapest solution was to break it all out and put in a new floor.

- The Reason A New Floor Is Needed -

What a perfect opportunity for some fellowship thought I. I have quite a few friends who have expressed intrest in demolishing anything they can get their hands on at my house. Friends have even asked to come and dig holes in my yard just to see what they could find. The need some physical labor therapy due to their desk jobs. So 11 guys converged on Ghent last Saturday.

- Demolition -

- Jack Hammers are Great -

People from The Ghent, Antwerp, Brussels, and Roeselare Church of Christs came to lend a hand. There was much noise, dust, and groaning, but the whole floor was removed by the time dinner time came around. Holly, Gideon and Holly's mom Cheryl, escaped to Dennis and Amanda's house for some time away from the noise and dirt.

- Breaking For Lunch -

- Evening Out Dirt Beneath -

- Floor Before -

- Non-Floor After -

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! to all of those who came to help! My muscles were so sore the next few days. I know all of you took your free time and worked so hard to help me out. Thank you. I don't want to think about how long it would have taken me by myself, and now I don't have to because you helped. Thanks for a wonderful day. It was great fun working with all of you.

Fellowship in Hever

2008-03-10T09:08:00.002+01:00

-Playing Catch Phrase-

A week ago we enjoyed being together with the young adults in Hever. The young people there had planned a time to get together to talk, go on a walk and play some games together. We had fun laughing and being challenged by some Bible trivia. It is neat to see the young people take initiative, and see the importance of being together with other Christians. Thank you Lord for Fellowship!

It has been fun connecting with a childhood friend who lives close to Hever. She has come to several activities and is excited about getting together with some Christians. She is an encouragement to us, and we are so happy to renew our friendship with her. She has an adorable son.

- Some Bible Trivia -

February Music Youthweekend

2008-02-28T13:02:00.002+01:00

- The Crew -

Two weekends ago we got together with some of our teens to have some fun. The theme was music, and we talked about guarding our hearts, spotting the lies in the media, and learned about some new Christian alternatives to the not-so-positive music out there. We focused on deciding what our attitude is going to be as a Christian out of Romans 12 where we are challenged to renew our thinking.

- Skating -

We had a good laugh going ice skating together, and enjoyed some music together, as well a movie. Thanks for all of you who came and were a great help. Thanks to Pieter for helping me set up the building, and thanks to Scott and Shirley for the cooking.

- Skating Buddies -

Pray that the young people that were there, and the rest of us, for that matter, learn to spot the lie, and that we daily allow ourselves to be transformed by God.

- Serious Bible Study,... or is it? -

Console V

2008-02-28T11:46:00.003+01:00

[English Below]

W i e ?
De Jongens van onze gemeenten (+12jr.) en hun vrienden

W a t ?
Gamen, Film, Besprekingen, Eten, Leuk samenzijn, ...

W a n n e e r ?
vrijdag, 21 maart vanaf 20:00 tot zondag 23 maart om 14:00

W a a r ?
DeGryspeerstraat 92, 2100 Deurne, België

G e r i e f ?
Bijbel, Schrijfgerief, Toiletgerief, Slaapzak, uw vrienden, een console (PS2,GameCube,Xbox,…) als het kan, zo veel controller’s mogelijk, spellekes en 5 Euro AUB.

De leiders zullen beslissen welke spellen geschikt zijn voor dit weekend.
(De regel - Geen menselijk bloed geld dit jaar ook!)
Heb je vragen? Vraag Luk dan 0032 474 807349 of luk.brazle@pandora.be

[For the fifth year in a row we are hosting a boy's eh men-only youthweekend in Antwerp. This is a time when our young people from all over Holland and Belgium get together to play video games. It is a way for the young people to have fun together, to invite their non-believing friends to a non-threatening event, and to take some time to talk about what God means for their lives. Please pray for us as we host and teach, that this years theme, "How do I get there from here" will resonate in the young guy's hearts, and we share Christ as that way!]

Who?
De Guys of our churches (12yrs.+) and their friends

What?
Gaming, Movie, Discussions, Food, Fellowshiop,...

When?
Friday, March 21 starting at 20:00 untill Sunday March 23 at 14:00

Where?
DeGryspeerstraat 92, 2100 Deurne, Belgium

Stuff?
Bible, Something to write on and with, Toiletries, Sleepingbag, your friends, a gaming console (PS2,GameCube,Xbox,…) if you can, and as many controllers as possible, games, and 5 euro please.

The leaders will decide which games are apropriate for this weekend.
(The rule - No human blood will apply this year again!)
Have any questions? Ask Luk the 0032 474 807349 or luk.brazle@pandora.be

CSI - Meisjes Jeugdweekend Eindhoven

2008-02-28T11:42:00.002+01:00

[English Below]

C S I - Eindhoven

Commissioned Supernatural

Who Are You?

Meiden 12+
21 maart (20.00) t/m
23 maart (14.00)
Jan Tooropstraat 6
5642 AK Eindhoven

nita.blaakmeer@planet.nl
0499313544
0619570066

Onderzoek je eigen geestelijk DNA
Het geloof is het bewijs: Hebr. 11:1

Benodigheden:
Slaapzak, lucht matras, “de usual” zwem spullen, 10 euro, rugtas, Bijbel, schrift, pen, zaklamp, spelletjes, video spelletjes (game cubes, joy sticks, etc)

[The girls are heading to Eindhoven for a youth rally organized by the church there. They have enjoyed this yearly tradition as the boys go off to antwerp for their "retreat". The girls always have a great time, and learn a lot. This year the theme is CSI - Taking your spiritual DNA under the microscope. Pray that the girls will bond, and be challenged. Special thanks to the Eindhoven team that puts this together every year!]

C S I - Eindhoven

Commissioned Supernatural

Who Are You?

Girls 12+
March 21 (20.00) until
March 23 (14.00)

Location:
Jan Tooropstraat 6
5642 AK Eindhoven

nita.blaakmeer@planet.nl
0031 499313544
0031 619570066

Examening your own spiritual DNA
Faith is the evidence: Heb. 11:1

What you need:
Sleepingbag, Airmatras, The usual swimming stuff, 10 Euro, A backpack, Bible, Paper, Pen, Flashlight, games, Videogames, (game cubes, joy sticks, etc)

23 week update

2008-02-26T22:20:00.002+01:00

A shot of his little face

A shot from underneath, of his outstretched leg

Holly tummy at 23 weeks

Hello everyone! We went to the doc last Friday morning. All went very well. The baby's head is by my stomach and bottom is down lower and his little legs were outstretched, in front of him a bit. He has been kicking me in the bladder a lot, so I figured he was head up. :) She said everything looked perfect. She measured the head and it was right on at 23 weeks. The tummy and thigh bone both measured big, more like 25 weeks. And he weighs 666 grams, which is a bit weird, but oh well, it is an estimate anyway! :) So everything is great. I told her about how my other doctor thought I could have a weak spot on my uterus, because of how my water broke with Gideon (it broke early and was more of a trickle, so she thought it was higher on my uterus, meaning i could have a weak spot). This doctor just said that means we just have to be careful. I have to really start taking it easy, nothing too strenuous, and just be careful. She said there is nothing we can do about it, but I just wanted her to know what we know. I will go back and see her in a month, as long as all goes well. My mom comes in just under a week, so that is really fun, and she will be here until the end of March which means she gets to go to my next appointment with us! :) Yipee!! Anyway, all is going well, Luk is busy working on smoothing out our walls downstairs. Gideon is getting more demanding, but also just cuter every day. He loves to talk and sing and dance and play horsey with papa (ride piggy back). We are still working on potty training, he is doing better, but still not mastering it, but oh well, we can't force him! :)
I hope this update finds you all doing very well and that you have a wonderful weekend! Take care and God bless!
In Him-- Holly

November / January Newsletter

2008-02-05T10:16:00.000+01:00

To download our latest newsletter click here.

Here is the latest version of our newsletter made to read at your leisure. Praise God for what He is doing around the world, through and inspite of us! The link to the download above is a pdf version of our newsletter with some pictures, that can be printed out. Feel free to take a look around this blog as well. Links on the right side of this page will take you to posts and pictures of the past few months. We post to this blog regularly so feel free to bookmark this page and check back from time to time.

November '07 / January '08 Newsletter:

"Gelukkig Nieuwjaar"
A Flemish, "Happy New Year", from us here in Ghent, Belgium. We hope this newsletter finds you well and healthy. We count our blessings this new year as the church here strives to serve God together, Gideon continues to grow, and Holly-with-child is healthy. Our work here continues to be a learning process, exciting, and full of challenges. We are so thankful for support from churches and individuals who want to give to the Lord's work even when it is not easy to give. Thank you for your commitment to sharing God's message with the lost. Please let us tell you what we have seen God do here in Belgium the past few months.

Ghent Church of Christ
We have been blessed with a group of Christians in our home every Sunday night at seven. We break bread together, sing, pray and study God's word. We have a wonderfully diverse group. Students, families, old, and young, English speakers and Flemish speakers, all wanting to learn more, and to share their faith. Our good friends Glenn and Vanessa have just moved closer to Ghent and we will enjoy having them here as an encouragement to the work here. Several of the contacts here in Ghent have visited, and continue to show interest. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I meet with six different people in their homes, or at cafés to look at scripture together and talk about how faith challenges and changes us. Please keep Cecil, Herman, Bert, Havanna, Addie, and Edison in your prayers as we point them to scripture and to God, that their hearts will be softened.

Serving With Brothers and Sisters
At the beginning of November we helped organize a time when we could get together with our brothers and sisters in Antwerp and had a cleaning day at church. Many showed up to clean, haul, and fix up the building. These times of fellowship are priceless as they are a chance to catch up with each other and to work together for a common goal. November also brought a farewell that we were not ready for. Francois, one of our older brothers in the church, had been battling cancer since the summer and said goodbye to us and hi to the Father. I learned so much watching Richard, a brother in the church, talk to Francois' daughters as we stood around his hospital bed, about their fathers faith, and life in the church. Speaking at Francois' funeral was like nothing I had ever done before, but it was an opportunity to share what a change God had made in his life, and that this was not his end. God has provided other opportunities including teaching a Bible study at the Church of Christ in Hever. They asked me at the beginning of this year to come and teach on Wednesday nights every other week. I have enjoyed getting to know this group that is on fire for the Lord. They have challenged me with some hard questions, so I have been doing some good studying on my own. The Church of Christ in Hever has some people that my parents were good friends with when they first moved to Belgium almost 30 years ago. It is amazing to watch God give the increase in their lives and in the faith of their children. December also brought a chance to share the message of Christ in song. The group I sing with sang Christmas songs as part of a play that focused the audience on Jesus being the real meaning of Christmas. We have continued to encourage the local churches by helping to teach or lead worship in Antwerp, Brugge and Brussels. These times encourage us as we watch the family grow in faith and number.

The Next Generation
I have to admit, I love working with the young people. It is a great opportunity to act like a teenager even though I am almost thirty. The young adult group has taken off, and it is exciting to watch some of the young people take the lead. Bowling in November, climbing in January, with eating, and fellowship at both have provided chances for young people to bring their friends to activities. I was invited to speak at the winter retreat in December, and spoke to a group of thirty sharing the challenge and opportunity that we have to share who Christ is with our friends and how we do that.

Family Facts
Gideon is two. Loves to line things up, count with you, and ride on your back. He wants to watch, Pooh, Veggie Tales, and Blues Clues every ten minutes, and can say, "bath", "happy", and "scissors", among other things. Holly is doing a great job balancing a two year old and a baby on the way. She had a purse string put in to make sure the baby stays put, so while she was down after the surgery, I tried my hand at all the things she usually does. I am glad we are a team, and not a one-man-show, to say the least. I continue to enjoy working on the house, and look forward to getting the floor done in the living room.

More Information
If you are interested in more up-to-date news on our family and work you can find this at: www.BelgianBreeze.blogspot.com. Thank you for your love and support as we serve together with you in taking the gospel to people who need Him. In His love, luk, holly, gideon and ?

Listen Up Tour Video

2008-01-31T13:18:00.000+01:00

- October in Switzerland -

This past October the singing group I sing with called, Listen Up!, had the chance to sing as an evangelistic outreach for 5 churches in Switzerland. We also taught two singing worshops, and had a blast getting to know our brothers and sisters in Switzerland. We have finally been able to make a little movie presenting what we did there, what we experienced, and what we saw. Sorry to those who didn't take the Flemish course in High School, but you can at least look at the pretty pictures. Enjoy.

Het Anker - Climbing

2008-01-30T10:15:00.000+01:00

- Nathan Trusts Stephan -

This past weekend we had our first young adult activity for the year. We went climbing, had some home made pizza afterward, and spent some time in song and devotion afterward. It was a cozy little group, and we got to catch up with some friends we had not seen in a while. What a blessing it is to get together, to have fun, and share our lives and faith.

- Matthias Shows Off His Moves -

Every time I go climbing I am taught how much I don't like to let go. It is scary enough hanging that high over a cement floor, but then to let go of the wall, and then fully trust that the guy below has your fate in his hands literally is scary, but teaches you a lot at the same time. "Just Let Go" are some powerful words that we don't often listen to, but when God is holding onto our ropes, our faith can shine at that moment and He is then finally able to do something good, without us interupting.

- How Would You Feel If I was Holding Your Rope? -

Thank you Lord for life lessons, for friends that travel from far to get together, and for songs to sing to you!

- Visiting After Dinner With Jorre -

Baby Update - 19 weeks

2008-01-25T12:51:00.000+01:00

Holly's tummy at 19 weeks

Ultrasound from 19 weeks

Good morning to everyone! I hope and pray all is going very well for all of you and that you had a great holiday season! We certainly did, we sure missed being with family, but loved being with our close friends! We praise God for such a loving and wonderful group of friends! :)
We just got back from our 19 week appointment. My last appointment was at 15 weeks, so we are going every month now. Although she did say after our next appointment (Feb 22nd), we will need to see her every 2 weeks or so, since Gideon was born so early. Anyway, all went very well! We were able to see the baby pretty well! Luk even took a video of the ultrasound, so you will have to watch it, we put it on YouTube. Gideon was so cute, he kept saying, "baby"! So fun! Anyway, the baby looked great and she said everything else looked perfect. She measured the head and the tummy and the femur (leg bone), and all looked great! The baby measured between 20 and 22 weeks in size, but we may just be having a large child! :) It weighed 410 grams. We also found out the sex of the baby, we are having another boy! So Gideon will have a little brother!! We are very excited and relieved that all is going well. My cervix was fine and the placenta looked good. I had to have more blood drawn, for a few more blood tests. But that is normal. As I said earlier, I got back in on Feb 22nd, so in 4 weeks. Gideon was great, he played well by himself and was good for papa. Sorry that my ultrasound picture is not very good, it is hard to see. It is a shot of the baby's back. If you go to the YouTube site and look under Luk Brazle, or search for "Holly's 19 wk ultrasound", you should find it. But i am having trouble loading it, so please check back to it later today. I will continue to try and get it to load. So weird! Anyway, thank you all again for all of your support and encouragement! We love you all!! Toodles!
in Him-- Holly Jean
ps...ok, got the YouTube thing to work, so here you go. Hope you enjoy! We love you all!!

Gideon Globe Nominations

2008-01-17T10:56:00.001+01:00

Here are some of his last performances. Well the ones we caught with the camera at least. Enjoy.

And the winner is?

Winter Retreat

2008-01-16T08:25:00.000+01:00

- Winter Retreat Group -

For the past 5 years or so a few brave souls made it through the cold and snowy landscape to shiver for a few days at our unheated Bible Camp facility for some hard core fellowship, called winter camp, or now the winter retreat. However since there has been some talk about renovation at our Biblecamp facility, the location of the winter retreat has changed to a nicely heated building in the middle of a forest north of Brussels.

- Visiting -

So almost 30 young people came together for a weekend between Christmas and New Years to celebrate vacation together, as well as to celebrate their relationship with Christ together.

What a wonderful time to catch up, and to sing songs together. The exciting thing to me is to see the next generation that will become leaders and servants in the church in the coming years care so much about their spiritual maturity. They want to learn, and are willing to work on their hearts to become better children of God, and that is encouraging to me.

- On A Walk -

Robin Huyghebaert, another one of those young leaders in the church in Belgium, was in charge and organized a great weekend. A big thanks to him. I got to teach on the topic: Our Mission,... Evangelizing. So I focused on what our story is, knowing why you believe, and how to share that with others. It was especially fun because Holly and Gideon were there as well. Gideon was quite the entertainer.

Thank You Lord for young people who want to grow closer to you, and for opportunities like these to get together to learn more about you, and each other.

For more Pictures of the Winterretreat click here.

Update on Holly and baby

2007-12-28T11:39:00.000+01:00

Holly at 15 weeks

Ok, so I was in the hospital, which ended up only being one night!! Yipee!! It is so wonderful to be home!! I was able to start taking the uterus relaxing meds and all still went well, so they were able to let me go at 5pm on Thursday (2nd day in the hospital). Luk and Gideon came and picked me up. It is so great to be back home and to sleep in our bed! It is so much more comfortable than that aweful hospital bed. I worked hard on being good and not doing too much. Luk has been a wonderful help! He is taking care of Gideon and bringing me stuff that I need. I didn't go downstairs for several days, just to be safe. So I set up camp on the couch, watching tv and doing stuff on our laptop, translating kids class stuff, and reading, etc. I am feeling fine, no pain at all, so that is great! Thank you for all your prayers, we really feel blessed! Praise God for the answered prayers!
It has been an interesting week. Luk has been amazing, letting me rest like I was supposed to, doing everything!! He has taken care of Gideon, cooked meals, done dishes, and lots more, with Piet's help too. Anyway, with their help, I was able to rest, just like the doctor ordered. So I was able to get lots of other stuff done, while sitting on the couch.
We had our follow-up appointment today. We went in to see how the baby was doing and how i was feeling after being home. She just wanted to make sure all was ok. We just got back. It went very well!! The baby looked great, it measured big again! I am 15 weeks and 2 days, but when she measured the baby, it was the measured 16 weeks 4 days!! So the baby is doing great. The heartbeat was really strong. It looked all scrunched up, but great. We got to see the legs and feet and toes and hands and arms and fingers! So fun!! She checked the cerclage (purse-string) and it looked good. The placenta was in the right place, she said everything looked perfect!! So we were very happy! My next appointment is January 25th. We thank you all for your prayers and sweet emails! We hope and pray you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a fabulous (and safe) New Year!!
Take care and God bless!
Toodles!
In Him-- Holly Jean

Baby at 15 weeks

Surgery

2007-12-20T13:59:00.000+01:00

- Holly Visits Her Favorite Hotel, er... Hospital -

Preface: Holly is doing well. This was a planned surgery, something the doctor had suggested. Since Gideon was born so early the doc suggested a purse string. If you really want to know what it is google: "cerclage". [Note: I had called it "curretage" before, but this was a mistake] What follows is what she wrote this morning and asked me to post for her when I got back to internet. Here are Holly's hospital bed tales starting yesterday morning:

Hello everyone! I hope this update finds you all doing very well! I am working hard to not shake (still the anesthetic wearing off) as I write this. Thank goodness for spell check and the delete button!!
We got up and Luk and Gideon ate breakfast while I rolled around in bed. Gideon didn't sleep well last night, neither did I (or Luk), maybe he knew something was going on with me or something!! Anyway, we rushed around to get stuff together for both me and Gideon and took off for the hospital. Thankfully we only live 5 minutes from the hospital, so that worked out great! Gideon charmed everyone in the check-in waiting room. So funny, he pointed and smiled and danced for everyone! He even said 'hi' to several people. So cute!! They sent me up to the short stay area of the hospital, and put me in a 4 person room (it is the cheapest option). There was only 1 other lady in the room with me when we got here. The nurses are very nice and quite helpful and friendly! And we found out one of the head nurses in our wing is actually almost a neighbor of ours. She lives around the corner from us and remembers the note we sent to all of our neighbors warning them about the noise we would make durning our renovations. She is really sweet!! So fun, and she remembers us also from the last time we were here, for the D&C in March last year. Luk and Gideon entertained me to help me stop thinking about food or drink. I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight last night, so being around when they served breakfast here was not nice! And Gideon needed a snack or two while he was here, which was tough! Oh well!! They came and got me at 10am and wheeled me down to a waiting room just outside of the operating rooms. Luk and Gideon went home and had lunch and Gideon took a nap. A nice nurse put in my iv and told me what to expect after waking up from the surgery (wake up in the recovery room, a bit groggy, can't eat or drink for a while, etc.). Then they wheeled me off to the operating room. They helped me climb onto the table and then they strapped my arms down and gave me an extra blanket, operating rooms are so cold! My doctor was there to say we were about to start. Then they put a mask over my face and told me to take a few normal breaths, and I was out! When I woke up, I was in the recovery room, thank goodness they had already taken out my breathing tube! My mouth and throught were dry, and I was super groggy! The nurse came by and asked if I was in pain, and I wasn't! So that was great, to wake up in no pain! After a while of trying to wake up, the nurse came back and checked with me to see how I was doing, asked about the pain again, and again, no pain, so she said the other nurses would be down to get me soon. The other nurses came after a few minutes and told me I couldn't eat or drink anything for another hour and that I couldn't get out of bed for the rest of the day. Dreaded bedpan!! I sent a text message to Luk to let him know I was out of the recovery room and doing fine. He texted me back to say they would come after Gideon woke up. Anyway, they wheeled me back to my room, and the one lady was gone and 2 more were here instead. They are both very nice. I was able to talk to one of them a lot this afternoon. Her name is Cindy and she is Belgian. She actually had the same procedure as me, a cerclage, so that was cool! She has a different doctor, but we had the same thing done, and almost at the same time, so funny how that works! She is 17 weeks pregnant with her second, she is a leek and carrot farmer (with her husband), and they live outside of Gent! So fun, she is very talkative and says she understands me just fine (I have only been speaking Dutch to her, she doesn't speak much English). The other lady, I don't know her name yet, but she had surgery on her nose, looks like maybe something with her sinuses. She is also very nice. I finally got to eat at 5:15pm, so almost 24 hours!! (We had homemade pizza last night at 6pm). I was looking forward to dinner, but it was just 4 slices of bread and 5 slices of olive loaf lunch meat and 3 slices of cucumber and coffee. I drank the coffee, and feel just fine, so that is great to know that there is no problem with that anymore!! There is a chance I could go home tomorrow, as long as I am not bleeding and have no pain or contractions, but I am not really holding my breath about it all. I am prepared to stay another day, but hopefully I should be able to get up and use the potty tomorrow, so that is something to look forward to. (What a weird thing to look forward to!!) As you all might remember, I tend to be long-winded when it comes to blogging while in the hospital, it is because it is so boring, but anyway, I hope I didn't bore you all too much!! I will write more tomorrow.

Day 2
Ok, so I was a little too excited about the coffee last night. I know better than to drink coffee with my dinner, and I knew that it was probably normal strength. It just tasted so good. Anyway, I paid the price. I finally fell asleep at 3:30am, only to wake up every hour. I finally sat up at 7am. So needless to say, I am going to be pretty wiped out today. We woke up to freezing mist, so it was kinda like snow, not that I could tell from how high up I am, but still!! Breakfast was good, bread and chocolate spread and coffee. Yummy! So healthy!! The nurse came in and told me that I am off complete bedrest, so I could get up and use the potty and change my clothes!! I still have an iv of anti-contraction meds, but that should be done by this afternoon, hopefully! She also told me that I needed to take some sort of pill, I would guess it is going to be an antibiotic. I got to say good morning to Gideon on my cell phone, so that has made my morning!! He is can say "I love you", but usually just jumps over 'love' and says "I ... YOU!!" and points, so it is adorable. And he said that to me this morning, just makes me smile! The doc just came by and said the same thing as the nurse did earlier. They are starting me on some more anti-contraction meds. But she said if all continues to go well, I could go home tonight or early tomorrow. So we are hoping for tonight!