Being Bold

Sunday's sermon by Pastor Roberts was inspiring and thought provoking as usual. This Sunday he told the story of Maeynkens Wens, a woman from Antwerp who was martyred for her faith in 1573. She spoke boldly to anyone and everyone she could. Because of this, she was imprisoned and tortured. Six months later she would still stand for her faith and refused to stop spreading the Gospel. Maeynkens was sentenced to burn at the stake. In order to "shut her up" the authorities ordered that her tongue be screwed to the roof of her mouth so that she could not influence anyone else on her way to her execution. Her two sons were to watch her die, but, her oldest son, Adrian fainted. When it was over, he sifted through all the remains and found the screw that had bound his mother's tongue. He kept it as a reminder of her faith. They may have silenced Maeynkens, but the Word continued to be spoken through her children.........and today we hear her story and are inspired.

Oh, that I may be bold in my walk!!

Robyn

Cycling

Yesterday, Glynn and I cycled from our home into the City. It's great that Brussels is such a friendly cycling city. I'm not the most confident cyclist, so this was quite an accomplishment for me. Motorists tend to scare me........As usual, we stumbled upon some events happening along the way. The parks were filled to capacity due to the glorious weather and there were concerts taking place in different venues. We even got to hear opera being sung in Grand Place. I really enjoy the abundance of events in Brussels. There's always something to see and do during the Summer. After stopping off for a drink in Place St. Gery, we decided to continue to discover the city as a cyclist. Our next stop was the Kruidtuin/Botanique Park. Absolutely beautiful!!!! Brussels inner-city parks continue to impress..............for all those green fingers out there.......you would love it!!! My brother really enjoyed stopping to look at all the plants and flowers on his trip to Brussels. I know Glynn's mom would be in awe of it too!!

Robyn

Blue skies and sunshine...........

Oh, how it lifts my spirits. We've had good sunshine, warm weather and I'm loving it!!!!

Yesterday, Glynn and I went to a BBQ. We had a good time meeting new and semi-permanent Brussels residents. Glynn even got to play cricket, a sport he hasn't played in years.

It's a small, small world after all!!!!

Alison and I have met a couple of times. Yesterday, Glynn got to meet her and her husband. "I know you" he said after meeting her. It turns out he and Alison happened to go to the same youth group. Her dad and sister still attend the church we used to attend in Cape Town. Well, then we got to discussing it's all about where you sit in church. It's amazing what creature's of habit we become. Once we've chosen our seat in church it tends to be the place we always sit in. It's wonderful to make new friends but it's really special to meet people you have something in common with.

Robyn

Summer????

I can't believe it's finally arrived in Brussels. The month of May was the coldest recorded in 70 years. June 1st. was the coldest day recorded since records began in 1833, a mere 10 degrees. Brrrrr..........The weather world-wide has changed and we can take ownership for some of the changes. We need to take better care of the world God's given us.

Last night I looked at the clock and was surprised to find that it was only 10pm. It seemed so much earlier as it was still very light outside. Anyway, we decided to go into the city and it was a hive of activity. It was a beautiful balmy 22 degrees outside and everyone was out enjoying the evening. The sidewalks were literally taken up with outdoor chairs and tables and we even got to see the rollerbladers doing their thing. In the Summer, some of the roads are closed down to the traffic so that the rollerbladers can skate down some of the streets in Brussels. It looked like so much fun!!!! It's a shame I can't rollerblade, not that I haven't given it a go.

Well, I'm off to enjoy this beautiful weather.

Robyn

Goodbyes

Today was our end of year brunch for LAMBS(ladies am bible studies) We closed with our regular small group before breaking for brunch. Once again, goodbyes were said and sadness crept in at the thought of the wonderful women who'd be leaving. I'll miss some of the friends I've made. Tricia, who was the first person to speak to me when I first arrived at LAMBS. Anita for her great sense of humour and Rona whose been such a blessing to talk to as we've been through some of the same experiences. I'm so grateful to have met them.

Our journey has taken us to different places and we've been blesssed with the gift of friendship. It's sad to say goodbye, but this is just "see you later" as I know we'll see one another oneday.

Robyn