Missionary Christmas Banquet 2008

We just arrived home from a wonderful weekend trip to Germany. Each year Rhein River Baptist Church, in Mannheim, Germany, an American base church, which is pastored by Bro. Tom Lancaster, hosts a Christmas banquet for missionaries all across Europe. Our family went last year and enjoyed it very much, so this year we talked our missionary friends, the Kamps, into joining us. I’m just going to write a little blurb about each day.

Friday, Dec. 5
After a 5-hour trip, we arrive at the Central Hotel where we were shown to the Presidential suite, which included a living room, a small kitchen, 2 full bathrooms, and 3 bedrooms. It was absolutely gorgeous! The Lancasters’ motto must be “nothing is too good for our missionaries,” because they spoiled us rotten. Except for gas costs and food on the road, our entire stay was paid for by the kind people of Rhein River Baptist Church and some folks in the States who wanted to help out. Now this is what I call a ministry! We are so grateful to these sweet people of God.

After unloading the van, we hurried to get ready for the Christmas banquet. Dad and Joe looked so handsome in their suits. My two handsome guys! =)














The banquet was a blessing, and I personally enjoyed the program and the preaching even more than last year. (Last year we didn’t stay the whole weekend; I’m so glad we did this year.) On the podium was a huge Christmas tree and multitudes of red poinsettias. The decorations were beautiful!!! I can’t even imagine how much work was put into it!

Bro. Clarence Sexton, founder and president of Crown College, was the guest speaker this year. The minute he said he had been studying Charles Spurgeon’s life for 40-something years, I knew I liked him; Spurgeon is a hero of mine. Before he began preaching, he spoke briefly about the college and made it very clear that he is willing to give extra help to missionaries’ kids who would be interested in the college, but he doesn’t want them to go there if it isn’t God’s will for their life. I greatly appreciated that. I have never felt that it was God’s will for my life to leave my family and go to college in the States. God has placed this in my heart since I was a young girl. In the past my sister and I have been put under major pressure by folks in Christian circles to go off to college, and we have been snubbed because we do not feel this is how God is leading us. Education has become a god to this world, and this warped thinking pattern has even penetrated the minds of Christians. Some feel that if you don’t plan to attend college something must be wrong with you. One thing I greatly fear is that it has become so “normal” to go off to college after high school that many Christian teens go simply because it is “the thing to do,” or else they go for wrong reasons, such as to find a spouse. Adults should be encouraging teenagers to seek God’s individual will for their lives instead of expecting them to be just like everyone else and do what everyone else is doing. I deeply respect and admire Bro. Sexton for doing exactly that--instructing us to find and do God’s will!!!

Before Bro. Sexton got up to preach, Bro. Lancaster, who is the pastor of Rhein River Baptist Church, looked over at the teen table and kindly but firmly told the teens to behave. This is one of his “Lancasterisms,” which he shared with us and I liked so much that I wrote it down: “Have nothing to do with a boy who tries to entertain you during the preaching.” Amen!!! Let me tell you, a young man tried that on me once, and it disgusted me beyond words. No decent Christian boy will ever do that! And no decent Christian girl will stand for it! Okay, enough said. =)

Bro. Sexton’s message was a blessing. You would expect a college president to speak with great flourishing, profound words of eloquence, but what I loved about Bro. Sexton’s preaching is that he got down on your level and spoke, not to your head, but to your heart. That was God!!! He preached from Proverbs 14:3, a message entitled, “Keep the ox and clean the cradle.” The Lord spoke to my heart about loving our people more and not getting tired of the work or annoyed with the people. There is a difference between getting tired in the work or of the work. I’ll be honest; the ministry isn’t a bed of roses, and I don’t always have the right attitude about it. God, help me! The preaching was an encouraging reminder to plunge into our work with joy. Without that element of joy, serving God is a drudgery, and that’s not the way it should be! Thank God for the preaching of His precious Word!


The missionaries all receive gifts after the preaching, and then Bro. Lancaster ended the special service by tearfully thanking his people and his dear wife, who had made everything possible. I don’t know Bro. Lancaster very well, but he has made it so clear that he loves missionaries and his church is the best church in the world, which is how every pastor should feel about his people. That, too, made a big impression on me. I sure love Bro. & Mrs. Lancaster!!! They made it so clear that they were overjoyed to have us come. Throughout the weekend they made it their goal to shown the love of God to many battle-weary missionaries who needed to be encouraged so they could go back to their field of service and continue fighting on. By the time Monday rolled around, I was chomping on the bit to go home to Holland and carry out the promises I made to the Lord.

Sat. Dec. 6
Today Josiah celebrated his 15th birthday! After each one of us got ready for the day, we sat Joe on the couch, sang happy birthday to him, and then I presented my card to him. On Thursday I made him a replica of an Apple Mac Air. He wants to buy a Mac someday and is always going on and on about how wonderful they are, so I thought I’d humor him. (chuckle) In the van on the way down to Germany I was teasing him about buying him a black gold-covered Mac Air for his birthday. Well, when he woke up on his birthday I told him I would be sending him his birthday card via email. As he sat on the couch with his eyes closed, I placed my laptop birthday card in front of him, saying, “I did send you a birthday email, but I don’t want you to check it on that computer; I want you to check it on this one.” His face lit up when he saw it, and then he understood all my teasing the day before. (chuckle) That was fun!!!

They were serving breakfast at the church at 9 a.m., and soon we were headed for the church. We sat at the same table with the Kamps. Already some of the missionaries had left, and by the Sunday night service there were only 5 or 6 families remaining. Bro. Lancaster got up and asked if we had enjoyed our breakfast, which I had! The morning service started out with a short Master Club children’s ministry presentation.

They were having problems in the sound booth with the sound quality. We were sitting at the table right in front of the sound booth, so Josiah, who is the soundman in our church, helped by pointing out the problem. As Bro. Lancaster returned to the front podium, he leaned over at our table and said to Joe, “You’ve got a job!” I was so proud of my little brother! He was assistant soundman until our soundman/deacon left the church this summer. Since then, Josiah has sorta been thrown into fulltime service in this area. Now he is also the administrator of our church’s website--a job he also inherited as others have dropped out. I’m so thankful and proud of my baby brother. May God bless Josiah for his faithfulness and perseverance in exploring a field he has never been trained in. I guess we know now why he has this exceptional knowledge and interest in the area of electronics! =) Praise God!

As little later, as Bro. Lancaster asked for testimonies, Mr. Kamps stood up and said he was thankful to work with the Huussen family, and then he pointed out that it was Josiah’s birthday. Everyone sang to him, and Bro. Lancaster pointed out that it was Josiah who got the sound system working for them. He blushed with all the attention.

Bro. Sexton preached two messages in a row, about the Shepherd and shepherds (pastors), and his second message was about the ruin of a nation. He pointed out that the ruin of a nation isn’t a crashing economy or the world crisis everyone fears. It’s a lost generation. What a very sobering message!!! I thought about the children in our church. What is going to become of them? They are growing up in one of the filthiest cities in the world and attend godless public schools. Unless God does something, they will surely be lost…for all eternity. Oh, that the preaching was ablaze with the fire of God’s power, that parental awareness to the lost souls of precious children would increase, and, oh, that I would be a shining light in these young lives!!! I’ve realized that things need to change. Things need to change in my thinking…and in our church. The work we do is useless unless the power of God rests on us. Bro. Sexton pointed out that the responsibility rests on the shepherds. The shepherds fail to follow God and the sheep wander without a shepherd. There is a great lack of shepherds today. Where are the shepherds? Where are the shepherds???!!!! Where are the preachers? Who will feed the flock of God? Where are the preachers of this next generation? I see so many young men carelessly throwing their lives away, so unconcerned about the work of God. There is no seriousness in a matter that should be taken so seriously. I want to shake them from their slumbering state and scream, “DON’T YOU CARE?!” What will it take? Dear God! What will it take? God hears my sobs and sees my broken heart. Somehow…somehow He will ordain to Himself ministers of His Word. And those who loved themselves more than their Master will not receive the rewards that could have been theirs. God will raise up other men, better men, and the work will continue until the coming of Christ. God doesn’t need us, but He chooses to use us. Blessed are those who make themselves available for service!

Before closing the service, Bro. Lancaster listed off several good restaurants in the area. When he mentioned the Italian restaurant I looked at Joe, knowing that was where we would be eating. It seemed to be a mutual thing with the Kamps as well.

Then all the men immediately set to work getting the table and chairs in the right order for the church service on Sunday. Mom, Lydia and I fellowshipped with several of the ladies, including Mrs. Lancaster, who made us feel so welcomed, and Mrs. Sexton. They are both dolls. Mrs. Sexton encouraged us, and especially Lydia and me. Lydia and I also got to talk with Hannah and Shannon, sisters we had spoken to at the banquet. They both seemed very sweet! Before we left the church, I gave out the mini banana bread loaves I had made as gifts for Bro. & Mrs. Lancaster and several other missionary folks we had met. When I gave one to Mrs. Sexton, she embraced Lyd and me in a big hug and wished us a Merry Christmas.

We went back to our rooms, and Joe opened his gifts. Then Mom and I sat in the kitchen and ate some snacks and talked for a while. It was pleasant. Meanwhile, Dad took a nap. Lydia and I chatted with Clay and Aaron for a few minutes, and then the Kamps dropped by for pumpkin cheese cake.









Then we walked to that Italian restaurant. Getting the drink order straight was quite an interesting ordeal. (chuckle) I felt bad for the poor waiter; we had a hard time understanding each other. It seems to be a standard thing, in Belgium and Germany at least, to serve carbonated water when you order water. If you’re ever in one of these countries and you’d like water and hate carbonated water as much as I do, then be sure to ask for water without gas. (chuckle) What a to-do!!! As is typical for a European restaurant, I think they were a little overwhelmed when 11 people walked in. They just aren’t used to serving large groups. As if we weren’t enough, soon another large group of missionaries arrived as well. The older man, who seemed to be in charge of the place, was very nice and obviously took a liking to us girls. His looks reminded me of Mr. Potter on “It’s a Wonderful Life,” only he was very nice. By the time the meal was over, Annika and Grace were both beyond exhaustion, and I wasn’t feeling too well myself. Mr. Kamps led us on a walk back to the Central Hotel. It had been raining a little when we walked to the restaurant, but thankfully it wasn’t raining on the way back. I was in bed early that night; a nice change!!! =)

Sun. Dec. 7
Church was such a blessing!!! I can’t wait to tell you about it! As we entered the church auditorium, Bro. Lancaster greeted us warmly. He is so sweet! I got to fellowship with Hannah and Shannon and a few others for a second before the service started. The Sunday school hour was good. Bro. Sexton emphasized the need to go to Sunday school and listen to the preaching not for yourself alone, but so you can go out and pass it on to somebody else.

Bro. Sexton’s morning message was called “Work out your own salvation.” God really dealt with me about my lack of love and the seizing of opportunities to talk to people about Christ. He said we were saved for a purpose. Salvation isn’t the end; it’s the beginning. We should be working out our salvation. During the invitation I went up front and rededicated myself to God, to work for him with more enthusiasm. I know I’ve been letting things slip lately and have been half-hearted about by obligations in the ministry and my service to the Lord. I don’t like that, and I don’t feel glad in my heart or right with God when that happens. I want to be used!!!

The spirit of God was moving in that place in a mighty way. During the invitation a couple in Bro. Lancaster’s church surrendered to be missionaries to Romania. One of the preachers in the congregation was crying as he went forward and shared a testimony and some encouraging words with the couple. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place. It was so special. I’ve never witnessed something like that before. Be in prayer for the Calin family. Such sweet people!

A delicious spaghetti dinner was served in the fellowship hall for all the singles, unaccompanied, and the missionaries. The brother who had surrendered to the mission field, Bro. Calin, announced that he would take people to Worms to see the church where Martin Luther was tried. That sounded pretty neat. I’m a history buff.

We and the Kamps followed Bro. Calin and his wife in the church’s van, filled with singles who wanted to see Worms. After about 20-25 minutes of driving we arrived in Worms and parked in a car garage under a huge mall. It was beautifully decorated. I would’ve loved to have stayed and looked around the place. It was so pretty and reminded me of Midtown Plaza in Rochester, NY. See my little mouse friends? =)









We walked through an open Christmas market where people had set up little wooden booths and were selling Christmas decorations and candy. Mr. Kamps bought a bag of roasted chestnuts and we all had one. It was hot and tasted like potato. It was interesting. Not bad, but not my favorite either.

Bro. Calin and his sweet wife, our “tour guides,” showed us a plaque outside a modern building, which used to be an inn where Martin Luther had spent the night. Then they showed us a statue of Martin Luther with his famous quote on it. “Here I stand; I can do no other, so help me God.” Then we looked at an old house that used to belong to a leather maker. There was some beautiful engraving in the fancy wooden doors. Then walked towards the huge Catholic cathedral where Martin Luther was tried. We stopped to view the actual place and the plaque where Luther stood (the outer buildings of the church no longer exist). Then we went to the cathedral.











On the way there Annika realized that she had lost her tooth and was bleeding. She was all panicked, poor thing. Lydia told her it meant she was growing up, and she tried to be brave. Not long after that she was proudly displaying her “toothless” to me and telling me all about it. Little cutie!!!






Inside, the church was sorta eerie. It was very dark with candles lit for the dead and statues everywhere. Some of them were pretty, but, as Mrs. Kamps pointed out, all that beautiful work was done in vain. I’m so glad I know the truth. Praise God! I don’t have to light a candle for Oma, and I don’t have to count beads and pray to dead saints, and I don’t have to confess my sins to another judging human being. I can go boldly right to the throne of grace. I’m so glad to be a Baptist! Bro. Calin showed us how some of the “holy” statues were making a devilish, heathen sign with their fingers. Creepy! On the outside of the church building were horrible faces engraved into the stone. They were quite scary looking! Then some of the folks in our group went downstairs and found stone coffins down there. It was wonderful to walk out of that church. How depressing!!! Church is supposed to be an uplifting occasion of praise and worship to God!

From there we went to an ancient Jewish graveyard where we saw two Jewish men praying at the graves. There was no logical order to the stones, and many were falling over or where so corroded by the weather that they couldn’t be read. There were many interesting stones. Ones that had hands engraved on them were the graves of Jews who were from the lineage of Aaron. Very interesting! There were some grave stones in the shape of tree trunks and one that looked like an altar that Jacob or Abraham would have erected. All this time I got to fellowship with Christy, a nice young woman who had flown in from the States to visit her sister and to be there to play her violin and help out with the banquet. I really enjoyed her company.

We had time to stop at our hotel for a little bit and eat something quickly and freshen up before going back to the church. The night service was as wonderful as the morning service. Bro. Lancaster’s granddaughter sang a touching song called, “I Came to Love You Early.” That song was my testimony! What really broke me up was seeing Bro. Lancaster sitting on the podium in the background, crying as his granddaughter sang, not about a sinful past that she had been delivered from, but about her salvation at a young age, when she came to love Jesus early in life. That was a real tearjerker. Praise God!

Bro. Sexton preached the evening message, entitled, “Digging and Dunging” from Luke 13:8. He talked about how God digs around in our lives, constantly disturbing our soil, and He “dungs” us by enriching our soil with blessings. I had some personal thoughts on this. Dung isn’t nice. It smells bad, but it has a good purpose. God bring things into our lives that may seem bad to us, but they enrich our soil. I thought about the many times God has dug around and “dung” me to bring more fruit from my life. I thought about one unpleasant situation in particular and how that really helped me, even though I wouldn’t have chosen to go that path. God works all things together for good to them that love Him.

After the preaching Bro. Lancaster had the remaining missionaries come to the front. The church sang about never saying good bye in glory, and then the members of the church walked by and greeted us. The people of Rein River Baptist Church are special indeed! What a privilege to know them!

This is a picture of my friend Christy, and the other is my precious family!!!















Spaghetti leftovers were served in the fellowship hall, but we never made it in there. My mom, Lydia and I spent time in the auditorium fellowshipping with Christy and her mother. We had such a nice talk! It was very enjoyable. By the time we left the church it was getting late. We met up with the Kamps at a McDonalds for dinner. I got a delicious grilled chicken salad and fries. The Kamps gave Joe his birthday gift, and then we went to our hotel rooms to sleep.

Mon. Dec. 8
After eating breakfast at McDonald’s with the Kamps, we got on the road at around noon and arrived home at 6 p.m. What a wonderful trip. It was a time of spiritual refreshing for me personally. God spoke! He encouraged me and corrected me. And now I’m going to obey! I’m thrilled to be home! Home in Holland! =)