Urbana 12: Avonturen van een Ichtus pen (dag 1)

Ik ben een Ichtus pen. In mijn grootste droom had ik geen plan naar Urbana 12 te gaan.  Geniet van mijn fotos van de eerste dag.
Foto 1: America's Center
Foto 2: St. Louis centrum
Foto 3: Welkom in St. Louis
Foto 4: uitzicht van mijn kamer
Foto 5 echt Amerikaanse fast food (de Coke is een Klein!)
Foto 6: mijn heel chic hotel
Foto 8: inschrijving
Foto 9: met mijn persoon bij de Gateway Arch

happy belated August newsletter

I realized today I forgot to post a link to our August newsletter.  So here is a link to our August newsletter.

beginnings and endings

Sunrise or sunset?  Well, I took the picture and if you know me you can probably make an educated guess. I have seen many more sunsets in my life than sunrises.

Beginning or ending?  That question is sort of our daily experience. 

We left Belgium almost 3 months ago.  And some days are like looking at this picture.  Is it a sunrise or a sunset?  Will I feel the emotions of an ending or a beginning?  And does it matter, because both sets of emotions can be pretty hard at times.  When I am thinking clearly, eyes focused on the One who leads me here and there, I pay less attention to my anxieties, fears, and longings, and instead reflect with thanksgiving and anticipate with hope.  For Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Bible study shortcut

To some of you "Bible study shortcut" may sound awful (sort of like the Time/Life Book of Home Dentistry).  But hear me out.  In InterVarsity we love to do inductive Bible study (observe, interpret, apply).  In the observe stage on of the key things to look for is repetition.  Here's where the shortcut comes in.  Actually, let's not call it a shortcut, but a supplement.  There is a website called Wordle where you simply paste a text (for example Daniel chapter 1), and magically your text turns into a picture.  The most used words are printed larger.  I find it visually appealing and it gives me a quick impression of the passage.
 

May newsletter

Here is our may newsletter for our ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  

transition update video

Here is a little more information about what we will be doing in Fargo with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  A hi res version is available if you would like to show this at your church, Sunday school, fellowship meeting, town hall, coffee circle, bridge club, board meeting, sewing circle, preschool, hospital waiting room, caucus, or family movie night.  ;)

If you would like to donate to our ministry click here.  Thanks for watching this video.

bread snobs

One of the pleasures of life in Belgium is the availability of a vast array of breads, rolls, and sweets at the many bakeries.  I would estimate that within a 10 minute radius of our house there are 4 bakeries.  Make the radius 15 minutes and it increases quite a bit.

I recently accompanied my daughter and her class on a field trip to a dairy farm.  In a lunch time conversation with the teacher and the other adults present I heard comments about how there are no good bakeries in our neighborhood.  Really?  I also heard comments like one bakery is good as a patisserie and another has good volkoren bread (a hearty multi-grain type bread).  I must be a bread novice.  

So three years into life in Belgium (and nearing the end of our time hear) I'm still learning things about the people and the culture.  I hope that the posture of a learner is something I will maintain the rest of my life.

back from Undivided with a "divided" mug

We have recently returned from Undivided 2012, IFES Europe's student evangelism conference. It's often difficult to translate the things you learn at a conference into your everyday context. And it's a challenge to both maintain in your life and to share with others the excitement you feel at a conference. I came home with an image that captures the danger of losing what you gained at a conference such as this.

Please pray with me that this conference will have a lasting impact on our family, the students and staff involved, and Ichtus and the many other IFES movements around Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East.

Undivided 2012

During the Easter break approximately 2000 students from 45 in Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East will gather in Gyor, Hungary for Undivided 2012, IFES Europe's student evangelism conference. It will be a privilege to be a part of this event. Please take a look at this article written by my IFES Europe supervisor, Edith Vilamajo. She is on the planning team and has given a great summary and list of prayer requests. My main role is leading a seminar called "Dealing With Stress." But it will be great to hang out with students and colleagues from many countries, and to hopefully encourage the Belgian delegation.

new eyes

I have worn glasses since 6th grade. At some point after we move back to the U. S. I would love to have my eyes surgically corrected. We'll see if that happens. But here in Belgium my eyes have actually improved. When I looked at people in the U. S., I didn’t always see them as they were. I cared for people around me and I genuinely desired that they come to know Jesus. But, sometimes my vision would get blurry and instead of saying or doing things to bring people closer to Jesus I would get caught up in the hectic nature of daily life—working on my house, pursuing hobbies, paying the bills, working, whatever. But here in Belgium daily life has never seemed very ordinary. Going to the post office, picking the kids up after school, walking to the city center, and every other ordinary thing is made extraordinary because I am aware of the sacrifice we made to be here. And the experience of living as an outsider continually reminds me of my purpose. My eyes see people as they are. Everyone I see is a person in need. And most of them know nothing about the hope (many of) you and I have in Christ. A colleague of mine in the U.S. once described looking at people who don’t know Jesus as seeing walking tombstones. That is sometimes the way I feel here when I look around me. I hope these eyes will go with me to Fargo and anywhere else I may happen to be.

I had the opportunity to share these (and some additional) thoughts at my church Sunday. I closed with this really brief video.

mailchimp

I'm in the process of changing the way I send email updates. I will be using a web service called mail chimp. If you do not currently receive our newsletters and prayer updates you can choose to do so by taking this link: sign me up!

upcoming transition

Many of you know we will be completing our commitment in Belgium this summer. I should mention that we're enjoying these last months and we're still excited about working with Ichtus. Watch this video if you'd like to know what's next for the Hamiltons.

Light

I recently posted at the Ichtus blog. I will repost it here. And the funny thing is the English version is translated as I wrote the original in Dutch (I had a good proof reader).

I'm very excited about the 2012 Gent Light Festival. Last year I missed the festival. But not in 2012. Gent is a beautiful city. Especially in the evening. The old buildings, the water. And the lights! What a difference the lights make! And during the festival the lights are very special. People come from various cities and countries to see the light festival.
I want you to know that I am very enthusiastic about Ichtus. The people, the Bible studies and conferences, the fun. And the Light! Ichtus is more than a club. Ichtus is a beautiful city. Jesus said (in Mathew 5.14-16) "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Without the Light Ichtus [or your church] is just a club--not very interesting, not very compelling--just another club. What a difference the Light makes. My hope is that just as people come to Gent for the light festival, students will also come to Ichtus to meet the Light. May the Lord bless our relationships with non-Christians and our sharing of the Gospel.

The Gent Light Festival was a huge success. Last year about 200,000 attended the festival. This year that many came on Saturday evening alone. Click here to visit the website (in English).