Life Missions 2012 Begins in Brussels Thursday, January 26: “On the road again” or should it be: “In the air again...” Anyway we are currently in Kortrijk, Belgium at the home of Susan Phagan and her three children. Marilyn has been coming here for a couple of years each January and this time she requested for me to join her, so here I am. What started out as a more casual trip to visit with some ministry has followed the usual twist with its turns. Ministry opportunity has more than doubled. We arrived here on January 13 about 8:45 a.m. and were met by Susan with Sophie, her youngest and along with Bert Phagan, who graciously took us to Starbucks before we departed the airport. (Not bad, huh?) And with our bags firmly located in the car we took off for Kortrijk, which is west and south of Brussels about one and one-half hours by car. It is located about 5 miles from the border of France. O, let I forget, that meeting also was the first confirmation request for an additional service. Wouldn’t you just know it! That night the body did not want to sleep, even after not sleeping on the flight and taking two sleeping pills. It was after 5:30 AM before it decided to “nap.” But so is life when going from country to country (time zone to time zone.) That meant Saturday began too fast and preparation time for the up coming service on Sunday was not crucial, but not critical. I did not have to get my scriptures ready for an interpreter. My first service on Sunday was at the Praise Center Filipino Church and English is their language. But of course we had to leave at 9:00 to be there for the 10:30 service. And of course, no service with the Filipino congregation is complete without having the treat of eating their typical food after the service. No problem man, I can handle that! Then we were off to another Filipino Church, Lighthouse, for whom I had promised to speak when returning to Brussels. Their service was scheduled for 4:30 so after a short drive and finding an open place for the vehicle we found our way to their meeting place. Man can this Church worship! In English as it is their international service. Their Tagalog service is in the morning. I enjoyed myself and from the response, they enjoyed the Word. Then what do you do after Church at 6:30 in the evening on Sunday? You eat! What? Chicken! Where? At Pardos? No that is in Peru - at Hectors. That is “if” you are clear with instructions about “which Hectors” you are going. We were not and so it took a little longer to get our “wires” straight and make connections. After which Marilyn and I went home with Bill and Gretchen Schwartz so we could spend some quality time of Fellowship with them on Monday. They are in language school in the morning, so we had the time to relax and catch up on some “shut-eye” – well some anyway. From Tuesday until Friday we spent our time with Susan, Lillie, Kelvin and Sophie, that is while I moved my fingers up and down the keyboard working on some documents for Logos Bible College, our Belgium Covenant Life University Extension. And as well preparing the necessary scriptures in French for my interpreters in the coming speaking engagements. I am trying a new concept. Instead of having to print my sermons, scriptures and scriptures in the necessary language, I purchased a Kindle Fire, put the scriptures in French and then converted it to PDF and placed them on the Kindle. Now I will not have to reprint, just switch from the previous language to the language for that location on previously prepared PDF documents. Not bad! Right? Well at least for now, I did not have to bring my printer and the special paper. Did it work? YES!...for sermons and for college class instruction. Since Saturday, January 21 was Logos teaching day, followed by Sunday at Logos Church with Mauricio and Lulu Salazar wit their two children: Betsy and Obed. Bill Schwartz met us at the local Pizza Hut for Supper and I went home with them to avoid the early, early morning trip to Anderlecht Brussels. What was supposed to be two sessions quickly turned into four sessions and concluding at 3:00 PM instead of 1:00 PM. Sunday morning, Marilyn and Susan joined me for the service at Logos Church. We had a great time of ministry in their new location and then headed downtown Brussels to eat at Palaks. If you ever make it to Brussels, you MUST eat at Palak, at least one time. Their Greek food is delicious! Well that about ends the time, except that I did return to Kortrijk with the ladies to “huddle at the table” with my computer and the necessary college work and attempt to just “be there” for the ladies to chide because I did not want to go shopping with them, even to France. If you have seen one store, you have seen them all (male shopping translation). Well, except for today because I did break down after completing the necessary work, and join them in a trip across the border into France and the Arab Flea Market (street version), a look at one of the huge but cold churches and the new mall – the salvation here was the meal. I did survive due to the food. Well, okay, the ladies were also kind to me and I to them! So relax, you with feminine blood. That is the up-to-date synopsis. More to come after-the-fact, a Portugese service and one with Praise Centre. Thanks for your prayers, Dr D and Marilyn