boonaerts henki maryesther 1976 belgium

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-FIELD^DR-iSS^

Henki Boonaerfs ;

feu

fs'MercierIadn 135

Maas mechelen

3630

Belgium

Vol.

VI No. 1

BELGIUM FOR CHRIST

iM

Henki

John

Mark

Mary Esth

James Matthew

FORWARDING

ADDRESS

John

McDonald

2213

Dawn Avenue

Granite City, Illinois

U S A

62040

Jan

- Mar .

We have good news that really should wait for

the May - August newsletter, but THIS CAN'T wait

We'll trust God to provide more news for the future correspondence.

GOOD

NEWS Happy Day GOOD NEWS I

He that goes

forth

and weeps, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoic

ing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126.6 and the song Bringing in the Sheaves based on

this verse have taken on new meaning for us.

Having written of the German Bible studies with Karl and Marga Krones in our last newsletter,

the

news

should still be somewhat

fresh

in your minds We, including several of the Maas mechelen

church folks not only helped Krones find a

home

near here, but also helped them move

from

Whopertal,

Germany; took up two offerings to help them financially until work could be secured; provided some

groceries and canned goods; and loaned a bicycle until their car could be repaired, after helping

find a jobl Henki continued holding weekly Bible studies with

them

all this time, and they faithfully

attended church services; while we all hoped and prayed they would see that our deeds were as good

as our doctrine, as someone has said. Oh that they would be convinced of accepting His way,

which

we had

all

chosen.

Then April 15 Henki came home from a study with the news that they had decided to accept

Christ, and be

immersed

the following Sunday. What rejoicing, and what an appropriate way to

celebrate the resurrection of Christ on Resurrection (Easter) Sunday So, the Good News was spread,

and there was a joint service in Genk for the Happy Day It had been over two years since there had

been any added to the church in Maas mechelen so there was good reason for such gladness.

The joys of Easter didn't stop there,

Karl

and Marga invited us and several others of the

church to join them for

Easter

dinner. Though nothing was actually mentioned, we were made to

think of how

Lydta

constrained and besought

Paul

and his companions to stay at her

home

if they

judged her to be faithful to the Lord. (Acts. 15-16) Especially in a land where there aren't church

pot-luck dinners, and

seldom

do

folks

invite each other over for a meal, it seemed a sign of Krones'

happiness in belonging to the family of God.

An Easter

egg hunt at Ma and Pa Bopnaerts' is

how

we brought the day to a close. Some

adults helped the kids eat the eggs found, and we had good fellowship with several Christians

from

Genk and Maas mechelen churches over pie and coffee It was surely a day to remember,

from

the

early

morning hours until the sun had set (+ )

Easter Monday (also a Holiday in Belgium, called Passover Sunday and Monday holiday) was

also spent in a special way. The non-instrumental churches in Holland usually have a special joint

meeting to which Belgian Christians have also been invited.

This

year we rented a bus (with Wadek

- our accordion player-driving, as he is a 'professional bus driver' and was able to make arrange

ments with his boss for a bus for us) and made the trip to Den Haag with about 28 folks from the Genk

and Maas mechelen churches. It

was

good to share with a large

group

for preaching services, panel

discussion, classes, refreshments and fellowship. It was (+) a rather long trip just for one day, but

it was well worth being with brothers and sisters in Christ for the day, getting to know each other a

l i t t le bit

be t te r

(+) See 'Bits 'n Pieces 'o News for another big event

of

the

dayl



Bits n Pieces o

News

- A Financial Statement has been prepared, and will be sent to those who have made donations in

1975. Anyone else desiring to see this, or know

more

of the income and expenses of Boonaerts in

Belgium, please write McDonalds at the Forwarding Address, included in the letter head,

-

Just

before

leaving for church Easter Sunday morjilng Dennis Messimer phoned

to

share the

GOOD

NEWS

of

the

birth of their second daughter, Sharoi^ Dianne. She was

born

earlier thatmorning in

front of the hospital, in the car - -

something vve

always thought

should

only happen in the

movies

I

Linda and her

new daughter are

doing fine, and H^ndi

(Sharon's

two year old sister) has already

pulled the buggy over to be sure her baby was all riijhtl I Messimers continue working with the

church on the Air Force Base in Kleine Brogel, anq with the new church in Houtehalen-East near

Genk. Services have not as yet

begun

in their

tjown,

as

they

are

still trying to make contacts, as

well

as get

their home remodeled

to be able to

use for

services in the future.

Please

be

praying for

them

-

Henki has

been

spending

much

of

his

time

in

Genk,

He

finds

it

much more

conducive

for

study

in the

quiet

church, that is

also

centrally heated. He's not

interrupted

so

often

by visitors and the

children

as

at

home,

so will

probably

continue

thisj

commuting

several

times

a week until we are

able

to build extra

room

and can have a study-office heroat home,

[

-

The Saturday

Bible

Study classes,

that

were starteiJ in preparation for preacher training continued

to

completion. There had been

sickness and

other interruptions

this

spring so

several

classes

had to

be cancelled. They continued a

few

weeks longer to

make

up

for

the

lost

time.

Interest

seemed

to dwindle for awhile, but class was back to its usudi

7

to

8

students before completion time.

Such

concentrated, long-term studies are a new

concept

among churches in Belgium,

so

prayers are needed

for

the

success

of these

lessons

for leadership in the churches

- Narration to be used with filmstrips for showing in

busy. These need to be made into both German and

work trying to find someone with a good reading voi

was greatly through use ot tilmstrips that Karl~^n^

learned

of the

New

Testament church and

God's

pi

so

we

hope the time

spent

preparing

them

will be ^

His

way of l ife.

home

Bible studies has also been

keeping

Henki

Flemish Dutch, or Netherlands) so it is double

ce , and who has time for this extra work. It

arga were able to visualize teachings while they

1 for salvation. They have already

proven

useful,

essed as others may come to know of Christ and

BELGIUM

FOR CHRIST is written by

Mary

Esther ^•onaerts;

edited, printed,

and mailed by

John

and

Eileen McDonald. It is distributed

to

inform

and

encourage support

of

the

work

being done in Belgium

for Christ

by the

Henki

Boonaerts family. All funds made payable

to Pontoon

Beach Church

of

Christ,

designated to Boonaerts work are tax deductable.

Pontoon Beach Church

of

Christ

4039

Pontoon

Road

Granite City, Illinois 62040

iss ion

Se r v i c e s

Box

177

Kempton, Indo

^049

Non-Profit

Org,

U.S. Postage

1.8<;:

Paid

Permit No.

237



H e nk i

B E L GI UM

F O R

C H R I S T

John

Ma r k

Maiy Esther

J a m e s Mat thew

DDRESSES

F IN N CE F O R W RD I NG

John McDona ld

2213

Dawn Avenue

Granite

City,

I]]lnois

U.S.A. 62040

CORRESPONDENCE AGENT

Melvin &

Louel l a Rol le r

Route 1, Box 92

Bumettsville, Indiana

U.S.A. 47926

F IELD

DDRESS

H e nk i B oona e r ts

Louis Merc i e r l aan 135

Maasmeche len

3630

BELGIUM

VOL. VI

NO.

3

1976 t

SEPT. -

OCT.

OUR SISTER-IN -DAUGHTER

Mother

used

to say one of the hardest things she found in being a missionary in India was

having to turn her kitchen over to a hired cook, and other household taks to

the

ayah and other

hired help. I

never

could understand how that would be hard. Subconsciously, I tried to prepare

myself for the adjustment, always thinking I would return to India as a missionary. After we got

married, and I was still taking classes, we were working to pay our way through College, and we

had our first child I longed to try it out and see if it were as hard as mother used to say I As the

years went by I got used to and almost enjoyed, peeling potatoes, scrubbing floors and the other

duties of mother

and

wife. Then Maria

came

to stay with us. I could almost instantly understand

what mother meant Maria was always asking for something to do. Something to keep

her

busy. I

had quite a time finding things I could give up to let her do. Somehow, we seem to get so wrapped

up in

our

work

that

we think we can do everything

better

ourselves. Besides, I felt, I must keep

enough chores for the boys to help them learn responsibility, feel

secure and

approved.

Being the only girl in a family with three brothers I always hoped for a sister. Finally, I

consoled myself with the hope

that

I could have my own sister when I got married. But

the

Lord

had other plans for us, and we have two

sons.

I wouldn't t rade them for the world, bu t somewhere

down

deep

inside I still longed for

that ' ' sister

Then Maria came to live with us. We called

her

our daughter, but at age 88 she is our sjster-in-Christ. She was immersed into His family while

the congregation

was

still meeting in oorsem Her family

could

notaccept her turning her coat

around , as the expression goes in Belgium of one who changes religion , since

she

found no

other

family to

take

he r

in, we

decided

to do

our bes t, and have been blessed.

Several years ago I anticipated the arrival of a friend of mine to come from

the

States to help

in our mission work. Excited plans were made to and out tracts, and witness as two Christian

ladies together. (Most of the members.of the Maasmechelen church are elderly widows or young

teenage boys, so companionship of my age

and

sex were lacking). This didn't work

out and,

of

course,

I

was disappointed.

I couldn't

understand

how it could

be God's

will. Then one of the

young men

married,

and I

hoped

to find in his bride the

companionship

I

longed

for

and

needed.

This, however, was

also

not th e case. Several years went

by,

and we moved to ou r

present

home

in

Eisden,

Maasmechelen

and

still

no

one to fill t ha t emptiness . Then Maria moved to live

with

us.

In a

strange

way,

not

at all as I thought, she

has been

able to fill that emptiness. She, too, is

an elderly widow, but young at

heart, and

willing to learn

and

share her new found life in Christ.

We

are

able

to

make several

visits

together

to

other women, some

who

she knew before

she

became a Christian,

and

we read

and study

the Scriptures together. She never learned to read, so

is very

demanding

on my time. Often she asks me to stop from my

business

to

rest

awhile and

read something spiritual for her. Obviously it has been a great time for spiritual

growth

for us

both .

Yes, God answers prayers often in such strange ways,

and

in his own time plan. Sometimes

by answering one prayer, several others are answered at the same

t ime. This

has

certainly

been

the

case

with the coming of

Maria

to live with

us. We have

a

built

in

babysitter

so Henki and I

t Please note

the

year of this issue AND

the

last should

read

1976

Our praise

to our

new

correspondence

agents

in

having

only

made this one mistake,

that we know of, in preparing

their first newsletter for us As you

see,

we have gotten behind in correspondence, so hope in the

next few

months

to get caught up, in

one

way or

another. Please

be praying for this situation, and

be

helpfully

patient.

A kind

Christian

thanks from us all.



Medaryville Christian Church

Box 140, South Jefferson Street

Medaryville,

Indiana

U.S.A. 47957

H H BiU McGilveiy

Box 177

Keisptony Xnd« 46049

hu.

BELGIUM FOR CHRIST is

written

by

Mary

Esther

Boonaerts;

edited, printed, and

mailed

by the Melvin Rollers. It is distributed to inform

and encourage support of the work being

done

in

Belgium

for

Christ by

the

Henki

Boonaerts

family. All

funds

made

payable

to

Pontoon

Beach

Church

of

Christ, designated

to

Boonaerts

work,

are tax deductable.

MARIA GERING visiting her sister Lena 2

years

older)

last summer in Nijmwegen, Nether

lands.

Mari a c ame

to live with us

a

few

months

la ter.

Non-profit Organization

U.S. Postage

2c

P I

MedaiyvHle,

Indiana

Permi t

#4

are occasionally able to go calling together, to do some of the mission work as a team instead of

always one or the other, while someone stayed with the children. She

has

been giving tracts,

church papers and NewTestaments around to many in our neighborhood; something we had long

hoped to get to someday . She has all the time in the world for this and lives having something

to keep her busy as well as

the

opportunity to share her Christ. When the weather

doesn't

permit

outside walking, working in

the garden,

etc.,

she

occupies herself with dishwashing, mending,

something which always seemed to stack up as I never seem to find time for that, though I'd

rather sew than

cook

any day.

ooking

has to be done, and mend, somehow, could just wait),

mopping the steps, cleaning and peeling vegetables and being an active, loving member of a

family with playful boys. Of course, there are enough odd jobs for

the

boys. Some of these we

rotate or all pitch in to get done. But everyone seems to have adjusted well to our new family life.

Since

she

is officially registered in

the

town hall as living with us, we are making

appropriate

additions in our building addition by making an extra bedroom with the kitchen-garage complex

now tha t Maria has c ome to live with us



B E L G I U M

FO R

CHRIST

VOL. VI NO. 4

PACKAGE

O F F E R

John Mark and

James

Matthew

emptied their savings container one

day to see how

much they

could

give

to help with our new building. Es

pecially

John Mark has

shown

concern for having space enough to

h old B ib le s tudies in

ou r

home so

more people can learn about

Jesus

and he le ts u s know about it In hi s

own way

Sometimes children

in

their innocence

and

determinat ion

can

be

a lesson to

us

adults.

1976

NOV.

-

DEC.

2 6

In preparing this last number of the 1976 news, we will deviate a little to wrap up loose

ends, to cover a few bits of news that otherwise have not been reported. We hope in this way to

helpcatch upon the over due newsletters, trying toget the

1977

news onthe way.

The GOOD

NEWS

that couldn t wait in our

first

1976 letter, had an upset ting sen tence

we'd like to clarify somehere. That sentence read, It had been OVER two years since there had

been anyadded to the

church

in Maasmechelen, so there was

good

reason for such gladness.

Unfortunately, this is one discouragement faced by most workers for His kingdom in Europe, we

have discovered. Comparing notes with work in Germany, Italy and neighboring countries, we

see, sometimes, waits of nine years before immersions take place. Then in ones and two, not tens

and hundreds. This is not a sign of defeat or inactivity but of the rocky ground needing much

cultivating found in

many

European

countries.

Giving an over all idea of the work being done in the Limburg province surrounding

Maasmechelen, Genk and Houthalen-East, we

wantio

include this report. By way of introduction

to your new brothers and sisters in Christ, we list the names of those immersed since our return in

1974 or just before. Since they are not directly results of our work, or included in our present

efforts, we probably won't mention them again, except as they become involved in our immediate

evangelistic/nurturing labors. Wehope you

will

uphold them before Our Father. The interchange

between the three congregations is such that we often share trials and joys so mutual spiritual

maturity is being reached as we livescattered, members ofthe same familyin God.

Those added have been Karl and Margriet Jacubka (husband and wife, other so indicated

by h-w ; Lena

Vreven;

Eva Boonaerts (youngest daughter of Boonaerts

family ;

Anita Melatso;

Dennie and Roza Cartuyvels h-w ; Alfons and Caroline Boelen h-w ; Benjamin Boonaerts (last

of Boonaerts family to become Christian ); Freddy and Chantal Rothiers (brother and sister);

Patricia Jacubka (daughter of above h-w); Margriet van den Berg; Antoina Presotto; Rozine

Presotto (wife immersed several months later); -Lucia and Flip Kortzorg (immersed before

married); Frankie Kortzorg; Marcus and Greta Van Laeken (immersed before married); and

Lydia

Jacobs. (These are listed more or less in order of their immersion in the three year time

period.)

' One last bit of news that has to do with the

three

congregations is a report of

our

two day

discipleship conference held in 1976.We met in the largest of the three meeting places, the Genk

mother

church s

building complex for a blessed time of worship and fellowship. A Saturday

evening meeting, followed by an all day Sunday affair including the morning Lord's supper, noon

meal, informal discussion-interchange period; evening Bar-B-Que and closing service. Possibly

the highlight was putting into practice what we learned concerning discipleship/following. The

combined collection was

sent

for the work of Mary Esther s

parents,

William and Jean Roland, in

India. We rejoiced in this time of sharing and look forward to something similar in September,

1977.

OUR F O U N D T I O N S

FINANCES,

nd

May 10,1977, marked

the

official beginning of our building addition. We had the blueprint

made in 1974-75, so were required to at least begin the building within two years for

the

plan to

remain

valid.

Several hinderances

kept us from

beginning last year. We

are

greatly

REJOICING

in being able to announce we have begun this year

The official beginning entailed raking away gravel from

the

proposed site, receiving

delivery of the cement blocks and bricks for building and staking out the foundation poles during



VIEW FROM OUR BACK

YARD of

the

area where the kitchen, garage, and

bedroom

are

being staked out .

Following

newsletters will hopefully carry more

pictures and articles of the progress of

our

home-building.

Our back lawn has a nice blanket of grass

where the boys can play with their friends

and

we

can si t under our

pussy-willow

tree on

hot

summer days. We also enjoy a

lawn in

front

of

the

house with several

flowers

and

a vegetable garden

further

behind th e house and proposesd

addition.

the week of May tenth. It was an exciting time and everything seemed to go so fast at first Now

it seems everything is

dragging

and it has become a time and patience consuming process. At

the

time of writing, the walls are ALMOST high enough to

put

on the roof. We

are

just hoping and

praying to be able to have everthing dry for the winter, even if it means only plastic sheeting for

windows and no plaster on the inside walls

Of course with the building

there

are many extra expenses, so we have had to make a

revision of our budget.

Considering

the building expenses as a raise in the

cost

of rent, we will be

needing 120.00 more monthly,

there

are several other added expenses with the increase in the

cost

of

insurance

and the average

increase

in the general

cost

of living. There has also been an

apparent

decrease in our donations so we

are

required to pay U.S. Social Security, AND it s

equivalent in Belgium as well, which is a development of this (1977) year. Any extra gifts to help

in any of these areas (if you want to designate, please so indicate on the gift, otherwise they will

be used as we need) would be greatly appreciated. For detailed information, contact Boonaerts at

the Belgian address or Rollers according to the addresses on the letterhead.

We hope enough

extra support

will be received within

the

next few months so

that

Henki

will

not have

to supplement our income

again

by

having

to return to the coal

mine

or look for

some

other job. We covet your prayers and help in any way possible, knowing that as we work together

for His kingdom,

th e

bonds of love are

strengthened.

BELGIUM FOR CHRIST is written by Mary Esther Boonaerts; edited, printed and mailed by

the Melvin Rollers. It is

distributed

to inform

and encourage

support of

the

work

being done

in

Belgium for Christ by the Henki Boonaerts family. All funds made payable to Pontoon Beach

Church

of Christ, designated to Boonaerts work, are tax deductable.

A

QUICK SNAP after work

but before

showers while Henki (center

standing)

still worked

in the Eisden

mine from

1974-76.

The

work i tself

isn t

too

bad,

as

far

as Henki

is

concerned; but two full-

t ime jobs is TOO MUCH for

anyone,

we

hope you ll all

agree . P lease

help keep

the

support

coming sufficiently to keep us

in

FULL TIME

CHRISTIAN SERVICE

boonaerts henki maryesther 1976 belgium

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