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Last days San Antonio
Suitcases, boxes, piles of clothes, lots of books, official documents… That’s what fills our one-bedroom apartment at Piper Village, Baptist University of the Américas’ apartment complex, at the moment. It’s interesting to see how much fits in our one-bedroom apartment and how little in our suitcases. We will leave many books, which we would love to take with us, behind, because there are more important things to take with us. The latest addition to these documents are our diplomas.
Last Saturday, we received our diplomas during the commencement ceremony at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. Five years ago, Elizabett walked the stage to receive her theology diploma from BUA. At that time, we had just started communicating. Then, we didn’t imagine at all that we would walk the stage together on the day of May 14th, 2011. Kees for his Theology degree and Elizabett for her Business Leadership degree. For Elizabett it was not new, but for Kees it was a great and new experience as in the Netherlands graduation is not a big thing as in the US. After seeing the pictures on our Dutch blog, one of our friends commented that for a moment he thought that Luther and Calvin had rose from the death ;) That says enough about graduation in the Netherlands where graduates are hardly dressed in cap and gown.
Below photos of the event (sorry, descriptions are in Dutch).
The last weeks have been filled with goodbye parties. One of the positive sides of these (mostly) dinners is that we didn’t have to cook—Always look on the bright side of live! We looked back and treasure great memories, we enjoyed the times of fellowship, and we looked ahead, anticipating on our future. We know that God has prepared us and continues to prepare us for this next chapter in our lives. It has been a pleasure to meet several new people over the last days; all with encouraging words of support. God is good!
Sunday, we said goodbye to our church; our home for the last three years, Harlandale Baptist Church. We were invited to sing a special song, but over the week we remembered our wedding, three years ago in the BUA chapel, in which we song hymns in three languages, English, Spanish, and Dutch. We decided to do the same. We chose ‘Trust and Obey’ and ‘Standing on the promises.’ Also, with the members who joined for the bilingual service we sang ‘Majesty’ in Spanish and English. It was a blessing to worship God in the language of the heart of the people present. In the beginning of the sermon the pastor mentioned the passage where Jesus tells his disciples
“no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields…” Mark 10:26 (NIV)
As we look back on these years in San Antonio, at BUA, Harlandale Baptist Church, and other people God put on our path, we see His provision of brothers, sister, mothers, children, and (although Jesus doesn’t mention them) fathers. We are thankful for all of these people who God used to influence our lives in such a positive way. Y’all have a place in our hearts!
Now, the reality of packing. Elizabett and her mom leave tomorrow morning from San Antonio airport. Kees is still trying to sell some of our stuff and will soon buy his ticket. He plans to join Elizabett in Peru the first days of June.
