Training in Zaventem

Last week, I (Eileen's) was in Zaventem, Belgium. I had the opportunity to be there helping as part of the team running a support matters conference. 

This is one of those training conferences that I absolutely love! The content of the course is great, it is designed to continually draw our hearts and minds back to God, how he views us and others. It is always a privilege to watch people walk through this process, the understanding of how God prepares for them even the smallest of their needs. 

This picture is one of the teaching sessions. 

Thank you to each of you who make it possible for me to be part of these events. 

and now Belgium....

And now Belgium....

I (Eileen) am away from home this week in Belgium.  I am in the town/village of Zaventem.  This is actually the place where Aaron and I lived for our first year as a married couple.... hmmm... it was a long time ago. 

This is one of those weird places for me.  I love it and it holds so many wonderful memories, both good and bad.  It is a place i feel i know yet realise there is so much i don't know about it.  A place where i see people that hold a special spot in my heart, where emotions are mixed  of good and bad at times but mostly of wishing I had more time to talk with them, find out how they are, what they are doing and how God is working in them and through them. 

It is probably good that i don't have the opportunity to visit more often otherwise i may find myself trying to talk Aaron into moving back.

The Centre in Belgium has been part of the ministry we work with for many years... even before i was born!!!  While at the centre I found a pic of the building from the 1970's 

and then a picture from this year... 

The pictures don't look extremely different but in reality the building has changed drastically.  Originally this base was purchased and used as a hub for various services.  OM summer and joining conferences at one point were organised primarily from this team. There was a garage that maintained a large fleet of vehicles that traveled all over the world.  Teams staying within Europe or heading to Asia, Middles East, Near East and such were sent out from this base.  An amazing heritage for a building to have.  As times have changed and flights are how we all travel the cost of keeping a van that is 25, 30 or even 40 years old is even higher than purchasing a used vehicle that is only 10 years old the needs of the building have had to change also. The garage that served so many for so many years now houses the offices for the Belgium ministry team as well as those who oversee the conference centre.  The rooms have been refurbished to meet new needs, more bedrooms have been added, a large dinning room and so on all mean that the conference facility is again a way that this building and its team reaches out to help support the larger OM world through serving the needs of the many. 

The town the centre is based in is a wonderful mixture of town and village.  It has gotten larger since we lived here. There are more shops and businesses the schools have expanded and new houses have been built but it manages to maintain a friendly environment that shows the heart of the community.  I have really enjoyed walking around the town with others and on my own since i arrived on Monday and i look forward to more time to see the town, the changes it has made and the people. 

I wish I could walk with each of you as I am here and show you around the town.  Share the stories of our friends when we lived here and the fun we had.  The things God taught us that are life lessons we will never forget and those things that we seem to have to keep learning as we just can't seem to master.   

In short.... I wish each of you was here to share this time with me. 

Little Venice in London

Always a great way to end an evening.... Walking along the canal in Little Venice

Birthday Celebrations in London!

This week during my (Eileen) dad's visit to London we also celebrated his birthday... In wanting to find fun and special ways to celebrate such a wonderful man we did a little sightseeing and a fabulous restaurant. 

Here are some pics of the Emirates Air cable car... 

After the cable car we headed over to the Shard for a birthday meal. 

Ireland trip (Day 4)

Well, this is our last day in Ireland. What a wonderful time we have had. 

Today we took the drive from Galway to Dublin, stopping at a town called Athlone along the way. The drive was Beautiful (as all the drives have been)! 

Before leaving Galway we took a short tour and had a stop at the Salthill beach

Athlone hosts a castle a beautiful river and the oldest pub in Ireland. 

So... It seems that is the end of our Ireland tour! What a treat it has been. Living away from my (Eieen) family I am fully aware and accepting of the fact that I miss out on important family events, this is not something I enjoy or find easy but a fact i have come to terms with. In saying that, being able to visit Ireland with my dad (a place he has always talked about going) and being able to do this over his birthday week has been such a blessing. Memories a will keep forever! 

Ireland trip (Day 3)

Today was another amazing day seeing the beauty of Ireland. We drove from Derry in Northern Ireland to Galway in Southern Ireland. A huge portion of our drive time was on the "Wild Atlantic Route" (apparently there are even TV shows that talk about this drive) 

Galway is great town full of Irish culture and beauty. 

Trip to Ireland (Day 2)

Wow! Ireland is beautiful! There is so much to see. We only have four short days here but I am sure we could spend months trying to see it all. 

This morning we left Dublin and headed north. Crossing into Northern Ireland (not a single passport control). We had lunch in a small town called Antrim. Then headed to Bushmills. Bushmills distillery is the oldest working distillery in the world having started in 1608

We then headed via the Giant Causeway, seeing amazing sites! 

The evening was spent in Derry. A walled city. It was beautiful and we enjoyed a traditional evening of traditional Irish music. (The pictures aren't very bright but they give you an idea).