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Medaryville Christian
Church
Box
140,
South Jefferson Street
Medaryville. Indiana
U.S.A. 47957
3 01S3I
FIELD ADDRESS
Henkl
Boonaerl s
Loui s Me r ci e rl aa n 1 3 5
Maasmechelen
3640 BELGIUM
BELG IUM FO R
CHR I ST
Vol. XI,
No.
1
MEETING
Congregational
Non-Prolit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAiD
Medaryville, Ind.
PERM IT 4
FORWARDING
AGENT
MelvIn
Loue l la Ro l le r
Route 1,
Bo x 92
Burnettsville,
Indiana U.S.A.
47926
J an . June
Since the congregation in Maasmechelen is still young
and
small,
and
there are no men with the qualifications
specified in I Timothy and Titus to be elders, they
have
been
constantly
in search of what would be the most
Scriptural way of deciding various things in connection with
the
church. Instead of a BOARD MEETING with
th e elders, deacons,
and
preacher of the congregation gathering to discuss
and
decide activities, the Christians
have tried several things. We are
convinced
it is no t right for th e church to be thought of as or be called
Henki's
church
so
have
done what we
can
to
involve as many
of
the
men
in decision making as Scripturally
possible.
With more
growth i n the
past
years, and more
things to be done, decisions made, and responsibility
designated,
several methods have been experimented
with.
A brother's meeting was called, for al l Christian men to attend
that
were
able
and
interested
in
helping with several items
that
needed discussing,
while
bringing their
own
ideas
and
suggestions.
In order
to
help
give
an idea
of
this area
of development
and advance,
we d like to share some of
th e major things discussed and the decided outcome.
Though other
meetings
had been held we ll begin with the October 14, 1980 meeting.
Since
th e
men
had taken
turns to
preach,
lead
the
services, and
teach the
Bible
study
in our absence for our
summer
furlough,
they
felt
this
should
be
continued. Henki was
asked
to set
up
a schedule
once
again
l is ting men who'd
continue taking turns
with this. This
helps
more
men to
be active while at
th e same
time
lightening Henki's
preaching/teaching load
so
he cou ld do more
evangelistic work.
Since Pascal Vandendriessche had
extra time, was
willing, and
saw
the
need,
he
offered
to
hold a
Bible
s tu dy Monday mor ni ng s fo r those unable
to
attend
the
Wednesday ones.
Unfortunately,
no one showed up, and this
was discontinued. (I n
th e meantime,
with
changing work shifts, and other
factors,
Henki
has
begun
a
second
study
Wednesday mornings. There
have
been
about
10
in attendance
for
the
earlier service, and around 15 at
the
evening one.
The highest
we'd
had before was
around
21,
but
not
very often )
While we were in the
States
we were able to see the latest Jule
Miller series
on the thf w dnelday mor mbiTSdy^
entire
book of Acts. Henki , thinkingit would be
a
further tool in
reaching
people
fo r
several
ofthenewer Christians attend
Christ andnurturing
young
Christians, ordered theset
The Maasmechelen
group
f muraTfaces^ofo f
chriS^^
agreed to pay for these slides. Henki has already
recorded
some
narration
to weii
accompany these
slides. The 16 mm movie projector we had bought, while still
attending
College,
from
th e
Ferguson
(Mo.) church
needed
repairs. The
congregation also
agreed to pa y for the
repairs
on
this.
It
was
also decided to have Sunday
evening
services once a
month alternately in the Genk
and
Maasmechelen congregations.
The new slides and
repaired projector
have
been used
for
these services.
(See
article on Carry-in-dinner .)
To show
their
continued concern
fo r
th e
weaknesses
of
others,
this
following
suggestion is
rather
special.
One
of
our oldest members, Johan Hetterscheide shakes badly,
especially
when with
many people.
He
almost always
asks
for half-filled
cups
of coffee as he spills
badly.
You
can imagine the
trouble
with small communion
cups so it
was decided to buy
a slightly
larger cup fo r him and
fill
it less so
he'd
have less
embarrassment We
rejoice in this
bearing one another 's burdens
being
put
to practice.
In
order
to
tr y
and evangelize
even more,
and
bring religious music into th e homes of
Christians, it was
suggested
to
try
to
get r ad io t ime on some
local
station. I t
was
agreed
on ,
but
it was
not
allowed
by
th e
stat ions around
here.
That is one of t he s ti gmas on non-Catholics, and usually anything Spi ri tual even w ith
no
denominational
leaning. The Chri st ians
realize
th e
need
and t oo l for evangelism, but it is
a
closed
door
in
Belgium.
Steps
have been
taken
t oge t
a
group
organized
to form
a
non-profit
organization
fo r legal matters that will need
to be handled when the congregation gets property and builds their own worship hall. With the help of
information from th e sister congregation in Genk, and men who know
more
about such things, th e first meeting
was
held.
Things
concerning legal
matters
like
drawing
up
th e
blue-print,
etc.
were discussed.
The Christ ians
are
still waiting
for definite
information
from
the township
of Maasmechelen concerning
the exact piece
of ground
we'll
be
receiving fo r the building.
The next
brother's
meeting
was
held
November
10th
and several things were discussed and
decided
on. In order
to help in announcing the songs
to
be
sung,
two
blackboards
have been hung in th e front ofthe church. S ince we
7/24/2019 Boonaerts Henki MaryEsther 1981 Belgium
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don't have bulletins
as
customary
in
most churches
in
th e
States,
this was
a
helpful suggestion. In case someone
doesn't
hear
the song announced,
or
doesn't understand Dutch
well,
they can
see
the
number
posted.
We
have
folks
from
many
nations, including American
visitors
sometimes
Friends ofrecentconverts in Maastricht , Hol land were
in
physical
need so
this was
brought to the attention
of
th e
congregation.
The Christians decided to give
funds
for
three
weeks, and provide the
opportunity
to give food
stuffs and other things to
help
these in need.
The
family has
since
been able to provide for themselves. They have
seen
several
of
th e
slides on
the plan ofsalvation
and
seemed
interested both
before
and
after
ou r
helping
them
but
contact with
them has
slackened off.
Possibly you could keep Hans
and Fien in
your
prayers,
that the Word that
has
been
planted may bring forth
fruit.
Cleaning the church
has
been a
bi t
of a problem through the
years . When
we had services in
our
home, Mary
Esther was
responsible
for
keeping the
hall clean,
preparing the communion,
etc. Once we moved to
the
hall in
Maasmechelen,
and we had
our
second child, folks realized she couldn't keep it up herself. Sincemostof
the ladies
who thought they should be doing the cleaning were elderly, and the group
didn't
feel someone
should
be hired to
clean, th e men decided to take turns. The women were to give the place
an
extra good cleaning about every two
months.
Since
the
group has grown they decided to have couples who are willing to take turns. Now those who
clean only have to take a
turn
about once in two months, and
since
there is usually a woman involved, the church
is looking pretty good.
It's great
this load can be
shared
also, and
that Christians
are willing toparticipate in
this
way. (Yours truly still take
their
turns, too )
There
had
been some troubles
with the
oil
burning
stove
that
has
been used s ince
the
congregation
was
begun.
Sometimes th e
soot build-up
was
so
bad there
wasn't
much warmth. Maybe there were
complications
due
to
inferior quality fuel as well.
It
was decided to designate one man to be in charge ofbeing surethere is fuel, that the
stove is cleaned, and whatever else is needed to keep the hal l
warmed.
The
following
meeting
was
held
December9th and fewer matters were discussed.
Insufficient
tables are available
fo r
the studies and other
activities
when
there
ar e
tables
needed.
It had been
hoped
to
tr y
and
getsomething hke
the
banquet
tables used in the States. However, since the congregation is also trying tobe thrifty, they decided
to make do
with
what is
presently being
used It was, for the same
reason,
decided instead of buying more
chairs,
to
loan some from
th e Genk church. A
few other
things
were
decided
including
what to do about Chr is tmas
services .
A man
recently worshipping
with
Maasmechelen
Christians (see Finding the
Way
on Joseph
MOORS)
suggested an information board being posted.
This
was
at
the January 22meeting and the men felt it was a good
idea.
The board
has
been pu t
up in one of
the
windows
with days
and
times
of services
and
phone numbers
for
further information. The added Wednesday service
has
been included, a long with
th e
other services formerly
he ld
Since
the hal l
is
getting
sort of crowded with more attending, and there are more
Hipf children which
are
hard to keep quiet foraA to2ourservice it was suggested to
try
and
provide nursery facilities. This has been a
matter
ofdicussion
many
times,
' '
for years,
but
we'd
just
never found the cheapest and best solution.
This
time it
was
m
decided to
try
and find
some
kind ofhouse trailer or movable building that
could
be
I
placed
on the church's parking lot. But,
because
ofthe
efforts
to
be
economical, it
I was decided to wait with this. (Sincethen, it was decided to takeBoonaerts upon
our offer to le t children gather in our kitchen
until
something else can be provided.
Laurette
Hermans helping
the
first Atfirstitwasmeanttobejustnursery/baby-sitting ofthe
younger
children. Ithas
Sunday
with the
watching
of
children developed
into
morc
of
a
Sunday school,
and
several
women are taking
turns
to
eight haTehe p^ed^ai^ha^d^S teach and watch the children. Possibly,
as
the idea gets
a
hold
-
quite different and
from two
to eleven children
present.
hard
fo r
t hose w it h Catho lic
background
to
accept
it may
develop into an
pape^ nd evangelistic, tool, as well as getting families to bring
their
children and attend
we've been
working
on for years )
services ins tead of
missing because
of their small
children.
Of
course, hopefully
after we have another
building
there
will be facilities for
different
classrooms
and
more classes can be provided
for
the different groups.)
The congregation has shown
her
concern fo r our
financial
needs
on different
occasions. They have decided to provide us with at least $55.00 monthly for . hi
gasoline
and car expense. This is a great
help covering
about
half
of
our gasoline
expenses.
The car
we were driving at
the time of
writing
was
given to us,
bu t
uses
rather a
lo t
of
gas-per-mile
so we are considering trying to
find something
else that
will
run more economically
yet meet our varied needs,
both personal
and
mission. ||fl|H||||H
But the Chris t ians didn ' t
stop
there.
They
also made
a
point
that
almost
everyone,
including those
on
unemployment
and
old
age pension get one month 's paid johnMarkcieaningthewvthathad
vacation
money . They
thought i t not more
than
right to
take
up a special offering 9'
y 1 ui
-x r spnng beforethe leaveshadcome. We
to help
toward
somethmg similar. 1
hough
well probably not be using i t
to r
a are
hoping
to seiiihiscarsoon, as we
vacation,
it
will
help
towards travel
and car
expenses also. That offering
is to
be something that
. . T J
1
i_ i.i_
ni
i.-
-n
ISa bit more economical.
taken up in June, so we are curious and anxious to see how
the
Christ ians will
respond
in this
gesture.
The final
thing
decided in thi s mee ting
was that
it would be possibly appropriate
and
beneficial fo r
th e interested
women
of
the
congregation to help
in
th e
decision
of the
group. Therefore
th e
following meetings
have
been called
congregational meetings open
for
al l interested Christians who can attend. The f ir st such meeting was held
February
10
and it tu rn ed out to be
a
real blessing according
to
some
who attended.
Another
visiting Christian brought
up
several
problems
in
more than
one o f the
meetings.
It
was hoped
they
had
been cleared
up
in
th e
November
discussions, however
th e
one involved
brought
other
matters
up.
During
the
February meeting it was decided to
wait until
Henki could prepare
himself
specifically in th e matter.
Unfortunately it turned out to be a matter of disruption and pain
for
many involved. (See
article
Finding the
Way
on
Joseph and J eanne
STIERS.)
Henki's concern,
especially for
th e deteriorating condition in th e Genk congregation,
led
him
to want to tr y
and
John Mark
cleaning
th e
VW
that had
been given to us on e warm
day
this
spring before the leaveshad come. We
ar e
hop ing to
sell
this
ca r
soon, as we
have
been able to f ind something that
is a bi t
mo r e e c o n om i ca l
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evangelize and nurture Christians inGenkona regular basis. Heasked the Christiansif they wouldbewillingfor
him to spend one day a week calling in Genk, excusing him if he
didn t
call on them (and with them) as often,
possibly. They were most gracious,
and
stood behind him in letting him do what he felt best
and
necessary Since
then, Henki
has spent
Monday afternoons
and
evenings in the Genk area. He
has
shown the plan of salvation
slides, and
has made other
contacts
and
visits. We
anticipate
decisions
and growth
for
the congregation,
hoping
God's
spirit
may begin working in a mightier way in the
near
future. Mary
Esther
appreciated being able to go
with him one time while the boys
stayed
with family, during the Easter
break.
It
is a
joy
to
know there ARE still
people
interested in
searching for
what
God
wants in
their life.
We hope
this resume
will
help you
see what
some
of
th e things are that
keep
your brothers and sisters
in Belgium
occupied. Hopefully
they
give an idea of
the growth
and development in both physical and spiritual realms of
the
local
church.
It is a lso hoped you will remember the Chris tians in their further meetings
as
folks become more
sensitive
to
th e
Spirit s
leading, suggesting things to
help
the spread of th e
gospel.
We
also hope
it
has helped
you
see
some ofthe
differences in
serving
in
Belgium,
and what has
kept
us
busy sinceour return from th e States.
Pray
a ll the Christians will become actively involved in His kingdom
using
th e various talents the
Lord
has provided.
FINDING
THE
WAY
As
one
of
ou r
older
brothers so
often prays
when
there
is an
immersion,
we
are g lad
to
report that
more
have
found
the
way to God in
Jesus
Christ.
In ou r last newsletter we just made
mention
of the nine
more who were
immersed. At
this
time we'd like to
name
them individually and tell of some others who
have
worshippedwith us
in Maasmeche l en
Some of you probably read of the surprises awaiting us upon our return to Belgium last fall, reported in the
Horizons. Part of that surprise
was
that two more, GEORGE and ELLY,
had
been immersed by the Christians.
They live
in
Maastricht,
Holland
so have
quite
a
long way
to come to keep in fellowship
with the
Christians.
Through witness and contacts
at work,
another couple has
also
been won to Christ.
ALEX
and
LILIAN BEKERS
live in
Leut, not far from the church. They have
two
small children,
so
take turns coming
to services.
The son
of
earlier converts, DANNY VOORJANS, decided tofollow the example ofhis parents. His girlfriend, VIVIAN, had
also wanted to be immersed, but her parents forbade it since she is still living with them and is under age. Pray
con tinued contac t wi th her
and her
family
will
eventually
bring
new
life
in
their
home
as well.
Th en the
brother
of
Pascal,
WILLIAM
VANDENDRIESSCHE,
was
a lso immersed.
He lives
in
northern
Belgium, and
has
no church home , so, being isolated will be very hard for him. His parents range from neutral
to
antagonistic
to the gospel, so
his struggle
will be gYeat.
LUCY;
a friend of Anika
Cartuyvels (mentioned
in
the
last
prayer-request insert) also contacted us wondering ifwecould immerse her. She
had
cometo believe through
the workofevangelical churches in the area, but they refused toimmerse her, sayingit was unimportant. Reading
th e
Scriptures, sh e decided otherwise,
and wanted
to
be
obedient in th is
act.
To begin the new year, in January there were also two immersions. ANKIE ABRAAS,
daughter ofElly by a formermarriage, read surprisingly much in the Scriptures for her young
years (12).
Though
her sister was completely
against
the idea of ever becoming aChristian
^^
then,
Ankie
didn t
mind being immersed alone. Then
LAURETTE HERMANS,
wife
of
one
of I
our very first converts, understood the teachings
ofthe Scriptures better after seeing
the Jule
I
Miller
slides.
Joy in
her
being won
was
truly great
as
she d been
witnessed to for years.
Anki s
I
sister is the most recent to have
been
immersed. IRMGAARD ABRAAS
(older than Ankie)
I 1
slowly began to be drawn to the truth in the gospel, without pressure from her parents, and S
begantosearchfor the way also.
We
continue tobeoverwhelmed in the
tremendous
spread of H
His Kingdom here
in the
Maas river area
as
people
find that
Jesus
is the
Way,
the
Truth, and C-L-.
r yJ
the Life.
Irm gaard A braas
Recently
amiddle-aged
bachelor
moved to Maasmechelen
and
has
been
attending
services.
He gTh ThTr^ch^ by
had evidently been immersed by Pentecostal folks, and was anxious to worship with
Christians.
JOSEPH MOORS
has already
been
a
benefit
to the
congregation,
as he
limTTo^r
somVt?me
participates in the brothermeetings mentioned in another article,
and
his gentle, kind spirit another of
the more
is
appreciated.
Pray
for
him
as
he
adjusts
tohis
new
home
in
our
area,
works,
and
witnesses
for
Roglr
vist^pLn
h is
Lord.
has donethis but was
sick on this particular
occas ion
Also a former convert of non-instrumental missionaries, Roy
and
Rita Davison, and his wife
had
been driving about a half hour to attend services with
us
in Maasmechelen.
JOSEPH and
JEANNE STIERS had been to services several times previously, and weknewofhim through Davisons and their
work
in Hasselt.
With
his non-instrumental and some Jehovah's Witness background, hesometimes broughtup
questions other, especially newer,
Christians
hadn t faced before. He disrupted several of the brother s
meetings with some of his questioning and quarrelsome spirit. He made demands on the congregation
concerning several things. We
had
hoped he would sincerely search the Scriptures
and
accept them instead of
man-made doctrines or his own convictions, but as suddenly as they began coming they discontinued
fellowshipping with us. Yetwefeelall thingswillwork together for the advancement ofHiskingdomeven ifsome
circumstances
seem
t roublesome and unkind a t the t ime.
Unfortunately on the same note, we probably should mention another sad development. Before going to the
States wehad anticipated infiltration offalse teachings fromsomewho came from the Brethren congregation.
They had influenced Eugene Kilbiczek so that he and his wife no
longer
attended services in Maasmechelen but
began worhsipping with a new group in their townofLanaken. We werefearful for the others living in Lanaken,
7/24/2019 Boonaerts Henki MaryEsther 1981 Belgium
4/8
page
4
Pascal, Josian, Harry,
and
Elizabeth. At first
Pascal
seemed strongly convinced that their teachings ofonce-in-
grace, always-in-grace,
etc. were false. Not unt il short ly
before
the birth of their son did it become apparent
that
he, too,
was being
influenced and misled
by
t hese teach ings . Without actually
knowing
how to explain
the
situation,
we
are
sad
to
say
they
no
longer
attend services in
Maasmechelen or even associate
much with
these
Christ ians
any more.
Har ry a nd
El izabe th cont inue
t o come fo r Sunday services and
we
surely
hope
their
faithfulness
and continued leading and convict ion of the Spiri t
will
awake the others to their errors. This is an
especially
sad
loss
as Pascal had
been
mighty in
the spirit
in his
teaching
and
witnessing.
Unfortunately
the
Devil found
his
soft
spot,
and the leaven
of falsehood did its work in hi s li fe . We t ry not to become discouraged in
such
situations,
and encourage
the young Christians
as
well,
to keep
looking
to
Jesus the author
and
f inisher
of
u fa i th
CARRY-IN-DINNER
To
add to th e nurture and evangelistic opportunities
for
th e
Belgian
Christians, Sunday evening services have
been held monthly.
The Christians hoped it
may
provide
an
encouragement to the diminishing congregation in
Genk,
give more chances to
fellowship
with other Christians,
and
maybe even provide an opportunity to
witness
to
non-Christian fr iends
and
family aboutChrist.
Al l
these have also been
fulfilled in
the times that these
services
have
been
held
so far .
Unfortunately
th e
week for
holding them, originally se t
to be
the second
Sunday
each
month, has not
been stable. I t seems
in
th e
winter
sickness, holidays,
and
otherhindrances caused
the
services
to
be,
in the Belgium expression, shoved
up
a
week or
two; while in th e summer warm-weather
activities both
in
th e form of work
and
recreation b ri ng about t he same postponements
The f ir s t such service held in December, saw
around
80 gathered
fo r the
first s lide series on
the
book ofActs. The
groups that
gathered for the following services were
lesser
in number though no less
blessed
and strengthened for
being present. The month ofMay
was skipped
due to
several
extenuating
circumstances, and i thas
been decided .
to discontinue during
the
summer
months. The month
of April, however, was a very
special
occasion.
Formany years, th e Christians
in
Holland have invited all Dutch speakingChristians from Belgium and Holland
to
attend
a one day
conference
that is
held annually
on what's
called
Second
Easter day.
It is a custom in
European
countries to have Easter Sunday and
Monday
as holidays, thus th e first and
second
Easter days.
(This
is also tru e o fChristmas
and
Passover, thus providing a
free
work-day
when
Christ ians
from
several countr ies
can gather, whereas
otherwise
there are
conflicts )
It
had
often been suggested
to
have such
a
Second
Easter
day service
in Belgium one
year, with th e
Genk
and Maasmechelen
churches
hosting. Things justnever
seemed
to be
worked
out,
but
especially the
close
relat ionship with the
Utrecht congregation
led to something
similar.
The small congregation there joined services with us in Genk, and the three congregations gathered for all-day
fellowship. A
bus and car
load of folks came from
Utrecht
(totaling about 35)
and
th e
Genk and Maasmechelen
congregations made
preparations for activities
in
the
Genk church
(larger building ofthe two). Christians here
were encouraged to bring cold dishes (covered dishes) while soup, drinks, and, for the evening, sandwiches were
provided. It
was the
first time for
many
of
the
young
Christians
to
have
experienced such, so that
had
it s effect on
several
NOT coming
For those
of us who
did stay
for th e whole day of activities
planned, i twas
indeed a lovely
day.
n
After the morning service
around
the Lord s
table
with
Sunday School and nursery
rovided for children this service,more in Genk's traditional way, the noonmeal
was
served.
Several
carried-in dishes,
but
didn't stay
for
th e
meal,
so
there
was
more
than
enough for the guests who traveled from afar,
and
those who decided to
stay though didn't bring food. While a fewdid the clean-upjob,the rest went for a
tour of the open
ai r
museum called Bokrijk. It was a sunny, dry
day
so quite enjoy
able viewing the old houses
and
things of interest together, while most of the
^ children (who'd seen everything before) enjoyed the large playground area. Back at
Linda Messimer (co-worker in Genk i i i n i \
and
Beringen
getting inonthecarry- th e church building in th e
evening
a
lighter
meal was served, but
with
all
the
left-
h eiped^hlmsehles ^The^Sorrfrom overs there was still enough
for everyone
tofill
up
easily. Everything was quickly
Holland
are
mostly seated on the table
cleared away,
and
the
hall
once
again
transformed into
the gathering hall
for
the
to
the right
behind
her. evening service.
A Moody science
and
faith film was shown, and the day was ended with fellowship and farewells around coffee
and pie. The following weekseveral of the Genk/Maasmechelen Christians participated in the SecondEaster
Day conference hosted by the Utrecht Christians in the Haag, so fellowship is continually strengthened with
Christ and His body on earth. We hope you Christians in the
States
who are over run with
an
abundance of
opportunities to fellowship, study, worship, and evangelize with those of like precious faith with your local
congregation, will remember the Christians, often isolated as only believers in miles, here in Belgium
that
need
similar opportunities for nurture and evangelism. Remember them in a word of prayer, or a word of
encouragement through your letters ofcorrespondence. It's all a foretaste
and
preparation for the marriage feast
of the
Lamb, and what
a feast
and
fellowship THAT will be
The
TELEPHONE
NUMBER
was m isprin ted in th e last newsletter.
It
used
to
be 76 53 27; was
incorrectly announced
in
th e
last
newsletter
to be
76 0337; but should be
correctly
noted as
76 03
27
Please excuse
this
printing
error.
BELGIUM
FOR
CHRIST is wri tten by Mary Father Boonaer ts . edited an d
mailed
by
th e
Melvin Rollers,
and
printed by MissionServices
Association,
Kempton,
Indiana. It is distributed to
inform
and encouraf^H' support of
th e work being done
in
Belgiumfor
Christ
by the
Henki
Boonaerts
family. All
funds made payable
to Medaryville
Christian Church, designated
to
Boonaerts
work,
are tax
deductible.
7/24/2019 Boonaerts Henki MaryEsther 1981 Belgium
5/8
MedatyvMIe Christian
Church
Box 140, Sout h J ef fe rs on S tr ee t
Medaryville,
Indiana
U.S.A. 47957
Please
rumfy
Forwarding
Agent
if .
.
thin addrvHfi is
incDrrcct.
t hi s ma i li ng
is n ot
dcsirvd.
DEC
2 2 1381
Non-Prollt Organization
U.S.
Postage
PAID
Medaryville,
Ind.
PERMIT 4
FIELD
ADDRESS
H e n k i B o o n a e r t s
L o ui s M e r ci er la a n 3 5
Maasmechelen 3640 BELGIUM
B E L G I U M F O R
C H R I S T
FORWARDING
AGENT
Melvin & Louella
Roller
Route 1.
Box 9 2
Burnettsville,
Indiana U.S.A. 47926
Vol.
Xi, No. 2
Juiy-Dec.
HOME
S W E E T
H O M E
Basedon theinformation in this newsletter,weareplanninga slidesetforthoseinterested.
We
hopeas youread
this review of the work in Belgium since 1970 you will rejoice in the spread of the gospel and signs ofnurture-
advancement among the Christians here. It is also hoped youwillpray forfurther work here,and supportefforts
financially as youmay beledand are able. We greet you fondlyin Jesus Christ, and hopeyoumay receive a rich
blessingas youread this report. Maythe God of
hope
fill youwithall joyand
peace
as you trust inhim,sothat
you
may
overflow
with
hope by
the
power of
the
Holy
Spirit. (Romans
15:13 NIV)
Henki
and
Mary Esther
C h i i d h o o d
h o m e s :
Henki was born and reared
in Genk, a coal
mining
town in Eastern Belgium. Genk
was
once an artists'
resort
and is nowcalledthe GreenCity becauseof its many parks,gardens, and lusciousgreeneverywhere.Aschildren,
both of his parents moved from Holland,
growing
up in the provinceof Limburg, so it
became
home for
Henki
also.
Aslong as Henki can remember they wereactive in the Baptist church during his childhoodyears. Already in the
years ofthe first worldwar, men such as Ralph Nortonofthe Belgium
Gospel
missionweremaking the pleasof
various Pratestant churches felt in this small, strongly Catholic country. In
the
town ofGenk. several mission
works
were
begun byworkers from manycountries. It washerethat
Don
Casteleinalsocamein 1956 tobeginthe
spread ofN.T. Christianity after his conversion and training for the ministry. Henki's folks were among the
ch ar t e r m e m b e r s o f
th e
Genk ch u rch o f C h r is t
Even in thoseyears after the Protestant workshad grownto includethe Schoolwith theBible (agradeschool
where
Henki and his brothers and sisters attended) and manywere converted, non-Catholics were persecuted in
many ways both subtle and outright So,Henki went to work,instead ofbeing discriminated againstin the local
technical school that favored Catholics. After several yearsofdifferent jobs, including ayear's apprenticeship to
a
baker, Henki
followed thefootsteps ofhisfatherand older brothers,
going
down intothe
coal
mine ofWinterslag.
Also during those years he was drummer and leader of a small jazz band.
The Lord however
was preparing him
for
other
things
and
during the summer of
1967
several Christian college interns |
helped missionaries
working in the
Church
of Christ in ^ jD
Genk. Greatly through the
influence
of Ross Duff, t hen o f
the St. Louis Christian College, Henki
was
encouraged and ^
led to be trained for the ministry
at
the
same
college. He
and
sister, Kina Surfus), were to
know
someone
In
the meantime
God had been
working in the
life of
Mary
Esther, then
Roland,
to
leave
her training at
Lincoln
Henki
shortly after
arriving
n the
states
studying n th dorm
room
he
Christian
College to
transfer
to
St. Louis
Christian
College
shared
with
Ross
Duff.
(i967)
to
finish her
preparation fo r Christian
education.
She had
grown up
in
India,
after only l iving in
t he S ta tes
two
and a
half
years after her birth
in
Cincinnati, Ohio. Her parents,
^ ^
William
and Jean Roland,
were mis si ona ri es w it h h er
grandmother,
Zoena Rothe rmel . Mos t of those
years
were
spent separated from her parents, in
order
to attend an inter- J
denominational American
boarding
school
in the
Himala-
yan mountains
of
northern India. Unknowntoher,
this
was
,
f l
preparation
fo r
years
of separation
in
ye t another l and as
Though the
Rolands made trips
to the States for
furlough,
and Mary
Esther
was
born an
American
citizen, spoke Eng- Esther s father.
Willlam Roland
teaching in the
BIble college n
lish, and attended American schools, she was just as much
^ain
now
working
at home with theIndians who were herplaymatesand childrenofherparents' converts. ShelearnedHindi, oneof
the
languages
ofIndia, as well as
many
ofthe
customs
and
practices
ofthat great
land.
Always shethought she
was
being prepared bythese circumstances to returnto India toevangelize - maybe
like
hermother had,married
and with
a family.
Mary
Esther's father.
William
Rolandteaching Inthe BibleCollege In
Bllaspur, Indiawhere they served 6 years and are again now working.
7/24/2019 Boonaerts Henki MaryEsther 1981 Belgium
6/8
Setting Up HomeTogether:
Even afterHenki and Mary Esther first met at St. Louis Christian Collegethey often considered India as a field
of service, sincethey knew ofthe need andMaryEsther's childhood experiences. Asthe yearsadvanced,
however
they felt they could be better used in Henki's homeland where he already knewthe language and culture - there
was such a great need,and so
few
willinglaborers. Afterthreeyears ofstudying,
work,
preparation, and a short
ministry with a rural congregation in
Headyville,
Illinois, support wasraised and plans
made
to spend a year
internship with Henki's homecongregation in Genk. They left with their year oldson, John Mark, hoping not
only
to work a
year with the
church, bu t
better
understand
the
need,
and
discover
what further studies
should be pursued upon return to college
the
following year.
They came now to set up home in a continent of rich history and exciting human development
to Europe,
where Paul the apostle had first preached to Jews, then Gentiles in Philippi, Macedonia. No longer were the
Romans in power, though the Roman Catholic church had developed through the years to incorporate and
overpower
other prevalent
religions. Old Bibles that
had
been translated
and
printed years
before
could be viewed
in
museums
and locked up in church
basements.
How
often
the flood of spiritual
literature
just s its on the
shelves or isn't read and put to practice Cathedrals werebuilt and furnished - but howmany tothe gloryofGod?
Or did they
just
add to
the
confusion because of all
the
divisions and sects
that
continually flood mankind?
The BoonaertsmovedtoEuropetobring the simplegospelofChrist, to settle and liveamongits
people
and try
to
share
a different way of l ife --Life in God s Son They hoped to show
that
through th e
church
the manifold
wisdomofGod might bemade known (Ephesians
3:10).
They came to Belgium,the heart ofEurope, hoping to
bring Christ into the heart ofBelgians.
Would
theybeable todo it?
Would
they befounddoingwhat Christ really
expected ofthem? WouldHebless their efforts in His name or would they fail? This next section ofthe reportwill
show the answer of how they feel they have indeed, through Christ, been able to spread His kingdom in Belgium.
Chr is t
at Home in Belgium:
The
one
year
in Genk found Henki busy calling, preaching, leading some Bible studies,
and
helping with
the
youth. Physical work was also done on the church building: an
area
cleared for parking, a cry roomprepared, and
several smaller projects.
jj jjjjjj
ry
sth r
w s
mostlybusy
etting used to living in I -
' another country, learning 1^9 I I ' '
Dutch,
prepanng Sunday
HBH
schoo l
mater ia l s fo r t r ans la
tion,
doing some cal ling ,
and
generally
y ea r th e doors
for to begin a
ith asm ll group of Christians the Church of
new
CCmgregation TheBoorsemgroupgrewandmadethemoveto
Christ was begun onChurch Street inBoorsem. family from th e Crenk church the hall in Maasmechelen. The
group
has grown
This was their home and work p lace for over two o mir- lene
n f Violiovoi-e
'fOf 12 the first
Sunday
to over 70 member s,
years. (1972) nucieub
oi
oeiievers
f rom v a ri o us d e n om i n a ti o ns
Instead ofreturning toCollege
and
the States, they set up home this time inBoorsem, a farming community south
ofGenkabout 25
miles.
This homewas a store-fronton the cornerofChurchStreet, the larger
room
beingusedfor
th e
gathering hall. After over
two years
of teaching and 12 immersions, another
move
was made to a hall in
Maasmechelen
and the
Boonaerts were able to purchase a duplex
type
home which was originally a coal mine
home
of
the
Eisden mine.
They
then returned to the
States
for
their first
furlough
Home this time
was
a
little white
house on a piece of land
belonging to the
St. Louis
Christian College near Interstate
Highway 270. For nine months Henki studied, completing
requirements for the
Certificate
of the Ministry. During this
time they
also reported
to several
churches,
raised
additional support,
and
Henki
was
ordained
to
the ministry
a
by
th e
St .
Charles
Christview Church. James, their second
son,
was born shortly before their return to
Belgium in
1974,
so th e Roland grandparents could
see
him. Then
th e
Boonaerts went back to continue the
work
with the
Maasmeche len congregat ion that Dennis and Linda
Messimer
had led
in
their
absence. R emodelin g
and ^
repairing
the hall
on th e Rijksweg
had
been completed
before going to the States, so work consisted mainly in ^
nurturing the
Christians, evangelizing
th e
lost thousands
in
communities
surrounding Maasmechelen - and -- making Boonaerts two children.
John Mark
(now 12) and James
Matthew
. i_ . .
l
T
/ ii (now
7).
with
a
proud Grandma Roland, just before returning
to
Belgium
the ir h ome mo re l iv ab le and comfortable.
m
1974
The Boorsem
group
grew an d madethe move
to
the hall in
Maasmechelen.
The group has grown
from 12
the
first
Sunday
to over 70
members.
(1980)
Boonaerts
two children.
John Mark (now
12) and
James Matthew
(now
7). with a
proud
Grandma
Roland, just before returning
to
Belgium
in
1974
Coming
down
the street
where
the Boonaerts
live, Louis Mercierlaan,
there
is a complete
housing
development
called
the cite, t h at had
been
built just before the
second
world
war.
These
brick
duplexes (o r three and four block
homes) built
in several styles had
housed coal
mine
workers
for
decades.
Just a living room and kitchen
with two
bedrooms
upstairs, the home the Boonaerts
were
able
to
buy
left
much
to be des ired --bu t
there was plenty
of
7/24/2019 Boonaerts Henki MaryEsther 1981 Belgium
7/8
ground for expansion, and with a little imagination, there was so much todo with the original building. Indeed,
there
w as much
to
be
done The
roof
was
repaired against
leaks
and the
old
electrical wiring
renewed
and
strengthened to accommodate modern living. The storage room and outhouse were remodeled into a
comfortable bathroom
with
flush toilet and bath tub. An
architect
was hired to
make
plans for the
added garage,
kitchen-dining room and entrance hallway.
Work
with
that
began after Maria Gearing began living with the
Boonaerts. Personal living conditions weren't the best in such crowded conditions, but the cramped quarters
posed
other
problems
as
well.
Often studies
or gatherings
in the ir home
crowded 15
or more in the ir
12
by
15
foot living-dining room. Without
plumbing in the kitchen,
water
had to be hauled and emptied in the bathroom. With only a coal oil stove
downstairs,
th e bedrooms were often
wasted space
only
being
used for sleep, and conducive to
much
sickness in
the cold, damp Belgian climate. Probably
the
biggest problem
was
inadequate studying space. Without
an
office,
the
dining
or
kitchen table
had to be used for a desk --between meals, visitors, Bible studies, and
children's games,
etc. Slowly
various
book
shelves appeared
to
accommodate their library
of
commentaries
and
other
reference
books. Boxes
stacked
around were filled to file awaymail and otherthings needed with church and missionwork.
Often however, Henki would escape
to a
cafeteria
or tearoom
and tr y
to
hide in
a quiet
corner,
hoping no one
would
discover him while he would study
fo r
a sermon
or
prepare
fo r
a
lesson.
It
was almost compulsory to convert
one of
the
rooms
into
a
study
so
efforts
were
made
to
complete
the
work
of remodeling and
rebuilding
after two
years of working at it. During the summer of 1981 much of ^
Spring
of 1979,
they
were
aware
of
spiritual growth
and
changes,
often after t imes of cri si s and problem. Some
fell
The
summer
of 9 saw Henki
wallpapering
the
kitchen
and getting
, r . P t
r th ings ready so
th e
f ron t room
c ou ld b e u se d
for office-study
area.
away
and
were
unfruit ful or
completely
conformed to
th e
world. Others
had
grown
and were
a
great source
of
joy and
encouragement.
Boonaerts spent time in di ff e ren t ways
teaching,
nurturing
an d evangelizing. Seen
he re
ar e
Leon H e rm a ns a nd Karl Krones
c onve rt e d b e f o re
1979
Something
that
had
also
taken
much t ime to develop
was th e home
Bible
study method,
with Jule
Miller's visualized Bible
study
slides.
Translation, re
cording, dubbi ng i n
suitable
background music, and
making some
needed
changes cost many long
hours
ofwork.
Again inadequate office and
recording
space brought complications- and
de lays . When th e
series was finally
completed and
appointments set
up
with
prospects,
a wonderful
too l for evan
gelism was discovered
Since
th e
Spring
of
1979 there
have been over for ty
immersions, and t he number is continually
changing
Each one has been
an
exciting
and wonderful
example of
how Christ
works
in strange and personal
ways
to
bring people
to
obedience
in Him.
In
the
slide
presentation you will be
taken into th e homes
of
a few ofthese in whose hearts Jesus is
now
making His
home. Hopefully
in
future
newsletters reports
can
be made of some of
these
convers ions
a s well .
Future Hopes a nd P la ns :
The Boonaerts plan to continue with the Maasmechelen congregation. Their trip to the
States
in the summer
of
1980
laid
the
groundwork
for
the Christian men
to
grow
in
leadership and take responsibilities, freeing Henki
some to concentrate more on evangelistic
work. He
continues
to
use
th e
filmstrip ministry, with th e Visualized
Bible studies, and he
is
trying
to
enlist others
to
ge t involved in t hi s and other ways
of
service.
Christians are
encouraged
to
witness
to
family and friends, visit
and
nurture each other, and gather
for worship and
study as
often
as
possible. More
are being
won
and there
is a
wonderful and unusual spirit
among
these brothers and
s i s te r s in Chr is t
It is also a time
of
transition for
the
group now as they will be
leaving the
hall on
the corner
of
the
Rijksweg
and
th e Oude Rijksbaan . The build ing was
to
have been destroyed
to
widen
the nearby road, but that
has
been
postponed until
1984. The
owners
of
th e hall, however,
now
plan
on
selling,
so
until their own building can be built
(hopefully to
begin sometime
the
summer
of 1982),
Maasmechelen
Christians
will be
renting
a room
in
the
Cultural Center (similar
to a
Community Center
in
the States)
for
temporary gathering. The city
has
promised
ground for th e Christians to build on, and the a rchi tect 's p lan has
been
approved by the authorities. The
Christians are enthusiastic, and have already saved
over $5,000.00
towards the forthcoming
building
With
a new building it is hoped they can
accommodate
adequate
space
for classrooms, nursery and cry-room,
and their own baptistry,
and
a
slightly larger gathering hall. Then
facilities
can
be
better put
to
use
Sundays
and
during
th e week for
various
meetings,
possibly youth
gatherings,
and other
functions
to
help
build
the Christ ians
in their fai th
and
service. Work
among the
children of
the congregation
was also begun in 1981. As opportunities
arise
using the Cultural
Center and
later
their own building,
it is
hoped this
may
develop
into a
good evangelistic
tool as well. Presently two groups ar e
meeting
in
the Boonaerts '
home, one with older children being led by
different
Christians,
b oth men
and women,
and a nursery.
A ministry
of
encouragement is also being extended. After two and a halfyears with thecongregation inGenk,
Sam an d Kina Sur fus returned to t he S ta tes. That left th e
group
without a minister
until
Dennis and Linda
Messimer
again began
to work with them. (They
had
come to Belgium the same year as the Boonaerts, a nd
7/24/2019 Boonaerts Henki MaryEsther 1981 Belgium
8/8
moved to
Beringen
afterhelping
with
the
Maasmechelen
congregation,
hoping
to
begin
awork
there
as
well.)
The
attendance had
been
falling off in Genk
for
several
years,
and
though
that is
only
an
outward sign,
it was
significant cause for alarm.
The
Christians inMaasmechelen have
shown concern
for thesituation bycalling on
some
inactive Christians, and freeing
Henki
to
help
in Genk as he has the opportunity. They have alsohelped
withbuilding thetopstoryoftheparsonage. It ishoped furtherwork onthebuildinginGenk will be completed, to
house more
Sunday
school classes andan apartment for someone to live
on
thechurch
premises. Above
that,itis
hopedthrough calling and other acts ofencouragement, the spiritual enthusiasm among Genkbrethren willbe
rev ived and His work advanced
There are also small, struggling congregations, and what the Boonaertscall pocketsofChristians towhom
encouragement also needs to be extended. The groups in Landen and Antwerp,and the couples in Brusselsand
Koln,
Germany are examples ofplaceswhere moreworkcan bedone in the future. Other contacts near Leuven
may also lead to another similar situation. AbrotherinAntwerp is still awaitingsufficient funds to begin full
timeministering, sothismaybean avenue ofservice forthecongregation.
They
alsocontinue tosupport William
and Jean
Roland in India encouraging that work in a fine way.
It's good
for
the
Boonaerts
toget
back to
the
States,
like
for
their
furloughs
in1973 and
1980.
It'sjust
like
being
back
home
again And, it's
good
to get back to their home on the
Louis
Mercierlaan in Eisden, Maasmechelen.
This iswhere their childrenare growing upand their
work
forthe Lord has ledthem.
Yet
we all know that
life
is
more tobecompared to camping
out .
We are in transit ,
pilgrims,
or
refugees
living only temporarily
here
on
the wonderful, great planet earth that
God
has created and heldin existenceforus.
Like
Abraham saidwhilehe
was living
in
tents on
the
plains
ofPalestine: We are looking forward
to
that city not
made
with
human hands,
that God and
Christ
are
preparing
for us. Not only for us, but allwho
believe
and will
rejoice
atChrist's coming
Yes, it's always good tobeback
home,
whether it's homefora few weeks, months,or even years. Yetthis
world
is
not our
home,
weare just traveling through. Won't youdeepenthis attitude in your life, and join the thousands
who
area living
sacrifice
for theirLord,
which
isthe acceptable and perfect giftfor our
perfectly acceptable Lord
and Savior
r
Henki
immersing Irmgaard
Abraasin the
Genk
churchearlyin
1981.
Not everyone is faithful following Jesus so pray for the Belgian
Chris t ians
uRANT ^
EE--CE.NTRUM
ii
III
i i r
Atemporarymoveis to bemade to thegrounds inEisdenthat has this
restaurant the cultural center and recreat ional facilities.
BELGIUMOR
CHRIST
is
written
by Mary Esther
Boonaerts. edited
and mailed by
the
clvinRollers, and printed by Mission
Services
Association, Kempton, Indiana. It is
distributed
toinform andencourage support ofthe
work
being done inBelgium for
Christ
bvtheHpnhi
Boonaerts family. All funds made
payable
to
Medaryville Christian
Church,
designated
to Boonaerts
work
aretaxdeductible