Reconnecting at Church

Day 6--This past Sunday, we worshiped with Tante Nick and her son, Paul, at the First Christian Reformed Church in Salt Lake, where Tante Nick has been a member for more than 52 years.

My family and I (Bas) were active members of this church, which drew us into a wide range of complex. intimate relationships with a small, vibrant community of Dutch immigrants. We socialized together, worshiped together, and found our way in our adopted country together. Those of us who were children grew up together—physically, socially, spiritually.

The church was located only one block from our house. Next to the church is the Christian school. Both the church and the Christian school were the center of our lives when I was growing up.

The building where I attended church has been torn down and replaced by a newer building. My dad and many of the other immigrant men in the church helped to build both the new church building and the Christian school next to it.

During the coffee time after the church service, I had the special blessing of reconnecting with a variety of people who were in the church with my family when I lived in Salt Lake. Some of these people knew my parents very well. Others were classmates of mine. There were also many new families, including a young family who are the children of one of Lynn's close friends in college.

It was a great encouragement to see this church, which had been so important to my parents and to our family, continue to have an impact in the lives of families more than 50 years later. This was a great testimony to the faithful service and witness of many people as well as God’s blessing on the prayers of my parents and others who worked so hard to build this church in its early years.

Finally, it was time to say goodbye to my relatives. Then, Lynn and I got into our van and headed north into the Rockies, toward the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone national parks, where we will spend the next week.

You may not hear from us for a few days because we will be in remote areas and Internet access may be very limite. We'll post photos and reflections again once we are back in cell-phone range.