Nr.145 ended with: “But let’s now go back to East Flanders, and yes, also West Flanders (Flanders Fields) where amazing things were happening……!” (See richardandmarina.net)

You can well understand that with all that was going on, we were busy people, driving to Beerse, Limburg, Eeklo, Maldegem, Ghent and other places, to speak at meetings, hold Bible studies and visit folk. So we were very happy when the Lord sent others to help. It is a bit difficult to write everything in chronological order and therefore I will be going back and forth a bit. I mentioned in the previous episode that Martin and Lydie Symons went full-time in 1981. Now we go back a bit because in 1979 the Lord sent a couple with two children from the USA to help us in the work. I had gone to visit them in Texas to talk over everything and I spoke in a few churches there. That was at the beginning of January and it was cold in Belgium.

We had a sink in our bedroom, but no heating. One morning when Marina woke up she heard water running and found that the water pipe had broken because of the frost. The water was running down the wall into our large living room and the carpet was soaked. Water was also running outside from underneath our front door and forming a layer of ice there, and I was in Texas! Marina phoned a friend who came and turned off the water. Then she and our three daughters tried to soak up the water with sheets and towels, but it didn’t work. Thank God, several of the new Christians came over for prayer meeting that evening and helped her. All the furniture was moved and the rug taken out and hung over a strong rope in our back shed, what a job! When I returned from the States everything was back in place; thank God for a good wife and willing friends!

When Hal and Marion Threadcraft arrived in Belgium, they stayed with us for a little while until they were able to rent a house in Gentbrugge. Of course, they had quite a time adapting, coming from Texas, which is the second largest state of the US, to a little crowded country like Belgium. And they had to learn the language, which is not easy, but they did well and soon they were very much involved in the work. More about them later.

But now, what about West Flanders? Well, I received this phone call from Ingrid, the doctor’s wife in Peer……..! (Go to Musings).