Let us send men ahead to spy out the land
for us and bring back a report about the route
we are to take and the towns we will come to.
(Deuteronomy 1:22)

Greetings from Amsterdam!  It seems to be a season for traveling and adventure.  Our staff team was in Hungary for a week in April, for the annual Great Commission Europe staff retreat; our family has been taking a number of excursions to parts of the Netherlands that we’ve never seen before; and we’re in the final stages of preparation for our rapidly approaching trip to the United States of America.  It’s both fun and challenging to be 'on the road' (or 'on the railroad' or 'in flight') so much these days…

Along these lines—even as Zolder50’s ministry is going stronger than ever in the city of Amsterdam—our church is also in the midst of a unique experiment to explore and interact with some of the other cities of the Netherlands.  Seeking to continually envision the members of our community to be an active part of following Jesus’ Great Commission, we’ve developed an initiative for this spring that we call, 'Spies in the Land' (a reference to the expedition of twelve Israelite spies sent out by Moses to explore the Promised Land).  The five home groups of Zolder50 are visiting five different cities across the country:  Rotterdam, Nijmegen, Maastricht, Utrecht, and Groningen (see the map below).  In each city, we seek interaction with as many Christians as we can find—soliciting their input relating to the spiritual climate of their city—and we also prioritize interaction with the average 'person on the street,' asking non-believers for their opinions about God and church.  In a way, this was how the church in Amsterdam was started—with an exploratory trip by a group of Americans (including Marci and me) in May of 2001.  Thus, we hope that God may one day use these excursions in the long run to multiply churches throughout the Netherlands.  The first home group “spying expedition” to Rotterdam in mid-April was a tremendous success.  And as it so happens, our home group is next on tap, with an exploratory trip this upcoming weekend (May 12-14) to Nijmegen.

Nijmegen (pronounced 'Ny-may-gen') is a city of 160,000 people in the eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Waal River.  It’s one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands—founded in Roman times—yet Nijmegen continues to be a regional center of influence, primarily because of its high concentration of young people studying at one of twelve institutes of higher learning in the city (most notably, the Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen). From what I’ve been told (this will be my first time visiting the city), Nijmegen is a true university town with hundreds of cafés, bars and restaurants.  The official Nijmegen website (www.nijmegen.nl) boasts that “There are innumerable study associations, student unions and sporting clubs. You can party almost every day and night, but Thursday night is the regular ‘students’ night out. One can also find a great variety of cultural events and institutions such as museums, cinemas, theatre and comedy nights in bars.”  The region is historically Catholic, but—like most of the Netherlands—secularism is the dominant philosophy of the day.  Because of these factors (a city of influence, a high concentration of young people, and a relative sense of spiritual need), it seems like Nijmegen could be an ideal place for a church like Zolder50 someday.

But honestly, we don’t know.  That’s why we’re taking our trip this weekend.  And we ask you to pray with us for this expedition.  Pray that we’d meet the right people, ask the right questions, and listen with the right ears to hear what God might be telling us.  Pray that we’d have eyes to see the true spiritual situation in Nijmegen and that our hearts would be burdened—not with our own desires or ambitions—but with God’s heart.  Pray that we could encourage the Christians that are already there in Nijmegen and bring non-believers into an encounter with the living God… We’re excited to visit Nijmegen, and we trust that your prayer support will be a vital part of making this trip a success…

Shortly after our visit to Nijmegen, our family will be returning to the United States (primarily in Ohio) for a month of reconnection and interaction with our families and with our ministry partners.  To this end, we want to avail ourselves to you—for sharing pictures, stories, and words of appreciation for everything that God has been doing in Amsterdam.  We realize that we may not be able to meet up with every single individual during our short time on American soil, but please make a point to let us know if you’d like to get together.  Furthermore, there will be several different opportunities for general interaction in which we would welcome your presence and participation.  The simple chart below outlines some group presentations and an 'Open House' that would be great opportunities to connect (that is to say, 'We hope to see you soon!').  In addition, your prayer support for this upcoming trip would be appreciated.  Dank u wel, voor alles (Thank you very much, for everything)!  We'll be in touch...

Eric

Asp Family North American Tour 2006:

• Sunday, May 21 @ 11:00 AM  – Brief ministry update at H2O Church (meeting in the upstairs of Easystreet Cafe) in Bowling Green, Ohio
• Sunday, May 28 @ 8:15 AM, 9:45 AM and 11:15 AM – Brief ministry update and extended interaction in Sunday School classes at Berean Baptist Church in Mansfield, Ohio
• Wednesday, June 7 @ 6:00 PM – Potluck dinner and extended interaction at Hambden Congregational Church in Chardon, Ohio (east of Cleveland)
• Saturday, June 10 from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM – Opportunity for extended interaction at personal Open House at the YMCA in Shelby, Ohio
• Sunday, June 11 @ 4:30 PM – Extended ministry update and barbeque at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church in Shelby, Ohio