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
  
  

We were therefore buried with him
through baptism into death in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead through the
glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
(Romans 6:4)

Greetings from Amsterdam!  With Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter featured on the calendar for this month, we’re in the midst of a beautiful season for remembering Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  And as it turns out, I’ve been thinking a lot about these things since the second Sunday in March…

On that afternoon (March 12), I had the privilege of sharing in a symbolic celebration of the life, death, and resurrection of a young woman from our church named Maria.  Side-by-side with me and Vera (another friend from the church), Maria waded into the icy waters of the Nieuwe Meer to be baptized in public declaration of her recent decision to follow Jesus with all heart, all her soul, all her mind, and all her strength.  It was a beautiful step of faith, and it was definitely a powerful experience that will not soon be forgotten by any of the people who were able to witness Maria’s baptism.

Nevertheless, I’m sure the event looked quite unusual to any random strangers who happened to be passing by that sunny Sunday afternoon.  The banks of the lake were covered in a thin layer of snow, and other parts of the lake were actually covered in ice.  Nevertheless, three figures stood in the water, wearing only shorts and T-shirts, while a crowd of people wearing parkas, hats, and gloves stood on the shore to watch.  After a few brief words, the woman standing in the middle was dunked under the water by the other two and then hurried back to the shore where warm towels, dry clothes, and excited friends and family were waiting to welcome her.  If you can think about it from such a detached perspective, baptism really is a strange and mysterious ceremony…

Yet I’ve long been affected by the meaning and symbolism of baptism.  There’s something especially powerful about the physical re-enactment of a profound spiritual transformation:  people recognizing the death of their sinful nature and submitting themselves to burial with the crucified Christ, only to be raised up with the living Savior in a joyous new life.  In this respect, watching a baptism is like witnessing a person’s last words (the story of life before Christ), a funeral (submersion beneath the surface of the water), and a baby dedication (coming back up out of the water)—all within a matter of moments.  Particularly since moving to Amsterdam, this ancient Christian ritual has proved itself to be a moving experience of God’s grace.  Transcending linguistic and cultural barriers, Zolder50’s semi-regular baptism services at the Nieuwe Meer (just south of Amsterdam, near the end of tram line 2) have become mile-markers of where God has taken us—both as individuals and as a community.  Nothing seems to speak so powerfully to our church family or to other friends and family who are invited to share in the occasion.

Maria’s baptism was particularly special for me, as Marci and I have been able to see much of her spiritual development, up close and personal.  We first met Maria through the Alpha Course that our home group sponsored back in the fall (you might remember this from our prayer letter from October 2005); at the time, she did not believe in Christ.  However, her best friend Vera had been talking a lot about Jesus since coming to faith some time previously, and Maria was curious to know more about God, the Bible, and the Church.  The Alpha Course turned out to be the ideal forum for her to explore these topics and discover answers for many of her spiritual questions.  She kept inching closer and closer to placing her faith in Jesus.  Then, late in the fall, a single week proved to be the deciding point for Maria’s spiritual life.

The last Sunday in October, Vera was baptized—and Maria found herself profoundly moved by the expression of her friend’s faith.  At the same time, our Alpha Course had come to the point where we were starting to challenge people to make a decision for themselves about Jesus.  Then, on the first Sunday in November, I shared a simple message at our regular Zolder50 worship gathering about the “Story of God” and how others may choose to enter the story—and right then and there, Maria quietly made the final decision to place her faith in God and become a follower of Jesus.

Since choosing to follow Jesus in November, Maria has displayed true faith and courage in her developing walk with God.  In the months since, she's had to make daily decisions to follow Jesus in the most practical ways of life—quitting a job that compromised her beliefs, sharing her faith boldly with her old circle of friends, leaving behind a life of familiar faults for a life of foreign faith…Yet through everything, it’s been clear that Maria is filled with the Holy Spirit, empowered to live this new life for God.

Maria’s baptism seemed to be a culmination of many things that had been developing in her spiritual life.  Feeling that her baptism was a step of obedience in following Christ, she didn’t want to wait until warmer weather to proclaim her new life in Christ for all to hear.  She actually made a choice to celebrate her baptism outdoors at the freezing cold Nieuwe Meer instead of at the heated rehabilitation center where only ten people would have been able to witness the public pronouncement of her faith. As a result, many non-believers including Maria's mother, co-workers, neighbors, bar-buddies, and other friends were able to catch a glimpse of true Christian commitment through her courage and toughness in submersing herself in the death of Christ (Romans 6:3)—in order to rise again from the Nieuwe Meer ('New Lake'), confident and exhuberant in public confession of her Nieuwe Leven in Christus ('New Life in Christ')!  Even now, three weeks after the baptism, Maria continues to have opportunities for further interaction within this circle of influence… Please pray for her continued protection, influence, and development as a follower of Christ.  We’re so encouraged and excited for Maria.

Don’t forget that you’re part of the reason that things like this can happen.  Your prayer support and financial support allow us to be here, involved in full-time ministry, available to interact with Maria and others like her.  Thank you for everything!  We wish you a joyous Easter season:  Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed...

Eric