Mission in Belgium

Last week we went on our first parish mission with the new group of students. We went to Diest which is a small city (town) in the Flemish part of Belgium. I organised the mission with Leen - ten years after we did the ESM together. 

The parish were very welcoming, especially the priest Fr Felix. The weather was not so welcoming - the temperature ranged from about -4 degrees to 4 degrees. I managed to make it all the way through the 1980s without buying leg-warmers, but then caved in in 2012!  

Mission Team

Leen and I were visited a few times by Lili, who also did the School with us. She is living in Belgium at the moment so she joined us for a couple of days. For some reason, now that Lili is living in a French community her English as improved. She is so much funnier than I ever realised. In fact she has quite an Aussie sense of humour....constantly teasing! I told her I liked her better when she couldn't speak English. It was so good to see her.

Leen, Lili and Hele

The mission was really great. We held a few events in a theatre/bar, did street evangelisation, sang Christmas Carols at the shops, visited homes, and had different times of prayer in the church. 

Tasting the local beer

Singing Christmas Carols

No, we were not directing traffic or doing road-works. We wore these lovely fluoro vests instead of mission t-shirts. The theme of the mission was written on the back: "He is Coming!" (Jesus...coz it's Advent)

Speaking with people on the street 

- I had just given her a piece of paper with words of Scripture -

 Each night we were fed by people from the parish. It aint easy cooking for 30+ hungry little missionaries. They did a great job!

Yummy Dinner

Diest is home to St Jan Berchmans. Each day we prayed at his Shrine - the home of his birth and also the place where he is buried. You will notice that Leen and another lady are in the first photo. But can you see who is in the second photo....?  Look closely. Can you see Kev?

Chapel of St Jan Berchmans

Look at the window! I assure you that this is a genuine photo - no photoshop. The second photo is a model replica of the chapel. We had a lot of fun with this!!

On the last day, we had a celebration with the parish and the local Emmanuel Community. Then we had to say our farewells and head back to Rome.

Leen, Hele, Lili and Kev 

 Kev and Peter

Peter (in charge of the Emmanuel Community in Flanders) gave Kev and me a gift for organising the mission with him - a box with beer and beer glasses. He presented it to us in front of everybody. He said that he got us something that we would not be allowed to bring on the plane, so he would help us drink it straight away. He also said that he wanted the glasses back!!!