ADDRESSES

BELGIUM
FOR
CHRIST

%[
Henki

Mary Esther

John Mark

FINANCE FORWARDING
John McDonald
2213 Dawn Avenue

Granite City. Illinois U.S.A. 62040

CORRESPONDENCE AGENT
Meivin & Louella Roller

Route 1. Box 92
Burnettsville, Indiana U.S.A. 47926
FIELD ADDRESS
Henki Boonaerts
Louis Mercierlaan 135
Maasmechelen 3630 BELGIUM

James Matthew

VOL. VII, NO. 1

1977

JAN.-DEC.

PAYING our last RESPECTS...

Moments as a missionary are obviously not always happy! This spring a beloved preacher,

and the one greatly responsible for beginning the Houthalen-East congregation died suddenly a
few days after his 41st birthday. He spent his youth with the Church of Christ in Genk, becoming
a Christian, then attended a denominational church for several years. Becoming dissatisfied with
non-Scriptural teachings, he and a few families living in the Houthalen-East area began services.
With much encouragement from Dennis and Linda Messiner they slowly developed into a group
trying to restore the N.T. teachings. Oscar VanLaeken's death has left a group that continues to
grow, having had several immersions and additions from immersion practicing congregations in
neighboring areas. They have rented a building to use for their gatherings (similar to our's in
Boorsem, with a store-hall to use for worship) and one of the young couples of the congregation
lives in the home. They began their first services in the new location September 1977.
Henki was called on to perform his first funeral after we moved to Belgium. The fatal
bicycle accident of a coal miner of the Genk congregation brought Christians together that cold
March day in 1973. Since then Henki has helped with several other funerals, and there have been
other times of sorrow for us in the passing of loved ones. To include some of our sorrows, and not
just always report happy times, we want to include this news.
tA Pentecostal friend, known to us as Irene, who had attended several Bible studies with

Genk and Maasmechelen Christians, and one year Christian camp, died of a heart attack at the
age of 30, just before Christmas in 1975.
tA member of the then recently begun congregation in Houthalen-East, went home after
much sickness, in Feb. 1976. Barbara Kortzorg left behind her husband, and several children,
teenage and grade school age.

fNicolas and later Louisa Vanderhoeven, where Henki held Bible reading for Maria (and
through whom we found out about Maria) died without having fully accepted the N.T. teachings,
in Jan. and May respectively. It was hard for us knowing our efforts had gone unfruitful, and
especially for Maria knowing her dear friends of many years were without Christ. Then came the
complications of a needed place for further study, so they began a calling program instead.

fJan Boermans (John to us in English), a brother from the Genk church, passed from this
life, but was a faithful witness until his death in the hospital.
fThe unimmersed husband, Michael, of Maria Bakac, member of the Maasmechelen

church died in a bike-auto accident in July. Henki helped at the funeral in Dutch, as it was mostly
held in Russian for Bakac's countrymen present. Maria continues to open her home for mid-week
Bible studies and attends church regularly, growing in her love and faith.

tOlga Pol, also of the Genk congregation, died after having been left a widow a few years,
in the fall of 1976. Henki had memories of her gentle, Christian spirit from his younger years, so
her funeral was especially hard.
tThen in March 1977 (around the time of Oscar's passing) Mary Esther's grandpa, Charles
L. Roland died in Lincoln, III. after several months of illness, shortly after his 91st birthday. Of
course we were not able to attend his funeral, but the pain of the separation will be felt by us both
for a long time.
OUR HAPPINESS in all of these times of sorrow is to be comforted with the words of Paul in

I Thess. 4:13-18, especially "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, and
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise
first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord." That's comfort! I Those few

sad moments of '' paying our last respects'' are quickly swallowed up in thoughts of VICTORY I!

Non-Profil Organization
U.S. Postage

Medaryville Christian Church

Box 140, South Jefferson Street

Medaryville, Indiana
Medaryville, Ind.

U.S.A. 47957

PERMIT #4

Hicriion Scrvlccs

Eo;: 17?

Kcapton, Ind# ^049

SOME MISTAKES...

Please excuse a few typographical errors in our last newsletter (Vol. VI, No. 3). Most of
them were easily detected, understood and corrected! However, one on the last page is very
MISLEADING - ''There has also been apparent decrease in our donations, and {not so, as it
stands) we are required to pay....". Another mistake is an ommission: we forgot to indicate that
Maria Gering is the one standing in the picture printed.

HOWDY PARDNERI

A SPECIAL THANKS for gifts in kind!

James and John Mark going pion

eer style in a horse-drawn wagon.
We told you about our first family
vacation in 1975 (article in Vol. V,
No. 3) and how it must have been

Here you see our sick boys sleeping on such a

gift-in-kind! The Bob Huhn's family returning to the
States, left us among other things, this sofa that opens
into a Queen size bed, for our use here in Belgium. It

the coldest week of that summer.

not only serves as a place for the sick to recover in the

heated room in the winter, but also for a book shelf for

Were we ever glad for jackets and

knit hats -- you see the kids bund
led up and the North Sea white
caps in the background. We
"Pioneered" again, going to sch
ool in the spring, fall, and part of
the winter 1977 via bicycles! John
Mark has his own to ride, and
James rides with Mary Esther.
They say, "its is good exercise,
and good for the health, and we
know it saves on gasoline since

there's no bus service and driving

back and forth gets expensive!!"

several of our books. We hope one day to convert the

same room into our office, and have sufficient shelving
space for our books, and an area for study, counseling,
and other office related aspects of our work. Other gifts
in kind, such as packages of sheets and clothing, and
sacks of groceries, etc. have also been received and
appreciated! Financial difficulties can be eased with

such gifts and are so exciting to receive! If you are

interested in helping in our work in such a way, please
contact the Boonaerts in Belgium, or Rollers in Indiana
for suggestions of items to send, and packing instruc
tions. A continued thanks to financial supporters, too !

VOL. VII, NO. 1

SHEET NO. 2

JAN. - DEC., 1977

SPECIAL PRAYER REQUEST

"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense;

and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice."
Ps. 141:2

It has been some time since we've had such a prayer request listing. Hopefully you will be
able to refresh your memories with the other three (in Vol. II, No. 3 -1971; Vol. II, No. 5 - 1971;
and Vol. Ill, No. 6 -1972). We want to try and include such an insert page at least once a year, to
help keep you informed of news, and become involved in a personal way with our work. There are
many who may not support us financially, but standing behind us with prayers, can provide
power from God to help bring fruitful results for His Kingdom here in Europe!
1.

POLET FAMILY

Being involved in the Maas-area evangelism, our contacts with

Alvier, and other of the Polet family have been rather scarce. Henki
had gotten helpful information and especially good materials from Mr. Polet while we were
renovating the worship hall in Maasmechelen. In a more recent visit, Henki found out Mr. Polet
had had a very serious operation, and came very close to facing death. We often wonder why a
person is saved from death so many times with no apparent change in their faith or appreciation
of God's providance. Most visits are just friendly, and what little witnessing may be done seems
useless. PRAY that we may not give up in such contacts; but above all that those contacted may
be '' growing ground'' for the gospel that may one day bring forth fruit for HIM.

2.

ANIKA

Circumstances and worries of this life seem to be slowly stifling the

once bubbling love and enthusiasm of Anika (and her parents).
They own a butcher shop, which makes it hard to attend most church functions besides church.
They also live so far from both Genk and Maasmechelen that personal contact with other
Christians is lacking to help a maturing spiritual growth. To add to these hinderances, Anika had
a knee injury in her gymnastic training to be an atheletic teacher, so has been hospitalized, and
unable

to

attend

church

services.

Sometimes

Christians

cannot

be

blamed

for

their

circumstances, but it is disheartening to watch the light slowly going out through apparent victory
_QD Satan!spart. ESA Y thatthiLvictory mayJb.e_CJhrisl's.fQr^nika and heiLfolks

3.

KINA

After Kina's marriage (to Sam Surfus) in 1971, they continued

living in Lincoln for Sam to study at the Seminary. They recruited
workers for Belgium (Rick and Joy Blazek, who have arrived in Belgium, and since moved to help
with Evangelism in England), and are hoping to come help with the congregation in Genk,
themselves. They have two daughters, and expect their third child after arrival in Belgium. Since
they are still in need of regular support to meet their financial needs, we hope you will be
PRAYING for them, and their adjustments to life in Belgium when they arrive, and success of
their efforts when they begin helping with the Christians in Genk, and surrounding areas. We are
all anxious to see them again, since it has been over three years since Kina has been home!
4.

CONTACTS

a) The shipper and his wife, after they moved to Holland, having
been our spring board for several other contacts, were cause of
some sorrow for us. Renus passed on from this life without having accepted the teachings of the
N.T. to which even several of the contacts submitted themselves. We helped with his funeral, and
visited his widow Geertje as often as we could, with the distance to Maastrict often hindering us.
Though she clung tightly to "what her mother taught her" and teachings of the denominational
church she attended, she opened her home for Bible studies. It was through this opportunity,
Mary Esther has been leading several women each Friday in informal Bible reading. For several
reasons, developing over a period of time, the studies have moved to another lady's home in
Maastrict, and Geertje never attends now. Other ladies have joined us, and the husband of one,
so there has been growth in numbers, as well as increase in spiritual perception, though as yet
none have accepted Christ as their personal Savior. We also occasionally visit Geertje, and the
man living with her, trying to witness as the opportunity arises. PRAY for this situation, and
those of the Friday Bible study, and for Mary Esther as she tries to be used of God in His Holland
ministry!
b) Neighbors being contacted in Eisden by Maria (who has been
living with us since January 1977) with her conversation, Christian
personality, and tracts, portions of Scriptures, and other Scriptual literature. This is one of the
things she discovered she could do, and loves doing; to keep her busy, and tell people of the love

of God. We hope the seed she is planting, and what follow-up we may be able to do, will bring
forth the increase according to God's will. One Turkish girl has attended Bible studies in our
home due to Maria's contacts; but others who had hoped to come, thus far have been hindered
somehow. PRAY that Maria's witness may be pure and sincere; bringing results so she will not
faint in well doing - at 88 years y-o-u-n-g!!

c) We could hardly refer to MRS. KUYPERS as a contact any

longer, as in the previous requests. She has remained faithful in
attending most church activities and though two |of her sons have become Christians according to

the examples in Acts, she continues to hold ^n to Catholic teachings. Earnest prayers of
Christians here show they have not yet given up, and we hope you will join us in continuing to
hold her up before our Heavenly Father! Unfortunately, JOSEPH (one immersed son) is very
spasmodic in his faithfulness. Sometimes he will come real regularly, showing signs of spiritual

growth; then fall into carelessness, again to i^eturn, etc. He needs to become mature and
steadfast in his Christian life, so we hope you'll pray to this end. JOS, the oldest still home,
continues to be very antagonistic to the gospel, dr inking and fighting, and sometimes making life
for both Mrs. Kuypers and Joseph rather hard. ApRI (the first immersed, who left home because
of persecutions from Jos) is dating a girl from Genk and though misses church services in
Maasmechelen, is faithful in mid-week studieg. He shows some signs of growth, but we are

fearful for him in that he mingles so much] through the influence of his fience', with
denominational groups and is often mislead by their false teachings before he can see the harm
caused. He tries to uphold the truth, but the deception of falsehoods often only slowly eat away
until there is "no return" to the truth. Please remember him, and Gaby, his fience' I
5.

JEFF

Many of you probably wonder what ever happened to Jeff, as we

often mentioned him when reporting to the churches as well as in
our printed reports. We are very sorry to report that he no longer attends church, and a neighbor
of his, and other acquaintances say he brings nothing but shame to Christ, rediculing His name
and almost anything that has to do with spiritual living. The Lord blessed their home with a
second son, after having just one child (already a teenager when his brother came along) yet Jeff

has forsaken the way he once traveled, and his wife never came to know Christ as her personal
Savior. What can one do in a situation like this? Can we still pray for him, or do other Scriptures
take effect, such as Paul's warnings in I Tim. 1:20, and Heb. 10:26??
Willy, and his wife Paula, long time acquaintances of Henki's
parents, continue to be in our prayers. Paula has occasionally
attended church services, but remains unreceptive to any Scriptural teachings. Willy is back

6.

WILLY LACAZIE

home after a long stay in the hospital and a rathen serious operation. Henki used this opportunity
to influence him for Christ. A few things that Willy said seem to show a bit more sensitivity to the
^Word,,but we still need to pray for it to grow, and bring forth fruit in his life, as well as Paula's.

They have no children, and the eight Boonaerts phildren have been like theirs, since they lived

close together, and often went camping, etc. together while they were still home. Lacazies have,
without a doubt, seen the changes in most of the Boonaerts, as they have all become Chrisitans
and try living the life acceptable to His will!
7.

MR. and MRS.

PRESSATUK

The other friend involved in an auto accident several years ago,

with Lacazie, and his wife have often been to services both in Genk

and Maasmechelen. Their adopted son was married in Genk by

Henki, and we've tried to encourage these young people and their parents as much as possible.
Again the distance makes it impossible to witness as much as we'd like; yet we hope with your
added prayers there may be some results of His kingdom in these lives.

There are still others from previous prayer-request pages; and new ones to be added, but we will

hold them for following newsletters. Just remember our efforts as often and specifically as
possible, please!

BELGIUM FOR CHRIST is written by Mary Esther Boonaerts; edited, printed and mailed by
the Melvin Rollers. It is distributed to inform and encourage support of the work being done in
Belgium for Christ by the Henki Boonaerts fani ly. All funds made payable to Pontoon Beach
Church of Christ, designated to Boonaerts work, a re tax deductable.

ADDRESSES:
FINANCE FORWARDING
John McDonald

BELGIUM

2213 Dawn Avenue

Granite City, Illinois

U.S.A.

FOR
CHRIST

62040

CORRESPONDENCE AGENT
Melvin & Louella Roller

Route 1, Box 92
Bumettsville, Indiana
U.S.A.

47926

FIELD ADDRESS
Henki Boonaerts

Louis Mercierlaan 135

Maasmechelen

Mary Esther

BELGIUM

James Matthew

John Mark

VOL. VI

3630

NO. 2

MAY - AUG.

THE BIRDS HAVE FLOWN AGAIN

Hetterscheidts have the reputation of being like birds. Having a home build in Belgium
(Neerharen) they usually spend summers in this land. Doctors orders have been to stay in this
more healthful place, than their home in Germany, a large, polluted industrial city on the Rhine
river. If it weren't for complications in getting their pension and coal allotment as elderly, they'd
probably stay here permanently. As it is, they come to be with us (joining in the worship and
activities of the Maasmechelen Church of Christ) usually from early spring until late fall or early
winter. However, during this time they make numerous trips for doctor's check-ups, and visiting
friends among other things. Even in the winter after they're settled in their German home, they
usually make several trips back to Belgium to be sure home and friends are still okay! From this
constant hopping back and forth they've gotten the reputation of being the flitting birds.
The end of November (19th) marked their departure this year. Anna had been sick a long
time with a weak heart, keeping her from worship services and Bible studies most of this years
stay in Belgium. Even personal visits to her at home had to be kept to a minimum, so we've not
seem her much this year. Now that they've gone we're glad Anna was at least in much better
health. Johan and Anna opened their home for the Bible Study the last Wednesday before their

return. Being a nurse and knowing the condition of her heart, Anna said she felt her time to be
with her Lord was coming close. She wanted us to share with her ''for this last time" meaning
before their return to Germany, but maybe also had a double meaning, before her return to be
with God.

When saying farewells later they told a story of an experience they had had in their
congregation in Germany (Free Evangelical, an Independant break off from the Lutheran
Church, in an attempt to return to Scriptural teachings). We'd like to share in essence what they
told us:

A young boy of five was invited to

their children's Sunday school and began
attending. He learned of Christ and grew
to love Jesus as his own friend. Then he

became sick with cancer and knew he'd

die soon. His mother was in tears many

times when she'd come to see him. But

the young boy wasn't afraid. He boldly

comforted his mother, "I'm not afraid.

Why, I'm going to see Jesus, and he's my

friend. Now you must not cry, Mother,
because you can come too. If you give
yourself to Him then we can see each
other again. Please don't cry... Please
promise me..."

In Hetterscheidts Belgium home, just

before 1976 departure to Germany.

And this is the hope of Johan and Anna Hetterscheidt. They fear not death, nor separation
in this life, but witness constantly to those around them. They have a home with us not only of
bricks and morter, but also in our hearts. Now that they've flown down South again, we hope the
Lord will watch over them, and continue to be a blessing to them, as they being used of Christ has
been for us many times over.

O, A SWIMMIN' WE WILL GO. . .

All work and no play n:iake preachers and papas dull men! It has taken some doing to
convince Henki of the truth in this, and that it is, as according to the Scriptures, profitable

(though but little, I Tim. 4:8). But after he found the right sport (or hobby) and someone
(Wadek) to share this exercise time with him; everything fell into place: swimming suit, fins
snorkle, lead belt, and all the equipment needed for ---SCUBA diving!
The trip to Lugano, Switzerland developed another purpose (other than just attending the
Christian camp held annually for military, missionary and others interested). Since he was on the
committee which met at the camp to plan final arrangements for the Mid-winter rally, he needed
to go! And since they were already so close (Henki and Wadek only went) they drove a little
further, to be in Italy, and more specifically, in the Mediterranean Sea. It must have been great,
for Henki came back refreshed, and generally a new man. (He grew a beard in his absence also,
so had even changed outwardly!)
There is a large, new sport center in Genk where Wadek and Henki have joined the Diver's
Club. They swim about twice a week, have lessons on safety and technique in diving, and use the
compressed air bottles as club members, and have several other priviledges. Being an indoor
pool, they will be enjoying this sport in the winter, getting ready for who knows, another dip in
the Mediterranean, maybe. John Mark had swimming lessons from school last year, so he enjoys
going some with Henki. We are all glad for the refreshment, and change in pace. We hope this
activity may be used of God to give new vigor and zeal in studying and spreading the gospel.
A TEMPORARY SET-UP

We are glad to announce our

plea for help placed in the Horizons
magazine has brought fruitful results.
PLEASE BEAR WITH US IN THIS

TIME OF TRANSITION. Until further

arrangements, ALL CORRESPOND

ENCE should be mailed to the new
ROLLER

address.

Please

continue

sending ALL FINANCES to the MC

DONALDS, checks still being made
out to the Pontoon Beach Church of

Christ, designated for Belgium for

Christ mission. Thank you for your
patience in this time of transition, and
look for further information and news

Besides the cake lamb, and a visitor (old time friend

concerning our Agents in America.

(if Henlii), you can see Henki's beard-new vigor

pupping out ali over!

BELGIUM FOR CHRIST is written by Mary Esther Boonaerts; edited, printed, and mailed by
the Melvin Rollers. It is distributed to inform and encourage support of the work being done in
Belgium for Christ by the Henki Boonaerts family. All funds made payable to Pontoon Beach
Church of Christ, designated to Boonaerts work, are tax deductable.

Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage

IVIedaryvilie Christian Church

Box 140, South Jefferson Street
IVIedaryville, Indiana

2c PAID

Medaryviile, Indiana

U.S.A. 47957

Permit M

MisGiun Services
Scj: 1??

Koapton,