Bevrijdingsdag in Vlissingen

Last Sunday it was Liberation Day in the Netherlands. Dutch people celebrate every year on 5^th of May the end of the occupation by the Nazi Germany during World War II. We planned to go to Vlissingen, where the “Liberation Day Festival” took place.

But our day started in different churches in Walcheren, the region where Middelburg and Vlissingen are located.

Klara went to a church in Middelburg, Maros went to one in Veere and Markéta and Noel went to one in Vlissingen. I went with Klara to Middelburg, where Wim, his wife and their three children picked me up. They brought me to Vlissingen-Souburg, where their church lies.

Before it started, Wim warned me about a service, which lasts two hours. In Dutch...of course.
But the service started with very nice songs, the atmosphere was warm and many people danced and clapped.

After the preaching (I noticed later that it was the piano player who preached), I participated for the first time in the communion.

When the service was finished, we had coffee, tea and lemonade. A lot of children were running around and Wim told me proudly, that a lot of families attend this church and the number of church members is increasing instead of decreasing.

Then we went to their house to have lunch. While the parents prepared lunch, I played with the kids. They taught me a game and we had a lot of fun. Of course everything in Dutch, because only the oldest one could speak a few words in English.

The lunch was... guess what? Surprisingly bread and soup. But it was very tasty and we ate in the garden, because it was beautiful weather.

After lunch we went to Vlissingen. The Festival already started and the other EVSers waited for me.

I said goodbye to the family and hoped that I will see them again. Especially the time with the children I enjoyed a lot.
After I left them, we saw some bands, ate fries, went to the sea and enjoyed the sun.

Wietje, Germany