Holiday in Holland
January 12, 2011
Hancock Update
Hello!
Happy, Happy New Year! I am glad to report that despite all evidence to the contrary, all of us survived our first Holiday season in The Netherlands! It was touch and go there for a while—filled with all the stuff of Hancock living; incredible moments of unexpected joys and incredible moments of total desperation. That seems to be the way these days.
Our holidays were christened with the celebration of Bella’s 7th birthday. We had a lovely Princess party that later turned into an impromptu cocktail hour as parents arrived to retrieve their children. It was fun getting to host a throw down in our new home to about 30 people from 20 different countries. Thanksgiving was our next big celebration. Jeff received an invitation to take part in a Thanksgiving worship service in the historic Peters Kerk, the church where the Pilgrims worshipped during their time in Holland that is set in the beautiful university town of Leiden (a little known fact that we now know, the Pilgrims were here for about 10 years before taking their Mayflower voyage). For Jeff, a history geek, the service was an amazing time of worship complete with family members of the Pilgrims who were in attendance, as well as the American Ambassador. He returned from the service all aglow with history and theology working their powerful magic just in time for me to take part in my most auspicious Thanksgiving celebration. I was to be the American ambassador to Bella’s first grade class at school. Her teacher had asked if I would be willing to be a “special guest” in the class and share the history and traditions of American Thanksgiving a few weeks before. At that time, I had grand visions of cooking a lovely feast set around autumnally donned tables as I shared the exciting adventures of the Pilgrims in my finely assembled Squanto garb. What I hadn’t anticipated was that both kids would be super sick the week before and I would be delusional from sleep deprivation. So, no feast had been prepared nor had I a finely crafted Squanto costume. The only prep I had managed to pull off consisted of watching Charlie Brown’s Voyage of the Mayflower on YouTube as I bounced Elisha to sleep. So, with Mayflower history fresh in my brain, all I needed now was a feast. There was still time, I had an hour. Jeff and I swapped keys and children and I dashed off to the store in search of Thanksgiving fixins…… in Holland…….. where no one celebrates Thanksgiving and no one eats Turkey, cranberries or corn. Now, grocery shopping here has been an adjustment. There are many differences to shopping in the US, but the one that trips me up every time is the fact that you have to bring your own bags to the store. When I forget, I can usually shove a bunch of stuff in my Mom-sized purse and then just fill up the car. I always feel a bit self-conscious, like I’m some old lady trying to steal a ham, but I get the job done. Anyway, this day it didn’t matter. I had an important task to do and couldn’t waste time worrying about appearances. So, with a large, pre-cooked chicken stuffed in my mom-purse and mashed potatoes , biscuits and a frozen apple pie tucked under my arms, I proceeded to the check out. All was going well. I had done it! Just as I was doing my mental victory jump, the check out girl started rattling off a bunch of Dutch words. I had no idea what she was trying to say, but slowly, I began to realize that my bank card had been rejected. Before I could get my mental bearings, I found myself having to empty my mom-purse in front of the manager and two other cashiers who were all staring at me as if I was an old lady trying to steal a ham. I begged them to allow me ten minutes to grab some cash before putting the feast away and flew home to rip Jeff a new one as fast as I could. Jeff took one look at my crazed eyes and headed out the door to make amends and get the feast. In an effort to change my anti-Thanksgiving mood, I thought I might get a quick shower before heading off to Bella’s school. It had been a few days. Just as I was stepping into the warm water, I heard Elisha wheezing and throwing up in his bed. I dashed upstairs to help him and after a few minutes he was sleeping again, on me. So, there I was, looking more and smelling more like Squanto than I ever imagined, with my greasy hair, towel clad body and papoosed child. Jeff walked through the door, we swapped keys and children again, I threw on some clothes and headed off to Bella’s school. When I arrived, all the children were already seated in a circle, awaiting their “special guest.” I don’t know if it was sleep deprivation, adrenaline from the humiliating grocery store experience, or the incredibly beautiful faces of 14 children spanning the color of the skin rainbow, but somehow, inspiration grabbed hold of me and I gave a rousing speech of the Pilgrim’s journey that included phrases like “religious freedom, dreams of a new world, glory outweighting hardship and humanity’s need for community”. Then we feasted on store-bought chicken, potatoes and pie using plates and cutlery I had found in the teacher’s lounge. We all gave thanks together and I was reminded again of all the beauty to be found in the midst of so much imperfection, or maybe because of the imperfection.
Thanksgiving gave way to Christmas. I won’t go into all the details, but some memorable highlights included a cocktail party hosted at Bella’s school where the head of school was working the bar, conversations on why SinterKlaas’s, black-faced “helpers” known as the Pieten, might be offensive in other cultures and how customs officers celebrated their holidays with the Gluhwein gift boxes we attempted to send to friends and family in the US. Also, if any of you receive our Christmas card and it is postmarked from Paris, you can offer thanks to an unknown Parisian cab driver who currently possesses 75 addressed Hancock Christmas cards—
All I can say about New Year’s Eve is that I have never experienced anything like it before nor do I wish to experience it again. Just think about Mardi Gras with explosives and you’ll have an idea.
All craziness aside, we felt God’s gentleness and grace carrying us through what could have been a time consumed with homesickness. We do miss each of you very much, but have been so thankful for all the phone calls, skyping, presents, prayers and even VISITS!!!! Know that you are a part of each step that we take because you are a part of our hearts. Thanks so much for being on the journey with us. You are cherished!
Something cool we’re looking forward to in 2011: Gary Hauegn, founder of IJM (Interbational Justice Mission), whose books inspired us to take the beginning steps of this crazy adventure (You gotta read The Good News about Injustice and Just Courage), is coming to preach at Crossroads and have dinner with Jeff and I NEXT WEEKEND!!! It is a bizarre thing that the person we were trying so hard to have a voice with in the US (his organization is in DC) is coming to us in Holland!
We Love You—
Xoxo
The Hancocks
