2021 Veerman Family Reunion in Pigeon Forge

 Every few years, the Veerman family gathers somewhere for a family reunion. This is a reunion of my dad (Paul) and his siblings, their spouses, their kids (my cousins) and all of our spouses and kids. This year was our biggest one yet, with 49 people together in one house! The "palace" in Pigeon Forge was great for our group, because staying all together in one house meant lots of chances for fun, memories and conversations. We played games, did outings in the local area, ate great food and made memories together. It was so fun and I feel so blessed to be a part of such a great family. I was also, however, relieved for it to wrap up, because our family played a key role in planning the event! But it meant a lot to have helped make it all possible.

Here are a few photo highlights!

Group Photo

Enjoying the swimming pool

Ellie and Maya performing a karaoke song from Trolls

The "Wisest" Generation!

Watching and cheering for the pool tournament

Enjoying a day at Dollywood

Playing group games (this is called "flip the bottle tic tac toe")

Horseback Riding

Horseback Riding

Group Games - view from the upper level

Late night cigars

Leading worship on Sunday morning

Hiking

Whitewater rafting

Making announcement (something I did a lot!)

Summer Home Assignment Highlights

Oops! Another blogging hiatus from us - we are so sorry! Our last few months in Austria before boarding a plane for the U.S. were quite busy and Nate also came down with a very bad case of tonsillitis that zapped him of energy for about 3 weeks. He was just trying to keep up with what he could during that time. Then, on June 17, we all hopped on a plane and flew to Atlanta to begin our 2-month summer home assignment in the U.S. It's been a whirlwind adventure so far and will continue to be! We have been having a great time and feel really blessed to be here. Here are a few highlights from our time so far!

On the trans-atlantic flight from Frankfurt to Atlanta. Lots of screen time for all :)

Attending VBS for a day in Atlanta with Ellie's cousin, Meg

Driving from Atlanta to my parents' house in SC

Grocery shopping with Grammy

Maya goes for a walk with Grampy

At the Veerman family reunion in NC. Maya plays piano with her cousins

Beach time!

My dad and his siblings and spouses at the reunion

The next generation down

Grampy and Maya snuggling

We've arrived in MN! Beach time at the lake!

Ellie gets to go fishing with Opa!

Many more memories to come! We will soon be sharing with churches and small groups about our ministry in Austria, as well as spending time with family. We'll keep you updated!

A Legacy of Faith

Gathering for a meal and singing the doxology at the Grand Beach Inn

This past weekend, my Dad's side of the family (the Veermans) all met up in New Buffalo, MI for a weekend family reunion. It was a sweet and special time, where my immediate family plus nearly all of my aunts and uncles, cousins, and cousins' children got together for fun, food and fellowship. The group of 40 laughed, played silly games, cooked, ate, caught up, sang and shared together for four days. It was wonderful!

Family is really special to us, and what amazes me every time we get together is that even though we don't see each other often, we can immediately share intimate life details and openly share our hearts. There is a closeness that comes from shared history, shared family roots, and especially our shared faith.

One special time of the weekend for me was on Sunday morning, when my Uncle Ralph gave a devotional on the importance of passing down faith from generation to generation. My dad and his siblings shared about the faith of my grandparents and the values they instilled in their family, which were then passed down to the next generation. I am who I am today in part because of their faith, love of God, commitment to church and missions, and family values. Their legacy shaped my dad, which in turn shaped how I was raised and who I have become. 

In scripture, God calls us to teach our children and our children's children the ways of God and to remember what the Lord has done. Deuteronomy 4:9 - 10 says, "Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

I am so thankful that my grandparents responded to God's instruction and passed on their faith, and I pray that Nate and I will do the same so our family legacy of faith can continue.

How has your family passed faith down to you?
How do you hope to pass your faith along to the next generation?

A Global Reunion

My senior year of college, I was blessed to live with three wonderful women. We shared so many special memories together, both serious and completely silly. Since that time, God has led us each on a unique journey and we have literally gone global! In 2004, we were all senior students at Wheaton College. Now, we are a missionary to orphans in Uganda, a missionary teacher at a school in Moscow, a PhD student at Dartmouth, and me - a missionary appointee to Austria. God has led us apart, but it is so amazing to see how each of us are following the Lord and using our gifts for the Kingdom!

Last week, we had the rare opportunity to reunite in Chicago for 3 days. Furloughs and travel schedules aligned and we spent the week laughing and sharing and reminiscing. Here are a few photos from our "global reunion".

Cori, Me, Sarah and Rebecca

Hanging out at Rebecca's

One afternoon, the spouses watched the kids while the girls went out. Here are Rebecca and Cori, exploring all that downtown Elmhurst has to offer...

Nate gets to know Rebecca's littlest one, Jonathan.

Taking a funny face photo is an important tradition

Hanging out, sharing stories and playing games...it was a great week!