What other term can describe our recent annual two-week European student training camp? We were once again tucked away in an idyllic setting, loved by adults and children alike, on the grounds of Continental Theological Seminary just outside of Brussels, Belgium.

Building strong Christian community, the kind one reads about in the New Testament, through studying, praying, eating, worshiping, working, crying and laughing all together seems to be by far the biggest and best result of our time together.

This summer, God’s presence in our group of approximately 90 people from at least 15 varied cultural backgrounds was very real to us. While we had excellent instruction in becoming spiritual friends with university students on our multiple campuses and received super insight into what it means to be and make disciples of Jesus, we also experienced deep emotional upheaval. Our friend, Joe Zickafoose, a brother and colleague in campus ministry in Scotland, quitted his earthly tent to take up everlasting residence with Christ. Joe’s abrupt death during the conference left many of us numb and reeling, especially since he was undergoing a cancer treatment that was supposed to give him at least a few more years of mortal life.

Two days before Joe’s earthly tenure expired, a passage of Scripture from the Psalms (25:10) brought the abiding peace we would need to cope with our loss. It says simply, “All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful for those who keep the demands of his covenant.”. God really knows what He’s doing with the world and with us. Everything He does is motivated out of His magnificent love and faithfulness towards us. And there is nothing more reassuring and peace-giving for me. (Click here for a memorial video clip.)

Yes, Students for Christ-Europe’s annual training time was simply unforgettable both in what we gained and what we lost. In reality though, looking back and envisioning the future, all is gain, because we again had the opportunity to model and live the extraordinary Body of Christ in our part of the world! What a privilege; what a gift!

The summer of 2008 has been one of celebrating the uniting of two dear couples in matrimony. What a joy! Weddings are fun and provide a wonderful opportunity to build spiritual bridges to the extended families who may not know the unique privilege of being a Jesus follower.

On July 26, in the city of Liège, Belgium, Blair joined two former students and SFC student leaders in marriage. To a packed house of family and friends, Christian & Thérèse committed their lives to each other and to God. This was a ceremony, African-style! And these brothers and sisters from the Congo really know how to celebrate! Every caucasian should have the chance of attending an African-style wedding at least once.

Then on the 16th of August, after several weeks of premarital counseling sessions with us, Origène & Béatrice joined hands and hearts in lifelong covenant. The cool summer-evening-garden-setting next to a lake couldn’t have been more perfect. Here again we saw God’s hand touch the hearts of family, friends and colleagues each from different backgrounds, races and cultures. It’s amazing what a non-threatening ceremony like a wedding can do to open doors.

On the docket: premarital connection times with a young Belgian couple who are “Students for Christ” leaders in Mons, Belgium. They’ve just finished their studies this year and envision beginning to do life together in 2009. Can’t wait to see how God uses them in the future!

Our website is going through a painful upgrade right now so things may look a bit different. We hope this is only temporary (let’s make that a prayer request!), and that things will get back to normal real soon. In the meantime, please read up on the latest news below and with the links on the right. Thanks for visiting!

Blair and Dina Bonin
serving university students in Belgium

It’s become an annual tradition that everyone looks forward to, and God held back the rain once again! This year, SFC-Mons hosted all of SFC-Belgium (60+ people) at a beautiful park near the city center.

Highlights included the food (of course! - thanks to the girls from Mons for cooking till 3 am), a scavenger hunt in the center of town, the tennis courts and the row boats.

SFC-Belgium picnic photos

Five of our children attend the local music academy. Callie and Claire, who study violin and piano respectively, just completed their seventh year, Evangeline (piano) finished her fourth year, and Christopher (guitar) and David (drums) had a successful first year. We are BLESSED to have our home filled with music, but we have to admit that we’re going to wait as long as possible to give into David’s pleas for a set of drums.

Here’s a glimpse of their final exams this year:

It had rained all night the evening before the race which brought a certain chill into the air. We surely didn’t feel like running in that kind of precipitation. Additionally, all three of us were recovering or still feeling the effects of a head cold. Yet the eve of the race was upon us; a race we had been training for the last 4 months. All the hard work…all the time spent. We surely didn’t want it to be for naught. The girls had also worked hard finding sponsors to help pay for their trip to CSM (summer student training camp). So we prayed for sun, prayed for strength, for health and determined to brave the elements come what may. God answered and gave us a most beautiful spring day in Brussels.

All six of our team which included 3 other members of SFC-Belgium could feel the almost palpable anticipation in the air as we huddled in a mass of 25,000 people before the Cinquentenaire Arch in the capital city. When the canon shot was fired at precisely 15h00 our adrenalin was already flowing. We divided into two groups of three with my girls and me forming the second string.

We established our pace and moved through the mapped out course passing through the European Commission quarter, by the American Embassy, in front of the Royal Palace, and up to Belgium’s Supreme Court Building before entering several tunnels. At the 5k point we were feeling the effects of having to climb out of those tunnels but were spurred on by friends and family cheering and taking photos.

The next 10 km were tolerable. Then the last five were relentless in their attempt to halt us. Yet we were determined. We had set our faces as flint and were going to arrive at that finish line and hopefully within our pre-established goal of less than 3 hours.

Claire and EJ got much encouragement from older runners along the way: “Bravo, les filles!”, “Impressive!”, “Take courage, you can do it.” And in the 19th and last torturous kilometer, we heard over a loud megaphone in french, “Congratulations, young lady in the red shirt, number 11,295. You’re almost there!” It was EJ’s number they were calling out. And that gave us the punch we needed to pick up speed and arrive through the finish line at 2 hours 47 minutes, well within our goal!

We’re sore today but have a super sense of accomplishment. Thanks to all of you who prayed and supported us during our training and the day off the race. This Daddy is mega proud of his 12 and 14 year old daughters! Rendez-vous next May 31 for the following edition of the 20km of Brussels, “the most beautiful race in the heart of Europe”.

Francoise, Claire, Evangeline, Blair, Davida and Charles

click here for more video clips of Blair, Claire & EJ in the race

Have you ever had one of those thoroughly satisfying moments of being completely overwhelmed with a sense of wholehearted contentment? I had one recently. It felt like the kindness of God smiling down on us. It happened when I received some feedback from a few students and former students asking what the ministry of Students for Christ (SFC) has meant to them. Here’s what they had to say:

“In SFC I found an incredible welcome, a family, and friends who I can count on, not to mention super activities on campus and a training program through which I’ve become a student leader.” Yohan, SFC-Mons

“Through SFC God revealed my true identity to me and I discovered more deeply the love and encouragement of God. And I have understood that I can’t live without Him.” Goduine, former student from SFC-Liege/Louvain-la-Neuve and now our contact for SFC-Antwerp

“I don’t know what I’d do if SFC were erased from my life…I’ve never even thought of ‘after SFC.’” Davida, architect and former student from SFC-Louvain-la-Neuve currently helping to lead this local group

“Your vision is a success as I’m definitely taking the gospel to the marketplace.” Lara, public relations coordinator working in London and former student who met Jesus in SFC-Louvain-la-Neuve

Mes amis, ça vaut la peine! (My friends, it’s worth the while!) Again, thank you for giving us the means to minister. He has been so faithful to allow us to experience some of the greatest joys and rewards of ministry among students and young professionals: seeing them discover who Christ is, grow in faith, and minister in their corners of the world through the power of God’s Spirit. -Blair

We recently took our annual trip to the nearby bluebell forest. It’s a favorite spot for all of us. On this day, we almost had the whole place to ourselves. Fortunately for us, the cold rainy weather kept the crowds away. Since that time the weather has been warm and sunny for which the children are VERY thankful. I have to laugh, though, when they say how unbearably hot 75*F with little to no humidity is to them. Just wait till we get back to south Louisiana next summer!

More pictures below and here…