How does one begin to describe a masterpiece? 

It has long been said that a good work must evoke emotions upon the individual that is viewing or reading that work. That is exactly what Gary Layne Smith has done in his new book, Letters from Boerdonk. He'll take you on a whirlwind of emotions through the 32 Letters contained within his 235 page book. As these true-life stories unfold, you will find yourself smiling a lot, chuckling now and then, down right bursting out with laughter on occasion, and then sometimes you may be choking up and perhaps even shedding a tear or two. Gary's stories will penetrate your heart. While your heart is being touched by Gary's words, your eyes will soak in the beauty of Boerdonk, as seen through the vivid art of Larry Weston. A renowned artist and painter, Weston breathes so much life into his work that you will feel as if you have become a part of the story and all it represents. What are all of these stories about? America, friendships, families, baseball, Germany, bicycles, cowboys and horses, Belgium, football, holidays, a son and a daughter, Jenny the cat, anniversaries, religion, car batteries, just to name a few plus� Boerdonk� a quaint hamlet located in the heart of The Netherlands. This is the place that started it all. Letters from Boerdonk is a result of a twist of fate, when Gary and his family were sent by the U.S.A.F. to The Netherlands shortly after 9/11. As an Air Force Chaplain, his primary responsibility was to provide for the spiritual needs of the U.S. military personnel stationed in The Netherlands, Belgium, and Northern Germany. Gary wrote real-life human interest sermons to help boost the morale of the men and women with whom he was visiting. With the great distances that he had to travel, it left little time to correspond with family and friends back home. In order to keep in touch, he began to send copies of his sermons by e-mail. These became known as "e-sermons". Those who received them were so enthusiastic about each story that they in turn started forwarding these e-sermons to others and soon they were making their way around the world on a weekly basis. Since Gary retired in 2003, many have come forward and encouraged him to put these e-sermons into book form. After much deliberation, Gary did just that - and the result is the endearing book, Letters from Boerdonk.