Coffee. . .

So, many of you know that I am a bad Dutch girl because I don't like to drink coffee or tea. I was told by some that this would change after I had been here a while so I thought it was time to give a little update on my progress! I had the chance to spend a Sunday with two very cool missionaries, Dar and Jim from America, who have been serving with the Assemblies of God church for many years - first in Belgium and now for two years, up to this point, in Amsterdam. After going to church with them, a group of us had a very nice lunch together at their house and Dar convinced me that Senseo coffee was different then any other coffee and that I had to try it. So, being a good sport - I loaded up on the milk and sugar and gave it a try:

That is a face of uncertainty and hesitation as I was about to take my first sip. To Dar's dismay I did not find the coffee to be any more tasty then any other kind I had attempted to try. Little did I know that this experience was a practice round for the experience I would soon encounter. While visiting my Oma Bulk in Nieuw Vennep we went across the street to visit with her elderly neighbor. This very sweet, tiny woman comes outside with a tray of coffee cups and coffee. . .nothing else! I did not have the heart to ask her to go back inside and get me something else - I thought that would be too rude, so for the first time ever I drank my first full cup of coffee! Of course she pours me a very full cup, not leaving much room for the amount of milk and sugar I would have liked to dump into it to make it a little more bearable. . . but alas, I gulped it down - taking a bite of my cookie in between every sip. So, yes I survived but up to this point I am pretty confident that I will remain a bad Dutch girl and ask for Fanta, juice or water every time I can!

The Hiding Place

The title of Corrie Ten Boom's book, a personal account of her involvement in the hiding of those persecuted during WWII, has so much meaning. Not only did she provide a physical hiding place in her house in Haarlem during those terrible years she also experienced God's grace in the hiding place that He provides at all times, through all circumstances. I just finished the book and found it to be very gripping. What an amazing story of a family that risked all to help those in need, got caught doing so, and were sent to concentration camps. Corrie survived to tell the story, one that many of you have probably read or at least heard of before. She understood what it meant to offer her body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (part of Romans 12:1) - what a woman of faith and a role model she is! I had the chance to go to Haarlem (a 15 minute train ride away) last weekend to visit the house in which God was glorified for so many years - it was so exciting to personally see that this is still happening today. The bottom of the house is no longer a watch shop but a jewelry store, so to begin the free tour we had to start outside and then go up a small staircase alongside the back of the store to get to the living room of the Ten Boom home. Here our tour guide told us to have a seat and proceeded to tell us the story of Corrie's life, which in short was a very clear profession of the Gospel message. The guide told so boldly, yet with such compassion, about Jesus' love that covers all to all those sitting in the room - it was so cool! Then we all trooped up the stairs to the bedrooms, the secret room was found inside Corrie's room. Here's a picture, when those staying in the house had to go in hiding they crawled into the small hole on the bottom left, you can also see the size of the secret room by the hole that was made on the right - I really did not realize that the room was so tiny, 6 people were hid so well on the day the house was raided that they were never found.

The way that Corrie gives her readers a glimpse into the life of prison and concentration camps is amazing. She shows so clearly how God was at work for good in a situation that causes us to think that only bad could have existed. A quote that I found to be particularly gripping was one that Betsie, Corrie's sister, said before she died in the camp: "We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still. They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here." To now know that this was true in their terrible situation gives me hope to believe that this has been true and will be true always regardless of how terrible things are in the world. Of course, I am not excusing the wars and suffering of our day but I rejoice to know and believe in a God who never intended for us to experience the wrath of sin, praise to Him for the hope we have in Christ Jesus - and the chances He gives us to share in this hope with others.

Trust

This was the topic for the Bible discussion I led last night in the hostel. The challenge of not knowing who would show up, if anyone, was a challenge once again but God provided in cool ways! Benjamin, a staff member, was the ''attender" for the discussion. Each time a discussion is held there is a leader and attender, the attender is there to support the leader - always much appreciated! A new staff member, Lucas (here for a year from Germany), joined as well. Also, Steven the cleaner came and a guest from Germany named Claudia. I began by using the chalk-board (true teacher-style!) to brainstorm ideas of things and people we trust and things and people we don't trust. We spent a little time discussing why it is that we can and cannot trust. Then we opened the Bible to see what it says about trust. There are many passages on this idea - I chose to focus on Jeremiah 17:5-8 because it paints such a strong contrast between the man who trusts in man and the man who trusts in God. We took the time to discuss the idea that God is the only one who we can fully put our trust in, He will never let us down while everything else we may want to put our trust in (yourself, spouse, money, etc) will never be completely trustworthy. We also talked about why it is hard for us to fully trust God even though He has never given us a reason to doubt Him (relying on own strength, forgetting that God is love, etc). A cool thought that came to mind is that we were created to trust in someone; when we are born we must trust that our mom's will feed us because we are completely helpless without her, in the same way we were created to be in a trusting relationship with God! I closed the time with Proverbs 3:5-6, encouraged by the fact that as we trust in God he will straighten our path. I also shared Romans 15:13 which I will now share with you because I think it is beautiful: may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Leading this discussion was encouraging and challenging for me to hear, I think for those in attendance as well. At the start of the discussion Steven looked as me and said in his very direct manner, "How did you know to choose this topic, this is exactly what I needed to hear today". What a blessing, allowing the Word of God to speak is so powerful - in no way did I know that Steven needed these words but God knew! Also, Claudia is not a Christian but I pray that she, in God's timing, would come to understand Jesus' love for her and the possibility to trust fully in Him. For me - trusting in God is easier said then done but that doesn't mean that I would rather trust in the things/people of this world than trust in God. He has and knows my heart and so day by day I want to learn to trust Him more! Is this true for you?!

Working the Reception Desk

So, finally a chance to describe what happens behind the reception desk at Shelter Jordan. In a few words: A LOT happens! Typical a short-term staff member is not trained to work reception but because there is a shortage in staff I am the lucky one chosen (along with Tom, from England - also leaving in Sept.) to learn all the ins and outs of this task. Now that training is complete and I've had several shifts completely on my own I can say that I am starting to enjoy it, but then again that doesn't mean the job doesn't stress me out every once in a while! Here is Tina, a staff member from Germany, standing behind our desk at the entrance of the hostel:

How to begin explaining? Well, of course the receptionist is the one who checks in all the guests who arrive in the hostel. This entails asking for their name or booking number in order to find them in the computer system called "backpack". When their booking is found, their passport information must be typed in and then the guest is given an explanation as to how much they owe. During Sun-Thurs the rate is 19 euros (22 on Fri and Sat) per night, which includes breakfast in the morning. Then there is a 5 euro key deposit for their locker as well as a one-time 2 euro charge for the sheets on their bed. Guests can pay with cash, card, travelers check or a travel voucher (which is what many Koreans use - they plan out their whole trip with a travel agent in Korea, pay everything in advance and then only have to present a voucher upon arrival, pretty cool!). After the guest has paid they are checking into the system and a voucher is printed off. This voucher is a piece of paper that proves that the guest has paid and belongs in our hostel, they must show it to the receptionist each time they come back into the hostel. They also much show it to get their breakfast in the morning. I explain all this to the guest as well as the fact that there is no curfew at our hostel, the guests are welcome to come and go as they please (a male staff member is assigned the "nightman shift"- he stays awake all night, serving as a receptionist as well as a protector of sorts!). Then I tell the guests that they are staying at a Christian youth hostel and that I've included a little booklet (printed off in their native language!) explaining what we believe. I invite them to any activities that are going on inside the hostel, such as the nightly Bible Discussion time, and encourage the ask the staff any questions they might have of us. That's the check in process! The check out process is much simpler, it includes checking them out of the system, ideally by 10AM, and returning their locker deposit. Each key includes a special code that must be typed into the cash register in order to keep track of where the money is going. Other duties for the receptionist include allowing guests to store large pieces of luggage in our locked luggage room, answering the phone - there are two lines that sometimes ring at the same time. . .that's a challenge (especially when they don't speak English!), making bookings for people, inputting online bookings into the system, selling toiletry items, renting extra lockers and towels, allowing people to pay to connect to the internet on the computer in the cafe, providing directions and touristy information, and more! And of course, on top of all this - we want to make sure that the guest feels personally welcomed and cared for. Often Jesus met the physical needs of people before or while telling them of their spiritual need and it is our desire to do the same here. Christ is the perfect example, and of course we fall short. Mistakes are made, confusions happen - knowing that His amazing grace covers all is often my source of strength when things feels a little out of control behind the desk, a lot of prayer happens as well! One of my favorite things about reception is that the person who is working is the first person the guest interacts with - what a sweet opportunity to love them with my words and actions, the gift of hospitality in action! So, that's a taste of the world of reception - it's a challenge for me but I am grateful for it!

The One Month Mark!

It's really hard to believe I have been here for one month now! In some ways it strangely feels so much longer only for the fact that I adjusted here in no time at all. By about the second day I was feeling comfortable at the house and hostel - really a blessing and I think it has a lot to do with my understanding of the language and culture a little more then the typical American. And then, of course, it also feels as if I have been here much shorter than a month - scary because I have a feeling that the month of August may fly by just as quickly. I will have the chance to see 4 friends from college (Kelly, Tim, Bessie, and Lauren!) in the coming weeks, that will be great! As for today, I have a day off so I am heading to Nieuw Vennep to visit my Omas (grandmas) - should only take a half hour on the train, I am so ready to get a breather from the city and see some country-side. Then, I'll be back on time on Wednesday to lead the Bible Discussion. I haven't quite narrowed-down a topic yet and am remembering back to the last time I led and how it was a struggle not knowing who would be attending. Pray that God would give me wisdom as I prepare something that will challenge and encourage nonchrisitians and Christians alike. Or at least that there would be some sort of balance between the two! I'm going to finish packing a few things and then I'm off! I hope this finds you enjoying your summer!

Who Killed Butler Ryan??

For the outreach event this Friday night my small group planned a game of Clue, a murder mystery that the guests had to solve. The mystery at hand was to discover how Butler Ryan died. Here he lies in the shed after he gave a very convincing scream to draw all the participants to the scene of the crime:

After seeing this the guests were instructed to visit various areas and inhabitants of the "mansion" (also known at Shelter Jordan!) in order to discover what happened. Anne played the maid in the bathroom, Mike played the professor in the library (Bible discussion room), Timo played the gardener in the patio, Jessica played the cook in our kitchen, and last but not least Bettina played the proper lady in the parlor (the cafe). We had four groups consisting of a mixture of guests and staff that moved from character to character - asking questions and getting clues to solve the mystery. Here sits our proper lady, Bettina - she acted out her role so well!

We ended the game by having the four group fill in a "police report" about what happened to the butler, giving a defense as to how they solved the crime. Then I shared with everyone what actually happened, a complicated story that ends with Butler Ryan drinking a glass full of bleach instead of water - an accidental death! One group came very close to the correct answer and we awarded them a little prize. After this Tom gave a little talk about how we are all seeking for the truth and that as Christians we believe that there is one truth that can be discovered - even though this world will provide many clues to lead people down the wrong path, which certainly happened during this game, the truth is always out there. Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you"(Matthew 7:7). First we have to take the initiative - asking, seeking, and knocking are action words - but it is only the Lord who will allow us to find, only He can open the door to fullness of life with Him. What a sweet way to end a fun night!

Small and big things!

So, there are many fun things that I love here - especially when those things are so different from what I would see in California! Let's start with this tiny car, I have seen so many of them in Amsterdam and what I find so funny is when I see them driving on the bike paths. This is the one that is parked down the street from our house:

And now for something big - the spoons! It sounds so silly but I think the spoons here are so big. Here I am with my dessert in the patio of our hostel, it's a bowl of Chocolate Vla (a Dutch pudding) along with the gigantic spoon I am supposed to eat it with:

Small cars and big spoons - some of the things that make me smile in the city. That's the advantage of staying here longer than a couple of days - I get to soak up all the things that may be easy to over-look for the average tourist!

Taking up His cross

I am beginning to realize that perhaps I am painting too rosy/perfect of a picture of how things are for me here. I have so many exciting and wonderful things to share - which most of my posts have been based on - when in fact at the same time there are also very challenging and difficult parts to doing ministry. I have a new-found respect for those who do it as their full time "profession". Isaiah, in Isaiah 53, prophesized about how Christ "was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our inequities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, by his wounds we are healed" (these are only verses 5 and 6, read the whole chapter - I just don't want to type it all out here). What Christ endured during His ministry on earth really wasn't pretty even though it can often be easier to paint a rosy picture of His life as well. On of my goals for the summer was to memorize a little bit of scripture each week. This week's verse is very fitting - "Then he (Jesus) called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."(Mark 8:34-35) Taking up my cross is not always a beautiful thing, it certainly wasn't for Jesus - therefore I look to Him for strength and I thank Him for the blood He poured out so that I might experience the grace He so freely gives to all who believe in Him. As I learn to deny myself and take up my cross more and more I begin to learn more about Christ and how He did these two things perfectly. How comforting to know that whatever I may endure and how ever I may be challenged it will never compare to Jesus' sacrifice, He will always be more than enough for me!

Hot, Hot, Hot!

Oh Wow - it is SO HOT here! I can hardly believe it, I packed a rain coat and a warm sweatshirt - just thinking about those items makes it feel even more hot! It's really something, you would think a California girl could handle this heat but without air conditioning and a swimming pool she is one weak person. Every year in the east of Holland there is a big walking event where thousands of people walk 40km (I'm not sure on all the details - maybe a Dutch reader could fill us in!) but for the first time it has been cancelled because of the heat, sadly some people died as a result of the temperature before they decided to cancel it. On a more positive note I was JUST interupted as I was writing this by a cool and refreshing fan-spay bottle. . . amazingly wonderful! Thanks to Nicole my entire face is now wet but it feels so good. All in all, I must say I do love this weather - I'd rather have heat then rain any day! I hope the weather is pleasing where ever you are as well!

Working in the Cafe

Maybe you're curious about the "work" that I'm doing out here. Well, when I arrived I was immediately trained to work in the cafe. There are several different shifts possible: the morning, afternoon, evening, or kitchen cleaner shift. Before each shift the group of staff that will be working in the hostel meets with the manager on duty in order to share something from the Bible and pray together for 15 minutes before we begin our work. Here is a picture of Meghan, a staff member from Canada, and one of our Dutch managers, Benjamin, right before prayer time for the morning shift. It's 7:45AM, the reason they don't look very awake!

Each shift in the cafe comes along with specific responsibilities. The morning cafe workers cook and serve the breakfast for the guests. The breakfast is included in the 19 euro price to stay a night in the hostel. . .and it's not a skimpy breakfast if you ask me! Throughout the week we rotate making two eggs with ham and cheese and toast, pancakes, and french toast. The guests are usually quite pleased and making these breakfasts now has me really wanting a grill one day - those things are so cool! Look how excited I am about making yummy pancakes:

The afternoon cafe shift includes running the cafe (selling and preparing items on the menu such as hamburgers, spaghetti, drinks, etc.) as well as making the fresh meal that is prepared for dinner each night. Typically the staff eats from this meal because it's free for us and a good way to get a somewhat balanced meal - and it's a fun social event to eat with everyone as well. Guests can join in on the food for 5 euros although typically they buy things that sound more familiar to them, like french fries for example. Tonight's meal was "Pork and Apple Hot Pot", sounds strange huh? Tasted fine though, I think it helps that I'm not a picky eater! Finally, the evening cafe shift includes serving guests as well as doing some cleaning. Oh, I cannot forget to write about the cool dishwasher that we use! We load up a tray with dirty dishes, slide it into the dishwasher, where it gets washed with SUPER hot water in a matter of minutes - pretty exciting because it's really speedy and efficient! So, that was a little taste of what it's like to work in the cafe at Shelter Jordan - I'll be there bright and early tomorrow morning cooking up french toast, putting some hospitality skills to work! More will follow later on the other types of work that I've been doing out here. Have a gouda day!

A Day at the Zoo!

Ah, to be a kid again - the zoo will never grow old! Today my cousin Margaretha came for a visit and we decided that it would be a perfect day for the zoo, the weather was absolutely perfect! We spent hours there, looking at everything - except, as would be expected by many who know me, I avoided the snakes like the plague! Here I am with the giraffes in the background:

As we were walking around, and especially in the really cool aquarium, I was thinking about how amazing it is that there are so many diverse and unique animals on this earth - of course the zoo is just a small sample of what has been created! Also inside the zoo there was a Poofertjes Huis - definitely had to get some of those yummy tiny pancakes, now I'm motivated to try to make them again at home. They're so fun! I need a cool batter-dispenser like this guy has though:

Margaretha and I also checked out Rembrant Plein and Dam Square - all in all a nice day in a busy city. I am very grateful that I live in the Jordan area - a more peaceful part of the city to call my home for these summer months!

My Transportation

Upon arrival I was given a bike to use which has been so great, it makes me feel less like a tourist and more like a local - I love the sound of that! It's about a 10 minute bike ride from the house to the hostel. It is so pleasant to bike along the canals and past the many little cafes - a great way to see the city. I have a bell on it but I am always hesistant to use it. I think that in my mind I treat it as if it were a car's horn which I never honk because I think it's mean. I need to erase that thought from my mind because I'm sure it's better to ring my bell then knock someone over - which I promise I have not done yet! Here's a picture of what I use to zoom around town with, a real "Dutch" bike, nothing fancy so no one will want to steal it, hopefully:

And now a picture of my "dream" bike, isn't it amazing! I just couldn't resist taking a picture!

Great is the Lord

"Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. The will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works" (Psalm 145:3-5). Amen!

The Community House

Finally a picture of where I have been living for almost 3 weeks already. . .time is flying!

So this is the house, looks big huh! Good thing because about 40 of us live in it. Also attached to our living space is a homeless ministry called "De Tweede Mijl", also run by the same organization that the Shelter falls under. Food and clothing is stored here and distributed several times per week, occupying the first floor of the building. The Shelter staff runs wild on the three floors above, including 2 classrooms, lots of living space, laundry machines, a library, a small patio (I miss my backyard in Oakdale or even the rock garden in SLO, I took it for granted!), and a place to store all of our bikes. The house spans the entire space between two streets so the door to the bike storage is right off of the street that runs behind the house, very handy! And now a picture of "my" window, the one on the very tip-top:

The room I share with two great Dutch girls, Anne and Christina, faces the street. One of my favorite things to do is to sit in the window - to read, feel the breeze and watch the people out on the street - often just what I need at the end of a busy shift. "Tot Heil des Volks" is the name of the organization and it means: for the salvation of the people. Pretty straight-forward, that's what it's all about! I hope you are enjoying these posts, I have a list running in my mind of others that I will do soon (I don't want to overwhelm you with too many at once!) but if you have any suggestions of what you would like to know more about, it can be anything - let me know!

Trash to Treasure

Here's a picture of a sign that was made to promote the outreach event that happened in the hostel last Friday. So, now you have a better idea of what it is that we took from trash (empty juice and milk cartons) to treasure (handy little wallets!). The crafty event took place in the cafe and the turnout was awesome, we even had a group of guys excited about it as you can see:

I prepared a little talk that happened while guests were still working on the wallets. The theme "trash to treasure" worked well because it can easily be applied to ourselves as well as to how we are seen in view of God's mercy. I used Zachaeus, the tax collector, as an example - considered as trash by society, and probably felt similarly about himself; however Christ considered him a treasure worthy of seeking out (Luke 19:1-10). I also mentioned 2 Corinthians 5:17 which says "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" I closed by asking the group to think about the "trashy" parts of our lives and whether or not we believe God wants us as his treasure. That's a brief little summary of what was said, thanks for the input that some of you gave, clearly very helpful! God used this outreach event powerfully, in my life but also in the life of a guest from Malaysia - so sweet to get to see fruit of what the Lord is doing through us here, I know that doesn't always happen and that more often we help to water the seed or till the soil so when it does happen we savor the moment and allow it to encourage us to go on with the Great Commandment and Great Commission here in Amsterdam!

A quote!

Many of you know I am not much of a reader. . . maybe that's changing?! At least for the time that I am here it seems to be the case because at the house we have an awesome library and a lot of the books have captured my attention. I just picked up the book "Passion and Purity" by Elisabeth Elliot and quickly came upon a quote that I really want to share, so here it goes:

"One morning I was reading the story of Jesus' feeding of the five thousand. The disciples could find only five loaves of bread and two fishes. "Let me have them," said Jesus. He asked for all. He took them, said the blessing, and broke them before He gave them out. I remember what a chapel speaker, Ruth Stull of Peru, had said: "If my life is broken when given to Jesus, it is because pieces will feed a multitude, while a loaf will satisfy only a little lad.""

Wow, now I have a deeper understanding of what I am saying when I ask the Lord to break me and the implications that doing so can have, sweet! I'm reading two other books as well right now so there may be more quotes to come!

World Cup Mania!

I will never forget that I had this chance to experience the World Cup in Europe, there's nothing like it! Especially being at the hostel, it's such an international atmosphere as it is, so to add intense football/soccer games to that makes it even more festive! We showed every game on a big projection sceen in the cafe and it was a blast having representatives from each country present to cheer on their team. Here's what it looked like in the cafe on game nights:

Of course, watching Italy beat France in a shoot-out was a sad way to end the final game, especially considering the head-butting action that occured earlier, all in all it was so cool to have the cafe packed with guests. I must agree with my dad that I am partially glad that Holland didn't get to the semifinals because I imagine that the city would go crazy but it's been so cool to be in this football-crazed city either way! I wonder if you had the time/desire to watch any of the games, I hope so!

Pedram

Pedram is the name of a guest that spent about a week in the hostel lately. He was in Amsterdam to take tests for a special pilot's license but is originally from Iran. Pedram is one of the most gentle and caring men I have met. He comes from a Muslim background but has some knowledge of Christianity as well. Every night that he was at the hostel he joined in on the Bible Discussion time and it was so cool to have him there. He is someone who is really interested in religion and is really trying to figure out where he stands. He was very open to discussing and explaining his beliefs as well as listening to mine. During the Bible Discussion time on Thursday we spent over 2 hours trying to reason through Pedram's thinking that we can reach God through Jesus and by what we do. He made it clear that he believes one must have faith and works, both equally important, in order to go to Heaven. He also says that he cannot believe that Jesus is God. As Christians we believe otherwise - that Jesus is God and that we are saved by grace, through faith, alone - not by works (Eph 2:8-9). Pedram did not budge in his beliefs, which is fine. It was a sweet chance to make clear to him what it is that Christ came to earth to do and I fully understand that it is up to God to call Pedram to Himself - it is in no means by my words or actions. After all this "discussing" I was feeling very emotional in the sense that God's grace really is so amazing, I feel so blessed to experience it daily but it makes me sad to see others have to struggle so much to try to make sense of it. The words of 1 Corinthians 1:18 mean much more to me now then ever: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God". It is my prayer that what is foolishness to Pedram currently would in time become the power of God for him. Pedram will be back next month to complete his tests so I'm praying that more conversations will be had!

The Cleaners

At the Jordan hostel there are three cleaners that work to keep the place tidy. Currently we have Jose, Piotr, and Steven. Cleaners are required to work from 10-2:30 each day, and in return receive free room and board at the hostel. They are only allowed to stay for 1 month but are permitted to work for another month at the other hostel that we run. From what I've heard typically cleaners are in a tough spot and this is a chance for them to get back on their feet. Most often the cleaners are from a country other than Holland and therefore the hostel is a safe-haven for them because they may not have family and friends to turn to for help. The Lord has really blessed this ministry opportunity for it is a great chance to show the cleaners what it looks like and sounds like to be a Christian over the extended period of time that they work at the hostel. For example, I have never before seen such a major transformation in someone as I have seen in Steven during the past week and a half. He came to the Shelter in need of work, not knowing that the Lord had brought Him here in His perfect timing. In several days Steven went from doubting and questioning the Bible and the validity of Jesus Christ to accepting Him as his Lord and Savior and is now so hungry for the Word and desires to tell everyone about his transformation. I attended Bible Discussions with him, both before and after he became a Christian - it truly is like night and day! Now Steven is going to the bars where he used to get drunk in order to tell people and show people the love of Christ. This is what it is all about! This affirms even more in my heart that God is alive and so active in our lives. Let this be an encouragement to you!

Anne Frank

On Wednesday I visited the Anne Frank house, a short walk from where I am living and working. I went with Ashley, a guest that I met at the hostel the night before. She was traveling alone so I offered to do some sight-seeing with her - it was a neat chance to hang out with a high school graduate while being a representative of Christ to her. Visiting the Anne Frank house really got me thinking. The house/museum is very well done, allowing a lot of time for reflection while on the self-guided tour of the building. Seeing videos and graphic pictures of what the Jews endured opened my eyes a little more to the power of sin in this world. I asked myself, as many do, why would God let this happen? Why should I coast along in life when there are so many who have endured such terrible hardship and persecution? Later in the day, while I was at our Ministry Training class (more on that later!) I was reminded of the verse 1 John 1:5 which states that "God is light, in him there is no darkness at all". The holocaust and every other evil in the world grieves God's heart so much and in no way is that His desire for His creation. I praise God for the hope that lies in Christ - a light that prevails in a dark world. I just started reading "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom and think it would be neat to visit her home in Haarlem during my time here. Learning through her story that God is present and at work in all situations and knowing that He can provide strength in all circumstances gives me hope as well! I hope that you are experiencing hope in your day today!

Ways to pray!

Okay, one last post for the day! And there's still so much more but I thought I needed to start somewhere. Read the other two new ones below for some of the latest info! My small group is leading the Shelter outreach event again this Friday night. The juice intake here is amazing - especially since it's been so hot. Juice comes in large boxes here and Anne knows how to make really cool little wallets from them once the box is empty. So in essense, our outreach event for the night will be to make these crafty little wallets. Anne is passionate about Guatemala and the people there - for this reason we are going to ask the guests that come to ake one for themselves and one to give back to Anne. She has been selling them for 2 Euros in order to raise money for clean water in that country. So, a service project in a sense - but an outreach as well. That's where I come in, I offered to do a little talk about the idea of taking something from "trash to treasure". God takes us as we are, even the parts that are garbage, and transforms us into a new creation when we come to trust in Jesus - perhaps n analogy to how we are taking an empty juice box, trash, and making it into something new, a treasure. Please, if you can provide any Bible verses or additional thoughts to help me out that would be amazing! It is my heart that my words would be clear and understandable for those who are not Christians. Also, Saturday night will be my first go at leading a "Bible Discussion", these happen nightly at 7:30. Pray for my time of preparation in choosing a topic and studying it for myself before I lay it on the table for others. Pray that many guests would come! Thank you so much for coming along side of me in what the Lord is doing here in Amsterdam (whether you are a Christian or not I am just grateful that you are interested!)- and of course keep me updated on what is happening in your corner of the world! Much love to you!

Baptism!

Celebrate with us here that on Sunday two of our staff, Jonathon (from Germany) and Anne (from The Netherlands) were baptized! This is a picture with Anne in the center, and a friend and the pastor to baptize her in the lake:

It was so special, about 25 of the staff here hopped on our bikes for a 45 min ride out to this lake in Amsterdam - what a great time to be encouraged in our faith. It was also very hot that day so many of us decided to jump in afterwards, definitely worth getting the clothes wet. This is Talitha, Desire, and me after a refreshing dip:

I've only been at the Shelter for a week but I already feel so connected with everyone here. That's not to say that I don't miss all of you, I really do, but it is such a blessing to know that where I am is where God is pleased to have me!

Happy Fourth of July!!

Wow - to all the Americans, have a wonderful day celebrating the blessing it is to live where God has placed you, in many ways we have such freedom! Oh and how I love fireworks so think of me when you are enjoying them! The Americans here are going to make dinner ath the house but it's kind of comical because we're making fajitas! Easy and speedy, that's the American way.
Well, there seems to be so much to say because so much has been happening here the past couple of days! I would love to be posting something on the blog everyday but alas this will have to do for now. The outreach went well, thanks for your prayers. A lot of people showed up for the free food - for dessert we wrapped up bananas and chocolate in foil and threw it on the BBQ, I highly recommend it for your BBQ tonight! Here's a picture of me preparing the bananas with Matthieu, a French guy on staff here (watching France beat Brazil in soccer/voetbal with him was hilariously wonderful!):

Desire, a Dutch girl on staff here (actually her time here just ended, we are so sad to see her go - an amazing woman of God!) did a drama to a song after the BBQ. It questioned who nailed Jesus to the cross, only to discover that we all have. In the background is a poster that says "Who nailed him there?". We held the outreach in our garden, check it out:

Another cool thing that happened is that Christina, a girl on staff, loves Amsterdam and the area in which our Shelter is so she offers tours of the Jordan area once a week. I joined her and several guests on Saturday - it was really neat, we really do live in a beautiful part of the city. The coolest part was that afterwards I was able to talk for a long time with one of the guests who is a Christian Scientist, I learned a lot about her beliefs as well as had the chance to share the gospel with her. She says she cannot understand that we are saved by grace alone, not works (Ephesians 2:8-9). I thank God for the opportunity to talk with her and for this chance to learn so much about other people/cultures/religions. She told me she was surprised that I even cared to listen to her - what a joy it is to have the love of Christ!
Oh, and a huge praise - Steven, one of the cleaners at the Shelter accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior two days ago. He is such an answered prayer in so many ways - a testimony to how God is really using this ministry, pray that we would continue to be bold and compassionate toward all we come into contact with!