Visitors!

Now for a little post about how wonderful it was to see familiar faces here in Amsterdam! During the month of August (can you believe it is almost over?!) 4 friends from San Luis Obispo, my college town, came to this crazy city for various reasons. I'll go in chronological order. The first visitors were Tim and Steven (Bessie). They had been traveling through Europe for sometime and Amsterdam was their second to last stop before heading back to California. Sadly, the two days that they were here it rained so much (what's new though) but we still tried to make the best of it. We were able to go to the Jewish History Museum together which was really interesting. Also, here's a great shot of Tim using one of the many outdoor urinals in the city(for this reason I am glad it wasn't hot because when it's hot you shouldn't get anywhere near these because it stinks!):

Hopefully you're not to embarrassed Tim, but you said I could! It was great to hangout with these guys - and feed them! My goodness, their idea of traveling was to not eat because that costs money - not the way I would do it. So, it was fun to feed them Shelter food. . and then they were off to Paris! Next came Kelly, while visiting her aunt and uncle she made the time to spend a day with me. First we walked around for a bit - stepped into the Westerkerk to get out of the rain as well as to catch a glimpse of where Rembrandt was buried and to hear a quick bit of an organ concert that was going on. We also walked into a Tulip Museum - which is where this picture was taken:

There is quite the story behind this picture because little did I know that when we came into this museum we would get into quite the spiritual conversation with the man running the place. Really something, to be used by God when you least expect it! Through the course of the day her aunt and mom ended up joining us and we had such a nice time walking through the Jordaan. There are so many fun little things to discover here. We also went out to Rembrandt Plein where they have created a lifesize iron version of the "Nightwatch" painted. The city is crazy about Rembrandt right now because it's his 400th Birthday - even some of the trams are covered with his artwork. After some more fun in the city we headed to Kelly's aunt's house and had such a nice dinner there (ah, Mexican food - it had been so long!) with lots of laughter and stories for dessert. What a fun day! And finally, Lauren came to visit for 3 nights before heading of to Florence to study architecture for a year. This was my chance to be a real tourist. We hit up the Rijksmuseum (with lots of art work, including Rembrandt and Vermeer), the Van Gogh Museum, and DNA Fashion Exhibit. We also spent an afternoon in Haarlem (gotta love Corrie Ten Boom!) followed by lots of walking through Amsterdam. We went to the Albert Cuyp market . . . where Lauren experienced her first fresh Stroopwafel:

Yum, a must-have while in The Netherlands! How nice it was to have each of these friends here - to show them where and how I have been living for the past couple of months as well as to talk about life at home with someone who has been there and has an understanding of what it's like - an understanding that is not based on what Hollywood depicts (people are quite fascinated with the fact that I am from California. . .I blame many misconceptions on the movies! Yes, we have snow and no, life is not like it is on the OC. . .but, alas it is true that Arnold is the governator). How blessed I am to have had this opportunity to see familiar faces here - I had no idea this would happen before I made the decision to come out here. . .but then again there are many things that I could never have expected. God's plans are so great - far greater than anything I could ever dream up for myself!

Faith

A couple of days ago I prepared a Bible Discussion on the topic of faith. I was spurred on to do so after my faith in the Lord's power to heal (spiritually of course. . . but physically also!) was increased. I had a sweet time preparing and felt like things came together somewhat smoothly. Anne, my roommate, was my attender and after spending some time in prayer together we went into the cafe and patio to invite guests. This part can be a little nervewrecking because you just never know what their reaction will be to the invitation to join. Leading a Bible study at home is so different in this regard - I usually have the liberty to assume that at least one (usually many more - you girls are wonderful!) will show up. . .and that they are Christians. I can in no way make these assumptions here. Well on this particular night no one was interested which initially was disappointing but it ended up being really cool. I figured that since I had prepared Anne and I should go on with it and discuss the topic together. We talked about what faith is (Hebrews 11:1) and what the opposite of faith is (Romans 14:23). We also discussed the idea that faith is a gift from God and that He is the only one that can bring us into a saving relationship with Himself. This comes from Ephesians 2:1-5 and the understanding that God makes us spiritually alive - just like I could do nothing to bring myself back to life if I died, the same is with my spiritual being - when I was dead spiritually it was only God who could make me spiritually alive, He gets all the credit! We went over several other verses and just had a good time mulling over this topic together - we didn't necessarily see eye-to-eye on all things but that's what a "discussion" is all about. The unseen can be a challenge to wrap our minds around and I certainly don't have all of the answers but hey, that's why God is God - I will leave it up to Him to reveal more of Himself to me in due time or to keep things from my understanding according to His purpose. As we were wrapping up we heard Freek, a manager, playing the guitar and worshiping so we went out to join him. It was so cool - we were singing "Shout to the Lord" in Dutch, German, and English simultaneously. . .don't think I will be experiencing that at home anytime soon! Anyways, the blessings the Lord had in store for my Bible Discussion were different then what I thought they would be - and they continued today. A new guy on staff here, Christian (yet another German!), and I got to talking about faith and it was great! He pointed me to a verse I hadn't thought of - it's "powerful", as Ryan from Las Vegas always says. I'll end with it now, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (have faith!) that you have received it, and it will be yours" (Mark 11:24). Yep, that's powerful - that's Jesus for ya'!

Busy Day(s)

A run through of yesterday's events to show you that no day here is like the other - but each day is so busy and full of unexpected little twists and turns! So, I had the morning cafe shift yesterday. This was nice because I am typically at the reception desk and rarely in the cafe - it's always nice to mix it up once in a while for variety. I made many yummy pancakes on a very rainy morning - I don't think the rain could have come down any harder then it did. After we were done preparing the breakfast Bettina and I got introduced to and began training Christian, a brand new staff member from Germany. Seems like a great guy, he'll be here for a year - wow! Also, we prepared the food for a good-bye lunch that afternoon. Thanks to chocolate chips that Lauren brought me (you can't buy them here!) I had the idea of making chocolate chip cookies for everyone. I was pretty disappointed with how they turned out - some were a little burnt and they were very flat. . .alas, they were devoured and the Europeans liked them - now they just have to come to the states to get a real good taste of what a chocolate chip cookie should be like! The good-bye lunch went until about 3:30. After eating together, we said good-bye to and prayed for 4 staff members (2 Dutchies, an Englishman, and a Canadian) who are leaving in the next couple of days. I really have met so many amazing people here! And then, my aunt came! How fun it was to show her around the hostel - to give her a real feel for what I've been doing in this crazy city for over 2 months. We then went to the Van Gogh Museum which I really loved (a confession - this was my second time in one week! I think I've had my fill now.) - she was able to borrow a bike from Lukas, it's just so convenient to bike through the city and at this point it had stopped raining. Afterwards, we spent some time walking up and down the streets in the Jordan - looking at all the beautiful buildings, tiny shops, and fun cafes. We had dinner at one with the name of "the laughing fish". A festive and busy place! And then she hopped back on the bus - how nice of her to make the time to visit! At this point I was tired - I had been on my feet all day, so I biked home, took a shower, and soon after went to bed. Now it is the morning again - a reception shift awaits me, as well as an End of the Summer BBQ at Harold's. I wonder what else is in store? I am sure the days will continue to fly by - my last shift here in Amsterdam is September 4th and after spending time with relatives I will fly back to California on the 15th. It certainly hasn't been a restful summer but it was been one that I will never forget - I have absolutely no regrets!

Westerpark

There is a wonderful park close by that I want to tell you about! If I go for a run this is where I like to go. It takes about 5 minutes to get there and it's so wonderful because almost instantly I forget that I am living in a big, busy, bussling city. Being a country girl at heart Amsterdam can be a little much for me at times so having this park to escape to has been so awesome! It is large with many little trails all over - this is a picture I took from one of the trails:

Such natural beauty is so refreshing to experience and God is so good to give us the blessing of such a beautiful creation. So, that is where I found myself this morning - getting ready and excited for a new day. I will be leading the Bible Discussion tonight, on faith - I'll write more about how that went later. It starts at 7:30PM here (10:30AM in California - so if you're an early riser and reading this pray that the Word of God would speak!) And now, it is raining. . .once again. Will it stop? I suppose I am starting to get used to it - BUT that doesn't mean I like it! Although, I came to this wonderful verse in Deuteronomy 32:2 which says, "Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants". God can use all things to glorify Himself - even things I don't like. What a beautiful image that rain can now bring to my mind - glory be to God!

Jesus, the Great Physician!

Wow - something AMAZING just happened. . .but first a little background information. Every Monday and Wednesday the staff takes part in a Ministry Training Program (MTP). We meet for a 3 hour class, either in the morning or afternoon depending on when we have to work. The class topics vary a lot. Sometimes we are taught about very practical things concerning doing ministry at the Shelter - such as how to be a better cafe or receptionist worker. I have also received training in how prepare a Bible Discussion as well as how to stay spiritually sane while doing ministry here. The other half of the classes have been on more general topics that will always apply, regardless of where the Lord has me. We have studied other religions - these classes have been taught by professors at La Bri University (there is a branch in The Netherlands). We have also been led in several Bible studies - these past three weeks included Jesus teaching Nicodemus (and us!) about being born again, Jesus teaching the Samaritan woman at the well (and us!) about living water, and today: Jesus healing a man born blind (John 9). So, now that you are somewhat up to speed here comes the exciting part. First a disclaimer, I think that all of you know that I am a pretty rational girl and that I would not knowingly tell you things that aren't true - especially things that I have seen with my own eyes. After studying the passage in John 9, our teacher Martijn, asked us if we knew of people we could pray for to be healed of sicknesses. Several fellow staff members mentioned serious illnesses - a mom's kidney that is failing, a friend with cancer, a brother in a wheelchair. We also wanted to pray for one of the staff members, Bethany - a super sweet 17 year old girl from Canada, who burned her hand badly this morning. I was working at the reception desk, she in the cafe - making French Toast for the guests - and this is when she burned her hand. I saw it myself, it started blistering immediately and it was very red and painful for her. After her shift she went to the pharmacist who gave her a cream and told her she would have to use the cream 3 times a day for many days and that she would have to bandage it very carefully. Anyways, so at the end of class we also wanted to pray for her hand as well as all the other prayer requests that were mentioned. Sadly, we finished praying as a group and then realized that we forgot to pray for her! So, Maurice, one of the staff guys, said that we should all pray for her. After praying Ryan told her to take the bandage off and her blistered hand was completely healed - NO JOKE!! I know it's hard to have faith when you don't see this yourself but I saw it with my own eyes - the before and after - and it really happened! She was able to give Ryan a high-five with the hand that had been hurting minutes before. Thank you Lord that you have healed her! Give us more faith to believe that all power in Heaven and on earth belong to you - the power to heal us spiritually through the death of your Son as well as the power to heal us physically. You do all things to glorify yourself - thank you for glorifying yourself through this tiny but so wonderfully amazing miracle today! At the beginning of this class we talked about the verse where Jesus says, "But this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his[the blind man's] life" (John 9:3). May you also acknowledge the work of God being displaying in your own life, through the good and the bad, through physical healing or no physical healing! Really, we have spiritual healing offered to us - what more do we truly need? Amen!!

Brunch at Harold's

Every Saturday morning at 10:30 the Willemsstraat house is invited to brunch at Harold's. Harold helps out at the Shelter Jordan as a night man every other week for about 4 night shifts. He also has a job at the Heineken Brewery in town, he sees to it that the proper orders are filled for 4,500 locations in Amsterdam alone that have Heineken beer on tap - crazy, huh! Usually a group of about 8 of us show up for a yummy feast and fun fellowship at his apartment, about a 20 minute bike ride away. Here's a picture taken a while back - food in the foreground and fellowship in the background:

It's a small apartment with a very small, but cool, backyard. He has a bath tub pond, a rabbit and a guinea pig, as well as a BBQ he made out of a beer keg - very creative! This is always a nice opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy some food that, as he puts it, is of the "non-Shelter variety". So, off we go!

I'm a Blogging Machine!

So, I know this is my third posting for the morning but I figured I might as well keep going! There are still many more things I want to share with you - so even though the rate at which I blog is not very steady I still want to make sure that I squeeze it all in eventually. Crazy to think that in a few days shy of a month I will be home - it will be such a blessing to catch up with many of you then, in person! During my time here I have had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people and have many wonderful conversations about the grace of God I have experienced in my life and the same grace that God extends to all who accept Jesus as Lord of their lives. However, the Lord is so good and faithful - not only does He ask me and help me pour out into the lives of others - He also is continually pouring into my life, overflowing my cup, and strengthening me by encouraging and challenging me to walk more closely with Him. There are many examples of this I could mention - but I will start with the most recent one for now. Yesterday during the prayer time before the evening shifts began at the hostel Benjamin, the manager on duty, read the opening pages from a book titled "Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life" by Donald S. Whitney. Interestingly enough, what was read was very similar to a chapter I had just read a few hours before in another book I have been going through. So the idea that was presented really struck me and stuck with me! The book starts with the line: "Discipline without direction is drudgery". Then comes the question of why Christians should practice spiritual disciplines such as reading the Bible, praying, fasting, worship, serving, etc. We can be disciplined because there is direction and purpose behind it! Romans 8:29 says that we are being conformed into the likeness of God's Son and 1 John 3:2 says "Dear friends, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is". Discipline takes forward-thinking, acknowledging that there is a reason behind what we do brings about the motivation needed to press on. We must recognize that we are training ourselves to be godly (1 Tim 4:7) only because of the blood of Christ and it's power to make us righteous in the presence of God - for no other reason should we practice spiritual disciplines but to glorify God in light of this truth. This certainly isn't easy for me - but I was encouraged by this and wanted to share it with you. It's so easy to become undisciplined in how we live when in fact if we, as Christians, can remember that we are to be disciplined because it is part of the process in making us to be like Him, Jesus, then I believe that provides more motivation then we could ever need. Now it's just a matter of keeping that in mind when the temptation to do otherwise stands in the way. "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). May the same be true of you in this day!

My Experiences with the Church

During my time in The Netherlands I have had the chance to attend a total of 3 different churches thus far. The day after I arrived I wanted to go to a church so I went to a Reformed Church near my Tante Gree's house. The experience definitely was a good representation of my experiences of the churches here during my past visits. The building was beautiful in appearance but with many empty pews. The mood was rather somber and the hymns were so long and slow. The pastor's sermon felt long and dry, without many personal stories or application points. Now, I am probably being over-critical, especially considering the fact that many of the Dutch words concerning the Bible and faith are hard for me to understand (we mostly read from the English Bible while growing up at home) but I must say, I wasn't too surprised by what I encountered. The following Sunday I found myself in Amsterdam, heading to a church called the Zolder (the Attic, check out their website at www.amsterdam50.nl) with a group of staff members and guests from the hostel. As we stepped into the building we had to walk up a very long, steep, and narrow flight of stairs to get to the attic - this is where the church meets! Here I found a packed room of young people - ready and excited to worship the Lord:

Conveniently the service was held in English, with the hope of welcoming the widest group of people in Amsterdam as possible. How encouraging it was to see a thriving church in a city that is known to be so "dark". Currently the church is looking for a new building because with already 2 services on Sunday there is not enough space in the attic any longer! My third experience of a church here happened when I visited Jim and Dar, missionaries in the city. They are active members at the Hilversum International Christian Center (www.hicc.nl) - a church that was started not too long ago and is being richly blessed by the Lord. This budding church was full of very welcoming young families, students, and older folk. Once again, it was so exciting to personally witness that the Lord is alive and well and actively at work in the lives of many in Holland - as He is all over the world. This Sunday I will yet again visit another church and I look forward to adding another experience to the list. It is a blessing to experience a little more of the church universal - especially knowing that it is not the building that makes a good church (although there are MANY beautiful church buildings here), rather it's the presence of the Lord and His grace in the lives of the people who gather together.

Life at the Willemsstraat House

So what is it like to live with 40 Christians from all over the world. . .encouraging and challenging at the same time! In many ways life here reminds me of freshman year in college, there is always someone to talk to or something to do at any hour of the day or night. In other ways it is definitely not like freshman year in college. For example, we do not have a conveyor belt that wisks the dirty dishes out of sight. The kitchen here is most often quite a mess, with piles of dirty dishes on the counter - even though we have two dishwashers! One aspect to life here is that weekly we are each assigned a chore to do. It seems that most often I have had bathroom duty, not the most fun but the feeling of a clean bathroom makes it worth it! Another house "rule" is that the TV can only be used during the weekend, and only to watch movies. Not being a huge fan of the TV as it is this hasn't been a problem for me - often TV detracts from fellowship so it is nice not to have that distraction here. Although, I must be honest and say that when I get home I will look forward to watching a home decorating or cooking show - it's been a while! Painted on one of our walls in the hallway is a portion of the verse Micah 6:8. The verse begins by acknowledging God's goodness and then asking what the Lord requires of us. The rest of the verse can be seen in this picture:

The challenge to act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with God can only be met when we are focused on the Lord - only by His strength is it even possible to try to achieve such a high calling. When I think of Micah 6:8 it takes me straight back to a room full of young girls reciting this in a sing-song voice at my church's girls group called GEMS (girls everywhere meeting the Savior). How many times I've said this verse growing up and how it is coming to mean so much more today and how it will continue to challenging me in the future is cool. Underneath the verse hangs little flags representing the staff members that have come from all over the world throughout the years. What an amazing testimony that is to the Lord's faithfulness and His ability to unify people from all the corners of the earth - the good news of Jesus Christ's redemptive work on the cross truly is powerful and forever will be!

It is a Small World After All!

That tune has been running through my head at times here because of the interactions I am having with people from all over the world every day! And I thought the U.S. was a melting pot. . .Amsterdam seems to be the true melting pot of today. The guests really come from all over - from China to South Africa, from Israel to Mexico, from Australia to France, and the list could go on and on. One day I was looking at a world map and it honestly seemed so small because of the people I see daily, coming from every corner of the earth. So cool! Another example of the "small world" feeling took place as I was checking in a guest last week. As I was entering his passport information we got to talking - he was from the states and had been to California. I asked him what parts and he said Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo - I told him excitedly that I go to school in that town and then asked him what he was doing there. His response was "torturing students". I found this to be a little strange but he went on to explain that he came as a volunteer with Justice For All (jfaweb.org), a pro-life Christian organization that uses a large graphic display to bring awareness about abortion. At that moment the world felt very small because I volunteered with the organization as well and we went through the same training together. . .just never actually crossed paths - until Amsterdam of course! So cool! And my last example, for now, is the time I've had lately to spend with friends from home. Hanging out with Kelly on Friday, and now Tim and Steven (Bessie) yesterday and today has been so fun! Who knew that Amsterdam would be our meeting spot, and such an exciting one at that. Oh, and of course - the staff team is so international as well - so the examples go on! God is so amazing to create such a complex and spread out land and yet still make it feel relational and intimate at the same time! How special it has been to experience this first hand in Amsterdam.

Family

One of the coolest things about doing ministry in Amsterdam has been having the opportunity to be with family members as well! Finally I have the chance to reconnect with my relatives - it's not always so fun to live so far from them throughout the year. Here is a picture that I will use to represent the times I have had with family:

Why a toilet? Because it's my Oma's (grandma's) and it's green of course! It's these little things that I enjoy. Because I cannot visit often I notice small things that are easy to overlook because I come there with "new eyes" - wanting to soak things up in my memory. Also, it is so comforting to be with family - God is good because most of the times that I have traveled out of the city to visit aunts and cousins the weather has been yucky - there is nothing like sitting comfortably at my aunt's kitchen table when things are so grey outside! On my sporadic days off I have had the time to visit cousins whose babies I have not seen before, Omas who cook me yummy traditional Dutch meals, my Tante Gree who is addicted to Sudoku (yes it is all the craze here as well!), my Tante Juus and cousins who have such active and spontaneous lives, and the list goes on. I am also very grateful to God for the many cool conversations I have been able to have with my family - about them, about me, about spiritual things - about anything that helps me feel more connected to them. There are also times where it is hard for me to be with family because when you only see them every couple of years it can feel a little bit difficult to fit in. At times I feel as if I am being sized up and put on display. . .what does that girl from America look like, act like, talk like?? I guess that's all the product of being the daughter of immigrant parents - and I would never change that! After all, I love being a Dutch American who knows and loves her family, and it has been such a blessing to step into their lives here. . .I look forward to doing more of that in the coming weeks!

Rain, rain. . .GO AWAY!

"Here I go again, talking about the rain/ mulling over things that don't live past today" is a line in a song by the band Casting Crowns. . .but I can't help myself! As I am sitting here the rain is coming down and it is quite chilly, in August! This has been going on for quite a while now. . . I want the heat wave to come back! Here's a silly picture of me with a gigantic umbrella that I borrowed from the hostel. So, don't think that I am smiling because it's raining - I am smiling because my umbrella is hilarious and a kind friend and staff member, Eline, and I were having a great afternoon together. Oh, and I guess I am smiling because somewhere in the back of my mind I know that rain makes things so beautiful and green - but really, why does it have to rain like this in August - this Californian girl will be coming home quite pale!

Small Group

Every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 10AM two small groups meet, one small group from the City and one from the Jordan. My small group, consisting of about 8 Jordan staff members, meets together on Tuesdays (the other half of the Jordan staff meets together on Thursdays) - we're starting in about 10 minutes so I thought I would take the chance to write about what small group time is like. Currently Tom, our staff from England (with quite the cool accent) is in the kitchen preparing breakfast. We have a small heart-shaped waffle-iron that I noticed he put to use this morning - yummy! Here's a picture I took of my group at the breakfast table last week:

Each week we take turns preparing the breakfast or leading the devotional time. After eating we sit down on the couches together and begin with a short devotion that someone planned. Last week was my turn and I shared a song called "Here I Go Again" by Casting Crowns as well as some passages from the Bible that applied to the content of the song. It was a sweet chance to challenge and encourage each other to speak boldly about our faith. After the devotional time we typically go around and share how the Lord has been working in our lives, any cool experiences in the past week, as well as prayer requests. We then spend time in prayer for each other - such a great way to build unity in the group. Also, one of the roles of the small group is to plan and execute the Friday outreach events (we lead it one week and then the other Jordan small group leads it the next). This is a chance to get creative and get the whole group involved in reaching out to the guests in a new way. So - this is a little about what small group is like and now I'm out of time. Breakfast is served!

Rejoice!

Being in ministry it is so important to remember that there are many who are sharing the gospel message and that God is always working in amazing ways, even though it is not always through us. I have learned that here at the Shelter - it is a blessing to rejoice with a fellow staff member when he or she has a great conversation with a guest, there is no need to be jealous or to make comparisons because all glory and honor and boasting should be pointed to God. Therefore, I rejoice with Christina Cameron - a super fun staff member from the States - she has an amazing story to share about a guest that is staying at the hostel. She wrote a journal entry about it and I asked if I could just copy her entry for you to read. This took place on Friday night, after we got back from doing a picture scavenger hunt outreach activity with guests. Little did we know what God had in store. . .

I'm in a daze. Our Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely amazing.
After the outreach tonight I gave a short talk about how if we seek the Lord we will find Him. I read from Matthew 7. As I went to walk out of the cafe, a young guy stopped me and said "Can I ask you some questions?" I said of course.
He asked, "Who is Jesus? tell me about Jesus" I wasn't sure where to start or what his back ground was so I started telling him about the divide between us and God and how Jesus bridges that divide. I told him how Jesus died and with him died the sins of the world but he defeated them and became alive again. Then he said something that surprised me. He told me that he was from a Muslim country and that the Muslims there tell him that Jesus (Isa) is dead but he knows that Isa is not dead because he is alive in his heart!!!!
He found a Christian website in his language and I think he said that there was a Christian there that told him in secret about Christ. He told me someone saw him looking at the website and he was beaten in the streets just for looking. He showed me the scars on his face from it. His home was searched and they found a bible and they left with it. He was warned by his neighbor about a week later that some men were waiting in his house to kill him and he didn't return and immediately fled the country. He's here as a refugee.
He pleaded with me, "teach me! teach me! I don't know anything about the bible!" He'd only read it in Urdu, which is a language he doesn't know that well. He was SO thrilled to learn that there was an Old and New Testament and the difference and that there are four gospels and a book about people being persecuted as they spread the gospel and then so many letters of instruction, explanation and encouragement. He read along in his language and I pointed him to encouraging scripture.
I was so overwhelmed and I asked him if I could pray for him right there and he said "yes! how do i pray? do I close my eyes?"
I cried as he told me the stories of what he's been through. Both of his parents killed by bombs in a war when he was 14. Yet he shines with the love of God. He said he knows God is keeping him alive and sent him to a Christian hostel so that he can learn about Him. I felt like a spiritual child next to this man who hung onto every word i had to say.
I don't know I don't know what else to say. Praise be to the Lord our God for holding this guy so close to Him. Praise Him for being Holy, loving, merciful, powerful amazing lovely and beautiful. I KNOW my God, the Creator of the ends of the earth! He is real, He is stunning He is alive His Word, His Son is alive. There is nothing, nothing, nothing else besides Him.
oh but there is so much more to this story. He may have to go back. He will surely be killed if he does. He smiled and shrugged as he told me this. Pray for this man. never stop praying for him. I'll update later.

Amazing, huh?! I rejoice with this man as well as with Christina and how the Lord planned for this conversation to happen. More over I know that our Heavenly Father rejoices in his new child, made complete in Christ alone. I am so encouraged and challenged by this, what a joy it is to share in ministry with many of you and I pray that reading this has increased your wonder of the God we serve and how majestic He is - may you be spurred on as I have been!

My "Parents"

Krista and Gerrit-Jan are my temporary parents during my time in Amsterdam. Technically they're a little young to be my parents, good thing I have older ones at home! This married couple lives next door to the community house and watch over 40 crazy 20-somethings. . . what a task! They are very welcoming, hospitable, and helpful - it's great to have them here. The day that I arrived Krista was waiting for me at the house to give me a tour and familiarize me with the ins and outs of life here. What a blessing! The first thing she did was sit down with me, offer me something to drink, and help me feel comfortable - it worked! Krista and Gerrit-Jan have an office in our house and are so willing to serve us - whether it be attaching a bell to my bike or taking a moment to chat, whatever the case it is always special to have someone with a little bit of authority to go to. Also, they join in on community events - such as movie discussion nights and small group meetings - from time to time. They have been serving with Tot Heil des Volks for two years now but, sadly,in a couple of weeks they will be moving on to a more "normal" lifestyle. So, the organization is in the process of hiring us new parents (imagine being able to do that in real life! Not that I would of course. . .) - these new parents will have some big shoes to fill but I am excited to see who the Lord will bring and know that He will continue to bless Gerrit-Jan and Krista as they prepare to move on from here.

Change

Never before have I been in a place where so many changes take place! Many times in the past I found myself saying or thinking that I am someone who doesn't like lots of change and fluctuation in life but perhaps being here is helping (or forcing) me to get used to it?! In the hostel, for example, the typical guest stays about 2 nights - and often just 1 so therefore daily we see a huge stream of people coming and going. Also, a lot of changes happen in at the Willemsstraat staff house. In the six weeks that I have been here so many staff have come and gone - it makes me dizzy to think about it! In many ways this has been very cool because in both instances, at the hostel and house, I have had the opportunity to build relationships, though often brief, with so many people from so many walks of life. Ideally, I prefer long term connections with people but this is teaching me that any amount of time is valuable and sufficient enough to show that you love them in the way Christ does. So as two staff members, Jessica and Yeon Sun, leave tomorrow and as I just met a new staff member, Stephie from Germany, I will accept all these changes and learn to go with the flow of the fast-paced life here. There is so much peace in knowing that I serve a Lord who is never changing - has never changed and will never change. Hebrews 13:8 says "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" - all else in life can change knowing that Christ remains, I pray that I will be able to say this in any situation and I pray the same for you!

Kamergenoten!

Yay for my roommates here, it's time to share a little about them with you! Certainly I miss my wonderful girls in SLO (no one could replace you, I promise!) but here is another example of how God takes good care of me where ever I go! Let's start with a picture:

So, of course the girl in green would be yours truly - in case you were worried, my love for that color is only growing while I'm here! How could one think otherwise? Anne is in the middle. She is a wonderful 25 year old Dutch girl who arrived in March and is staying until December. She has been a Christian for several years and it has been amazing to see how mature she is in her faith, even though it brings her many challenges at times. Because of Anne we have a harp in our room which she plays beautifully - what a cool skill! Anne is a real Dutch girl, she is straightforward and honest - and at the same time so caring towards me. Christina, on the right, is my other roommate. She is 20 years old and when people ask her where she is from she typically responds with "good question"! She was born in the states, has lived in The Netherlands since she was a toddler, and will be moving to her sister's place in England when her time here at the Shelter ends (she has 7 months to go!). Christina loves dancing of all sorts, cats (to my dismay), and movies galore. There is a sign designating our room to be the Willemsstraat Movie Rental - she has a closet full of them! Both these girls are a blast - I can practice my Dutch with them and typically Anne will respond in Dutch and Christina in English, we are able to help each other quite a lot in the language department. It is also great to have two girls who care to listen and share themselves with me - in turn it is a pleasure to listen and share myself with them. I am looking forward to another month with them - they are a blessing indeed!

The Language Barrier

Wow - for starters, how blessed I am to speak English! I really have taken that for granted until my time here because most people from other countries study so hard to learn the language so that they can communicate while I was just born in a country where it's the first language spoken (typically!). So, thanks to all of you who worked hard to learn English, I really appreciate it!

Another huge blessing has been my knowledge, though limited, of the Dutch language. At the reception desk sometimes people call only speaking Dutch and instead of listening frantically to hear a familiar name, like some of the receptionists have laughed about doing in these moments, I can understand them! It has also been so fun to respond to people in Dutch when they assume I can't speak the language. I have definitely confused some store clerks doing this! Sadly my American accent usually gives me away. . .I think everyone knows I am not authentic even if I pretend to be. My Dutch speaking skills might be improving a little because there are a couple of Dutch guys in the house (Douwe and Samgar) who will only listen to me if I speak Dutch to them, that's been comical!

And now for some language barrier struggles, why don't I speak every language in the world? That would make life here so much easier for everyone! So often we have guests who are so hard to communicate with - not fun for all involved, I'm improving in my sign-language skills though! Or when I have someone on the phone who barely knows English, imagine trying to explain to them that if they don't come on time their reservation will be canceled - scarry. I've learned to use many words to explain one concept with the hopes that something will come across and make sense. For example: no beds, booked, full, sorry, no room in the inn - this all means that their are no available beds, something I have to tell people frequently during the busy summer months. Though it's not what they want to hear I hope that one of those words will register correctly in their mind!

And now a little story of a language barrier frustration that turned into a blessing. We have had this French man, Ben, staying with us for over a week. He speaks no English and I speak no French (except for the phrase "bless you" when someone sneezes, yes - random!). The reason that this has been so frustrating is that he continues to speak French towards me even though I do not understand a single word he is saying. At times he would get somewhat angry with me, and the other staff, for not understanding him - annoyed French men are not pleasant! However, as I was working the afternoon reception shift yesterday he comes to me with a copy of a "Living Water" booklet translated in French. "Living Water" booklets are free for the taking in the hostel, it is the gospel of John translated into many languages with the hope that a guest will have the opportunity to read through John in their own language. So, when Ben came with one of these I had the idea to grab a copy in English and direct him to certain page numbers - finally the language barrier was somewhat broken and we could try to pick at the words and communicate. Still a challenge but what a blessing! I will never know how the Lord will choose to use the few moments of actual "communication" we had together but I am grateful for the ways He can work, in mysterious and unexpected ways no doubt!

So, these are some of the thoughts I have been having concerning language during my time here thus far. It is safe to assume that I will write another post about this issue - it's a daily source of laughter and/or frustration out here!