Oh Amsterdam. . .

Today I leave the Shelter. This is not fun because my time here has been wonderful - as I am sure you could tell by my previous posts. There's not much to say at this point but thanks for all of your prayers and support during my months out here! Today, after small group and trying to pack everything (will it fit?) I am off to visit many great relatives for 10 days. At this point I am just so excited and ready to move on because the Lord has really worked in me and through me here. . .I'm ready to put it all to practice at home. So, I'm ending with this picture taken at the Museum Plein. It makes me think of Exodus 3:14 - "God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you". Knowing that I have been sent by I AM is powerful and in this power I go on knowing that He goes with me wherever I go! Thanks for reading this summer - I will likely do at least one more post when I get back home to let you know how things wrapped up for me here. God bless you!

These are a few of my favorite things. . .

Let me start with the beautiful clouds - I love it when the sun is shining but there are these amazing clouds in the sky, it adds so much depth and interest. This I will miss! Another favorite thing are the canals here. It sounds so typical for me to say this but it's true - I certainly won't find anything like this in California. It makes for such a cool atmosphere! As for yummy favorite foods that I've had in the city one of my favorites has been falafel - a delicious middle eastern pita bread filled with utter goodness. . .sorry, there's just no other way to describe it! Another one of my favorite things has been my ability to confuse people in regards to whether I am Dutch or American - how about both?! One of my favorite things to hear people say has been "you look so Dutch" or "you act so Dutch", however because of my American accent I have rarely heard "you sound so Dutch" - I typically get made fun of for my language skills but that has been one of my favorite things as well! However, it has also been one of my favorite things to introduce all these internationals to some American culture - and hopefully breaking some of their stereotypical assumptions while I was at it. This picture captures a powerful moment - sharing Reese Peanut Butter Cups (thanks to Kelly!) with those whose taste buds have never experienced something so amazing before:

I'm helping to start a Reese Revolution. . . maybe soon they will start producing them here! Another favorite thing - effective public transportation, other then cars I might add. After living in this city it just sounds like the craziest thing that I have a car at home - that is so unnecessary here! Well, there are so many more favorite things I could add to the list and I think that once I've left I'll be able to recognize even more of them but I'll end with one more. A favorite thing has been getting to know the ins and outs of this city - with the hopes that one day I wil be back and be able to navigate around with confidence, knowing where all the coolest places are - the cafes, restaurants, shops, churches, museums, etc. It's amazing what two months in Amsterdam will do to someone. . . in the midst of all the madness there is just so much light waiting to be discovered - I am so thankful to have discovered it here!

My Shepherd, the Lamb of God

Some reflections on the Bible Discussion I just led in the hostel. I woke up yesterday morning with the strong feeling that I should prepare on the topic of the shepherd and his sheep. I had tentatively planned on doing a different topic but was thankful for this bit of inspiration from above! So, when this evening rolled around I was excited to share and discuss this topic with whoever the Lord had planned to hear it. Even though we invited many guests who were hanging out in the cafe the group consisted of me, Christian (a German staff member), Benjamin (a manager), and Jerome. Jerome is a new cleaner at the hostel, he started working and living in the hostel yesterday. He is originally from England but has been rooming around for 6 years now. I was so thankful to have him at the discussion and put aside any expectations of having a larger group knowing that it is God who is ultimately responsible and more then capable of bringing as many people as He wants to bring. So, I started the time with brainstorming together the different characteristics of a shepherd and of sheep. Then we turned to the Bible - there are so many references to this topic, in both the Old and New Testaments, for the sake of time I choose just a few. Starting in John 10:7-13 we looked at the contrasts Christ sets up between Himself as the gate in contrast to the thief, as well as Himself as the Good Shepherd in contrast to the hired hand. To get a better picture of our position as sheep and how the Good Shepherd views us we then looked at Luke 15:3-7. What an amazing image - Christ seeking us out, lifting us up out of the pit and onto His shoulders, and rejoicing over us as we step into His fold. So, these two passages pointed to Christ as our shepherd but what about Jesus as a sheep, the sacrificial Lamb of God - for this we turned to Isaiah 53:6-7. How crazy that He stepped down from the throne and into our position as sheep so that He could make us righteous before the Father by His blood alone. 1 Peter 2:24-25 tells of this as well. While sharing these verses and talking about them together God gave me the courage to ask Jerome directly what He believes about all of this personally. He went on to explain that he has been reading the Bible but has a hard time trying to figure out why Christ would die for His sins and why something that happened so long ago would be true for him today. This man is seeking and open to hearing God's word - now just pray that he could set his questions aside so as to accept the free gift of grace by faith in Christ alone. We closed the time by reading Psalm 23 - to think that what David writes of awaits all those who trust in God and dare to acknowledge Him as their Good Shepherd is just insane because I know I am not worthy of such love, joy,and peace yet on the otherhand I am worthy because of the blood of Christ that was shed for me. . . and you! One final thought that really both encouraged and challenged me by bringing the Bible Discussion time full-circle was the picture of my life as a cup that overflows. This is in Psalm 23:5 and it ties in so well with John 10:10 where Jesus says that, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full". Does your cup overflow, are you experiencing the full and abundant life that Christ came to freely give to us? It is my prayer that Jerome and all sheep that are still lost would come to experience this full life and it is my prayer that I and all sheep within the loving fold of God would come to experience more and more of this abundant life that He has promised!

Potato Festival!

Let me start with a picture of where I have been sitting all these months as I update my blog:

That's the library - usually a place busy with people using the internet, chatting, and looking for good books to read. Often it is hard to focus as I write, but still so fun to be with such a social group of people! I wanted to quickly share about the outreach my small group has planned for tonight. We are having a "Potato Festival"! Sounds random? Well, it is but I think it will be so fun! We will be making our own french fries, learning about some potato history, listening to a little art lecture about the "potato eaters" painting by Van Gogh, as well as playing crazy games - such as bobbing for potatoes and a three-legged potato sack race. makes you wish you'd be here for it, huh?! It should be a great chance to connect and form relationships with the guests as well as share the gospel with them (Bettina is going to initiate this during the art lecture, it will take some creativity!). As I think back on all the outreaches I helped to plan and participate in I am confident that the Lord will work in any and every way that He wants. To close, I am leading my last Bible Discussion on Saturday evening - please pray that guests would come and that I would be bold and compassionate towards those the Lord has entrusted me with during that time. Thanks - and Happy September!

Gezellig!

This word is the best way to describe the Jordaan (the name of the area in Amsterdam that I've been living). . .too bad there is absolutely no translation for this word in English! You'll just have to come out and experience it for yourself one day. If I try to describe the word I would use adjectives like: fun, cozy, cheerful, festive, relaxed - but really it's a combination of all these words and more! From what I've heard, in the past the Jordaan was the poor area in Amsterdam but that has now changed. I see many ritzy looking people riding on their bikes in nice suits and dresses - probably on their way to their work. There are lots of cool art galleries and specialty stores up and down the many tiny streets. And the cafes, there are so many cafes! This is really cool because in the early evenings. . .when the weather is nice. . .there are many people sitting outside - drinking and socializing together. The buildings and canals are so wonderful as well here - they really add to the atmosphere. Along with that there are many "hofjes" to be discovered. These are beautiful old secret courtyards that the rich made for the poor and the sick to enjoy. From the street you would never guess they were there, you enter through a door only to find some of the most beautiful and peaceful scenery in this crazy city. What a blessing it is to step into a hofje - a great chance to enjoy a bit of nature and silence! Another "gezellig" aspect to life in the Jordaan are the great markets that happen a few streets down from our house on Saturdays and Mondays. Anything and everything is sold here - from bras, to batteries, to broccoli for example! Not to mention delicious cheeses, beautiful flowers, and an abundance of second hand treasures that I typically don't have the patience to search through. It's such a great chance to be amongst the many people that live here or travel to this area because of all the great things they've heard about it. Well, I hope I have been a decent tour guide and that you are now convinced to come and experience the gezellig nature of this wonderful part of Amsterdam - as I think about leaving I know for certain that a part of my heart will remain!