Holland

Greeting earthlings.
I am back from Holland, and the question everyone seams to be asking is, “did you love it?” well, yea. It was amazing, God showed me some really cool things, however I didn’t really realize the extent of until now, being back in Hungary. Sort of the ol’ adage, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. My day traveling back to Hungary was a day full of reflection, as I realized just what God had done in me.
While in Holland my prayer seamed to be, God, if you want me to come back to Holland for ministry sake make it clear to me, and sure enough he has been faithful in doing so. Now I currently don’t know what that means for my life, whether that means just going back on occasion to encourage the missionary’s there, or possibly moving there as a more permanent appendage. However, I’m sure the Lord will continue to reveal these things as time goes on.
Now for those of you wanting to know “what exactly did you do there?” well, to some the answer would be, “well, not much” things changed quite a lot from what I had expected myself to be doing. Upon arriving in the Netherlands, my plans where to be working in the streets of Amsterdam, partnering with YWAM, prayer walks throughout the city, street evangelism, things of that nature. While I was able to do these things to some extent, the majority of my time was spent with the Calvary Chapel church in Hoofdorp, which is a sort of suburb outside of Amsterdam, and I must make it clear, the needs of Hoofdorp are the same in that the people need God’s love, however extremely different in the tangibility sense, than the those of Amsterdam. I was able to spend time getting to know the people of the church in Hoofdorp, and building relationships with the family’s there.
I was able to get to know a woman named Angela fairly well, and one day I was able to spend the day with her and her two youngest boys, the elder being about 7, and the younger about 4 I believe, Angela is an American married to a Dutchman. The boys both understand, but don’t speak so much English, which made it easier on me. I got to make a 3D elephant out of cardboard, tape, and a lot of gray paint with them. And it’s funny, I learned a lot about God’s love that day through this family. While we where at the dinner table the younger of the two boys wasn’t feeling well, and made this evident through his whines, while most mother’s I believe would be frustrated, and frazzled with a whining child, who isn’t willing to eat his dinner, in front of company non the less. However Angela, having wisdom beyond my years, just picks up Tyler, cradles him in her lap, and whispers to him while listening to worship music. She comforted him. She didn’t yell at him, get frustrated , she comforted him. And in that moment I saw, that’s what God does. He doesn’t get frustrated and punish us, he wants to hold us in his bosom, whisper to us, comfort us. It’s seams silly but watching that, seeing God’s love in action, I honestly started to tear up. I was moved by something so random, but beautiful. I want to be that kind of mom, the kind that demonstrates God’s love for us, no matter if my child is misbehaving in front of a guest.
While staying with the Marinussen family, I learned a lot about prayer. The family motto is, “well, pray about it.” this family pray’s about everything, it’s really amazing. At first I was taken aback by the fact that Sunday morning on the way to the church, before most have woken up, Stan, the pastor, pray’s. For the message, the congregation individually, and any other thing that may be on his heart. How cool, to have a pastor who pray’s for you personally. At the table before any meal, not just dinner, we pray. Not just for the food, but things going on throughout the day. Now it may be silly hearing a bible collage student impressed by prayer, but it’s more about what’s behind it. The faithfulness in bringing everything before God, and the humility, and honesty in the attitude of it all. It’s not just some ritual prayer before meals, but an honest plea to the lord. Now that’s cool.
The last week I was in Holland I was able to meet up with the team from Crossroads church, my home church, and got to do some ministry stuff with them. We went on a prayer walk through The District and it just happened to be Queens day, and there where many a drunken Englishmen running amuck. It was interesting watching the guys with us, a few of them had been in the Red Light last summer but those that hadn’t reacted differently than I had expected, over all the teams and my own reaction to being back there was much different than I had expected. I figured there would be a lot of people disgusted and appalled, and an overall feeling of despair, however, I felt a sort of encouragement, and talking to Ryan who had been there last summer as well, he seemed to feel similar. I watched as the women in the windows tried there best to lure the boys in, suggestive waving, tapping on the window, and even calling out to them. I was so proud to watch as our guys didn’t even let their eyes wander they continued to walk forward. I even had a little moment when I watched one of the guys take another around the shoulder and just talk to him, I have no idea about what but I was very impressed. I for some reason, felt and air of violation, it felt as though I was being watched, measured, dehumanized. I had never felt that in The District before, surprisingly. I didn’t exactly appreciate it. As our walk was coming to a close, we where praying for the church in the red light, outside of the old, boarded up, Presbyterian church. While we where praying a man walked up to us and asked what we where looking at, we explained that we where praying. He revealed to us that he himself was a Christian, and just wasn’t doing so well, we attempted to get him to pray with us but he managed to walk away. I thought it interesting that while we where praying for the church, to be more than just a building to this city, that it would be the hands of Christ, people reaching out. And that the people of this city would recognize that, this man, he found us out.
I still cant’ believe that I was able to meet up with some of my closest friends, in a foreign city. How fortunate am I? I had an amazing time catching up, the best we could, between lost time and jet lag.
I am now back in Hungary, a whole other adventure in itself. thank you for your diligent prayers, I know I haven’t exactly made it easy on you all.