Welkom En Amsterdam

Though the view from our bedroom window is somewhat less than welcoming as I write this--rainy day #8 of the 10 we've been in Holland--our team has begun, at last, to feel at home here. I even found my own way home from the grocery store a minute ago (quite a feat for this directionally challenged woman, regardless of locale). We spent our first week here adjusting to newness on almost every side--new climate (cool and rainy), new time zone, new culture and language (we had our first, and probably only, formal dutch lesson last week-we can now greet, thank, bless and offer to pray for the people we meet on the street or in the grocery store), new food (my favorite : )), and new roles to name a few.

Before we left the states, God spoke to our leader, Kyunghee, and told her 'this outreach won't be what you've planned'--an exciting, if also unsettling, thing to hear when setting out for a two month outreach. While the complete fulfillment of that remains to be seen, we've already experienced God doing some shifting around of our plans. Even before we left the base (as I mentioned in a previous update), we said goodbye to two of our teammates, who left to be married. A happy, but still unexpected, change.

When we arrived at De Poort, YWAM Amsterdam's training and housing center, God had another shift in store for us. We were blessed, just before leaving Richmond, to finally resolve our housing issues (also mentioned in a previous update)-we planned to stay first at De Poort for a month, and then move across Amsterdam to stay in the apartment of a friend of Kyunghee's for our final month. It wasn't ideal, but we were thankful, after all the uncertainty and struggle of the months leading up to outreach, to have a place to lay our heads.

The shift came as we waited to put our luggage in De Poort's freight elevator before going upstairs to our rooms. The base director walked past and greeted Kyunghee, as many other staff had done already that day (Kyunghee served with YWAM Amsterdam for many years before moving to Richmond). He was on his way to a meeting, but took long enough to say hello and offer us the use of his apartment while he and his family were on holiday--from the next day until the last week of our outreach! God has provided for us over and above what we expected (thank you for your prayers!)--not only will we pay about half of what we would have payed to say at De Poort, our new home is located on the top floor of the building housing ouir hosting team, Ethnos, and is a five minute walk from the Red Light District, where we plan to do much of our ministry. We're also directly across from Centraal Station, so buses and trains to everywhere we want to go beyond walking distance (we're doing a lot of walking!) are just meters from our front door. We also have the use of their kitchen, dining room and living room, providing cheaper meals and a private and comfy place to have our team worship and meetings.

So our second change in plans was a huge blessing (Yea God!). Some of the changes that have followed have been a bit harder to swallow, but we have had to trust God that they will also be for the best, even when we don't understand them. As Kyunghee met with the different ministry heads our first week, we were a bit discouraged to see door after door close--the homeless ministry is adequately, if not over, staffed; the ministry to the ladies behind the windows in the Red Light District (RLD from here on out, to save time and space : )) does not usually take volunteers for less than 3 months (we are here for 2) and our host team is majoritively on holiday (making opportunities to minister with them a bit limited). But, as He always does, God has been opening new doors and providing new direction--a different homeless ministry can use our help; the ladies ministry is praying about starting a new work with ladies outside the RLD (there are windows all over the city, the RLD is just the most populous and famous) which we may be able to participate in, since we'll be laying groundwork for others who will be the long-term workers; we've built a relationship with the Tabernacle team, who run YWAM's 24-7 prayer house in the RLD-we planned to spend some time there, but instead have been able to spend more and even help lead some of the prayer times (more on that in a minute : )).

God has been changing my personal plans for outreach, too. One of my major goals for this time was to hear from God what He would have me do after we return to the states, but as we've been here and seeking God for what HE wants, He's made it clear to me that He's called me to Amsterdam NOW, and that I need to focus on that calling and leave the other for Him to make clear in His way and time (more than a bit of a challenge for a planner like yours truly, but when God says 'lay off'...). And He may already be making it clear--I, who was amazed to hear God say 'youth ministry' last year instead of 'worship/music ministry', who came to DTS to prepare to work with teenagers, am finding myself being taught by God about leading worship. It started in lecture phase, when I was asked to be the DTS worship leader. Then, I was given the opportunity to sing backup for the base worship leader at our weekly gathering, then finally the huge, if a bit daunting, opportunity to lead base worship the week she was on vacation. Now, on outreach, I am leading my team EVERY DAY (quite different from the 1-2 times a week I was doing in Richmond), and am also learning a lot from our work with the Tabernacle team--they use a model called 'harp and bowl' prayer that mixes worship and prayer and incorporates 'prophetic singing' the singing out of a phrase or sentence during worship that is then taken up by everyone else, literally 'singing a new song' to God. Not to mention the different styles and methods of worship I've been exposed to as I've been around different 'brands' of Christian represented in YWAM--from drawing/painting and the formal, reverent beauty of the Messianic synagogue to more charismatic shouting, jumping and dancing.

What will come of all of these shifts and surprises, only God knows at this point. What I do know is that I'm so thankful to be following God on this journey to Amsterdam and beyond, and thankful for you, my friends, who through your prayers, encouragement and support, are making it all possible. So I'll close by exercising some of my new-found Dutch skills: Gods Zegen! (God bless you)

Praise God with me:
+For meeting and EXCEEDING our housing needs
+For providing, in the days shortly following our arrival in Amsterdam, ALL of our remaining outreach fees and airfare
+For opening new doors for us to minister in Amsterdam

Please pray with me:
+That we would continue to be led by God as we endeavor to serve Him in Amsterdam-and that we would hear Him especially clearly on Wednesdays, the day we have set aside for what we've named 'Mission Possible'-spending the morning in listening prayer and the afternoon doing whatever we feel God has led us to in that time
+That God would equip, lead and encourage our leader, Kyunghee as she makes decisions for the team
+That God would use us in the lives of the homeless, prostitutes and others He sends our way, and that He would be glorified in all we say and do
+That God would watch between the members of our team and cause us to 'increase and abound in love for one another and for all' (1 Thess 3:12) that our love and unity would make us not only more effective, but a witness to the people around us