Time To Turn conferance

Time To Turn Bezielings Festival
It was awesome. So it was basicly a social justice conferance that happens every year. we had speakers and workshops on oils effect on countries and our consumtion rate. The third way Jesus calls us to deal with violence. Living in community for the good of the community (neighborhood/seeking the peace of the city). Letergical dance and theater for God's kingdom. All the food we ate was biological(organic) or rescued from a dumpster. We had some great times of coming together and praising God and prayer it was awesome. I loved when we had comunion it was so powerful being together as one body.


On sunday our heart for the end of poverty, war, injustice and voilence and our frustraightion to our enslavement to oil brought us to a point of sharing it with the city so that we would not me alone in the quest for a better world and celebrating the good news that Another World Is Possible. We held a funeral service for Oil right by Dam square on 'koop zondag' (shopping sunday) the streets were busy as we walked with our coffins of oil barrels. We were very sad realizing the amount that we use and abuse oil. But while we baried it we realized that poverty, war, injustice and voilence would be barried with it (to some extent). That gave us cause to celebrate. We threw a party with saying we wanted to start walking out that hope of another world we gave out cake and coffee to by standers and asked them to celebrate with us. The shaking shikes oil drum bad (made up of time to turners) played some awsome beats with the awesome phrase 'oil junk kan het en vatje minder'. 'oil junks make it a gallen less' (like we are oil junkies and we need to use and abuse less)
I had some intense and less intense interactions with the crowd. Some people went right into the gospel with me and others stayed on the shallow level of climate change. It was good to step out for truth proclaiming the hope we hold through Jesus.

!

Wow God is good!
Last week on the 1st and 2nd of the month I was stressed out about how to move all my stuff and i needed a mattress etc...
God totally provided! Got a 120 E mattress for 17.50 at a kringloop, My uncle works in Wageningen right by Ede and picked me and all my stuff up and brought me to Amsterdam the same day that I SMSed him at 8 am. Wow it all worked out and I felt God speaking about the aboundance of His love for me as His daughter.
Its so wierd because i've been feeling kind of shallow in my walk with God not setting any real time apart for him but in those moments God is by my side loving me when i don't deserve it. I guess you would call that grace...
just experiancing Gods grace~! its awesome!

So this is the beautiful place i have for three months its right by my favorite park in Amsterdam (westerpark) where i love to run or go out for coffee. Also just down the street from the Shelter community house. I'm so blessed...
(the pics don't show but theres also a kitchen and a bathroom and a garden yard thing in the back!)

The adventures thus far with photos and explanations!

Living at Marcos in the Oudezijs 100 community house apartment sitting in the red light district. This is where I lived my first two weeks in amsterdam with my friend Heather who was kindof in the same position as me. It was good to live with her she helped my transition time and processing life/relationships.

Amsterdam is beautiful i always wanted to go sailing, my whole life. A manager at the Shelter City took Tamar and I out on a day trip it was sweet. I loved it!




It was like a mini vacation/just enjoying life and deligting in the Lord.
Heather and I went hitchhiking one day to the beach it was great relaxing and a ton of fun!


We had a cool kind of community since we lived in the red light district (after marco's we moved down the street to house sit for another two weeks). So many of our friends from the shelter etc... would come over and find a haven of rest at our place spending next to no money of living we some how ended up eating so well and really just enjoying life, fellowship and time with God.



The first weekend in September I went to Ede to pick up some things from my lugage that i have in a garage there at my aunt and uncles place. I also went to meet my friend Asha.

We met a month earlier at a anti-sqat place in Niewegain with my friend Mattanja. Asha and i klicked right away one of those one in a hundred people who you are super comfortable and get along with real well from the get go. We planed a mini Vac we were going to hitch hike to the French beach but it was ugly weather that weekend so we hung out in Niewegain
The community house in Niewgain is very alternative and resourceful they go dumpster diving for 90% of their groceries. So as usual i taged along so i could also benifit from the finds of the night. A little late night grocery shopping.


Later we hitch hiked to Mattanjas parents house we ended up haveing an amazing relaxing weekend there really encouraging time.
Sunday after church we headed back to Amsterdam...


The next place I lived was with my friend Kitty on a house boat on the Amstel river.
Gods provision has been unreal.
During my time on the boat i went through a transitional process from christian bubble amsterdam to student/secular society. Her house mates had a BBQ it was great meeting and getting to know them but i was faced with how much diffrent my lifestyle and moral standards are.


I also a few days later got a job as a waitress at a steak house on Damrak. I didn't like it at first because one of my co-workers was making me uncomfortable. But now I love it because he respects me now and my managers are great. It actually feels a little like the shelter of course not the pop music and alcohol but the interaction with tourists. I always get questions of where i'm from and why i moved to Amsterdam etc.

After a sweet time in Ede with Asha this weekend it turned out i had monday off. So did a ton of shelter people so we went on a sweet trip to the beach on one of the last days of summer. We hitch hiked in pairs. We really had a great time.

still here!

Yes i'm still in Amsterdam!
Only by the grace and provision of God!
I ended up house sitting for diffrent people and still find my self so well provided for. I havn't gotten a job yet but I have a peace in me knowing I'm right where I need to be.
Today I'm helping out at the shelter as a afternoon cafe trainer as they have a very high staff turn over. Its cool to be a part of whats happening here still to some extent.
For the rest just sitting at the feet of my Lord, and soaking in His presence.

Crazy flight and delays!

Well on thing leads to another... there were some thunderstorms in Toronto which delayed out plane from coming in (it was stuck in a line on the runway) it delayed our boarding by 2 hrs. Then we got seated and they wanted to wait for people who had a transfer from Winnapeg. Then the fuel truck had to finish up so it delayed our take off an hour and a half.
Flight was okay some turbulation but nothing life thretening.
Got into London and had a bunch of line-ups. it was 9am by this time so I obviously missed my 8:15 flight from london to Amsterdam. Found out the only next flight to Amsterdam left at 16:00. Found internet access (friendly currancy exchange man gave me a £) I called the hostel at the air canada desk... thankfully my friend Martha picked up and contacted my sister and two friends who were waiting for me already at Schiphol (amsterdam airport). Now i'm waiting... thankfully the waiting is almost done and i got to kill the last hour on free internet place i found. yay i'll find out my gate number in 10 min.

its cool though i've been really peaceful and suprizingly patient... God is good!

Next step

moving to 'Nederland'
I am trusting the Lord who lead me there
i don't have much money, any apartment or finalized job contract.
walking by faith...
every time the trust challenges seem to get harder and harder.
its good I'm learning to trust Him with all things
Got the next 22 nights figured out hopefully that will give me enough time to find out what I'll be doing.
I NEED PRAYER
as i have been praying allot lately realizing how much I really can't even pretend to have it together this time
I'm at a loss: broke, homeless and stranded in Europe.(technically)
I know God is my only sure thing in life so I will hold on to Him!

Summer in Canada

I came to Canada for 'vacation' found out that its good to take a break and this was my chance, I really felt like it was a gift from God.
My first week I just started getting on my feet... realizing how much I love Canada, what a ghetto I used to live in, my heart for Hamilton, old friends who are always there for me. It was good.
The second week my friend Tamar from England who I met in Amsterdam came.
I spend two weeks hanging out with her, showing her Canada... we went on a canoe trip and to Niagara fall, Toronto, strawberry picking... etc. We had allot of good talks about God and just praying together.
My parents came in the last days of Tamar's stay. It was so good to see them, but when Tamar left it was a big adjustment to live with just our family. All of us had different emotional reposes it was hard. We got busy cleaning and doing random crafts and before we knew it, it was family camping.
From there a week later we disbursed. Marika went last minute to Amsterdam for August a week before me, Heit and Mem left for China, I'm leaving for Amsterdam, Eritia will be heading to spain for 2.5 months, Art is off to teachers collage in thunder bay, and Hobbe is busy hangin out with his girl friend and ministering with Campus for Christ in Hamilton.

leaving feeling is diffrent every time

Sad leaving but knowing it wouldn't last forever.
Comforted by looking to the future and living out all that I learned at the Shelter.
Holding on to the faithfulness God displayed through that time.

katy and jens wedding photographer

http://www.mywedding.com/jensandkaty/index.html

I was privileged to be a photographer for Katy and Jens's engagment photos.
I've know them as long as they've known eachother, Jens was our small group leader and mentored April and I when we took over leadership. Katy is a good friend and beautiful woman. Both have a strong desire to follow God.
I've been blessed by them.

(apparently the photography looks professional thanks to Katy's editing and Stevens camera)

closeing talk

I really apreciated that the managers took time and energy to have a closing talk with us. I went out for coffee with Francien and it was a great chance to process my time and be herd.

bridge jumping

Bridge Jumping is the best!
its one of the highlights for me
The last time i went was my last day there
we went by the Shelter Jordan and picked up a guest (girl from usa)
whom we made friends with and the cleaner supervisor who was just off shift
it was sweet we went by the shelter city and picked up a bunch of their cleaners
so we ended up with a good group
when we got there it seemed like the whole neighborhood showed up with families BBQing and kids flying off the bridge
I did the rope swing for the first time and it was awesome i realized what i had been missing out on...

Last week at the shelter! :(

wow its already the last week here at the shelter.
The pace of life is so fast that time flies...
I am dealing with alot of random emotions connected to leaving etc...
We have a good bye lunch for Jolanda (my room mate) and I this saturday.
I'm sad to leave but I know I need to rest my weary body.

Bridge jumping!

this saturday I went bridge jumping with some friends... there is a sweet bridge in the east of amsterdam its 12 meters high. Awesome drop and cold water!
It gave me an energy rush to last a week.

Latly

Cleaner team is cool two of our cleaners are doing Alpha!
There are allot of emotions and jazz that is being dealt with I've been talking and dealing with allot of stuff. So glad that the time I spend with God in the morning empowers me to lean on him in the day. And direct people to His presence.
(picture of cleaner Tamar and I)

staff day

Tuesday we had staff day.. we were going to go Canoeing but the wind was to strong and water to cold (they knew we'd be dunking) so we went to an open air museum on re-claimed land an hour train ride north west of amsterdam.
We hung out for the day in the beautiful weather... after we went to an Indian restrant... it was a good day.

Great God (using the prayer room)

Cool testimony that I've been really encouraged with is my friend and co-worker Damara. She came up to me last week and told me how happy she is that we have the prayer room. She went on to say how she loves that its a space set apart for God without distractions (that we find so often in our own room)
After meeting with God regularly. He showed her alot about her time here at the shelter.
From now on I see the change in her that came from hearing the Lord and following His ways.
Her smile energy and love encourage me every day now and bring me joy!

peace

So latly i've been experianceing alot of hospitality from strangers and friends. I guess it goes with not really having your own place your forced to allow others to offer hospitality to you.
One verse I have been constantly reminded of is in Matthew 10 when Jesus is sending out his twelve. Verses 12-16.
This has encouraged me to pray for each person I interact with and ask Gods blessings on those who blessed me with hospitality.

Life

I bought my plan ticket to canada this week.
I'll be flying home on the 17th of June till the 4th of Augest.
Going home for 6 weeks..
processing all that jazz..
God bless

crazy hich hiking trip to Koln (Coloyn) Germany!

So on monday morning I got up like a normal day off, went running and took a shower. While I ate breakfast I had a good chat with Carmi (south african newzelander) and we decided to use our two days off to hitch hike to Koln Germany. Also to see Katrina an old staff member who was going through a bit of a rough time in her exchange program study. We called up Coen (who is known as one of the hich hiking experts in our comunity) and he was up for teaching us. We headed out after Coen's morning shift, we biked/walked to the first highway petrol station and began to ask people who were tanking up where they were going and if we could get a ride with them. We met alot of intresting people and it took nine rides in six hours to get to Koln.
Katrina freaked out when she saw us camped out in the Dom square. It was a sweet reunion. We hung out and spent the night, we read the bible together and after an awesome breakfast of fresh breads and (carmi and coens beer) we got a chance to pray for Katrina! I was so glad that we could encourage her just by our presence.
Katrina had a packed schedual so we walked through town on our own and headed home. It took us 3 hours in the rain of walking from the centre and holding out our thumb till we got on the highway. From there it was rather breazy only taking about 4 rides in all to get home. We decided to stop in Utrecht to stay at Coens sisters place. It was cool we had a good time chilling. The next morning his sister bought us train tickets and we rushed to Amsterdam, I biked straight to work ariving just on time for my cleaner supervisor shift.
What a great adventure!
map is always nessary


eating chocolate sandwiches at a truck stop
Katrina sprinting toward us!
us in the uber slow elevator
Katrina and I in her dorm (Canadian sistas)
Beer for breakfast, rockin it German style
Carmi and the crazy cool 'DOM' church
Over the Rhine river we crossed a bridge with locks on it they all had names on them (like carving your name in a wooden bridge but not) we left a lock here also with our names on it and the date, we left our mark!
We need to get out of frikin gerrrmanyyyyyyyyy
Our free coke and coffee!

beach day!

So this Sunday was the start of my three random Vacation days. I call them random because I had no idea what I was going to do. So I started off by going to church (good choice) after church I went to the shelter city (close to the church I went) because it was raining and I was bored. Ended up asking Coen (friend of mine) if He wanted to hick hike to the beach with me.
So we went, just like that. It was my first time we didn't have a specific destination just the beach. So when a kite surfer picked us up we just joined him to the surfing beach. The wind was really strong tho (thus the kite surfing) so we ended up hanging out in the dunes where the wind didn't catch us and blow sand in the eyes. Didn't do much just ate some and chilled.
Later we just walked to the busy road and a kite surfer woman picked us up and drove us home. (to our bikes)
It was a fun first time experience.
Kite Surfers Beach

Is it going to rain?!
Wijk aan zee
Hich hicking to A(mster)Dam

I got mail!

This morning as i got ready for and on my way to work. I was thinking and praying for my church back home in Hamilton and for my family especially my sister.
God just put them on my heart.
Then I got mail.
About 6 letters from two families in my church and one from my sister.
They warmed my heart and reminded me that God is holding us all in His hands and that prayer is powerful.

Sometimes its the reason God puts people on your path so you can pray for them.

Queens day and its after affects

ended early because of the celebrations. The city was packed with people, apparently Amsterdam is the place to be on this holiday. The celebrations actually officially started on the Wednesday night. Some staff members and I walked around the city observing and once in a while joining in. In our area 'Jordan' there were all the well dressed people listening to their jazz and a couple of bars were playing dace music these were all stages on the street mostly a live DJ or bands playing for the crowds. Once a friend and I just started dancing and everyone around us joined in. But walking around dam square and the area of the red light district it wasn't such a chill atmosphere. People were less 'safe' and chill. I got really tired at the end of walking around the entire city center and seeing every style of people and live music. We had the gay scene, the techno, the hard rock and the jazz/pop. We got to bed at 1am which is probably one of the reasons I was so tired on queens day. After my Cleaner Supervising shift I went straight home and chilled... on the way I saw three guys handcuffed by the police(never caught the story of how n' why). Aparently also earlier that day there was an attemted attack on the royal family. A guy drove his car into the crowd trying to hit the family beyond them. Because of the speed he used he lost control and smashed into a monument. However 6 people died with 12 in the hospital.
I went home and chilled relaxed until my head ache left. At 5pm i ventured the streets with my hippi freinds Heather and Jenny. We ended up scavenging the streets finding some abandoned piles of goods.
later in the evening I did it again ending up with a good selection.
On our walk however millions of people were heading to central station. all the main roads in the center were blocked off and it was just a massive flow of pedestrians.

looking from situation to situation I saw a lot of incredibly drunk people lonely sitting in their own urine and vomit. I saw people stumbling along unable to make coherent choices. I saw a lot of brokenness loneliness and sadness. As much as they 'celebrate' there were a lot of sad people that day.

it broke my heart and i didn't celebrate that day.
only prayed for this city and the people who were here this day.
not much else to do.


Queens day was crazy I had a cleaner supervising shift that went from 9:30-1:30

QUEENS DAY TEAM!

Tomorrow is Queens day, just the biggest holiday of the year where everyone dresses up in orange and participates in a huge nation wide garage sale! Or drunken dance parties if your into that... or is that just amsterdam?!

Crash

Wow so two weeks ago I had a burn out. On night I just had a bit of a mental breakdown. Not being able to control my emotions I began to have to process everything I've been involved in this past year. I realized that I haven't taken a break in a year. No vacation. Really no time to myself, I did Youth Works last summer starting at the end of May and I started that right after my two jobs. Then I came straight here. And it wears on you. I've been involved in this ministry for over seven months. So I got some sick days.
At first I went to my aunt and uncles home in Ede where I felt at home. Having their beautiful home to myself during the day and enjoyed my loving family around me at night. Got some good counseling and talks with my aunt (mothers sister). Wow I had alot to go through but that was a good place to do it. Taking walks in the forest was a regular with their family dog names Lara.
I went back to the Shelter after three days and tried function properly. I could just put my work face on but I knew I wasn't done yet. I knew God wasn't done teaching me and pointing things out in my life yet. So I had an intense meeting with my manager and really realized things I need to work on and ways I need to change in my day to day life and interacting with the people i work with. She gave me four more days off. This time I went to Zwolle where I stayed at a farm just outside the city. It was beautiful, stayed with an older couple (age of my parents) it was incredibly peaceful and quiet. I was faced more and more with myself and God showed me Himself as the way out of my cycles. I found freedom and forgiveness in Him. On the last day He really spoke to me about my future and gave me confidence and security.
One chapter in the bible God kept bringing me to was John 15:1-17. Reminding me to remain in Him in His love and apart from Him I can do nothing.
Also a CD that comforted and spoke out my heart during this time was Shawn Mcdonald's CD called Live In Seattle.
I also learned alot from the books, 'living on the devil's door step', 'Irresistible Revolution' and 'when people are big and God is small'.
Here are some Photos of my time on the farm near Zwolle.
(relaxing country side)
(cows)


(Quira and Mrs. Knol)
This next peice is something I wrote at the end of my processing speaking out to God my heart. Giving real reason for following Him with a full heart and also proclaiming truth and breaking lies i belived about prayer, scripture and worship. God is an awesome God.

I Am, not what I am not, nor I should be. I Am God's child, servant and friend. I Am called. I Am a lover of people; broken, rich, whole or poor. I Am, not what i do or don't do. That is not how i define myself as. - I long to pray more and I know that doesn't make me more holy or wise, just more connected with my Father, Lover, and Friend. I want a hunger for the word (bible) not so i can show off my wisdom, knowledge, or acomplishments but so i can know my Father, Lover, and Friend in a deeper way. I long to worship to a fuller extent of passion and freedom. To be inspired to lay it all befor the cross and give glory to my Father, Lover and Friend. -> Maybe through my closness to Him I'll be able to function as His daughter in the broken world. Love as unconditionaly as my Father, Lover and Friend. Forgive as readily as i've experianced in my Father, Lover, and Friend. Maybe i could be filled with a strenthening joy that brings life to those around me. Joy that inspires life through my Father, Lover and Friend. -> Through my relationship with Him I have been made complete and whole. He is delighting in me and loves it when I take time to delight in Him, He is such a faithful Father, Lover and Friend.

Cleaner Supervisoring

Wow had a crazy cleaning team. They all have intense spiritual views and backgrouds. Its cool to walk with them, but also intense and hard. Other aspects of Cleaning Supervising that I've been learning to walk confidently in is the leadership aspect. How to modivate my team and get the best results witch is a great clean hostel. I have to force myself to make sure I walk as a leader not only a friend. Its starting to work but its not that easy.

Alpha with Omo

We hired a cleaner from Seychelles (island nation) she had done a medical internship in The Netherlands earlier this year. She had stayed at the shelter city for a time. She came back to Amsterdam for the purpose of cleaning with us she also wanted to continue with the Alpha course that she started with one of the staff at Shelter City. So I took over going through the Alpha course with her. It was a great time to share with her and walk with her in her questions about faith. It was so great to see her many questions answered by the truths in the bible. Its like when the word and truth is spoken all the lies and doubts fall away into nothingness.