life

small world

It is always comical when phrases that are overused truly become a reality. We have all heard the "it is a small world" one. Well this became especially true for me in the last week or so. Not long ago, I received a phone call at my home here in Amsterdam which really caught me off guard to begin with. When I answered it, I heard a semi familiar voice on the other end. It turned out to be a good friend from my home city in America. This person has played a significant role in the youth group in the church that I grew up in and I have not talked to him in quite awhile. He was in Amsterdam on business, discovered I was here also and wanted to get together. We ended up meeting at church the next morning. How cool is it that my first church experience in Amsterdam was spent with several new friends and an old one.

Late last night at the hostel, staff and guests gathered together in the cafe for a time of prayer. There was a young woman across the circle that I immediately recognized, however I could not think of how I knew her. We struck up a conversation and eventually discovered that we both worked at Kanakuk Colorado (a summer camp in America) three years ago. She happened to be passing through the city and was staying at the hostel.

It is a small world. Being reunited with these two friends here in Amsterdam forced me to have an internal discussion about coincidence and appointment. Although it would be easy to write off this experience as a coincidence, I cannot help but think of it as more like an appointment. An appointment to reunite, share, discuss, encourage, pray, and reflect. It truly was refreshing to have such an encounter, especially since I have only been here just over a week.

What appointments have you had recently?

new places, new faces

When I first learned that I would be coming to Amsterdam, I was thrilled because I knew I would have many new experiences. Within four days of arriving, this has already become absolutely true.

During my short time here so far I have..

developed excellent power walking skills,
been to a church service near the Red Light District,
acquired a strong liking towards stroupwaffles,
learned how to say the Dutch alphabet,
participated in worship with people from six different continents,
discovered the joy of daily being in a hostel surrounded by people on a journey, like myself,
and have been reminded of how fruitful living in true community with others can be.

Each of these unique experiences has a unique story..and I have only been here four days. I am already beginning to understand how wonderful this opportunity of service is, and I look forward to the days ahead. Though I am still slightly suffering from 'jet lag', my spirit is energized and I feel alive. I am excited about sharing with you specific stories of encouragement, joy, heartache, and revelation.

maji news

Well, it has been just about six months since Maji was launched with the goal of raising funds for Charity:Water and telling people about the global water situation. During that time, through the sales of our t-shirts and the generous donations of many people, we were able to raise enough money to build two wells through Charity:Water. Sometimes it can be easy to look around at our world and only see the bad stuff. But the success Maji has experienced reminds me that although there are indeed plenty of bad stuff, there is also plenty of exciting stories about progress and change. I truly believe that lives have been changed due to the work of Maji and ultimately, Charity:Water and all of their partners on the ground. So thank you to everyone who joined us in the fight against injustice by buying a shirt, donating money, time, or resources, or simply telling a friend about the one billion people in our world who do not have access to safe, clean water.

Beginning this summer, Maji is going to take on a different role. We will no longer be selling t-shirts, which in the past has been our focus. Instead Maji will exist as an advocacy group, continuing to inform people about the work of Charity:Water and of the global water situation as a whole. Our website will still be up and running, and we hope that people will use it to educate themselves about the impacts of not having access to safe, clean water.

At the core, Maji is a movement that exists because people learned about an injustice and decided to take action to eliminate it. My hope is that that spirit will live on. It is only when enough people take a stand against oppression, poverty, and injustice that freedom will be experienced by all.

amsterdam

Having recently graduated from university, I have, like every other graduate, been plagued by the same haunting question..."What are you going to do?" This question can be quite intimidating. There is a certain amount of pressure upon young people entering this transition period because they have spent the majority of their lives becoming educated so that they can become an essential part of society and earn a living that can in turn serve as provision. Therefore, making a decision about how to invest your time and energy following completion of school is important. I do believe that such a decision is important, however I have become alright with admitting that I do not know exactly what I want to do and where and for what reason. This view may sound apathetic and lacking direction, but in all reality that is not the case at all. I have several passions, dreams, and goals and I believe those elements all play a role in discovering how I want to spend my time here on earth. But I also think that discovery is a process. It is interesting to see how our desire for instant gratification has carried over to our life plan. My desire to figure out what I am going to do is motivated by my interest in discovering how my passions, dreams, and goals can be implemented, rather than simply finding a career. I do not want a career, I want something meaningful and lasting. All of that to say, I have decided to look for opportunities that will enable me to use my passions first and foremost. This has led me to pursue a unique opportunity I am very excited about..

For the next few months, I will be working in a hostel in Amsterdam Netherlands. This hostel exists for a bigger reason that simply to provide lodging. It is about service, relationships, and truth. It is about communicating the love of Jesus with travelers. I am stoked about this opportunity because it will allow me to experience a new culture, relate with others, and broaden my horizons in regards to how I think and view the world. Will this serve as a career? No. Will it force me to use my gifts and passions? Yes. I truly believe this experience will equip me for whatever comes next. I look forward to sharing with you what I learn, so keep reading!

Shelter Christian Hostels

human rights and war

In my last semester as an undergraduate student, I have been blessed with a light load as far as classes go. This has enabled me to put that much more effort in the couple of classes that I do have. One such class is Global Human Rights. Week after week, my classmates and I have discussed, debated, and read about human rights issues. Lately, our focus has been human rights and war. This is a difficult piece of human rights to address because it seems like there are more questions than answers. Questions we put forward and ones that I am still asking myself include: When is war necessary? Are violations of human rights a natural, inevitable result of war? During war, who is holding who accountable? Is the use of violence a necessary piece of ending genocide and injustice? What should the role of the international community be in regards to monitoring human rights violations and war? These questions are just a small representation of what has been circulating in my mind recently. Honestly, I do not have as many answers as I would like, but then again is it even possible to come to a single, fair, and unbiased conclusion on any of these questions? One thing that I have understood better since embarking on this piece of my studies is that these questions have not been properly introduced and discussed among the international community and the international organizations that are supposed to look out for the welfare of humanity. This is slightly disheartening because I believe until these questions are resolved in regards to human rights and war, then a lack of accountability and justice will continue. Like many other issues of injustice, it appears one of the reasons no results have come into being on this is because it simply is not a priority. It is easier to right off what happens in war as, well..war. Democracy, politically stability, ideologies, and international security takes precedence over what happens to the people on the ground. This is such a paradox because it seems obvious that accomplishing the previously stated goals could be best achieved through community development and empowering the masses, not war. War is something that nobody likes, but most find it necessary. Are there certain situations where violence is necessary to ensure the safety and well being of some people? Probably. But I wonder whether there is another way to ensure the safety of some people while respecting the rights of others? If you have any experience, insights, or opinions on human rights and war please share..I am still searching for the answers to some of those questions presented earlier and in general a better understanding of how human rights and war are supposed to coexist.

twestival wells

The new social networking phenomenon is Twitter. It aims at connecting people through the simple question, What are you doing? Twitter's popularity has exploded recently and has even birthed movements. One such movement is called Twestival. Twestival was started by fellow twitterers (don't know if that is actually a word) with the goal of raising support and awareness for an organization that is close to my heart, Charity: Water. In the end, 202 cities worldwide particpated in Twestival and approximately $250,000 was raised!

Currently, people from Charity: Water and their partner organizations are in Ethiopia experiencing firsthand wells being built from the funds accumulated through Twestival. Although most us are a long way from Ethiopia, we can still experience the excitement of watching the first Twestival being built. This link will take you to Charity: Water's website, where videos from the drilling can be viewed.

The series of videos that Charity: Water is graciously sharing with us are excellent reminders of the work that is being done and that needs to be continued. While watching the videos I got super excited because what is going on is real! It shows that voices are being heard, needs are being met, and lives are being changed. Sometimes I think we in the West have a really narrow worldview in regards to what is happening in other parts of our world and that narrowness leads to blindness, which leads to numbness. Numbness to the fact that brothers and sisters are suffering and at times dying simply because of the place they were born. We have always known that this is the case, but we have become okay with it. Well it is not okay and the people who were a part of Twestival in 202 cities worlwide would agree. Please put down the remote, think outside of yourself, and become a part of something that is revolutionary, is moving, and is meaningful.