Phenomenon
Is that a song?!? *wink*
So, sundays are my busiest and most consistant days when it comes to my 'workload', Yesterday i got up after not getting, well...as much sleep as i could have, and went to church. The service was fine as we are still continuing the 40 days campaign. (side note: please keep the prayer requests i mentioned last time in mind as well as the fact i am leading youth contact next week!) Ariel and I went to go edit the scouting video for this friday by way of dropping by to cut someone's hair. 50 min. of biking later, we made it to where we were going to video edit. The video looks really good...that's the positive. We started biking back the 50 min. to the scouting building...and then it stuck, like lightning on a crisp night sky, like a whip in dead silence, like...like a bike tire leaking air after you had put four patches on it last week! Yes, the tiger's tire had once again failed in its mission. so here i am, not in egmond but at the hoenderdaals. Waiting until 1pm for the shop to open to buy a new part for my tire. Youth Contact went pretty well last night. and yeah, things are going pretty well. This new guy, Jean, is actually loaning me his dvd player for our scouting party on sat. and just until whenever! yea!!! the great thing is it can play my cd's too! i am so excited. Well, i better start on my trek to De Mare to aquire some bike parts. Doei!
"Turn up the heat while we get this started"
Bounce, let your spirit fly.
Things have been getting pretty busy around here now i guess. sorry for it being a while since i have updated. tuesday was crazy as my bike tire started out without any patches whatsoever and ended up with four new ones! Alexa and I had an interesting time making it back to Heiloo but we did it. The meeting with Atlantis went well as it seems things are starting to come together for Dave and his group to come. Alexa boldly said she was expecting 350 people. wow. that is amazing. Youth contact is now officially translated into english. The 40 days of purpose campaign is fully underway and groups are meeting throughout the week to talk about what this campaign has been teaching them. It is such an encouraging thing to see. Pray that the non-christians going through this course will be challanged in such a way they see God searching for them. Also pray that the Christians going through it may realize their greater purpose to glorify God in all they do. I better run for now. May he bless you to be a blessing. -alicia
Youth Contact
the youth contact website should soon be completely translated into english with updated pictures of what's been going on. Enjoy!
Questions
**but then, you assure me, I'm a little more than useless. And when I think that I can't do this. You promise me that I'll get through it and do something right..do something right for once.**
Why is it more of humanity can't accept this as their own cry to God? Right now I am sitting behind a computer at Alexa's school, Jan Arentsz. I can't pronounce it right either so don't ask. She is currently just down the hall giving a 50 minute class on creationism. Yes, she is teaching. Alexa has grown so much this past year it is inspiring. To have the courage and accept this challenge makes me see why I value her friendship so much.
This past Tuesday I was supposed to have a meeting with the owner of Atlantis (the place Dave and his band Agape are playing at in March). Instead, Alexa messed up the dates and the meeting is next week. We ended up making a video for this upcoming Sunday with the 40 days campaign that consists of over 20 different answers from people on the street about what the purpose of their life is. This is why I put Relient K's lyrics on top. So many of the answers were, "happiness", "I never thought about it that way before", or "to see the ladies." And then there was one answer that was both funny and sad. Alexa walked up asking what's the purpose for your life. With a cigarette still burning in between his fingers, the man said, "Jesus...that's a hard question." He went on to say the traditional answer of happiness and work but for a split second he got it. Something yearning inside of him truly wanted to know. I get it now myself, I am starting to feel like I am truly here. Weird eh? I haven't felt like I am actually here yet. Out of body experience? No. I just can't really describe it.
I've had such a blast working with photography for the church's website and helping with all these films for both Sunday, as well as, for Scouting. The knowledge Herbst and everyone electronically has helped me with is coming into so much use. I'm still trying to figure out what to do about picture space but I'll hopefully have a new site up and running soon with more space. Things are starting to pick up the pace a little bit around here as I am getting more settled in. It was a little disappointing because I am trying to get back in touch with contacts who I saw last time I was here and it turns out eh main girl I wanted to talk with, Maria, is currently in Africa until May! Oh well, God's plans far out-see our own I guess.
May He bless you to be a blessing, Alicia
Cultural Experiences...
You know you're in Holland when...
...Cheese is eaten with everything..including cookies
...There is more places to park bikes than cars
...Roads are in theory wide enough for two cars but only have room for one when bike paths are taken into account
...Smiling and Nodding become an American's way of life
...Mail and pizzas are delivered on bicycles!
...Applesauce is found amongst the canned vegetables, not the canned fruit!
...You cant pop into the grocery store (or many other stores for that matter) between Saturday around 6 pm until Monday at 1 pm
...You make people nervous if you dont drink tea or coffee when you go to their house
...baseball is a sport attempted at: not played
...people can't pronounce the word 'ducky'without it sounding like 'thucky'
...one liter of gas costs more than a gallon
...people know your American because of the tennis shoes on your feet
...pranks are new
...It's ok to miss class without getting in trouble
...rain is like oxygen
...Russian Rummy is considered a sport
...explaning what platypus are tends to be difficult
...you bump into someone accidentally and they look at you funny if you say sorry
And finally, you know you are in Holland when someone is shocked as you tell them you are from Texas and that you don't own a horse
I borrowed this idea from some other missionaries over here. www.thechapmans.nl
As for everything else, it is going well. I am just waiting for the pace to pick up a little bit. Loving and missing you all. Alicia
JOKER
Images flood minds for the soul purpose of enjoyment...
check out Youth Contact for a picture of my lastest prank. We filled Ariel's room with balloons. I've run out of picture room for now so i'm trying to come up with a solution. Write more soon. Enjoy. Alicia
Food and Fellowship
Zip-a-dee do-da...
IN case you haven't yet heard, the XBOX's are out of commission. The electricity in the house acted up so the fuses were blown in both of them. On the other hand I now have my phone and am starting to grasp where exactly everything is in the overall sense. This morning I went to a bible study that is held in English and it was so awesome. There is another lady from Texas there so I could talk in Spanish as well as about things back home. It was so great to be involved in a group and study the word while understanding what everyone else was saying in English! I am going to my first church team leader meeting tomorrow and got recruited to lead it. It's a little weird since I haven't been to one before but we'll see how it goes. I found a soup recipe online from my Great-aunt's restaurant down in San Antonio so Alexa and I are making it for dinner tomorrow at the Hays's house. Youth Contact and Scouting are going well and the church is turning full swing into the 40 days of purpose campaign which commences this upcoming Sunday. I'm in charge of Scouting Friday so I will have to see how everything goes. In the mean time I am enjoying getting back in touch with people from last time like mark who used to have a problem with Turks. I haven't made it back to the pool-hall yet but intend on doing so soon. How's everything over there? Hope Tuesday night goes well and I can't wait to hear from everyone soon! In HIS hand, Alicia
