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The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry NEWSLETTER |
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Nr. 28 – October/November 2004 Editor: Auke Algera Info: newsletter@shelter.nl |
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Challenges and Blessings Over the lasts months we have been informing you about the many changes that are taking place in The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry. The people who haven been serving in the ministry for multiple years are maybe affected most by the new ways of doing things. How do they perceive the developments? Jan de Visser, assistant manager in The Shelter City since 2001, gives his perspective in the following article. The Shelters are changing, what is happening? No Street Corner kids any longer, poor fund and credits to guests are rare. Are we losing our cutting edge? Are we becoming a more commercial business? The old cozy staff meetings don’t exist anymore we have now a much more professional Ministry Training Program. The staff is not living any longer in the Schinkelstraat and on the attic in the Shelter City. The new Willemstraat accommodation is almost ready. It provides room for more than 40 staff members. Whoa, this is so great! What a blessing from God. A more professional training program with classes two times a week, and a real living community with a couple, Gerrit-Jan and Krista, coaching this. Amazing to see the renovated Willemstraat building. It is so beautiful, with a very big kitchen with real dishwashers, a nice living room, library, and internet facilities. Staff member don’t have to look for a place in the hostels anymore to hang out, but now have a place that really feels like a home, including home parents who are there for them. But what is happening with the Shelters? There are financial problems we need more guests. Why are there not more guests coming to our hostel, we wonder. Are we too strict? Is curfew too early? Do the no alcohol/drugs policy or the single sex dorms keep people away? The reviews on internet sites tell us that our “fun rate” is low. Our target group consists of tourists. Tourist are not mixing well with other guest we sometimes have in the hostels, such as job seekers and homeless people. Therefore, the hostels will focus more on the tourists and make sure that they are comfortable in the hostel and feel save and secure. At the same time, we are “Hostels with a heart”, caring for all people. There is a very big challenge at the moment not to look back on the good times in Egypt but to embrace the new blessings coming from God and to use the challenges to grow in our ministry to the tourists. Most of them are just one or two nights in our hostel but need Jesus so badly. Maybe they have financial means and they might look properly but …..there is an empty space inside of them that only can be filled up by God. The Shelters need a lot of prayer and moral support in the midst of these huge changes. Let every step we take be a step we take with God. With His blessings, the coming month with be challenging but very fulfilling. For Him the financial problems are nothing. We have to set aside our personal feelings and preferences and united work together to make the Shelters financial healthy, but most of all the ministry excellent and even more effective so that God will receive worship and praise from people who (re)find Jesus in this place. Stand with us in prayer in this times of change. Jan de Visser
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NEW FACES In the previous Newsletters we announced the vacancies for a ministry supervisior and group leader couple. We are pleased to let you know that these positions have been filled. Gepke van Oosterom is the new ministry supervisor (similar to what used to be assistant manager). She had already started working in the Shelter Jordan. For the position of group leader in the living community we have found Gerrit-Jan and Krista van der Ziel, a Dutch couple. They just completed their studies at All Nations Christian College in England and have a heart for missions. As soon as their apartment is ready, they will be moving to the new staff community at the Willemstraat. As group leaders they will be serving as the “father & mother” of the staff members. Besides hospitality and pastoral care, they will also offer programs and activities to build up the staff community.
CHRISTIAN HOSTELS WORLDWIDE Did you know that The Shelters are not the only Christian hostels in the world? And did you know that there are various ministry organisations who aim to share the Gospel with backpackers? We have listed them on a brand new website: www.christianyouthhostels.com We were surprised to find so many ministries like ours. If you know of additional one’s, please let us know and we will include them in our list.
Boys needed All applications are welcome, but we have especially a need for male staff members or volunteers. It is difficult to fill the nightman shifts in November and December. Are there any old staff members out there who would like to help us by doing some nightman shifts (preferably on Thursday/Friday till Saturday/Sunday)? Please contact Hennie@city.shelter.nl
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PRAYER SUPPORT· Piotr – a Polish ex-cleaner who became a Christian last year is really struggling and is in difficult circumstances. Please pray that God would reach out to him and show him mercy. · Daniela – a German ex-cleaner who is struggling with drug addiction. Pray that she would go back to Germany where she can get professional help. · Pray for Mohammed who was a cleaner in the Shelter City and returned to Iran. After his arrival he has been imprisoned for three months. Being a Christian in his home country is not easy. · Thanks for new people in the leadership of the ministry: Gepke in the Shelter Jordan, and Gerrit Jan & Krista in the living community (we asked for prayer to find the right people in the last newsletter) and prayer for them as they settle in and find their place in the ministry. · Prayer for Ewoud who will be joining us in December (reception manager at the Jordan). · Pray for the managers who have left in the last months – Hans de Boer (now working with OM in Ireland), Martijn Rutgers (at theological seminary)
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Johanna Oudman (van Stapele) is now the coordinator of the Ministry Training Program. Please pray for her and those teaching the courses.
· Thank God for and pray for all the new staff who’ve joined us in Sept and Oct – in the Jordan they are: Ryan (Canada), Marco (Germany), Eva (Germany), Solenne (France), Petra (Netherlands), Young (South Korea), Laurissa (USA), Rut (Norway) , · New staff in the City: Alicia (Canada), Kimberley (New Zealand), Els (Netherlands), Keri, Rachel, Nicole and Kurt (all USA). · Pray for more male staff members – urgent in both hostels · A Korean family are threatening to sue us after an accident in the hostel. Please pray for a good outcome to the proceedings and that the family’s hearts are not hardened to God because of what happened here. · Rut has a vision to start a Christian Youth Hostel in Olso and is working with us for a month to see how we do it. Pray for wisdom and guidance for these plans. · Pray for more guests · Pray for God to send the right cleaners – whose hearts have already been prepared and are ready to receive the good news. · The work load of the managers has increased due to the fact that we have to get by with a smaller management team. Please pray for them to set the right priorities, to fear the Lord and walk closely with Him in both good days and difficult days.
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The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry is a Christian evangelism ministry in the centre of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Our goal is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the 30,000 travellers who are staying each year in our two Christian youth hostels: The Shelter City and The Shelter Jordan. The ministry is part of the association Tot Heil des Volks, a non-denominational mission organisation registered in Amsterdam. Internet: www.theshelter.nl/ministry |
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Donations. The work of The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry would not be able to continue without financial support. Help support this ministry! Read more at http://www.theshelter.nl/ministry/donations.html |
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