The Shelter Youth Hostel Ministry
NEWSLETTER
Nr. 33 – August/September 2005 Editor: Auke Algera Info: newsletter@shelter.nl
The youth hostel ministry as seen through the eyes of our staff members. In this newsletter we provide three impressions of the ministry to give you an idea what it really is like to be serving, learning and living at the Shelter.
Cleaner ministry
Melissa Potter (USA) works as a staff member at the Shelter Jordan hostel.
She works with the cleaners, a small team of hostel guests who help keep the hostel clean in exchange for free room and board.
Melissa
Our ministry to the cleaners
As a cleaner supervisor, my main ministry is to the cleaners. I really love our cleaner ministry at the hostel. Through this ministry refugees, travellers, and people stranded in Amsterdam have the opportunity to live among Christians, be emerged in a Christian community, and attend a devotional each day. Each cleaner may work at the Shelter for a maximum of 28 days, one time per year. It is so awesome to see people change so drastically over the course of 28 days!
Praises from the cleaner ministry
We currently have 3 cleaners. They are all confronted with Jesus, and Christians everyday. Let me tell you about them. One of our cleaners from Scotland has been away from the church since he was a boy scout (that was probably about 40 years ago). Guess where he was last Sunday. Yep, church. He loved it. He shows me his favourite Bible verses, and tells me how he doesn't need to get drunk anymore.
We have another cleaner from Denmark who almost signed his life away to the
foreign legion before my manager met him on the street. He has been in many
wars and needs a lot of love and healing. God is transforming him in such a
beautiful way. He carries a New Testament bible around, and reads it all the
time. He prayed Sunday night for the first time in probably 20 years or
more. He is on the brink of completely surrendering his will to God.
Our last cleaner is a traveller from the U.K. She has commented on how she
has seen herself change for the better over the last weeks because she is
surrounded by such loving, and positive people. Guess where she was tonight?
Bible study. Praise God for the lives He is changing every day!
Our ministry to the travellers
It is a very common sight to see people walking around our hostel with a book called "Living Water." It is the gospel of John with a lot of interesting introductory information. Only God knows how He is transforming these people through the reading of His holy Word.
The staff spends a lot of their free time hanging out at the hostel, just
being available for guests. Many great conversations take place and
friendships are formed. We invite the guests to bible discussion every
night, which is obviously a really great opportunity for people that are
authentically searching for answers about God and Christianity.
Broken vessels
Another one of the things I love
most about our ministry is seeing the body of Christ in action. God has made
each of us so different. We have so many talents, and so many weaknesses.
Where one is weak another is strong. We have no choice but to live according
to God's word, or else the body suffers.
I am really encouraged by what God is doing through us here at the Shelter. We are merely broken vessels with a light inside of us. The light shines through us, and it is up to people what they want to do with the light they see and the light we proclaim.
Melissa Potter
CHANGED
So much has changed, says staff member Joel Strautin (USA). It is the main theme in his impression of the youth hostel ministry.
Diving in
I remember my first day here, walking out of Amsterdam Central Station and immediately noticing all the differences. There were new languages, new streets, new people, and new sights. I chose to “dive in” and learn about the city and the culture, to learn other languages, to learn about people, and to learn how to serve humbly. God has taught me amazing things about ministry and about my life, and I have not been the same since.
Just be real
So much has changed. In my five months here, I feel like I have met thousands of people at the hostel. Each day, I meet people of all backgrounds and faiths and languages. The hardest part has been combining business and ministry. How do we, as Shelter staff, minister to the travellers who stay here each night?
A friend told me, “Just be real with people.” And that makes sense. Christ
simply said “Follow me” to the first disciples. So how are we any different
from them? After all, if we are just living our lives following Christ, then
God’s love will pour out of us and people will notice. We don’t have to be
preachy. We won’t have to proselytize. People will notice.
Joel (on the right)
Journey
So much has changed. I consider my work at the Shelter to be a stop on my journey, my journey through life. It seems like everyday God is teaching me something new, I have learned about living in a community of believers, and have seen the benefits. I have learned to be around people of other faiths and religions, and to see them as people and not just as “non Christians” I have learned that Jesus is the difference, and that truly following Christ makes us different. And most of all, God has really taught me how to love unconditionally. To love, as Christ would, without conditions, what a difficult, mysterious, and beautiful thing that is. So much has changed.
Joel Strautin
LONG TERM STAFF?
The youth hostel ministry has
need for long term staff members (6-12 months). Please continue to tell
people in your church and circle of friends about serving at the Shelter.
We have ten (10!) openings as off September 1st. Short-term workers are also welcome to apply to fill these openings.
For more information please contact Nienke at personnel@shelter.nl
Alternative Time
The third and final impression of the youth hostel ministry comes from the living community. Gerrit Jan van der Ziel, the coordinator of the staff accommodation at the Willemsstraat, provides us with a backstage view as he summarizes the newsletter of the community.
Shelter Weekly
Lately the “Shelter weekly” newspaper (thanks to Marco Klaue) has been providing the Willemsstraat staff house with great fun and amusement. Several staff members displayed all kinds of editorial talent, in reflection of this community.
My favorite one was the “pockets of alternative time dimension” article, in which the Association of Shelter Scienticians (ASS) have looked into the matter and confirmed that there is indeed such a pocked found in the laundry dryers. “You can see that the dryer clock is set to 19 minutes, but you come in a half hour later and see that it still has three minutes to go.”
Night Guest
A next addition of the news paper reports the more serious incident of the “Uninvited Night Guest”. This time we get the burglars perspective on things; “I was hardly in the place when they started confronting me,” the unidentified man is told to say. “I was just looking for the till in which the homeless project keeps their money, but there was some guy sitting in that classroom at 1 am. What sort of weirdo’s live here anyways?”
Somewhat spooked out by this encounter, the would-be burglar decided to call
off his project and head back to the door. Here he ran into two further
residents, who asked him “uncalled-for” questions. “Can’t a man go about
his work in peace without all these people butting into his affairs? Why do
Christians always have to nose their way in with their ‘holier-than-thou’
attitude?” The staff house residents have strengthened the outside door and
are now taking greater care to lock it at night.
What we than learn from the “Weekly” is that residents have filmed a new promotional video to recruit more volunteers. Apparently the 40 residents that fill the house now, are just not enough. A 42-second spot shot features three shelter volunteers performing an interpretive dance while wearing various pieces of clothing from the giveaway closet, which included a wedding dress.
Changing context
For you as a reader, we don’t know if all of this is making or braking your Shelter image, but somehow this is us. Living, working, and learning together, it sounds easy, but often it’s got its own unexpected challenges, with its unexpected complexities and unexpected questions. To live out the essence of Christmas and Easter in Amsterdam is totally thought provoking. Probably just like it must have been in Egypt, Babylon, Rome, or will be in Sydney, Tokyo and Vancouver for example.
These are the people that pass through, and these are the people we are.
It’s always been a challenge, perhaps the challenge to connect the
unchanging gospel, with a changing context. In the hostels we pray and try
to connect these worlds in humble boldness, and bold humility.
Gerrit Jan van der Ziel.
PRAYER SUPPORT
· A week after the article about the ministry to cleaners was written, the Danish cleaner Sion gave his life to Christ! Please pray for him as he begins his new life.
· Also pray that God will change the heart of the other men and women in the cleaner team.
· We are very thankful for the great team of volunteers and staff who served with us during the busy summer period.
· Please pray that the ten openings in our staff team as off September 1st will be filled.
· The high season is an exciting but also very busy time in the hostels. Pray that our staff will receive energy and inspiration to prepare and do outreach events and Bible discussions.
· The weekly BBQ at the Shelter City is a great success. Pray for Spirit lead conversations during these Tuesday evenings.
· We are thankful for the many travellers that are staying at the Shelters during this summer period. Throughout the month of July 97% of the Jordan beds were occupied and 99% of the City beds.
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.youthhostelministry.shelter.nl
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 www.yhm.shelter.nl/donations.html
This Newsletter can also be found at www.yhm.shelter.nl
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