nr 1 December 1998

Issue I, December 1998

WWW. HOSTELS

World Wide Witness

The newsletter of The Shelter and the Eben Haëzer, Christian Youth Hostels in Amsterdam

Part of the Association Tot Heil des Volks

Dear Friends,

You are looking at the first issue of the new newsletter of The Shelter and the Eben Haëzer. We would like to keep in contact with you. This newsletter gives us the opportunity to inform you about the ministry. We hope you appreciate this.

This first issue has been mailed to staff-members and volunteers who worked with us during the last couple of years. Feel free to pass this newletter on to other people as well. If you didn’t receive this newsletter yourself, but you would like to receive the next issues, please let us know. Also, if we don’t have your correct address, please send us the right information by mail. Enjoy this WWW.Hostels issue!

Christmas time is coming, the streets are full of people busy with shopping. A good time to mail this first newsletter, to inform you about the ministry and to share together the greatest news ever heard on earth: God became man to set us free, His Son came as a little baby.

In both hostels we are busy with our preparations for the Christmas programme. This year we will have the Soloplus Theatre Company (UK) in our midst. They will do a performance with four short skits and some songs. We hope that many guests will stay and hear the wonderful news of the Saviour born in a manger. Please, pray for good conversations with our guests!

As you know, the staff of the hostels is changing all the time; at least once a month we say goodbye or hello. The management also changed in the last year. In November 1997 Martin Kniep (project manager) left the Eben Haëzer. It took until August 1998 before Jacob Kops started as project manager in his place. In the meantime Pieter Visser led the teams of both hostels.

At this moment the management teams consists of, for the Eben Haëzer: Marijke Tulp, Rosemary Barrett, Winette Hubregse, Bart Steenbergen, Tineke Alderding (head of the household) and Jakob Kops; for The Shelter: Hennie Tijsseling, Johanna van Stapele, Gijs van Deuren, Auke Algera and Pieter Visser. Petra Simons just left, after working with The Shelter as an extra manager for 5 months.

The Eben Haëzer celebrated its 25th anniversary as a youth hostel in 1996, The Shelter did the same in 1997. We are thankful to God for this. It is wonder-ful that for such a long time already, young people from all over the world have heard the Gospel when they stayed in the hostel. We share the love of Christ in the daily Biblestudies and in the many personal contacts.

For a long time it was not sure (due to the financial situation) if the Eben Haëzer could stay open. This summer a research has been done concerning the economic possibilities of the hostels. Based on this, the board of our organization decided that both hostels can stay open and that we should prepare for the future. Especially for the Eben Haëzer, this means the start-signal for many necessary changes. We would like to renew the showers (we probably need to close the hostel for a couple of weeks), split F-dorm into two dormatories and buy a dishwashing machine.

Already in 1997 each dorm in the Eben Haëzer was divided into different sections with a maximum of 8 beds. In The Shelter we hope to do the same in the beginning of 1999. At the same time we will renew the floor-covering in some dorms and put in some new small sinks in the dorms.

We hope you liked to hear from us, we would also like it to hear from you!

Warm greetings and a blessed Christmas!

In Christ, Jacob and Pieter

P.S.

We are still looking for volunteers for the special days around Christmas and New Year’s. Also, new members for our long term staff are very welcome.

SHORT NEWS

@ Theo Groenewoud (manager in The Shelter until 1997) and Pauline got married last summer and they had their reception in The Shelter.

@ The Shelter has a new security system, which we have already needed several times (unfortunately).

@ The Eben Haëzer was mentioned in Cadogan Travel Guide edition 1997 as the most recommended hostel of Amsterdam.

@ Both hostels are still looking for volunteers for the days around Christmas and New Year’s.

MAKE WAVES: PRAY

Please, remember the hostels in your prayers. We ask special prayer support for:

the special programme and the conversations with the guest in the days around Christmas;
the training program for staff which we would like to improve;
the assistance of extra volunteers in the last weeks of December;
the coming of new staff members (especially men);
the improvements and changes in the building and the management of the ministry.

WORLD WIDE WORKERS

As you know our staff and volunteers come from all over the world. We are very greatful for all these people. Since 1st August, this year, the following persons worked (or are still working) with us. Some have been with us for one year, others for just a couple of days:

In the Eben Haëzer: Harold Davidse (NL) Anneke de Kok (NL) Melissa Pompa (USA) Matthew Holden (CAN) Noemi Lachmanova (CZE) Tammy Jardine (CAN) Naoki Yoda (JAP) Marc Engelage (NL) Jan-Willem Leurgans (NL) David Milanaik (USA) Rien Bregman (NL) Dorothea Buhlmaier (GER) Mirek Plchot (CZE) Olsi Dingelloski (ALB) Asha Wiecek (POL) Sandra van Tongeren (NL) Bertine Martins (NL) Maria Keuter (NL) Lody Ratsma (NL) Annelies de Jong (NL) Lianne van Dijken (NL) Milouse (CZE) Michael van den Berg (NL) Jonathan Colon (USA) Andrew (USA) Bettina Schaap (NL) Angela Benning (GER) Marenka Raff (GER) Harrald Nieborg (NL) Caroline Whiteside (N-IRL) Jaap Maljaars (NL) Amy Abel (USA) Amy Jacobsen (USA) Karina Reurekas (NL) Jonathan Campbell (N-IRL) Esther (NL) John McGaughy (USA) Bernard Versteeg (NL) Keith Young (N-IRL) Mirjam Aartsen (NL) Joke Groenewold (NL) Francine de Rijke (NL) Ruben de Bliek (NL) Eline Boone (NL)

In The Shelter: Rob Sicoli (CAN) Jeremy Weatherby (USA) Ferdinand Ploegman (NL) Carlos Rojas (Costa Rica) Steve Moore (USA) Sonila Rexho (ALB) Sarah Nelson (USA) Tanya Bijlsma (CAN) Lisa Caroll (USA) Samantha Hegeman (USA) J.R. Winck (USA) Scott Bryant (USA) Ewien Kwant (NL) Eryn van Horn (USA) Jamin Bogie (USA) Rene Spranger (NL) Mariette Koorevaar (NL) Oksana Prokopenko (UKR) Terry Hilverda (NL) Artina Vedder (NL) Beata Bogarova (SLO) Cora Onderwater (NL) Madelinde van Poelje (NL) Anja Gunther (GER) Gabriela Hauser (GER) Sara Johnson (USA) Laurens Oosterbroek (NL) Annemieke v.Kuieren (NL) Rosalie van Eck (NL) Anneke Dijkstra (NL) Linda v.d. Kamp (NL) Mirjam Meulenberg (NL) Jaap Oudman (NL) Jens Staudle (GER)

In both hostels: Rosana Perez (Uruguay) Jan Mik (NL) Tyleen Magee (CAN)