This is how we do it...

Hey.
Well. I am in Amsterdam right now.
Quite a different world from my no tv, no internet, no conversation, all Christian, really relaxing wonderworld.
If you were wondering, Amsterdam is really really sad and real.
On the train ride from Bremerhaven to Amsterdam, I just felt this different attitude surround me. Maybe it was because the air in my second train was humid and a huge black beetle had somehow crawled up my leg without me noticing.

It was really just strange to go from one train full of middle aged, fanny packed couples that were hiking across the German countryside, to droves and droves of dreadlocked, stinky kids that just want to enjoy life. There was maybe one person on the train to Amsterdam over 30.

Just so you know, I am not alone here. I met up with my friend Sonja. She was one of my Young Life girls, and now works with a Christian hostel ministry called the Shelter. Basically, she and 30 other young folks work at two different hostels in Amsterdam and try to share their faith with the people that are staying there. Every night they have "Bible Discussions" and try to initiate conversations. It was a hard transtion coming to such a spiritually different place, but it has been so encouraging seeing all these people, my age, living different lives even while they are surrounded by so many distracting things. I really believe that God sent me here to learn from these people.

Today, I actually went with a lady who is staying at one of the hostels to Haarlem and toured Corrie Ten Booms house. We had some good times! I knew she was a believer, and from New York, and a classical music singer, but I found out later that she was a double major, economics and music, at Harvard. I was glad that I found that out later, because I would have been really intimidated beforehand. It was really fun to hang out with her, though, even though we were different. We were both really glad to have a traveling buddy.

Amsterdam is a really beautiful town. Lots of canals, and beautiful old buildings that lean over the water. It's a really great town to visit, if you ever get the chance.

I need to go.
I can't wait to see you all again.
Peace of Christ.
Alice