(Photo in Amsterdam)
Dear Family and Friends,
Praise the Lord, our first flight went wonderfully and we arrived safe and sound in Amsterdam this morning. Most of us slept on the flight, and as it was not a full plane we were able to spread out a little bit and even lay down in the seats! Because of the tailwinds we arrived earlier than expected, and found ourselves waiting in the airport for Teri, our contact in Amsterdam. It was a little bit difficult finding her, but in the end she found us, and we have had a wonderful day here. It's been sunny out and warm enough that we're all in jeans and sweatshirts and enjoying ourselves thoroughly.
Teri got us onto the train system at the airport and brought us to the main part of the city. We left our things at the hostel where she works in ministry and set out to explore the city. Teri walked us through the Red Light District, only a block or so away from the hostel, and we were all very saddened and in some ways surprised by what we say. Pictures are not to be taken in that area, so we were careful to be respectful of that. Teri explained a lot of what the area is like, and how women come into prostitution in this way. She also explained that although there is a lot of darkness in Amsterdam, there are also a lot of wonderful things happening. She showed us several ministries in and near the Red Light District that are working with prostitutes, drug addicts, homeless people, and so on. It was very interesting to see, and we left with heavy hearts at the brokenness, but also encouraged by the ministries there and what God is doing.
We had the priveledge of going to a resturant famous for its Dutch pancakes. It was quite the experience! Pancakes are not a breakfast food here, and can be made with meat and cheese and vegetables, or with dessert items like chocolate and fruit. It was really fun to see that and enjoy taking part of a Dutch tradition.
We were also able to take a tour of the hostel where Teri works and find out about the ministries that take place through the hostel, and different ways that God is working here. It was so neat to see, and we all enjoyed it very much. One girl on our team, Angela, was able to connect with an old friend who works now at the hostel, and they've had a great time catching up today.
The rest of the day was spent walking through the city, seeing the buildings, the canals and boats, shopping some, and learning a little bit about the culture and what it is like to live here. We went to the Netherland's version of Starbucks, shopped in a street market, and got to see the house where Anne Frank and her family hid during the war.
It's been a really enjoyable day, and we are all having a lot of fun. We've been really tired all day, but so excited to see everything that it's been alright. We all expect to sleep through tonight's flight. We take off around 8:45 and fly overnight to Nairobi, arriving tomorrow morning. Then we'll have a short layover before flying just an hour or so to Entebbe (Uganda), where the African adventures will begin! We'll keep you updated about the rest of our travels, and plan on posting once we reach our hotel in Kampala. :)
