Skip to main content

Chocolate, CHAP and Combat.

Thursday I was in dire need of some time not with other people. Even if the people on my course are fantastic people, I was feeling the “peopled-outness” hitting me hard, and so after the end of my schedule I headed out to find myself a cafe (I would call it a coffee shop, but here in Amsterdam a “coffeeshop” is a place where you can buy cannabis as part of the menu and I was after a cup of tea rather then stronger substances). After walking a little while I ended up at a nice cafe in the Waterlooplein. I had a cup of Earl Grey tea while reading: “A Crime so Monstrous” about human trafficking to do a book report on as part of my course. When my tea was finished I decided that a cup of hot chocolate sounded very tempting. I ordered a cup with dark chocolate, and was served a mug with hot milk and a small glass of dark chocolate pieces. I could then add as many or few pieces of chocolate I wanted. Naturally I added them all (I mean, not to would be a bit of a waste), and it was so delicious. Hot milk with melted chocolate in it.

Yesterday evening I joined a group here called CHAP who reach out to the men in the Red Light District. Their ministry offers counselling and help to men who are addicted to sex and want help. It was really good to see how dedicated and passionate the group is and see a different side of God’s heart. God doesn’t just love the women who are involved in prostitution; He also loves the men and wants them set free also. And let’s face it, if the demand for prostitution isn’t there then women won’t be trapped in prostitution anymore. It was good to be a part of the outreach even if I did feel limited by not speaking Dutch. And I was really stirred and impacted both by what I saw on the outreach, but also so impressed by the group who faithfully reach out.

Today I woke up tired. To be honest I just didn’t feel like doing anything at all. But back when I living in Brazil I used to do these really great classes at the gym called BodyCombat (like an aerobics class based on martial arts) and I’d discovered that there’s a gym only 10 minutes from where I’m staying that offers that class among others. So off I went in the rain (apparently rain is more typical then not in this city, and it’s been raining all day). And I got to do the class! It was so exciting. By the end of it I was so energised and I felt so good. Relaxed and full of energy and joy. It’s amazing what a little exercise can do.

So there you go. Three days, marked by slightly different things.

Popular posts from this blog

Packing...again.

I just folded the last load of laundry and I’m almost packed. Off to the airport at 5am tomorrow morning, heading off to Amsterdam. I’m excited, a bit nervous, and wondering what it’ll be like. It’s been a good week at home with lots of quality time with family, especially the little nieces and nephew. I’m glad I’ll see them in April again. Well, not much to write and packing to be done and a bit of sleep would probably be a good idea too. Next time I write it’ll be from Amsterdam....
Read more

Single-tasking September: The art of single-tasking.

To change habits and ways of life, the motivation for change has to be strong, and the benefits outweigh the effort it takes to make the change.  For so long it’s seemed like the ability to multitask has been regarded as a great skill, but is it really a good thing? Recovering from burn-out, one of the effects I noticed was that it was harder to concentrate, and especially tricky trying to focus on many things at once. I’d try to multitask, only to realise that all tasks suffered from lack of capacity to complete any one of them. The challenge is that the habit of always doing many things at once goes deep, and when I tried to focus on just one thing, I found that it was actually really difficult.  As I did a little google search on the matter, I found it seems like multitasking isn’t as healthy as once thought, and that it doesn’t help productivity. Some even referred to it as “switch tasking”, in the sense that the brain isn’t doing many things at once, but shifting rapidly...
Read more

Small moments that mean a lot

Walking home on the crunchy snow that lights up a December evening,  I felt so thankful. The revelation that fellowship and being together is the best gift you can give someone, and realising that although it might seem small, it can turn into something big when a person feels seen and valued.  Yesterday I helped out with a crafts workshop for a group of lovely women volunteering for Crux where I worked before (well, in all honesty: they were making angels while I ate Christmas cookies, Quality Street chocolate, and chatted). I love walking alongside people in conversation, and realise sharing life for 2 hours can last so much longer in value and experience.  This evening we had our Christmas dinner for volunteers and people who are part of my current job. It was a delightful evening with many nations gathered around the same table…. eating the same food… and for a few hours creating a small fellowship moment that will become a good memory for the future. Often in my job ...
Read more