Skip to main content

White snow in the red light district.

I can’t believe it’s Wednesday already. The past few days have been so busy it feels like I’m only stopping to sleep and then it’s morning again. But it’s been good, and hopefully I’ll get into a bit of a flow (and then suddenly the course will be over).

The course...it’s been a fantastic week. All about prophetic justice and focus and foundation having to be in God. A lot stuff I’ve believed and am passionate about, but also some tweaks that have been really good. God is a God of justice and true justice can only come from Him. The speaker was brilliant in what and how she shared and I have lots to process and go deeper in, and it’s only Wednesday!!! Apart from the teaching, there are work duties to do, coffee breaks to be had, small group, walking, bonding with people...it’s busy. But good, but I need to pace myself and use wisdom as well (note to self to not forget this point).

This afternoon I went out to visit the women behind the windows in the Red Light District with the women’s ministry. We go out in pairs and bring coffee and tea for the ladies and men, and if some want to chat we chat with them. It’s very powerful, yet so respectful of their boundaries. These people have had their boundaries broken and distorted so much we want to show so much respect to them. Today was my first time and I really could feel God’s heart for the women and men we interacted with. What they do and where they are does not define who they are. They are real people with real stories and are just going on this journey called life the best way they know how. I am still processing this afternoon...but I think that even from the small glimpse I got today, I know a little bit more of what God feels when He looks at the Red Light District, not just as a place of darkness, but as a place of people who are really broken and really lost who He loves so much.

As we were leaving the Red Light District it was snowing, and I just thought of how the red blood of Jesus washes all our sins white as snow.

Then this evening a group of us went to a cafe next to where we’re living for one of the girl’s birthday and I’ve just gotten back from hanging out and laughing a lot. I love that I don’t have to carry what I saw this afternoon, but that Jesus carries the burden of the brokenness and darkness in the Red Light District. And I love that God is also a God of joy and even created laughter.

I love how diverse God is and that today I have lived experiencing different facets of who He is.

It’s been a good day.

Popular posts from this blog

Getting to know the local culture.

Life is a strange thing. Last week went…not much happened, and then it was over. The weekend was quite calm without too many wild and exciting things happening. Except, of course, a wee outing to watch the National Championship for Veteran Ploughing. Now, like me, you might be sadly lacking an understanding of what this actually means. So I am delighted to be able to enlighten you in this respect. It’s basically (for the “farm-language-illiterate” like myself) a competition where you use old (hence the name “veteran”) tractors and ploughs, and plough up a stretch of field which is then evaluated and the one scoring the highest sum (accuracy, depth, how well the soil is turned is all given points) wins. I must admit that this information I got by eavesdropping on a conversation next to me where a man was explaining to some of my friends how it all works. So that was a fun adventure….although we only stayed for a bit. What is sort of occupying my mind at present is my upcoming travel abr...

Taking in the familiar and a heart connected.

Amsterdam. It still has that muggy feeling in Summer, and a constant flow of people which if you stop to think about it, it's quite amazing that there would even be space to accommodate them all. But then I guess they are not all staying. Just passing through on their way to or from somewhere. It's always good for the heart to visit somewhere that was once home. The familiarity of streets and customs makes it easier to embrace what might be new as well as the joy of being reacquainted with old friends. Friends. So many of them to be found in this city, ready with hugs and good words that are uttered when seeing someone who was away again. Friendship. A treasure that cannot be bought. Cobblestones trodden by many, including myself. Sitting on a bench. Praying. Remembering the first time I stumbled upon this area lined with windows with red lights and curtains. An area which has come to represent no longer windows, but people to me. Some still behind a window. Others who have ...

Tuesday children's prayer | Handing out shoes and feeding toddlers.

No day is the same here. After getting up early (which seems to be what I do here), and eating breakfast which was bread with butter (accompanied by an amazing cup of coffee given me by an American friend), I headed to the prayer room for children's prayer. This is a prayer time where the children come voluntarily to pray before school on Tuesdays and Fridays. Entering the room I was so impressed by how it was full of children eager to pray. There were probably 60 or 70 children there, and it was amazing to see one after the other choose to pray for their families and people who are sick, and other subjects on their little hearts. It was so great and an experience that I will carry with me for a long time. After prayer it was "Shoprite" time, which meant piling into a bus with other visitors and missionaries for the weekly shopping trip. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I had a few items to buy and hoped it would be a stress-free experience. As we drove along ...