Christmas dinner
Parking is tough
Big birthday party, Christmas & New Year
Parking is tough
Big birthday party, Christmas & New YearHello family and friends, 28, Feb. 2009
I have been out of the states for four months now and I am currently living in Amsterdam. I wanted to let you all know what has been happening in this time away. I began the journey with a nine hour flight and also a nine hour time change. While on the plane I spoke with a Christian and we talked for about five hours. We talked about things that I used as excuses to not commit to God as I look at it now. I shared a lot in regards to my experiences with God. From my beginning with God through communion in the Catholic Church and how I became a Christian in High school, to Masters Commission and then to the year and a half of just living for the minimum. I explained that I have never truly been good at commitment and that friends and family have had more importance for the most part. Although God is real and I know that he has made a way for me; I could not accept that He still loved me and wanted me to live for Him. I cannot explain what change I wanted to make, because I knew that Amsterdam would be the hardest place to do it. I knew it had to be a very profound change, in order to live for God. I had been floundering with no clear path for the past year and a half and didn’t have a lot of purpose in life. Work was the only meaning I could really grasp at that time. I knew that God was doing something inside of me, on that plane ride, so I sought change. After talking with God and asking for some help I put my hope in Him.
I landed in Amsterdam took the train from Schipol to Amsterdam Central and walked aimlessly for two hours in the rain. I was the ultimate tourist asking any and every Dutch person where Bloemstraat was, I eventually found the street. The Shelter Jordan Youth Hostel became a very good resource for my faith. I attended every bible discussion 5 days a week and talked to the managers about being a cleaner. A cleaner is someone who stays in the hostel for 4 weeks with free room and board. They allowed me to be a cleaner and then we talked about becoming a volunteer. In that time they thought my application was acceptable and wanted to keep me around until I could get them some references. I cleaned dishes for 3 weeks and then they got more information about me and hired me on as (staff/volunteer). I was talking about the change earlier that I needed to make and this is where I found the strength to put aside what I wanted and to live for something more. God has not left me be alone for these past years. Even when I have not been able to see Him, he has helped me. Pride in my life, has simply been selfishness, it has cost me a lot of time. Forgiven, is who I am in Christ, my Lord and change is what He allows me. The challenge will always be to let Him continue changing me. For the time I am here. (Out my bedroom window)
I live in a community with about twenty five people and we are divided between two hostels the Jordan and the City. I have a small group and we meet once a week, I have enclosed a picture of us. The community has a bike garage, classroom, kitchen, library, living room and our rooms; two people to each one. I enjoy this community and how it works around the clock for travelers coming from a far off. I have been going to MTP which is the Ministry Training Program it is two days a week for three and a half hours each time. I enjoy the challenge of living out here and being far from home, yet the community has become family. I plan on staying out here until October, as I have gone through a lot of paper work already to originally stay only for nine months total. I have decided that I am just going to stay as long as I can. I got a work visa and a residency permit which took a couple of appointments and some funds.
I started as staff in the kitchen first, and then I went to reception. Finally, the night man shift. I am also bible discussion leader on some nights, hostel night leader sometimes, and I always have the opportunity to share my testimony on a personal basis. Each shift has its plus and minus there is Mc (Morning cafe 7:30 am - 1:15 pm), Ac (Afternoon cafe 1:00 pm -6:30 pm) and Ec (Evening cafe 6:15 pm – 11:30 pm). These are the cafe shifts my favorite out of these is Ac because I get to cook. Then there is Morning reception, Afternoon reception and Evening reception these are the reception shifts they are the same times as the cafe shifts. I check our guests in and out here at reception and it is mainly very quiet or really busy. Since New Year’s Eve, I started my first night man shift, this starts at 11:45 pm and goes until 8 am. The night man shift is the longest and it gets very quiet, sometimes people are up until 3 am so I let them hang out in the cafe. I have a lot of chores; I do on these nights as well. Yet, generally I get to talk with cleaners or just talk with guests. I have a good time out here for the most part, if I am not working too much. I have gone to Gouda the CHEESE LAND and watch how the Gouda is made, it is not pronounced (Goo Duh) by the way. They have very good cheese out here and I love it!! it is one of my favorite things about Holland. We went to Gouda on a staff day which is where all the Jordan staff have an outing together. I also went to Rotterdam to my Dutch friends’ house and met his family which was quite cool. I am soaking up the Dutch culture and so far it is very cool. I really like seeing so much of something other than the “American culture”. Amsterdam is a very Multi cultural city and there is only so much to see here before you have to explore more. I have gotten more of the Dutch experience in Holland other than just Amsterdam. I would love to go on telling you more, but I don’t know if there is room. Keep in contact with me at Tmanor_13@yahoo.com.
With love, sincerely,
Taurean M Hall
I have been out of the states for four months now and I am currently living in Amsterdam. I wanted to let you all know what has been happening in this time away. I began the journey with a nine hour flight and also a nine hour time change. While on the plane I spoke with a Christian and we talked for about five hours. We talked about things that I used as excuses to not commit to God as I look at it now. I shared a lot in regards to my experiences with God. From my beginning with God through communion in the Catholic Church and how I became a Christian in High school, to Masters Commission and then to the year and a half of just living for the minimum. I explained that I have never truly been good at commitment and that friends and family have had more importance for the most part. Although God is real and I know that he has made a way for me; I could not accept that He still loved me and wanted me to live for Him. I cannot explain what change I wanted to make, because I knew that Amsterdam would be the hardest place to do it. I knew it had to be a very profound change, in order to live for God. I had been floundering with no clear path for the past year and a half and didn’t have a lot of purpose in life. Work was the only meaning I could really grasp at that time. I knew that God was doing something inside of me, on that plane ride, so I sought change. After talking with God and asking for some help I put my hope in Him.
I landed in Amsterdam took the train from Schipol to Amsterdam Central and walked aimlessly for two hours in the rain. I was the ultimate tourist asking any and every Dutch person where Bloemstraat was, I eventually found the street. The Shelter Jordan Youth Hostel became a very good resource for my faith. I attended every bible discussion 5 days a week and talked to the managers about being a cleaner. A cleaner is someone who stays in the hostel for 4 weeks with free room and board. They allowed me to be a cleaner and then we talked about becoming a volunteer. In that time they thought my application was acceptable and wanted to keep me around until I could get them some references. I cleaned dishes for 3 weeks and then they got more information about me and hired me on as (staff/volunteer). I was talking about the change earlier that I needed to make and this is where I found the strength to put aside what I wanted and to live for something more. God has not left me be alone for these past years. Even when I have not been able to see Him, he has helped me. Pride in my life, has simply been selfishness, it has cost me a lot of time. Forgiven, is who I am in Christ, my Lord and change is what He allows me. The challenge will always be to let Him continue changing me. For the time I am here. (Out my bedroom window)
I live in a community with about twenty five people and we are divided between two hostels the Jordan and the City. I have a small group and we meet once a week, I have enclosed a picture of us. The community has a bike garage, classroom, kitchen, library, living room and our rooms; two people to each one. I enjoy this community and how it works around the clock for travelers coming from a far off. I have been going to MTP which is the Ministry Training Program it is two days a week for three and a half hours each time. I enjoy the challenge of living out here and being far from home, yet the community has become family. I plan on staying out here until October, as I have gone through a lot of paper work already to originally stay only for nine months total. I have decided that I am just going to stay as long as I can. I got a work visa and a residency permit which took a couple of appointments and some funds.
I started as staff in the kitchen first, and then I went to reception. Finally, the night man shift. I am also bible discussion leader on some nights, hostel night leader sometimes, and I always have the opportunity to share my testimony on a personal basis. Each shift has its plus and minus there is Mc (Morning cafe 7:30 am - 1:15 pm), Ac (Afternoon cafe 1:00 pm -6:30 pm) and Ec (Evening cafe 6:15 pm – 11:30 pm). These are the cafe shifts my favorite out of these is Ac because I get to cook. Then there is Morning reception, Afternoon reception and Evening reception these are the reception shifts they are the same times as the cafe shifts. I check our guests in and out here at reception and it is mainly very quiet or really busy. Since New Year’s Eve, I started my first night man shift, this starts at 11:45 pm and goes until 8 am. The night man shift is the longest and it gets very quiet, sometimes people are up until 3 am so I let them hang out in the cafe. I have a lot of chores; I do on these nights as well. Yet, generally I get to talk with cleaners or just talk with guests. I have a good time out here for the most part, if I am not working too much. I have gone to Gouda the CHEESE LAND and watch how the Gouda is made, it is not pronounced (Goo Duh) by the way. They have very good cheese out here and I love it!! it is one of my favorite things about Holland. We went to Gouda on a staff day which is where all the Jordan staff have an outing together. I also went to Rotterdam to my Dutch friends’ house and met his family which was quite cool. I am soaking up the Dutch culture and so far it is very cool. I really like seeing so much of something other than the “American culture”. Amsterdam is a very Multi cultural city and there is only so much to see here before you have to explore more. I have gotten more of the Dutch experience in Holland other than just Amsterdam. I would love to go on telling you more, but I don’t know if there is room. Keep in contact with me at Tmanor_13@yahoo.com.
With love, sincerely,
Taurean M Hall
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