"Christmas camp"

Between Christmas and New Years, the house has been having Christmas camp. almost everybody is on vacation - and we´ve been doing extra things to celebrate. We´ve taken a break from cleaning (and my nose is starting to notice a smell coming from our overstuffed fridge which might need taking care of soon). We´ve rearranged the furniture to provide a cozy area for the people who live here. We´ve limited drop-in hours so that we can do extra activities and spend more time together. We´ve watched a couple of movies together. We´ve gone on excursions - so in the last week I´ve been to Den Haag, to the shipping museum, and to a large indoor swimming pool. I´ve played four rounds of Settlers of Catan. And it´s been fun overall.

Because I decided to stay in Amsterdam for the holidays, I volunteered to help out Zr Annemieke and Br Luc who are in charge of Christmas camp (it´s a lot of work for just two people). In a house like this, we have a number of different schedules (kitchen, cleaning, chapel, drop-in, etc.) - and most of the people completing those tasks were on vacation, so we were in charge of getting things done - like cooking, getting bread, getting breakfast and lunch ready, planning and leading chapels, holding reception for the drop-in centre, organizing excursions, etc. I´ve helped do that for a weekend, but a week is a bit different. i´m not sure i knew exactly what i was getting into when i volunteered!

one of the things that i´ve noticed this week is how much i like the freedom of doing what i want when i want. and having volunteered meant that i had less freedom this week - i was expected to be there for most of the events and be with others for much of the day. (although I was daily given time to spend by myself doing errands and having down-time. and if I had been overwhelmed by everything, I know that I would have been more than free to leave for a longer period of time.) that my time was not entirely my own and my choices not entirely my own (even if i had made the original choice to do this!) was good for me (even if i didn´t always like it). part of my being a Christian means giving up my freedom - and my wilfulness to do only what i want. giving up my freedom for this week is a very concrete reminder that all of my time is about doing God´s will - and that i´m not entitled to certain things.

and as i learned more and more to give over my will (and time) to God, i was blessed and encouraged. my family has banned the word sorry all week (i think because i say it all the time) - and i´m only supposed to communicate in Dutch (which i´ve cheated on a bit). and i led a chapel half in English and half in Dutch (the Dutch was mostly the order of service which is written down) - and was encouraged by others afterwards. i´ve seen how much work and energy and joy that Br Luc and Zr Annemieke have done this week - and i have been deeply appreciative and look forward to getting to learn more from both of them.i´ve been able to get to know everyone here a bit better - and look forward to spending more time with them. i saw and heard the appreciation when a group of us showed up at a mutual friend´s birthday party (i was reminded when i came back the next day with ollie bollen - about 30 balls of the 320 that had been donated to us - and we needed to get rid of!). i got to carve our donated turkey (which was dubbed the rolls-royce of turkeys) for dinner the other night since i get to do at my parent´s house. i danced with a two year old to Johnny Cash (whose music reminds me of my dad). and i have laughed and drank tea and learned better how to love people.

and about once a day, i look at the group of people i am with - and am deeply thankful that i get to be part of this crazy wonderful ´family.´