Amsterdam was an interesting place on many levels. It is a city of such history and beauty but also one of sin and addiction. For those who don’t know and that is probably few, Amsterdam is one of Europe’s hubs for legal prostitution and drug use. Coffee Shops, which stand on nearly every corner, host a place for people to come and smoke weed and drink. The city is also a major industry for fashion, creating a sense of materialism and image. It is however also a city with such awesome creativity from music to art to the fashion industry, a gift that God longs to use.
My experience in Amsterdam was hard as I faced some depression, lack of motivation and pasty white skin again but my team and I were given with some really special moments during our time. I got together with a friend from my town (potato town for those of you who know) and invited a couple people from my school. We had a mean curry and got presented with an idea of helping with a magazine for young people. The goal for the magazine is to be relevant and creative but not Christianese and we were asked if we would like to be a part of the creative side using photography. I am feeling that this will be an incredible opportunity for our school to start using their photographs.
Another amazing opportunity that we had as a school was to give flowers to the prostitutes in the red light district. We bought white flowers and attached small notes of encouragement on them, speaking of their beauty and the love that God has for them, we wanted it to be simple. I was really nervous as I expected to be rejected but I was faced with a very different response. The first woman to receive my flower took it with a huge smile and thank you! Each window I knocked at the woman behind the glass gladly took the flower and placed it in any vase available. One woman, quite young, took her flower and smelled it. A couple minutes later after returning to the same area she was still standing in the window smelling the flower. Now, daisies don’t even have a smell but the women took it as if she was a little girl picking flowers from the garden. It was beautiful! Many asked why we were giving them away and we simply said that we wanted them to know that they were loved. It was a special night for our group and we were all greatly blessed by the way the Holy Spirit was ministering to those women.
Despite our challenges in Amsterdam, God did some great things! After a short travel week in the UK, I am in Malaga, Spain studying Islam and Muslim culture. I will tell you more but until then I will let you know that I am really enjoying my time here. God is doing some radical things in our team, bringing us together, debriefing, healing, etc. We will also be going to Morocco for a week to do ministry and photography. Pray that God would use our team in the little time we have there.
PLEASE DO NOT COPY/PASTE/SAVE PHOTOGRAPHS! THEY ARE FOR YOUR ENJOYMENT BUT NOT TO KEEP. THANKS, AARON
Bicycles of Amsterdam
Dam Square
Country Castle
Traditional Amsterdam House
Night Photography
Carnival in Dam Square
Red Light District
Giving Flowers
