Mission House

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One and half week ago we had guests from six different nations. Five new volunteers from Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Lithuania and Poland came for ‘Taster Weekend’. Taster Weekend is to see what life in Mission House is about and to get a first impression of work in social projects.

I still remember when I came for this weekend one year ago. I was terribly nervous, afraid of speaking English and being on my own with a group of totally unknown people. My parents remember me coming back home with a smile from ear to ear.

Although we don’t know what Annabell, Elze, Hannah, Mehdi and Gregor (three volunteers couldn’t join us because of very important examinations) have told their parents and friends we utterly enjoyed having them here.

It was great fun to prepare a weekend with renting bicycles for visiting a whole slew of different projects we work in, to wake up at 7 o’clock to make breakfast for all of them, to restrain my time under the shower and to have a Sunday service with and about Mission House in the Lutheran Church in Amsterdam.

We also experienced ‘Herdenkingsdag’ and “Bevrijdingsdag’ (National Memorial Day and Liberation Day) on 4 and 5 May.

The thoughts turn to those who were killed by the Nazi dictatorship in World War II and those who died fighting for freedom. We attended a wreath-laying ceremony with Queen Beatrix, Prince Willem-Alexander and other nameable personalities on Dam square.

For me it was very touching, also because I knew that it was the very first time that a German president was invited to give a speech in the Netherlands. After 67 years there should be a chance to be approaching each other even though the existing reservations are very comprehensible.

On Liberation Day we went to an astounding and grandiose concert on (!) the Amstel. Watching and listening to an impressive program of various pieces of music presented by famous singers, dancers and other artists was worth waiting and standing for almost two hours.

The Lutheran church invited us to a Sunday service to tell about the experiences we’ve made in the Mission House and in our working projects since our welcoming and blessing service in September last year. We showed a self-made movie with drawings, slide shows and speeches. Highly recommended!

During the afternoon we saw the new Mission Housers heading for home. Now it’s really apparent that there are only a few weeks left for us.

We hope that they enjoyed it as well and wish them all the best for Mission House 2012-13!