SNOW!

A snowy world

This is what I woke up to! A white, snowy, cold world. Snow amazes and excited me. We knew it would snow overnight, so, like a little kid waiting for Christmas morning, I kept waking up every couple of hours looking out the window to see if it had snowed yet. When I woke up to this wonderland, I was so excited. Walking to the beach with my Dutch housemate, she was laughing at my exclaimations and joy from this 'normal' stuff. Now that I meantioned the beach, here's the thing that I can't wrap my head around- it snows at the beach!! I never imagined that it would be cold enough at the beach for there to be snow. But when we reached the beach, there was a field of snow on top of the sand! I guess it makes sense that if it's cold enough to snow in Den Haag, a seaside city, then it would snow at the beach. I just think of warmth when I think of the beach, and snow only happens when it's really cold.

Water, sand and snow! Me at the snowy beach. 

So today was the first snow for the season. I'm looking forward to much more snow and seeing this lovely white powder all over the place in the future! Snow makes winter (and the cold) worthwhile.

6 Days in Australia

Hi everyone! I know it's been a while, but here I am again. I've been busy with work, but also with a trip back to my beloved Australia. My brother's wedding was on the 17th of November, and I made the trip in order to be there for that occassion. Let me tell you- it was worth it!

After 24 hours of travel from Amsterdam to Melbourne (via Kuala Lumpur) it was great to be picked up at the airport by my brother Jono. Staying with him and his fiance, Tammy, was a great way to relax and actually see them a bit before the wedding. I also got to meet some of Tammy's family. After picking up my Poppa from the airport a couple of days later, it was off the the beach house in Safety Beach to spend some time with my parents. Although Mum was sick, I was still able to spend time playing games and chatting with her and Dad. I was also able to catch up with my other brother and my sister-in-law and my beautiful niece! But quickly the big day arrived!

Safety Beach

The wedding was held in a rose garden at an estate on the Mornington Penninsula. It was a beautiful sunny day and Tammy was looking spectacular. I was honoured to be asked to do the Bible reading- 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. After the ceremony, I was able to spend the rest of the evening catching up with both immediate and extended family members- a few of which I haven't seen in quite some time. There was also a bit of dancing throughout the night! The best part of the night though was that I've 'officially' gained another sister. I love Tammy so much and am so glad that she's a part of our family.

Jono and Tammy

A few days later it was back to Europe after another 24 hours of travel. Arriving back in Den Haag was a bit surreal to start with. Seeing the familiar buildings and remembering how much I love this city was great and surprising, but I am also now missing my family and friends in Australia. My heart is split at the moment- between two countries. It's split between the cold, flat land that I'm currently making my home and the sunny, laid-back land I have lived in for most of my life.

6 days is not a long time to spend in a country, but it was such a blessing that I will soon forget the long travel and the tirdeness from jetlag and will only remember the beautiful ceremony, time spent with family and the tears as I left them yet again.

Autumn

Lange Voorhout in Den Haag

Sophielaan Den Haag

Autumn in Den Haag is said to be the wettest time. I'm finding this out the hard way! There are days when rain comes out of nowhere and there are days that look like there should be rain, but it just never comes. I'm getting into the habbit of carrying around an umbrella with me- just in case. Other than the rain, autumn has brought with it the beautiful change in colour of leaves that is the signature of this season. Although this happens in Australia, I can't ever remember it happening on the same scale as here. Leaves are changing colour and falling all over the place. The funny thing is that it's come all of a sudden. One day trees were all green, then the next day there's so much colour it's amazing. Soon there won't be any leaves at all!!

The other thing that Autumn has brought is colder weather. Although the end of summer wasn't exactly warm, I'm already in the winter coats I would wear in Australia. Scarves and boots are also a must. The scary thing is that this is just the beginning! It's only going to get colder as the year continues. Before I know it, winter will be upon me and I'll be in thermals and thicker jumpers/coats. The only hope for winter is the hope of snow. But I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here. Today I went for a lovely walk in the autumn weather and took photos of the scenes unfolding in front of me. It was a beautiful day to see God's amazing creation- and believe it or not, it wasn't raining!

Culture

I've had a few conversations with people lately about the differences in culture between Australia and the Netherlands. I think it's a hard question. I've been here now for just over 2 months, so you would think that I've had enough time to know what some of the differences are. But for the life of me I can't seem to work them out. There may be a couple of reasons for this:

1. I'm not an observant person. I'm not very good at observing people and analysing what they're saying. I don't think I can distil out the culture behind what people say and do.

2. I've lived here before, so I find it 'normal'. I think this may be a big factor. I feel very at home here, and I think it's because I've had more than these last 2 months to get to know how things work in the Netherlands.

3. There's not much difference in the cultures. This may be true, but I'm not really sure. I think Australian and Dutch culture are more similar than many other cultures though.

I think I will have to try harder to discover the culture...

Thankful?

I believe that in every day life we tend to do a mixture of 3 things:
1. We take for granted our lives and the things that are in them
2. We complain about the things that we wish we had in life
3. We are thankful for the things that we have

I also believe that every day life is usually dominated by the first two reactions. They seem so much easier to do than to be thankful. It's easier to just go about life and not think about what's actually in it. To not think about what we spend our time doing, or who we spend our time with. We don't realise what we've got...until it's not there any more.


It's also so easy to dwell on the things that aren't going right in life. The things that your life is missing or that you've lost. We are trained to look for better things, for upgrades and the things that we 'deserve' in life. But what is it that we really deserve? What do we really have a 'right' to have in our life? Isn't it enough to be thankful for the things that we have in our life right now, and not to dwell on the things we don't have?

I'm at a point in my life right now. I'm stick in a spiral of dwelling on what I'm missing in life- what I don't have. The friends I can't be with, the things that are going on without me, the times I spend alone when all I want is to have someone here with me. But it needs to stop. I'm so thankful for the times that I've had people around me, that I've had friends who love me and care for me. I still have that- it's just changed. I need to be thankful.

As I said, it's easy to dwell on the things that you don't have in your life. What about all the things that we do have? Friends and family that love us no matter where in the world we are. A God who loves us and is with us all the time. The joy of being able to tell people about this God who loves us. A beautiful world created for us to enjoy.

Father, please help me to be thankful

Church is family

Please don't take your church family for granted. I hope you go to a church where you feel at home. You know people there and they know you. I don't mean that they know about you, but that they really KNOW you and they care about and for you. I had a church famliy like this in Adelaide. I loved seeing them every week, spending time with them and worshipping God together. Just like my 'real' family, I took them for granted. I took for granted the fact that they'd be there for me no matter how I was feeling. I took for granted the love that they shared with me when they invited me to their homes; as they prayed for things going on in my life; as we read the Bible together. Mostly I miss the love they conveyed in such simple ways as smiles and hugs.

'Church shopping' isn't fun. It's like going to live with a long-lost sister that you only just found out you had. You know there's a connection between the two of you, but you don't know the first thing about her. You aren't comfortable around her and you don't know what to say. I hope this is making some sort of sense. There's a comfort to family (church or not) that you don't realise is there until it's not there- or you're not there. That said, there's things you can do to grow the relationship, but it's not easy. The best thing to do is persevere. Persevere with going, with talking to people, with getting involved, with taking up invitations etc. That said, I guess it's the same with your church family too. Sometimes you won't feel like seeing them, or going to church at all (for whatever reasons). You just have to. 

The thing I need to remember is that church is about worshipping God. It's not about how I feel, but about having the chance to gather with others to sing praises to our most wonderful creator. It's about reading the Bible together and listening to what God is saying through the songs, Bible, preacher, and other people around us. It's not about us at all- it's about God.

what is a 'good' Christian?

'...we have confidence before God and recieve from him anything that we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them.' 1 John 3:21-24

At the tram stop by the university on Monday, I had a brief conversation with two guys. The conversation started out with the usual- them saying something in Dutch and me replying that I only speak English! This gets the conversation going as they want to know where I'm from and why I'm in the Netherlands. When I explained that I'm here to work with Christian university students, the first thing that was said in reply was 'oh so are you a good Christian girl?' This question is so loaded and got the discussion going about what a 'good' Christian is. Unfortunately my tram came not long into the conversation and they made sure I got on it!

The bible verses that I've added above are just one of the passages that tell us about what the heart of being a 'good' Christian is. The most popular idea of being a 'good' Christian is someone who follows the rules set by the Church and God. In a way this is true, but it's not about following the rules. It's about love. The above passage talks about obeying God's commands and doing what pleases him. This is commonly thought of as the Law or the ten commandments. The passage goes on to tell us which commands please God: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another. Where's the 'no adultery' and the 'honour your parents'? When we think about the ten commandments and other 'rules' set out in the bible, they can really be placed under these two commands. Let me try to explain.

Believing in the name of Jesus Christ means believing in what the bible has said about him. This means believing in his life, death, resurrection and rule now as king. It means believing he was sent by God (his Father) to take on the punishment we deserve for our rebellion against God. It means believing that we have recieved grace, mercy and love from God through Jesus. That's not a simple thing to do, but is what pleases God. Believing in these things pleases God, because in believing these things it means we are in him and he in us- just as he originally intended!

Loving one another means putting the other person's needs above your own. This relates to many of the ten commandments. Loving your parents means that you'll honour their wishes and ideas. Loving someone who you want to have an adulterous relationship with means loving them (and their spouse) enough to not put them in that situation- putting their needs before your own. Loving one another means that you value them enough to be honest with them and not to lie. I think you get my drift.

There are other commands/laws in the bible, but it is these two that are the things to strive for- the things to practice. It is in obeying these commands that we will live in him and he will live in us. So maybe you're thinking about how this relates back to the conversation I had with the two guys at the tram stop? Would you answer the question of 'what makes a good Christian?' differently now? Is it all about following the rules? or is it about believing in Jesus and loving others?

First day at work!

I tried to upload a video for you all, but am having 'technical difficulties'- which really means I just can't seem to make it work. I'll try again soon. In other news though, I had my first day at work today. It involved travelling to Utrecht to the National Office for a meeting. It was so nice to get into thinking about what will be happening this year in Den Haag. While there's much more thinking and organising to do, I'm really excited about the possibilities that there are for my year in Den Haag.

Some of these ideas include:

- helping to establish a bible study with International students at the Haagse Hogeschool (The Hague University). There was one there last year, with a few students going. It may be possible for me to spend some time on campus with these students to train them and to help grow this group.

- looking at opportunities to reach out on campus. Not sure what this might include, but there's the idea of their first ever Mission Week. Having been involved in the Mission Week at Flinders, I'm pretty keen to be involved with this. Not sure if this is for Dutchies or Internationals, or even the both.

- some kind of work with the Dutch students.

- there's a Hotel management school or something near where I'm going to be living, so maybe that's a chance to make contacts there.

There's so many ideas, and I can't wait to nut them out more to see what we can do. I'm also excited about meeting some students (which I get to do on Monday) and to see where they're at and getting to know them. Students are the same around the world it seems! One of the ideas to reach students was a pizza and movie night...just like you would have in Australia. I'm also looking forward to the staff training days where I can meet other IFES staff from around the country. Since it's such a small country, they get together more often than they do in Australia. There's about 20 staff, most of which are Dutch. There are a few international staff (now including myself).

Not really sure what else there is to say, so I'll keep trying to make a short video and upload it, so you can see that I'm still alive and it's not someone else writing on here...

Planes and Trains

Travel itinery for the past few days was as follows:

Melbourne- Abu Dhabi 14hrs

Abu Dhabi- Frankfurt 6hrs

Frankfurt- Oldenburg 4hrs

That’s 24hrs of travel with transit times in between. Either I was lucky, or I planned well, because the longest time I had to wait was 2 hrs. Once at the airport in Abu Dhabi (where once I’d found the gate for my next flight I lay on the cool tiles reading) and now at Frankfurt (where I’m sitting in a McCafe writing this). I know what you’re thinking. How could I fly across the world and end up in a McCafé?! Well it’s a bit of the familiar in a very unfamiliar place (plus they have soy milk, whereas another café I tried didn’t). I’d forgotten what it was like to be in a foreign country- especially one where I don’t know the language. I find myself eaves-dropping on conversations. Anything I can’t immediately understand, I ignore. When I hear English, a little spark goes off in my chest as I recognise the words and the meaning behind them. It sounds strange, but I'm in a place when the most German I know is bits and pieces that I can pick up due to my limited knowledge of Dutch. It’s a strange feeling knowing that people are talking about everyday things and it sounds like a mash of sounds that could never be deciphered. Language intrigues me.

Anyway, back to the travel. Last time I flew to Europe I slept a lot. This time I hardly slept. I think it’s because I’m older and find the seats harder on my body, especially my back. I know it sounds like I’m and old woman, and I know I’m not, but the fact is, I’m not 18 anymore! Getting comfortable was hard, but the whole experience was made better by Etihad. Individual screens with a plethora of movies, tv shows, music, games and news. A constant stream of food and drinks. Kind hostesses who bring extra blankets so you don’t freeze to death mid-flight. All of these things made my air travel quite comfortable, despite my sore back and my frequent need to go to the toilet.

So now I know what you’re thinking again…if I’m currently writing this from Frankfurt, then how about the train aspect of my journey? I haven’t taken the train to Oldenburg yet. Seeing as thought I can’t seem to connect to the internet to actually post this, I’m doing this in two sections. My next section will be either tonight or tomorrow, depending on how tired I am when I arrive at Julia’s place. By the way, that’s what’s in Oldenburg. It’s a random town in the North-West of Germany. A friend, who is more like a sister, lives and studies there, and I couldn’t come to Germany and not visit! I haven’t seen her in almost 6 years, so 2 days/3 nights won’t really cut it, but at least it’s a start.

So I went with the ‘tomorrow’ option. Yesterday’s train travel was not as easy as I had hoped. It wasn’t bad, but I was totally exhausted. The trip was also made more difficult by the last minute change in the leaving platform, as well as the added stop to change trains in Bremen (feel free to use Google maps to help locate these towns if you're interested). The first couple of hours were pretty good though, as I talked to a really nice German girl that helped me out with some information about the train. I'll call her V, as that's what her name starts with, but I've forgotten the rest. She's writing a thesis about religion and the way that it is intertwined with culture. Was great to have a friendly face and to find out a bit about her life and such.

Getting off that last train and finding Julia waiting for me on the platform was the best feeling. Seeing her after so long was coupled with the fact that I hadn't seen anyone I knew for over 2 days. This made me quite emotional (I think the exhaustion also had something to do with it!) Anyway, talking about exhaustion, it's time for me to head to bed. Hopefully tonight I won't keep Julia awake with my snoring!

New Life

After all my talk of the end of things and death in my last post, I've had the chance to think more about the beginning of life. For the last 4 days I've been visiting my brother and his wife in Canberra, along with my 4 week old niece (pictured below). This has allowed me to be amazed, yet again, at the miracle of life. The tiny bundle in my arms was a human being. She started as a group of cells in the body of another person, and is now a full person herself. She has tiny fingernails, eyebrows, hands, feet and all the things that come along with being human. I'm so amazed.

My gorgeous niece, Alena!

Then I love thinking about the life that's to come. I picture her walking, talking, singing and dancing. I picture her at school, with friends, at parties, at the beach. I imagine what she will enjoy doing and what she'll be good at. It's such a privilege to be involved in this little person's life and to see it unfold before my eyes. I can't wait!

Last night in Adelaide!

With what feels like a million thoughts running through my mind, I thought it might be good to write a post on my last night in Adelaide. Tomorrow I drive off with my parents bound for Canberra (taking the scenic route through Victoria to see my Grandparents). I'm so excited to see my brothers and sisters-in-law and my new niece. At the same time, it will be a while before I'm back in the city I've called home for the last 5 and a half years. Having already said good-bye to friends and family here, I've also said good-bye to places that I'm going to miss dearly. Flinders University has been my home away from home due to study and then work. It will be strange not walking around the familiar places on that campus and running into people I know and those I taught as a Biology tutor. The house in Brighton, where I've lived for almost 2 years, as well as the nearby beach are also places I'll miss. But most of all, I'll miss the people.

Saying goodbye to my Poppa today, knowing it could be the last time I see him, was hard. Those last moments with him, not knowing if he'll be alive when I return in a year. It's not something that I like to think about (and sounds very morbid), but it's something I need to prepare myself for. That said, in all seriousness, this could be the last time I see any number of my friends. Age alone is not the only cause of death. But lets not think too much about that.

I guess my thoughts have turned to the end of things, as this is truly the end of one stage of my life. University's over and it's time to move on to other things. I know I'll still be working at university and with students, but it's in a different place, and therefore is the start of a new era in my life. Whoever you are, and wherever you are, I hope that you can join me as I enter this new stage of my life. You may not be able to physically be present, but hopefully you can get a picture of what this new stage has in store for me.

A new beginning

Why hello there!

Welcome to my blog. My name's Hayley, and I'm really excited about starting this new blog. The purpose of this blog is (as the description in the title says)- to tell people about my ministry year in the Netherlands. I thought that the best way to start off is with a video. This is my first try at video blogging, so please bear with me. If you have commments or feedback, please let me know. 

Anyway, enjoy, love H