Time is ticking...

So I've (re)booked my flights back to Australia and in exactly 2 months I fly off into the unknown. Well it's not exactly entirely unknown since I'm heading back to Adelaide, a place that I know and love. It's got me thinking though and I'm not really sure what I'm thinking. My thoughts are bittersweet. I've made the Netherlands my home for the past year and in that time I've made friends, fallen in love with a city and lived. I've had experiences, conversations, laughter, tears, and a whole life that doesn't include Adelaide and all that my life there held. I'm thankful for my time here and I'm really sad to be leaving.

On top of this, I've changed. I've started thinking about what life will be like back in Adelaide, and I've got to the stage where it's sinking in that it will be different. I will have been away for a year, and in that time me, and other people, will have changed. Things that were the norm when I left won't necessarily be the norm any more. I've got a picture in my head of what Adelaide is like and it's a year old. People have moved on, I've moved on. How do I fit back into that? Last time I went back to Australia from living in the Netherlands it was not back into the 'old' life I had, but onto another change and another city. This time I'll be heading right back to where I was and trying to fit my new self into that world. Can I do this?

Another question I've been thinking of is whether I should even try to fit myself back into that life. Things will be different, so should I be trying to live as if they weren't? I don't mean that I won't spend time with my friends, do the things that I love doing and become a totally different person, but maybe I should be looking at this as a new adventure, the next stage in my life, the next change. So what if it's in an 'old' place, it's a place that I love and who says I can't make a new life in an old place?

Danish frikadeller vs Norwegian 'meat cakes' vs Swedish meatballs

I've just got back from travelling in Denmark, Norway and Sweden and I thought that I would start telling you about my adventures by addressing this VERY important question- which is more tasty? The Danish frikadeller? The Norwegian 'meat cake'? or the Swedish meatball? Having tried all three in the last 10 days, I feel very qualified to try and answer this question.

The Danish frikadeller

This is a flatter 'meatball' which was handmade by my lovely Danish host and was made of beef. It was served with potato salad, tomato and cucumber. It was the perfect light summer meal for a warm sunny day in Copenhagen.

The Norwegian meat cake (kjøttkaker)

These beef meat cakes were served with potatoes, carrots, mashed peas, lingonberry jam and gravy! I think these were homemade, but were bought in a pub in Bergen. This was a very heavy meal, especially for lunch, but the gravy was spectacular. The company of my Norwegian host was also delightful.

The Swedish Meatball (köttbullar)

The Swedish meatball is probably the most famous (thanks IKEA) of the three types of meatballs. These were pork, I think, and were served on a bed of pureed potato and a heavenly creamy sauce. There was also lingonberry sauce and some garnish of cucumber. These meatballs were light and the potato was amazing. They were again homemade, but bought in a cafe in Stockholm.

The verdict:

After sampling these three different meals, I have come to a conclusion about which is the best. Before I give you my answer though, I must say that the scientist in me is a bit annoyed. Due to the fact that I only tried one sampling of each from only the one restaurant, it's not exactly scientific. Also it's only based on my opinion and what I find tasty. So disclaimers over, although I found them all enjoyable, my favourite was....the Swedish meatball!! They were just so light and tasty, as was the potato and the creamy sauce. Delicious!

receiving encouragement

I'm a person who likes giving encouragement. I especially like encouraging people to stretch themselves, to try new things and to grow. This is especially true when it comes to their relationship with God and the way that they serve Him. I guess that's part of why I like my job so much. I get to do this a lot. I get to help people think through topics and ideas. I get to be on their journey with them as the mature and grow.

Sometimes the shoe is on the other foot, which is what I want to talk about today. In the mail a couple of weeks ago I received a lovely letter from the lovely women in ES (Evangelical Students, ES, is the IFES group at universities in Adelaide). It was such a surprise to be recieving a letter with the sender address as Flinders ES. I had no idea what it was, and was so touched to read what was written. It's such a blessing to know that people back in Aus are thinking of me and praying not only for me, but also for the ministry that I'm doing here in NL. Almost any time is a great time for encouragement, but for me it was really great timing, and just what I wanted to hear, so thanks girls!

How are you going to encourage the people in your life this week?

staring out my window

This is today's view out of the kitchen doors to the balcony.

Why am I sharing this photo with you? Well lately I've been standing at the doors and just looking. What do I see? I see the cat on the balcony of an appartment closeby. I see the surfboards in a backyard. I see the trees blowing in the wind. I see kids playing in the park. I see rain falling on the roofs of sheds. I see lives being lived around me. I've been taking in the view and thinking. What do I think about? I'm not really sure. I watch people. I look at their houses and I wonder how their lives are- what they treasure, what they do, if they're happy. I think about the weather and wish that it was sunnier and warmer. I think about the life I've been living here in NL and how I've changed. I think about how I'd like my life to be. I think about what life might be like when I return to Aust. I think about the people I miss and the people I'll miss when I leave here. I think about God and how He's working in my life and how I can best follow Him.

Sometimes, for a different perspective, I sit on the ledge and look out the front window.

showing friendship

Since moving away from Australia, I've been thinking a lot about friendship. I've moved a lot in my life and made many friends along the way, but leaving a place is always hard. It makes being a friend to those you've left behind a difficult situation. When living in the same city as a friend I love being able to spend time with them, attend special occassions and basically just live life with them. This is, for obvious reasons, not possible when you don't live in the same city, let alone the same country. On my holidays in Aust, I would try to visit friends that I haven't seen in a while. It's part of keeping up with them, because I believe that friendships blossom when you can actually spend face-to-face time with someone. These days the internet has made it easier to keep in contact, but I think it's also decreasing our quality of friendship, but that's a story for another time.

Since living in NL, I've been trying to work out how to best be friends with people back in Aust. It's one thing to remember their birthday, when Facebook reminds you, yet I believe friendship is so much more than that. In the 9 months that I've been living here in NL, I've missed the weddings of about 6 couples that I've been good friends with. And it's almost killed me. Such an important milestone in their lives, and I couldn't be there with them to celebrate. So I've been wondering how to be a friend from afar. Is it enough to have Facebook chats once in a while, or send letters/emails/cards? Is a phone call or a Skype chat enough?

I'd love your thoughts and ideas on the subject. Is there something that you do to stay in touch with friends, or some way that you show them that you're thinking of them when you can't be with them?

IFES Spring Retreat 2013

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts I helped to organise a 'Spring Retreat' for International Students within the Netherlands. The theme was 'Grace and Rest' with guest speaker Lauran Bethell. It was a great time of fun and fellowship with students from around the world, and was such a joy to be involved in it. I could write some more things about it, but this short video on Youtube is a much better way of showing you what the retreat was all about!

tiptoeing through the tulips

Well spring has sprung in NL and it was time to enjoy it. Although it's still less than 20 degrees celcius, it's amazing what a bit of sunshine can do for one's spirits! The other week Bethany, a friend from the US, and I went to the Keukenhof. This is a massive flower garden that is only open March-May for the showcase of spring flowers, such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinth. While I was on the look-out for the perfect purple tulip, I was suprised by the variety of tulips (let alone other flowers) in the garden. Variation with tulips is in colour, size (both of petals and stalks), patterns, doubling or not and even the way that the flower opens. It was truly amazing to see. So basically I just wanted to share some of this variety with you. Our God is a creative god.