Chalking the City

Another hello to everyone at home - the time has come for another update about the adventures we have been having in Amsterdam. We are already half way done with our trip and the Lord still continues to work in the lives of those around us as well as in our own... we are all growing and learning so much!

Since the Monday night bible study where we got to minister (and be ministered to) by some of the ladies in the Red Light, some pretty significant things have happened to us as a team. As we moved on in the week we continued some of our renovations and painted in the streets, having the opportunity to talk with some really interesting people who find Amsterdam to be their home. After that day we really began to have fires stirred inside of us to branch out more - mostly we had been ministering through lending helping hands and forming relationships with people on the base - but we were beginning to itch to flood the streets with the Gospel and step outside the box. A lot of our heart had been for the people on the base, but we also had the desire to be able to impact the people of Amsterdam and speak truth into otherwise truth-less lives.

So, the natural conclusion was to buy a box of chalk and chalk the streets of Amsterdam!

We took our chalk to the library and as we walked back to the base we stopped by one of the more walked on bridges in Amsterdam. We prayed for the Lord to inspire us and give us words for the city and that part of town, and then we dispersed! The Kona team, a YWAM team who is also staying at the base with us, tagged along, and together we covered the area with crazy truths about the Lord- we even wrote the story of Jesus on one of the walls. We hadn't even thought about the incredible opportunity it would be to talk to people on the streets, but as we chalked everyone passing through slowed down to read our words and talk to us about what we were doing. We even found out later that days after we had left the chalk was still there and people pause as they pass through and read through everything we wrote, taking pictures and lingering in the spot we prayed over.

Needless to say, we are definitely doing this more.

On the downside, we also had to say goodbye to Niki this morning as she boarded the plane to go back to the States. Today has been a hard day because we feel that part of our family is gone, because Niki was a huge part of our team. We know that the Lord has completely equipped us to see and do amazing things in the streets in the coming two weeks, but Niki is and will be so missed. Remember that Niki!!!!! Amazing things are waiting for you at home!

Next week we will dive more deeply into street ministry and prayer - we will be doing some outreaches outside of the city and in the far sides of town, some prayer walks through the red light, and a lot more chalking and street painting. These next 2 weeks are going to be intense and wonderful, and they are going to fly by so fast! Thank you so much for praying for us and please continue to pray for our safety and for the Lord to really work in the last 2 weeks that we are here.

We miss you all very, very much! See you soon! And... p.s. ..... keep texting us words of encouragement please! thanks! bye!