03/29/02 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Greetings to all of our beloved in other lands.
Truly the Almighty has manifested His great blessings here in the last
day and a half. We are staying at the Christian Hostel in the midst of
the Red Light District in Amsterdam. This hostel draws travelers from
many countries, including Surinam Africa, Morrocco, Israel, Romania,
Czeck Republic, South Sudan, England, and on and on. After prayer and
crying out to Elohiym to be used in sharing HIS Light, it seems as though
much has taken place. We were particularly blessed to encourage this
man named Benjamin from Surinam Africa. It seems as though he fled his
country because of the war there. From what I gather, people from his
country are so focused on the diamond industry that they dig up under
schools and other places looking for them. Benjamin doesn't seem to
have much in the way of identification, so it is hard for him to get
employment. When it came down to the wire as far as needing a place to
stay, the Hostel took him in and gave him a job cleaning- which provides
him a free place to stay, meals, and nightly Bible studies. We told him
of Yeshua's teachings about not taking thought for tommorow,
considering how the birds are fed each day, etc. It is amazing that the Good
News is a universal message, and even Benjamin could relate. He touched
on Psalm 23, possibly how he could read it but not fully relate, but
with a little encouragement about how God had brought him to the hostel
was able to see how his Good Shepherd was leading him. He is such a
precious man, confessing that he is spiritually weak, and desires someone
to encourage and help him in the faith. I mentioned in passing how
maybe we could send him a ticket to come to Israel, and I saw his heart
leap. He has gone out of his way to spend time with us, and it will be
hard to leave him.
Then there is Soufein, a young man from Morrocco. He was touched that
we tried to speak a little Arabic with him- as he doesn't speak English
very well. Again he seems to have a draw to us, and we are hoping to
encourage him more tonight.
Time would fail, friends, to tell of the Christian man seeking asylum
from South Sudan, or the man from the Czeck Republic who communicated
with us in Hebrew. Or Channan, the man from Israel that lost all his money
at the Casino, and was thankful even for a little help.
It seems as though a truly wonderful opportunity has opened here, and
we are keeping it in consideration for the future days (if there be).
We are scheduled to leave early tomorrow morning for Bucharest, Romania,
to arrive on Sunday the 31st. We hope to update after that, and again
thank you all for your prayers, they have been felt.
Shalom
-James