The Netherlands by Kelsey Doornenbal ’15 Shelter Youth Hostels • www.shelter.nl For 16 years, Northwestern students have spent spring break alongside staff and volunteers at Shelter City and Shelter Jordan in Amsterdam. The hostels seek to demonstrate hospitality and Christian love by providing clean, affordable and welcoming accommodations for young travelers. Team members worked in the hostels’ cafés and spring-cleaned the rooms. They also led evening activities and Bible discussions for guests.
Service with a smile Serving with joy isn’t always easy—cleaning and cooking aren’t always that fun—but we were consistently reminded that any activity, when done with the joy of the Lord, is mission work and can help spread God’s kingdom. We overheard a guest say, “I wouldn’t normally stay somewhere Christian, but this place is just different.” The difference is the commitment of the hostel staff to further Christ’s kingdom through smiles and service.
Red Light District The Shelter City is near Amsterdam’s infamous Red Light District. We walked through the area, and even in the midst of so much darkness and sin, we felt the Lord’s presence and protection. Christ’s victory is more powerful than the sin and hurt we saw around us.
Everyday faith The hostels are an intentional community of believers who hold each other accountable and are committed to serving Christ every day in any way. Everything at the hostels is bathed in prayer and God’s word—and our team talked about incorporating that constant seeking after the Lord into our daily lives back on Northwestern’s campus.
Nicaragua by Hannah Shie ’15 The Moravian Church For the 12th time, a team returned to Bluefields, Nicaragua, to minister to the community served by Reformed Church in America missionaries Rev. Adrian Bobb and Dr. Bernardeth Kelly-Bent (www.rca.org/mission). The students arrived with more than 100 pairs of shoes for Bluefields children, enabling kids without shoes to have a pair so they can attend school. Team members also hosted a vacation Bible school, dug a water runoff ditch, and painted at the Comedor, which serves daily meals to kids. Sole support One little boy told us about the significance of shoes. Bluefields children have to wear shoes to school, and as he and his brother have just one pair between them, they must take turns going to school. Because one of the pairs we brought with us fit him, now he and his brother can attend school together every day. Family first Family is a high priority in the Bluefields community. Kids who came to the Comedor would often bring their younger siblings. One boy, Eduardo, showed up every day with his two-year-old sister, who he was responsible for. Rather than playing with the other kids—even though it was obvious he wanted to—he just stayed by his sister’s side. As he grew to trust us, we convinced him to let us take care of his sister so he could have a break and play awhile. Turning guilt into gumption It’s hard to visit a place like Bluefields and not feel guilty about being born into such a wealthy and privileged society. As we talked and processed our feelings, one of the things we concluded is that rather than spending time feeling guilty, we should spend more time understanding and pursuing ways we can use our wealth and privilege to serve communities like Bluefields.
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