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Day 3

Prayer:
Psalm 22:2-8(words of the psalmist and Jesus on the cross)
6   But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7   All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8   “Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver - let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”
Devotion:
Titus 2:11-13
11For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, 12training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Journal:
Yesterday was yet another day of amazing experiences. We started off the morning with a metro-train and bus ride to the other side of Amsterdam - which means we had to go under a big river via a tunnel. We got to the North side of town and were greeted by Jerjen who is the pastor of Hoop Voor Noord. We listened to his struggles in ministry and his joy of leading a multicultural congregation. While his theology is more orthodox(kind of conservative in American thought) his heart and ministry were wrestling with tensions of culture and faith. But he persisted in working towards a place where all felt welcome and a place that worked with the community.
After grabbing a bite to eat in the Central Station, we traveled to the Rijksmuseum. There was nothing to see there(only kidding!!)... what an amazing place! Each floor was dedicated to one time period of Dutch art. We got a private tour of the 17th century art of Rembrandt, Vermeer and others. We then were on our own to see the 18th century floor that included a few of van Gogh’s works. Miss Margie and I travelled around in awe of all this beautiful art packed into this museum. Our trip of the day was not over until there was food, of course. A wonderful meal of sausage and mashed potatoes made three ways; with sauerkraut, carrots and kale - amazing!
The day ended with a tram ride back to the hotel where a few of us finished off the night with a nice conversation and reflection.
My impressions of the city are not changing much. I see a place that makes sense in most regards. It also is definitely the most diverse place I have ever been. Moroccans, Surinamese, Indonesian, Turkish… the list goes on. The people are so beautiful as they work, live and play together in this old town.

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