House Parent- Week 1

Well one week into the house parent duties and I'm not sure if I would want to do this all the time. I'm pretty good at taking out the trash, making sure someone is here when the food deliveries come, and coordinating the schedules of all the people living here; but what I don't like is when the drain clogs in the shower and water goes everywhere and the office below floods. I already have a phobia of hair and so I really don't want to have to unclog a drain. Luckily though, there was a handy man and he did it for me. :) I just had to clean up all the water. We were supposed to be getting a new staff member today and I was going to pick him up, but Monday he emailed to say he wasn't coming. Very sad. We are fully staffed for this month and next month, but August is very few. I'm getting nervous about it and I just trying to enjoy everyday we have with lots of staff.

House Parent!

Tomorrow our house parents are going on vacation for 2 1/2 weeks and I have been asked to help "fill in" as a temporary house parent. How cool is that! Another staff member and I will be in charge with making sure the food deliveries come, the garbage is taken out, the cleaning products are fully stocked (although we have a difficulty with keeping things clean in this house), and making sure that the new people who are coming and the old people who are leaving are taken care of. I'm very excited about doing this. This kind of work is where I feel like I can do my best. I like to make sure that others are taken care of and I can't wait to show the new people around the house and neighborhood.

So yesterday I was reading 1 Corinthians 13, the "love" chapter. It's one of my favorite chapters of the Bible..."Love is patient, love is kind....." and so on. When I was reading the first few verses above that section, about how you could have great gifts or powers or whatever, but if you don't have love it's meaningless. Well the part that struck me the most was in verse 2 "if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." Yes I realize that we need love, but what got to me is the "faith that can move mountains" part. I know that my faith is strong and I'm not denying that, but can I move mountains? And all I need is the faith of a mustard seed, but why not strive to have a faith so large it becomes this overwhelming force that pushes any obstacle out of its path? I thought about that all day yesterday and most of today; trying to really understand what it means and why it jumped out at me. I discussed it in my small group today, but I don't think they really understood what I was saying, so I've been thinking about it more this afternoon. I'm curious of others thoughts.

This morning I am sitting at reception and it's been a pretty busy morning.  We didn't have a lot of checkouts (or well not what a usual Sunday morning is like) but there were people everywhere.  I would answer one question and there would be someone else stepping up to ask another.  But finally now, it is quiet.

Today I'm going to church and then just relazing the rest of the evening.  Most of the week I have been Cleaner Supervisor and it has really worn me out.  I have one cleaner that I don't get alone with very well and it's very frustraiting.  He will be leaving on Tuesday, but he's been here for about 15 days.  I'm learing a lot about people from Eastern Europe.  It's very interesting how different it is.  The work structure and gender issues are very interesting.

Well my shift is almost over. 

The Beach!

So after 3 1/2 months, I finally made it to the beach!  I wore a coat and only stuck my feet in the water, because it's 64 degrees in the middle of June!  Not what you would really think of for beach weather.  We're going to go back another time when hopefully the weather is warmer, but it was still really fun.  I went with one of our new staff members who is from Germany.  It was nice to get to know her; she's leaving the same time I am, which is really nice.

We've been showing a lot of World Cup games in our Cafe at the hostel.  It's brought a lot of guests into the cafe to hang out and watch.  Tonight we're watching Germany vs. Australia, which I think should be a good game.  I'm torn for who to cheer for, but I just have to cheer for Australia.  It would feel weird if I didn't.  I missed the US vs. England game last night, but I heard it was pretty good.  It's so nice to look into the cafe and see it full of people.  I'm so glad we're showing it, cause it's better that they watch it with us, then some of the other places in town.

The times they are a changin......

Well yesterday the last person left, who was in this group to leave; and it's only been 24 hours, but I can already tell that him not being here has a weird effect on the house and the Shelter.  I'm glad that he was my last goodbye for a little while, but at the same time I miss all the ones that have gone.  I've never been good with change or goodbyes, so it's something that I guess I need to learn how to deal with.  I know that we'll all see each other again one day in Heaven, so that's something to look forward too.  It's interesting how some people are just supposed to be in your life for a moment, but yet they make a great impact on how your life is shaped.  I very much feel that the people I met here and the friendships I've made have shaped me and will continue for a while.

Today I started training one of the girls on how to be a Cleaner Supervisor.  It was so much fun!  I tried not to overwhelm her, but I'm sure I did.  I remember how crazy my first day was.  I took her around the hostel and showed her where everything is and how we use it.  Then we worked on some of the computer programs that we use.  Tomorrow I'm going to show her our reservation software and how to book beds for cleaners.  I'm really enjoying it, but I'm just a little worried cause sometimes I don't have the most patience.  I just pray that God fills me with a kind heart and the ability to repeat myself and not get annoyed.  She's a really quick learner, so I'm not too worried.  Tomorrow we work on some more things and then she is two days with another girl.  I'm currious to see how differently we train and do things in the hostel.

Cleaners

One of our cleaners that had been working here for about 6 weeks (more than what is usually allowed, but we really needed cleaners and he does a really great job), left today and it was so sad.  His name is Michel and we all got along so well.  Michel says that he is a Christian, but his faith is based more on tradition, than on a true relationship.  I think that his time at The Shelter, has opened his eyes to understanding of the relationship that God desires with us.  He is going back to his home town, and I really hope that he can find a job and a place to live.  So if we could all just pray for him, that would be wonderful!

Tonight is hostel night and so we have free dinner for all the guests and a short presentation.  We need some more ideas for hostel night cause we've been doing the same style (different topics) every other week, and I just think we need to mix things up.  I'm just not sure how yet; but I'm sure something will come.

Here are some more pictures of my trip to Ireland....

Showing the new ones around....

Today is my day off, so I slept in (which was very nice), and my roommate and I took a few of the new girls around the city to show them where different shops were and just to have a look around.  It feels really nice to be helpful to the new people and make sure they can get to where they need to go.  Today has been much better than yesterday.  I feel that everyone is starting to settle into the house and getting used to the extra amount of people who are living here.  We now have 34 people on staff that are living at our house.

Tomorrow is Hostel Night, so we'll get a chance to really interact with the guests and get to know them.  Just pray that it is a good night and we can really impact people for Christ.

at reception

Today I have afternoon reception and it has been really busy with people checking in (which is always good), but now it's starting to slow down.

Lately we have had trouble with getting cleaners (and good cleaners) here at the hostel.  We've been praying and praying for God to provide us with people, and as of today we have 5 cleaners!  We usually only have 3, but one is leaving at the end of the week and another isn't staying the entire 28 days.  But it's just so wonderful when God provides.  We have all been very tired doing double work of trying to finish rooms and do the chores that we have set out for the day.

The weather is starting to get really nice.  They're calling for 26 degrees Celcius (which is hot for Amsterdam!) and everyone is getting really excited.

Our house right now is very different.  Yesterday we had a large group of people from Weaton College come in to work for 2 months along with the other new people that have been coming in in the last week; our house is full (and it's a large house with lots of rooms, so it's very weird that it feels packed!)!  Two of my close friends left when I was in Ireland, so it was very hard to come back and not see them around.  I always sit next to at least one of them for small group breakfasts on Tuesday mornings, and neither of them was their.  I actually started crying because they were gone and I felt so stupid about it.  I know that I'm sad that the others have left, but I feel bad for showing that I'm sad in front of the new people cause I'm supposed to be welcoming and happy that they are here (which I am...I've been praying for them since I got here!), but it's just so different.  I'm ready for a week or two to go by when everything is comfortable and we're used to everyone.  All the old staff members are a little overwhelmed at the moment with so many new people.  We're all used to having 2 maybe 4 people coming in at one time, so 20 people is a little much.  I just pray that we all can get along and create a tight bond, like what our last group had.

Staff Changes

Well I’m back into Shelter life. I had an amazing trip in Ireland! We went all over the south and saw so many awesome things; and I just have to say that I am a pro at driving on the wrong side of the road! It’s been four years since I’ve been on that side every day, but I picked it up really quick.


Right now we’re having staff transition. A few people left when I was gone and some more are leaving throughout the next few weeks, and we have a lot coming in as well. It’s a very different atmosphere. I’m trying to be happy and supportive to the new people, but it’s hard cause I miss the old ones so much. I just hope that I can become that supportive older staff person for them. But I’m so happy that God has answered our prayers and brought more staff. Most of them are just here for a month or two, but that’s fine cause we’re so short handed.

Well I’m off to afternoon café. It’s burger night tonight, so I don’t have to cook anything hard, just burgers and fries.