When Ray first saw young Max along the quayside, smoking beside an old sailboat where he works, he instinctively approached him. As they chatted, Max opened up and shared about his near-death motorcycle accident. Once a Christian, Max was jaded by the faith after several difficult experiences and failed suicide attempts. Nevertheless, he was interested to check out this Riverboat that Ray talked about.

As Max stepped onboard, he recognised that familiar feeling and atmosphere – one where God was in it. He was invited to lunch but could hardly eat, overwhelmed by the Riverboat community. “He was looking around in surprise the whole time,” shared Ray. “He dropped his food and spilt his drink – just overcome by the spirit!”

Max visited multiple times while the ship was docked in Dordrecht, Netherlands; he couldn’t get enough of the presence of God he felt. He attended Sunday Service, helped out on a practical ministry day at a local organisation, Bonfire, and even participated in a prayer and evangelistic walk with other community members. Ray and his wife, Gill, managed to put him in contact with a friend they knew from Logos II, a former ocean-sailing ship under OM.

“This was the right time for the Riverboat to come, this was the right timing for you to talk to me,” Max told Ray. “I’m convinced that God, Jesus Christ, was the one protecting me all these times.” Max has since contacted his former fellowship group to restore his relationship with God. 

'Yearning for fellowship'

Another community member who prepared for the Riverboat’s arrival in Arnhem, Netherlands, Marjolein Doornebal (Netherlands), befriended a local Turkish lady, Volga, who was yearning for fellowship with Christians in the Netherlands. A believer from Istanbul, Volga had moved to the Netherlands alone without her husband in search of work. “She was feeling very alone, and needed support from other Christians,” said Marjolein, who chatted with Volga for two hours in the Riverboat café and listened to her needs. “She didn’t know what to do and had to contact OM Istanbul for help.” OM Istanbul then placed her in touch with the Riverboat. Marjolein is currently contacting a local Christian organisation, appropriate to Volga’s needs, to follow up with her.

New energy

Apart from befriending and encouraging local believers, the Riverboat and her community also serve as a source of new energy for former OM-ers when they visit. Feeling the excitement of community members and witnessing the ministry in their own country, their passion for missions is rekindled, too. “Talking to the people onshore was my favourite part of The Agency experience,” said Jelle, an ex-Logos Hope crewmember. “It reminded me of what I love to do; I have missed this so much.”

“The Riverboat is a breath of fresh air for these former OM-ers to remind them of why they are here,” said Riverboat Director, Peter Nicoll (South Africa). “I pray that this rekindling will turn into action and fruitfulness in their lives.”

Golden earrings, black backpack, woman with a baby or stroller, green or purple coat—these were some of the ‘clues’ that God had placed in the minds of community members, prompting them to look for people matching the visuals they received.

It was raining when the teams split up to walk towards Dordrecht Central, where the crowd would be. Rob’s team, with three other community members, were seeking shelter under a shopfront when a girl passed by.

“Do you speak a little English?” Rob approached her slowly.

“Yes…?” answered the girl, unsure.

“We are a group of Christians on a prayer walk, reaching out to people,” Rob started. “I had a picture of a red hat in my mind. You’re not wearing one, but your bright red umbrella caught my eye, and I felt the need to talk to you.”

Rob continued to explain the reason for approaching her, describing how God loved and cared for her, which was why He had sent the team to her.

The girl’s face turned from caution to a bright-eyed smile. “Yes... yes…yes…” was all she could muster, speechless with joy. It turned out that she had been praying, especially that week, for God to make Himself known to her. She revealed the jealousy she had felt for a colleague at work because he could experience the love and peace of God.

“I asked him how he could have that, and why it seemed impossible for me to have the same peace with so much negative things going on at home,” shared the 19-year-old girl named Femmie, a name which ironically meant bringing peace on earth, she explained. “There were so much doubts in my heart; I didn’t know what to believe.”

Her colleague encouraged her to keep praying for God to reveal Himself and to grant her the peace that she badly needed. “God did that with me; He can do that with you, too,” he had said. Six days later, Femmie was stopped by Rob and the Riverboat community members.

“I can’t believe this,” Femmie cried out. “This is the moment I have been waiting for all my life—for someone or something to reach out to me, to tell me that God is there for me, that He is truly God!”

Femmie was led to say a short prayer, accepting Jesus Christ into her life. Rob also laid hands on her and prayed a blessing of peace and comfort over her and her family. Throughout the conversation, Femmie’s smile was wide and her joy of finally knowing her Lord was infectious.

There were several other stories that evening testifying of God’s presence and love for His people. Many ‘treasures’ were found according to God’s plan, and community members released words of encouragement, comfort and truth into the lives of others. In the following days, community members looked forward to meeting those people on board the Riverboat to have deeper conversations about faith.

Community member Esther Haller (Germany) was surprised at her courage to talk with someone randomly on the streets: a girl wearing a green coat. She was a Muslim but listened to Esther talk about Jesus and eventually accepted prayer. “I’m a really shy person and would never have done something like this on my own,” Esther said. “However, I truly know tonight that it’s not about me but the power of God. His strength works in my weakness.”

Another community member, Flora Man (Singapore), was participating in such a style of prayer walk for the first time. She noted how impressed she was at the effectiveness of prayer walks when the team first sought God’s direction and plan. “When we ask God for specific ‘clues,’ He answers in a specific way. I believe this applies to our daily lives, too,” she reflected.

Then Ali, who is part-American, suggested celebrating Thanksgiving with their neighbours. “It won’t work here!” said Ewout. As she persisted, he went to the 13 neighbours on their floor to invite them—some of whom he had never met before. All were a bit surprised, yet 11 turned up! They had an amazing evening, and Ewout thanked God, seeing it as a wonderful way where ‘not possible’ became ‘possible.’ Then he thought, “If we want to be contagious, we need other people to help change the neighbourhood. We need others living locally to share together, with others and God in community.” The vision of TASTE was born.

TASTE was realised through a former care house for mentally handicapped people in Delft: a building with 28 rooms and a large rundown garden, which had been abandoned for over five years. Although the ceilings were sagging, the garden was overgrown and the building was boarded up, Ali and Ewout saw its possibilities. It was right in the middle of the high rises—perfect! They approached the owner. Eighteen months later he rented it to them, two other families and six singles. None were OMers, apart from Ali and Ewout, but they were local Christians who wanted to live intentionally in community, without limits of profession or status. The one basic commitment was to one evening a week of fellowship, eating together, reading the Bible, having fun and sharing their lives with one another, plus two to three hours a week to do something with someone in the neighbourhood: a total of six hours’ commitment a week to TASTE. In praying and living as a loving community, it slowly came together.

TASTE community didn’t want lots of activities happening (they’d tried that before and found it exhausting, with little fruit at the end), but they sought to be intentional in relationships and let God impact lives. Today, five years later, there is a Friday café, run by the neighbourhood, to which anyone can drop in, occupying a quarter of the community space, and a community garden, which has been cultivated and landscaped, with vegetables, bee-keeping, chickens: “almost an urban farm,” jokes Ewout. As there are no other gardens in this densely populated area, the neighbours flock to Community Garden Plus on a Friday.

As people in the neighbourhood have begun to question “Why do you do this?”, small groups have started forming of both believers and non-believers, who come to help with the communal activities and then become interested in the community at TASTE. “This is just such a nice place,” they say, wanting to belong, too. The small groups of six to eight people do Discovery Bible Studies and work through the Alpha course, with dinner and general conversation.

“Most people really like the fellowship, as they can see from us what a Christian community looks like,” says Ewout. “Nine-tenths of churches in the West have a regional function and don’t show how community works. The building might have a local function, but, at best, most secular people in Europe meet a Christian individual, not a Christian community. So that’s what we do: showing our love in unity, worked out in front of them. The concept needs multiple people to enable others to see love in action through praying, sharpening, loving, mutually as brothers and sisters in Christ.”

Every other Sunday the community holds a devotional afternoon (not church!) called a Taste Party. “It’s about hospitality and celebrating with people,” says Ewout. “It’s not about ‘doing church.’ Not everybody wants to get involved with a Taste Party, which is fair enough. Today, five years later, we have a small group of 20-25 people learning how to follow Jesus.”

Getting involved with TASTE can be an adventure, as locals step in to see what it is all about. “Some dive in, others are more cautious,” said Ewout. In the future, he envisions a reproducible community model that is not dependent on OM support but fulfils the new vision statement of vibrant communities of Jesus followers serving the least reached and secular. He recognises not every neighbourhood has a building like theirs but believes other projects, such as the Eden Project in Manchester, are equally feasible, where people live nearby and form a local community through proximity and intentional friendship building.

The Eden Project was set up in 1997 by World Wide Message Tribe's organisation Message To Schools when Christians relocated to a notoriously problematic area of Manchester to show by lifestyle what it means to believe and live as Christians actively loving Jesus. “It’s restoring the missional element to the local church,” he explains. “We are looking at developing second and third communities in Delft along the same lines.” Other OM fields (Belgium, Italy and the UK) have expressed an interest in learning how to develop such communities within their own nations.

Although each member of the community signs up to give six hours a week to TASTE, there is room for other jobs and family time, too. “Although it is more of a challenge to share life on life in this way, it is also very rich spiritually–there is so much beauty in it,” says Ewout, smiling. “And we always have a babysitter!” 

Ewout acknowledges that TASTE is a demanding model, where members need to consider lifestyle choices and agendas, mutual accountability, giving and receiving grace. Although not a new concept, it releases, fulfils and enables individuals to demonstrate the power of the gospel through love.

“Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35 (AMP) 

“This experience is the focus of the Riverboat,” explained David Svenson (Sweden), who oversees the artistic direction of The Agency. “We are taking the parable and giving it a modern twist. It’s telling a story about the gospel which then motivates and mobilises people to share it with the least-reached.”

Escape rooms have only been introduced in Europe in recent years, but have quickly gained popularity, especially amongst youths. The first escape room opened in the Netherlands in 2013, with others following due to market demand.

The concept of The Agency can be summed up in three words: recruited, trained and sent. It’s the same process that Christians go through to eventually be sent by God and carry out the Great Commission. “This is a powerful ministry tool that can empower youths and serve churches,” added Team Leader Samuel Renling (Sweden). 

Lots of challenges and planning went into The Agency—technical aspects to ensure that the structure met safety requirements (made tougher when set on a moving vessel), artistic aspects to create an eye-opening experience for participants, and other considerations, including finances and manpower.

“The Agency was set up on the Riverboat in two weeks–made possible by volunteers who came forward to offer their practical help in building and securing this big rectangular structure on top of a ship!” said Ray Strong*, project director of the Riverboat. The internal fittings of the experience took approximately another week to complete–an extraordinary feat, given the short time frame.

After it was officially opened to the public, approximately 250 participants went through the experience in the first three days. Many teenagers came in their youth groups, a great encouragement to community members.

Community member Sandra Jagroep (Netherlands) thoroughly enjoys her job as a debriefer. “It’s the best job,” she said excitedly. “The debriefer has the chance to clarify things about the experience; we can help give meaning to it and guide participants to understand the point of it.”  

During the debriefing, participants are given space and guidance to process the experience. “When I was going through a dark tunnel, I was reminded of my dark past,” one teenage boy shared. “But holding onto the bar was like holding onto God. I felt Him leading me; I will never forget this.” Another girl shared, “I realised it’s impossible for us to get out of the rooms unless we follow God’s voice. We need Him so much.”

Part of the experience is going onshore to share the gospel with others. For many of the participants, it’s something they have never dared to do. “It was the first time I have ever explained the gospel to someone,” a 14-year-old shared. “I’m surprised I could do it and, actually, I think I did pretty well!”

Before leaving, participants are given an interactive booklet containing the gospel of John, where they can scan the pages and watch related videos on an app. Some youths decided to take an extra one to give to a friend, motivated by their new-found courage to share the gospel. One boy even asked, “Is there an escape room for non-Christians on board, too?”

Apart from locals, the Riverboat is attracting immigrants and refugees. Four teenage refugees of Arabic-Muslim background chanced upon the Riverboat while observing the risen water level of the Rhine River. A community member spotted them and invited them on board.

They were thrilled about being on a ship for the first time. While going through The Agency, the boys didn’t have any problems until they arrived at the trust tunnel. “You could see they were very fearful and had issues with trust,” shared community member Harm Jan Willem Scholten (Netherlands), who had invited them. “I had to hold them and lead them, step by step, to get through the tunnel.”

After the experience, the boys shared that they had felt a pull in their hearts to come on board even before the invitation, not understanding why. One boy revealed that he really felt God was with him in the trust tunnel. When asked further which God he was talking about, he could only answer vaguely, “Just, God?”

Seizing the opportunity, Sandra explained to them about the true God–the one who loves them so much that He sent Jesus to die for their sins. Upon hearing this, the boys had tears in their eyes. Sandra gave them copies of the gospel of John and encouraged the boys to keep exploring what the truth was. “They are some of the kindest and most respectful boys I’ve met here in the Netherlands,” said Sandra. “I pray that God will reveal to them, whether in dreams or visions, who He truly is.”

OM's Riverboat project is born out of a desire to see a fresh approach to mobilise tens of thousands of people to live out a missional lifestyle, aiming to see vibrant communities among the least reached. More than 70 volunteers who are passionate about sharing the gospel and mobilising churches are on board. The pilot project is taking place from January to March 2018 and travelling to ports in Arnhem, Dordrecht, Bonn, Mainz, Strasbourg and Mannheim.

Two years ago, they landed in the middle of what they described as the most Muslim neighbourhood in The Hague (city located on the western coast of the Netherlands). They also found a church there, ready to reach out to the community. “We all started together new,” Gerrit recalled. “That opened a lot of doors for ministry in the neighbourhood.”

Weekly rhythms

On Monday, the Christian school Gerrit and Sonja’s youngest daughter attends hosts a 45-minute children’s service. Though the school has maintained its biblical identity, established when its students were 100 per cent Dutch, the neighbourhood has morphed. Now, 70 per cent of the surrounding population is Muslim, as are 70 per cent of students at the school. The teachers, however, are all believers and pray for the students weekly. In addition, at the beginning of every week, parents and students attend the opening service. “There are Turkish ladies standing there. Every week they hear the gospel,” Gerrit stated. “There are Moroccan kids and Turkish kids singing worship songs to Jesus while their parents are watching them.”

Tuesday and Thursday, Sonja meets with women. On Tuesday, she meets with a small group called Wonderfully Made—an organised space for women to work on creative projects. The name comes from Psalms 139, reminding participants that they are created by God and blessed with the same ability to create. On Thursday, she helps host a mother and child club, which consists of North African and Turkish women. Although Sonja does not openly evangelise at the club, she showed the Magdalena video at Easter, giving the Muslim mothers a chance to hear the story of Jesus.

On Friday morning, Gerrit starts at the school again, where he serves tea to the fathers and spends 15 to 20 minutes talking to them, building relationships with Muslims. Once Gerrit asked an Imam, whose son attends the school, why he chose to put his child in a Christian school rather than a public school. “In this school, there are models and values,” the Imam replied. “It’s much better for my kid to be in this school.”

Twice a month, on Friday afternoon, Gerrit mans a Bible bookstand for three hours at one of the biggest open markets in Europe, held in an area surrounded by 10 mosques. Probably 103 nationalities pass by his table, he estimated.

Pray for the Muslims living in The Hague to have soft hearts towards the gospel. Pray for the Turkish believers Gerrit and Sonja are discipling to be lights in their communities.

Nicole James is a journalist, ESL teacher and adventurer. As a writer for OM Middle East North Africa and OM Muslim Ministries, she’s passionate about publishing the stories of God’s works among the nations, telling people about the wonderful things He is doing in the world.

Today, it is known as the Andante, which is also the first vessel to be used by OM Riverboats for a new ministry with a floating escape room on European waterways. When Captain Klaas first heard about the Riverboats ministry, his heart was immediately moved and he committed himself to serve on it. When he realised the vessel to be used was the same one he remembered fondly from his childhood he was shocked!

“I sent an email to the Project Director of OM Riverboats saying that I have a Captain’s license, and I’m willing to be used for anything on the ship,” said Captain Klaas, who turns 72 in January. A reply came back the next day saying, “That’s exactly what we have been praying for.”

Despite this, there was a problem. Captain Klaas’ license allowed him to sail on most waterways except the Rhine, due to the complexities of the river. To be qualified to sail on the Rhine, he had to take seven written examinations and sail eight voyages upstream and downstream. There was only six months left till the launch of the Riverboats ministry; it seemed impossible.

Captain Klaas tried to seek help from an acquaintance who owns a ship. On learning about the project and its mission, he agreed for Captain Klaas to sail with his ship, enabling him to successfully complete the voyages required. Two days before Christmas in 2017, Captain Klaas received his license in the mailbox, just before he was due to board the Andante. “It’s God’s timing; it’s the best Christmas present I’ve received.”  

Captain Klaas carries a huge responsibility over the navigation, safety and security for the vessel and community. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night, thinking about problems on the ship and what he needs to do. On the 2nd of January, the newly-launched OM Riverboat made its maiden voyage from the Dutch port Lelystad to Arnhem, also in his native country, under the leadership of Captain Klaas. Although the job comes with a high amount of stress, Captain Klaas places his trust completely on God.

“I trust that God will give me the strength and the capabilities to do the job,” shared Captain Klaas. “If the Lord asks me to do it, I’m willing to do it.”

Please continue to keep Captain Klaas and the Riverboat community in your prayers as they go from port to port to share the gospel and mobilise churches in the Netherlands, Germany and France. For more information, visit www.om.org/riverboats.

A year ago, Afke confesses, she cried at times watching news of the large influx of people seeking refuge in Europe due to war in Middle Eastern nations. Thousands of people, mainly from Syria and Afghanistan, arrived in her country daily, seeking a new home.

“I was scared of what would happen to our country and our identity,” she shares, sitting around a coffee table with about 10 refugee men. “But I realised that it’s our duty as Christians to come alongside people in need. Now that I’ve come to know some immigrants, I enjoy them so much. It’s so rewarding to give them love and warmth!”

Afke and her husband Bert, a retired couple from Emmeloord, are part of the ministry that OM workers Ray Strong* and his wife set up in this town in January 2016, together with their local church. Ray's wife, who has also been co-running a women’s group in the nearby asylum centre for several years, shares how they responded to the large influx of immigrants: “We realised that our church building is centrally located near several low-budget stores where many asylum seekers run their errands, and that they receive their weekly payment on Tuesdays. So we put up a simple sign and opened our church on Tuesday afternoons offering coffee, tea and a chat.”

People started coming, and invited friends, too—soon around 25 people every week. As Arabic speakers, the Strongs chat and help fill out official forms. Bert and Afke serve with hands and feet, driving people to church on Sundays, helping with language classes or repairing bicycles. Several other church members serve the immigrants faithfully in whatever way they can.

The team extended Tuesday afternoon gatherings with an evening meal and an Al Massira course on the general principles of the Bible and Christian faith. “We started with a group of 14 but were afraid that people would be scared off after the first time,” recalls Ray's wife. “Surprisingly, more people came in the following weeks, and we’re planning to invite them for a meal in our house.”

People come and go. If they are allowed to stay in the Netherlands, they don’t get to choose where they’ll live. “We’ve had so many different people coming through here,” she says. “We can’t keep in touch with all of them but pray that they’ll settle well in their new homes.”

Critical moment

As in the Netherlands, many OM workers around Europe have felt the same call to reach out to refugees settling in their countries. OM believes that this is a critical moment where the Church can make a huge impact. Local Christians know the social situation and speak the language; they can be Jesus’ hands and feet very effectively. As churches reach out to immigrants, Jesus’ love through them becomes visible not only to the newcomers, but also to local society and government.

Oftentimes, providing assistance with language study is a great way to connect to immigrants. OM teams in Spain, France, Austria and the UK help newcomers to learn their tongue. OM's Xenos team—Greek for ‘stranger’—works with immigrants and asylum seekers in Germany, meeting them with love, friendship and acceptance, introducing Jesus and what it means to be a follower of Christ. In Finland, OM workers extend love and fellowship to immigrant mothers through friendship groups, open conversation and learning together. And so on.

Many OM workers around Europe have become close friends with ‘strangers’ from abroad, several of whom have accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour.

A bit of courage

For 22-year-old George* from Syria, the weekly gatherings in the church in Emmeloord have been very helpful in his study of the Dutch language. Only eight months after his risky escape from the war together with his father, he acts as a capable translator for his countrymen around the table.

George is anxiously waiting for a response from the immigration office. His mother and sister are still trying to survive in one of the most war-torn cities in Syria. As soon as he and his father get their paperwork done, they’re hoping to reunite with them in the Netherlands. He would love to go back to university; studying had become impossible in Syria. “I’m still young, you know,” he says. “The most important thing is that I’m still alive. With a little bit of courage, I’m sure I can make it here.”

He says goodbye to Afke and the other volunteers. “I just love these guys,” she whispers, smiling. “See you next week!”

Anneke Bolt, from the Netherlands, started her work with OM in Latin America and is now back in her home country coordinating communications for OM in Europe. Anneke is a journalist and loves to write, edit and ask lots of questions.

*Names changed

Andante was one such river cruiser sailing Europe’s rivers since 2007, taking passengers to see the cities of Prague and those along the Rhine. But from December 2017, as OM’s Riverboat, it will have a very different crew and purpose.

Berthed at nearby Arnhem in the Netherlands, its crew will join approximately 2,000 young people gathered for Mission Net, a congress that aims to encourage participants to have a positive influence on their nations, whether at governmental, local or community level. Hester Zoutmann, Director of Mission Net*, is enthusiastic about the link between the congress and the Riverboat project, as it provides a practical demonstration of missions right on the quayside.

From Mission Net, those on board the Riverboat will visit six ports in three European countries over the course of three months.

“Each young person will be sharing and showing Jesus to those they encounter as a living example of a vibrant community,” explains Riverboat Director Ray Strong, “through the Escape Room experience, in the café and in the events the local churches put on for their friends and neighbours.”

OM workers already living and working in the port towns are welcoming the visit of the Riverboat to their patch.

“We are looking forward to host the Riverboat in three German ports,” said Gian Walser of OM Germany. “This will be an amazing opportunity for us to engage with local churches, to share our passion for world mission and to motivate and mobilise Christian to join us on the journey to see ‘vibrant communities of Jesus followers among the least reached.’

“We believe it will help strengthen the churches in their desire to reach out. Our hope is that youth groups, prayer groups and cell groups will come on board and be challenged by what they see, hear and experience about mission—perhaps from a different perspective.”

* See http://mission-net.org/congress-2017-18/ for more details about Mission Net.

As Ray Strong*, Director of the Riverboat Project puts it: “OM workers have travelled across Europe in trucks, vans and many other modes of transport, but they’ve never sailed the rivers. It’s about time!”

So, on Friday, 23rd June 2017, the Andante, a pretty riverboat cruiser, was contracted to sail to ports within Europe for the first three months of 2018 – confirming the reality of the months and years of planning, praying and proposing.

Peter Nicoll, a well-seasoned OM Ships Director, and Andy Juliff of OM Ships, are already firmly integrated into the Riverboat team bringing their expertise and understanding of what it takes to bring the gospel to ports.  But that’s not all – there was further evidence of God gathering His people together when Klaas Kattouw, who had always wanted to sail with OM Ships and has long been an enthusiastic OM supporter, volunteered as temporary captain.  Not only is he well-known to the Andante’s owner, but Klaas has all the necessary experience and skill to navigate rivers – undoubtedly, a divine plan merging.  

Klaas was born into a family who lived on ships sailing the rivers and canals of Europe. As a young man, after returning from military service, he worked for many years in a Dutch government department concerned with waterways and buildings.  When he retired, he decided to study theology, and in his local church heard through an OMer, Sandra, of the Riverboat Project. 

Excited, he contacted his local OM office, informing them that he had the necessary qualifications and would love to serve onboard.  He was even more thrilled to note that it was the Andante he would be sailing.

“I remembered the boat from my youth as the 'Alexander von Engelberg', the last new-built tugboat on the Rhine!”  

Klaas is currently sailing regularly to Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Strasbourg, as part of his preparations to enable him to obtain the special licence that will authorise him to navigate the Rhine when he captains the Andante in December.  “I am very eager to serve on the riverboat and looking forward to what will happen,” he said.

As the Riverboat project continues to build momentum, the team continues to ask God to put together a whole range of people – from crew, to local Christian supporters, to prayer partners and financial co-committers – to bless the communities of Europe and change their spiritual post-modern outlook for future generations to come.

*name changed to protect identity

Please keep in touch via the Facebook Page, or OM webpage; or via your local OM office www.om.org/contact.  Please also consider your response - to PRAY, GIVE, or GO.
Thank you!

During the outreach, they talked about God with each other and with people on the streets. They visited the elderly, handed out traditional New Year’s food, made balloon dogs, danced and invited people to a special church service.

“We knew that not all the teenagers could describe a living relationship with God,” said coordinator Wiepie Vanderveen. “Some of them signed up not being sure of their own faith, even though they knew we were going to share our faith on the streets in Hardenberg.”

To invest in the lives of the teens, each group had a coach. “A coach is enormously important and can help the teens with their questions,” explained Wiepie.

One participant, Willemien, joined to Teens in Mission to find out more about God. She attends church in her home town but wanted to find out what God means for her personally. “After these four days I’m still not sure,” she said, “but my coach said that it is a long process.”

Another teen, Iris, met a boy on the street during the outreach who became interested in learning more about her faith. “He looked a bit like those hip-hop guys,” she said. “We were a bit scared by the way he looked.” But after playing soccer, Iris invited him to attend the church service. That night she was surprised to see him there.

“I was welcoming people and suddenly I saw that guy from the street, together with his friends. I ran to him and pulled him in the building,” she said. “After the service we talked for a long time. We gave him a book and exchanged phone numbers so we can keep in touch and help him grow in faith.”

Praise God for working in each teen’s life. Please pray for the lives of the teenagers and those they met during TiM. Would you like to receive more info about TiM in the Netherlands? Contact OM Netherlands at info.nl@om.org.

His story started when he was 11 years old. A school friend had invited him to an event, but Fêdde was unsure whether he should accept the invitation.

“I was just afraid because I was not totally accepted, and the stories I had heard [about the group of people] were not OK,” he said. His indecision kept him from sleep one evening, and he prayed about the situation.

“That moment I went to prayer, it felt like two hands were covering me, and the words, ‘I am always with you,’” came to his mind, he said. “That comforted me.”

Afterwards, he attended the event and had a good time for a night. God’s promise of His presence stayed with Fêdde much longer. 

“I know that God is with me, and I do not have to be afraid,” he said.

Fêdde first shared this story with a group of locals in the Near East during the Transform 2012 outreach.

“A group of local believers were sharing their faith. We were singing and praising God and praying over this group,” he said.

Then two young local men approached Fêdde, asking him what he was doing. Fêdde asked a translator—who was a member of the local church—to explain to the men. The translator, however, had other plans.

“Instead of explaining it to them, he said something in Arabic and turned to me and said I was [going to] share my testimony. He ‘set me up,’” Fêdde said.

After the two local men heard Fêdde’s story, they asked, “Have you ever gone against the will of God as you were afraid to do?”

“Sure,” Fêdde said. “That’s why we need Jesus. Jesus restored the relationship between God and us.”

The translator took a long time explaining the story, so Fêdde believes he filled in the language gaps for the men, who heard the truth of the gospel that night.

In fact, Fêdde still tells his friends about his first experience at Transform, and the retelling excites him anew.

“Actually, when I shared this with friends, it made me so passionate again, that I thought, ‘I cannot just stay home and be bored; I have to come here again,’” he said. “I want to experience more in my walk with God."

Read more about God's work through the Transform project here. 

Many Dutch people know little of the Christian faith; the people from far away and exotic countries now live next door. OM Netherlands workers Ewout and Ali coordinate the seven local OM teams working in the Netherlands. They challenge missionaries returning from distant countries to keep using their knowledge of the language and culture of their previous mission field country.

“This a way of thinking that will challenge the way of working for OM, that will challenge the idea of missions, and it will challenge the sending churches to understand that they keep supporting their missionaries when they are back from 'the field’,” said Ewout. "The key is that we start to see our own countries as 'the field' too.”

One couple lived for years in Turkey before moving to the Netherlands. In cooperation with the local church, they now they host Bible studies in the Turkish language, as well as meetings for Turkish women, and build relationships with the men in the tea houses.

Rachid* attended one of this couple’s Bible studies. He is a Turkish Christian, but had never met another Turkish believer. The Bible studies and church services he attended were always in Dutch or English. He was very excited when he heard about this team doing Turkish Bible studies. For Rachid, this was the first time he could use his mother tongue, the language of his heart, to worship Jesus and talk with others about God.

Pray that returning missionaries will be able to use their knowledge of their mission field’s language and culture for the glory of God in their home country. Find out what else God is doing in the Netherlands here.

* name changed

Three years ago, OM worker Ronald de Graaf started youth work in three villages near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. His vision is to reach out to the young people, give them a place to relax, build relationships and share faith with them. Along with volunteers from local churches, Ronald meets the youth each week at the Dock3B ministry centres, at the school and on the street.

“I just listen to them,” he says. “Whether they are enthusiastic about their scooter, bike, computer games or school, I just listen and let them sense they are important. But it also happens that they have problems or worries, and they share this with us. We listen and sometimes share about our faith. Most of them have never been inside a church building. There are so many young people who don’t feel accepted or loved. We tell them about Jesus’ unconditional love for them.”

In the summer of 2012, two of the guys Ronald meets regularly wanted to know more about God. They attended TeenStreet Europe in Oldenburg, Germany, and really enjoyed it, even though most of the other participants were Christians or from a Christian background, whereas the two guys were not from a Christian background and didn’t know many Christians.

One night Ronald couldn’t find one of the guys. “I was quite worried because I thought he might be lost.” Ronald searched everywhere, and around 23:15 he went back to the sleeping hall where all the Dutch guys slept. There he found him lying on his bed.

“He told me that for the last hour he was lying in bed reading his Bible,” says Ronald. “I was very surprised! These two guys got to know the Lord in this beautiful week in Germany; they took their first steps to become closer to the Lord.”

Please pray that these two guys will never forget the experiences of TeenStreet. Pray also for Ronald and the other volunteers of Dock3B as they reach out to the youth in their neighbourhood.

Christine from Trinidad & Tobago came to the conference hoping to have many of her questions answered: "I expected to be able to meet with people who could help me, encourage me and make it easier for me to get to my new field of service. Going to Eastern Europe will be a totally new experience for me. It has been great to meet leaders who have been there and could put things in perspective."

"This year we have changed the schedule slightly," explains Gisele, a Brazilian and member of the Programme Team. "In the mornings we have teaching sessions, the afternoons we meet in smaller groups in order to connect better, and in the evenings we offer more time to spend with individuals."

Many of the participants have appreciated that the schedule has not been too hectic. One of them said, "I expected just to hear lectures. It caught me by surprise that I could make friends with people from all over the world."

Praise God for the positive response of many participants at the GO conference, and for a growing understanding of the diversity of OM and global missions. As participants leave to serve in Africa, Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America, pray that God would continue to guide and protect them. 

Knowing she needed His help, Lisa one day asked God to give her a specific sign that He would help her. She had recently moved into her home and didn’t like the colour of the bathroom. The sign she asked God for was brown paint.

The next day, OMer Marijke phoned Lisa and asked if she was in need of paint. The youth centre had just been re-decorated, and they had an extra pot of paint left over. “As you’ve probably already guessed, the paint was brown!” exclaimed Marijke. “Just what she’d asked for!”

A week later, Lisa attended the meeting at the youth centre. “She told the whole story about the sign and her search over the past years,” said Marijke. “I got the chance to tell her about the love that the Lord Jesus has for people—and for her!

“She told me honestly that she didn’t dare to go to the youth centre because it is in a church building; she was afraid of reactions from Christians,” continued Marijke. “I assured her that the church is filled with people who have found out that they all are sinners and doing things wrong on their own.”

Marijke invited Lisa to come to a Christmas programme, and Lisa went. “It was a special evening with drama, music and a very understandably-explained gospel,” said Marijke.

Lisa liked the programme so much that she is now attending church on a weekly basis, reports Marijke.

Last week, Lisa sent a text message to Marijke: “I was searching for love all my life. I’ve discovered now that it is the love of God I was searching for. Maybe my parents and brother don’t agree, but now I found that out, I won’t stop believing or going to church!”

Praise God for answering Lisa’s prayer! Please pray that she continues growing in her faith and developing strong relationships with other believing women.

*name changed