a little story

so i happen to be staying with a friend (well really she was my outreach leader for my DTS, but now she is a friend) and her husband who are living in a flat in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. They have a heart for the broken in this area.

well this church just happens to be the view outside my window. so i asked them about it.

just so happens this is the first church ever to be in Amsterdam. the interesting thing about this story is this.
way back in the day this was also the center of the trading routes. you get get sailors that would come and go from this place often. you also got a lot of the women and girls being raped because of the sailors. well they had this idea to create a place (the red light area) for when the sailors came they could just go there and none of the women in the church would be hurt anymore...its gets more interesting...back then that church had authority over ideas and everything had to be passed through them. WELL they thought it would be a good idea, because then none of the women in the church would be used in that way again......well good idea gone bad...no there is a semicircle around the church of windows where ladies are selling themselves and sex trafficking and other unspeakable things are going on 24/7
Amazing what happens when a church isnt following Jesus!

tabernacle

do you know how much work it took to build the tabernacle and then it was movable! it blows my mind how much work when into it and how exact it needs to be!

the definition for tabernacle is: any place or house of worship, a dwelling place
(thanks to dictionary.com!)

here at ywam amsterdam there is a place in the red light area called the "tabernacle" you know what its use is?
prayer and worship....all day long! Its peoples "job" here to just go to the tabernacle and just pray and worship!

they have it in dutch, english, videos with worship music, reading of the word, praying for the area, for different events, prayer and worship

I stand amazed of that place. think about how much spiritual warfare is being done!
I for one need to pray more. I know for me its one of the hardest things for me to do. Its hard for me to believe sometimes that God really does want to hear about everything, even though he already knows what is going on.

Anyways, how amazing would it be to have a place like this were people can come together and just pray and worship for two hours a day (or however long they would like)

Anyways, just some random thoughts on that.

Im in Amsterdam til Tuesday then flying back home...its going to be strange being home again!

Lawrence Family

"They might not need me - Yet, theymight. I'll let my
heart be just in slight. A word from me

- a smile maybe, precisely their necessity"
- Quote from my Great-Grand Mother

left to right: Gordon, Hazel, Christina, Ruth, Katy

its been amazing staying with my uncle here in England for most of the summer. there is

a lot about my Dad side of the family that I have been learning about. i mean sure i might have learn about some of this before, but didnt care at the time. now its like a history book!

left to right Christina, Hazel, Gordon, Ruth, Katy

i have learned about a bombing that had happen when my uncle was a small boy, that caved in the roof of their house. the roof landing on the bed my granny normal sleeps in, but was told by her mother that she should sleep downstairs under these mental tables they gave out by then for people to sleep under. so one night my granny listened to her mother and went and slept under the table. that night the bombing happened.
just little stories like that one makes history more real to me. i hated sitting in a class room trying to read out of a book what happen. i like to know personal stories!

my sister and i also got a chance to listen to a tape that my granny record for my uncle and her wife. it was strange to hear her voice. but it is something i would like to do for my kids one day!

picniking

here are some photos I was playing around with on picnik.com:

fear

Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. ~Edward Vernon Rickenbacker

There have been times in my life where I have had to look fear in the face and not let it hold me back! One of my biggest fears is heights! I hate being up high and the thought of fall always runs through my mind.
Sense being in Switzerland I have done two things (in one day) that I swore I would never do in my lifetime. I had to do them. The thought was if I never do it now I wont do it at all.

So, I Katherine Joy Lawrence...got over my fear (shorta) and went ......
Para-gliding!

the guy said to me when we got to the ground "you seemed less scared when we got away from the trees and rocks!" well "duh!, I wonder why!"

The next thing I did that day was,Via Ferrata (http://www.mountainhostel.com/climbing.htm)

I believe I was high off of paragling otherwise I wouldnt do this!

this was just after a part where when you look down...all you see is a parking lot! Scary! There was one point where I had to stop and my leg was shaking uncontrollably!

The next scary part was this...

it looks easy, but it swings! Scary moments!

I am very glad I did both of these things..but honestly..dont think I will do it again!

night life

when i was in Paris i was floored by the night life! We went on a night boat cruise so we would be able to see the Effel Tower all lite up at night time and all along the river were people!
Just hanging out! Dancing, laughing, talking, drinking, and so much more!
I would love to have something like this back at home! Where people come and hangout have a blast and hangout til the wee hours of the morning!
Anyways, I was just amazed by it all!

country to city

i never knew how much of a country small town kindof girl I am until today. I am now up in London (until tomorrow that is). It hard sometimes to go from a town like this...

nice quite town, where when you walk to to the store you are most likely going to run into someone you know...to a place like this....

loud, unground, running into people, fast pace lifestyle!
i almost felt like i had culture shock! Scary huh, since I am traveling to Paris tomorrow!

Speaking of Paris, yes that is where I will be come Monday morning! I am very excited due to the fact that it is one city I have always wanted to travel to! After spending a few days there I will be then going to Switzerland. After that coming back to England and off to Amsterdam on the 12th of August.

I am very blessed to be able to travel.