Mission to Amsterdam

Mission to Amsterdam

LeTourneau University sophomore Kelsey Hitzfelder, 20, of New Braunfels, will work for the next few months in a youth hostel in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, as part of an international internship to apply toward her cross-cultural ministries degree. Hitzfelder says she has always wanted to be a missionary. Her journey begins Friday, Jan. 25, as she travels halfway across the globe. Through the Longview News-Journal, she will keep a semi-weekly blog to share her experiences in a new culture.

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The entry titled "Surprise!," and any of the comments about it.

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Home > Mission to Amsterdam > Archives > 2008 > July > 26 > Entry

Surprise!

By Kelsey Hitzfelder | Saturday, July 26, 2008, 02:42 PM

The best part about working at the student center is that I had no idea what I would be doing until I got here. The missionaries asked for an intern and I prayed about it and knew it was in my heart from the beginning. This meant staying in Europe for six more weeks and only having two weeks of summer vacation, but I knew I couldn’t miss the opportunity.

My family was amazing and agreed to let me go.

When we got back to Amsterdam from traveling Western Europe, I saw them to the airport and we said our goodbyes. Goodbyes seem to be a necessary part of the missionary lifestyle. Not my favorite part, but necessary nonetheless.

I boarded an airplane to Slovakia and headed off. The next step was catching a train to L’viv. Eventually I made my way to the beautiful old city and was met at the train station by four students from the center. They all gave me huge hugs, and I knew I was home.

That afternoon, I showered and then had breakfast with my roommate, Valya, when the doorbell of our apartment started to ring. Students from the center poured in to meet the new intern. “Where are you from?” “How old are you?’ “Do you have a boyfriend?” “What do you do in your spare time?” “Do you drink alcohol?” What kind of movies do you watch?” I could hardly keep up with the stream of questions, but it was fun meeting these fellow college students who would become my friends. There were about 20 students in the apartment when we all decided to go play volleyball in the park. Every Sunday the group goes to play.

Four hours later, I was wondering if Ukrainian people ever get tired. We were on our sixth game of volleyball, and I was once more reminded of how much of an athlete I am not. My roommate offered me an escape, and we went to grab some authentic Ukrainian food at a restaurant called Puzata Hata, or round house.

The next day, I went to the student center to meet the local pastor, Lubomir, and have the grand tour. I asked exactly what they would like for me to do and was given a wide list of options. Once I asked, I realized I wouldn’t be bored.

Lubomir said that they needed an English-Second-Language teacher and that I would also lead English club on Saturday nights. He also told me to talk to Erika, our student intern, about things to do. Erika was full of suggestions. We started to get excited about all the possibilities the next six weeks would hold; a four day camp in the Carpathian Mountains for starters. So, I rolled up my sleeves and got started.

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