Sojourning

“I invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and those who are sojourning in foreign lands to set apart the last Thursday next of November as a day of Thanksgiving.”  - Abraham Lincoln, 1861



Pieterskerk



Yesterday we rode the train to nearby Leiden to attend an ecumenical Thanksgiving Day Service at Pieterskerk (Peter’s Church) for Americans residing in the Netherlands. It was a beautiful service with choral and concert music, scripture, and reflections given by a Catholic priest, protestant ministers and Jewish rabbis. What we didn’t know as we stepped into this gothic church built back in 1121 was the historical significance it held for the Pilgrims before they made their way to the New World. Leaving England behind, the Separatists and their minister, John Robinson, came first to the Netherlands and lived in the city of Leiden from 1609 to 1620. The Dutch accepted them and they were free to practice their faith in the very same church that we were visiting. Ultimately, many of the Pilgrims decided to leave Leiden as they felt that the Dutch customs and manners were too liberal and that they would lose their identity, language and culture. So thus began their journey across the Atlantic to America. However, John Robinson stayed behind with part of the congregation and is buried in the Pieterskerk. It is amazing to learn of the history of this holiday that we never knew until coming here!

The definition of sojourn is a temporary stay or a brief period of residence. I haven’t ever given this word too much thought – but it stood out to me as I read the above quote from Abraham Lincoln in our service program. I am a sojourner, staying for a time in Europe, but really we are all sojourners, pilgrims making the journey and awaiting the time when we will live in our true home.  

I must admit that it is strange and difficult not to be home with our families to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this year. Besides missing the feast of delicious food, it is the gathering itself, coming together with family and friends, that my heart misses the most. Though we are far away from those we love, I am grateful for all of the rich blessings God has bestowed on us. Like the Pilgrims who sat down at the first Thanksgiving far away from the country they called home to give thanks for God’s goodness and provision, I too, give thanks today for all the wonderful people in our lives and my faith in the One who gives us everything we need, even when we are sojourning in a foreign land.

I will leave you with the benediction which was sung so beautifully by the Jewish Rabbi in both Hebrew and English that I found myself welling up with tears. It is the Priestly Blessing found in the Old Testament Chapter of Numbers.

“May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Kansas or Oz?

Today marks exactly one month that we have lived in Holland. Wow! Where has the time gone? It seems like just the other day we were going through all of our belongings and deciding what to sell, what to bring with us, and what to pack up in storage.

We recently attended a networking event that brought together both local and international businesses in the Netherlands. I was introduced to many different people and the question that I got asked over and over was “How do you like it here in Holland?” My response was that so far I like it. Then they’d say “It’s really not that different, is it?” Well I suppose people are people no matter where you are in the world. People here go to work, they walk their dogs, they sit and eat at cafés, they go out with friends for drinks, they read the daily newspaper headlines, they watch the evening news. It’s the same, right?

Well, yes and no. One obvious difference is the language. They are a bilingual culture but Dutch is what I hear, or shouted, when I walk about this new and different city. I must say it is strange not to hear my mother tongue and stranger still not to know what people are talking about. Then there are the trams with tracks running everywhere. The first advice I was given here is to look both ways (twice!) before making your way across any major thoroughfare, cobble stoned side street, or even park, to avoid being squashed. They come fast and don’t stop for pedestrians! And of course there are the bicycles which well deserve a post unto themselves.

And what about grocery shopping, you ask? There is one main grocery store chain, or should I say monopoly, in the Netherlands - Albert Heijn. There are FOUR Albert Heijn stores within less than a mile radius from our apartment. I kid you not! We have yet to discover an equal competitor. Sure there are smaller stores where one can purchase a few perishable items they need, but AH, as I like to refer to it, is where we do the majority of our every day shopping. It does not resemble the supermarkets of home, but I rather enjoy shopping on a daily basis buying fresh food that is never wasted. Besides, it is all our little refrigerator can hold!

So I guess I can relate to Dorothy, when upon entering Oz, exclaims, "Toto, I've a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore." Kansas we are definitely not, but perhaps it really isn’t that different.

Postcards of Autumn

We have had some amazing autumn weather in The Hague. This past week I have been out exploring my new hood by bicycle. The Dutch say that the Netherlands is just one big village surrounded by parks. I think they might be right! Here are a few "postcards" I captured of autumn's loveliness.

"After a breathless dawn the wind blows free, upturns the silver poplar leaves. They glance, pale faces, restless, up and down the tree. Life poplar leaves, the words within me dance,but does some secret hope pervade my heart? And might I be content for youth to play its part, then reach its nadir at the end of Fall? Perhaps my words glisten against their will. Soon, will their transient luster turn to yellow -- a gold, translucent foil -- enough to fill the cracks of footpath, hill, and rock hollow? Come Fall, word-weary minds dream of recess--the lightness, and the light, of leaflessness."

Overleaf by Luci Shaw

First Impressions

It has been two weeks since we moved into our apartment here in Den Haag. After hauling up five suitcases, two big moving boxes filled to the max, a bag of records (how could I leave these back in the States?), a dog crate, and some other miscellaneous items up two flights of Dutch stairs, we finally arrived in what is to be our new home for the next few years.  After several days of jet lag, I adapted quickly to the new time zone which is 9 hours ahead of Seattle. To add a little bit of confusion we just fell back an hour into Standard Time this past week, and so for the time being we are only 8 hours ahead…

My friend Jenny came for a visit right after we arrived in Holland to help us get situated and assist with all the items we needed to get accomplished our first week. We live in the Centrum of Den Haag and parking is a premium so the first thing on our list was to obtain a parking pass, which is only 36 Euros for the entire year. To give you a better idea of how much it costs to park a car here the meters are 5 Euros for two hours and the parking meters run until midnight. Crazy! Most people use car parks which are underneath the city center. We are grateful to have a parking pass for sure. Also, it’s a good thing we only have one car as it is an additional 400 Euros to add a second automobile. Again, crazy!

So far I really like it here. I have been taking our corgi, Sele, out around town for several walks a day. On foot I have become more acquainted with where things are and have yet to get really lost. As Jenny says, “All roads lead back to the Taylor pad.” The standard of living is fairly high in the Netherlands and the city is very clean – even in the main square by our house. Broken glass is swept up and trash is not left on the ground. It is a bit unusual for me to walk everywhere even though I lived in Ballard and was used to doing this often. But I am also used to just hopping in my car and driving ridiculously short distances. Here I walk to the grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants and beautiful park that is only 5 minutes away!

After reading a great deal on the manners of the Dutch, I have been pleasantly surprised at how kind and helpful those I have interacted with have been. The Dutch are often described as impolite and rude. All stereotypes have some truth to them, but I will give two examples that illustrate the Dutch going out of their way to assist us, realizing we are new to their country and don’t yet know all the ins and outs of their culture and procedures.

The first was the woman we spoke with at the parking permit office. We had a rental car for our first week since my VW Golf is currently on a container making its way across the Atlantic. We had to drive to the parking permit office twice since we had left the rental agreement papers at home. Once we arrived at the office for the second time (after getting lost through the city) the woman said she needed a copy of our NL resident cards. Oh no!! We told her that they were in Amsterdam and we’d be getting them the following day after we picked up a friend at the airport. We were expecting a curt no and to come back once we had the cards. But she seemed to understand our plight. If we didn’t get the pass that day, we’d be paying an exorbitant amount for parking on the street or in a car park. Instead she gladly wrote down her email information and asked that once we obtained our cards to send her scans. She even pulled out two different maps and explained what parts of the city our permit would be valid in. We couldn’t have asked for better hospitality or service!

The second individual also went out of his way to accommodate our needs. After being told at the information desk at The Hague’s City Hall that the next available appointment to register in the city wouldn’t be until December (whaaat?) we were feeling pretty discouraged. I decided to head over to the expat center where the Netherlands has one of the best rated organizations for foreigners in the world. The first woman I talked to was not very helpful. A man who was sitting close by overheard our exchange. He immediately walked up to Ryan and said “You’re tall enough to be a Dutchman” and from there was friendly and a wealth of knowledge! After finding out that Ryan had a special visa, he looked on the list to see if Ryan’s company was qualified for expedited registration in the city. His company was on the list (Hallelujah!) and the guy made copies of all of our information so that we could submit it quickly and be on the fast track to getting ourselves registered here. Without this it is difficult to get a bank account and without a bank account you cannot get a cell phone plan or anything else for that matter! He sat down and had tea with us and gave us a general overview of other helpful information including websites to look at, employment advice for me and gave us some books and literature to read about the Netherlands. Just what we needed on our second day living in a different country!

These meetings were a God send. I truly believe that. God is, indeed, guiding us step by step on this new road we are travelling. Perhaps one that is a little less traveled by, but I am looking forward to the scenery along the way.