So it's been about 2 months since I've been here. And I've now graduated to doing 3 jobs instead of just the cafe. I can now successfully check you in and out of the hostel, tell you how to get to the airport, where the train station is, and if you're looking for a fun free something to do on a Tuesday night I can recommend a great little jazz place. Thats reception. The other job is cleaner supervisor, which basically means I oversee the cleaners as they clean the hostel. It involves a lot of climbing the stairs, folding laundry, cleaning drains, inspecting beds/rooms, and leading bible discussions. They say is it's the worst and best job in the hostel. After a week I have to say I agree.
You're working one on one with our cleaners, who come from all over the place, from different backgrounds, different beliefs, and different struggles. Most of them are searching for a safe place in this world.
This past month we had a young man from Romania who has had some terrible things happen in his life. He has no where to go after this, no job, no family. It can break your heart, because you want to help them so much, but what can you really do? Just because you introduce Christ into their life doesn't guarantee that they'll accept Him or believe. You can pray and pray and pray and continue praying.
We expect immediate visible answers all the time, that I think we sometimes forget (or at least I do) that God is working everything out on His timetable not ours. He is the one that changes hearts and minds. Just because you accept Him doesn't mean your life is going to all of a sudden be perfect. He says we need to rejoice in our sufferings.
"Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
- Romans 5:3-5
But who wants to suffer, much less rejoice in it?! It's something that non-believers don't get, heck, even christians don't always get it. It comes down to the age old question: If God is so great, wonderful, and all powerful why do bad things happen? Because of sin. But why does sin exist? There's so many questions so many thoughts. In the end I believe it all comes down to faith and the hope we have in Jesus. The hope of a new life in heaven, one that is eternal, one that is with God.
What a promise that is.
Anywho, I kind of went off on a tangent there. Hope you were able to follow it.
Love always,
Eliza :]
