Life in the house

Life in the Mission House isn't 9-5. It's not just about volunteer work, in-fact it isn't just one thing.

The obvious thing to start with is the house itself: Amstelrank. This unique house is situated in the heart of Amsterdam and can sleep 8 people (excluding guests!), has two toilets, a spacious living room, a cozy dining room, a kitchen complete with a cooker the size of a small country, a large guest bedroom and arguably the most important feature: a lovely sizable shower! All the above takes care of the practical needs, however the MH also takes care of the emotional needs of the volunteer.

A year spent away from home, sometimes working in difficult and stressful situations demands a strong safety net. This net takes the form of a supportive house-leader who lives with the volunteers, a responsive project leader and mentors, of which each volunteer has his/her own. While problems are few and far between it's always a comfort to both volunteers and parents to know there's other people helping making the year enjoyable and supportive.Mission House life is shared. You eat, work & experience together, you spend about 304 days or 7,304 hours or 438,290 minutes together. The MH life accentuates the importance of the team and as such you'll find most of your time spent with your housemates. This is by no means a bore and makes many things so much more fun. Cooking together for the house or working on house projects are all great experiences one can easily find on the MH year.

An important aspect of MH is making the year your own. This may take many forms, most obvious being able to choose when and where you work. However there is also organizing family time. This is when the house comes together each Sunday evening to spend time in each others company. Examples of this are going bowling, swimming, watching a movie or simply playing a game. Our zin moments also provide us with a chance to share our ideas and opinions on any given subject. Yet not all our time is spent in-house.

You are given a great deal of freedom to explore Amsterdam's social life. Many choose to join a sports club or to dedicate extra time with their Church. Others take advantage of the allotted holidays and take trips to surrounding cities and occasionally surrounding countries! Mission House life isn't exhaustive but it is intense.