IFES was a family, they took care of me and helped me to grow

Living in the Netherlands is one of the most incredible and challenging experiences in my life. IFES was a family, they took care of me and helped me to grow and to build beautiful friendships.

I had the beautiful opportunity to meet the work that IFES does through HOST Tilburg. In the beginning, I felt supported during the process of adapting to a different country and culture and it was also nice to find a place where I can nurture my faith. Then, I tried to be more active in helping new students to get the same feeling. During my time in the Netherlands, I joined the social activities and the bible studies; I also hosted a couple of them. I joined the retreats, and I also did a traineeship program.

As it was my first international experience, one of the most things I learned was how we can be together around God and faith despite different cultures, backgrounds and languages. Additionally, I also got the opportunity to hear testimonies of people that encountered God and faith in places where bibles and faith are restricted. My country is largely influenced by the catholic church, and it is normal that everyone is familiar with the bible. It was very impressive to realize how God’s love can reach people even in the toughest conditions.

I am also very grateful to the mentors that I had. I learned a lot from them, and they helped me in my spiritual journey, as well as in practical things.