There have been courses in the Netherlands before (in Dutch and other languages), but this is the first International Alpha given in English and tailored to a multicultural community, explains Ineke Troost, one of the Enschede organizers. `The international context makes it more challenging, but we are excited about working with this group',declares Troost. The first of ten meetings was held January 19 and was well attended by mostly UT and ITC students from Indonesia, China, Ghana, India, the Netherlands, the United States as well as several other countries.
After a leisurely and well-prepared dinner, the group listened to the evening's speaker Jan Henk Geerts from Arnhem, as he talked about his experience as a Christian and addressed some questions relevant to understanding one's role in life. Participants were urged to ask themselves: Is this all there is? Who am I and what does my life mean in the grand scheme of things? The atmosphere was laid-back in spite of the topic's complexity, and was punctuated by Geert's vibrant sense of humor: `I hope we talk about Jesus being the light of the world soon,' said Geert as he tried to read his Bible in a dark corner of the room.
If you are interested in the course, Christianity or fellowship with an international group searching for answers, contact Ineke Troost at [email protected]
or check out the website for more information: http://www.internationalalpha.tk/. The course is free of charge. For those interested in joining the group, the next meeting will take place Wednesday, February 2.Dinner starts at 6 pm; discussion begins at 7:30 pm.
International Alpha, right to left: Richard, Susy and Daniel Pasaribu; Andrew Christanto; Ineke Troost; Reinier Spruijt; Arun Joseph
