Our first glimpse of Kampen, The Netherlands

Thursday morning of last week, we woke up in a new country.  The Netherlands.  Needless to say, with the 24 hours of traveling that had just taken place, we did not have much problem falling asleep.  I think it's safe to say that we all hit the pillows hard, and did not budge much all night long.  (The next 4-5 nights were a bit of a different story, but the jet-lag is to blame for that.)

There is a family living in Kampen, who has been our main contact for this entire excursion.  They are our age, and even have two small children, and we all have been excited to get to know each other and become friends during our stay here.  Just a few weeks ago, we learned that the husband, James, has been hired on to teach in Scotland (where they happen to come from), and they will be leaving in less than 2 weeks.  This is a big disappointment for everyone, although the opportunity is fantastic for them.  Even with the sudden transition and change coming for their family, they graciously welcomed us to Kampen, and spent the better half of our first two days, showing us around town, helping us on our first trip to the grocery store, taking us to immigration, translating to the resident officers, treating us to coffee and having us over for dinner.  All week, they have continued to be quite a life-line for both of our families (the Cooke family, from Fuller), and we are forever grateful for their support and selfless help.

Here are some pictures from our first glimpse of Kampen, taken on that first morning in the beautiful, warm sunshine! (By the time I am writing this a week later, the weather has certainly changed to more of what we anticipated, but the initial two days of sunshine were a glorious welcome treat.)

I bet this organ sounds incredible.

Such a beautiful, old church.  This makes me truly believe that we are in Europe.

These two were instantly excited about their new surroundings.

The old town hall, in leaning in the foreground, and the bell tower that sings to us each day, in the background.

Cute little shops and cafes, just begging to be explored - once I learn how to read and speak Dutch!

The oldest building in Kampen.

Cheers, to new friends!