ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — Despite rainy weather, language barriers, and the challenges of sharing the gospel in one of Europe’s most secular regions, God opened hundreds of doors during a recent mission trip to Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
From June 7–14, Streams of Light International partnered with three local Seventh-day Adventist churches to conduct an evangelistic outreach across Rotterdam, Europe’s largest port city. Approximately 8,000 Packets of Hope were distributed, resulting in 81 Bible study interests while equipping and inspiring local church members for continued outreach.
“Throughout the week, we had between 27 and 40 missionaries representing 11 different countries,” said Oleg Lotca, president of Streams of Light International. “It was inspiring to witness the unity that developed among the missionaries and local church members.”
Before the outreach began, the team visited area churches to cast the vision for literature evangelism and invite members to participate. Throughout the week, participation steadily increased as local believers joined the daily outreach efforts.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the project was that it was organized almost entirely by lay members.
“The local church no longer had an active pastor, so the lay members took ownership of the entire project,” explained Dietmar Butscher, Europe Evangelism Director for Streams of Light International. “Three churches worked together. Members volunteered their own vehicles, packed literature, drove the outreach teams, and participated in the mission themselves. It was beautiful to see.”
Rotterdam’s international population provided opportunities to meet people from every background. Conversations took place with Turkish Muslims, Armenians, Africans, Surinamese, Europeans, and many others living throughout the city.
One memorable conversation lasted nearly twenty minutes with a Turkish woman who had just returned from Mecca. Unable to speak one another’s language, Butscher and the woman communicated through a translation app and she accepted a copy of The Great Controversy.
Another divine appointment came when Butscher and a local church member met an Armenian man battling cancer. The man expressed joy at meeting fellow Christians, accepted prayer, and was connected with a nearby Armenian Seventh-day Adventist congregation where he could receive ongoing spiritual support in his own language.
For Butscher, however, some of the greatest miracles occurred within the church itself.
One local member named David had never participated in door-to-door ministry and began the week filled with anxiety.
“He was extremely nervous,” Butscher recalled. “We prayed together, visited a few homes, and eventually he asked if he could try working on his own.”
Later that day, David helped study the Bible with an elderly man named Peter, answered his questions about Scripture, shared his personal testimony, and invited him to church.
“After lunch, David was a completely different person,” Butscher said. “He was smiling, confidently distributing books, praying with residents, and collecting Bible study interests. Mission has a way of transforming people. As they see God working through them, their confidence grows.”
That transformation continued throughout the congregation.
A young woman named Vanessa initially hoped to avoid participating in outreach altogether, volunteering instead to help in the kitchen. After being encouraged to join one of the teams, she met a Kenyan family searching for a church where their children would feel welcome. The family attended church the following Sabbath, remained throughout the day, and enjoyed fellowship with the congregation.
“Fruit was already beginning to appear,” Butscher said.
Students from the Streams of Light Training Institute also witnessed numerous divine appointments throughout the city.
One student met a man who admitted he had never prayed before. After receiving a copy of The Great Controversy and a health magazine, he and several friends joined hands for what became his very first prayer. The following evening the missionary returned with food, spent additional time with him, and prayed together again, beginning a friendship that continues today.
Another team met a father who declined Bible studies because he believed all religions ultimately led to the same destination. Moments later, when the missionaries mentioned that the accompanying health magazine discussed freedom from alcohol, he immediately responded that God had already been impressing him to stop drinking. The missionaries prayed with him again, asking God to give him victory.
Other encounters included a young mother who broke down in tears after seeing a section of the book addressing mental health, a young man who had recently begun reading the Bible and gladly accepted prayer, and countless conversations that reminded participants the Holy Spirit had already been preparing hearts before they arrived.
Many of the students reflected afterward that Europe was far more receptive than they had expected. Participants also spoke repeatedly about the role prayer played throughout the mission.
“When I couldn’t speak the language, I realized prayer was my greatest resource,” SOLTI student Morgan Tyler said. “You could actually see when things changed.”
That same dependence upon God was reflected throughout the week as weather repeatedly cleared just in time for outreach.
“The weather was cold, rainy, and often stormy,” Lotca said. “Yet each day the rain would hold off while we distributed literature. Often, as soon as the final books were given away, heavy rain would begin. God faithfully cared for even the smallest details.”
By the close of the Rotterdam mission, approximately 8,000 Packets of Hope had been distributed, 81 people had requested Bible studies, local churches had begun immediate follow-up, and members who had once been hesitant to engage in personal evangelism had gained confidence to continue the work.
“We continue to pray for the members who are now following up on these Bible study interests,” Lotca said, “and for the continued distribution of literature throughout the Netherlands.”
