HANGING OUT IN AMSTERDAM until Victory!!

Hilda and I reluctantly caught a cab and went back to the hotel. We were so impressed that everywhere, even here, there were so many bicycles. It actually was a lovely thing to see so many riding bikes.
 
When we went up to our room, we found a message waiting for us. It was in an envelope stuck in the door. It simply had an address and said, "What you are looking for is here." Somehow, we thought it was from that same boy who had been so helpful to us at the coffee shop.

We called the desk and asked if she could find a phone number to go with the address.  In just a few moments she called back with the phone number. Now what should we do? Call first? or simply show up. 

I asked Hilda if I could just lie down for thirty minutes...before leaving. We agreed. 

Soon we caught a cab to a street near the red light district. The apartment building looked seedy. We climbed the stairs to the third floor, then knocked. 

Not Hester but a girl around her age answered the door. We explained that we were searching for a red haired blue eyed sixteen year old girl. Then I said, "Would you excuse me, but as you can see I am an old lady and really need to use your bathroom...then stepped through the door as the girl was trying to say no. Once inside Hilda and I sensed that Gretchen was in that very apartment. 

We both started through the apartment calling, "Gretchen, Gretchen, please tell us where you are." We heard a faint groaning and pushed through a bedroom door. There was Gretchen tied to a chair with a gag around her mouth. We quickly untied her and began leading her out as we put the blonde wig over her red hair and a jacket hiding her clothes.  The girl suddenly tried to stop us...but no use. We were two determined women from Memphis, Tennessee....and there was no stopping us!!

The cab was waiting and we took Gretchen back to the hotel and called her stepfather, the embassy, and her church to let them know she had been found. The youth group had already returned to Memphis. and the leader said Mark had not been able to eat since she was abducted.              

First Gretchen needed a hot bath, a hot meal and some sound sleep before she could tell her mother and me just what happened during the four days she had been held prisoner. 
                               *********
A little later there was a knock at our door: LARRY!! 
                                

He said, "You ladies couldn't keep me away...I know I am an old man, but I thought I might be of some help." Larry never liked to miss an adventure, particularly when it was helping old friends. 

Then we sat down and Larry told us all he had learned in the short time since he arrived in Amsterdam.

He said he had known many people in Amsterdam who owed him favors. He went to see the Chief of Police and asked them to send someone to arrest Hester at the coffee shop. Then another policeman went to Hester's apartment where Gretchen had been held. He arrested the girl there.  
 Hester fac simile
 Both girls were questioned thoroughly;  they quickly and fully admitted everything they had done. They had been operating on their own in a scheme to free Hester's sister from forced prostitution.  

When Gretchen first arrived at the apartment she had the munchies and was so hungry. Hester encouraged her to eat all she could. Then Gretchen slept for 24 hours and was out of it for much longer.

When she came to herself,  Hester was trying to shoot her with heroin.  

A volcano erupted in Gretchen and she fought Hester off; and only with the help of the other girl, could Gretchen be restrained. 
She started quoting Bible scriptures. 
FOR I AM THE LORD. YOUR GOD WHO TAKES HOLD OF YOUR RIGHT HAND AND SAYS TO YOU..DO NOT FEAR..I WILL HELP YOU!!..GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE...DO NOT LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED AND DO NOT BE AFRAID
and singing hymns (VERY LOUDLY.)  

Gretchen belted out VICTORY IN JESUS with all the power that was within her.

Hester wasn't a very good abductor; she made a mess of trying to administer heroin for the first time; she naively thought she could talk the people who held her sister into swapping her for Gretchen. But Gretchen was a rowdy Christian and more than Hester could handle.

 Every time the gag was removed, Gretchen started singing hymns and quoting Bible verses all over again so loudly  they had to gag her again. 
THE LORD IS MY HELPER I WILL NOT BE AFRAID, WHAT CAN MAN DO TO ME? ..EVEN THOUGH I WALK TROUGH THE VALLEY OF DEATH I WILL FEAR NO EVIL.

Hester was spooked and flustered  by hearing all this and had no idea what to do. When they captured Gretchen, they  thought Gretchen  had been stranded and was alone in Amsterdam. They had no idea what Gretchen was capable of or that Hilda and I would come searching for her.

We were so glad Larry came; he spent the rest of the afternoon with us. Hilda and I shared our experiences in searching.

                              *************
It was time for dinner; so we went back to the roof to eat and hear what Gretchen had to say.

Now that Gretchen was to herself and refreshed, she confirmed every thing Larry had said. But she also said how sorry she felt for Hester who did what she did, not because she was evil but because she loved her sister and felt desperate. "I forgive her."

We lingered on the roof looking up at the sky and feeling so good!

 Then Larry told us of his plans for us!!
  

But first he wanted to show us the Rembrandt House      
and Van Gogh Museum,
  

then drive to Haarlem to see Corie ten Boom's home. 




Then Hilda, Gretchen and I would fly home. 

You won't believe it, but we declined his offer. We were all so exhausted that nothing sounded better than going home as soon as possible. I gave plane tickets to Hilda, her husband, and Gretchen to return to Amsterdam when a little time had passed...

As for me, I will probably skip it!! 

So Larry  gave each of us a large bouquet of tulips,  
also a pair of wooden shoes for each of us as souvenirs.


 So we had all we wanted, most especially  GRETCHEN!!
So this particular pretend trip comes to a close, there MAY be more.

God is good all the time, blessed be the name of the Lord.
Love annie in memphis

old7lady9blogger80@gmail.com  would love to hear from you......
*******************************************************
I want to add for those who think it isn't plausible that Gretchen would have fought her captors with scriptures and singing, the way she did, I remind you: 
THE WORD IS LIKE A TWO EDGED SWORD. ab