Hello everyone! Well I am in my last full week in Wales and have less than 2 weeks before I hop a plane back to the United States. Next Tuesday, December 15th, we will be getting a train to London to meet back up with everyone serving in Western Europe to have debriefing. We’ll head back to the States December 18th, and I’ll fly from London to Chicago and then to Atlanta where I’ll land around 9 pm eastern time. I must say I am majorly looking forward to driving a car again, and I will be completely fine if I don’t ride a bus for quite some time HAHA. I will also be looking forward to real sweet tea, Americanized Chinese food, and some sunshine LOL:) I’m trying to focus on these things instead of how much I’m going to miss it here. I didn’t ever think I would get used to not having a dryer to dry my clothes, or fretting over which of the fifty ba-zillion types of rubbish bins for all the different types of trash to throw mine away in, or to the constant rain. But sure enough it became 2nd nature to air dry my clothes, I finally know which rubbish bin is which, and while I still wish there was more sun here I no longer get angry when it rains for days on end HAHA:D But seriously I am not looking forward to leaving this amazing place or these even more amazing people.
Carrie and I began our teaching of the Christmas Story in the schools. The kids LOVE our elf outfits. It’s always great to see all the different reactions as we walk through the schools. No worries there will be pictures HAHA. Our first performance was by far the one that went the best so far. It was also one of the schools that I go and read in every Monday so I knew a lot of the kids and staff. After we were the done, the teacher told us she wanted us to come back and teach the Easter lesson (even though we won’t be here) and invited us to the class’s Christmas performance. This teacher seriously terrified me when I first began reading with her class. She has a rather low voice and isn’t the smiley type. So for this reaction to come from her is amazing HAHA. It was funny seeing the different reactions of the different schools. There’s a part in our elf bit where Carrie messes up my elf ear (which of course is a big no no for an elf haha). Well the first school pointed and laughed and said it looked like a pig ear while the second school, which was the equivalent of our private schools, suggested all the ways they could help fix my ear HAHA. Going into the schools has been such a blessing. And sharing the Christmas story with them has been a great way to sort of culminate everything for me.
We are literally having Christmas parties left and right. You know how right before you leave somewhere all of a sudden everyone wants to say good bye and get together. Well that is what is going on this week for us. We have had 3 so far and have 2 more to go HAHA:)
Please pray that in this last week God would give me the physical, emotional, and spiritual strength to get through everything. These 4 months have definitely had their ups and downs, and the Lord has taught me so much. I don’t think I’ll really know how much I’ve learned until I get out of this context, but I’m excited to see what areas God has really stretched and strengthened me in. Looking back on it, I know I was exactly where God wanted me doing exactly what God wanted me to do for this semester. There were times I wasn’t completely sure of that, but I know now for sure that I was. I hope to finish this last full week strong not wishing my time away or focusing too long on the good byes. I am so glad God gave me this opportunity! Okey doke time for the British word of the day- - pudding- - here pudding doesn’t just refer to the jiggly creamy stuff we eat but dessert in general. The first time I went over to someone’s house for dinner they said it was time for pudding, and I was really confused when they brought our cake HAHA:D Have an amazing week everyone!!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Hiya Everyone! Hope this blog finds everyone doing well! I can’t believe it’s already December, or that I only have about 2 weeks left. I have some serious mixed feelings about leaving haha. If you had asked me about 2 weeks ago if I was ready to go home I would have immediately said yes and asked if you could get me the soonest plane ticket. However now every time I think about leaving Wales, I get misty eyed. How can I leave these amazing people God has surrounded me with these great 4 months of my life? We head to London for debriefing with everyone that served with Hands On in Western Europe December 15th and then fly home December 18th. I’m not especially looking forward to debriefing in London seeing that as soon as I leave Wales I’m just going to want to go home. But it will good!
So this past week was Thanksgiving, and we definitely had a memorable week. The Sunday before Thanksgiving a couple in the church we attend had all of us Americans over for a Thanksgiving Feast. The food was amazing, the couple was adorable, and did I say the food was amazing:) Unfortunately, we weren’t able to celebrate Thanksgiving on the actual day because we have teaching all day on Thursdays, but I was able to skype with my family which was great. Saturday all the American girls got together to cook a Thanksgiving feast for all the Brit students. There were 23 people there in all, and all the recipes we were using had only ever been used by our mothers, and on top of all this the spices and such aren’t the same over here. So many things could have gone wrong. But God blessed and we had plenty of food to the point that everyone went home with leftovers, and the food was amazing despite the different spices and being the first time we all had cooked the stuff. That day will probably be one of my sweetest memories of my time here!
This week Carrie and I are going into the schools to teach the Christmas lesson. We will have almost an hour with our equivalent of 2nd graders to teach them the TRUE meaning of Christmas. This is an amazing opportunity to share Jesus with these kids. I’m really excited to see what God is going to do! Please pray for us as we do this though that one it wouldn’t be about us but it would be about God and that He would allow us to clearly present Him to these kids. Also that He would be working right now in these kids’ hearts opening their eyes to the truth found in Him. We’re going to teach the lesson by dressing up as elves named Jingle and Jangle, I know isn’t it great, and we’re on the search for this Ultimate Gift, being baby Jesus, that we’ve heard about with our Guidebook, the Bible. Our performances are on Thursday December 3rd, Friday December 4th, Monday December 7th, Tuesday December 8th, twice on Wednesday December 9th, and Monday December 14th. If you all could especially lift Carrie and I up on those days, that would be wonderful. Our last performance is on the day before we leave for London, so we’ll be pretty busy to say the least.
I am also working on getting a children’s Christmas play together with Esther for the church we attend. We’re performing December 13th which will be my last Sunday here. The basis of the play is that the kids are getting ready for their big Christmas performance. As they’re in their last practice they are singing through the song Lord I Lift Your Name on High and one really annoying kid keeps stopping the song and asking well what does it mean Jesus came from Heaven to Earth to Show the Way or How could a Baby Show the Way? And through the child’s questions the story of Jesus and salvation is revealed. I’m really excited about the play and whatever the outcome the kids will always be cute:)
Please pray that the Lord would sustain me in these last few weeks, and I would find my strength in Him. Thank you so much for those of you that have been praying for me! Your prayers are felt on a daily basis. The Lord has kept the whole entire team from getting injured as well as keeping me from getting sick which I am the type of person that always gets hit with at least one serious cold each semester. But the Lord has kept me well through your prayers so thanks! Ok the British word of the day is guillotine which is not just a place people get their heads chopped off at! It is also what they call their chopping board! Have a great week everyone:)
So this past week was Thanksgiving, and we definitely had a memorable week. The Sunday before Thanksgiving a couple in the church we attend had all of us Americans over for a Thanksgiving Feast. The food was amazing, the couple was adorable, and did I say the food was amazing:) Unfortunately, we weren’t able to celebrate Thanksgiving on the actual day because we have teaching all day on Thursdays, but I was able to skype with my family which was great. Saturday all the American girls got together to cook a Thanksgiving feast for all the Brit students. There were 23 people there in all, and all the recipes we were using had only ever been used by our mothers, and on top of all this the spices and such aren’t the same over here. So many things could have gone wrong. But God blessed and we had plenty of food to the point that everyone went home with leftovers, and the food was amazing despite the different spices and being the first time we all had cooked the stuff. That day will probably be one of my sweetest memories of my time here!
This week Carrie and I are going into the schools to teach the Christmas lesson. We will have almost an hour with our equivalent of 2nd graders to teach them the TRUE meaning of Christmas. This is an amazing opportunity to share Jesus with these kids. I’m really excited to see what God is going to do! Please pray for us as we do this though that one it wouldn’t be about us but it would be about God and that He would allow us to clearly present Him to these kids. Also that He would be working right now in these kids’ hearts opening their eyes to the truth found in Him. We’re going to teach the lesson by dressing up as elves named Jingle and Jangle, I know isn’t it great, and we’re on the search for this Ultimate Gift, being baby Jesus, that we’ve heard about with our Guidebook, the Bible. Our performances are on Thursday December 3rd, Friday December 4th, Monday December 7th, Tuesday December 8th, twice on Wednesday December 9th, and Monday December 14th. If you all could especially lift Carrie and I up on those days, that would be wonderful. Our last performance is on the day before we leave for London, so we’ll be pretty busy to say the least.
I am also working on getting a children’s Christmas play together with Esther for the church we attend. We’re performing December 13th which will be my last Sunday here. The basis of the play is that the kids are getting ready for their big Christmas performance. As they’re in their last practice they are singing through the song Lord I Lift Your Name on High and one really annoying kid keeps stopping the song and asking well what does it mean Jesus came from Heaven to Earth to Show the Way or How could a Baby Show the Way? And through the child’s questions the story of Jesus and salvation is revealed. I’m really excited about the play and whatever the outcome the kids will always be cute:)
Please pray that the Lord would sustain me in these last few weeks, and I would find my strength in Him. Thank you so much for those of you that have been praying for me! Your prayers are felt on a daily basis. The Lord has kept the whole entire team from getting injured as well as keeping me from getting sick which I am the type of person that always gets hit with at least one serious cold each semester. But the Lord has kept me well through your prayers so thanks! Ok the British word of the day is guillotine which is not just a place people get their heads chopped off at! It is also what they call their chopping board! Have a great week everyone:)
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