Twenty-Four and Back From Wales!

As some of you may or may not have known, my birthday was on January 16th! 

On Thursday at the office, Luisa, Derek, and Erin sang me Happy Birthday complete with chocolate chip muffins. 

On Friday, I received a Happy Birthday sticker from the Head Teacher at the school we visited. Erin and I enjoyed the final Harry Potter movie that night at Luisa's house, complete with After Eight mints, my favorite! 

Saturday, I got together with a few YAGM's in London to enjoy my "Last Burrito as a 23-year-old" at the Chipotle near the Tottenham Court Road tube station and Soho! I am not ashamed to say that I ate the entire burrito bowl as well as chips and guac. TOTALLY worth it! While at Chipotle, Erin even brought out Birthday Brownies for us to enjoy as well!

Sunday, Ann and the boys sang me Happy Birthday in front of a cake with one candle! It was one of the cutest birthday songs yet!

And finally, on Monday, my real birthday, I celebrated with Erin by getting double chocolate chip muffins at Morrison's before hopping on a bus for five hours on the way to Wales. Although my actual birth moment wasn't the greatest, spent in a bus where I felt sick a majority of the time, I did have the bus sing me Happy Birthday as well. When we got to the conference, Erin even made  a point of having the entire group of 90+ volunteers and staff sing me Happy Birthday once again.

Needless to say, I haven't been able to get away from my birthday for more than a week! Without a computer and a strong internet connection, I returned home on Thursday to find all the birthday wishes on Facebook and in my email as well as a package from my Aunt Joanie and cards from my mother and grandmother! I certainly felt the love!


The Time for God BIG Conference in Wales was an awesome experience! I met a few new friends, had the chance to step back from my hectic life with Act 4 to reflect on my own life, and spent plenty of time relaxing and laughing with others. Talking with the other volunteers from South Korea, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and many other places, reminded me of why I am in England and just how fortunate I am to be here at all! The conference ended on a high note with a talent show where we taught the other volunteers how to line dance to Cotton Eye Joe. :) I never thought my line dancing days from elementary school would come in so handy!

Coming home to Potters Bar, I finished the week off by going into London this Friday to meet up with some Gustavus professors who were on a J-Term trip!  It's crazy how small the world can be sometimes! Although I am slightly jealous they get to return to Minnesota so soon, I know that I'm here for a reason and before I know it, it will be August 9th and I'll be the one flying back to Minnesota! Enough of the forward thinking for now! Cheers!

It's Newsletter Time!

As the title suggests, it's Newsletter Time again! If you didn't end up getting my newsletter, but still want to see it, feel free to let me know! No pressure though!

Happy Wednesday!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

These past two weeks have flown by and now it's already 2012! There's a lot to catch up on!

I was fortunate to spend the Christmas Holidays with my Gustavus friend, Megan Mundt, in Sevilla, Spain! After 20 odd hours of traveling, I finally made it from Potters Bar to Sevilla, only to be taken to Alcala, Malaga, and Granada over the course of the week. By covering so much ground, I was able to see three different cathedrals in three different cities in three consecutive days! Highlights of the trip include Megan's Staff Christmas Party and Student Christmas Party, climbing the Giraldi Tower of the Sevilla Cathedral, touring the Alhambra in Granada, seeing the Mediterranean Sea for the first time ever, and tasting all the wonderful Spanish food, including the gambas (prawns) I peeled. Megan was indeed a gracious host and knew all the right people to make the trip an amazing success. If only I had friends like her in every country I want to visit!

After coming home and not sleeping for another 30 some hours as a result of travel, I was eager to relax in Potters Bar. As New Year's Eve approached, I was quite keen on the idea of spending the holiday in London with friends. Due to the threat of train strikes in London, however, I unfortunately did not see Big Ben strike midnight live. Instead, I toasted in the New Year watching Big Ben on the tele with my host at home in Potters Bar. Someday I'll be back to watch Big Ben properly on New Year's Eve.

Only a few more days of holiday left, then back to work! Lucky for me and the rest of the Time for God volunteers, our BIG Conference in Wales kicks off January 16th! Although I am glad to be home right now, I know that another change of scenery is always good! Hopefully I'll update this before then, otherwise, Happy New Year and best wishes for a blessed January!

Here, of course, are some pictures from Spain!

 The palm trees and Mediterranean Sea!

The Alhambra at night. We climbed and climbed and climbed to get to this spot. Then we watched the sun set. 

 Inside the Alhambra the next day. My picture of the reflecting pool would look cooler if I had the chance to stop and take a picture. So many people kept getting in the way! It's a popular spot, I suppose.

The view from the top of the Sevilla Cathedral. This is looking over the courtyard and into the King's Palace which we toured before climbing the 34 ramps to the top of the tower. Yes, ramps, for horses, rather than stairs. Those Spaniards are smart.

Christmas is Coming!

The Christmas Tree is up at our house, although Ann, the boys, and I have yet to spend time to put the decorations on the tree. Erin and I just finished up our last assembly of the term last Friday, so we're done with assemblies for 2011! Crazy! Tomorrow I am looking forward to the Potters Bar Town Carols, which are sure to be a treat. You have to work extra hard to make it feel like Christmas when the weather is cold and rainy and there's still a lot of green to be seen.

Things are slowly wrapping up in schools, the office, and around town as everyone is gearing up for the Christmas Holiday. For those who may not know, I am spending the holiday in Spain with Megan Mundt, one of my wonderful friends from Gustavus. We will be touring the southern coast for an entire week, spending Christmas in Granada. I'm super excited to say the least! :)

My diary for the past few weeks has been full of things to do, for which I am very thankful. Mondays I have been helping with a local Youth Club, which finished tonight. Erin and I joined our supervisor, Luisa, at Zumba last Tuesday to "be more American" and let loose. Wednesday I joined my host, Ann, to watch the boys in their school's Christmas Play, which was quite adorable to say the least. Thursday was Samantha's 14th Birthday (Samantha's father is one of Act 4's Trustees), so we celebrated with her and then went to her performance of Oliver, which was actually quite impressive. This past weekend, to finish up a great week, Erin, Emily, Bekah, and I went into London to check out the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Although we didn't get to see Santa, as he was on his tea break, we did enjoy some Bavarian bratwursts and English biscuits along the way!

Last but not least, on Sunday, Erin and I made our way to Christ Church Little Heath for service and lunch with the Vicar and a few others. I wish I could say I've taken pictures of the church building, but I just don't want to be a tourist so close to home. I have no shame snapping pictures in London, but not here in Hertfordshire. :) Life is becoming pretty normal and I continue to look forward to all the wonderful events that are yet to come! Happy Holidays!

Happy December!

Today is the official three month mark of being in Potters Bar! Hard to believe so much time has flown by!

Last night, I was fortunate to talk to one of my Bible Study groups about Christianity and my church in the United States. Thank you to everyone who gave me advice or information for my presentation! I spent a while making myself nervous about it all, but in the end, the small group was the perfect audience for my information. The group was blown away by the sheer numbers, how many children enrolled in GodZone and Confirmation, as well as the baptized membership statistics. I am so thankful for Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church and for all the support they have given me in the past and continue to give me in the present as I live and serve in England.

At times, I'm beginning to forget I'm a foreigner, but then an off-hand comment or advert will remind me that I'm different. Last night, it was talking about my church back home, tonight, it was Zumba. I knew Zumba took off the in United States long before I left, but I hadn't realized how difficult it would be for Zumba to take off in the United Kingdom. The instructor, at the beginning of class, told us to lose our inhibitions and be more like an American. With such a reserved culture, my instructor later told me that some Brits struggle to get into Zumba with all the hip shaking and shimmying, whereas Americans typically have no trouble moving their bodies and letting loose.

Even though I may be an outsider, I really am starting to feel like Potters Bar is home. I even found a church! After a dozen or so churches, I am willing to make the two or so mile trek to worship at Christ Church Little Heath. Erin and I even went there on Thanksgiving for an event called "Come Dine with Me" where I managed to win the raffle! The event was filled with tutorials on how to cook Christmas dishes. During the breaks, we were able to go into the narthex to try out the dishes and sip on wines. I even managed to Skype with family both before and after, making my Thanksgiving a great one!

This past Saturday, I decided to make the most of my day and bought a return ticket to Cambridge! Although I managed to go on Graduation weekend, I still got some good pictures. Here's the river where students go punting. I also managed to check out the Fitzwilliam Museum which was gorgeous inside! Fitz!

Finally settling in.

See! I told you I've been rubbish at updating this thing!

Where to begin? Last week, Erin and I finally returned home to Potters Bar after a week in Muswell Hill for the Time for God Conference, a week on Holiday, and a week in Shropshire to learn our new assembly. As I had promised Chrissie, my Field Officer with Time for God, I tried to settle into my community and really get connected.

I had high hopes for Monday night, as my plan was to go to a local primary school and join in on a game of adult netball. Instead of basketball here, they play netball. I'm still not quite so sure on the rules, because I went to the primary school only to find out that the newsletter of events in Hertfordshire was wrong. Dressed in my sport kit, I decided instead to take a jog to check out a Bible Study at the URC where our office is located. Tuesday night was another Bible Study, although that time I walked, and on Wednesday, Erin and I went into London to meet Emily for a show. I spent Thursday recovering from my nights around town and then Erin and I spent Friday night in, watching movies. Overall, I'm beginning to feel like I belong here in Potters Bar, but it only took a good two or so months.

This week has been filled with assemblies, sometimes three in one day, like today. I again made it to Monday night Bible Study this week, jogging again despite the horrid weather. Tuesday I trekked into Little Heath in hope of finding a "Traditional Crafts" club, only to find that the same Hertfordshire newsletter had led me astray yet again. Tonight was a bit more productive with a Bible Study that meets fortnightly, one that I hadn't been to in a while due to my earlier travels. I actually have the pleasure of talking to the group on 30 November about churches in America. If anyone has any suggestions, I am open and willing to listen, by the way. :)

Tomorrow and Friday will hopefully go off without incident, as we only have one assembly both days. Again, I apologize for not updating this more regularly, but when my routine is beginning to feel normal, it doesn't seem as exciting to write about! Maybe when I finish Hunger Games, I will be more tempted to write a more thoughtful and reflective entry. As my mother (and Tigger) would say, ta ta for now. :)

Where has October gone?!?!

My blog updates have just gone from bad to worse as life continues to become busier and busier here in England!

Last Friday, Erin and I finished up the last of our "Potential" assembly after spending four days in Muswell Hill at the Time For God Conference. It was refreshing to spend time growing closer with other volunteers as well as in our relationships with God. As last Friday was also the last day of this half term, I have enjoyed the past four days in Bath and Bristol as part of my half term "holiday". With a few other Young Adults in Global Mission, I was blessed to see the Roman Baths, Jane Austen Centre, Fashion Museum and Assembly Rooms, as well as to go on a Tower Tour of the Bath Abbey.

I am falling in love with the history of this country, a history far longer than the one in America, as was pointed out by our Bath Abbey tour guide. Although I may feel like my travels sometimes are not fulfilling my responsibilities as a young adult in global mission, I constantly have to remind myself that with every new person I meet or stranger I may smile to in passing, I am shining God's light wherever I go. Even by explaining why I am here and what organization supports me, I am able to share God's message and my faith to others in the most unlikely places. I am thankful for the opportunity to spark something in the lives of others, even if I may never know what kind of impact my words had.

In closing, I am going to preemptively apologize for being away from my blog in the coming week. While kids in America are Trick-or-Treating on Monday, 31 October, Erin and I will be traveling to Shropshire to stay with Sam, Act 4's Director, to learn our second assembly. We will spend the week up there, hopefully not freezing, as the weather starts to change. I will try to update this, but no promises!

It's hard this time to find one picture, but here's one of my favorites. In the upper left is the Bath Abbey and the bottom is of course the Roman Baths. I kept seeing this picture on postcards and couldn't wait to see it for myself. Later on in the day, we actually went on a Tower Tour to the top of the Abbey and got to see the view from the other side!! How cool is that?!?!?! After lots of rain and spotty showers, the sun finally came out for this picture! Such a beautiful city!