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!

Falling into Autumn!

Get it? :)

Things have been hectic here in Potters Bar over the past week or so. Last Monday and Tuesday, we were in Reading doing an R Rights Day as well as a Star Citizen Day at the same school the Middletons went to! On Wednesday we came back to do a full day at a school in Cuffley, a local town, where the Year 6's put on a performance for the school and their parents! Needless to say, I was proud of all the work they had done and really came to enjoy managing all the acts for the day's performances.

Thursday, Erin and I were back to doing our assemblies and were excited to meet a new Act 4 volunteer named Anna Lisa. We showed her around our office at the United Reformed Church and even went out with her for dinner. On Friday, we finished in Reading with a 5:45 am start and ended up in London on our way back home. The weekend went by so fast and this whole week has been filled with assemblies and getting to know the Act 4 Server.

Tomorrow marks the end of seven weeks in England and I still can't believe how long it has taken me to transition into this new life and culture. When Beckah, one of the UK YAGM Alum, told me that things may be tough and that I should expect to be homesick, I was headstrong thinking that I would somehow be immune to the difficulties this transition would bring. I am now, however, comfortable with admitting defeat and that I am, in fact, homesick. Although I may miss the comforts of home, I know that each day spent in England is a blessing, something that I should not take for granted. In a few short months, more quickly than I can ever imagine, I will be boarding a plane to come home and who knows if I'll ever have the opportunity to make it back to England again. So even on the days when I feel cold, sick, and tired, at least I am here and here for a reason.

As always, I will leave you with a picture. I haven't taken many pictures lately as we've been so busy, but here's one from my walk back from St. Thomas a Becket Church in Northaw.

How Time Flies!

Can you believe it? I've already been in England an entire month! So much has happened, but there's still so much left to experience!

This past week, Erin and I had our first assembly on Monday and two more on Tuesday. Wednesday, we spent the day at a local school working on the first day of a two day workshop/program called R Rights. Being new to Act 4, the day was a learning experience for both the children and for me. Thursday and Friday were spent doing another R Rights program with a different school in Watford. After such a busy week, Erin and I ventured into London on Friday night to spend some time with other YAGM friends. Saturday was spent exploring London as well, where we finally got to see Platform 9 & 3/4.






 
On Sunday, I ventured into Northaw to St. Thomas a Becket Church. Erin and I had the good fortunate to meet Reverend Rachel, who showed us around the beautiful church we had passed on our way to the school. This past Sunday was a national effort called "Back to Church Sunday", complete with invitations, biscuits, and a welcome committee. Although I still find myself returning to my home congregation via the internet (shout-out to Shepherd of the Valley), I really appreciated the personal invitation to worship in such a beautiful church. I apologize, however, that I did not manage to take an photographs of the inside of the church. You'll just have to settle for a picture of the church from the outside. :)

This week is nearly half over and I have enjoyed the much slower pace. Yesterday, Erin finally went to the doctor to find she had a fever and severe sinus infection, meaning that our assembly for the day was canceled. She pulled through today to perform our one assembly, and hopefully she'll be feeling well enough for the two assemblies we have tomorrow!

 I'll now leave you with a picture of St. Thomas a Becket Church as well as the countryside I saw on my walk back to Potters Bar. Enjoy!

First Assembly and Much More

Oh goodness me! I haven't posted in a week! So much has happened, so where do we start?

Erin and I spent the majority of last week practicing our assembly and learning how to set up the stage and equipment. After a few trial runs, I have become the electronics guru, hooking up the computer, projector, and speakers for each assembly. We spent numerous hours setting up the stage, taking it down, moving to a different space in the church, and setting up again. All of our practice may have helped as today was our first assembly! Aside from being a little nervous and speaking a little too fast, I believe we did quite well. Apparently our American accents will take a little getting used to for the kids, just another reason to slow down our speech.

This past weekend, after our long week of rehearsing, Erin and I welcomed our friend and fellow YAGM, Jess, to Potters Bar. As a treat, we journeyed to this spectacular place on Saturday. Although we got hailed on and spent the remainder of the evening quite soaked, it was definitely a worthwhile experience. We finished the weekend off with a trip into London to worship at St. Paul's Cathedral and bid Jess farewell before getting on our train back at Kings Cross Station, the same one in Harry Potter. :)

Act 4 has a busy week ahead filled with two more assemblies as well as three days of performances and workshops to finish the week out. I can't wait for my nerves to settle down and to actually start enjoying all of these performances!

As we finish our assembly, "Thanks for listening!"

Act 4

Hey all,

I know that when I left, I was still a little uncertain about what exactly I would be doing this year. Thanks to some time spent in Shropshire, England with Sam, the director of Act 4, I now have a better understanding of Act 4's foundation. Funny enough, Act 4 is based on Acts 4. :) With each assembly Erin and I perform, we are hoping to communicate with children through music, drama, and conversation. Even though we're ordinary people, we can still make a difference.

If you'd like to check up on what Act 4 is all about, you can peruse the website at www.act4.org.uk .

Happy Monday!

A Lesson in Humility

Psalms 149:4
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.

While I would hardly consider myself a world traveler, I have to say that I have been a few places and have experienced various cultures. Throughout those travels, however, I knew that I was the fortunate one, where my one American dollar was worth three Peruvian Nuevo Sols or twenty Honduran Lempiras. For once in my life, my precious dollar is worth less than the currency and I have to seriously consider where and how I spend my money.

As part of my year in Young Adults in Global Mission, I agreed to "live simply", something I thought was going to be hard living in the United Kingdom. Little did I know that due to the exchange rate, I would have no other choice than to live simply. Each week, I receive a modest stipend to spend on food, an amount not to be squandered but to be used wisely. Without even knowing it, I have been taught a lesson in humility, in simple living.

As an independent person, I have also struggled to remain humble throughout this transition period. From home to home and meal to meal, Erin and I have constantly been cared for, receiving from others but unable to return the favor. While I may not be able to repay those who have been so kind, I know that I can give in other ways through my work at Act 4 and within the community. I have become quite good at asking how I can help and doing the dishes after meals, any small gesture that will help me feel as if I've earned my meal.

 I came to England thinking I would be able to be in charge, take care of myself, and make a difference. Yet, these past few weeks have been an intense lesson in humility. I can only imagine how much more I have to learn and hope that everything I do in these next few months will help me truly understand what it means to be humble.

Hertfordshire = Home

'Ello!

Erin and I officially moved to Hertfordshire this past Thursday to settle into our host homes after a week in Muswell Hill, a suburb of London. We were picked up by Luisa, a woman who works for Act 4, the charity Erin and I are both going to be serving with this year. As soon as we arrived, Luisa treated us with tea and biscuits before a home-made meal for dinner. Over the past few days, Erin and I have been truly blessed to receive such warm hospitality in various homes, around town, and especially at church this past Sunday. I know I had been eager to start making connections and building relationships, but soon came to realize that through all these meals and simple errands, I was already getting to know people.

Just as the academic year is starting up in the States, things will soon start to get busy here in England. I look forward to having a chance to do something and to find purpose here. With all of this transitioning, I have struggled to find a solid reason why I, of all people, am here. I know God will use me just as He has planned, but my impatience and desire to get started has clouded my ability to stand back and let God do His work. There are still many unknown aspects to the kind of work we'll be doing with Act 4, but I am confident that everything will work out in due time.

Erin and I will be traveling up to Shropshire sometime today (yet another unknown) to learn more about Act 4 and what we'll be doing this year. Please pray for safe travels as we continue to our journey and grow as children of God. I have already seen God work in so many ways and am excited to share my experiences with you here.

As always, I'll leave you with a picture!

This is the right side of St. Paul's Cathedral, located near the center of London. Erin and I had the opportunity to worship here this past Sunday and wish we could go back every week. Being away from our home congregations, Erin and I are excited to "Church Shop" around England! Wish us luck!

Alyssa

My Sincerest Apologies

Friends!

Life has been so busy with YAGM Orientation in Chicago and a week of being in limbo while our housing in Hertfordshire gets ready that I have not had time, or an internet connection, to update my blog. Since I last wrote, I flew to Chicago with my life packed in a few (one too many) bags. Orientation in Chicago was a lot of fun, but also a serious time of reflection and preparation for what is to come. I was surprised to find that, despite my pessimism, my fellow Young Adults in Global Mission and I began to create our own community in such a short time. By the end of the week, I was sad to say goodbye to everyone before leaving on a jet plane.

After an eight hour flight, of which I did not sleep, Angie, Britney, Emily, Erin and I safely arrived at the Heathrow airport and were met with smiling faces to whisk us away to our destinations. With a six hour time difference, our first Thursday in England was a blur, but we managed to stay up and get into a normal routine. Erin and I have spent the past four or so days taking buses into London to explore before the real work begins. I will make sure to update everyone as we settle into Potters Bar and our new routines for the year. I can't believe how fast time flies!

In Him,

Alyssa

Seeing as I am unable to post every picture I have taken, here's a snapshot of my London experience thus far. Enjoy! :)

Saying Goodbye

These past few days have been filled with family, friends, and lots of packing. On Saturday, I was serenaded by my friend Katie while in the Ikea parking lot. After pulling her guitar from the trunk of her car, she sang me John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane". We finished the night hanging out with my friend Bill, visiting from Idaho, and his friend Joe. I would include a picture of the aforementioned serenade, but the pictures are on Katie's camera.

Sunday was my family "Bon Voyage" party at Grandma Suppes' assisted living apartment, complete with a barbecue chicken pizza and Dairy Queen ice cream cake. (Again, a picture was taken, but not on my camera.) It was a nice time to clear up any questions about what I'll be doing next year and where I'll be, even though I had to keep repeating myself as new family members came in. Hopefully I won't have to wait a whole year to see my family again, but that some of them may be able to visit! We'll see what happens.

Monday I said my goodbye's at camp and finished the day in Owatonna, visiting my friend Sara. After eating lunch with Jessie and Kari at The Blue Door, I am officially out of time for any further goodbye's and only have a few more hours until takeoff. This entire process of getting ready for a year abroad has been so exhausting, making me really excited to just get on the plane already.

In the meantime, Elise, Bailee, Mom and I are spending the evening watching The Office as I prepare to leave and Elise recovers from her oral surgery. I have more stories to tell and pictures to share, but they'll just have to wait. Only a few more hours in Minnesota! Peace out.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Crunch Time

Blessings to you on this beautiful Thursday!

SIX days until my flight to Chicago! I spent last week at camp, counseling with my good friend Emily, and then elected to spend this week at home, preparing for departure. As I type, there are forty-nine other YAGM's around the globe who are all trying to tie up loose ends and get ready for the adventure we're about to embark upon. So exciting!

After eating my last Chipotle burrito bowl, I felt that now would be a good time to finally update my blog. I have been so busy this week running errands and getting my bags set. I would, most importantly, like to thank my friends Katie and Megan, both world travelers, who helped me pack. This past Tuesday night, we went through each piece of my wardrobe to decide what I should bring. Armed with their "Brilliant" and "Bullocks" cards, I am now confident in what I should pack for the next year of my life. It's crazy to believe that I won't be back and I don't think I've fully wrapped my head around the idea. Each time I do get nervous, however, I keep going back to Matthew 6:25-34 , knowing that God has everything covered and that I should just relax, which is easier said than done.

All worries aside, I am thankful for the supportive communities I have, at home, at church, at camp, and with my friends. I know that what I will be doing this year is not about me, but is beyond me and for a much bigger purpose. I just pray that I can be flexible and learn to take things as they come, again, easier said than done. 

To end this on a good note, I have included one of my favorite pictures of the summer. I will dearly miss my camp "community" at the end of the summer, but know that I have been richly blessed to have met such wonderful people this summer.

As the summer comes to a close, please lift up the travels and transitions of camp staff throughout the country. I know they could use your prayers.

A New Beginning

Hello friends!

Welcome to my new blog, hopefully something I will get the hang of over the course of this year. This summer has flown by, with only one more week of camp left before the packing begins. In a few short weeks, I will fly to Chicago for YAGM orientation then on to England a week later! I can't wait to see what adventures and challenges God has in store for me and my fellow YAGM over the course of the year! :)

Alyssa