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.