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Oh goodness! It’s nearly the end of May already! I’m
disappointed in myself. I wish I had done better at posting. There are not any
real excuses other than I lost track of time. Truly, I have. I cannot believe I
have been living in England for 4.5 months now. It seems like I only just
arrived a couple weeks ago and yet when I list in my head all I’ve done it
seems like I’ve been here forever. The difference is a bit drastic but when you
are taking the days as they come, you tend to stop tracking time.
My adventure here has been so incredible. God has certainly
used my time here has a major learning experience. My parents can tell a
difference in me (only a little bit of it has to do with the way I speak now)
and I can even tell I’m not the person I was before I left Texas. When I look
back over my experiences here the greatest thing I see are the people God has
touched my life with. I would have never been impacted by these people had God
not brought me here. I get to learn from the wiser senior adults of the church
who once advised me “getting old isn’t so bad, just try not to look in the
mirror as much.” I get to discuss differences in faith with a completely
different culture and people with completely different backgrounds (i.e. they
weren’t raised Southern Baptist.) I get to love and be loved by sweet children
in the church and in our clubs- today one girl hugged me because I missed last
week’s club and she was glad to see me again.
There is a story Dr. Cook (my University’s President) always
tells at the candle lighting service before graduation. His main purpose in
this story is to challenge graduates to invest in a life. I came here with that
challenge ringing in my ear. I pray I have made a positive impact in at least
one life here, but I do know for sure that the people here have impacted me.
There are so many people I have gotten to know here that I feel like I know and
love as much as my church family in Grand Prairie.
There is an encouraging verse I have come across here and
have actually read to the church on a Sunday. It is found in 1 Corinthians
15:58 and it reads, “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let
nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because
you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” I knew more than a year
ago God wanted me to come to England. I didn’t know how he would use me here or
where my life would be headed afterward. God has used me as a support here for
when there aren’t enough hands and has allowed me to love on these people I
wouldn’t have been able to before. He has also used these people to touch my
life and my heart. Praise God!
I’ve probably mentioned what my week looks like before. But
as time passed here and as I got to know more people, my days feel much more
different. On Mondays I get to catch up with Jonathan and Anne and pray over my
week- praising God for the opportunities have had and will have. I get to have
lunch with the Humpty Dumpties team and chat about everyone’s life events. In
the afternoon I get to play house or do crafts or basically anything with
children who never run out of energy. On Monday evenings I get to hang out with
the Matthews (Glen’s host family). I always look forward to my time with them
because they are my second British family and I love being with them.
On Tuesdays I get to see many of the same kids in the
morning for Mamas and Papas. After reaffirming my belief in their inability to
get tired, they go home to prove it to their parents again. For lunch Glen and
I join some of the moms and their kids and chat before their next group. It’s
been great getting to know these moms and to hear their perspectives on life.
On Wednesdays I sometimes get to eat with and play some sort of game with the
senior adults. This is when I get some great stories or advice on life that
always makes me laugh. In the afternoon I get to play games and teach the kids
at a Primary school in the neighborhood. Most weeks consist of one telling me
about their siblings, or another telling me anything on their mind (their new
shoes, a cut on their finger). Wednesday nights consist of me getting to spend
time with the church youth group. They learn about God and his word and I get
to hear how some British teens see the world. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know
the youth, which is an age group I had never thought about working with until
coming to England.
On Thursdays I get to catch up on work or prepare for future
events and in the evening I get to see some of the same Wednesday kids but also
some other neighborhood kids at our kids club. I know this is silly, but it
makes my heart happy when they say my name. It’s a little thing, but it means
they know me. I’m not just the random American hanging around. Many of them
know my name and look to me to tell me about their week. Of course there are
still those kids who think all women are named “Miss.” I sit with them in the
craft room helping them with some things but ultimately watching them create
and explore God’s word in new ways.
On Fridays I get to meet with a wonderful group of ladies
from the church for Bible study. This time is filled will studying God’s word
but also with everyone sharing life experiences and offering up prayer for each
other. I’ve noticed I don’t speak much in these sessions. It’s mostly because
I’m consumed with listening. It’s in this hour and a half that I get my biggest
taste of culture for the week. I love
learning from these women and seeing the world through their eyes. In the
evenings I get to hang with the youth again at the youth club. Usually the
evening consists of games and sports, or just general conversation. I enjoy
talking with them because they always teach me something new about themselves
or something new about the British teen perspective (which is similar to the American
teen perspective, just with an accent.)
There are times when I seem short of energy or time for some
of these clubs but a day doesn’t go by without God speaking to me through
Lincoln Baptist. I can remember my first few weeks here and I was clueless to
what I could offer this church. As time passed, God gave me opportunities to be
helpful and to even see needs I can attend to. I’m so thankful and will forever
be thankful for my time here. I pray this isn’t my last time in England, and
especially Lincoln…. Well my words are starting to sound like a blog I’ll post
closer to when I leave which isn’t now, so I’ll stop there. J
I’ll end with this scripture:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible
qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being
understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans
1:20
God Bless!
