WOW! What an incredible blessing the last week has been. We arrived home Monday night from London after almost 10 hours of flying and it was good to touch down in Birmingham.
I have so much to share, so please abre with me as I go through it all. As for Adventures, I'm not going to really say anything about the children to protect their information, but if you want to hear more let's meet up and I can tell somemore and definately share specific prayer requests for those wonderful kids I got to live life with for a week. To see pictures from the week in England click here.
To begin, the team left Birmingham on Saturday, July 23rd (Happy bday Sarah Higg) and flew to Detriot, MI. I am officially adding Michigan to my list of places been. We left that night around 7:00pm and flew overnight to Heathrow airport in London on July 24th (Happy bday Kristina). The flight was long and exhausting (I don't think anyone slept) and waited a hour to get through customs. NIGHTMARE. Nothing like almost being thrown out of the country. I won't go into detail, but let's just say worst experience ever for the team and especially Stephen.
However, we all made it into the country (only by the grace of God) and waited for Headley Park Church memebers to come pick us up from the airport. Once they arrived, we headed on the 2 hour car journey to Bristol. I had gotten a little sick so I didn't take too much notice yet of us driving on the opposite side of the road or the cute British accents.
Once we arrived at the church, our host families came and got us. My wonderful family were the Pountney's-Becca and Matt. We drove home where I was promptly put to bed and slept for a couple of hours. Once I woke up, got to chat with Matt a bit about him and Becca, and Becca joined us shortly (I slept through the church meeting and church service).
The next morning we headed back to begin Adventures (VBS). I had a total of 6 kids that week-all 11 years old. The theme was Holly wood and each day the lesson was on someone famous from the bible-Moses, Jonah, Noah , Jesus and Saul (who became Paul). We would have a lesson, play games/go somewhere for a trip out (Lazer Quest, the park, Crazy Golf, Ice skating, Scavenger hunt in Cabot Circus-outdoor mall) and come back to finish some games, the lesson and send them home around 3:30. All the American leaders and the English leaders would get together and talk about the day and pray together for specific needs and children.
Each night would be something fun for the Americans. We went to Bath to see the roman baths, to the highest suspension bridge in the world, a BBQ night with our host families, Meet the Americans night at church, take an American home for dinner, and dinner at Cosmo's and walk to the Harbour Festival.
All the Americans (and Simon, the churches intern) went to London On Saturday. It was so fun to be back there again and see places I had visited before and go to new ones as well. The group got off the Tube and headed to Buckingham for the changing of the guards and then to Westimister Abbey. I toured Westminster Abbey with most of the group. I had been in there once before for the Evensong service, but not fo a tour. So much history-it took my breathe away. I saw Issac Newton, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, many kings and queens, famous poets, etc graves.
Once out, Morgan, Julie and me headed to Hyde Park to Kensington Palace-the line was long to get into the Orangerie for tea so we headed to The Tower of London to meet the rest of the group for dinner.
We headed back to Bristol for the night and to church the next morning and a picnic to say goodbye to everyone.
Once back in London and at our hotel, we headed once more back on the Tube to London for a ride on the London Eye and dinner in the city. Then, home the next day.
I am so thankful for the Lord allowing me this opportunity to walk alongside my fellow brother and sisters in Christ to share about Jesus to these kids and their families. I am still processing it all in my mind and missing those children, my English and America team, my sweet Becca and Matt, and all the laughs and the jouyous moments we had together.
American team-tea at my house in September.
Becca and Matt-miss yall-come visit soon!
No comments:
Post a Comment