Trouble in Rivercity

This past Wednesday we returned home from London. All I have to say about it is that it was freezing! It was also great to be in a bigger community and have more people to talk to. The youth are an awesome bunch and really remind me of my days in youth group. I'm eager to grow more through that group and grow closer to them. 

Last week we met with Jeff who is the administrator at Touchstone which is a Methodist Church urban outlet. We're going to begin exploring different ways in which we can volunteer there and hopefully find a unique way in which we can plug in.  

Because tonight is Halloween, we are going to be meeting with a group from the university called Just Faith and participate in their festivities, whatever they may be. Afterwards we are having them over for refreshments and I'm really anxious to meet new people! Hopefully some good bonds will form in this group. 

The team is still working on unity. It isn't coming easily because there are two girls and only one guy. Plus, we continue to have troubles with our Sideshow Bob neighbor which creates tension. We are also surrounded by 'the Beast' who is a 10 foot tall dog and who hops up on the fence to bark and growl at us. (He also startled the police who came to visit) And finally, our neighbor who lives above us has breathing problems... we can definitely hear him snore at night. 

Another Week

This past weekend we were invited over to Reverend Paul Flowers' home for dinner with Gary Mason and his wife Joyce. Gary and Joyce are from Belfast where Gary is a minister and it was good to get to know them. Gary seems to have a clear understanding of what this year means to us and he had some really encouraging words as well. And of course after the meal we sat around chatting while listening to the Beatles. brilliant.

Yesterday we were invited to eat lunch with a couple named Derek and Lesley Marshall from Great Horton Methodist Church. They're such a sweet couple! The best part so far for me has been the community with the church members. They've made us feel really welcomed and wanted here. Derek and Lesley drove us out to the country to Ogden Reservoir where we walked around the lake in a woodsy area. It was overcast and pretty chilly because it was so windy, but of course we didn't mind because it was gorgeous. I think the three of us were just grateful to get out of stuffy town for a little while.

On Thursday we're planning on taking a day trip to Skipton to walk around and visit a castle! And of course this weekend we're headed to London with the youth group!! We'll be there for five days and there is a lot being packed into those days. We'll be going to a West End Show, a theme park and a boat trip along the Thames. Kristen and I are also looking forward to the shopping!

The conflict in the team has simmered down and things haven't been so rough now that we aren't spending every waking moment together. There is still a lot of free time though, so we're trying to find other places to volunteer.

And finally the weather. It rains when the sun is shining and it will rain pretty much every day, even if it's just a mist... so cloudy and gloomy. It's taunting me.

1st Week in England

We arrived last Sunday so we've been here a week now, and quite honestly its been a boring week. Thursday was our only day of work at the school and that went well, but pretty much all the rest of our time was free. This wouldn't be such a problem, except that we don't know our way around the city yet, so we don't know of anywhere to go.

However, despite the boredom, the people we've met are wonderful and they have helped make this feel more like home. They're quite hospitable and easy going. Last night we met the youth group that we will be partcipating in and it was so refreshing to meet people closer to our age... so far the people we've met have mostly been over fifty or under ten. :) Apparently we'll be taking a retreat with this youth group to London at the end of October! We're pretty excited of course (but also dreading how we have to pack and travel after we just got here.)

The other reason why I've been bored is because of conflict within our team. There has been a lot of disagreement and we've only been here a week, so there's a reluctance to be around each other very much. This is going to be a challenging year! The conflict also makes the homesickness worse.

Kristen and I have plans to spruce up the apartments a bit, so on Saturday we bought some paint and supplies and started working on our bathroom. We plan to paint the living room as well to keep ourselves busy for a while. We also ate our first official meal of fish 'n chips Saturday night! We weren't disappointed. :)