Go Bears!

Last night almost 300 Riverbend high school students rocked out the smelly Ruritan building (where old people play bingo). This was my first club of the semester (because a bunch of my volleyball games have been on Wednesdays) and it was a blast. Seeing familiar faces, meeting new girls and just laughing. A lot. I got to stand up at the end and talk for 15 minutes about Jesus. I used John 8 (the woman caught in adultery) to highlight the simple truth that Jesus stays. He doesn't walk out on us. And He takes our shame (like He did in the story by writing on the ground...it was His way of distracting the Pharisees and saying "Don't look at her! Look at me.") I felt great about my talk and had a lot of fun giving it!

Riverbend club!

Please pray for Riverbend High School. 2000 kids. Pray for opportunities to meet them (in the halls, at games, at club, etc.) and that the Lord would open their heart to the Gospel. Pray that we as leaders would be obedient to Jesus as we GO to the school and bring His hope to lost souls. 

Sisters, Sisters

Just a little gem from July 6th! 

Surrender

I know I have not posted in a long, long time. And I know that I am not "over the pond" anymore and am in the not-quite-as-exciting Fredericksburg. But I do want to continue to blog occasionally and to share the things I'm learning and the adventures Jesus takes me on. Because if I learned anything in London, it was that Jesus has purpose for me. And that purpose isn't just when I'm thousands of miles away, walking up boldly to university students and initiating conversations with the hope of sharing the Gospel. But now I am back in the routine...taking classes, attending volleyball practice for 3-4 hours a day, and doing Young Life. And the Lord wants my heart here. He doesn't just want me to lean on Him and look to Him when I'm doing designated "ministry." My life is a thank you offering for what He did on the cross. 

This idea of surrender has been a theme throughout my summer. Surrendering my pride and desire for control are daily things.  I came across this passage while reading a book this summer and I feel like it eloquently explains my prayer and desire for my senior year. 

"Can we give up all for the love of God? When the surrender of ourselves seems too much to ask, it is first of all because our thoughts about God Himself are paltry. We have not really seen Him, we have hardly tested Him at all and learned how good He is. In our blindness we approach Him with suspicious reserve. We ask how much of our fun He intends to spoil, how much He will demand from us, how high is the price we must pay before He is placated. If we had the least notion of His lovingkindness and tender mercy, His fatherly care for His poor children, His generosity, His beautiful plans for us; if we knew how patiently He waits for our turning to Him, how gently He means to lead us to green pastures and still waters, how carefully He is preparing a place for us, how ceaselessly He is ordering and ordaining and engineering His Master Plan for our good--if we had any inkling of all this, could we be reluctant to let go of our smashed dandelions or whatever we clutch so fiercely in our sweaty little hands?"
--Elisabeth Elliot, The Path of Loneliness 

People

It's funny because when people hear I went to London, they immediately ask if I saw the "big sights" (you know...Big Ben, the London Eye, Buckingham, etc.). I naturally begin to answer and expand about how truly wonderful each sight was. But what leaves me with a weird feeling is that the sites of London are not what has stuck with me. That's not what I think of when I think back to the wonderful month I spent there...on the 7th floor of a flat in central London...going out and telling university students about the hope of Jesus. I think of the people I encountered. And saw. And bumped into. And asked directions from. And smiled at. So many faces float across my mind sometimes as I think back to my time in that wonderful city and all I can do is lift those people and those names I remember up to the Lord.

Our project director showed us this video on our banquet night at the end of our month. I want to share it with you because I think it shows the city I called home for a month the way I see it. As a moving, thriving, bustling, lost city full of all kinds of people. [The video has a unique/artsy style--it was all shot from London buses with a handheld camera].


London Bus Tour from moritz oberholzer on Vimeo.

Going to the Chapel...

...and [Laura's] going to get married!

I can't believe that in SIX days, my older sister is getting married. We are full-swing into final preparations and getting geared up for the big day (July 6). Love you Laura loo! So excited for you and Seth. 

With my sissy at Matt's wedding ('09)

Adjustment

Today marks the 1-week mark of being back in the U.S. Here are a couple random observations about my great country as I've been getting readjusted to life here in America. 

--Strangers initiating conversation in an elevator? People giving a friendly smile when you pass? What is this? 

--"Queue" means nothing here. 

--Portions: significantly larger. 

--Over my month abroad, I wore sweatpants once. I repeat, once. If you know me at all, you know this is a record. So since I've been home, I have only worn....sweatpants. 

--I'm not as enamored by British accents as I once was. 

--I miss our flat and my teammates terribly. What I don't miss is living on the 7th floor, with the stairs often being the quickest way up. 

--Fun fact: Zero was the number of times I heard the following words while in the UK: NBA/Finals/Lebron/Basketball/Heat/Thunder. 

--Words I did hear: Football/Manchester/Chelsea/France. Repeated many times daily. 

Here are a couple pictures I never posted that I thought I'd share: 

Practicing Soularium with China before we went out on campus!

One of the buildings at London School of Economics, where we did a lot of ministry

Representing YL! Oh, and check out the background.

One last thought. During our weekly women's time in London, we talked about God's will and direction in our lives. This seems especially pertinent to me as I enter my senior year at Mary Wash and the age-old question will inevitably increase in its frequency: "What are you doing after you graduate?" We listened to a great Tim Keller sermon ("Your Plans: God's Plans") that gave great insight (you can download it for free on Keller's podcast on iTunes. I'd highly recommend listening to it!). All that being said, I found this prayer/poem by Thomas Merton today. Its simple but has profound Biblical truth: 

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going. 

I do not see the road ahead of me. 

I cannot know for certain where it will end.

Nor do I really know myself,

and the fact that I think I am following

your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you

does in fact please you.

And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.

I hope that I will never do anything part from that desire.

And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the

right road, thought I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always though I may

seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.

I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and

you will never leave me to face my troubles alone. 

Home Sweet Home

Home again, home again, jiggity jig! I had a full day of traveling yesterday which ended at the Richmond airport last night. I've been getting used to the jet lag today--I was wide awake at 7am because my body thought it was noon!


It was definitely bittersweet leaving Europe. Sad to leave my team who I'd gotten close to and sad to leave the students at the London universities that I had been developing friendships with. But also exciting to be coming home and being with my family and friends again...and to step it up on my co-MOH duties (MOH = "maid of honor"...for Laura's upcoming wedding!).


Recap of the last few days: For our time of debrief, the London team arranged for us to take a 3-day trip to Paris to debrief. Sounds crazy because its Paris...but really its only a 2-hour train ride via the Eurostar. So last Sunday, we attended church in London in the morning and then went to King's Cross to catch the train. We arrived in Paris and made our way to our hotel. Then we met up with the Paris summer project team at a small church. They led us in a time of worship and prayer. It was so cool and encouraging to connect with this team and to spend time listening how their ministry on Paris campuses was going and sharing how our time on London campuses had gone. There are definitely similarities in the types of students that go to Paris and London universities...as seen in the widespread apathetic views towards spiritual issues or deeper questions in life. I loved this night we spent with the Paris project. So cool to see how we could connect with these brothers and sisters in Christ--even though we had never met before.

Praise & worship with the Paris summer project team

The next morning we spent debriefing with a few members of the London staff. They wanted us to evaluate the project and give them feedback on things we liked and didn't like about how the trip. It was a good and honest conversation and I appreciated the humility of the staff to listen to us and respect the suggestions we voiced.

The rest of the day was spent walking around (we saw the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame!) and we had pizza beneath the Eiffel Tower and then walked up it! I loved experiencing this incredible structure. What was especially cool was watching the sun set while we were up at the top. I loved seeing all these people around me--from all parts of the world--becoming so excited about the sunset and the picturesque scene it created. It struck me even while overlooking this gorgeous city...it was seeing the beauty of something not created by human hands that stirred something deep within all of us. It brought to life Paul's words:

"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 

View from the top of the Eiffel Tower

The next day about 7 of us went on a Fat Tire Bike Tour around Paris. This was probably the highlight from the brief stay we had in Paris. I loved following our guide (from Texas...said he led Young Life in college!) around the streets and seeing all of the major sites. I would highly recommend doing these bike tours whether you're in any of the European cities they have them in (Paris, London, Barcelona, and Berlin).

Bike tour

With Liz on our bikes

The next morning we spent a long time in the morning debriefing. We spent time alone and in a big group discussing what the Lord taught us over the past month doing ministry and living in community. I have learned over the past year or two that I am often slow at processing. So I know that there is still a lot more that the Lord will keep showing me and that I'll keep realizing...but one thing/lesson keeps popping up. When looking back over this month, I've learned that it is okay to be weak. I have trouble asking people for help or admitting weakness in any way. But through things over this past month (my infected eye, being out of my comfort zone in a new city, being rejected by people while doing ministry, becoming emotionally, physically, and mentally drained) I have realized that I am weak. And that is okay. No, not just okay. The Bible tells me to boast in these times of weakness. Not to be ashamed that I can't do it alone. But to rejoice because HE is able and is meeting me in those times.

I am so thankful to each and every one of you who have supported and prayed for my time in London. Thank you for the kind notes and emails I have received. They mean more to me than you'll ever know. I still can't believe that the Lord made it possible for me to go to such an amazing city and to meet people from all over the world and tell them about the hope of salvation through Jesus. Please join me in praying for London whenever you can. It is a city full of people putting their identity in money, job status, and possessions. Pray for their hearts to be opened to the Gospel. Pray also for the full-time London Agape staff. They are a small team and there is a huge need. Pray for the seeds my team planted in people's hearts while we were there. God bless!

One of my favorite verses is John 3:30-- "He must become greater, I must become less."

London

Pip Pip Cheerio!

Yesterday we had a fun picnic in Hyde Park and invited staff and students to say goodbye. The weather was beautiful and we had a great time of eating, interacting, and playing fun "American" games like ultimate frisbee. :)

Hyde Park

With Talitha (center) and Yensy (right)

Last night was our last night in London and so our group went to the London Eye! We went on it while the sun was setting and had a "compartment" all to ourselves. It was so fun to look out at this expansive and incredible city. They told us that people in that 30-minute time slot of riding the Eye, people do all kinds of creative things. Birthday parties and weddings are common!

In the Eye

Daily running route along the Thames!

Beautiful view from the Eye (Big Ben on the left)

We are off to Paris today (via the Eurostar) for about 3 days! I am excited to not only see that new culture, but I'm so thankful for the time we'll be spending debriefing/processing/thinking about the last 3 weeks of ministry here in London.
"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving." --Psalm 62:11-12

Winding Down

It is crazy to think that I only have only 1 full day left in London! We leave Sunday for Paris for a few days of debrief and being able to briefly experience another culture. This week of ministry was wonderful and I'd love to share some highlights.

On Wednesday I went around UCL/SOAS (the campuses are right next to eachother) with my teammate Libba. We had such an encouraging conversation! We approached this girl sitting by herself and smoking, so we thought it would be a good time to see if she wanted to take our worldview survey. Right as I began to introduce ourselves and explain what we were doing, she looked up and it was obvious she had been crying. I stopped and Libba and I asked if she was okay. She was sweet and began wiping tears from her eyes and just said that she felt like she had failed the exam she had just taken. She said her name was Nadia as we sat down next to her and we were just going to comfort her--but she really wanted to take our worldview survey (I think she just really needed something to distract her). As we began talking, it was so cool to see her open up. She said she considered herself agnostic, yet was very familiar with the Christian faith because she grew up Catholic. After the survey, she began to ask us questions. She asked if we had adhered to all of the rules of Christianity. We chuckled and assured her we had not. We used her question as an opportunity to talk about what sin actually is and its effect in our lives (the brokenness we see and experience). Libba and I were both able to share our testimonies and the Gospel with Nadia and she listened very attentively and asked a lot of questions. She admitted at one point that she wanted to "experience" God...to be "moved" by Him and  that would encourage her to believe. She said she was an "all or nothing" person and would only say she believed if she truly did. I loved her honesty. I've been praying for her the last few days--especially that she would be sensitive to the tug of the Holy Spirit and respond to the free gift of grace God offers through the cross. Please join me in praying for Nadia. One side-note/thing I learned from the interaction: Libba and I talked after our conversation that it seems like Nadia is very lonely. She is older (close to 30) and took time off of school to dance as a professional ballerina. As she talked about giving ballet up, I felt like I could really relate to her. This coming fall is my last season as a collegiate/competitive/legit athlete. I have had mixed feelings about it so far but I realized throughout the conversation with Nadia that I am so thankful for the hope that Christ brings. That even though it is inevitably going to be sad, I'm also struck with the fact that my identity is not built on volleyball. This project has stretched me because its taken me way out of my comfort zone. I haven't been able to rely on my family, my reputation, my sport, Young Life, or my friends from the states. Jesus has been gently reminding me that even though volleyball is and has been a wonderful blessing in my life--its not me. 

Thursday night was our last student social over at our flat. We had a bunch of students come that we had met on campus over the past couple of weeks. I had a wonderful conversation with Phoebe, a Chinese student at Birkbeck. We talked for a long time and it was so cool to hear all about her life. She emphasized the loneliness she feels here in London and how "warm-hearted" we (the summer project team) all were. How encouraging to hear that she experienced love from our community! She is going to get connected to Student Life (CRU) as she continues to explore Christianity and what it would mean to follow Christ.

Our last Thursday night dinner 

Phoebe and I at our Thursday night social

Today I had a follow-up appointment with a girl named Laura that I had met on LSE's campus last week. She is from China and is studying for her Masters degree. It was a great conversation. We laughed and chatted about movies (her favorite is Wall-e), her course (British way of saying her "major"), and swapped random funny stories. We also spent a good bit of time talking about faith. She said she doesn't know if there is a God. However, she said she loves hearing about people's experience who do believe in God so I shared with her how my life before Jesus was different from my life now. I left her the Knowing God Personally booklet that lays out the Gospel very clearly. We exchanged e-mail addresses so I pray that she'll read through the booklet in the coming days and email me with questions or whatnot. I loved sitting there with Laura and thinking that out of everyone we see at LSE on that given day, the Holy Spirit led China and I to approach Laura last week...and now there I was, getting to share a meal with her, telling her about the freedom I have experienced in Jesus. I am so thankful that the Lord placed Laura in my life and I'm excited to be praying for her throughout the year and to give her contact information to the full-time staff to follow up on how she is doing.

Tonight was a farewell banquet for our project team that was hosted by the London staff team. It was a great night of memories and laughter. We also spent time in prayer for the city of London, the students we met (and the ones we didn't get to meet), and for the full-time staff. My heart for this city has really grown over the weeks I've been here. It truly is one of the greatest cities in the world. I've also learned about the strategy behind doing mission work in London. Countries from all over the world send their brightest men and women to study at these London universities and then these students most often return back to their countries to become the political and economic leaders of their country. Reaching out to these students means you are literally reaching out to the nations. They announced at the banquet that over our time here in London, we talked to students from a total of 46 different countries and we had over 200 spiritual conversations. Praise the Lord!

All of the girls of Buckinghot Palace

Paige, my running partner!

Andi, my roommate

"The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'therefore I will hope in him.' 

--Lamentations 3:22-24

P.S.--Just a little comic relief: they gave out funny "awards" for each of us tonight [think of SB2W cabin awards] and I received the "Most likely to learn someone's life story in 3 minutes" award. Apparently Covenant's superlative of "Friendliest" has set a trend...

Thoughts...

Here are a couple prayer requests I have as we our launching into our last full week of ministry in London (crazy how time flies!). This week the schedule is purposefully pretty open so that we can follow-up with students we have met on campus from the past 2 weeks. Pray that I would have great conversations and interactions while on campus and while hanging out with students. Wednesday night we are inviting people we've met over to "show a film" (the British way of saying "watch a movie"). Thursday night is our last weekly social where we cook dinner and open up our flat to students. Pray that on these two nights, students would see the love my team has for one another and that this community would look different. I think community can speak loudly of Christ's love because of the unique way Christians are able to love eachother despite differences and despite circumstances...because (as Paul says) "Christ's love compels us..." I feel like I've experienced that first-hand during this summer project. For example, it might sound silly but for 10 girls to still love eachother well in a stifling hot flat during a London heat wave pointed to Jesus and how we can treat eachother with love and grace because He did first (1 John 4:19 talks about this). Small example, but I saw love put into action over the course of those uncomfortable days.

Thanks for your prayers. I feel so blessed by the support back home in the states. Ya'll are so wonderful!

P.S.-- During that heat wave...we jokingly nicknamed our flat: "BuckingHOT Palace." :)

P.S.S.--Exciting story: Went back to the eye hospital this morning for a follow-up...and the doctor looked at my eyes with the microscope-thingy and saw that there was an eyelash deep in there that was apparently contributing to the scratching of my cornea...which was causing the discomfort! Not sure if that was the only reason my eye has been having issues--but it certainly was a huge part. So she removed it and its felt so much better today. Yay!

View from our flat's balcony this evening!

The British are Coming!

Here are a couple of pictures from today's Diamond Jubilee festivities.

With the Queen...no big deal. 

Seeing Kate when they arrived on the screen!

With the Union Jack and the Queen in the background!

So many people

Jubilee, PETE, & Red Eyes

Hello! As I'm sure you are aware, it is the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (June 3-5). It's cool because I feel British being here for the weeks leading up to it and being able to see all the preparations that were made. There are British flags everywhere and lots of crowds expected tomorrow for the Regatta. We are hoping to go and try to see some of it in the afternoon!

This past week was Project PETE (Post-Exam Training in Evangelism). It was an awesome and simultaneously exhausting week. Monday to Friday consisted of waking up, running with Paige (we ran our route the fastest ever on Friday!), and then meeting at LSE around 9:30 for the morning session to begin. We had a seminar until lunchtime and then we would be split into a few different groups and went out to the different campuses to go around initiating conversations with students. We usually were on campus for about 2 hours so then were free for the evening. I absolutely LOVED the morning seminars and the curriculum we used. It was compiled by Agape staff and they did a great job of giving us a big-picture overview of the Bible (how the story of redemption is woven from Genesis to Revelation) and then also equipping us with tangible how-to’s for methods to get into spiritual conversations. A couple of the tools we were taught to use and then used around campus: Soularium, Perspective Cards, surveys, Knowing God Personally booklets (formally called the Four Spiritual Laws), and our testimonies. What I especially loved about this week was how encouraging it was to learn and then serve alongside current students that are apart of Student Life. Maybe because so many people we randomly approach are apathetic, hostile, or bitter towards thoughts of Christianity, it is so wonderful to see and listen to people my age living for the Lord in this city that needs Jesus so badly.

Project PETE (one of the highlights? Snacks were provided!)

On Thursday I got to go around LSE with China, a UCL student studying medicine. We approached 3 girls and had 3 quality conversations. The last conversation was one of the coolest ones I’ve had so far. China and I struck up a conversation with a girl named Anna outside LSE’s library and asked if she would answer a few questions for our worldview survey. She was very chatty and willing to converse with us. However, her answer to the first question (“Do you identify with any major world religion?”) was a quick and definitive “No.”  Her reluctance at first to expand on this answer made me think this would be a short conversation. However, it was so cool because we ended up talking to her for the next 30 minutes and discovered that she had attended a Christian youth camp in Sweden (her country of origin) when she was 12. She described feeling the “love of the community” and a “contentment” with what was being taught there. But she felt that once she left that “bubble” and went home, that she “grew up” and realized that there is no way of proving God’s existence at all. At one point she said: “I believe in science. That we are all here by chance.” Then she paused and added: “Do you know how hard it is for me to say that? I wish there was a reason we were here.” That broke my heart. Anna was parroting what has been taught to her…yet there is something in her that is aching for it to be different. After she brought up the point about science, China was able to articulately and intelligently explain that as she continues her studies to be a doctor, she realizes that God and science don’t contradict one another. Anna respected that and verbally acknowledged that if she had more Christian friends, she felt like they would be able to give her an accurate picture of Christianity. I loved that she realized that. China and I have been praying for Anna since we met her and praying specifically that Christians would come into her life who could walk side-by-side with her and love her without abandon. After the conversation, China and I were blown away. I could literally feel the Holy Spirit working in her heart. Getting her to talk about walls she has been building up against Christianity since her childhood was huge. Towards the end of the conversation, I challenged Anna to peel back the layers of church and tradition…and to simply look at Jesus. Who He is and what He did. She really listened to that and seemed to take it to heart. I am so excited to keep praying that Jesus would capture her heart with His wonderful grace. [One cool side note: As China and I walked up to Anna, it had started to lightly sprinkle. In London terms...steady rain is close. But what is so cool is that it didn't rain for our entire conversation. Anna was able to smoke two cigarettes and we could all three sit comfortably on a bench without the weather being an issue and possibly ending our conversation prematurely. Such a blessing.]


There were many other interactions/conversations throughout the week that were really cool. I'm excited to share some of these with ya'll in person whenever I see you next! And by the way, our social on Thursday was AWESEOME. We cooked loads of taco meat and had a lot of toppings for people to make taco salad. A bunch of students came over and a lot of them were ones we had met on campus over the past couple weeks. So cool. It was just a really fun night of enjoying good food and community. 

Thursday night social at our flat 

I got a text message from my dad today that said, “The thorn in Paul’s flesh may have been eye trouble!” Let me explain. I’ve been battling an eye infection in just my left eye over the past 2 weeks or so. It felt completely better a few days ago so I tried a new pair of contacts. Well…I guess that was the wrong move. I woke up yesterday with my left eye very irritated again. It was red and would easily water. So after Project PETE on Friday I began what I will dub “The Eye Adventure.” This quest for a cure took me to Moorfields Eye Hospital…yes, you heard right. An entire hospital for eye injuries only. So interesting. I used the Tube and ended up waiting for about 3 hours in the hospital. The doctor assured me that it was not disastrous (I asked, with a slightly panicked tone, if I was going blind) but that I did indeed have a cornea infection. I am on strong drops now and will be wearing glasses for the remainder of the trip. What have I learned? That the Lord is with me. Sounds simple, right? While I was sitting in the hospital waiting room, all I wanted was to be home in Charlottesville where my mom could easily make me an appointment with my eye doctor and all would be taken care of and it would be familiar and safe. Instead, I was sitting in London and not feeling super friendly vibes from everyone around me. It was then that I realized that I wasn’t alone. That even though my eye is red and puffy and I am almost 4000 miles away from home, that I can draw comfort in the fact that my Heavenly Father sees me and is with me. I needed that reminder. So the cool thing about my dad's text is that Paul's response to his thorn is what I want mine to be in this not-so-ideal situation: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." --2 Corinthians 12:9

Today (Saturday) was our day off. Started off in the Imperial War Museum (obsessed..it was awesome)  and then went to Victoria & Albert Museum (art and design). In the V&A, a group of us took time in the afternoon to enjoy the lovely British tradition of tea. Then, Kenna and I decided (as the two theater lovers) to go to Leicester Square and look for cheap and available tickets for a show that night. We went on this adventure and decided to go see The 39 Steps. Our tickets happened to be on the first row, which made it so memorable! The show was hilarious and poked some fun at Hitchcock movies. I'm really glad I got to have another theater experience in the West End!

Afternoon tea at the Victoria & Albert Museum

Criterion Hall--where Kenna and I saw The 39 Steps

Sunshine, an Angry Brit, and Oxford

What a week this has been! An aside: the weather this week has been INCREDIBLE. Very strange for London...it has been 70s and 80s every day this week! It is currently Sunday afternoon and I'm sitting in my room trying to process/reflect on everything from these past few days. This week we really fell into a routine of sorts. Each day of ministry pretty much looks like this: wake up at 7:15am and run down and then along the Thames (I know, I still can't believe it)with my teammate Paige. From 9-10am is our devotional time and we are reading through the book of Mark along with a chapter each day in Tim Keller's book, King's Cross. We discuss what we are learning in Scripture and Keller's book and sometimes have a worship time (led by one of the staff) until around 10:30. Then we leave for all the different campuses we are assigned to around noon or so. We get to the campuses at lunchtime and spend all afternoon there.

Wednesday I went to UCL (University of College London), Thursday I was placed back at LSE, and Friday I went to UEL (University of East London). Some highlights from these three days of ministry:

--On Wednesday, one of my teammates (Yensy) and one staff person (Claudia) and I were in a great conversation with two Chinese students that study at UCL. A British student sitting nearby I guess had overheard parts of our conversation and took it upon himself to walk up and loudly and rudely question our motives for conversing with these students. It was really more of a "How dare you!" vent session for him. It shook us all up a bit because even though we've had negative reactions...they have never been so vocal or angry. After we walked away, we spent some time praying for the man and I was quite shaken up. I had never been so vehemently opposed to my face before and the assumptions he made about our motives really hurt as well. To be honest, I really just wanted to throw in the towel after that and head back to the flat. But Yensy and I decided to go over to a nearby park and try to initiate conversations with a couple more people. I remember praying for encouragement as we walked over there. The first girl we approached to talk to was named Talitha. We said, "That's a really cool name!" And she said, "It is from Mark 5! When Jesus healed the little girl he said to her 'Talitha koum!"...which means, 'Little girl, get up!'" We had a wonderful conversation with Talitha and found out that she is a Christian student at LSE and is originally from Singapore. She had never heard of Student Life (CRU at LSE) but was very interested in it. We exchanged contact information and on Thursday night invited her over to our flat for the spaghetti get-together we were hosting. She ended up coming! Yensy and I made sure to connect her with the staff woman (Namyoung). it was so cool that after that interaction with the British student that left me feeling very defeated and sad, the Lord provided Talitha to encourage us and to bring her into the Student Life community. After reflecting on this day, I was reminded of Paul's words the next morning: "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." --2 Cor 1:5

--The highlight for me on Thursday was a really cool conversation my teammate Liz and I had with two first-year Kings College students, Suzie and Sophie. They were British and studying on a blanket in the park by LSE (because of the gorgeous weather). We approached them and they didn't seem too keen on chatting but said they had 5 minutes or so and were willing to answer questions for the worldview survey we were giving. As we began talking, it was obvious these girls fit right in to the postmodern worldview that we've been studying. They are philosophy majors; therefore, they would constantly be quoting famous thinkers and philosophers to further their point that believing in a God was "ridiculous." At the beginning of the conversation (as the girls were spitting out facts and theories that were totally over my head), I was praying that the Lord would give Liz and I words when they would turn questions back on us. It was so cool because I began to feel really comfortable and felt like I could actually understand what they were saying. I was able to even talk about things I had learned in my 10th grade Bible class at Covenant! After 20 or 25 minutes of a little back-and-forth, but mostly them talking, I was able to talk about why I was a Christian. It was so cool because they seemed to really respect it while I was explaining it and after I finished explaining sin (and how it is a heart condition, not simply rule-breaking), Suzie said "I've never heard it explained that way before." What I was most encouraged about was that Suzie and Sophie were hopefully able to see that there is such a thing as an intelligent Christian. Someone who has thought about what they believe in and are able to explain aspects of it but also embrace the role of faith and the fact that there are some things we will never fully grasp in this lifetime. The end of the conversation was light and fun as we chatted about American TV shows they watch (Marye Street alert: they love New Girl!) and whatnot. The Lord definitely gave me words and the ability to communicate clearly the Good News of Christ and His love for us.

--Thursday night we made a BUNCH of spaghetti and hosted students we had met throughout the week and CRU staff over at our flat. So fun!

On our flat's balcony with students we invited over Thursday night

--Saturday was our day off and we arranged a day trip to Oxford with Claudia (one of the Agape staff) and her husband Stuart (who studied at Jesus College at Oxford). We hopped on a 10am train and it took about an hour to get there. The weather was gorgeous and it was so fun to walk around the town of Oxford and to be able to see some of the university. For lunch, we ate at The Eagle and Child Pub...where the Inklings writers' group would meet up regularly. The two famous members of this group? C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien! It was so fun to eat there and I got fish & chips in honor of eating at an authentic British pub. The afternoon was very relaxing because we hung out by a river that runs near Oxford and it was fun to watch all the people "punting" go by. I loved relaxing and not having a lot on our agenda...after a week that was very jam-packed with things to do.

Outside C.S. Lewis/JRR Tolkien's favorite hang-out spot

Relaxing by a river in Oxford

I miss you all very much and hope you are doing well. Shoot me an email if you have time with an update on YOUR life...I do feel very disconnected here from America. Pray for this coming week....it is Project PETE and I don't know much but I do know we'll be doing evangelism training every morning and then partnering with student leaders in Agape from different campuses to go out to the universities in the afternoon.

Sorry my posts are so long! As you know, I love to talk :)

Apathy and Wicked

Its been a great couple of days here in London town. Sunday we attended two church services...one in the morning and one at night. The staff here really want us to see and experience the body of Christ here in the UK (particularly the Church of England) and see that it is not dead; in fact, there are many churches that are alive and thriving. The morning service was at St. James Clerkenwell which met in a very historic building. It used to be a convent and many nuns are buried beneath the building. There was a large plaque on one of the church's walls that had the names of many English people that were killed "in the fires" for their faith in the late 16th century. It was fascinating to worship in such a historical building where people for generations had raised their voices to the Lord in praise. That night, we went to the 7pm service of Holy Trinity Brompton. It is a popular church and has a more contemporary feel. There were a bunch of younger people and it was a really neat service.

St. James Clerkenwell

Holy Trinity Brompton

After the HTB service, we galavanted around London with Jude as our guide. He is on staff and has lived in London for a long time. It was so nice to see places without the huge crowds and it was a really fun time with the whole team. We ate at a Singaporian restaurant in Chinatown and I got a Malaysian noodle dish! 

Monday was the first day of on-campus ministry! We met with the London staff in the morning and discussed decoding, which was to be the focus of our time that day. Decoding is pretty much getting a feel through conversations and interactions with students of the spiritual climate on-campus and the openness to Christianity (if any) that currently exists. I was put in a team with three others and we went to the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). It was a little intimidating at first...considering LSE is one of the most prestigious universities in the world. But once we got to campus and ate lunch and began walking around, I realized that these people are just like me and my friends at Mary Washington. And because it is term time over here, most of the students were holding study guides and notecards as they walked around to do any last-minute studying for upcoming finals. I walked around with my teammate Aaron and we had multiple conversations throughout the afternoon. Today we returned to LSE and I walked around mainly with my teammate Hannah. There were (as I've found in ministry in general) encouragements and discouragements. We used an informal survey to strike up conversations with students with the prayer that these interactions would lead to a gospel presentation or an exchange of contact information for follow-up. Some conversations flowed and some were quite awkward. I had been told (by the staff) that apathy towards spiritual things is rampant on the campus and throughout London in general. I really saw that displayed yesterday and today. Over the course of both our days of ministry thus far, I've had to give to the Lord every interaction and ask Him to work even when I might not necessarily feel like people are opening up or we're getting anywhere. I've made about three contacts (conversations that result in contact info given) and hope that these students may come to our Thursday night dinner we're inviting students we meet to. 

Prayer request: Pray that I would continue to have a heart for these students and for London. I am so comfortable in the ministry I'm involved in back at school and find myself missing that while I'm over here. Its more of missing the comfortability. But God is stretching me through this because I am in a new place, a new culture, surrounded by new people...yet these people have the same need to hear about Him. So it really is the same.

P.S.-- Last night, the staff arranged for us to see Wicked at the Apollo Theatre. It was SO GOOD. I had seen it in Richmond last fall and was so excited to see it again (considering I've known all the words to the songs for some time now). The set was awesome and the singing was wonderful. It was so fun to experience the famed London theater!

London!

Hello! So much has happened in the past 72 hours. It seems almost like a blur and almost surreal that I am currently sitting in our flat in London, where we'll live for the next three and a half weeks. I'll catch you up on our adventures so far...

On Tuesday around 6pm I arrived in Chicago and took a shuttle to a hotel, which was our team's rendezvous point. There are 12 of us...10 girls and 2 guys. We are from all over America...literally. Boston, California, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, and (of course) Virginia! :) It is been really fun getting to know new people and we've been slowly shifting from the "Where are you from? What is your major?" kind of questions to laughter and memory-making. We spent Tuesday night in Chicago and then began the longest day of my life. Literally. Boarded the plane for London around 4pm and arrived in the UK at 5am Thursday...even though it was only an 8-hour flight and I could only fall asleep for about an hour of it. But we made it! Here is one of my first looks at London--from my window seat (yay!):

We were met at the airport by Chris (our project coordinator) and we made our way to the flat where all us girls would be staying. Rolling/carrying 50+ pounds of luggage through the city made for an exciting--and tiring--adventure. Upon arrival, we were greeted by other members of Agape UK (what they call Campus Crusade over here) staff from London. It was really cool to meet this group and they kept repeating their excitement and saying how we were an answer to prayer. 

Even though our bodies wanted to just stretch out and go to sleep, that was not in the plans. To combat jet lag, Chris explained that the best thing to do would just to go along with the time schedule of the new country. So after a delicious English breakfast made by the women staff, we set out to explore the city in 2 groups of six. Navigating throughout the city on the Tube (just like the Metro in D.C. or the Subway in NYC) was a learning experience but by the end of the day I was a lot more comfortable scanning my "Oyster" card to get on/get off. Some highlights of our very full day of sightseeing...

In front of Buckingham Palace

Crowding into a traditional telephone booth :) 

We stopped and ate lunch along the Thames River at a grab-n-go restaurant called "Eat." Later on that afternoon, we spent some time in the famous Covent Garden shopping and food district. It was fun to go in and out of each shop and I enjoyed chatting with the workers sometimes. One girl looked about my age and as we were chatting and she realized I was from America, she said "Oh! It is my dream to go to America!" And I answered: "Really? Because it was my dream to come here!" She laughed and said "Why?"  It was interesting because I think its all about perspective. If you grow up and live in a certain country or area, then that place is not always the place that holds allure.

Just a quick side note, here are a couple things I've noticed in London that is different then the United States:

--Men wear scarves. A lot.

--Obviously people drive on the left side of the road. But they also walk on the left side of the sidewalk. 

--Pedestrians do not have the right-of-way. At all.

--If someone says something is "close", then it is usually a 20-minute walk. At least!

--Restaurants don't like you asking for tap water. 

--You can't buy peanut butter here!

Yesterday (Friday) we finished up our bus tour tickets (they were 24-hour ones) and it included a Thames River Boat tour! The commentator was very funny and informative. When we passed the infamous Tower of London (picture below), he said that the last person to walk through the gates who was to be executed was a man by the name of William Wallace! 

Tower of London

Yesterday afternoon, we met with Chris and Monica (married couple on staff with Agape) and the rest of the staff for a briefing meeting. We got our schedules and a booklet with a lot of information to read. It was a great time of learning and worship. We also spent awhile in prayer for our mission and our hearts, for unity as a team, and for London as a whole. We will be reading through the book of Mark on our own throughout the month and talking about it together a couple times a week. Our ministry on-campus begins Monday and I am so excited. Our flat overlooks the city (we can see St. Paul's Cathedral from our window!) and I spent some our first night here just praying and looking out at all the busyness below. This city is a cultural crossroads and the nations are certainly here. It is also very dark, and I have seen that clearly in the short time I've been here. Hope is dependent on one's job, clothes, schooling, country of origin, and income. I am excited to be here but burdened for the lostness of the people. Pray for the hearts of the people I will interact with. Thanks for reading (sorry it was so long!) and being such a wonderful support to me. Love you all!

This is the verse that the staff chose for us to cling to throughout the month: 

"...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for the reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect." --1 Peter 3:15

1 week

Crazy to think that this coming Tuesday (the 15th), I will be boarding a plane in Richmond and flying to Chicago...meeting my team and then flying out the next afternoon to the famed Heathrow Airport. Kind of experiencing nervous energy about all of this. I get a little sad thinking about the things I'll miss while overseas...my older sister's bridal shower, quality time with my little sister before she heads up to camp for the summer and my brother's seminary graduation. But I feel certain that this is where the Lord wants me. He is walking with me into this adventure and I'm so excited to see what He is going to do in me and through me while I'm over there.

"He must become greater, I must become less." --John 3:30

1 month!

Today is a monumental day, of sorts. It is tax day...which (thanks to Mom & Dad) doesn't instill the dread and annoyance that I'm sure it will in the coming years. It is also my roommate Katie's birthday! So glad she's in my life and am so thankful for the wonderful memories we have together. But April 15 is also a month away from when I'm planned to depart for London. I honestly can't believe its actually happening. It hits me at random times throughout the day that the Lord has literally paved the way for me to go serve Him in this way. I felt a tug on my heart to go to Europe and so I spent months staring at Google and typing in things like "Europe mission trips...summer ministry abroad in Europe...short-term missions trips to Europe..." I checked out a lot of different avenues and thought and prayed through different organizations. I remember perusing the Campus Crusade Summer Project website and being blown away by how the London trip would be perfect for my summer schedule and the things that had been on my heart recently. And doors opened like crazy. So here I sit. 1 month out from the adventure of a lifetime.

A friend encouraged me with this Scripture recently and I love it...especially as I think about sharing the Gospel with people I've never met or seen half-way across the world: 

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." --Colossians 4:2-6

The First

I'm now a blogger! Thanks to little Em for encouraging me to do it and for not laughing (too hard) at my choice of the title for the blog. I know that deep down she loves Frank as much as I do. I chose "Beyond the Sea" because its one of my favorite songs. Ever. As someone who has never traveled beyond the confines of the American shores [I'm not counting Canada in this], I have always wanted to go. To go experience something new and different. To go see that the God I serve is not constrained to America. I will speak about my adventures at home and abroad in this blog space. May 15th marks the day I embark on my journey to London. Can't wait for it and to share with ya'll along the way!