Busy Two Weeks

The last two weeks have been really busy, but really fun. November 4th - November 8th was a Jesus Ministry 2 Conference at Christ Church. It brought back so many fun memories of all of our conferences in Tacoma. There were many late nights praying for amazing pastors from all over England, plus some pastors from Germany as well as a group of wonderful pastors from Kenya! I think it would be so fun to visit the Kenyan pastors!! It's just such joy to pray for people and watch them change as they encounter the presence of the Holy Spirit! Jesus is so good. I love how he speaks so clearly to people's hearts. Encountering the love of the Lord for another person is so powerful. I feel like I got to have some amazing power encounters with the Lord during the conference. It's amazing how you really love people just after praying for them. Also, the leaders from the Exeter portion of the youth mission were also at the conference. It was fun to see them again, but also sad to have to say good-bye knowing I will for sure probably not see them again. I think one of the cool things about this week was seeing how Jesus Ministry is being birthed across the nation of England! Christ Church carries a very special banner of Christ and I know that the Lord is going to use this church to spark revival across the nation of England! Praise the Lord!


The other really amazing thing that happened during the last two weeks is Christy and I got to go to Paris. What fun that was. Paris is such a beautiful city. Unfortunately, Christy was sick while we were there. Still we got to see the Mona Lisa - something I had missed while on my first trip to Paris. We saw it in the evening so that meant there were very few people there. It was perfect. I must admit, everyone is right, she is very small!
The next day we went to the top of the Eiffel Tower and it was definitely one of my favorite things to take pictures of. It's just so pretty. Even though it was my second time going to the top, the view was still quite spectacular. I'm glad that Christy did it even though she was not feeling very well.


We also walked along the Seine River to Notre Dame Cathedral.
The view along the river was beautiful. We passed many pretty old buildings...many of which, I must admit, I had no idea what they were. Still, they were very gorgeous. The different types of architecture is very pretty. Christy pointed out a lot of cool details to me. It's was very fun to get to travel with an interior designer who is study the history of interior design. Our long walk was very worth it. The Cathedral is so breathtaking. The best part was there were a few "renegade worshipers" in Notre Dame. These people just started singing. It was beautiful because of the acoustics of the Cathedral. It was also a little funny because you could tell that the people maintaining the cathedral were not too happy about this spontaneous worship occurring. They were searching the cathedral to find the people. The cathedral was very pretty. Still it felt so empty. We prayed for the spirit of the Lord to fall deeper upon that place. We did a lot of walking and almost missed our train. We were not informed that our ticket had been changed. So, we arrived early, but were actually almost late. Praise the Lord we decided to make sure we were "early". We literally had to run onto the train. I also almost didn't get back into England...Ooops, I didn't have all my paperwork. I thought I had this lovely stamp in my passport meaning I could come back in. Unfortunately, that's not what actually happened. A blessing was that the customs officer was very gracious and technically I could now stay in England for an extra two months...not that I will. I guess it's how people extend their visits to England. Again, praise the Lord for this very gracious man...I think it would have been much worse if we hadn't been about to miss our train. Still, the Lord is good and I sit in my home in London. Praise Jesus. Being back in London, I know that I prefer London to Paris. I think it's prettier and it also feel so much safer! I am currently staying with another family in London because of building work happening at my normal place of residence. I am quite enjoying the couple that I am staying with. They are lovely and their home is very peaceful. It's a blessing to get to stay here for a short visit. Well, that's it for now. I will post more as new adventures come up.

Youth Mission Trip

I am just returning from six days of mission work with the Christ Church Youth. It was such an incredible time. I do not know who came back more changed - the kids or myself. I feel like these six days were exactly what I have been longing for. Part of coming here, I hoped to be challenged and to be stretched. This mission trip did both of these things...

Andrew and I took three kids on an amazing journey. We started our journey by heading southwest to Exeter to a place called Dartmoor.
It was absolutely beautiful. We were in the middle of no where.
Dartmoor is gorgeous, but you have to be careful and make sure that you do not get blown away! We went on a hike while we were there, I literally felt like I was going to be blown off the hill! Well, being blown off Dartmoor was not our purpose in going. We met up with another youth group who is forming a youth church. Their vision was quite close to my heart because it all seemed so much like the stories of Newsong in it's beginning stages. There were five kids and five leaders that came, plus an amazing kitchen crew who ended up blessing us far more than just with food! Our youth came down to bless and serve them. We were also there for the purpose of teaching deeper freedom principles. Over the course of the weekend we taught on Teachability, Defensiveness, Entitlements, and Unity and Agreement. It was definitely not a light weekend. The really fun part was getting to teach. I got to teach the teachability section and then Andrew and I team taught on Defensiveness and Entitlements. It was really stretching. I loved it! It definitely made me manifest, but I am so glad I had the opportunity to do this. First of all, I haven't really taught anything since June - how refreshing teaching is! Also, I have never taught anyone over the age of 14. So, here I am teaching people from 16 to adulthood. It was a little scary, but I loved it. I think teaching freedom (Jesus Stuff) is so much more fun than teaching normal material. I also really enjoyed blessing the leaders. It's so fun to encourage people. We also did some prophetic worship with the group! I loved it! I cannot believe we are doing this stuff with the youth! The best part of our time together was when our group of kids prayed over the group we were serving. We got each young person's DNA as a member of establishing the new youth church. Their leaders prayed the DNA over each person. It was so powerful. We then got to pray over the whole group and commission them out into ministry. How powerful to unleash a group of young people on a city. I know that one day we will hear of a youth revival starting in the heart of Exeter. Another great thing about this time was watching the Christ Church kids serve and bless other youth. I was very impressed by everything that they did.

After leaving Dartmoor, we traveled for seven hours (we made a few stops along the way) to Ellesmere Port near Liverpool for the second half of our mission. The first half was really a time to bless and serve a group of hungry young people who were passionate about Jesus. The second half of the trip was about getting the Christ Church Youth out into the world of evangelism. We ended up serving a bus ministry that is part of the Church Army. The bus ministers to disenfranchised youth in the area. The kids from the area come on the bus and get free hot drinks, get to play games and hopefully meet Jesus! After seven hours in the car, the kids went directly into ministry mode. Monday evening we had the opportunity to join the bus team serving a group of young people. Our goal was to serve and bless. We ended up praying for kids and leaders. Many people got to hear what the Lord had to say over them. I was on a prayer team with one of our young people and we had the opportunity to lead one young boy to the Lord. It was really special. It was also cool to watch the Lord bless our faithfulness in stepping out. After praying for one boy, another stepped immediately up for pray. It was great. All the Lord wants is for us to take one small step of obedience and He always meets us. The Lord is good. Our youth kids were totally united that evening and they shinned with the heart of Christ. We all left energized and excited about the evening. It was really exciting. Two evenings later, we joined the bus in a different part of the city. Our second group was a little rougher around the edges, (They reminded me so much of my students at home)still our youth kids rose to the occasion. The kids on the bus did mock a couple of our young people. It was an interesting learning experience for me. I left Andrew on the bus praying for the bus kids, and took our kids outside for some prayer. They were a little shaken up. I got to practice my pastoral skills. Although they were upset, the Lord met us and in the end we could see that the Lord had really used us. It was so amazing. It really challenges me. I want to be doing this kinds of stuff all the time. It's so powerful.

Besides missions stuff, we also got to do some very fun things. We did a lot of driving, which was actually really fun because we all got to know each other better. The youth that we took were totally amazing.
One young boy is a real evangelist. He was born in Argentina and was part of two major revivals in South America. The stories he could tell you would absolutely blow your mind. He has also been totally transformed over the last year. God met him when he was in a dark place and pulled him out! The Lord speaks so clearly through the Word to him. He is also just really cool and I enjoyed getting to know him. Another young man we took is pretty cool, too! I passionately believe that he will be a pastor one day. He is totally passionate about Jesus. He also has been radically changed by the Lord and has an amazing heart to serve and bless people. He also has this really obnoxious munchkin voice, which he blessed us with so many times while on the trip. He's an actor and really talented drummer. He's also just a really nice kid. He introduced me to the game that took up most of our car time. It was the mini cooper/yellow car game. Every time you see a mini-cooper or a yellow car you get to hit someone. It's great. I added the rule that as an American I get to hit you twice. This young man really enjoys making fun of my accent, so it was actually great retribution. He was sitting in the middle of the car and was the most easily accessible person in the car. Poor thing, he did get a little abused. As for the third youth member, she is a super star. She is so sweet, gentle and compassionate (accept when she's playing the Mini-cooper game!) She is beautiful on the inside and outside. She is amazing at making friends and really has a heart of service. She is also extremely prophetic. She hears the Lord very clearly and accurately as both Andrew and I found out when we asked the kids to pray for us! I really enjoyed having her on the trip. It was nice to not be the only girl. We also got to bug the boys with singing musicals like Greece and High School Musical! It was great fun! We were a great team.

Besides ministry, I was totally blessed by the fact that I got to see some pretty cool parts of England. Dartmoor, like I said before, was beautiful. I really liked it. Now I know what a moor looks like! We also traveled into North Wales on our day off. We ate Lunch at a restaurant called "Tiffany's". We saw some really cool Welsh signs - man they look funny!
We walked around the outside of a castle and took a train to the base of Mt. Snowdon. We even got to see the summit - I guess that's a really rare thing.
I teased everyone because although Mt. Snowdon is the tallest mountain in Wales, it is only like a fourth the size of Mt. Rainer. (Shhhh....It's really just a foothill - but don't tell them that) The Welsh coast was beautiful. We also got to go into Liverpool - there was lots of Beatles's stuff everywhere. We say the Mersey River and Liverpool Cathedral. Everything we did was so fun.

This is a trip that I won't soon forgot. It was a really special time. I think it did a lot in my heart. I learned so much about who I am and what I love to do. I know that I am a teacher, but I really do love to teach about Jesus. I know that I have the skills to lead a time and also to help guide young people. I feel like the Lord continues to show me the power of my words and how much I love to bless and encourage people. I feel like every day I begin to hear the Lord's voice more and more clearly. I am so excited by all that he is teaching me! He blows my mind every day.

LIFE Weekend Away

Okay...So I actually started to write this blog last week but didn't get a chance to finish before I left on the youth mission. So this was actually two weekends ago. I will post more about the mission, soon. It was amazing. Pictures are hopefully coming, too.

Well, it's been another amazing couple of weeks in London! The Lord continues to show up and I am continually blessed by the power of what he can do when he moves! This last weekend I went on the LIFE weekend away. LIFE is the name of the group for the older kids attending Christ Church. It ended up being a weekend where we had four kids and five adults. It was absolutely crazy. The world would say that it would be pointless to take four kids away for a weekend. That's not a youth group. I am learning so much about how the world focuses on numbers and the Lord focuses on lives changed.

Four was the absolute perfect number for the weekend. This was a weekend about establishing relationships between the youth and the leaders. The crazy thing was that, not only were there only four kids, but they were all boys! I am actually really starting to enjoy being a part of these young men's lives. It was a really powerful weekend. We played lots of fun games. We had a teaching time on worship and even did some prophetic worship together. We were in Margate which is in the southeastern part of England (I think). We were right on the water. It was beautiful; a bit cloudy, but we never really got rained on. The boys were so fun. The great part was watching them come together as a team. These are not boys who normally hang out with each other, so it was fun to see them start to go deeper in friendships. The thing I love about God is he is all about relationship. He longs for us to not only have an amazing relationship with Him, but he loves for us to have deep relationships with others, too. The other great thing about this weekend was the fact that I got to know the leaders better. I am really enjoying getting to know Rachel, Andrew's wife, and Jo, another female leader. I feel like there was good male bonding going on with the boys and the leaders and that we, women, also had a chance to really get to know each other. I am excited about having deeper friendships with these people.

The highlight of the weekend was definitely Saturday afternoon. We had a time of prophetic worship. It was incredible. It almost felt like I was at home with all my good friends worshiping and praying to the Lord. I am amazed that the Lord is using me to teach about intercession and prayer, but I am blown away by the fact that he is also using me to teach about incorporating worship into all of this, too. It blows my mind that this thing that is so fresh and new to me is something that I am now helping to share with the other side of the world. The Lord has been revealing that having this knowledge come from me is good because it's a good reminder that you don't have to be an amazing musician or singer in order to take part in prophetic worship because I am not super at either of those things. Two of the boys we took along with us are incredible musicians and so they were really into it. They did a great job! After a little fear was broken, these young men went deep after the Lord. One young lad does not think of himself as musical (although he actually can sing), but the Lord used him to bring in a powerful piece of scripture to enhance the time. When he spoke out this scripture was really when the worship began to go deeper. It was amazing. Please be praying for these young people as we begin to dive deeper into prayer and worship. I know that the Lord has an even deeper level that He wants to take them. This prophetic worship time has led to other stuff, too, which I will mention when I talk about the mission trip that I just got back from.

Again, I am reminded that the Lord is good. I am really enjoying being a part of firmly establishing the LIFE team. These are a great group of young people and the Lord is using them powerfully. This weekend was just another step in growing in unity and trust and ripping down any barriers that they may have up. It was quite a joy to spend my time with them. I am so excited for the next few months to really get to know these young people, as well as the leadership team! I feel very blessed to be exactly where I am right now!

Another Week in London

Well, the last week has been very busy. I have been up to the Cotswolds – a totally beautiful part of England. I was there for two days in a small town called Broadway. It was little and quaint. When you think of stereotypical England, this is the place that you think of! It’s absolutely perfect. I got to go on a ministry trip with Stuart Lees, the vicar of Christ Church, and four other people. Stuart taught on freedom principles and then we had a chance to pray for people. We did DNA and strongholds. DNA is so much fun! I love it! It was for a group of ten vicars from the Birmingham area. These pastors were from all different denominations – we had Anglican, Pentecostal and Baptist preachers meeting together. It was such an amazing picture of God’s heart for unity in the church. These men, although they may not agree on the nitty-gritty issues of faith such as infant baptism verse adult baptism, still loved each other and they love the Lord. It was such a pleasure to meet them. It gives me hope for the unity that God has planned for his Bride! They were so nice to the young American girl who came to pray for them. Most of these men had daughters my age. Their humility was astounding. It was also so fun to travel with Stuart and get to know him better. He is such an amazing man of faith!

Youth stuff has been really good. I feel like I am totally surrounded by boys! It’s so funny – I know all of you out there who know me well are laughing at the humor of the Lord. There are a few girls that I am connecting with, but it seems that most of the youth meetings are predominantly boys. It’s a little frustrating, and definitely stretching. Life, the group of older church kids, was all boys last week. Their hearts are so incredible. We spent time in worship, and it is such a rare thing to see 15, 16, 17 year old boys, passionately, on their faces worshiping the Lord. They were even worshiping to some of the songs that Misty has written! It blessed me tons. I am also learning so much about the power of worshipping to CD’s. I think it always just feels like it should be the guy, leading on the guitar up front. But, wow, does the Lord meet you in worship, even when it’s just you, a bunch of kids, and a CD player!! I love it! This weekend we are taking these kids to a beach town called Margate. Please pray for even more radical intimacy with Jesus! Sanctuary, the inner city youth ministry, has been proving to be tough. They just moved, and the kids are not handling the new space super well. They are pressing the limits! They remind me so much of my students. It’s been fun to watch the team learn to set boundaries and keep them, even if it means sending all the kids home early. Week one was rough, week two was better, they lasted longer, but still had to be sent home. Still, I love them. I love the fact that they are real. They hold nothing back and express everything exactly as it is! If they don’t like something or they don’t like you, they express it! If they like something, or they like you, they are also quick to let you know! I love it! The group where I often feel most comfortable (not always the best) is the Oxygen kids, probably just because of their ages. They are 10 to 13. I love it. They are sooo sweet. They run in the door and want to give you hugs. They are eager to tell you about their weeks and they just love each other. They are all so sweet!!! How refreshing they are!

I have also spent much of the last week with Isabel, the little girl I am living with. Her mom hasn’t’ been feeling well, and so I have had the opportunity it play with Isabel. We have gone to the park, I have been walking her to nursery and we have played many different games. It’s such a joy to be able to serve the family in this way. Building work has also started on the house. It’s a little chaotic, but things seem to be going well so far. A highlight of this week was Lunch with Christy, Rory and Anna on Sunday. It was so refreshing. Rory and Anna even prayed for us, which was great! So, that’s all the news about this side of the world. I hope that everything is going well! I miss and love you all!

The Power of Prayer

“If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.”
2 Chronicles 7:14-16


The power of prayer is something that I have known in my head for so long, but after two weeks in London, I see that my faith is so incredibly small. In my religion, I have made so many things so complicated. They really are quite simple. When we have faith to step out and believe that God is good, he shows up! The people at Christ Church have blessed me during the past week with their simplicity and their compassion. Sometimes our prayers are so methodical; we pray like a “well oiled machine”, yet sometimes I think that in my machine mindset I lose track of the person sitting in front of me. This week has been about rekindling my passion for people. The people at Christ Church have such gentle natures and loving touches. When I heard about thirty minute to two hour prayer times, I thought, “Why haven’t they sped things up. Where’s the efficiency?” Wow, how quickly criticalness steps into my life. After receiving prayer from a team at Christ Church, I see it is not that they are wasting time; it’s that they are taking time to truly love people. I am quite convicted. My life has been so changed by a simple touch of Jesus! They are a people of great faith who are experiencing miracles in their midst simple because they believe that their God will come through and because they have experienced his love and know His heart for His people.

This week has been a week of learning greater humility and learning to keep going even when I am really tired. I feel like I have had many late evenings. I have had the opportunity to get to know so many kids. This weekend I got to see the power of intercession and how answered prayers can come forth in the immediate. He longs to heal the land. On Saturday we had a KICK Day. This is a form of outreach to the community. We played football (soccer – I am working on my British terminology). It was in Sand’s End, and it was to a group of completely unchurched youth. They were fresh and real. They spoke their minds even when it wasn’t super pleasant to hear. I fell in love with them instantly. We spent a significant amount of time in prayer prior to the day, and it was cool to see every word the Lord spoke come into fruition. Kids were changed! I was the “Craft Lady”. This is sort of funny because I am not super crafty. Still, I had the opportunity to touch many girls. There were a few in particular who kept coming back to do art. We spent most of the day talking. The first things out of these girl’s mouths were, “Do you believe in God? I don’t! I hate God. I don’t believe in your God!” Still these girls stuck around all day long. It was amazing. There was a little boy who didn’t want to play football either, so he was sort of my little helper. He was ten and his heart was still pretty soft. (As usually, there’s always one that I want to take home with me, Jonny was the one that I wanted to bring home from this event! I can only hope to run into him again!) The kids made fun of my accent, and we bonded over our strange words. The amazing thing was that after football, they came for the meal that evening and all the kids that I had spent my day with received prayer. What joy to be able to begin to tell these kids a piece of their DNA (How Jesus created them). The Lord lavished truth upon these angry kids and we began to see them soften. Almost all the young boys who had come for the evening (about twenty of them) received prayer. They all left with little pieces of paper and a whole lot more joy. It was such an incredible day. The Lord was good to show up and touch lives. Most of the kids were new and we hope to see them all at Sanctuary (the church created for Sand’s End youth) next week. To those intercessors reading this, I would ask that you prayer for my new friends! They can each use a touch from God.

The Lord is teaching me so much about the power of yes and the power of simply blessing people. I never knew that binding books for a Living Free Class could be fun, but when a good friend is sick and you get to help her out for the day, it brings joy. It’s fun to ask questions and see people light up as you begin taking interest in them. I have learned a lot this week about my own self-preoccupation and how much I really think about myself. I just want to have my eyes on Christ. I am so excited for this next week. The Lord keeps teaching me more and more! It’s such a joy. My goal for this week is to find an intercession group to join and to meet up with some kids outside of youth times.

Here’s some personal, yet random facts about my time so far: Having no internet access is hard, but I am learning that my addiction to the internet is probably not healthy. I have been learning to find other ways to amuse myself. Having no car has made me become much more dependent upon the grace of others. The Lord always seems to provide a ride late at night without me even having to ask. What a blessings. It’s also amazing how much you can do in London without a vehicle. Having no cell phone has also been a little difficult, but I am managing and believing that the Lord will take care of each call that needs to be made and provide me with ways to make each one. So, things are definitely different. Sometimes it’s a bit lonely, but I am learning more about how much the Lord’s presence is real and how I am never alone. He meets me daily. Christy is also a huge blessing. What a joy to have a friend and fellow adventurer! I pray you are all well! I miss you like crazy! Lots of Love from London!

Greetings from London

Well, things are going great and I absolutely love it here. My access to the Internet has been very minimal and so I am at Christy Chase's new home in London using her Internet. I have actually created two different postings for my blog but have been unable to post them until today So, both of these posting are a little old. One is from my very first morning in London and the other is from a couple of days ago ! I hope you enjoy them. I will be posting more in the days to come. Lots of love to you all!!

Oh, The Airport at Last!

Yesterday, as I sat in the airport, I was struck by how people react to travel in such different ways. The airport is meant to be a place where people should be overflowing with excitement. It’s a place where you take off to new adventures around the world. It’s a place which holds so many secrets of lands not yet conquered. Yet, as I looked around, there was so little joy on the faces of the travelers. You could see the dread of a trip that the person didn’t want to take. You could see the fear of flying. An airport is a place where people come face to face with their own immortality. I was struck with how much these people need Jesus. With Jesus, I had peace in my travels. I did not fear the death and the adventure felt so real. In my case, I felt like I sat there and had to come face to face with the reality of the choice I made. The reality of what the next six months is going to look like. What will London hold this time? Well, it be different from all my other trips? How will the Lord meet me in a new way? What am I doing for the next six months? Sitting in the airport, I felt the reality of two "Tiffany’s" come crashing together. There is the wild, adventurer who simply wants to be obedient to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then there is the practical Tiffany. This one was the one who seemed to be rearing its ugly head as I sat in the airport. I could hear the screams of this Tiffany: “What have I gotten myself into?!?” This is the Tiffany with the practical unanswered question – What am I going to do so that I am not bored during the course of the next six months? What am I going to do in order to prevent my bank account from taking a very violent plunge into the world of little to no money? Or, on a personal note, what I am going to do without all of my friends and family. Saying good-bye was so hard. If only I could take those that I love most with me on the plane. Still, as these two Tiffany’s faught it out in my head, I could feel the peace of the Lord begin to reside in my heart.

As peace began to fall, I realized that it’s times like these, that I know I meant for the radical things of life. To the world, it feels like it would make sense to be afraid, yet in that place I came to the realization that the bottom line is I want to obey my king. In my obedience is where great peace is found. Sitting there I was reminded of those radical people of faith: Heidi Baker, Amy Carmichael, David Wilkerson, Reese Howell, or John Wesley who have spoken so directly to my heart. These are the people that I desire to be like. As I sat in that airport dreaming of the future, I could feel my heart come alive. Once getting over saying good-bye to my mom, which was quite hard since we have never been apart for this long or been this far away from each other, the peace of the Lord felt so real.

Sitting in a room in London this morning proves to be slightly more daunting. My family and friends are so far away. It feels like leaving for college all over again, but the reality is college was only two and half hours away from home. If I needed my Mommy, she was right there. Yet, again, I know this is where I am meant to be. I know that God will show up daily. I know that my new “family” will make me feel like I am at home. It’s amazing to be loved even when you are not yet really known. The heart of Christ is so powerful. When we have Christ, we have an ability to love like no other. It’s a radical love that lacks judgment and simply says that even though I don’t know you, we share a common bond in Christ, therefore I love you for who you are. I am excited to spend the next six months diving more into this part of the heart of Christ. Intimacy is knocking on my door. I am so excited to throw the door open and embrace the Lord in a new level. Will the next six months be easy? Realistically, no, there will be hard times. I know that. Will my God be faithful? Yes! Therefore, the treasures that await the next six months are irreplaceable. So, my plane has landed, I am here safely, now it’s time to move into what the Lord has asked. I am excited to live each day in complete obedience to my King. There are so many new exciting things ahead for me. I CANNOT WAIT!

Living in London

Well, I have officially been in London for one week!! It is like returning home. It has been so incredible to be welcomed with open arms back to the city that I love. There have been so many smiling faces. It’s been nice to be reunited with old friends, and I am excited to build deeper relationships with them. I have received my “schedule” from Andrew, the youth pastor, and he has me pretty busy. I am helping out at the church two days a week with different kinds of administration work. The rest of my life will be centering around youth. I am so very excited. I even get to go on a mission’s trip with the kids. I have had the opportunity to meet the Christ Church youth. They are so incredible. They remind me so much of the wonderful youth at Newsong. They’re so welcoming! I have also gone to one meeting with some girls from the Sands End area who are much like our very own Hilltop kids. They were wonderful, but slightly difficult to understand. Between slang and a thick accent, I might have my work cut out for me with this group of young people. I am so excited for the challenge. The youth are lovely, but do enjoy giving me a hard time about my accent and all the “strange” words that I use. I personally think that they are the ones who use the strange words. As for their accents, I think that they are absolutely “Brilliant”.

As for English Hospitality, it is amazing! I absolutely love the family that I am staying with. The couple is quite lovely and very giving. It has been a joy to get to know them. I particularly have loved my conversations with Bryony. She is wonderful. My favorite member of the family is their three year old little girl. She is a curly haired, red headed, little girl. She is a bundle of energy. She loves to “have a cuddle” and also play. Her favorite color is pink, making us instant friends. The pink teddy I brought from Tacoma was a great success and has been appropriately named “Pinky”. If the family wasn’t wonderful enough, a little gift from the Lord has been their two kitties. They are great lap cats and they always seem to climb into my lap whenever I might be feeling a bit lonely. It’s amazing how they know. Their names are Pip and Marmite! Very British!

As for my adventures, this trip seems to have been a little different than the rest, as I guess should be expected. On past trips, going into the city has been one of the very first things I have done. On this trip, the Lord had me wait a few days and my first trip into the city was not exactly what I was hoping it would be. I had a “plan” and I knew what I was looking for. Unfortunately, my plans were changed. It was a typical London day, wet and cold; a bit like home! I got lost a few times and became very family with my A-Z (a book of maps of London). It was a little frustrating. I wanted to go to my “special” spot, but the rain prevented me from going there. So, I wandered a bit and then went to my meeting that I had with the youth. Not what I was expecting, but the Lord taught me a good lesson about “my” plans verses His plans. The day worked out great. I became very familiar with many important places. It may have been a bit frustrating, but I have now become more familiar with these places that I will be visiting quite regularly. I am now more confident on the tube and, more importantly, a more experienced bus rider!

An awesome gift came the next day when I got to visit my “special” spot and share it with a very good friend. Christy Chase joined me in London on Tuesday! On her first day in the city I got to take her to see Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, as well as the London Eye. We got to walk along the Thames together. I also got to pass on my knowledge of the Tube and be a real tour guide! It was great fun! Poor Christy was a little jetlagged and was tired by the end. Still, what a joy to share these places with her and explain why they are so special. My favorite moment was walking along the Thames and just explaining to Christy about why it was a special place and how the Lord has spoken to me there so many different times. It was so much fun to pass my passion on to my good friend. It was great to see her light up and become camera happy! I feel like I got a small glimpse into how the Lord feels when he gets to share new secrets with us. He finds such joy in taking us to new places, explaining why they are special and then watching us enjoy these places as much as He does! What fun!

The Lord is teaching me so much. I am learning about relying fully on him and being sure that “my” plan for the day is actually His plan for my day and seeking him out and waiting for a reply. The Lord so wants to speak to His children. He has so many adventures planned just for me. I cannot wait for the next one to unfold! Ready or Not, Here they come!

Getting Ready to Leave

The count down has begun. In six very short days my feet will be setting foot upon British soil. I just can't believe it! This has been such a busy time, yet also very exciting. It's so hard to make sure that everything that needs to be taken care of has been taken care of. Packing can be challenging. It's hard to decide: What do I take, What do I pack up in boxes, and what simply needs to disappear from my life? Thankfully, I am finally approaching the end of this process. The other hard part is saying good-bye to close friends and family. One of my best friends just left for Ireland for six months, making this process seem even more real. It was so strange to watch her say good-bye to everyone and think that, in a few short days, I would be doing the exact same thing. Still, it's not really good-bye, it's more like "I'll see ya later!" All this to say, I am so excited to be leaving and I cannot wait for this adventure to finally begin. Please stay in touch. I'll be posting all my cool adventures in the months come. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. London, HERE I COME!