To Be Known

Have you ever thought about what it really means to be known by someone and what a privilege that really is? During the evenings when I was in Haiti, we would often sit around at the guest house and talk about the day or the kids, or whatever was on our minds. One particular evening early on in our trip the physical therapist who was there pointed out to us that the kids at the orphanage don't even know what it is like to be known. She said things like, "No one knows that Bruce eats his food quickly because he doesn't know if his next meal is guaranteed. No one knows that Tamara hates the color pink but she wears it nearly every day because that's what she is given. No one knows that Ferlando wakes up at night because he has nightmares. No one knows that Rose Mirtha is reminded of her dad every time she hears a vehicle and wonders if he is ever coming back. No one knows that Jonathan loves peanut butter." Those are only examples, but just think about how many people are in your life who know many simple things about you. Who know what ticks you off and what brings you even a little bit of joy...maybe your spouse, kids, parents, siblings, friends.

But for these kids, daily life is routine and they are just one of many. The live in the same house, share the same toys, sit at the same table, listen to the same nannies...every day. It is so important for kids to have the love and attention they need and for them to know that someone cares deeply about them. But these kids don't get much of that. After reflecting on this, there were several times at the orphanage when I took it upon myself to spend intentional one-on-one time with certain kids who we had been told were particularly in need of special attention. I did my best during that time to make those little girls feel like I was an advocate of sorts for them. I wanted them to know that they are cared for, loved, and important. They are so much more than just one of many. I tried not to let other kids invade our space together during that time, but instead give my full attention to her. I don't know how much difference 1 or 2 hours will make in those girls' lives, but doing that is part of the beauty of going to orphanages, even if it's only for 5 days. The practical things are very important and will last much longer than us being there did. But if those children can get time one-on-one and not be one of many at least for a little while (hopefully by others who visit them too), then I hope that begins to instill in them a sense of importance, love and individuality. I hope that through that in their little hearts they see Jesus and they begin to understand that Jesus loves them and wants to know them and spend time with them.

There was one little girl that was there who I particularly wanted to spend time with. She arrived at the orphanage on the same day we got there, just before we visited the orphanage for the first time. Her name is Pongie. (Just as an example of how little known some of these kids are, we are still unsure if her name starts with a "B" or a "P". Even the staff at the orphanage hadn't figured it out before we left.) Her mom dropped her off that day because she realized that Pongie has a better chance of survival at an orphanage than with her family. I can't imagine what it must have been like for Pongie to be dropped off by her mom, expecting her to return and yet each day that goes by, she still hasn't seen her. (I can't post it because one of the kids in the picture is going through the adoption process, but I have a picture of kids enjoying playing with bubbles on the porch and Pongie is there in the background, standing on the wall and looking out towards the entrance of the orphanage as if she is watching for her parents.) It's not like it was easy for her mom by any stretch of the imagination! She called every morning at 7 to find out how Pongie was doing. I can't imagine what that must have done to a mother's heart. I don't know statistics on this, but it seems that a parent giving up a child for his or her own good is a common occurrence and it's not the first time I've witnessed it. (Check out my blog "Beautiful Things" about an organization that works with families to prevent this.)

On the first day Pongie held back a lot and didn't feel much of a need to engage with anyone. She also wouldn't eat. On the second or third day, I was sitting with her just before lunch. When it was her turn to wash her hands, she did, but once she was directed toward the kitchen to sit down and eat, she refused and ran away. I went and picked her up and stood in the kitchen with her for awhile as I waited for a nanny to be available. But the nannies were busy with other kids as they finished one by one, received their drinks of water, and got their little hands washed. So I stood there in the corner and waited with Pongie. While we waited, she fell asleep in my arms. I cherished that time of waiting with her. She still didn't want to go when the nanny took her, but she needed to eat. I tried to spend a little bit of time with her each day after that. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for her to experience becoming an orphan in those few days. 

One afternoon during nap time she was having trouble staying in one spot and going to sleep. So I laid down with her on my tummy and eventually she fell asleep. Tears came to my eyes when she woke up in the middle of her nap in a state of delirium and panic crying for her mama. I pressed her head to my chest and held her tight and she soon fell asleep again. But how often in the coming years will she have someone to comfort her when she wakes up in a panic? It pains my heart to think of these things. Yet this is the daily reality of orphans. Even at a good orphanage.

I used to occasionally wonder why I go on expensive trips for a week and spend most of my time playing with kids who may not remember that I was there. Don't get me wrong, being with those little kiddos is my favorite part of these trips. But I've always wanted to make sure I am doing something of lasting value while I am there. But now I know. Now I know that I can go and be the arms of Jesus as I hold these kids. I can love them and have patience with them as He would. I can play with them, tickle them, kiss them and help them enjoy life as He would. I can begin to help them understand that Someone cares about them, Someone much greater than I. And it's because of that Someone that I am there.

Please pray for orphans around the world.

Beautiful things

In my previous post I talked about my trip to Haiti and important things that I learned through that. I would love it if you read that post first if you haven't yet! At the end of that post I mentioned several things that you can do to help give orphans in Haiti hope. There was one thing I didn't mention because I wanted to spend a little more time describing it. When we were at the guest house we stayed at, one of the sons had a boutique set up with all sorts of jewelry, bags, journals, etc. from an organization called Apparent Project.

The organization began when a family went to Haiti to bring home the child they had adopted. In being there, they recognized the great poverty that was a life or death problem for many families. I mentioned in my last post that some families choose to take their son or daughter to an orphanage because the reality is that their child has a better chance of survival at the orphanage than in the care of the poverty-stricken parents or family members. Some families have so little food that they take mud off the streets and make them into cookies to eat. Can you imagine living that way? My guess is that none of us can.

So this American family decided to do something about it. They started this non profit to create jobs for the families. They took cardboard trash off the streets and the mud they could be eating and made them into beads to make and sell jewelry to sustain their families. This opportunity makes it so that parents don't feel like they have to give up their child to an orphanage but they can thrive with the wholesome work they are doing with their own hands. That is quite a remarkable image, is it not?

When I was in Haiti, I bought a few things for Christmas presents, but I wish I had brought more money with me! Not only do my purchases help Haitian families, but they are beautiful products. It was so hard to decide what to buy! I strongly encourage you to check out their website. They have a lot of options on how you can be a part of what they're doing. One of those ways is to host a jewelry party in your home. You can even purchase these beautiful things and much more online!

Before you close out my blog, please check out this video. I found it on the website and it is so great at showing what they do. I recommend that you watch it through to the end because it will show some of the stories of the Haitians who work there and how greatly it has benefited them and their families.

At the End of the Day

Now that I got that last post out, I'll let you in on a little bit about my most recent travels! This past week I went to Haiti for the second time (first time was October 2011). I went again with All God's Children International which is an organization based out of Portland that specializes in adoption in countries all over the world. They also take teams to do short term mission trips to the orphanages that they assist with adoption so that those kids can be well cared for before they are placed with their forever family. I got home only late last night from this trip. I can say with confidence that out of the 3 international mission trips I've been on (the very first one being to Ethiopia in 2008), this one was my favorite, but I haven't quite been able to put my finger on why that is.

On this particular trip we went to a different orphanage than the first trip. This time we were up in the mountains in a town called Petionville, about an  hour out of Port-au-Prince. The orphanage is called Rivers of Hope and is run by Rachel, a native Haitian woman who has a strong personality and a strong heart, and cares deeply for each child. There are two homes: one is for ages 0-3 and the other is for ages 4-7. We spent most of our time at the younger one, though we did attend a birthday party at the older one and the rest of the team spent an afternoon doing crafts with kids there (I was sick!).

We split our time well between practical projects that needed doing and caring for and loving on the kids. One of our main projects to begin with was to create a play area for the kids in their space outdoors. We didn't quite see that one completed, but there was a lot of backbreaking labor and at least one broken shovel that went into digging a trench for the cinder blocks to make a closed in area.













One project was to build a changing table that provided more space for diaper changes.

 

Another project was building a play table for the kids which was immediately being used and crayon-scarred.

The guys also built a half-wall and a gate to separate the babies room from the toddlers room so they didn't have to use a couch anymore.

Our new friend Jerry from Arkansas built some shelves in several closets throughout the home to allow better storage space. Greg, Paul, Katie and I all worked on organizing different parts of the storage room to cut down on time spent looking for specific toys or clothing. 

Our time spent with the kids included a few activities but we mostly spent time just being with them. We blew bubbles which brought plenty of laughter, joy and the occasional ear-piercing scream as they ran around with their hands in the air trying to catch the nearest bubble. It was extremely enjoyable to watch.

We also did some coloring with them and that was fun too. Other than that we held them for long periods of time, tickled them, rolled around on the floor with them, fed them, and I even fell asleep at nap time with one little girl! One thing that was interesting was that  there was a physical therapist from the midwest who has been working with these kids for quite some time now and on the first night she told us a lot about how important it is for these kids to have physical touch. All day every day for them is spent in an orphanage where they have 4-5 caretakers who also have the responsibility of making their meals, constantly changing diapers, hand washing laundry, etc. After all this, as you can imagine, very little time is left for one-on-one contact that every child needs. So part of what we did there was give them just that. Even when there were 3 or 4 kids piled on one lap at a time, it was still significant for them to have a sitting lap to pile onto at all.

One remarkable thing about this trip in particular is that there was a couple who came to stay at the guest house with us as they were picking up their son to finally take him home to the states. I thought that was so beautiful to watch. These parents who adopt their kids from certain countries often have to wait 2-3 years before they can finally welcome their son or daughter into their own home and be together as a family. So to have the privilege of living in the same house for a few days as this family who just now gets to spend 24/7 with their own son is immense. In John 9, Jesus responds this way to his disciples who asked him about who sinned for the man to be born blind: "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." Also in John 11, Jesus says a similar thing after he waited days after Lazarus' death to show up. Even in the wait, the death, the blindness and the pain, it was so that, SO THAT God would be glorified. Even though these parents and their daughters waited years to welcome a son and brother whom they had known and visited into their home, God is being glorified in that story because an orphan is no longer such. He has a family in which he will get more than just one-on-one attention. He has a home where he will grow up knowing about Jesus. And better yet, there are four other boys in the same church and school as him in the states who were adopted from the same orphanage in Haiti. Is that beautiful or what? And then in that context, we read this: "The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by Him we cry 'Abba, Father.'" (Romans 8:15)

During my time in Haiti I enjoyed many things. I had a great time with the team having meaningful conversations, great mouse hunts, laughing really hard, and serving alongside each other. I love the sweet little kiddos and the laughter and joy they bring. I enjoy feeling useful and getting things done that are helpful long term. I admired the beauty of the country itself and the intricate artwork the Haitians create. I even loved the crazy ride to church in the bed of a truck with 15 other people going down one side of the hill into a valley and up the other side. It was all great. But at the end of the day when I come home, those kids are still living their day to day life. They are excited to go to the doctor or hospital because that's the only time they leave the orphanage. Several of their parents' have brought them to the orphanage because they know they have a better chance of survival there.

So what hope is there then? I know this: God is good and He has commanded us to care for the orphans (James 1:27). Maybe you can't adopt (or maybe you can!), but there are still ways. One way is to sponsor a child. What a sponsorship does is provide money so that the child can be better cared for. Ideally, if each child is sponsored, the orphanage can hire more nannies, keep up the home much better, pay for food, doctor bills, etc. Click here for more information and kids you can sponsor. Some of us live paycheck to paycheck, but some of them live meal to meal. You can also pray. Remember to lift up these kids and this nation up to God. Or you can go and do similar things that I did.

Now that I'm at the end of this post, I think I might have recognized why I liked this trip better than the other two. I think on the other two I went with a mindset more focused on what I can give. That's not necessarily a bad thing. But I do think I was more focused on what I can learn this time. And I think God has blessed me through that. I have learned so much and taken so much to heart in the past week. Now I have a responsibility to do something with that.

Just A Drink Station

It appears I haven't written in awhile. I think it's because I couldn't quite bring myself to because it reminded me too much of Capernwray and those wonderful adventures and I got too lost in my sentimental tendencies to write anything. It has now been four months since I've arrived home. It has been a good, long, fun summer and beginning of fall and I have enjoyed it so much.

But there are moments and sometimes days when going back to Capernwray as a whole--the people, the place, the teaching, the traveling--sounds extremely appealing to me. At moments the deep longing to return to that time and place coupled with the knowledge that I never will is just a little less than overwhelming.

I've learned in the past few months as I've pondered this and discussed it with various people that one of the things I miss most about Capernwray is the simplicity of life there. It's located out in the countryside of England where there's not much to do, I saw the same people every day, had the same schedule every week, the internet connection was awful...it was fantastic.

Life was simple.

It was a time in my life when I most got into the Word of God and just spent time with Jesus. And it was consistent. I do think being surrounded by Christians, hearing lectures daily, doing assignments having to do with my own relationship with God, and going to church twice on Sundays had something to do with that. But I think it was also the simpleness of life that enabled me to have that consistency with Christ. In that I was so blessed and amazed at how much better I heard when I had time to listen! Funny how that works.

Coming home has been a struggle to keep that up. Slowly over the past few months as the busyness has set in again, I have been getting back into the habit of spending that much needed time with Jesus. I think there was part of me that was a little bit bitter that Capernwray was over for me. I said a few times when I got home that it was like I gained so much and then it was ripped away from me. That seems to silly and juvenile, doesn't it? Don't we often think silly and juvenile things when we get stubborn? But I have learned that I have been given much. So, so much more than I can begin to recognise. So much that there are things I've never even thought of thanking Him for!

And yes, it's not the same and it never will be. But I cannot continue to wish for things to be the same as they once were. If I do that, it is like I am a lump of clay which has hardened itself before it is finished, refusing to let the Potter turn it into something glorious! I must move forward with the things I've learned, the friends I've gained, the experiences that have sharpened me and make the most of it for God's glory.

One of the students encouraged us all just before the end of Spring school. He said that life is a race and Capernwray is a drink station. You can stop in the middle of the race at the drink station for rest, refreshment, and refueling. BUT if you stay at the drink station too long, you will miss out on the rest of the race and the potential that you have to run the race.

So that is what I have done. I've stopped at the drink station. I cannot loiter around on the outskirts of it, but I must take the things I've gained and allow those to help me thrive, keep moving forward, harder and stronger in the race than I was before I ever stopped at the drink station.

And by golly, with God's help, that's what I'll do!

The Good Shepherd: A Lesson from Sheep

Since I have been living in England for the past nine months, I find it only fitting that I write a blog involving sheep. Yes, sheep. They are everywhere here. The fields are spotted with stinky, ugly, dirty, white balls of fluff all year round. And since it is spring, there are now also small, cute balls of fluff frolicking around. Not only are there sheep all over the fields of England, but they are splattered throughout the Bible. Whenever I read about them in the Bible before, I would easily brush over it as I thought of the serene pictures of Jesus holding a staff in a field with sheep all around and the sun shining peacefully on everything. I never thought that coming to Capernwray would help me understand Jesus as a Shepherd better. And yet my perspective has been altered completely.

One of our first Sundays here in October, Ian, the Dean of Students preached on a Sunday morning with a focus on Psalm 23. Having memorised Psalm 23 when I was a kid, it’s often easy for me to overlook that passage, thinking that I know it well. But I was wrong. Ian talked about how he can recognise each sheep on his farm individually (which to me seems impossible). He told us how the shepherd places the sheep in certain fields at certain times so that the grass may grow greener: for the sheep’s own benefit, unbeknownst to the sheep themselves. He spoke of how the best water for sheep to be near was still water so that they would not be pulled in and drown because once their wool is covered with water, it becomes so heavy that they can’t get out. As Ian spoke of growing up on a sheep farm and describing the truth and reality of each aspect of Psalm 23, I began to understand more and more of the gentleness of Jesus and the reason for these particular images that the Psalmist uses.

That Sunday morning was not the only time that my mind was enlightened to the deeper meaning of the image of Jesus as the Shepherd. Sheep are incredibly stupid. Occasionally one will see a sheep running around the field stuck in a plastic chair, or unable to figure out how to get back into the field that they are supposed to be in. Their bleating rings out throughout the days and evenings: bleats of panic, calls for help and desperation. (We make fun of them and imitate them almost daily, which probably makes us stupid as well.) Another characteristic that we have quickly learned about the sheep is that they live their lives in fear, untrusting of all who pass by. As we walk around what we call the “loop”, we pass sheep in the fields and they will run in all directions, anywhere to get away from us. Once one starts running, they all run. But there is one person they recognise, one they run towards. When he is around, the tone of their bleating changes. I have learned to identify it when I hear it, but I can’t quite describe it. It is something like relief mixed with desperation to be near him. As you’ve probably guessed, this man is the resident Capernwray shepherd. The sheep run to him because they know him. They recognise his gentle voice. Daft as they are, they know one thing: they can trust him to care for them, unlike others who come near them.

All of these things have woken in me a deeper understanding of the context when the example of sheep and shepherd are used by Jesus in his teaching and interactions and by authors of the Bible. I can see physically what it means for the sheep to recognise the Shepherd’s voice as John 10:27 says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” I desire to be able to hear the voice of Jesus and know it immediately, recognise it, run to it and be comforted by it as well as these sheep do. I know that I am not very smart, super spiritual, or always faithful. Isaiah 53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way...” But what Peter says in 1 Peter 2:25 reflects better my current state: “For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” The only reason I can come to Him is because of his role as Shepherd in my life. Ian admitted that he doesn’t view the sheep as so important that he would actually lay down his life for one, but Jesus does. In John 10:14-15 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” Wow! I love the addition of “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father”. What an incredible deep and intimate relationship that I have entered into if Jesus Himself compared it to the relationship between the Father and the Son! This is the relationship that I have with Him. I need to know the sound of His voice. I know that in order to do that, I need to spend time with Him reading His Word. I need to be in His presence. I need to not just talk to Him, but listen for His voice so that I can recognise it regularly. He is already in me and I in Him, but I need to not hold back any part of myself from Him. I have reason to rejoice because my Shepherd cares for me and He knows me. “Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.”

Without my Shepherd, I am a simple, daft sheep who lives in fear. But when I trust in the Good Shepherd, I can rest in Him and His goodness. I can follow Him and recognise His voice. I have learned much about these things while at Capernwray through teaching and observing. Who knew God could even use sheep to speak?

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

He leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

                                                           Psalm 23

Sketchy (but exciting) Travel Stories OR Italy, London and Spring school!

Unfortunately, it’s been quite some time since I’ve written. I will do my best to get you briefly up to date on what has been happening in my life in the past couple of months. The last time I wrote, I told you about my trip to Paris. After leaving Paris, I came back to Capernwray for 4 days to work on staff here. I really enjoyed that time as I worked in the Dining Hall preparing the tables for the guests and serving them during the meals. That time here was also valuable to me because I built up some really great friendships with some guys who have become really good friends of mine. My friend Amelia and I left for Italy after being back at Capes for a few days.

We arrived at the airport in Venice and met our friends Tad and Cindy who we stayed with for a week at the hospitality house that is their ministry to the local military base in Vicenza. My friend Peggy also joined us there the next day. We ended up spending a lot of time with one of the guys in the Army, called Ryan. We did an assortment of things during our time there such as go to church on the base, go out to dinner with church friends, bake cookies, play Ticket to Ride: Europe version, help clean the Aldrich’s flooded basement, and snack on Nutella fondue while watching a chick flick! Our day trips while we were staying with them included Vicenza, Venice, Basson del Grappa and Verona. We managed to have gelato every day we were in Italy...and felt quite accomplished at that. This may be a bit clichéd, but I think of all the places I’ve been to, Venice may very well be my favourite. I can’t quite put my finger on what I like about it so much, but I think it might simply be because it has so much character and color. I can’t say I’ve been anywhere else where I didn’t see any cars in the city because they only walk or use boats.

Venice

Amelia and I enjoying the sun in Venice

Venice

Cindy, Tad, Peggy, Amelia and me in front of the Hospitality House

After staying with them for the week, we made our way to Rome to stay in a “Bed and Breakfast”. We were sad to leave our friends Tad, Cindy and Ryan, but excited to experience Rome. Our journey to get there is quite the story so bear with me as I relay names of places and events. (Disclaimer to my Mother: I deeply apologise for not telling you this yet, but as you know I made it safely back to school and aside from this weekend, I will not be travelling again until I go home.)

The following is the record of my life on 14 April 2013: We woke up and finished our last bits of packing before we enjoyed breakfast with Tad and Cindy. Around 10, we left for the Lerino train station, giving us two and a half hours to get to Vicenza to catch our 12:25 train to Rome. We said our goodbyes and went to the ticket booth to look up and buy tickets for the next train to Vicenza. We assumed that since it was only a couple stations away and it was the most popular direction to travel in, we wouldn’t have an issue getting a train there. We were wrong. The first train there arrived in Vicenza at the same minute that we were supposed to be on our way to Rome. So we panicked slightly, knowing we really didn’t have many options from there. I had Tad and Cindy’s cell phone number so our first response was to try to find a phone. There were a total of 3 people at the train station. Two women and a young boy were standing together and we approached them and asked if they spoke English. Unfortunately they didn’t, but we still tried to ask if they had a phone we could borrow. They didn’t. So toting around two carry-on rolling bags and one very large backpacking backpack, we turned away from the train station and turned left down the road. We knocked on the first house we came to without any luck. Since it didn’t look like there were many people home in the few surrounding houses anyway, and it was a Sunday morning, we looked for more people on the streets. (Oh, and all the businesses were closed.) We walked in the other direction going out to the right from the train station. As we walked, we saw a guy getting out of his car and crossing the street toward us. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt and smoking a cigarette. He looked as if he was about 20, but the dark circles under his eyes aged him a bit and showed evidence of possible drug use. As he walked toward us, I asked him if he spoke English. He told me he speaks a little bit, but his girlfriend speaks more. I promptly asked him if he had a cell phone we could borrow. A bit hesitant, he pulled one out of his pocket. I eagerly took it and began dialling the cell phone number I had for Tad and Cindy, hoping they weren’t in church yet. I called three times with no answer. As I was trying to call, Peggy and Amelia were asking the guy if he knew the number for a taxi. He informed them that the taxis don’t normally go that far out. We were at a loss for what to do when he offered to give us a ride to the Vicenza train station. We glanced around at each other and accepted. As he went in his apartment to change, our nervous conversation mostly consisted of “Are we really doing this?” and a confirmation between us since we had no other options. He came out smelling strongly of Axe and led us to his small car, which we barely crammed all our stuff into. Amelia and I sat in the back seat passing her iPod back and forth writing notes to each other about stranger danger. Since he spoke very little English we couldn’t really make conversation, but he cranked up his gypsy music so it didn’t matter too much anyway. The whole way there, our eyes desperately scanned road signs for “Vicenza”, none of which we saw. We rejoiced inside and breathed sighs of relief when we recognised the train station. We made it! All we know about the guy is that he was Romanian and has a girlfriend. We realised 2 or 3 hours later that we never even asked his name.

So we made it safely to the Vicenza train station...thank goodness. We walked in and began to check out what platform we would be leaving from. We weren’t too concerned because we had a good hour and fifteen minutes or so before our train left. As we were standing there trying to decide what to do, I looked down at the ticket in my hand and suddenly realised that our train bound for Rome was leaving from VENICE, not Vicenza! I exclaimed this to my friends and ran over to the automatic ticket booth and began searching frantically for a ticket to Venice, which took an hour and a half when we had gone a few days before. Amazingly, we found a fast train that only took 45 minutes and arrived in Venice just 10 minutes before our train to Rome left. It only cost us 16 euros each! We quickly bought the tickets and ran to catch the train. From there it was mostly smooth sailing (er...training). We arrived in Venice and I had to yell at Amelia in the train station to keep her from poking her head into Venice one last time before we missed our train. There was a moment on the train when we thought it wasn’t going Rome. When we arrived in Rome, in took us about 10 minutes before we saw anything that said Roma to reassure us that we were indeed in Rome. From the train station, we set off to find our Bed and Breakfast. Boy, were we ready for that! We walked for about an hour and a half to a sketchy neighbourhood where our bed and breakfast was supposed to be. When we got to the address, it was a graffitied garage door. Like many other places in Europe, the same address could be found elsewhere in the neighbourhood so we found our place on the next street. But we got there and found that it was not a bed and breakfast, but a hostel where we got our own room. It really wasn’t all that bad, but it was definitely a downgrade from what we were expecting.

After we unloaded and left our passports on the front desk with the guy for about an hour, we set out to find some food. We wandered through a local gypsy market in our sketchy neighbourhood and found a family-owned pizza place. The pizza there was amazing and we ate there every night we were there, despite the sketchy neighbourhood it was in. We grew to adore the people there and built up rapport with them to the point that on the third night they greeted us warmly. After we got pizza, we found gelato to get our daily dose. I had pear and chocolate...probably my favourite combination.

That basically concludes that crazy day. During the rest of our time in Rome, we saw the Roman Colosseum and the Forum and surrounding remains. That was amazing and beautiful. I loved wandering through buildings and pathways that date back thousands of years. We also spent some time at St. Peter’s Basilica, a church on the location where Peter is said to have been martyred. Amelia and I climbed 551 steps to the top to look out over the city. We then found our way to Vatican City where our main priority was to see the Sistine Chapel. I didn’t know much about it before or why it was so famous, but I was so in awe. That Chapel is absolutely gorgeous. It was definitely one of the main highlights of all my travels. Amelia and I spent probably about 45 minutes in there getting violently shushed and staring at the ceiling figuring out what stories the paintings were and what the symbolism meant. We also made it to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps while we were there. Other than the sketchy neighbourhood and bus rides, I quite enjoyed my time there.

Peggy and I in front of the Roman Colosseum!

Ancient Roman ruins

Amelia and I :)

The view from the top of St. Peter's

St. Peter's...all the chairs were still set up from when the pope was there

I couldn't take pictures in the Sistine Chapel, but this was right before we went in!

The Trevi Fountain

The Spanish steps (Amelia and I)

When we arrived in London at our hostel on the 17^th of April, who was there to surprise us but our dear friends, Jacob and Grant, whom I mentioned at the beginning. When we walked into our hostel, we found them just sitting there waiting for us. It was so surreal I almost didn’t believe it. It was like the surprise birthday party I never had...and it wasn’t even my birthday! After we freaked out, checked in and got settled, we started wandering about the town in Piccadilly Circus. We went to M&M world, Thai food, grocery shopping, and spent hours browsing in book shops.

The next day we saw the Tower bridge, London bridge (we played London bridge on it), Millennium bridge, and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre along the Thames River. From there we made our way to Big Ben and ate lunch in the park. It was decently sunny out and we enjoyed taking a lot of creative pictures with Big Ben. We made our way to Westminster Abbey in enough time to take a few pictures and then run for cover as a major thunder and rain storm began to surround us. We took cover in Westminster for a few minutes before running to the metro station. We wandered through the British Museum for awhile and I saw the Rosetta Stone. That evening was another highlight of my travels: seeing Les Miserables on Broadway in London in the Queen’s Theatre. It was absolutely incredible. I can’t really describe it any more than that only to say that I’m glad that was my first impression of Les Miserables, and not the movie or anything else. What better place or show to see as my first Broadway show than that?

Grant, Jacob, Peggy, Amelia and I in front of the Tower Bridge

Reaching for the sky with Big Ben

Taking cover from the torrential downpour in the Westminster metro station

Amelia and I about to see the show

The inside of Queen's Theatre

After the amazing show

 Our last full day of travelling we went to the most awkward tourist attraction ever, that is, Abbey Road. I mean, how frustrated would you get if you were just driving through your neighbourhood and there were some crazed Beatles fans trying to take pictures on a crosswalk? We also made it to the Sherlock Holmes museum, Whittard’s Tea, Platform 9 3/4 and Harrod’s Department store. In the evening, we decided to go out and catch the metro to wherever we felt like going and jump off whenever we wanted and run to get on another line. Unbeknownst to us, the metro closed at 1am so we got stuck on the other side of town after we went to see the Tower Bridge lit up. We had no money and no idea how to get back. Eventually we waited for a night bus and the guy let us on for free and took us near where we needed to be. Yet another moment in our travels when God was looking after us.

Abbey Road

Sherlock Holmes Museum

Platform 9 3/4

The Tower Bridge at night

On the morning of the 20^th, we went to check out Buckingham Palace and then made our way to Victoria Coach station to get on the Capernwray coach back home. We were reunited with many friends, but there were also so many new faces. Spring school has been in session for four weeks now and is halfway over. It’s honestly a little bit hard to be motivated to get to know new people when I know I will only be around them for a total of 8 weeks. But that’s ok because while I have met some new people, I have been able to build up previous friendships even more. Also I feel as if I have spent less time socialising, and have been able to use that time to spend with Jesus. I have been loving the lectures and learning more about God’s character and the history of His people. I really look forward to putting to action the things I’ve learned when I get home...and to organise and review my notes! One of our lecturers once said “Capernwray will be nothing to you unless Christ is your experience.” I have held onto that ever since then and I think the greatest thing I have learned is to walk with Christ. 

Easter weekend in Paris

You know how they say you learn something new every day? Well, I think in these past few days, Karina and I have learned enough new things to last us at least a month. It's kind of been the theme of our Paris adventure. Not intentionally, that's just how it all worked out.

We arrived in Paris on Saturday morning. Upon arriving, we proceeded to try to decide if we should take a taxi to the place we're staying at or if we should try to figure out the metro system with our luggage in tow (even though it's only carry-on). Before I proceed, I think I will explain how we got to be staying where we are (please don't freak out, Mother). I was told about this website that one of the volunteer staff at Capernwray has used before that hooks us travelers with people who offer up their homes. So basically, people will rent out their rooms and allow people to use their facilities while they are staying there. We were a tidbit skeptical of the whole idea, but the girl who told me about it had already used it a couple times and she told me about all of the ways that it is legit. So we checked it out. The first place we requested fell through so the day we got to Dublin we applied for a second one. That one was accepted immediately and we went with it. The people seemed really nice and accommodating and we were relieved that we wouldn't be homeless in Paris.

Anyway, back to the story of when we got here. At the airport we decided to take the metro since it was significantly cheaper. The hostess at our apartment gave us an idea of what metro to take, so we figured we could do it. We did. But stepping out of a metro station is always an interesting feeling because you never really know what kind of neighborhood you're stepping into. We got off at the right stop and found the right street, but little did we know that the apartment building was a ten minute walk away. So, attracting attention to ourselves in a sketchy neighborhood on the outskirts of Paris, we periodically stopped to ask directions from people who didn't speak English. So finally, running on very little sleep and a lot of frustration, we found it! But when we found the building, we had to figure out how to get inside, what floor they were on, etc. It was nice to finally arrive and see that our hosts were actually the people they said they were on the website. They have been very kind and accommodating over the past few days and it has worked out well (and only for $20 a night!). Every time we walked to and from the building since then, we are not carrying luggage and we know where we're going...and we walk fast.

That day we were too exhausted to find our way back into Paris, so we settled into our room and went for a stroll to find a local creperie. We found one and walked past it without even trying the door because it looked empty and closed. But on our way back, we decided to try and and voila! It was open. So we enjoyed some real French crepes. When we got back to the apartment, we made tentative plans for the next couple days and went to bed early.

On Sunday, we got up to go find Hillsong-Paris to go to church for Easter. While we were searching for the building, we met a guy on the street who was also looking for it. It just so happens that he lives in Puyallup and works for YWAM! It was so cool to meet him and chat with him for a bit. After church we met his whole team who was on outreach and had just arrived the day before as well. When we went into church, it only lasted for half an hour and we were so confused about what kind of service it was and why it was so short. It wasn't until we were standing in line for the Eiffel tour a couple hours later that we realised that we missed Daylight savings and we had been an hour late to church! But we didn't mind too much because honestly I think it was cooler to make a connection with that guy than to walk in and out of church without speaking to anyone. After church, we went to the Eiffel Tower where we stood in the wrong line for 45 minutes and then stood in the right one for about an hour and a half. But it was all well worth it to go up the Eiffel Tower and see the city from there. It was a little bit unreal...and AWESOME.

The view of the Seine river from the Eiffel Tower

From there we went to the Champs-Elysees and walked down it to the Arc d'Triomphe. When we left there, we got on the metro and got off a Palais Royal and the Louvre. We walked past the Louvre to the river en route to Notre Dame. We walked over the Lover's Bridge on the Seine river, which is the one that couples put a lock on the bridge with their names on it and throw the keys in the river. We finally found Notre Dame just in time for evening mass. It was so incredibly crowded in there that we really couldn't see much of anything, but it was cool to listen to and we got to look around after the service was over. It was incredible. We stuck around until dark while Karina waited to use this weird self-cleaning street side bathroom. Anyway, after that, we headed back to the apartment as quick as we could.

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

The Louvre

Today we started our day early at the Louvre. We got there when it opened so the lines were not bad at all. It was so cool. That museum is so incredibly huge. We were in there for three hours and I feel like there's so much we didn't see! We did get to see the Mona Lisa, which was crazy in and of itself. What a crowd! We saw so many things, but we really enjoyed the French sculptures and the Italian paintings. The building itself was absolutely breathtaking. We sat down to eat lunch and recover our strength, after which we discovered an entire underground shopping mall inside the museum. We were stunned.

Me and the Mona Lisa!

The crowd in front of the Mona Lisa

Karina and I and the beautiful ceiling

We finally emerged into the bright sunlight and made our way to the metro. We rode to a place that our hosts told us about where there was a flea market. I was sorely disappointed upon arriving. I thought it would be cool vintage Parisian things, but it was just like fair merchandise. Oh well. From there we rode to Belleville road to look for a park from which you can see the skyline of Paris, but we were so tired of walking and we didn't know exactly where it was, so gave up and had mozzarella and tomatoes with wine and bread in a little roadside cafe. After that, we bought a baguette and fruit for breakfast tomorrow and headed home for the evening. We retired rather early, but I have to leave at 4:30 to go to the airport tomorrow morning, and I have had one solid night of sleep since leaving the castle. I fly home (Capernwray) tomorrow for a few days to be on volunteer staff before I continue my travels. I am really looking forward to going back and recouping a bit, reuniting with some friends and get a taste of what it's like to work at Capernwray during their holidays.