Homeward Bound

My lovely outreach "family" in Portland

 Pulling into the train station yesterday afternoon, knowing that within twenty minutes I'd be back on campus with the rest of the DTS, also returning from outreach, I was struck with an intense "bittersweet" feeling. Outreach, part one, is over. Granted, once I was unpacked and dressed in my favorite fuzzy, blue housecoat, I was happy, thrilled even, to see everyone again after nearly two months of being apart. However, these past couple months have been such an amazing experience, that, I admit, I was saddened at the prospect of returning "home". Coventry was amazing! Never have I felt more at home than with the people hosting us all. Weymouth and Portland are possibly the most stunning places I've been to in a very long time, with cliffside-views of the Atlantic Ocean. Both places were beautiful and filled with the most incredible people, young and old.

The Emily's and myself (Stacy behind camera)

The ten of us on this outreach team went from the awkward first steps of outreach to being a full-fledged family towards the end, including pillow fights late at night and constantly "taking the mick out of one another". As with any family. we had our moments of stress and frustrations, but we worked through it all and walked away from this time having grown in our relationships with one another and with God. 
I was deeply challenged throughout outreach to step beyond myself and make myself "uncomfortable" for Christ. One day in particular, I felt like God was saying to me, "Is one person not worth you humbling yourself and looking ridiculous?". Needless to say, I had to take some serious time to mull that one over. But outreach was amazing, and the people we met and grew to love were worth every moment of it! God loves the UK, and so do I!
But I'm glad to be back in my own bed again...

Yes, I AM still alive, and livin' the dream!

Too long have I been away from the delectable taste of my dear Chai, so I make my glorious, if not impromto, return for a short while! So much has happened in the past month or so, that I truly cannot recap all of it in this short segment. I will relay more to you as time goes on, but, in the meantime, I am quite well and lovin' life!

We, as a team, have done everything from putting on a youth conference for 400 young people to teacing Religious Studies courses in schools to litter picking. It's been incredibly busy and, at times, stressful, but every moment thus far has been worth it!

God has been teaching me humility in a whole new way. I've been so used to constantly serving others, which is, essentially, what we are doing here. However, I've always had a hard time when others try to serve me. In one of the locations we were in, the church and school we worked with catered to our every whim. I was so taken aback by the hospitality that was shown to all of us day in and day out. Everywhere else we've been, we have been equally blessed by the people around us. It's been an amazing oppourtunity to be able to serve alongside such wonderful, servant-hearted, godly men and women wherever we've been! My prayers are with each and every one of them!

Currently in Weymouth and Portland enjoying a well-deserved day of rest after a non-stop scheduale for the past month. The sea is freezing, but, my, how I've missed the sound of water!

And on that note, it's time to curl up with a good book and enjoy a nice cuppa tea! Cheerio and TTFN!

*Here's a little shout out to my sister, Jasmine, who graduates from Gr. 12 today, not only with A-Honours, but with a scholarship as well. So incredibly proud of you, Jazzy! Hugs and Kisses to the best sister in the world!*

My Life.

Left to Right: Me, Cody, Mitch, and Jaime.

 Before I trade in "normality" for outreach in two days, I thought I'd give y'all a quick glance as to what my life has been like for the past five months:
Yes, I've been heavily involved in mentoring the students that have come here to do a DTS, as well as maintaining the dorm building we're all staying in. But life is not all work. In fact, I have had so much fun just living alongside the people I'm working with here and being in a community where creativity and individuality are encouraged to flourish in a safe environment.

Ode to Chilliwack: Jaime, Mitch, Cody, and Me.

 Staff and students alike, here, have been, and still are such amazing people. This dorm building is so full of inside jokes, awkward and loud noises, and just genuinely great people! Being away from home and all, it's a lot easier to live here when the people around you make you feel at home; like you're part of something greater, a family. Cheesy, most definitely! But true all the same!

Me and Stacy, my one-on-one for outreach.

Posing in London: Me, Austin, and Stacy

In conclusion to this blog post, I suppose I'll end with saying that I love what I'm doing and who I'm doing it with! Now that outreach is dauntingly near, it's nice to reflect and remember the times I've had thus far. We'll all be coming back together in about two months time, but after living with the same people for five months, it's a change and a bit of a shock, definitely. But I am so looking forward to outreach and to experiencing something new! So, until I blog again, adios amigos! 

Off and Away!

Chillin' at Giant's Causeway in Ireland

I was able to spend a week away in Ireland this past week. The time away was much needed and I was more than grateful for the time to unwind and relax. I stayed with a family friend whilst there, and they were so welcoming and wonderful to me! They took me up to the north coast for a day, where we visited Giant's Causeway, which is a magnificent wonder! I was able to visit Belfast, which I had visited on outreach nearly exactly a year ago. I am still in love with the city, more so now, if possible! Ireland is a country full of history (they were celebrating the anniversary of the Titanic whilst I was there) and new and exciting things. I love it to bits and sincerely wish to return in the future!
Though the trip was wonderful and much needed, it's time to get down to business; the DTS leaves for outreach within a week. Together, we will all go down to Cardiff in Wales. We will stay there for a week, helping out a few churches as they put on a conference/youth event for the city. After that, my team goes up to Coventry for approx. three weeks, again, working with local churches and Christian unions. Towards the beginning of June, we will head on down to Weymouth and Portland, partnering up with a local bible school and training centre. The details about what we will be doing are still in the works, but I am so excited to get going!
I'm going a tad stir-crazy. Not that I'm tired of being here on the campus, but I definitely can feel that it's time to move on, which, in this case, means I'm ready for outreach to finally begin! With the Olympics coming up soon, I'm so excited to get out there and meet people and just share Jesus in a completely normal way. Not to preach AT people, but invest in people and grow relationships wherever I can. 
God is going to do amazing things this summer, and I still can't believe my luck at being able to be a part of it all!

For more information about how you can get involved with YWAM England during the summer, go to: http://www.forever2012.com/

Living Life Loudly: Final Part - Living it Out.

So, the past two posts have been some of the basics of what has happened, as it's been a crazy and very busy past couple weeks. I figured I'd be able to convey more if I broke it up into a few bite-sized pieces! This is the last morsel and it's the tastiest of all; what has God done in my life and the lives of others!

I was so inspired, whilst in Leicester, living with Paul and Vicky. It was amazing to see people who live out in outreach-mode each and every day. There is no designated missions time because everyday they are speaking to people about God and actively showing His love to their friends and neighbors. It made me realize that that is what we are all called to do, myself included. We have all been called to not just preach the Gospel, but to live it out in our lives. Loudly!

Leicester has been one of the cities in the UK where the government places refugees and asylum seekers, being that it is a university town and is so culturally diverse. With this comes a great number of people that end up homeless or having faced difficulties financially and in finding a job. Many of the people that came to the "Open Hands" drop-in were from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Ivory Coast. It was amazing to see so many people from around the world in one place. It broke my heart to know that people were coming to the UK in hopes of a better life and winding up being broke and homeless. Leicester is definitely a place that needs prayer and people to invest and build relationships with those who have been pushed to the outskirts of society. 

Coventry was a wake-up call spiritually for me. Perhaps it was because I felt free of judgment being surrounded by so many Christians passionately pursuing Christ, but I finally was able to let go and let the Holy Spirit delve deep in me. I spoke in tongues (which is something I've had great difficulty with for the longest time) and openly wept when I felt my heart being broken for what broke God's heart. There was no shame, no fear, no need to wipe the mascara-tears that dripped down my cheeks; it was simply me and God. And it was wonderful!

One thing God revealed to me was that until I accepted His love for me and could love myself, I could not fully preach His love for others. His heart is so broken for me and it only breaks His heart more when I refuse to acknowledge that. It wasn't until I realized that and asked for forgiveness for not loving myself, His creation, that He could break my heart for the people of Coventry and my own DTS that I'm staffing. During a night of prayer for the DTS, I fell to the ground and openly wept for the DTS. I felt God's heart breaking for the students on this DTS and felt how much He loves and adores them. It was an amazing experience and, though I've always claimed to love this school, it was a major breakthrough in my attitude towards the school. I love everyone involved in this school, staff and students alike!

Not going to lie, I am exhausted from such a seemingly long trip with very little process time. I've missed showers and a mattress. My knees nearly gave way when I was finally able to unpack. But I wouldn't change anything that happened these past few weeks. God has been working ideas and plans into my mind and challenging me on a lot of my attitudes and views on things. So happy to sleep now, but I'm grateful for the push this week has given me!

Living Life Loudly: Part Two - Coventry

Amazing things happened in Leicester, so heading into Coventry to our DTS Gathering, I was looking forward to and expecting great things. I was not disappointed!


Week Two:
Pulling into Coventry, I was struck by how beautiful and green the city is. Parks and innovation and everywhere. I was in love at first sight!
The DTS Gathering consisted of 150 staff and students alike, nearly half boys and half girls. The girls slept at a separate location from the boys, which was a good 30-minute walk away from not only the boys, but from the leisure centre where we were supposed to shower in the communal swimming pool showers. As I had brought my baby wipes along and had access to a sink, my personal hygiene that week consisted of the bare minimum required to go a week without stinking out the building! Oddly enough, I was very proud that I was able to go a week without a proper shower (I can now officially call myself a missionary!).
Though the housing conditions were less than desirable, I had an amazing time reconnecting with the Impact UK DTS, all of whom been sent out to other locations and YWAM bases the previous week. This has been our first official "outreach" time, and hearing people's stories really got me excited for our main outreach which will happen from May-August (one of the locations being Coventry again!). 
The week was very fast-paced, but the prayer and worship times were a beautiful thing. I have felt the Holy Spirit before, but it was so tangible and real this week! Speaking in tongues, hands shaking, weeping were all very present this week!
I took part in two prayer walks around Coventry, one of which was a prayer-tour where we were able to get some history behind the areas we were in and pray into those areas. Hearing the history of Coventry was very intense; in World War II, most of Coventry was burnt down and has been slowly recovering ever since. There's been a really lacking of identity within the city and within the people as well, this becoming very obvious the more I prayed over the city and the people living in it. In fact, the term "sent to Coventry" originated in the early 20th century, when soldiers were sent to Coventry and perceived as unwelcome into the city by its' inhabitants. Though a growing city due to its' university, it is still a city that has come under the curse of feeling isolated and insignificant. 


I fell in love with the city and the people in it this week. With so much history, I was reminded how God can rebuilt even the completely and utterly destroyed. And with so many different people of different nationality and backgrounds, I was reminded that God is not one-dimensional and is relevant to everyone at all times!
 

Living Life Loudly: Part One - Leicester

It has been far too long since I last wrote here. Granted, I've been without internet for the past two weeks. So much has happened in the past two weeks that my thoughts are still slightly jumbled, but I will try my best to relate all that has happened in the clearest and most efficient of ways.


Week One:
We begin in the town of Leicester, a city of diverse peoples and cultures. Bronwyn and I left in the late afternoon on Monday, the 9th. The coach ride was smooth and, though I sat quietly the whole trip, inside my stomach was flip-flopping at the idea that this was the first outreach I have ever led. Arriving at the bus station, we were greeted by Paul and Vicky, the couple that pioneered YWAM Leicester. We were to stay at their house for the week and join in with their daily lives.
On our first day, we were taken to a drop-in centre a few blocks away called "Open Hands". There, they have clothing, furniture, toys, and other odds and ends that people in the area and in the city can come and pick up for their homes and families. Bronwyn and I served tea, coffee, and toast to the ladies that came in (Tuesdays are ladies only). Many of the women are not British, but are from many walks of life. I met women from the Middle East, Turkey, Ukraine, you name it! Later that evening, the drop-in was opened to the general public for a hot meal. Everyone that came in was incredibly polite, adding "Cheers!" to the end of everything they said. I had many a conversation with the men and women that came in, most of who commented on my "odd accent".
We also worked with a cooking course that Vicky puts on for the non-English speakers in the area. It's a time where the women can come in and teach us a little bit about their culture by showing us new recipes. One lady from Turkey taught us how to make apple cookies, which are, essentially, apple/walnut/cinnamon-stuffed croissants. Needless to say, Bronwyn and I frequented her shop quite often during our stay!
As well as that, we aided Vicky and several others in teaching an English-Second-Language Course. Many women in the neighborhood come together twice a week and learn and practice their English in a safe and secure environment. 
The YWAM base consists of six staff, Paul and Vicky included, and all but Paul are Brazilian. This particular base in more outreach focused, so no schools are run at this base. The staff are all actively involve in the community. It was amazing to see everything that God has done in their lives and the lives of those around them.
After a week of delicious food, amazing people, and lots of laughs, Bronwyn and I boarded a coach bound for Coventry...