Exploring

Hi friends!

The past few days have been a real joy spending time in fellowship with people. I feel as though I've been quite busy, even if I haven't been so on the go.

On Wednesday, I spent quite a lot of time at The Den cafe on the estate. After The Den closed, I was able to just walk around and talk with people, which was really nice getting to know them better and hear about where they grew up. I got invited over for dinner by my friends that took me to Liverpool - I really love spending time with them so much, so it was a real treat being able to eat with them and another friend of theirs. Shortly after, my host and I took the bus into the city to see a play that was part of the Manchester International Festival. Traffic was quite backed up so we weren't sure if we were going to actually be able to catch the bus, but after a little bit of trial and error we made it! The people at the theatre very nearly weren't going to let us in since we were a few minutes late due to the fact that it was a quiet show; however, they let us in at the six minute mark since there was a bit more noise, and we were able to enjoy it together. It was a complicated show that dealt with some heavy topics like social class, homosexuality, and politics, but we felt all the more clever having seen it even though neither of us felt like we understood it fully. The theatre had a small bar within it so we shared a fruity cider that was quite delicious on the wide patio encompassed by the square surrounding the theatre. It was actually a really beautiful spot filled with tables and deck chairs all enclosed in this secluded area, and it was a lovely night to sit out and enjoy it. Shortly after, we took the bus back to Merseybank having delighted in an intellectual evening.

Yesterday started out quite the same at The Den. I love being able to sit there and see familiar faces while getting to know people. We had our prayer meeting following the closing of The Den, and then shortly after prayers I met up with my friend Maral and we took the bus into the city. Maral is from Iran, and she'll soon be starting a NewThing residency with Ivy Church! We took the bus into the Northern Quarter of the Manchester city centre, which is a really cool part of the city full of creativity. We explored some of the shops (some of which were comic book stores!) and Maral took me to her favorite Mexican restaurant. It had a fun atmosphere and had a wall completely decorated by different crosses. Following our meal, we walked all over the city enjoying each other's company and seeing some of the sights. Manchester is a very pedestrian-friendly city, so it is quite easy to get around, whereas it feels like you're taking your life into your hands doing that in Chicago. It was incredibly fun just being able to walk around and talk while taking photos of all the cool places in the city, which are everywhere. It was exciting seeing some of the same places I saw last year, like the Town Hall and the John Rylands library. All over the city are signs posted that say "I Love Manchester," as well as worker bees, which are the symbol for Manchester. There is so much pride and love for this city following the bombing that really shows a sense of unity. It's incredible even feeling like you're a tiny part of it.

I went this morning with my host and another friend to a rock climbing centre, and since I'm still post concussive, I just watched and acted as camera-person. It was still a lot of fun to go with and cheer them on! Later, we went shopping in Didsbury and got ice cream in Chorlton. We also stopped in a really hipster organic grocery shop called Unicorn, which was quite intriguing! Tonight, we leave for north Wales for a weekend retreat with some of the teenagers on the estate. I'll likely be off the grid and will blog when we get back on Sunday, but please pray for us as we go!

Cheers,
Lindsay