I'm just going to apologize in advanced if this ends up being a long post, but I also don't feel to badly about it because we had an AMAZING weekend in Wales!
We left on Friday evening and loaded up the mini bus with four adults and seven teenagers. The trip went quite smoothly, and it seemed like everyone was having fun listening to music and chatting. The scenery on the way was gorgeous, and the excitement was tangible as we started cruising along the sea. We even passed a couple of castles along the way, and if you read my blog last year, you know how much I love those!
We stayed in a house that belonged to our leader's uncle, and it was more like two houses joined together. The street looked like a typical coastal town out of a movie, with a lot of them painted in bright pastel colors. The inside of the house had a ton of rooms that ended up being good for playing hide-and-seek in later, and all of the teenagers were thrilled to pick out their rooms. We got settled in, and by the time everything was set it was quite late. Many of the teens had asked about going to the beach once we got there, but another leader and I ended up going with just one of them. The route to the beach was through a wooded area, and walking through there at 11pm was kind of spooky, but it was worth it once we got there - the beach was so beautiful and peaceful at that time of night! We just stood there quietly for a little while listening to the water and looking at the stars. It was a cloudy night, but we could make out a few constellations and see the moon a bit as the clouds moved. It was the perfect way to kick off the weekend!
On Saturday, we had breakfast together after one of the teens helped make it, and we got ready to go to the mountains. Before we left, one of our leaders shared out of 1 John 4:8 - "Perfect love casts out fear." It ended up being the best way to start out morning because we ended up actually climbing to the top of a mountain! The first half of the climb was quite easy and not too steep. We passed through a few fields with a lot of sheep, and the area we were in was just too gorgeous for words. After a while, the climb started getting steeper and many were started to get frustrated by the challenge of it. Even so, the teens started to encourage one another, and it was amazing to see teamwork being built through the struggle. I was towards the back of the group with a couple of teens who were starting to feel especially defeated by the challenge, and we really had to encourage each other through it. The climb was hard on me due to the scar tissue in my chest from radiation treatment, so breathing was painful through the steep uphill climb. The vegetation got to be quite dense the higher we got, and it was hard to see the path most of the time, so it was not easy to see where to put our feet; however, the higher we got, the more and more breathtaking the view became. The last bit of climbing was difficult, but once we actually got to the top, it was as if it was merely a leisurely stroll up the mountain because the excitement absolutely took over. I don't think I could ever put into words how incredible it felt to be at the top of that mountain. The view was astounding and the cool mountain air seemed to have a healing effect on our aches and pain and sweat. We had lunch on the top of the mountain, all the while looking around at the spectacular 360 degree view of the mountains and sea. I've never seen anything like it! It was exhilarating to stand on the edge and attempt to take it all in and enjoy the reward of the struggle. As I stood there pondering the majesty of God's creation, I was positively overwhelmed with joy and couldn't stop smiling thinking about where I was standing. I couldn't believe that I was actually standing on top of a mountain and that I was even able to make it there at all.
After eating and enjoying our victory for a while, it was time to make the downhill trek. I'll be honest - the start of it was actually a little scary since we had to do the steepest part first through what felt like a jungle. One of the teens confessed that he was actually afraid of heights, and after another leader and I encouraged him and praised the fact that he did make it to the top, he said to us, "Yeah, it's like that verse from this morning." Perfect love casts out fear. I was so emotional at the fact that he made that connection, and we ended up talking about God for a little while. On the way up the mountain, he had kept saying things like "Life is beautiful," and "It's good to be alive right now." I had no idea that he had any fear at all initially, and so when it got difficult going downhill, I tried to remind him of what he had said on the way up. He was absolutely right - life was so beautiful on that mountain, and it was incredible to feel so alive.
The exertion of mountain climbing was later rewarded by a trip to the beach - in the daylight this time! It was even more beautiful in the sunshine, and the sand on my bare feet seemed to remove all of the soreness. The water was cool and soothing, and while I didn't swim, I enjoyed a stroll through the shallow water for a while. Eventually, I allowed myself to simply lay in the sand with my feet buried in it. The sun beating down on me was almost like a lullaby, and I found myself just wanting to be still and soak in what I had just done that day along with the light. Eventually, I joined in with another leader and one of the teens on an adventure to see the other side of the beach, and we found ourselves trying to climb around a small island and going through another jungle of vegetation to try to see it, and it felt amazing once we did. There was no one on the other side, and it was so still and peaceful. We were excited by the fact that we were the only ones seeing it, but that excitement seemed to wear off once we were trying to find out way back while simultaneously navigating the land mines of jellyfish left by the tide. Some of them were as big as tire hubcaps!
Eventually, we left the beach and headed back to the house, and we were all properly knackered by the events of the day. We ate together and had a little rest, and then the teenagers started an epic game of hide-and-seek. My chest and my post concussive head were too beaten to participate, but I sat in the kitchen/base to watch them all run around. Before we left the next morning, a few of us leaders and the same teen that went to the beach in the evening took a stroll through the nearby woods. I was struck by how green everything was and I definitely was beating myself up for not having my phone to take pictures of it. I stayed behind with one leader to help clean up the house after the teens left on the mini bus, and we eventually made our way back to Manchester, but not before taking a cruise through the mountains. We stopped at an overlook near Snowden, the highest peak in Wales. The summit of Snowden was shrouded in clouds, and it reminded me of Mount Olympus because of it. After a short while we had to get back in the car and go.
We made it just in time to get to the evening service at Ivy Central, and I finally got to hear Anthony Delaney speak. He is one of the leaders of Ivy Church and was in a way part of how I got connected with Manchester at all. He was talking about what he called "Kairos moments" in listening to God. "Kairos" is a special word for time, and it's not at all about chronological time. Kairos is used to describe moments that seem to exist outside of time - moments that seem to live on and become important parts of our memory. This word is found in Mark 1:15 as Jesus is saying that the kingdom of God is at hand, and also to repent and believe. In the message, this is applied to a circular model of following through with Kairos moments and putting our belief into action. It looks like this:
Today has been a relaxing day so far, and I'm looking forward to another Eden team dinner. I was able to have lunch with another teen from Merseybank who wasn't with us in Wales, and it was great getting to know her more. This is, sadly, the start of my last few days in Manchester, at least until I come back again.
Please be praying for the teens that were with us in Wales, that they would continue to listen and seek after God!
Cheers,
Lindsay
Wow, what a glorious day you had! So jealous Lindsay!! I am thrilled reading about all your wonderful adventures!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aunt Jo!!
Delete