Friday, June 30, 2017
Back for Round Two!
Hello friends!
Well, here we are! I'm back in Manchester and couldn't be more thrilled to be here again. I arrived yesterday morning, and because jetlag hit me harder than ever, I decided to hold off on blogging until today.
The flight on Wednesday evening went very well. I arrived at O'Hare about an hour and a half before boarding, and I was able to get through security and to my gate within half an hour. I couldn't believe it! As I was waiting at my gate, I was informed that I was moved to the row by the emergency exit and was asked if I would be willing and able to assist, so I said yes and immediately started praying that nothing would happen on this flight. After all, it was still a window seat, and then I had extra leg room!
While on the plane, I was seated next to a lovely English couple from Yorkshire who I greatly enjoyed talking to. While it was no business class (like last year), the food was still pretty decent. I had the option to choose either chicken and rice or cheesy vegetable pasta, so I went with the pasta since it seemed like it would be easier to eat. After the meal, I decided to put on some music and try to get some sleep, which was difficult because a) the seat didn't recline very much and it was hard to get comfortable and b) the in flight movie was Beauty and the Beast (the new one!). It also seemed like there was a lot of turbulence, so the shaking kept waking me up. Overall, I would be very surprised if I got more than three hours of sleep, tops.
When we finally arrived in Manchester, we ended up having to wait twenty minutes to a half an hour on the plane since we arrived early and there was a plane at our gate. Once we got off and were able to stretch our legs, I discovered that the line and customs was extremely long, which negated any of the extra time we had since getting there early. By the time I got through and found my luggage, I was able to find my host right away. It was so good to see her! We got back to her house pretty fast, and I again couldn't believe that I was back here again. I sat with Cat for a little while over a cup of tea (which, after that flight, I enjoyed immensely) and then took a shower. As promised, I messaged one of the teenagers on the Merseybank estate that I've kept in touch with, and she walked with me to the café. Once we got there, I was able to catch up with a few of my friends from last year, which felt so good! After we spent a little while there, she walked me to her house so I could say hi to her sister, and then to the Eden team leader's house (who I also stayed with last year). I was able to see a few more familiar faces, and then we had our prayer meeting over lunch. Now obviously, I've missed these people and this place terribly, but I realized again how much I missed praying with them. It truly is at the heart of everything this team does on the estate.
After dinner (which was an incredible lasagna made by Cat) and Youth Café, the team gathered here for Grow Group. We read the letter to the church in Ephesus from Revelation 2 and had an amazing discussion on how it can apply to us today. In summary, the letter describes a church that is doing all of the right things, but the one thing that Jesus holds against them is that they have lost the love that it first had for Him. How easy is that for us to do? We get in a routine and start trying to check things off of the "Christian" list, and often we feel pretty good about it, but we've lost the passion that we had when we were first saved. Working in a church can even sometimes feel like that when the focus ends up being on trying to run everything just right or on the attendance and things like that. The solution that we landed on was that sometimes we need to go back to the foundation and try to reignite the awe and wonder of what Jesus did. Even if we think we're past that point or too spiritually mature, we need to remember that we're always learning and growing, and sometimes we simply need to remember what Jesus did for us when we truly did not deserve it.
By the time Grow Group finished after prayers, I headed straight to bed and slept in this morning. I'm feeling pretty good today and am looking forward to what lies ahead!
Cheers,
Lindsay
Friday, May 5, 2017
Manchester: The Sequel, Coming June 2017!
It's official. I'M GOING BACK TO MANCHESTER!!!
As many of you know, it's rare for me to hold a conversation without the phrase "When I was living in England" or "When I was living in Manchester" coming into it at some point. Ever since I left the incredible place that is the UK, I've been aching to return. God has placed an undeniable passion on my heart for England, and He's made a way for me to go back! Let me tell you how.
First, I need to take you back to the awful day that I had to leave London. The whole process of getting to Heathrow and getting on the plane had me choking back tears, and once our plane started moving, I couldn't hold them back anymore. I absolutely did not want to leave. But as hard as it was for me to leave London, it was even more heartbreaking leaving Manchester. As I was on the coach bus about to pull onto the motorway, we happened to be driving past the Merseybank estate, where I lived for those two weeks there. Immediately, the tears just started flowing. I couldn't help it. I didn't even care if other people on the coach saw or heard me. As much as it hurt, however, this was a confirmation to me that I really had found my mission field. Those two weeks in Manchester had been the best of my life. I felt more at home there than I had anywhere else, and I knew that I would do whatever I could to go back as soon as possible.
Now, let's fast-forward again to my return to the States from London. I was so desperate to find a way back to England that I did something drastic - I did MATH. I wanted to figure out how much I would have to save a week to have enough set aside to get back to Manchester by the following July, without stretching myself too thin. By then, I was at the end of July, so I had to do less than 52 weeks. I settled for 50 weeks and decided I would start that week. Then, I estimated what I would have spent on air fare for this past trip, had the miracle situation not worked out the way it had this time around (which I would love to tell you about if you haven't heard this story!). I added in a little bit for spending money, but mostly wanted to focus on the flight since that would be the biggest thing. My wonderful, amazing host families also invited me to stay with them again, so I didn't figure in hotel - I decided I would worry about that if it came up since I didn't want to spread myself too thin. Now, I probably could have found an easier day to do this, but I started multiplying dollar amounts by 50 to see what I would come up with. After a few tries, I multiplied $25 by 50 weeks and came up with a total of $1,250, which seemed like a good goal to me that would definitely cover a round trip economy flight. I then created a spreadsheet for myself to track my progress, and also committed to putting in extra whenever I could.
Since July 24, 2016, three days after returning from London, I've stayed faithful to this plan. I put in my leftover spending money from my first trip to get a head start and consistently set aside at least $25 each week to meet my goal. Now, as many of you know, I gave myself a concussion at the end of December and had to take some time off of work. Since it was over Christmas break and I don't get paid over breaks, I went a month without a paycheck and had to pull from savings to make end's meet. Right after I started getting paid again, I had a dogsitting job that paid me a very generous amount that, since I couldn't put in my weekly Manchester savings during that time due to doctor bills and things, helped me get back on track. Since then, I've been able to stay consistent! Praise God!
Now, as I said previously, I had estimated saving $1,250 by the beginning of July. By the end of April, however, I had already saved $1,190. So, since I already had the funds set aside and had just confirmed the dates of the trip with my host families, I decided it was time to book the flight! Which, as of yesterday evening, is exactly what I did! I will be leaving on June 28th and arriving back in the wonderful city of Manchester the following morning, and staying until July 14th. This trip will exclusively be for Manchester, so there will not be any side trips to London, but that is a-okay with me since I want as much time as possible in Manchester. I can't wait to be back with Ivy Church and the Eden Network, and all of the wonderful people that I met from both!
Friends, God is so faithful. He made a way for me to return to this amazing place that I love so dearly, and I can't wait to return and have so many more wonderful stories to share with you. God is moving in Manchester, and I am so humbled and thankful to even have the tiniest part of it.
Thank you to all of you who have prayed for me, supported me, and who have let me share my heart with you.
Blessings,
Lindsay
As many of you know, it's rare for me to hold a conversation without the phrase "When I was living in England" or "When I was living in Manchester" coming into it at some point. Ever since I left the incredible place that is the UK, I've been aching to return. God has placed an undeniable passion on my heart for England, and He's made a way for me to go back! Let me tell you how.
First, I need to take you back to the awful day that I had to leave London. The whole process of getting to Heathrow and getting on the plane had me choking back tears, and once our plane started moving, I couldn't hold them back anymore. I absolutely did not want to leave. But as hard as it was for me to leave London, it was even more heartbreaking leaving Manchester. As I was on the coach bus about to pull onto the motorway, we happened to be driving past the Merseybank estate, where I lived for those two weeks there. Immediately, the tears just started flowing. I couldn't help it. I didn't even care if other people on the coach saw or heard me. As much as it hurt, however, this was a confirmation to me that I really had found my mission field. Those two weeks in Manchester had been the best of my life. I felt more at home there than I had anywhere else, and I knew that I would do whatever I could to go back as soon as possible.
Now, let's fast-forward again to my return to the States from London. I was so desperate to find a way back to England that I did something drastic - I did MATH. I wanted to figure out how much I would have to save a week to have enough set aside to get back to Manchester by the following July, without stretching myself too thin. By then, I was at the end of July, so I had to do less than 52 weeks. I settled for 50 weeks and decided I would start that week. Then, I estimated what I would have spent on air fare for this past trip, had the miracle situation not worked out the way it had this time around (which I would love to tell you about if you haven't heard this story!). I added in a little bit for spending money, but mostly wanted to focus on the flight since that would be the biggest thing. My wonderful, amazing host families also invited me to stay with them again, so I didn't figure in hotel - I decided I would worry about that if it came up since I didn't want to spread myself too thin. Now, I probably could have found an easier day to do this, but I started multiplying dollar amounts by 50 to see what I would come up with. After a few tries, I multiplied $25 by 50 weeks and came up with a total of $1,250, which seemed like a good goal to me that would definitely cover a round trip economy flight. I then created a spreadsheet for myself to track my progress, and also committed to putting in extra whenever I could.
Since July 24, 2016, three days after returning from London, I've stayed faithful to this plan. I put in my leftover spending money from my first trip to get a head start and consistently set aside at least $25 each week to meet my goal. Now, as many of you know, I gave myself a concussion at the end of December and had to take some time off of work. Since it was over Christmas break and I don't get paid over breaks, I went a month without a paycheck and had to pull from savings to make end's meet. Right after I started getting paid again, I had a dogsitting job that paid me a very generous amount that, since I couldn't put in my weekly Manchester savings during that time due to doctor bills and things, helped me get back on track. Since then, I've been able to stay consistent! Praise God!
Now, as I said previously, I had estimated saving $1,250 by the beginning of July. By the end of April, however, I had already saved $1,190. So, since I already had the funds set aside and had just confirmed the dates of the trip with my host families, I decided it was time to book the flight! Which, as of yesterday evening, is exactly what I did! I will be leaving on June 28th and arriving back in the wonderful city of Manchester the following morning, and staying until July 14th. This trip will exclusively be for Manchester, so there will not be any side trips to London, but that is a-okay with me since I want as much time as possible in Manchester. I can't wait to be back with Ivy Church and the Eden Network, and all of the wonderful people that I met from both!
Friends, God is so faithful. He made a way for me to return to this amazing place that I love so dearly, and I can't wait to return and have so many more wonderful stories to share with you. God is moving in Manchester, and I am so humbled and thankful to even have the tiniest part of it.
Thank you to all of you who have prayed for me, supported me, and who have let me share my heart with you.
Blessings,
Lindsay
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Back Over the Pond
The day I have been dreading for three weeks is finally upon me: the day I have to leave England.
I fell in love with this place easily within my first 24 hours of being here (you know, after jetlag left me). It didn't take long for it to feel like home, or for the people I began to meet to become like family. My two weeks in Manchester taught me more than I can express in words about who God is and about who I am. This past week in London with Rachel has been nothing short of an adventure, and I am proud to say that we did NOT get lost once. (Minus one time we started heading the wrong direction on one street but then turned around before we got too far. Rachel, I am NOT counting that as getting lost. ;) )
Leaving is hard. Saying goodbye is awful. But I am hopeful that it is not goodbye for long. Manchester, and particularly Ivy Church and Eden Merseybank, hold an incredibly special place in my heart. And I know that there is no way that I would never come back. I've heard it said that when you have the opportunity to love people in a new place, you leave a part of yourself behind there. You never fully go home, because you've found another home somewhere else. The ache in my heart is telling me that this absolutely is true.
Instead of seeing this only as a heartbreaking goodbye, however, I will choose also to see how this new season of my life back in the States can also be a new season of growth. I truly have learned so much here, and I am thankful for the chance to have adopted a broader perspective.
I've learned the value of saying yes and taking risks. There is so much that I would have missed out on had I not stepped outside of my comfort zone. I've learned even more in depth the value of intentional prayer. I've spent so much time these past couple weeks in various prayer environments, and each and every second has been time well spent. I've learned, again, even more in depth what it means to trust in God. Every step that I've taken here has been a step in faith that God is bringing me farther into the path that He has set for me. My journey with cancer had taught me that trusting in God is a daily choice, and my new journey here is continuing to teach me that He is never fully finished with us. We always have new opportunities to grow if we choose to see each season of our lives that way, and that saying YES to Him often involves a lot of risk that may not always make sense to others. It takes a lot of trust and a lot of prayer, and you may not always understand it yourself even in the thick of it, but He is always faithful and will always surpass your expectations.
I know that I'm taking back with me so much more that what I came here with. I truly am so much more thankful for this opportunity than I could ever fully say. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me through prayer, through contributing financially, and through reading this blog. This could never have happened without it.
If you'd like to hear more (and I certainly won't be able to shut up about this for a loooooong time) please feel free to reach out to me!
Blessings,
Lindsay
Ephesians 3:20
I fell in love with this place easily within my first 24 hours of being here (you know, after jetlag left me). It didn't take long for it to feel like home, or for the people I began to meet to become like family. My two weeks in Manchester taught me more than I can express in words about who God is and about who I am. This past week in London with Rachel has been nothing short of an adventure, and I am proud to say that we did NOT get lost once. (Minus one time we started heading the wrong direction on one street but then turned around before we got too far. Rachel, I am NOT counting that as getting lost. ;) )
Leaving is hard. Saying goodbye is awful. But I am hopeful that it is not goodbye for long. Manchester, and particularly Ivy Church and Eden Merseybank, hold an incredibly special place in my heart. And I know that there is no way that I would never come back. I've heard it said that when you have the opportunity to love people in a new place, you leave a part of yourself behind there. You never fully go home, because you've found another home somewhere else. The ache in my heart is telling me that this absolutely is true.
Instead of seeing this only as a heartbreaking goodbye, however, I will choose also to see how this new season of my life back in the States can also be a new season of growth. I truly have learned so much here, and I am thankful for the chance to have adopted a broader perspective.
I've learned the value of saying yes and taking risks. There is so much that I would have missed out on had I not stepped outside of my comfort zone. I've learned even more in depth the value of intentional prayer. I've spent so much time these past couple weeks in various prayer environments, and each and every second has been time well spent. I've learned, again, even more in depth what it means to trust in God. Every step that I've taken here has been a step in faith that God is bringing me farther into the path that He has set for me. My journey with cancer had taught me that trusting in God is a daily choice, and my new journey here is continuing to teach me that He is never fully finished with us. We always have new opportunities to grow if we choose to see each season of our lives that way, and that saying YES to Him often involves a lot of risk that may not always make sense to others. It takes a lot of trust and a lot of prayer, and you may not always understand it yourself even in the thick of it, but He is always faithful and will always surpass your expectations.
I know that I'm taking back with me so much more that what I came here with. I truly am so much more thankful for this opportunity than I could ever fully say. A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me through prayer, through contributing financially, and through reading this blog. This could never have happened without it.
If you'd like to hear more (and I certainly won't be able to shut up about this for a loooooong time) please feel free to reach out to me!
Blessings,
Lindsay
Ephesians 3:20
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
London Baby!!
It's been a busy few days here in London Town! But aren't they all?
Here's the run-down of our past few days here:
Saturday
Here's the run-down of our past few days here:
Saturday
Big Ben
Parliament
Westminster Abbey
Trafalgar Square
National Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
National Portrait Gallery
London Eye
Sunday
Hillsong Church
Speedy's Sandwich Bar & Cafe (from Sherlock) - which was CLOSED! :(
221B Baker Street from Sherlock - which is actually 187 Gower Street next to Speedy's
The Sherlock Holmes statue
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
Regent's Park
Abbey Road
Monday
St. James's Park
Buckingham Palace
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Green Park
Hyde Park
Harrod's
Piccadilly Circus
The TARDIS at Earl's Court Tube Station
Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station
Today
Tate Modern
Mona Hatoum special exhibit at Tate Modern
Tower of London
The Who Shop (Doctor Who stuff ;) )
CLEARLY very busy!!
With all of our travels, I am VERY proud to say that we have not gotten lost at all! We've become self-proclaimed masters of the Tube, which we have been riding very frequently. Along with all of our walking, it is definitely quite fun to catch glimpses of Big Ben and the London Eye coming back to our hotel.
I am also NOT SORRY that I have gotten Rachel to watch a few episodes of Sherlock with me as she works on her Masters things. :) Especially today, as it is my dear Benedict Cumberbatch's birthday!
Everything truly has been amazing. With all of our museums and other stops, it is incredible to me to think of all of the history that we are catching glimpses of. Seeing the Changing of the Guard yesterday and the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London today really had me thinking about that. Plus, it's been so fun being able to geek out at all of my Doctor Who/Sherlock Holmes/Harry Potter things. Seeing Rachel get all excited about everything at Tate Modern and the National Gallery pretty much balanced that!
It really is an amazing and beautiful country - so rich with history and culture, and so diverse with its beautiful parks and countryside adjacent to sprawling metropolis. It's going to be extremely hard to leave in only a couple days' time. And yes, I so deeply still have Manchester on the mind.
Tomorrow, we will be going to see The London Dungeon show and hitting up the MASSIVE British Museum. Who knows what else we'll get ourselves into after that!
Please continue to pray for Ivy and Eden back in Manchester, and pray for us for safe travels back to Chicago on Thursday!
Blessings,
Lindsay
Sunday
Hillsong Church
Speedy's Sandwich Bar & Cafe (from Sherlock) - which was CLOSED! :(
221B Baker Street from Sherlock - which is actually 187 Gower Street next to Speedy's
The Sherlock Holmes statue
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
Regent's Park
Abbey Road
Monday
St. James's Park
Buckingham Palace
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace
Green Park
Hyde Park
Harrod's
Piccadilly Circus
The TARDIS at Earl's Court Tube Station
Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station
Today
Tate Modern
Mona Hatoum special exhibit at Tate Modern
Tower of London
The Who Shop (Doctor Who stuff ;) )
CLEARLY very busy!!
With all of our travels, I am VERY proud to say that we have not gotten lost at all! We've become self-proclaimed masters of the Tube, which we have been riding very frequently. Along with all of our walking, it is definitely quite fun to catch glimpses of Big Ben and the London Eye coming back to our hotel.
I am also NOT SORRY that I have gotten Rachel to watch a few episodes of Sherlock with me as she works on her Masters things. :) Especially today, as it is my dear Benedict Cumberbatch's birthday!
Everything truly has been amazing. With all of our museums and other stops, it is incredible to me to think of all of the history that we are catching glimpses of. Seeing the Changing of the Guard yesterday and the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London today really had me thinking about that. Plus, it's been so fun being able to geek out at all of my Doctor Who/Sherlock Holmes/Harry Potter things. Seeing Rachel get all excited about everything at Tate Modern and the National Gallery pretty much balanced that!
It really is an amazing and beautiful country - so rich with history and culture, and so diverse with its beautiful parks and countryside adjacent to sprawling metropolis. It's going to be extremely hard to leave in only a couple days' time. And yes, I so deeply still have Manchester on the mind.
Tomorrow, we will be going to see The London Dungeon show and hitting up the MASSIVE British Museum. Who knows what else we'll get ourselves into after that!
Please continue to pray for Ivy and Eden back in Manchester, and pray for us for safe travels back to Chicago on Thursday!
Blessings,
Lindsay
Friday, July 15, 2016
#LindsayToLondon
Well, I had to say my last goodbyes this morning to my dear friends in Manchester. Needless to say, there were a lot of tears on my end. I hate goodbyes in general, but knowing that I've left some really amazing people who will be on the other side of the Atlantic is really heartbreaking. Plus, I quickly grew to love the city of Manchester itself. I'll be back, though. There is no way that I wouldn't go back.
Yesterday was kind of a blur, but it was a remarkable day. I got to go with a group of people from Ivy on a prayer walk, which I have never done before. My friend and I walked around and asked people if they needed prayer, and while most people said no, there was one man who did talk with us and pray with us for probably at least half an hour. His story broke my heart, and while he didn't accept Jesus during our conversation, it definitely sounded like he will continue to process it. It truly was a powerful experience, and it gave me a lot to pray about as well.
When I got back from the prayer walk, we had the Eden prayer meeting, which is always a cool experience. My host and I picked up her twin boys from school after, and we went for a walk through Chorlton and by the River Mersey. I went straight to the café afterwards for Youth Café, which was sad since I had to say goodbye to some of the teenagers. I've really enjoyed spending time with them these past couple of weeks. Not long after Youth Café, I had to say goodbye to my first host (which made me cry) and then say some more goodbyes to the Eden team at Grow Group (which also made me cry). We had a great talk about Ephesians chapter 3, which is one of my very favorite passages of Scripture, but I hate goodbyes, and I think it really hit me at that moment that I was leaving.
This morning, I caught the coach bus to London. After a five hour coach trip, I was clearly exhausted, and I was not super prepared as far as knowing where to find my Tube station to meet Rachel. I had to wander a bit and got a little freaked out right before I found it, since there are a lot of public transport places around the Victoria area and I wasn't brought to the place I thought I would be by coach. Regardless, I found it, and as soon as I got off of the Tube at Westminster and got to ground level, I saw him in all of his glory - Big Ben!! Rachel found me shortly after and brought me to our hotel, which is magnificent. They even gave us bath robes, which both of us are probably way too excited about.
We walked along the Southbank area of the River Thames to an amazing pizza place that Rachel highly recommended, and we also got to walk past the Globe theatre and Tate Modern. After eating (which basically caused me to momentarily hate myself since I definitely devoured all of my pizza), we took a walk across Millennium Bridge to peek at St. Paul's Cathedral, and ended up taking a detour back to the hotel. We ended up seeing quite a bit of London that way and got to pass through Trafalgar Square as well. London really is an incredible city, and even taking a little peek at some of the things we'll be seeing later had me really excited.
Tomorrow's Itinerary:
Big Ben (again ;) )
Parliament
Westminster Abbey
Trafalgar Square (also again ;) )
National Gallery
London Eye
Please continue to pray for Eden Merseybank, Ivy Church, and also pray for the man we prayed with yesterday!
Blessings,
Lindsay
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Daleks, the TARDIS, and Football - Oh My!
Today has been a day off of ministry tasks, and I got picked up to see some sights by a couple of the Eden team members!
We started out by taking a walk around Media City, which is an area of Manchester dominated by the BBC and ITV. Some of their studio buildings are all there and close together, so it's a really neat part of the city. While we were walking around (and joking about the possibility of running into Benedict Cumberbatch), that's when I saw it in the BBC1 window... the TARDIS!!! One of my friends ran and to see if we could go in by it and see it, which we absolutely did. Not only could I see the TARDIS, but I also got a picture by a couple of Daleks. Needless to say, it was like Christmas!
After our little detour for me to geek out, we went into the Imperial War Museum. It was an amazing collection of artifacts from World Wars I and II, as well as some modern day exhibits. It even held some of the wreckage from the World Trade Center, which was absolutely chilling to see. They also had an incredible picture show about remembrance, which was projected all over the walls in the central part of the museum. It was a very unique experience and was filled with some great discussion as well.
Once we had seen everything in the museum, we went to the Manchester United football stadium - much to the chagrin of my dear brother-in-law (Sorry, David!). We had lunch inside of the stadium, and I had my first experience with proper fish and chips, which were amazing! I also had a magnificent pudding of ice cream and a salted caramel brownie. Good eating!
After a break back at my host's house, the same friends took me to the Trafford Centre - a huge, beautiful shopping mall. There were some familiar shops, but a lot of them were totally new to me and exciting to see. Overall, today was a great day, but I'm very sad knowing that tomorrow is my last full day in Manchester. These goodbyes are killing me.
Blessings,
Lindsay
We started out by taking a walk around Media City, which is an area of Manchester dominated by the BBC and ITV. Some of their studio buildings are all there and close together, so it's a really neat part of the city. While we were walking around (and joking about the possibility of running into Benedict Cumberbatch), that's when I saw it in the BBC1 window... the TARDIS!!! One of my friends ran and to see if we could go in by it and see it, which we absolutely did. Not only could I see the TARDIS, but I also got a picture by a couple of Daleks. Needless to say, it was like Christmas!
After our little detour for me to geek out, we went into the Imperial War Museum. It was an amazing collection of artifacts from World Wars I and II, as well as some modern day exhibits. It even held some of the wreckage from the World Trade Center, which was absolutely chilling to see. They also had an incredible picture show about remembrance, which was projected all over the walls in the central part of the museum. It was a very unique experience and was filled with some great discussion as well.
Once we had seen everything in the museum, we went to the Manchester United football stadium - much to the chagrin of my dear brother-in-law (Sorry, David!). We had lunch inside of the stadium, and I had my first experience with proper fish and chips, which were amazing! I also had a magnificent pudding of ice cream and a salted caramel brownie. Good eating!
After a break back at my host's house, the same friends took me to the Trafford Centre - a huge, beautiful shopping mall. There were some familiar shops, but a lot of them were totally new to me and exciting to see. Overall, today was a great day, but I'm very sad knowing that tomorrow is my last full day in Manchester. These goodbyes are killing me.
Blessings,
Lindsay
British Barbecue and Other Ponderings
I know I say this almost every post, but it has been a busy past couple of days!
Yesterday, I got to spend a lot of time in conversation with the Eden team and others connected with different ministries. It was a very insightful day, flowing from one conversation and story to the next. I got to learn more about a ministry called Christians Against Poverty from a woman who lives here on the Merseybank estate, and we forged a really awesome connection through our time together. Her daughter lives in London and attends the Hillsong church, so we might try to connect there! I also got to attend a women's Grow Group on the estate with my current host, and we had an amazing discussion on a portion of Acts 2. We talked a lot about boldness through the holy spirit, which is something that I'm continually needing to remember and internalize. It was a wonderful time with a wonderful group of ladies!
We later had an Eden team dinner, and it was so great being able to just spend time in fellowship with this amazing team of people. My host made an absolutely amazing meal, and it was a great night filled with laughter. I grossed the group out after they asked me what American biscuits are and I tried explaining biscuits and gravy, since biscuits here are basically different kinds of cookies. I thought it was hilarious, but the thought of putting gravy on biscuits was just appalling. I mean, it makes sense - the thought of putting sausage gravy on a chocolate chip cookie is enough to make me gag.
After team dinner, I went with to a training session for Safe Families for Children, which is an organization that actually started in Chicago and is doing amazing work for families all over the UK. It was, to be honest, slightly difficult to remain fully engaged the whole time since I am not a volunteer with them, but it was still really informative and interesting to hear about what they are doing in this area and across the country. God is moving through them!
Today was filled with loads of Ivy Church activities. My day started out with a few staff meetings, which were incredible times filled with prayer and worship. I loved that they actually stood together and sang a worship song. It's such a great way to really put your focus on who you are actually serving and glorifying through your work. The staff meeting also ended with a paper airplane competition, which was one of the most entertaining things I have ever seen.
My same friend that invited me to Grow Group invited me to join him and a couple of the youth workers at a local school for a youth club they run, so I went ahead and jumped in. It was great being able to spend some time in fellowship with them, even though no youth actually showed up for the club. I also got to explore the school with them, which was very interesting for me! We later returned to Ivy and I got to continue being entertained by the staff there; let me tell you, church offices can absolutely be a blast!
A beautiful event takes place in the Merseybank estate from time to time called Ohana. Members of the Eden team take over The Den for an evening and prepare homemade meals for a very low price for the residents of the estate. It's a great way for the community to come together and partake in a meal. Tonight, we had burgers, sweet potato wedges, cole slaw, and English trifle. It was quite the fantastic mix of American and English fare. It was really nice to be able to get to know some of the community members better!
To end my evening, I was able to attend my Grow Group's barbecue in a park nearby. There were a lot of similarities to an American barbecue, but there was definitely a larger variety of things being thrown on the grill. It was so nice to be able to meet more people who were not at the group last week, and to also continue to get to know my friends better. I got to try lots of different sweets and things (i.e.: Pimms, Jaffa Cakes) and get some suggestions for places to check out around both Manchester and London. I'm not sure I'll have time to check out everything that was suggested for Manchester, but I do have some things to add to the list for London.
I must say, it was absolutely heartbreaking to say goodbye to my Grow Group friends tonight, as I will likely not be seeing them before I leave for London on Friday. One of the friends couldn't be there tonight, but I will see him on Thursday, which will also be hard but at least I will get to say goodbye. I honestly feel so blessed that I have been able to gain so many new friends from this experience, and I am especially grateful for this group of people who have made me feel so incredibly welcome. I cannot even begin to express how much I will miss them, but that just means that I will have to come back, as I already know I want to. I love this place so much, and I especially love the people here.
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." ~Winnie the Pooh
Blessings,
Lindsay
Yesterday, I got to spend a lot of time in conversation with the Eden team and others connected with different ministries. It was a very insightful day, flowing from one conversation and story to the next. I got to learn more about a ministry called Christians Against Poverty from a woman who lives here on the Merseybank estate, and we forged a really awesome connection through our time together. Her daughter lives in London and attends the Hillsong church, so we might try to connect there! I also got to attend a women's Grow Group on the estate with my current host, and we had an amazing discussion on a portion of Acts 2. We talked a lot about boldness through the holy spirit, which is something that I'm continually needing to remember and internalize. It was a wonderful time with a wonderful group of ladies!
We later had an Eden team dinner, and it was so great being able to just spend time in fellowship with this amazing team of people. My host made an absolutely amazing meal, and it was a great night filled with laughter. I grossed the group out after they asked me what American biscuits are and I tried explaining biscuits and gravy, since biscuits here are basically different kinds of cookies. I thought it was hilarious, but the thought of putting gravy on biscuits was just appalling. I mean, it makes sense - the thought of putting sausage gravy on a chocolate chip cookie is enough to make me gag.
After team dinner, I went with to a training session for Safe Families for Children, which is an organization that actually started in Chicago and is doing amazing work for families all over the UK. It was, to be honest, slightly difficult to remain fully engaged the whole time since I am not a volunteer with them, but it was still really informative and interesting to hear about what they are doing in this area and across the country. God is moving through them!
Today was filled with loads of Ivy Church activities. My day started out with a few staff meetings, which were incredible times filled with prayer and worship. I loved that they actually stood together and sang a worship song. It's such a great way to really put your focus on who you are actually serving and glorifying through your work. The staff meeting also ended with a paper airplane competition, which was one of the most entertaining things I have ever seen.
My same friend that invited me to Grow Group invited me to join him and a couple of the youth workers at a local school for a youth club they run, so I went ahead and jumped in. It was great being able to spend some time in fellowship with them, even though no youth actually showed up for the club. I also got to explore the school with them, which was very interesting for me! We later returned to Ivy and I got to continue being entertained by the staff there; let me tell you, church offices can absolutely be a blast!
A beautiful event takes place in the Merseybank estate from time to time called Ohana. Members of the Eden team take over The Den for an evening and prepare homemade meals for a very low price for the residents of the estate. It's a great way for the community to come together and partake in a meal. Tonight, we had burgers, sweet potato wedges, cole slaw, and English trifle. It was quite the fantastic mix of American and English fare. It was really nice to be able to get to know some of the community members better!
To end my evening, I was able to attend my Grow Group's barbecue in a park nearby. There were a lot of similarities to an American barbecue, but there was definitely a larger variety of things being thrown on the grill. It was so nice to be able to meet more people who were not at the group last week, and to also continue to get to know my friends better. I got to try lots of different sweets and things (i.e.: Pimms, Jaffa Cakes) and get some suggestions for places to check out around both Manchester and London. I'm not sure I'll have time to check out everything that was suggested for Manchester, but I do have some things to add to the list for London.
I must say, it was absolutely heartbreaking to say goodbye to my Grow Group friends tonight, as I will likely not be seeing them before I leave for London on Friday. One of the friends couldn't be there tonight, but I will see him on Thursday, which will also be hard but at least I will get to say goodbye. I honestly feel so blessed that I have been able to gain so many new friends from this experience, and I am especially grateful for this group of people who have made me feel so incredibly welcome. I cannot even begin to express how much I will miss them, but that just means that I will have to come back, as I already know I want to. I love this place so much, and I especially love the people here.
"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." ~Winnie the Pooh
Blessings,
Lindsay
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