March Update

March was a very busy month. And a very good month. Although the weather is still cold and gray it wasn't near as depressing as January and February. We had several snow storms in month, but the daffodils blooming around England give me hope that winter is on it's way out and spring is approaching. But it has become clear to me that spring has sprung in many places--excluding Buxton.


Tamworth- The first week in March I took the train down to visit a fellow YAGM in Tamworth (just south of Birmingham). Although I was only there for one night it was great to get out of Buxton and catch up with friends. Lindsey is doing youth work at a church in Tamworth and living with a young couple from the congregation. The afternoon I got into town we went down town and browsed the shopping district of Tamworth. We had dinner with Matt and Amy and then went to house group. For those of you that aren't aware what that is, house groups are small groups made up from people in the congregation that meet once a week in someone's house (hence the name) for Bible study. I quite enjoy them! And this house group was great! Everyone was so welcoming.
The next day I, Lindsey had to work, so we spent the day at the church she works at. I really enjoyed getting to see what she does--and I must admit I'm slightly jealous of her placement. The best part of the trip was getting to chat with Lindsey. Although we both have our struggles with our respective placements we have both grown so much this year and an outsiders perspective is sometimes just what you need to realize that for yourself. During one conversation we likened ourselves to goldfish--you only grow in relation to your environment. The larger the fishbowl/tank/pond, the larger the goldfish. We both want to be big goldfish!


Youth Group- I mentioned in my last newsletter that I was planning on starting a youth group for the girls at Buxton Community Church as well as continuing to work with the youth group in Whaley Bridge. The one for BCC flopped due to lack of interest. Several parents expressed their disappointment that it didn't happen, but I can't help but thinking that if the parents had put more emphasis on their kids attending there wouldn't have been such a lack of interest. But oh well. At least I tried, right?
I'm still absolutely loving working with the Whaley Bridge youth. They are all such a great group of kids. Chriss told me that if their church had the money she would have them hire me as the full-time youth worker!! Although the chances of that actually happening are slim to none, it was a huge compliment. One of my favorite things about youth is when they ask me silly questions about the US. One of the most recent which I really liked was whether Independence Day had anything to do with the movie Independence Day with Will Smith and alien invasion. haha! In exchange for my knowledge of the US, they impart their knowledge of English youth culture which is just as fun for me!



Prague- From the 16th to the 18th Amy and I flew to Prague for a little holiday. Although it was a very short trip, I think it was the perfect amount of time. Monday morning we wandered up to the castle. We spent several hours touring the castle complex. Although it was very pretty, it was so crowded that it stressed me out a bit. It seemed as though half of the Spanish population was in Prague that week. We had to wait in line for everything, which for me ruins the experience of it all. But such is the life of a tourist. However, I must admit that in the masses of tourists I really loved hearing the American accent! After lunch we didn't have an agenda for the day so we just walked. And in our walking stumbled upon the Charles Bridge and the St. Nicholas Church. Then we walked some more that stumbled upon Old Town and the Astronomical clock. I made the comment that we were being accidental tourists. But I really did enjoy our laid-back approach to sight seeing. We spent a while sitting on a sidewalk cafe near the heat-lamps chatting and enjoying treats. I was also very entertained that they have fleece blankets on all the chairs for the customers.
We stayed at a hostel out of the main part of city, but was only about a 10-15 minute tram ride into town. It was immaculately clean and so friendly. All along the corridor walls were letters of thanks from people who have stayed there from all over the world. The best one I found was from a guy from Taos, NM. Little things like that make you realize how small this world actually is. I really enjoy staying in hostels because you get to meet people from all over that you wouldn't normally meet.
Tuesday we went to the Museum of Applied Art. While we were there it started snowing. It continued to snow all day. We had lunch at another sidewalk cafe in the main square, once again sitting next to the heat lamps with blankets covering our legs. Then we decided that since it was cold and snowy and there wasn't anything else that we had to see before we left, we would head to the airport and wait till our plane left that night. And surprisingly our flight was only delayed 10 minutes.
Pictures will be featured in another blog!



Holy Week/ Easter- One thing that I really missed out on this year is the Holy Week celebrations and services observed in liturgical churches and not so present in fundamental churches. Palm Sunday was relatively uneventful. Maundy Thursday was non-existent. Good Friday consisted of a prayer meeting. Even Easter Sunday was anti-climatic.
We had a White Easter, rather than a White Christmas. I missed wearing spring time clothes. Amy and I woke up early and went to the 1662 Eucharist Service at one of the Anglican churches in town. We were the youngest people there by about 50 years, but the service was similar to the Lutheran liturgy, which was very comforting. Then we went to church at BCC. No one sang "Christ the Lord Has Risen Today". I missed that too. Ken did play the trumpet, though. There were no lilies. I missed that too. There were no Easter baskets. No dyed eggs. No Easter bunny. And although these things are all commercial aspects of Easter, there was no significant religious emphasis on the holiday either. After church we had dinner at Charis House with the majority of church, but it wasn't anything too special. It wasn't too important for families to spend time together, but an opportunity to socialize with friends instead. It was only slightly disappointing.



Dublin- The last weekend in March, Amy and I took another holiday and wen to Dublin. Of all the cities I've visited this year, Dublin is at the top of my list. And I'm not exactly sure why. But the people were all very friendly and helpful--a welcomed change from the Brits!
Sunday morning we went to church at the Christ Church Cathedral which is the oldest church in Dublin. Again I loved having a service that was familiar and similar to a Lutheran worship service! Afterwards we visited the Chester Beaty Library. The main exhibit here is the history and basic information of Eastern religions, Islam and Christianity using a collection of more than 20,000 manuscripts, rare books, paintings, clay tablets, costumes and other things. It was great!!! Next we toured the Dublin Museum. Although we had to do this by a guided tour, it was very informative in a non-boring way. We also visited St. Patrick's Cathedral. Although this is probably the most famous of the churches in Dublin, I preferred the Christ Church Cathedral to this one. But still beautiful. I don't think I'll ever grow tired of European cathedrals.
Monday morning we took a train to a village outside of Dublin called Malahide to visit the castle out there. If we had more time I would have liked to spend more time there; the village looked very charming. The castle was great and I enjoyed the 15 minute walk through the woods to get there as well. We were hoping to go to Tara's Palace--a giant dollhouse too--but it was closed until the next day. Very disappointing.
After getting back into the city we went to the National Art Gallery. In an effort to maximize our time we explored the whole museum, but not very extensively. It was a good choice because in the grand scheme of things, I've been to better art galleries! Our next stop was a mini shopping trip in the Grafton and O'Connell districts. We looked at plenty of things, but didn't buy anything. The final destination for the day was the Guinnes Storehouse. Although not a fan of the drink, this was my favorite stop in Dublin. It was so much fun! At the end of the tour you get a complimentary pint of the "black stuff". I tried to choke it down, but eventually gave up. But you can't go to Ireland and not try it, right!
Pictures will be featured in another blog!

Well I think those were the highlights of March. I have only 3 months left until I return to the U.S. It still shocks me how quickly time has passed and I think it'll just speed up from here on out. Hope you are all enjoying Spring!
Lots of love! xxxx

The Twenty-First Time

Another great song!


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Nowhere to live
Nowhere to fall
He used to have money
But he’s wasted it all
His face is a photograph burned in mind
But I pretend not to see him for the twenty-first time

He sleeps under stars, it’s all he can afford
His blanket’s an old coat he’s had since the war
He stands on the corner of Carter and Vine
But I pretend not to see him for the twenty-first time

He may be a drifter who’s grown old and gray
But what if it’s Jesus and I walk away
I say I’m the body and drink of the wine
But I pretend not to see him for the twenty-first time

She’s 29 but she feels 48
She can’t raise three kids on minimum wage
She’s crying in back of the welfare line
But I pretend not to see her for the twenty-first time

She may be a stranger trying to get through the day
But what if it’s Jesus and I walk away
I say I’m the body and drink of the wine
But I pretend not to see her for the twenty-first time

This is a call for a change in my heart
I realize that I’ve not been doing my part
When I needed a Savior, I found it in Him
He gave to me, now I’ll give back to them

Drifter or stranger, daughter or son
I’ll look for Jesus in everyone
‘Cause I am the body and drink of the wine
And I’m thankful there’s more than the twenty-first time

Surely We Can Change

Great song!


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And the problem is this
We were bought with a kiss
But the cheek still turned
Even when it wasn’t hit

And I don’t know
What to do with a love like that
And I don’t know
How to be a love like that

When all the love in the world
Is right here among us
And hatred too
And so we must choose
What our hands will do

Where there is pain
Let there be grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Help them be brave
Where there is misery
Bring expectancy
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Something

And the problem it seems
Is with you and me
Not the Love who came
To repair everything

Where there is pain
Let us bring grace
Where there is suffering
Bring serenity
For those afraid
Let us be brave
Where there is misery
Let us bring them relief
And surely we can change
Surely we can change
Oh surely we can change
Something

Oh, the world’s about to change
The whole world’s about to change

Shooting Jesus

Dennis Morris is a phenomenon in photographic circles. At the age of 11, a photo he took of a Palestine Liberation Organisation demonstration featured on the front page of The Daily Mirror.

In 1973, aged 14, he was invited by Bob Marley to photograph the reggae singer’s UK tour. From then until Marley’s death in 1981, Dennis took iconic images of him and the Wailers that appeared on the covers of Time Out and Melody Maker.

As a result, Johnny Rotten, a big reggae fan, asked personally for Dennis to take the first official pictures of the Sex Pistols when they signed to Virgin Records.

Despite his track record, however, Dennis might have been forgiven if he’d taken a deep breath at one particular commission, brought to him by a vicar and a youth worker last year. They wanted him to take photographs that would give the Easter story contemporary relevance for young people.

Nevertheless, Dennis agreed, and for a fee that was a seventh the size of what he could usually command for a commission from the music industry.

The images form part of an Easter resource pack jointly sponsored by the Diocese of London and CMS. A grant from the Westhill Foundation enabled CMS to part fund the resource.

The pack has already been distributed to all Standing Advisory Councils for Religious Education in local education authorities nationwide and to selected media.

Also, a flyer for the pack has been sent to every primary school in the UK with the ultimate aim of helping young people to make connections between the Easter story and their own lives.

It has been designed to be highly flexible for use in a variety of ways in churches or schools, including workshops, assemblies, all-age worship, young people’s groups, in part or as a complete package.

The concept and responsibility for the resource rested with Bob Mayo, priest of a London parish, and youth worker Ben Bell, who co-ordinated the involvement of a group of non-Christian young people from St Mary's Youth Club, Islington, to play ‘roles’ in the photos.

Some of them helped to recreate the scene of the Last Supper in Shepherd’s Bush.

One of them played the role of a black teenage ‘Jesus’ in the rain on a concrete playground in a deserted park doubling for the Garden of Gethsemane.

“I wanted to give a spontaneous feel and quality to each photo,” says Dennis. “I focused on ensuring that each of them looked like it wasn’t too set or staged. I was going for a snapshot feel, immediacy, capturing a moment in time.”

Nonetheless, all the shots took several hours of pre-planning and thought beforehand, “even if taking a particular shot only took five minutes,” says Dennis.

The contact with the project prompted him to admire Ben’s ability to reach out to the youngsters, because some of them, he points out, were “quite hardcore”.

“Three of them had confidence, a light to them, hopeful futures. What the three had was very clear to me. But it’s a pity that youth clubs aren’t seen in the same light as they were when I was young. Then they were where things were ‘happening’. Now, if you attend a youth club, you’re seen as ‘weak’ by other teenagers.”

Bob was delighted with the results of the photographer’s work, “Dennis is an absolute genius at what he does.

“The young people wanted short, sharp bursts of activity followed by long periods for them to relax and talk together.

“Dennis wanted patience and precision in order to capture on camera what he was picturing in his head.

“Ben and I had our own understanding of how the events should be pictured but we needed to give the story away in order to get it back reshaped and re-invigorated through these pictures.”

The project soon took on a life of its own, he says. “It drew together the curiosity and boredom of the young people, Dennis' imagination and intuition as the photographer, and Ben's and my need to get the project completed. Each of us fought the others for control.”

Summing up, Bob admits, “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It enabled us to look at the world through different eyes.”

From: http://www.cms-uk.org/tabid/151/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/144/Shooting-Jesus.aspx
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Luke 19:28-Luke 24:50

A Moment of Courage

Today was one of the more difficult days at Charis House. But it was a day of bravery. Monday night a new resident moved into CH. She is 18 years old with a gorgeous 6 month old son. After being at CH this week it became obvious she was too immature to be a mom. This morning the residents were all quite upset because Social Services would be coming in the afternoon to take the baby boy into foster care. It was heartbreaking to see this girl upset about losing her son. The staff and residents had all grown attached to the chunky blue-eyed boy with the big smile.

Holly, a 4 year old who lives at Charis House asked her mom at lunch "Did you know that **** isn't coming back. Someone's going to take him this afternoon. Will they bring him back after?... I'm going to miss him." I hate that these children live in an environment that robs them of the innocence that is essential to every childhood. I hate that from such tender ages they must learn that there is no stability in their lives; that things can change in a heartbeat.

After social services came around 3:30pm it was revealed that the mom had made the choice to put him in foster care because she knew that she didn't love him a way a mom should and therefore couldn't provide for him the way he needed. Although it brought me to tears to see this handsome baby taken away from his mom, I was touched that she made the best decision for her son. That showed maturity and courage beyond measure--especially for a teenager.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

So last night I stayed up kinda late watching "Little Women". Around 12:30 I turned it off since my eyelids were getting heavy and there was still about 30-45 minutes left in the movie. I turned on my Matt Redman CD and fell asleep soon after. But just as I had fallen to sleep I was awoken by a loud rumble and my bed and entire room swaying.

My first thought was it was an earthquake. But I'm in England...not California. England doesn't have earthquakes, so I quickly dispelled that theory. But I couldn't come up with another reasonable explanation. I was pretty scared, I think mostly because I didn't know what had happened. I spent a few minutes searching the internet for an explanation and after coming up empty-handed, fell back asleep.

Waking this morning, I checked the news, still hoping to find an explanation. And sure enough I found it:

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LONDON, England (CNN) -- An earthquake shook Britain early Wednesday, causing damage to buildings and leaving at least one person injured.

This image provided by the British Geological Survey shows the seismogram registering the earthquake at Market Rasen, England on Wednesday.

The British Geological Survey put the preliminary magnitude for the earthquake at 5.3, according to the British Press Association.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured 4.7.

Emergency services across England received calls following the incident, many from people who woke up to find their homes shaking.

Ambulance officials said a man from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, required hospital treatment after a chimney collapsed and fell into his bedroom.

The quake struck at around 0100 GMT and was centered about 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of London, the British Geological Survey said.

Julian Bukits, of the organization, called it the most powerful quake in Britain since a 5.4 quake hit North Wales in 1984.

"This was a very large earthquake in UK terms," he told The Associated Press. "This one has been felt throughout the whole of England and southern Scotland."

"It felt pretty scary," Haydn Jones of Nottingham, who lives in a third-floor apartment, told CNN. He said he had lived abroad in Japan and knew immediately what it was, but felt that a lot of those in England "didn't really know what was going on." Watch images of the damage caused by the quake »

Jones likened the feeling to "someone very big and angry jumping on the ceiling below you, rather than the floor."

He believed the shaking lasted about 10 seconds, but said, "time sort of stands still for you."

Earthquakes frequently hit Britain -- between 200 and 300 annually, according to the British Geological Survey, although most have a magnitude of less than 2.

Earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 to 4.9 hit mainland Britain about once every two years and strike beneath the North Sea about once per year.

Britain's strongest recorded quake was the North Sea quake of June 7, 1931, with a magnitude of 6.1. It was felt across the British isles and in northwestern Germany. The quake killed one person.

The most powerful onshore quakes occurred on July 19, 1984, in north Wales (magnitude 5.1) and on April 2, 1990, along the Welsh border with England (5.1 magnitude.)

A 4.6 magnitude quake in Colchester on April 22, 1884, was Britain's most damaging earthquake, knocking spires from churches and masonry from roofs. Turrets and parapets also fell, and brick walls and chimneys collapsed. Two people were killed.

haha

I decided to make a list of some of the best questions I've been asked since I've been in England. Here we go!
*"Do you know Pastor Bob? He moved to Texas from England."
*"Are you Mexican?"
*"Do you all drink tequila?"
*"Are you close to Brazil?"
*"Are you close to the equator?"
*"Is New Mexico an American state?"
*"Roadrunners are real birds?"
*"Are Lutherans even Christians?"

Hope you enjoyed as much as I have!

Dreaming Upside Down

Yesterday I spent a great day with Naomi in Manchester. Naomi is 18 and the daughter of half the management team of GNFC, Hazel and Roger. She is fantastic and has grown to be one of my favorite people in Buxton.
In Manchester I was once again confronted with globalization. And although there definitely are some comforts of seeing Pizza Hut, Urban Outfitters, Gap, and Super Cuts it doesn't seem quite right. It feels awkward and out of place. And I suppose that's because it is out of place. Naomi introduced me to Shared Earth. It is a fairtrade store just down the street from the Manchester train station. Fairtrade and organic products are one of my new favorite things that I've discovered while being in England. The treasures I found in Shared Earth were so much cooler than what I found in Primark or H&M. They were so much cooler than what you can find in Old Navy or Gap. But where did I choose to spend more money? Primark, not the fairtrade store. But why? It's cheaper of course. But why can't globalization be turned upside down to have the treasures from Shared Earth all over the world for easy acquiring?
And then today I remembered a poem that was read to us at our orientation in Chicago back in August.
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"Dreaming Upside Down"
By: Tom Peterson

I dreamed the other night that all the maps in the world had been turned upside down. Library atlases, roadmaps of Cincinnati, wall-sized maps in the war rooms of the great nations, even antique maps with such inscriptions as "Here be Dragons" were flipped over. What had been north was now south, east was west. Like a glob of melting vanilla ice cream, Antarctica now capped schoolroom globes.

In my dream, a cloud of anxieties closed around me. The United States was now at the bottom. Would we have to stand upside-down, causing the blood to rush to our heads? Would we need suction-cup shoes to stay on the planet, and would autumn leaves fall up? No, I remembered, an apple once bopped Newton on the head - no need to worry about these things.

Other things troubled me more. Now that we're at the bottom, would our resources and labor be exploited by the new top? Would African, Asian, and Latin American nations structure world trade to their advantage?

Would my neighbors and I have two-dollars-a-day seasonal jobs on peach and strawberry plantations? Would the women and children work from dusk to dawn to scratch survival from the earth of California and Virginia? Would the fruit we picked be shipped from New Orleans and New York for children in Thailand and Ethiopia to hurriedly eat with their cereal so they wouldn't miss the school bus? Would our children, then, spend the morning, not in school, but fetching water two miles away and the afternoon gathering wood for heating and cooking? Would a small ruling class in this country send their daughters and sons to universities in Cairo and Buenos Aires?

Would our economy be dependant upon the goodwill and whims of, say, Brazil? Would Brazil send war planes and guns to Washington, D.C. to assure our willingness to pick apples and tobacco for export while our children went hungry? Would Brazil and Vietnam fight their wars with our sons in our country? Would we consider revolution?

If we did revolt, would the Filippino government plot to put their favorite U.S. general in power, and then uphold him with military aid?

Would we work in sweatshops manufacturing radios for the Chinese? Would our oil be shipped in tankers to Southeast Asia to run their cars, air-conditioning and microwave ovens while most of our towns didn¹t even have electricity?

Would top of the world religious leaders call us stubborn pagans upon whom God¹s judgement had fallen, causing our misery? Would they proclaim from opulent pulpits that if we simply turned to God, our needs would be met?

In my dream, I saw child crying in Calcutta. Her parents wouldn't buy her any more video games until her birthday. I saw her mother drive to the supermarket and load her cart with frozen and junk food, vegetables, cheese, meat, and women's magazines.

I also saw a mother in Houston baking bread in an earthen oven. She had been crying because there were no more beans for her family. One of her children listlessly watched her. He was a blond boy, about six years old. He slowly turned his empty, haunting gaze toward me.

At that point I awoke with a gasp. I saw I was in my own bed, in my own house. It was just a bad dream. I drifted back to sleep, thinking, "It¹s all right, I'm still on top."

Thank God!

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Youth Weekend

The weekend before my vacation to Amsterdam was the retreat for the youth group I work with on Friday nights. It was such a great time but left me completely 'knackered'! We had about 12 youth aging from 11-18. We spent two nights at the Champion House in Edale. The Champion House is a Christian retreat center and Edale is a small village about 15 miles from Buxton. It is in the middle of the Peak District and just gorgeous.
The topic of the weekend was the Fruits of the Spirit. The kids engaged in a lot of good conversation. Check out this video we watched through out the weekend. I think it actually did help all of us remember the Fruits of the Spirit a little more!

Saturday we walked through the Peak District to Castleton and had lunch there and walked back. The weather couldn't have been better and I was so thankful for the blue skies and sunshine. It had been too long since I'd seen either one of them. I was very happy to be outside and able to fully enjoy the good weather. I was so entertained with the sheep carelessly grazing in the grass and kept taking pictures of them, which in return kept the youth group entertained with me. "Don't you have sheep in the US?" they would ask. "Well yes, but not in the desert." I would reply. I also had to remind them that I wasn't a circus act that they could have me repeat things simply for their enjoyment. But it was so much fun. They love asking me questions about America and return love teaching me about England. It works out pretty well!

Amsterdam Photos

If you would like to see my photos from Amsterdam visit:

http://nmsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036650&l=335e4&id=49000108

Amsterdam!

Last week I joined two fellow YAGMs in Amsterdam for a short ‘holiday’. It was a much needed break from Charis House, Buxton and England. We had so much fun being silly and goofing off.
I arrived Monday evening to gorgeous weather. We had dinner that night at an Irish pub and then spent the rest of the night sharing stories and catching up with each other. We discovered the I AMsterdam card—a discount card that gets you free transportation, free entrance to museums, and other discounts through out the city for 48 hours. This card cost about $60 and turned out to be worth every penny. Our other penny-saving technique was making a sandwich from the breakfast buffet at our hostel in the morning and packing it in our bags to eat while touring.
Tuesday morning we started our marathon sight-seeing with our free boat cruise through the canals of Amsterdam. The weather couldn’t have been better and it was such a fun way to see the city. Our next stop was the Stedelijk Musuem. This is a modern art museum that sounds great in the tour books, but turned out to be fairly disappointing. It once again confirmed that I don’t appreciate or understand modern art. But have no fear, we managed to keep ourselves entertained by being completely silly and taking ridiculous pictures. Our next stop was the Anne Frank House. It was simply amazing being in her house. So moving and powerful; just walking around brought me to tears. I’m sure it will be one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Seeing the bookcase, hearing the floor creak, looking out the windows, climbing the stairs, and seeing her magazine clippings she used to decorate her room—although all so simple independently were so emotional and powerful. Outside the Anne Frank House we met three sisters about 60-70 from California and the DC area. We chatted with them for a few minutes. They were in Amsterdam for a few days and then going on safari in Tanzania—so cool!!! I want to be a cool old lady like that!
Afterwards we walked across the canal to the Tulip Museum. It wasn’t so much as a flower shop with the history of tulips in the basement. But it was fun, and smelled terrific! Our final tourist stop for the day was the Neuwe Kerk (New Church) to see the exhibit of “Hidden Afghanistan”. It was the history of Afghanistan, the tribes that have lived there and the treasures they’ve left behind and the struggle to preserve them from the Taliban and others. It was very interesting.
Although the city is large, it is easily walkable and the architecture is beautiful. I discovered (with Kelly and Lindsey’s help) chocolate covered waffles that you can buy from street vendors. Very yummy!
Wednesday morning we started the day at the Rembrandt House. I was so intrigued to see that he had Gila monsters and armadillos in his art supply room. How on earth did he acquire those?!?! It was also great to see the powders that he would use to mix his paints. It made his paintings seem so much more impressive knowing that he couldn’t just squeeze his desired color out of a tube from Hobby Lobby. Following that we went to the Van Gogh Museum. It was fantastical! Once again I must say that I love art museums (but not so much modern art museums!). This was my second favorite part of Amsterdam. His paintings are so beautiful. I think the Almond Branches with Blossoms is my favorite Van Gogh piece, which I learned was painted as a gift for his nephew at his birth. Next we went to the Rijksmuseum, which commemorates the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. They had a giant doll house which was the highlight of the museum for me. It was about 6 feet tall, 4 feet wide, and encased in tortoiseshell. The owner paid as much for the dollhouse as a modest real house would have cost. There were also several Rembrandt pieces including “The Night Watch”. Our last museum of the day was the FOAM museum. It is a modern photography museum. Once again reaffirming how much I don’t get modern art! How is a picture of a decomposing body in a forest art?!?!
Thursday was our traveling day, returning to Buxton about 11pm. I had a lovely Valentine’s dinner with Lindsey. We sat on the floor of the Euston train station in London eating sandwiches and waiting for our trains home. But there is no other way I would have rather spent Valentine’s in England than with friends.

A Special Saturday

One of my least favorite things about working at Charis House is the weekend shifts. I work two Saturdays a month for an 8 hour shift. It's long with few tasks to pass the time. But one of the tasks available is to clean--yuck!

But last Saturday was special. One of the residents was celebrating her birthday. Maia, a member of staff made soup and home-made bread for a special birthday lunch for Beryl. Another one of the residents bought soda for all of us as well as desserts. Charmaine and Rosie (2 other residents) made a birthday cake for Beryl. It was so lovely that we could have such a nice celebration in a family-like setting.

The best end to a week

Each Friday has been the highlight of my weeks in England. Around 5:30pm, I go home with Chriss and her eldest son, Thom to their home in Furness Vale—about a 30 minute drive. Chriss is a staff member at Charis House and also one of the youth leaders at the church Charis House is associated with in Whaley Bridge. It’s wonderful having the opportunity to have a home-cooked meal with a family. Chriss' family consists of Nigel, Chriss, Thom, Lizi, and Alex.

I'm not quite sure what Nigel does, but I know that he is also a volunteer fire-fighter. As I mentioned earlier, Chriss works at Charis House. She is on the community support team, which works with clients in the community. Thom is 22 and teaches music technology at the University of Derby- Buxton. Lizi is 20 and is studying art at the University of Stafford in Stoke-en-Trent. She comes home occasionally on weekends, but we keep in touch on Facebook while she's away! Alex is 18 and finishing up his last year at "college" (high school). He hopes to study marine engineering next year.

Last Friday Thom and I had a competition naming all 50 states in the US. He won; but only because 1) I helped him quite a bit and 2) I forgot to write down some that I named out loud! We have a great time comparing cultures and learning from each other. Thom and Lizi spent a few weeks in the US a few years ago and we have a great time talking about our observations of our foreign lands and experiences.

After dinner we get ready for youth group at Good News Family Church in Whaley Bridge. Chriss, Nigel, and Thom are all leaders for the youth group and Alex is still a member of the group. But since he is one of the oldest members, he has also taken on a leader-type role.

I am so thankful that they have been kind enough to adopt me into their family--even for one night of the week. Dinner with their family and youth group is the best way I could end the week.

21+2

So Thursday was my first birthday away from home. Although I had to spend most of the day traveling from Wales back home to Buxton, it was a great day.

The morning started with everyone at the TFG conference singing happy birthday to me and another volunteer from Sweden. I'm definitely not a fan of being sung too, but I guess it really wasn't that bad. Then we all said good-byes since we were split on two different buses.

After a two hour bus ride from Mid-Wales to the Birmingham train station we had several hours to kill before our trains back to our various placements departed. Amy and I returned to Buxton around 4:30pm. Tammy and Lisa bought all the fixings for a Mexican feast. We made tacos, fajitas, and burritos. I made fresh guacamole with some green chile and salsa from home. But the best finishing touch was Jo and Lisa bought a piñata for me!!! I've named him Juan.

Tammy, Amy, Jo, Lisa, Naomi, and Matt were all there for the fiesta. It was the best birthday I could have had away from home. I was able to spend it with my American buddies, new friends from England, and food from home.