I ran an errand to Blockbuster on Tuesday afternoon, but it was closed, because it had been smashed and ripped apart, inside and out...

Come Lord Jesus

There are a lot of things that I could write about the horrible and scary riots that are going on in London, and spreading across England. There are a lot of opinions that I have about it, and part of me would love to send some of these young kids to help in Somalian refugee camps in Kenya to give them a bit of perspective on how good they have it. But really, when all is said and done, my heart just cries, "Come Lord Jesus. Please come quickly." A stronger government, a more "robust" police force, firmer parenting, and a better education system is not what is going to ultimately change the darkness and selfishness and hostility in their hearts. These kids are depraved. They need to be saved from themselves. So please come, King Jesus, and bring conviction to the deep rooted seeds of sin that are in their hearts. You are the only One who can change their hearts.

The other night I was walking home from having dinner with a woman who has been coming to our Bible study. I passed a group of young teenage guys, and as I walked by them, one of them commented on my figure, and I heard him ask if I would like to have sex. My heart sank, and I felt sick inside. I kept walking on, but my head was swirling. What kind of environment have these kids grown up in that they think it's okay to treat a woman like that? They are SO young, and regardless of that, they should not be saying those things. Why do they look at a woman and immediately think that? There is so much more to me than what's on the outside. Are they growing up learning that that's what women are for? To be used and put aside? By the time I got into my apartment, I was so confused and probably kind of angry. I ended up going back outside and confronting the kids, after I had cooled off a bit and prayed. They just said the same thing that they had before, laughing and trying to impress eachother. And I walked back into my flat and immediately remembered a friend who grew up in a similar environment as them, who came from a really broken family situation, and who was really angry at the world. But when he was 16, he began to start asking questions and searching, and opened up a Bible and committed his life to Jesus. Now he's preaching and discipling his fellow Brits in London. So I began to pray that God would do a similar redeeming work in those boys' lives, and every time I look out the window and see them playing out on the pitch, I'm going to commit to praying that they grow up to be men of integrity and humility, who are like Jeremiah with hearts on fire for the Lord and His work in London. I wonder if anyone has ever prayed for them before.

In light of all the chaos and tragedy that has been going on around the world in the past 2 weeks, I've been reflecting a lot on parts of Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change. And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at is swelling pride.






There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy dwelling places of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.




The nations made an uproar, the kingdoms tottered; He raised His voice, the earth melted.





THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US; THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR STRONGHOLD... THE LORD OF HOSTS IS WITH US; THE GOD OF JACOB IS OUR STRONGHOLD.

Saturday nights in Camden...

Read this the other day and was really encouraged:

But to be still more practical, we are to stand fast in the faith for the sake of our own happiness. There is no other way to be happy in a world like this except by standing fast in the faith. Doubts will come for certain; the enemy will attack you and try to shake you. Paul puts it perfectly when, in writing to the church at Ephesus, he tells them to put on the Christian armour, but, above all things, he says "Take the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the adversary." It is essential to "stand fast in the faith" when we are assailed by doubt. And it is essential as against feelings. If we trust to our feelings and to our moods, the time will come when we shall be feeling miserable. We shall wake up in the morning feeling tired and lethargic and the question will come to us, "Why go on with it? I do not feel like going on with it." There is only one answer when you feel like that. It is the faith, the truth! It is our only means to happiness. It is essential also against the facts of life. There come "the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune". Illness comes, disappointment comes, difficult circumstances arise, a world war takes place, our profession is lost, our business is gone, sorrow knocks at the door of your home and someone dearer than life is taken away. Death comes, either in battle, or on the sea, or in the air, or quietly in a room. How can I face the facts of life? There is but one way: "Stand fast in the faith." It has envisaged all these things. It has provided for them all; it covers them all. It is the faith for life. It is the faith for death. It is the faith for all eternity. "Stand fast in the faith." -Martyn Lloyd-Jones (on 1 Corinthians 16:13-14, in "The Christian in an age of Terror")

Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse, a local Camdener, died on Saturday. Her security team found her dead in her house on Camden Square. Some of my teammates and I went by her house this afternoon to spend some time praying for her family and friends, and for the many other people in this area of London who struggle with drug and alcohol addictions. When a lot of people think of Amy Winehouse, they immediately think of her hit song "Rehab", which she wrote a few years ago as a response to people encouraging her to seek help for her addictions ("They tried to make me go to rehab, and I said 'No, no, no'."). We were talking today about how, in the midst of all the brokenness that we hear about from her life, she was a woman made in the image of God, and the Camden community saw pieces of that beauty in the way that she really loved and cared about this part of London. She was a hit singer with a lot of talent, who could have lived anywhere, and yet she took a firm stance in remaining in Camden, where her talent was first found. And she was often seen in the local grocery stores or pubs, hanging out with the locals here. It's really sad to hear of how she numbed herself to the pain and depression that existed in her life, though, and how she was so lost without Jesus, the only One who can heal the pain and be the ultimate Balm. Outside of her house, people have left notes that say "Heaven is rocking now. Jesus alone saves," and "Hope you have better luck in your next life", and "Amy is at peace now." It's obvious and sad that people are trying to numb their own selves to the reality of death, by glossing over this tragedy. They don't know how to respond. Amy is dead. I have been praying that she accepted Jesus into her heart before her death, but the reality is that if she didn't, she's not rocking in heaven now, and she won't have better luck in the "next life". I know that sounds really harsh, but this needs to be a wake-up call, not another numbing lotion, for people's hearts that our time can come at any time. And that there is so much pain in this world, but there is One who CAME DOWN and WALKED AMONG us to know first-hand what it's like here, and who then died for all of the brokenness here. It's also a wake-up call to us believers that we cannot be silent about Christ. We need to be hanging out with those people who are struggling and trying to numb themselves in whatever capacity and tell them the freeing news, not out of obligation, but out of compassion and love and a burden that we long for them to be rocking it out in heaven someday with Jesus too.

Text Messages from my bouncer friend J, after tea outreach tonight:

J: Thank you so much for the Bible that you gave me.

Me: My pleasure, J. I've found the promises and character of God that I read about in the Bible very comforting when I've been in hard situations. I'm sorry that things are so hard right now. I'm praying for you.

J: Thank you for your kind words. I just feel I may have sinned past the point of redemption and feel like my own worst enemy tonight, so I could definitely do with some guidance.

Me: I have been there, and I know that you are not past the point of redemption. That is why we need Jesus. Check out Romans 5 and 8 when you can tonight. Would it to be helpful to meet for coffee to talk more? I can bring my church minister, so that it is not awkward for you.

J: No, it wouldn't be awkward at all. I just need some sort of advice or guidance or something lol. I don't even know myself lol.

Me: Okay, when would work for all of us to get together this week?

J:I really don't know yet. Maybe we could discuss it Wednesday [WHEN OUR SKEPTICS STUDY MEETS!]?

Me: Okay, sounds great! Praying for you.

J: Thank you so much.

Dear Praying Friends, I know that there are groups of you that pray specifically for the people we meet at our Saturday night tea outreaches. Please PLEASE pray for J this week. He told me tonight at tea that he is about to lose his job because of a mistake he made a few years ago, which he feels horrible about. He looked like a mess and was tearing up while he was talking with me. He said that he has been praying to God, but God doesn't seem to be answering. I bought him a Bible and gave it to him tonight (praise God for the timing!), and encouraged him to start in Romans and John. He asked me when our next skeptics study is, and I said Wednesday, and he said that he would be there. Please pray that he turns to Jesus Christ. I don't think it's a coincidence that he was asking all of those questions last week and just got this bad news about his job. The man is getting to the end of himself. Please pray that he would run to Jesus. Thank so much for praying!! God is really blessing our tea ministry!

This is what my team leader wrote to his supporters, which I'm just going to copy:)

But wait, there's more. As the women were leaving, someone knocked on O's door. It was a guy our team had met on the streets several weeks before. He had prayed with C and O, and for the first time in his life had acknowledged that Jesus was Lord and the only way to come to the Father. That day he was drunk. Last night he was completely sober. He had a crumpled flyer for the Jesus study in his hand, and a question for O burning in his mind. He has been sober since C prayed for him, and he has felt alive and eager to tell people about Jesus - and he wanted to know: What has happened to me?! O explained that when we put our trust in Jesus as Lord, he comes and lives in us - what he was experiencing was the presence of God's Holy Spirit in his life! He now wants to become part of the church and be baptized. How awesome is that?! Rejoice with us and with the angels that one of God's lost children has been found - and also pray for O and all of us in Lysan as we welcome this guy and grow together as disciples of Jesus.

Someone we've been spending time with just accepted Christ and wants to get baptized!!!

My flesh is really screaming at me this week. I am so tired of the ways that I feed my insecurities- wanting to buy more clothes, comparing my body figure to other women's, wanting guys to notice me, seeking affirmation like mad (Jeremiah 2:13). I've been thinking a lot about the verse in Psalm 127 that talks about "feeding on the bread of our anxious toil". I'm eating a lot of bread right now, and it's not life-giving and satisfying. My flesh is kind of like the shrieking eels from the epic film "The Princess Bride" (that'd be a good book title- "The Screaming Eels of our Flesh" :). And yet God is so merciful to me, and so faithful, when my heart is so quick to go wayward. That's why I'm called to a Lifestyle of Repentance... Not to beat myself over the head, but to acknowledge that I daily need the Holy Spirit to do a turn-around in my wayward heart, and bring me back to the living, life-giving Bread of Jesus. I'm feeling very thankful for the Gospel message this evening.

Aslan is on the move...

MY MARKET FRIEND CAME TO THE SKEPTICS STUDY TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And she said that she'll be back next week! And I got a text from my bouncer friend (love having friends who are bouncers!) J, who said that he couldn't make it tonight, but was wondering when we'd be having another study, and said, "Have fun saving souls." I was really encouraged by that, even if he didn't come, since he initiated contact with me and knows that we're meeting to talk about the Lord. I got to share the Gospel with him last Saturday night (see post below).
Thank you so much for praying, guys!! V was 30 minutes late, and we didn't think that anyone would show, and it was okay. We weren't that bummed this week... I think we're learning that we are called to be available, and that God is in control and will bring those He wants to bring. So I was pretty ecstatic when someone actually showed up.

I was thinking this morning about how great a blessing it is that I moved into this new flat in March, which has a spare bed in my room. Since coming here, I think someone's been sleeping in the extra bed at least once a week. Especially lately, it's really come in use for serving others who need a break or a place to stay. Last night I got a phonecall that there was a mix-up in the hostel booking for our dear female summer intern. She got back to her room last night to find all of her stuff put into garbage bags and hauled out of the room... Not fun. So she's staying here for a few days, which is so great! It's just been a good reminder to me of how God has blessed us with certain resources for a reason, even things as "small" as an extra bed. Sometimes I really need my downtime and space, and I think last year I would have really had a hard time with people coming through all the time. But it's been really amazing to experience Him working in my heart and really becoming a lot more chill, and growing in me a heart for hospitality, even in close quarters. That's something I'm thanking Him for today.

Ploughing ahead

Some of our team spent yesterday afternoon sitting along the canal, playing music and talking to people who stopped by. When our two interns stopped by my flat for dinner later on, I asked how the rest of their time there was. K said that she really felt like we were sitting among some very broken and despairing Camdeners. People were dealing drugs right next to us, smoking up, and getting drunk on whiskey, while our team talked with them. She said that it is so easy to feel like God is not at work here in Camden, and that she could see why it can get so discouraging. "How do we reach these people with the Gospel?" she said.


Last night we all met up for our weekly tea outreach. Like every Saturday night, I ventured over to The World's End pub to hang out with my bouncer friends. J, who was manning one of the doors, gave me a big hug, and I asked him how he was doing this week. He said that he has been pretty sick this week and was in the hospital. We gave him his tea, and I asked if I could pray for his ears. He said, "No one has ever prayed for me before. I feel kind of weird about it. How does it work?" I said that I was just going to talk to God outloud and ask Him to heal J. He let me pray for him, and then something really amazing happened. J said, "May I ask you guys a question? Are you Catholic, Protestant, or born again? I know that there must be a God. I look out the window and see the trees and know that Someone had to create it. I have so much brokenness and have messed up so much, so does that mean that I'm going to hell?" I HAVE BEEN HANDING THIS GUY TEA FOR ALMOST A YEAR, AND I'VE BEEN LONGING FOR THIS DAY FOR SO LONG!!! And it finally happened! He finally opened up and I got to share the Gospel with him and talk about the cross and God's love and forgiveness towards J through Jesus Christ, and that he just needs to have faith in Christ!!! We talked for so long and he kept saying, "I'm sorry, I have another question." I said, "J, don't apologize. I`ve been waiting to have this conversation with you for a year!`` Thank You, Lord God! We exchanged numbers, and I invited him to our skeptics study, and he said to please text him this week to remind him of it. I left jumping up and down. The soil here is so hard, and I get so discouraged, but what a reminder that God is at work. He is able to break through the concrete. It might take a year and 50 cups of tea before someone starts opening up, but it is happening!

Last week I tried a kangaroo burger at the Camden market!

Next week will be ostrich. :)

"So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. You will say to me then, 'Why does He still find fault? For who resists His will?' On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, 'Why did you make me like this,' will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honourable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known, endured with patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, even us, whom He called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles." Romans 9:18-24

Upon first reading this today, I initially gulped, to be honest. That's been one of the big questions I've been asking God lately- "Why, if You are all-powerful God, can't you just break through and open more people's eyes here? Why do some people have to be 'vessels of wrath'?" But then I finished reading the passage, and saw the words "endured with patience", "molded vs molder", "riches of glory". And I thought about what Paul wrote earlier in this letter (5:8), "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that WHILE we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." WE were the ones who disobeyed Him. We were the ones who turned our backs on Him in the garden, when He was offering us perfection. He was the One who was obedient to His Father. He was the One who turned His back on His perfect Son. He was the One who offered us forgiveness and healing. That's the love and mercy of God. So who am I to say that it's not fair that not everyone is going to be a vessel of mercy? We all disobeyed God. It's only by HIS mercy that I can even be called a "vessel of mercy". If it wasn't for Jesus absorbing God's wrath, I'd be a vessel of wrath today. So if anything, this should not leave me in a place of despair and complacency, but move me to a place of humility and urgency for my friends. But not a stressful, "it's on me" urgency, because He knows who He "prepared beforehand for His glory." God is enduring in patience towards us. I don't know who He has called. I'm just now called to be a vessel of His mercy towards others and preach this beautiful and upside-down and merciful message.

A fellow apprentice friend reminded me of this today...

‎"Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger, than when a human, no longer desiring, but intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys." C.S.Lewis in Screwtape Letters

Something beautiful

On Monday, a 93 year old South African man stopped by the book table and asked if we had any French Bibles. I told him that we just had the Gospel of John in French, but if he left his contact info, I would get him a French Bible and send it to him. Instead, he said that he would come back today, while we're doing book table. Today at 2pm, I was walking down Camden High Street, past The World's End pub. It was raining quite a lot, so we were delayed in getting the table set up. As I walked past the pub, I looked up to see D standing there, waiting. I walked up to him grinning. "You followed through and came," he responded. "Oh course I did! This book changed my life," I said laughing. I gave him the French Bible, and we stood there, in the rain, for 45 minutes talking about the Gospel. It was a beautiful time. He told me that he had travelled all the way from the Isle of Dogs (on the other side of London) to meet me today for the Bible. My phone rang a few times, and I didn't care. Listening to this old man tell me some of his story and share about how hard it is to believe in God when he's seen so many horrible things done in the name of God (I can only imagine- he's lived through many global and local wars, including being a black man during Apartheid), was heart-wrenching. I told him that he made me think of Simeon, from the Gospels, who waited his whole life to see the Messiah, and that once he had met Jesus, he was able to die peacefully. D is 93. He doesn't profess faith in Christ yet, but he is searching and hungry and asking a lot of questions. I'm praying that the Lord's word falls on an open heart, and that the Holy Spirit opens this dear man's eyes, and that he'll soon be celebrating like Simeon did when he met Jesus. Come Lord Jesus.

Last night we hosted our second Skeptics Bible study. And for the 2nd week in a row, no one showed up. People cancelled at the last minute or weren't reachable right beforehand to confirm their coming. My teammate O and I sat there for a while, feeling pretty discouraged. We spent a while praying and asking God if He wanted us to do something different. We were pretty honest with Him about how hard it is to see this happen a second week in a row. Having a skeptics Bible study just seems like a logical step in sharing the good news of Jesus with our friends, in an environment where it's not rushed, there's little distraction, and where others are there to also talk and disagree and be honest. We're here. We want to see people come to know the amazing message of the Gospel. We want to be used for His name's sake. And He tells us that we just need faith the size of a mustard seed, and I told God last night that I think we have that. So why isn't He bringing in people? I know that He's all-powerful, and that He's able to overhaul and change people's apathetic and cynical hearts, so why aren't we seeing Him doing that more?
Then this morning, I was reminded that when Jesus went to the cross and died, it probably looked pretty foolish and senseless to a lot of people who were there. And some of His followers must have felt pretty stupid right after He died, before He showed up on the road to Emmaus, even though He promised that He'd rise from the dead. Cleopas, one of the travellers, even asked the "stranger" if He was completely unaware of what had been happening in Jerusalem in the last 3 days.
And when Stephen was crying out "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God", the Jews covered their ears and ran towards him, and drove him out of the city, stoning him. At the time, his martyrdom probably didn't make sense to a lot of people around him, including Saul. And to have stones thrown at you after you've proclaimed so thoroughly that the giving of the law through Moses to the Jews was the sign of the covenant, and that Jesus was the seal of the covevant, I would imagine must have been discouraging. And even from a physical war perspective, when the allied troops landed on the shores of Normandy on D Day, and they were completely massacred and saw their comrades bodies strewn in the ocean, they had no idea that they were on the brink of overriding the enemy. God's kingdom is everlasting. Satan's kingdom is crumbling. He is on the move. And we are called to stand firm and steadfast and continue proclaiming His truth, whether people come to our study or not. We have no idea what is just around the corner, but we do have a Living Hope, whose name is Jesus, and He has promised that He will come back again, in triumph!

O Canada at Trafalgar Square

Yesterday was Canada's 144th birthday, and I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting up with some Canadian friends from my church back home (who are all working over here in London right now). For those of you who don't know what Canada's national anthem sounds like, or just want to see some Canadians belting it out in England, I thought I would share a bit of it with you. :)

A dear friend just posted this on her facebook wall, and I thought I would share it. It was an encouragement for me to read this morning. It's from the Gospel Coalition blog (http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/scottysmith/2011/07/01/a-prayer-for-hoping-in-gods-steadfast-love/)

SCOTTY SMITH|4:55 AM CT
A Prayer for Hoping in God’s Steadfast Love
The king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. The war horse is a false hope for salvation, and by its great might it cannot rescue. Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love. Ps. 33:16–18

Dear heavenly Father, though it’s not fun, it’s a good thing to come to the end of ourselves—to be in situations where all of our resources, all of our “goodness” and all of our idols begin to fail us. Indeed, it’s a gospel thing to feel the pain of knowing whatever worked in the past is not working in the present; to feel the confusion of not knowing what to do next; to feel the helplessness of being out of control. It hurts, but it hurts real good and for our good.

For only in those moments do we abandon ourselves to the God who alone can part Red Seas when our enemies are pursuing us; serve fresh quail in the wilderness to his hungry thankless children (Exodus 16); overthrow whole Midianite armies with three hundred gun-less soldiers (Judges 7); take down Goliaths by young shepherds armed with pebbles (1 Samuel 17); deliver his people from the fire or through the fire (Daniel 3); feed multitudes with a few fish and pieces of bread (Matthew 14); raise a dead man for the salvation of his people and the transformation of the cosmos.

Lord Jesus, you are that dead man who now lives and we abandon ourselves to you today. You are the One who is redeeming his bride and making all things new. It is your steadfast love that we can and must hope in today. There is no other supply sufficient to the need. There is no other strength sufficient for the task. There is no other balm sufficient for the pain. There is no other rest sufficient for the exhaustion. There is no other hope sufficient for our cries and crises. Hoping in you alone holds the promise of the end of all disappointment and shame (Romans 5:1-5 ESV), for you were shamed for us on the cross, and raised for our salvation and deliverance (Hebrews 12:1-3).

So we bring our wounded and broken hearts to you. We bring our struggling marriages to you. We bring our jobless families to you. We bring our chronic pain to you. We bring our divided churches to you. We bring our ever besetting sins and addictions to you. We bring our conflicted relationships to you. We bring our wayward children to you. We bring our unbelieving friends to you. We bring the needs of our community to you. We bring it all to you, Jesus. We will trust in you and your steadfast love. Where else can we go? Astonish us by bringing much glory to yourself in the coming hours, days and months. So very Amen we pray, in your merciful and mighty name.

The Street Yeller

Today I had the pleasure of introducing our two wonderful, summer interns to Camden book table. We spent 2 hours outside of World's End Pub with our little table full of New Testaments and Gospels and flyers in various languages. It was a lot of fun and just felt really good to engage in conversation with people passing by, and get to share the Gospel and see some people take NTs. As we were nearing the end of our time, it started to rain, so we began packing up. While we were putting things away, we heard a guy across the street yelling. I turned around to see a man standing there with a stick that said "Jesus" on the top of it. He was pointing his finger at a group of teens and yelling at them, telling them that they are going to go to hell. I shuddered, and one of our interns ran across the street, after the group of guys to apologize. I crossed the street and went up to the guy and said, "Why are you yelling at everyone?" He said that they were all going to hell if they didn't believe in Jesus, and that Jesus told us to command people. I said, "I believe in Jesus, but I don't think that we should be yelling condemnation at them like that." He said, "Shut up! That's a command." Then he began yelling "Passports! Got your passports for heaven?" A few other teens came up to him, and he said some pretty sad stuff to them. Then a young kid came up to him and started mockingly yelling, "Jesus! It's Jesus! I thought you had a beard." His friends started laughing, and I stood there tearing up. It was such a sad thing to see. Why did he have to talk to people like that? Why couldn't he have approached them in a way that was bold, but full of compassion and love. Isn't that actually what Jesus commanded us to do? And what kinds of hard things have happened to him that have brought him to this place of thinking that that's how we're called to share the Gospel? Makes me sad.

We just had a guy come up to us while doing tea outreach tonight by the tube station. It was really freaky. He stood right infront of Oli, got really close and said that he was a demon and then began to say horrible things about Jesus. He told O to take his glasses off and he looked really closely into his eyes and started saying really creepy stuff. And then O asked if he wanted to be free, and began rebuking him, and the guy backed up and began hissing and distorting his body. When O asked him again if he would like to be free, he said, "No, yes, maybe, I don't know." And then he came back really close to O and there were tears in his eyes, but he kept saying really creepy stuff. He asked us where we were going, and I said, "We're going to go pray for you right now." And he said that he didn't want to be prayed for. I kept praying while he was talking so weirdly to O, and then eventually Oli said that he felt like we needed to leave, and the guy said, "Don't leave the conversation. I won't sleep until we finish this." It was so weird. My body is completely shot from that conversation. When we left the tube station and started walking home, my whole body just felt wiped. It was such a weird feeling. It was exhausting. I've seen crazy stuff before, but I have never stood that close to someone and looked into their eyes and seen so much darkness, or seen something controlling someone's body like that. ugh. Lord, have mercy. This place is crazy.

Things I've started enjoying since coming to London:

-Cheese, and all kinds of cheese! I like going to the open markets and buying a slice of something new, getting a red apple from another stall, and eating them together.

-Red wine. It use to make me sleepy, and I didn't like the taste, but I really enjoy having the occasional glass when eating with people now. Merlot and Shiraz are my favourites.

-Random bands I had never heard of before, like Florence and the Machine, Mumford and Sons, James, and Colin Hay.

-Converse shoes. Enough said.

-Wool cardigans.

-Fresh flowers in a vase in my room. It helps make the grey days less blah. :)

-Playing tennis! (see June 11 post for complete details)

-Walking in cow pastures... Always loved hiking, but didn't have many opportunities to walk through fields with cows and bulls (maybe that's a good thing).

-Pottery... I've really started to like things made from clay.

-Mochas!

-Gas stoves... They're great. They still kind of scare me, but they cook very fast and reliably (Yay for efficiency! My German great-grandmother would applaud me, I'm sure).

-Iphones. I don't have one, and I'm not sure that I want one, but it's very handy working with people who have them.

-Sticky Toffee pudding. Amazing.

I`ve been here for a year and just found the best Mocha in London... Yum. I know it`s a chain and not an independent place, but I`m okay with that.

wow!

A woman that I've been getting together with in the market (she's a trader there) is now professing faith in Jesus! When she was sitting next to me at the Easter service in April, she told me that she wanted to know Jesus. When I asked her what's stopping her, she said, "My reasoning. I'm trying to reason it out." Today I stood in her stall in the market and heard her say, "E, remember what I was saying about wanting to know Jesus in the winter? I'm not where I want to be yet, but I'm getting there. He is placing such a joy in my heart. I know now it's about having faith." Praise God!!!!!! Please pray that she'd start coming to our women's prayer group on Wednesdays. She is very young in her faith, and there is a lot of wishy-washy mystique stuff that people are giving her to read, that's saying that Jesus isn't really the Son of God. Please pray that she wouldn't be isolated but be a part of Christian community.

June 16

Yesterday I celebrated my 1 year anniversary of being here in London. Last June 16, I stepped off a BA plane at terminal 5 at 6am in the morning, totally unaware of what this year would hold. Yesterday morning (not at 6am!), I headed down to meet some of my teammates in the market, where we spent some time reading Psalm 115 and 116 together and praying for the market. Then we went out and gave muffins to market traders and got into some really good discussions. Afterwards, I trekked over to my team leader's house and worked on formatting a worship book that we're putting together for the churchgroup. I also helped to welcome the summer interns, who stopped by to meet our team. And in the evening, I got together with my friend/fellow apprentice who stepped off the plane with me, and then went to watch X-Men with some other apprentices. It was a good day. And just amazing to think of how different June 16, 2011 was from the one in 2010. I had no idea what I was getting myself into! But God did, and He's been so faithful through it all.

After 16 years of not picking up a tennis racquet, I made my debut onto the court, and a British one at that. I think the sport must come naturally to all of them (maybe because it was birthed in England), because some of them said they were "rubbish" at the sport, and yet were whacking the ball around like it was no one's business. All 3 of them were very understanding, as I lobbed the ball over the fence on my first try. I think I heard "unlucky" more than I have ever heard it in my life, as my serves went wide of the box 3/4 of the time. The whole "Remain calm and carry on" mentality must be ingrained in them, because they actually tolerated my bouncing and hopping around the court in much glee. I'm not sure about them, but I had a complete blast!!! :)

8 Ways to Live Missionally

1. Eat with unbelievers (You have to eat, anyway! If you can do it with someone else, why not do it?)

2. Walk, don't drive (Be intentional about your community. ie: Why does God have me on this particular bus? Open your ears... What are you hearing?)

3. Be a regular (ie: Try to go to the same coffee shop)

4. Do hobbies with unbelievers

5. Talk to your co-workers

6. Volunteer at Non-Profits

7. Participate in city events

8. Serve your neighbours

(from Chris Hatch, WHM)

This makes me sad, and I think it is a very accurate reflection of the state of Europe and the Church here. This is a massive church in Vienna, Austria. And they're paying for church upkeep and renovations by placing this massive, bikini (she is wearing a top and a bottom, fortunately. I've just photoshopped it a bit, so it's not as riske to see on my blog) swimsuit advertisement on the front of the building. That really makes my heart ache. Please pray for Vienna and the believers who are there. I got to go for a few days in May, along with the other WHM apprentices. We met with a WHM churchplant. Europe needs Jesus.

Some Recent Favourite Shots

Artists on Charles Bridge, Prague
Stephansdom, Vienna, Austria

Broken Fence
Top of Catbells, Lake District, England
Church between hills
London on the Thames
Keswick, The Lake District, Northern England

If God had told me some time ago that He was about to make me as happy as I could be in this world, and then had told me that He should begin by crippling me in arm or limb and removing me from all my usual sources of enjoyment, I should have thought it a very strange mode of accomplishing His purpose. And yet, how is His wisdom manifest even in this! For if you should see a man shut up in a closed room, idolizing a set of lamps and rejoicing in their light, and you wished to make him truly happy, you would begin by blowing out all his lamps, and then throw open the shutters to let in the light of heaven. -Samuel Rutherford

Foraging

One of the best things about being in London this year is getting to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law, who moved an 1 hr train away shortly after I arrived. That has been a big blessing!
R and N are quite the chefs and are always trying new recipes and foods. Everytime I have visited them, I have had my palate opened to a whole new experience, from venison to ox tail to celery root to many other delicious things. This past Saturday was no different. I trained it out for a short visit and was told that we were going to go "foraging". So we got into the car, went out into remote, beautiful English countryside, and began picking things out of the ground that I had never known were edible. At one point I turned around to see my sister munching happily on a dandelion! And at the end of the walk, we picked 1/2 bag of stinging nettle (kind of like poison ivy), the plant that everyone despises and fears. I dove into a patch of it when playing frisbee in Ireland a few years ago, and it was not pleasant. But apparently nettle soup was said to be delicious, so after "foraging" around, we went back and made it. And once again, my sibs introduced me to a wonderful new dish!

A woman who I have been talking to in the market for the past 5 months came to the Easter service this afternoon, and brought her little daughter! She sat next to me and said, "I believe in God. I'm trying to know Jesus." I asked her what's stopping her, and she said, "Reason... My reasoning. But my little girl definitely believes in Jesus." We talked for a while, and then the service started, and I stood next to her and heard her singing her heart out. My team leader and wife and I are hoping to have her and her daughter over for dinner in a couple weeks.

I'm realizing more and more that there really is a spiritual banner over my head that says that I belong to Jesus ("His banner over me is love"). This afternoon, while I was getting ready to set up for our Easter egg outreach, I had another hard encounter with a woman. I had seen her lying in the bushes by the local Camden parish, and I went up to her and said hi. She got angry and told me to leave her alone. Then she came right up to my teammate and I a few minutes later, got angry and yanked her shirt up, exposing herself to everyone standing there. It was really sad. I'm just feeling very aware that there's a spiritual battle going on and satan is not liking what we're doing. That was sad to see.

Easter Sunday in Camden

This morning, before heading to the Camden Community joint church service, I went to the market. My team leader and I were going to meet with a trader who wasn't able to come to church and read a bit of John with her. This is what I saw when I walked into the market on Easter Sunday morning...



The place was absolutely packed. I wanted to get up ontop of a bench and yell, "Guys, He's risen! Stop shopping and come celebrate with us!" I didn't have the guts to do that, but it was kind of sad to see SO many people spending Easter Sunday shopping around a market.

One of my teammates and I were out flyering by the big local Sainsbury's (grocery store chain) in Camden this afternoon. We were inviting families to the Easter egg hunt we're doing at the local parish next door to the store, as well as the joint Easter worship service that we're doing afterwards with other small churches in the area.
A lot of people took flyers and seemed interested. But one woman came right up to me, before she even saw the flyer and knew what I was handing out, and said, "I don't believe in God. I believe in myself." Then she walked away. I wasn't saying anything that would mark me as a Christian, and the flyers don't have massive print that says, "This girl believes in God." So how did she know what I was about? She then went over to the other side of the street and gave a piece of her mind to my teammate. He said it was a pretty discouraging conversation. How did she know to go right over to where he was? There were a TON of people along the street, and he wasn't saying anything, either, that'd say that he was flyering for a church. There is definitely a spiritual battle going on here.

I am so thankful that Jesus died for my sins, and that He loves me!

You alone can rescue.
You alone can save.
You alone can lift us from the grave.
You came down to find us,
Let us out of death.
To YOU ALONE belongs the highest praise!

You have made a way.
The great divide You healed
For when our hearts were far away,
Your love went further still.
(Matt Redman)

5.5 days until my pals come!!!!! So looking forward to some of "home" being in England for a week.

Dear well-dressed British businessman,

I saw that look of agony and dismay on your face as you jumped through the horde of tourists on Oxford Street today, and I felt your pain. I will join you in signing my name to any of those petitions that request that a barrier be put down the middle of the sidewalk to keep the shopping tourists to their own pace. I really don't want to keep stepping on their heels.
Hope you made it home,
E

Palm Sunday Walk up Camden High Street

This is a typical site that I see as I walk across this bridge on my way home and peer over Camden Lock- teens, and lots of them. They're there on the weekends at all hours, sitting/standing in circles, drinking beer, and hanging out. I'll walk by at midnight after Saturday night tea outreach, and they'll still be there talking. Sometimes I wonder if they have parents who know and care where they are and what they're doing. I want to reach out to them and show them the love of Jesus. I've passed this site for 10 months now, and I just don't know how.


Last weekend, two of my musically gifted teammates and I went down to this area of the lock, sat down with our guitar and djembe and began singing worship songs.

The place was PACKED with young people. Some of them began sitting closer to us, one coming right up and sitting by my drum. He told us that he had grown up in a Baptist church and had been really involved, but had thrown it all away when he was 18. M told us that him and God had been fighting for a long time and that M had given up on Him. My teammate said, "Well, Jesus has never left you." M went very quiet, bowed his head, and said, "Thank you. Maybe this was His will that I would run into you today. Maybe I needed to hear this." I gave him a flyer for our Easter service next week. I'm praying that he'll come. I'm also hoping that this will become a regular thing and will lead to many more conversations about Jesus with other young people down by the canal.

Spring in Regent's Park!!!

Author`s tip: Don`t throw petals up in the air and look up with your mouth open. They don`t taste amazing.

Someone told me a while back that when you live in London, you really need to have some plants to cope with the dreary weather. I took their advice and haven't looked back. I've gotten herbs, potted gerberas, bushes, and now daffodils. They seem to be popping up everywhere in London, even in public spaces along the roads. I love it! They're so bright and cheery, especially on the rainy days. There's a floral shop down the street from my flat that sells them for cheap. I like picking up a bunch, putting them in some water, and then seeing them pop open the next day. And for a girl who doesn't have the greenest of thumbs, when they die next week, I'll just venture back down the store and get some more... And watch them pop open!

I DANCED AROUND IN MY ROOM TODAY!!! I think I'm slowly getting better! wahooooooo!

Nice to have some family around

While in Oxford...

I've always had a bit of a love of church history, particularly reformation history. There's something so enriching and powerful about hearing the stories of people who have blazed the trail before us. When preparing to come to England, I remember sitting at my parents' table last April, while visiting them, and googling Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, two martyrs during the English reformation. Hugh Latimer is famously quoted as saying to Ridley, while they were being burned to death, "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out." Two weeks ago, I walked out of a shop in Oxford, while family was visiting. They were standing in the middle of the road, where it was a square area of bricks and not pavement. And there was an engravement by the site saying that it was where Latimer and Ridley were burned to death in 1555 for wanting to have the Bible translated into English. And now I get to be a very small part of carrying on the candle here in England partly by handing out English Bibles. What a crazy thought...

I can't wait until I'm better and can RUN again!!!!

A taste of Ireland

It was so good to see 2 friends from Ireland on Sunday afternoon. A few of us who were part of the WHM Ireland internship or staff in 2007 got together in Covent Garden. I hadn't seen these two friends for 3.5 years, and though it was brief, it was so great to catch up a bit!

On my walk home from church last night...

MAP on a map

Last week I found out that two people I know tried to end their lives. My pastor's little girl fell down the stairs and hit her head, causing some bleeding in her head and multiple CT scans and tests. I watched on the news as a boat in a Japanese fishing port was swallowed up by the tsunami and then hurled under a highway overpass, crushing it to pieces, while I'm sitting on the couch eating icecream. Yesterday I was walking home from a meeting and heard a mother yell angrily at her little girl, who was coming out of school, to "get her hands off the car door! I just had it cleaned!!" One of my dear friends emailed me yesterday and mentioned that our highschool student president had skin cancer go to his brain. Sometimes the brokenness around me, around this world, and in me is overwhelming. We are so frail and fragile. Where do we run with all of this brokenness? We complain about being so busy and tired and having "full" schedules. Wouldn't some people give anything for more time on earth? We complain about how small our houses are and "if only...". It could be made into matchsticks from an earthquake. We shout at our kids to not mess up the car handle when they get in. Wouldn't some parents give anything for their kids to have the physical ability to get into a car by themselves? Or to even have kids at all. Lord, have mercy on us. Melt our selfish, self-loving hearts. Give us eyes to see You and the blessing of the life You've given us, and mouths that cry out to You to heal the brokenness in us and around us.

Guess what?!

Yesterday I heard myself saying to a friend that having mono has been a blessing in my life! I never thought I'd be able to say that, but God has been doing some amazing shaping and renovating in my heart. I don't like having it. I don't like having chronic achy muscles and days where I can't do much, or run down the street to catch a bus, but God has been using it to show me the Gospel in a fresh new way, and that's a big blessing and joy to me, despite the frustrations and difficulties. I've never been in a state this long where I see my limitations and inabilities so right in my face, and just have to stop. The head knowledge of knowing that my worth is not found in what I can do is really seeping down into my frozen heart and melting it to really be able to know that and believe it. I'm learning about what it means to find my competency and adequacy (2 Cor 3) in Christ instead of in my gifts and abilities, and that my weaknesses leave more ground for God to move and show His glory and power in my circumstances. And that I am lovely in God's sight, because He is my Father and cares for me and delights in me just the same on slower days and "nonproductive" days than when I'm out in Camden doing "ministry".
"...for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned (ESV: bound)." 2 Tim 2:9 I am so thankful that even though I am bound in my physical state right now, God's word is not bound and held down, but He is alive and not leaving me in a place of despair, but moving me to a place of deep contentment and joy in the midst of my physical imprisonment with Mono. What a beautiful God we serve. Who can compare?

This is my team:

Since being affiliated with World Harvestites for the past few years, and particularly this past year in London, I've noticed some unique sayings that I've begun to appreciate, as well as adopt into my own vocabulary.

-Saying "Yeah" 3 times in a row, or 4 if you're really excited about something.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

-Asking someone, "How is your heart?" Sometimes I am tempted to respond, "Well, I've been having a normal sinus rhythm today with a bit of tachycardia during exertion, but I think that's due to my Mono." :)

-Screaming "Ah" excitedly.

-Talking about legalism vs licentiousness, and using those terms, in a normal day-to-day conversation, which is pretty cool, actually.

-Talking about a prayer chair.

Have a look at some things that WHM has been up to this past year!

http://animoto.com/play/czfd3Le8r15ZG7FTwk2HIA

(you have to cut and paste the link into your search site)

Praying with Expectancy

Yesterday my brother-in-law sent me a clip from a Desiring God conference, where Francis Chan, author and pastor, was talking about bathing everything in prayer and waiting to see the Lord respond.
Before listening to this talk, I had gone to the hairdresser to reschedule my appointment for the next day, which in itself is an answer to prayer, that I'm getting stronger and able to get out a bit (new goal is to get out once a day to do something lowkey)! I also found out that the woman who had cut my hair before, T, wouldn't have been available the day I had initially scheduled for, so this worked out better with her schedule too.

This morning I prayed that God would give me an opportunity to share the Gospel with T while getting my hair cut. I got there and sat down, and T said, "How was your Christmas, E?"
Me: "You know, to be honest, it was a pretty hard time. I was quite sick and my Grandma passed away on Christmas Eve."
T: "Yeah, my mom passed away suddenly on New Years Eve. She was only 49."

Praise God, because this was an amazing opportunity to ask her if this sudden and horrible tragedy made her think about life after death. She said she did and then asked me if I did. And I got to talk about Jesus. It wasn't a smooth and tidy conversation. I could have said things better, but it was really amazing to see how God brought it about and moved through it all. I encouraged her to read Romans and John, because I've found those really helpful books when thinking through the meaning of life. And she even took my number and said that she would like to come to church in a couple of weeks, when she's not working! So thank You, Lord, for that opportunity, and for being the One who brought that about. if I hadn't gone in yesterday to reschedule, then I would have had a different stylist who I hadn't had before. This really challenges me to wait expectantly on the Lord to answer, even when it might be different than what I thought, or a different time frame. God wants me to call on His name!

Mono Musings

Things I`ve noticed since Mono decided to inhabit my body:

1. I eat like a horse. I had read that you lose your appetite. The article failed to specify that that is only true for the first couple of weeks. Then you turn into half farm animal and stuff food down your throat like it`s your fulltime job. Sometimes when eating alone, it`s fun to imagine the look that would be on a first date`s face if they were sitting across from me.

2. My body feels like it has matured to the age of 90. This is reflected in my walking- slow, shuffling feet, slightly bent over if I`m not conscious of it. Fortunately my hair is still brown, and I don`t have crows feet around my eyes. However, with my birthday coming up, I might put a cane down on the list.

3. Everything is funnier (please see 1 as an example). I am guessing that this is because my brain is part jello right now, OR because of the decrease in human interaction, thereby making me even more awkward and strange. The lack of human interaction makes me even more prone to initiate conversations with people on the tube, outside of the tube, the bus driver... This is not a bad thing, but with my body turning 90 this year, my hearing isn`t as good, and I usually talk way too loud, making the person next to me shuffle away a bit more.

4. I can listen to the same song 10 times in a row and still want to listen to it again. This would also be something that a first date would roll their eyes at.

5. My dreams are much more vivid. This usually makes me more grateful that I never remember them in the morning.

6. I could sleep anywhere, anytime. Nap time at 8pm... why not!

Pressing on...

On Tuesday afternoon, I was sitting in my favourite coffee shop working on some admin stuff, and I knew that my body wasn't feeling normal. I could tell that I was feeling the mono again. I packed up my things and went home, got into my flat, dropped my things on the floor, and had to lie on my bed for 3 hours before picking myself up to make some dinner. I laid there with tears in my eyes, "God, why didn't I pace myself better these past 3 weeks? I thought I was setting limits and staying in more in the evenings. I can't bear the thought of going through those last 2 months again. I pray that I would wake up feeling alright tomorrow." But Wednesday morning came around, and I couldn't get out of the house until 4pm, and that was to get some food. It's been easy for me to go to a self-condemning place where I feel a lot of guilt for not "doing better" at taking care of myself, or being "too excited" to get back into the opportunities that are here. But that's not the Gospel, and yeah, I could have done a better job, but I know that God is FAITHFUL and SOVEREIGN over all of this, and this is all part of His plan for my life right now. On Sunday afternoon, I was skyping with a dear friend, and feeling tired, but not too bad. God laid it on her heart to share from Exodus about how God's timing in all things is perfect, and reminding me of how He keeps His promises, and Moses had to come to the end of himself and ask why he was called, and God answered and came to the rescue. And even in sharing that, God showed His power, and used that to prepare me for relapsing back into mono on Tuesday afternoon.
My sinful nature tends to get all panicky in these kinds of situations. I begin to worry about things in the future- what if this lasts for months? I'm in a foreign country on support- what if people stop supporting me? What if I can't finish my term here? My family is all spread out, where would I go? What if I gain weight because I can't exercise... Or I lose too much weight because I'm not eating enough? Don't I serve a bigger God than all of those things? Isn't He so much greater than all of those cares? Hasn't He shown His faithfulness throughout my life, throughout history?
"Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS; again I say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. THE LORD IS NEAR. Be anxious for NOTHING, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication WITH THANKSGIVING let your requests be known to God." Phil 4:4-6

What if God is calling me to grow in the knowledge of Him right now? I know I need that. I hunger for it. What if this gives me more opportunity to see my prayer life strengthen. I know I need that too. He is near, even when I'm alone and uncomfortable. He calls me to not worry about anything, but to bring all things before Him and lay them at His feet and give Him thanks for who He is and how He is going to show His power in this season. I am so thankfulf or His word.

All in

A friend recently encouraged me with a passage from Exodus 5-6, which has led me to start reading through Exodus again and begin listening to a sermon series online about being "All in... Life with Jesus isn't easier, but it's better!" This morning I was listening to a sermon and was deeply challenged by God's promise to provide when He calls. Moses uses every excuse... "God, who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?" (3:11) God's response is, "BUT I WILL BE WITH YOU..." He doesn't pat Moses on the head and give him a self-esteem boost, "You'll be just fine. You can do it." He immediately reminds Moses that it is God who will be with him. When we hold to this promise and truth, every excuse we bring to the table really falls short. "I don't want to do this alone." God promises that He is with me. "I miss my friends and long to be back in community with them." God promises that He is with me. And getting past my own self, what about the widowed grandparent who is grieving the loss of their spouse of 60+ years? God promises that He is with him/her. Or the woman who just had a miscarriage, and is mourning the loss of new life. God promises that He will be with her. Or the father who is struggling to find employment to provide for his family. It doesn't mean that life is going to be easier. In fact, I think that often when we put our trust in Jesus and live with our eyes fixed on a heavenly kingdom and not an earthly home, we will face many trials. I would even go as far as to say that if life is always peachy and we're not experiencing any hardship or persecution for being followers of Christ, we need to take a serious look at our lives. I was so blown away and humbled the other day when I read from Paul's epistle to the church in Philippae, "... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death..." (3:10). The fellowship of his sufferings! Dying to ourselves and having life in Christ! This is not going to be easy, but it's going to be so much better, and so worth it! Am I all in for Jesus? Am I laying my excuses and hesitations at his feet, and hearing Jesus' reminder to me in Matt 28 (the Great Commission), "and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." I want to be all in for Jesus, no holding back.

Please pray for me. Mono seems to have reared its ugly head for another attack today. I thought I was pacing myself alright and setting some limits, but I came home this afternoon completely done. Please pray for good rest these next couple of days and a full recovery, and that God would protect me from self-condemnation and guilt for not "doing better" at pacing myself. Thanks!

`` God doesn`t want our performance. He wants our hearts.``

Such a refreshing reminder! I am so thankful for the Gospel!

With two of my teammates...

This is us being very thankful and excited that the largest new age shop in Camden, which was right down the walkway from where Lysan Church meets, CLOSED DOWN!!!!!!! Praise the Lord!

Yesterday, Today, and Forever

"Everlasting God, the years go by but You're unchanging.
In this fragile world, You are the only firm foundation.
Always loving, always true. Always merciful and good, so good.
You are faithful, and we will trust in You!"

This morning I sat in a church service with a heart that ached so strongly to be back home with my church family in Toronto. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be serving and learning here, but I miss the body of Christ at my church so deeply. I've been reading through a lot of Paul's epistles lately in the New Testament, and more than ever before in my life, I taste and feel some of that longing, joy, and ache that he always seemed to have for the body of Christ.
As I was walking home from lunch today with a heart that is screaming for familiarity of place and people, a tender voice reminded my heart that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. My heart is aching so badly to be sitting under my pastor's preaching this morning and just feel at home and "safe" and savour the blessing of community there, and be playing the djembe with the worship team, and not have to be "the new girl". But He definitely called me to serve over here this year. And if He reminds me throughout scripture that He is faithful and unchanging, then I can rest in the knowledge that He is my Familiar One today, even in a place and land and people that so often feel so unfamiliar. I am so thankful that He found me, while I was sitting among pig food and also out in the field (Luke 15), and that I can experience the embrace and celebration of belonging to my Heavenly Father in whatever land I am living in, because my inheritance is in Him. That is good news for a homesick girl.

Glimpses:

-Being asked to pray with a couple on Camden High Street on Monday, and seeing a lot of interest from one of them in coming to church on Sunday.
-God working in my team and strengthening our relationships with each other. Feel like we're becoming more real and honest with each other.
-Sitting and laughing over tea with a friend here. She has a safetypin as one of her many piercings. I have pearl earrings. She is wearing all black. I look like a farmgirl in a bright plaid shirt. She comes with a hangover. I don't even know what that feels like. And yet it just seems so natural and fun when there is tea in our hands. She asks me how I've been feeling. I ask how her wedding went overseas. We lose track of time, and she starts opening up about stuff, and I sit there feeling thankful that God has brought this friend into my life.
-Taking a muffin to a trader this morning and her getting excited to see me and saying, "Hey, when you asked me how you could be praying for me on Monday, did you actually pray for me?" "Yeah, I did. How come?" She then begins opening up about some stuff that happened later that day, and how that night she just felt a lot of peace about it, and she wondered if it was because I had prayed for her that day. She said that she had told her friend in the stall next door (who I get coffee with regularly) about it and was hoping that I would come by, so that she could tell me.

"Men may flee from the sunlight to dark and musty caves of the earth, but they cannot put out the sun. So men may in any dispensation despise the grace of God, but they cannot extinguish it." -A.W. Tozer

"God's compassion is my story, is my boasting all the day;
Mercy free and never failing moves my will, directs my way.
God so loved us, God so loved us, that His only Son He gave.
And the world will sing His love."

I want to tell His story of compassion to the people of Camden, many of whom are living in musty caves when the sun is shining right outside. Lord, give me the strength and endurance to do so.

Today I went to the British Museum (if you haven't been and get the chance, it's an amazing place!). "A" told us that people travel all over the world to see history, but so much of history is sitting in this building. He took us through an exhibit on the Assyrians, Persians, and Greeks, pointing out specific artifacts. We'd pull out our Bibles and stand there reading texts in the Old and New Testament that coincide with what we were looking at! It was an amazing way to spend my day off! Here is an example:



This is "wallpaper" from the palace in Nineva. "A" pointed out the scorch marks on the markings and began reading from his notes that archeologists state that the black marks are from a fire that took place in Nineva sometime between 640-620AD. Nahum prophesized that because the cruel Assyrians would not repent (about a century after Jonah went there and the city repented), God would send a devastating fire to the city. Nahum was a prophet around 650AD. Cool, eh?



This is a tablet that was found that talks about Noah and how a flood came to destroy the earth.
This is all in walking distance from where I live! Better take advantage of it!

What wine glasses were really made for:

Capturing Camden High Street on a sunny day

Camden Market is known as the most popular tourist attraction in the UK. In the summer it averages 300,000 people on the weekends, but even during a weekday in the winter, the streets are still packed in areas.

Goodbye Mono

Goodbye Mono! I am so thankful that you are gone from my body and I can get back to serving in Camden fulltime! I know I learned a lot through these 2 months of being in bed, and I am thankful for how I saw the Gospel through it. But I can't say that I will miss having Mono! It is good to be up and out in Camden!

I did a hike a couple weeks ago while on a prayer/ministry trip in northern England. My favourite moment was lying flat on my stomach and sticking my head up to the edge of a big cliff, with the wind pelting hard against my face, and yelling at the top of my lungs in excitement and thankfulness for energy and strength to finally be outside!! This is me yelling into the wind. Not the most flattering photo, but it captured this happy moment!

My teammate using an example of ants to explain my personality:

Spend this summer...

doing an internship with World Harvest!
Check out www.whm.org/work/internships for summer possibilities!