Days 90-81

I'm rather late with this post, since the next post is due in a couple days.  The reason is because my family (or at least my mom, brother, and sister-in-law)

90 days: The English Channel is warmer than it appears.

This year is the first time I haven't lived by a major body of water, since I grew up on the Mississippi River and went to university on Lake Michigan.  In fact the only body of water I have noticed in my placement is a couple small ponds tucked away in the woods.  So imagine my excitement when I went with a friend to Brighton and got to dip my toes into the English Channel.

89 days: The Baptism and Confirmation service

Three youth were baptized, eleven youth confirmed their faith, and a large number of their peers came to support and celebrate with them.  I was honored to be a part of this special event, and it was incredibly interesting to be a part of the confirmation process in another denomination.  There are a lot of different thoughts about baptism, confirmation, and when and how they should occur, and there are a lot of pros, cons, and theological debates about each one.  While my experience with Lutherans is most people are baptized as children, and mostly infants, my conversations with people here is practicing Christians tend to dedicate their children to allow them to choose baptism at an older age.  Also, those being confirmed in an Anglican church must be confirmed by a bishop.

88 days: Waiting at the train station with the commuters

A large portion of people living in Gerrards Cross commute to and work in London, so, if you take the train on a weekday morning, you'd find the train station rather busy with people going to work.  You'd also have a better appreciation with the term "packed in like sardines" after riding the commuter trains and Tube during rush hour, as the carriages are packed to the brim.  Today I joined the commuters for an End of Year training day with Time for God, and afterwards went to dinner with volunteers from around the world for dinner.

87 days: My reading list for the rest of this year

One of my initial regrets with packing was I didn't bring any books to read over the next 12 months.  My regret was unnecessary as I soon acquired a collection of books to keep me entertained with train rides and cups of tea.  The books came from seeing guests speakers, friends and family's recommendations, requirements for different courses, and gifts from strangers on trains.  This is the pile of books I haven't finished yet, but hope to in the next couple of weeks.

86 days: Last day at work before my family arrives

Today was my last day at work before my family arrives.  It's strange thinking that within 24 hours I'd be picking my family up from the airport instead of eating lunch with my co-workers at church.  It also meant I treated myself to a meal deal from the grocery store because I had no food in the house.

85 days: My family's here!

After 10 months of spotting Skype conversations, I finally got to hug some of my family.  My mom, brother, and sister-in-law. It's a bit hard to believe, but it was definitely worth the wait.

84 days: The face of the Gorgon represented in a mosaic

My family went to visit Bath today.  We learned about the Roman and pagan history in England by seeing the Roman baths and the artifacts they found throughout the city.  The interesting thing about England is there is a lot of history visible and represented everywhere, such as the Gorgon from the Roman baths in Bath.  This face is from one of the temple pediments, and is now seen recreated in various locations in the city.

83 days: People getting grooving at the disco

Saturday was a special event at my placement.  We had an 80s Disco night to raise awareness for the youth trip to Uganda.  My family and I attended, so they could meet the youth, volunteers, and staff whom I work with and get a slight glance at English disco music.  I can safely say that I've never seen my brother dance so much.

82 days: Mom bikes to worship with the Foys

In the spirit of embracing new cultures, my mom decided to bike to worship with our hosts, who are avid bikers.  My mom did rather well biking a few miles to church, and she was able to see a traditional Anglican service and then a contemporary service.  We spent most of our day in the garden, drinking tea, then had a Sunday roast, attended the 6.30pm worship service, and visited the evening youth service.

81 days: As You Like It at Shakespeare's Globe

My family's last day in England.  We went to the Eucharist at Westminster, which uses common cup.  We then walked along the South Bank past Parliment, the London Eye, and then explored the Tower of London.  We ended our day by attending "As You Like It" at Shakespeare's Globe.  We were a bit worried that we wouldn't understand the play due to the Shakespearean English, but we were able to get the gist of it and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Although most of the play stayed true to what you would expect, there was some modern flair added, such as sunglasses and guitar rifts.  All in all, my family's last day in England was a success.

Days 100-91

Well, it's been ten days already.  (Okay, technically 12 days, but you get the idea.)  Here's what my life looks like, as seen as a mixture of everyday work, unique adventures, and cultural whatnots.  So without further ado, here's days 100-91.

100 days: When the team's away, country music will play.

My supervisor and coworker were both on holiday for a week, which meant they had entrusted the everyday running of the youth ministry to me.  I took it as a opportunity to play music they would veto.

99 days: Photocopying Sunday's bulletins while writing material for the week.

Thursday are always a bit hectic.  I spend the morning in the office making hundreds of copies and the afternoon setting up for the Sunday services.  Today was particularly busy as I had to add in finishing a Bible study and writing a sermon to the list, which resulted in me transporting my work to the floor of the main office.

98 days: On my walk into town, I was surprised by this little guy hiding in the wood

When I first heard that there were muntjac deer in the common (park) across the road from my house and work, I had a hard time believing it because it seemed to busy and small to be home to deer.  I have been proven wrong on at least four different occasions as these animals pop out of the foliage.  As much as I have enjoyed seeing them, they are actually a huge problem for England, as they are an invasive species.

97 days: Iain De Caestecker (Leo Fitz) and Nick Blood (Lance Hunter) speaking on a panel about Marvel's Agents of SHIELD.

One of the ways I've been able to connect with my co-workers, youth, and other community members is through pop culture, specifically movies and TV shows. I was able to spend the day at Comic Con London with some youth from my placement learning about visual media, admiring costumes, and taking to people about British vs American media while waiting in line.  I also learned that I am a much bigger nerd than I originally believed.

96 days: The set up for our younger youth service

Every Sunday we have three youth services, two for the younger youth (11-13) and one for the older youth (14-18).  This also means a long day of worship, talks, and games.  This Sunday looked a bit like this: a 6am wake up, 3 phones, 2 regular youth services, 4 singers, 1 sermon given 2 times, 4 buckets of water, 1 pair of soaked clothes, 7 leaders, 1 film night, and a 10.30pm bedtime.

95 days: The playground near my home

On my way into town, I always pass by this playground. Most of the time it's occupied by kids and their caregivers, and seeing them interact as I pass by makes me look forward to coming home and taking my niece to the park to play. This playground helps make the idea of leaving a little less painful and the idea of coming home all the more exciting.

Day 94: Putting away glasses after an event.

One of the main things I do is set up and tear down for events, meetings, and services that happen at my placement.  For the most part this means setting up chairs and occasionally tables.  Every once in a while it's a special event, such as special speakers, funeral teas, and lunches, which require something else, and this means going into the depths (and heights) of the cupboards.

93 days: An open window

 This year I've had to shallow my pride on several occasions and ask people how to do everyday tasks, such as how to lock doors and change light bulbs. Today I was taught how to open a window.  This window is a good symbol for what this year is all about: being vulnerable.

92 days: Video editing

My task for the next month is to go through a year of footage and make three 4 minute videos. The best part is finding footage like my supervisor pretending to be a fish, as seen in the upper right hand corner. 

91 days: Community art project at the Borough Market, London

During my free days, I occasionally go to London, which is only a 30 minute train ride away, to explore.  During this days, I find street markets, public artwork (commissioned and graffiti), and find new adventures, such as swinging in a bird cage behind the King's Cross and St. Pancras train stations.  Sometimes they're nice to look at, sometimes they make you think, and sometimes, such as this one, they're all rolled into one.  My favorite goal from this piece is "Before I die, I want to like in a house that is finished. C'mon Dad, it's been almost 10 years."  Many said "Be happy" "Make someone smile" "Say 'I love you'"


Note: My family (at least my mom, oldest brother, and sister (in-law) are coming on Thursday! My goal is to continue posting, at least photos to my Facebook, but if my next post is a little delayed, please understand it's because I'm busy hugging my family for the first time in 10 months!

Double Digits

So, somehow, I now have less than 100 days left at my placement. I am in the double digits.

When I hit 100 days this week, I posted a status and photo in acknowledgement of the ticking clock, not because I'm excited to go home, but because I can no longer deny that I'm going home or that I have more time than I actually do.

In three months, I will be leaving my home and community in England, and, considering I still feel like I'm February half of the time, it feels like I'm going to blink my eyes and suddenly be back in Wisconsin.  Don't get me wrong. I am very much looking forward to eating a brat with kraut and a nice, cold, non-licorice tasting root beer, but it is going to be very hard leaving this place, or more specifically the people, that now holds my heart.

So, I'm am taking this these 100 days to take a photo of my life daily, and every 10 days or so (internet permitting) I will post those photos here.  I've had 275 days to figure out what my life looks like here, so hopefully I will be able to spend the next 98 days accurately portraying what my life is.

The photos might be a regular part of my work or friendships, or something unique, but by the time I leave you will have a better idea of my life and I will have a way to better remember the people and places I love.

My placement, Saint James Church.

One Year

One year ago...

I was desperately fighting advanced stages of senioritis (meaning I didn't want to do my homework).

I had just come back from my last spring break trip, a service week in New York City.

Most of my friends lived in the same building as me.

My niece couldn't roll over.

I worked during Bible study.

I took a bus everywhere.

I could call my family and friends on a whim.

I was learning a new language.

I had never been outside North America.

I received an invitation to serve in the United Kingdom through Young Adults in Global mission.

My grandma, Dorothy, passed away.

I had no idea what I wanted to do after college.

Profile photo one year ago: A reunion with my good high school friend, Joey, during an alternative Spring Break trip to NYC.

Today...

It has almost been a year since I graduated from college.

All youth events are back in full swing after a two week Easter break.

Most of my friends live in another country.

My niece can now walk and talk, including animal noises, "no", "football", and "bubble".

I lead Bible studies.

I walk everywhere.

I have to schedule Skype sessions and hope they don't forget.

I am learning new terms, such as carriageway, aubergine, and tenner, and old terms in a new light, such as pants, tea, and quite.

I have lived in England for eight months.

I pray for those who will be receiving their YAGM invitations this week.

My family remembers a woman who nursed us when we were sunburned from the Florida sun and helped us discover that the world was bigger than our own experience.

I have no idea what I want to do after YAGM.  (I'm glad somethings haven't changed.)

Profile photo today: A hike around the Peak District during a week long course at Cliff College in Derbyshire.

Shrove Tuesday (aka Pancake Day)

So it is now officially Lent, in fact it's the first Sunday of Lent tomorrow, and that means we have had Fat Tuesday where we have one last day of sweets and rich foods before we give up chocolate, Facebook, or sleeping in for the next forty (six) days.

Back home, I would probably make gumbo, eat a King cake, and wear purple, green, and gold during this day because it's Mardi Gras, and my friends and church like the Mardi Gras tradition.  Here in England, Fat Tuesday is known as Shrove Tuesday, or, more commonly, Pancake Day because, you guessed it, everyone eats pancakes.

There are several ways to serve pancakes with really only two basic options: sweet or savory.  The tradition is to eat thin pancakes drizzled with lemon and sugar.  (Maple syrup really isn't a huge deal in England like it is in the US.)  However, you can see it with fruit sauces, ice cream, cheese sauce, vegetables, etc.  Basically it's up to you.

A traditional pancake without any flavorings added.

Since my roommate and I are both from different countries, we decided we had to make pancakes and celebrate Shrove Tuesday in the English style.  However, neither of us wanted to eat a sugary dinner after we finished work, so we decided to spend the evening making a savory version of pancakes that were stuffed with asparagus, broccoli, and leek. (Don't worry.  I had a sweet pancake later on.)

It ended up taking the entire evening to make dinner, mainly because of all the pancakes we had to make.  There were several mishaps, such as cut pancakes, sauce and milk spilling everywhere, and the oven trying to eat one of the finished pancakes, but eventually we were able to make enough for us to sit down and enjoy this English tradition.

Overall, it was a successful night of roommate bonding with delicious food, and we were able to welcome in the Lenten season in a new style.  The best part is now I understand what my youth talk about when they suggest we have pancakes at an event.

Lena (my roommate) making pancakes.

Making the pancakes. (Thanks Mom for teaching me how to flip!)

Not all the pancakes made it out of the skillet in one piece.

The assembly station

Stuffing added. Now we just need to roll.

Lena assembling pancakes.

Looking good so far.

Ready for the oven.

There was a slight mishap that resulted in a destructed pancake and a mess in the oven.

Mmm, mmm, good.  I know what I'mm having next year for Shrove Tuesday.

Happy Holidays

This was my first Christmas away from my family, and it was definitely a Christmas to remember.  My placement was essential to the holidays this year and in keeping homesickness at bay.  They invited me to their homes, included me in their families, and kept me busy with holiday celebrations.  It was wonderful being a part of Christmas services, dinners, markets, and school assemblies, but I still missed spending Advent and Christmas with my friends and family.


I want to thank you for all of the well wishes you sent me this season.  Coming home in the cold, rain to find cards sent from home sitting in my front hall and messages on my email and Facebook made home feel a little bit closer.  So thank you to everyone for sending me love on what could have been the hardest Christmas ever.  You made this Christmas a holiday I'll never forget, and I couldn't have asked for more this year.  Thank you.

This is just a snippet of of the cards and love sent, not including emails and messages.  The I Love You hand is my mom's version of a card.

An Unconventional Thanksgiving: November 25-27

November 25

This evening we had a movie night at our house.  This weekend we have a youth weekend away which is themed around Divergent and how a community works together.  However, in order to plan a weekend about Divergent, you need to see the movie, which I had not.  Within about 24 hours my plans for the night went from watching the movie by myself to watching it with my roommate and two other friends.

It was a nice spontaneous event.  Everything was kind of a mess.  I came home from work late, and we were planning to eat the leftover soup.  Since I was late, I decided to try and speed up the soup, and I ended up burning it.  We had other food to offer, but it was all fine.  We still had a great night despite the mishaps.

Today I am thankful for movie nights, and friends who forgive me when I burn their dinner.

These are the symbols of the five factions of Divergent, which will be the teams for this weekend.  Photo credit:Leading Thought

November 26

Today is my great-aunt Elsie's 96th birthday.   My aunt is one of the sweetest women I have met.  We've spent quite a lot of Thanksgiving with her.  For most people it might be an incredibly boring weekend.  There's no internet, we watch Lawrence Welk, and spend 3 hours a night playing Rummikub.  She tells us stories about her mother cooking strange Czech foods and other stories about family members I have never met. I love my aunt, and I can't think of another person I would want to be named after.

Today I am thankful for my great-aunt Elsie, and the many years we've been able to share.

My great-aunt Elsie and I at my brothers wedding.

November 27

Today is Thanksgiving.  Honestly, my first Thanksgiving without my family wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be, but I fully attribute this to the fact that Thanksgiving doesn't exist here.  It's a normal work day, so this meant I was (thankfully) to busy to really think about all the things I was missing out this year, such as family meals, outings, and sibling shenanigans.  Since it was Thanksgiving, we incorporated some Thanksgiving traditions into work today, such as having pie at a meeting.

My favorite Thanksgiving tradition we did was say what we were thankful for at our Bible study today.  The youth were not only open to sharing what they were thankful for, but they decided everyone must say their blessings in an American accent.  The accents were surprisingly goo ranging from Texas to New York, and the whole concept was absolutely hilarious.  When it was my turn, they insisted that I say my blessings in an English accent, which went horribly.  Today was just an example at how blessed I am to work with these youth.

Today I am thankful for the people, especially the youth, at my placement, and for all the Thanksgivings I have been able to spend with my family.

My brother, Alec, took this photo last year at Thanksgiving when we were playing around with a magnifying glass.  We were in stitches over the photos we took.