Study Holiday

Whew! This past week has been jam packed with all sorts of wonderful adventures. It began with another ash cloud delay which prevented the rest of the EMS-Lancaster group from joining Rachel and me in Bristol, so unexpectedly we had three days of free time in the city. We spent Monday catching up on episodes of Glee and doing some shopping. Tuesday was filled with visiting the docks of Bristol, known for their involvement in the slave trade, as well as attending Evensong at the Bristol Cathedral. Our last day in Bristol, Wednesday, Rachel and I travelled to nearby Bath. We visited the Jane Austen Centre and saw the Roman baths. In the afternoon we walked around a multicultural part of Bristol and met with Mike who works with Urban Expressions a church planting organization based in the UK. While we were in Bristol, we stayed with Stuart and Sian Murray who were wonderful and gracious hosts and provided us with all we needed during our time. Thursday morning Rachel and I left for London.

The remainder of the EMS-Lancaster group had arrived in Brussels and crossed the Channel that day and we met them in London. After lunch and discussion about faith and politics in Post-Christendom with Jonathan from Ekklesia, the group relaxed for the afternoon. Some of us went for a walk at the nearby Kensington Gardens before meeting the rest of the group for a light supper. Friday was our fullest day. The class traveled to East London to meet with Juliet and several members of Urban Expression teams to discuss the definition and structure of church in a Post-Christendom setting. After that, the group rode the Tube to Westminster to see Big Ben and the Abbey. We attended Evensong at Westminster Abbey and had a chat with one of the priests afterwards about his call to the ministry and how he views the role of church in England today. Then we walked from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace and through Hyde Park and then stopped for supper. A part of the group chose to walk the back to the hotel and by the end of the day

everyone was tired. The lightest day was Saturday which began with a visit to the London Mennonite Centre where I showed them around and gave a brief history of the organization. From there Ann went to the Victoria and Albert Museum and the remainder of the group rode the London Eye. Just a warning, do not ride the London Eye mid afternoon during unseasonably hot weather. It is like a greenhouse. Nevertheless, it was a good experience. Sunday was my last day with the class as they went to various churches in London before heading down to Bristol to make up the part of the course that they missed. The week was a wonderful time to discuss Christianity in a new way and hang out with a bunch of awesome women, and Steve (the instructor) too.

My papers are nearing completion and I would appreciate your prayers as I transition back from holiday into working again. Prayers for my job search are also much appreciated. Until next week...