Joanna's Travels

I'm Home

2006-08-01T14:13:00.001+01:00

Just saying that i am happy to be home...sleeping in my own bed. Can't wait to catch up with you all. More too come....but i have some catching up to do with my mommy and sara.

11Days

2006-07-21T10:24:00.000+01:00

It is so hard to believe that I will be coming home in just 11 days. Thats past couple weeks here have been really great, and make it that much harder to want to go home. I've been doing a tiny bit of siteseeing, but mostly just hanging out with people from the area. I spent and extended weekend at some friends house. They go to a different church than I go to here in Birmingham. It was a real blessing to just hang out with a bunch of girls for the weekend. Talking out my thoughts on life, church, and God with people that have not been a part of my entire journey was really helpful. We also had some great times laughing and just being plain silly.

This week has been the week of eating at peoples houses for dinner. I am still so amazed and feel so blessed by the genourous hearts of the people I know there. Unfortunately though, I chose to be in England for the hottest summer of the year. Tuesday was the hottest day in Birmingham since 1911! It's been pretty bad. However today is grey and cool, just like an English summer should be. I hope it lasts all day...i am so sick of the heat.

PS I tried to get pictures of my trip to Ukraine on my blog, and was unable to. If you go to www.myspace.com/jpalmquist you can check though pics out!

I am so excited to be going to London on Monday. Carrie and I are going, and planninsg to see as much a we can. The best part is, we have tickets to Les Mis on Tuesday night! I just can't believe I am going to see a West End production of Les Mis (I know you are jealous).

"Remember me, Rescue Me"

2006-07-08T15:14:00.000+01:00

"Imagine what would happen if we looked at the world the way God does; if we shared his outrage, indignation, his compassion for the victims of injustice, the vulnerable, the forgotten. Imagine if we really loved others in the way that God does, without restrictions, without prejudices. Imagine if we took seriously his command to do justice every morning, to 'rescue who has been robbed.' In Brazil, in Africa, in Palestine, In Iraq, in our country, in our own communities...

...We would turn the world upside down."

Quoted from "Remember me, Rescue me" by Matt Roper (visit www.mattroper.com)

26 Days

2006-07-05T10:52:00.000+01:00

I can't believe I will be back home in 26 days! To those who are missing me, it may seem like ages, but to me it is the perfect ammount of time to get some good relaxing and fun time in during the (dare i say it) beautiful English summer weather.

To wrap up my time in Ukraine: The first this is, I learned a whole lot...more about myself than than the country. It would be hard to even begin on the things that God taught me. I have been both humbled and encouraged. Being in place with little everyday comforts really brings out both the best and the worst in people. Getting out the worst parts, has been really helpful in me bringing them before God. While I was away I had a lot of time to read. I read through Vineyard History and church planting books, as well as books on prayer and The Spiritual Disciplines. Having long periods of time to read, pray, and journal were really challenging to me at first, being such a never stop going person; however those times were really fruitful. I think my #1 goal when i get home is to learn how to say no! Overall, I really feel that we as a team laid a really good foundation for the start of this new Vineyard in Odessa. And even if we didn't, through service, we simply showed love and kindness to God's people....and thats what it is really about anyway.

Being back in the UK has been great. Coming back to Birmingham really felt like coming back home. It has been great to reconnect with people here and enjoy the sound of the English language. Last Night, the girls and I threw a 4th of July Bash which was a lot of fun. We had an all out american bbq complete with marshmellow salad (the brits were a bit confused that it wasnt served as "pudding") and baked beans. It was really cool to honor those who have supported us over the past 6 months.

Hmmm...

2006-06-14T16:47:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed when I think about my future. There are so many things I want to do and so many things I want to learn and the more I do and the more I learn, I realize how little I really know! It's humbling and very fustrating all at the same time. I am sort of afraid that I will get so caught up in the many directions I'd love to go in, that I will just get stuck waiting tables in Hamden, CT the rest of my life. I know that I should just take one day at a time and take the oppurtunities that come to me, but i guess the reality of the fact that I have no idea what is happening next is actually hitting me.

I gave up so much to be here. I gave up a nice neat little 10 year plan to try and figure out what God wanted me to do....unfortunately I think I am more confused that before the whole thing started.

I do know, that I love children, love england, my heart beats faster when i think about italy, and I really want to see churches grow with people who really are passionate about prayer and about serving their community. But I also know, that most of my prayers have been back at home for my family and my own church in CT.

A few Thoughts...

2006-06-06T13:45:00.000+01:00

Just had a great day shopping with Carrie. We surrived a day wondering the city and roaming a really fun market on the little Russian we have learned along the way. I am very proud of myself! I bought myself the best souvenier ever. It is an apron that has a patchwork Matruska doll on it. It's all different fun fabrics. I bought it from a lady who made them herself, so it is one of a kind! Anyway, when i was looking at it, she thought i was buying it for my mother...and laughed when i told her it was from me.

The past couple of days have been a bit hard on us as a team. In some ways it has been really keeping us from performing to the level that we could and we should be at. As hard as it is, I really feel like it is what God wants right now. I am the type of person who not only like really challenging situations, but thrives in them. I almost feel like God is holding me back right now, because He's like....you already know that, and I am going to put you in place to use that...but I need you to learn this first.I am just learning a lot about myself and a lot about how to work with very different types of people. Last night, Carrie and I went for a walk in the rain...and she really helped me to work out how I am feeling and why. We've come to some really good conclusions and it might me feel a lot better, and so much more excited about what is to come.

4 American girls, 1 polish girl, 2 Indians, and a Swed

2006-05-31T18:10:00.000+01:00

Sounds like a really bad joke, huh? But really that is who I just ate dinner with. Somehow we found the one Indian restaurant in all of Odessa, and it was good. The one thing I love about traveling is getting to know people from all over the world. It is so cool to talk and hang out with people who are born and have grown up in completely different cultures. You really realize that so many things are different...Yet we all can still laugh together at the way British people talk. Haha, no offence to England. Actually, I was watching bend it like Beckham the other night and almost cried at the sight of an English house and jokes about beans on toast.

I have decided that some day I am going to create a missionaries cook book (if one doesn't exist already). A cookbook that shows you how to eat well and inexpensively I all different countries. That would also tell you what brands are good, what stores have a good selection. I am already practicing while making American Versions of Ukrainian dishes as well as Ukrainian Versions of American dishes. It could be a really helpful tool to those living on a budget in the many corners of the world. If anything, its a good excuse to travel the world and eat a lot. I would need to do research.

So get this, I was almost in a Russian TV show. We were out handing out coffee, tea, and candies in the central area of the city and a camera crew started to set up. I guess we sort of became there catering service, making tea and coffee for the crew! It turns out they were filming a hidden camera show. One of the women who worked for the TV studio came and told us about it. Apparently, one of the guys was a semi-famous Russian Actor who would be caught doing something embarrassing by different people as they walked by. The TV show says its a hidden camera show, but really the director told each person how to react and then they pretending to discover the camera laugh and be embarrassed. Anyway, the women asked if any of us wanted to try. And me, being the actress that I am, thought hey, that might be fun. So, the women took me over and told me to watch someone else and then let her know if I wanted to do it. Well after I saw what the gag was, I completely changed my mind. Let's just say, it was a bit inappropriate, which is a shame because I would've been payed...And then I could've totally been a paid actor! I guess I missed my chance at fame.

Despite the heat and a number of power outages, I am still having a great time. I have been feeling a little unsettled though. It's like my heart is being pulled in so many directions. I have been thinking of home and missing it and I am quite excited about going back. But then I realize that that means I have to leave in England, which makes me sad. To top it all off, then I look into the eyes of the orphans and into the really poor and outcast communities and thinking that that is where God wants me to serve. How is it that a person can feel called to so many places at one time. I used to struggle enough trying to balance school, with theatre, DECA, work, family, friends and everything else that I did...But at least that was all in one town! Why is it that God has given me desires that stretch across multiple continents?

Openess

2006-05-25T12:40:00.000+01:00

I think the theme of the past week has been openess. Openess to culture, to new situations, and to the voice of God. The thing with Ukraine, is that anything can change at any moment. We are rarely aware of what is happening when, mostly because no one else knows either. It is hard for my American mind to get around the lack of schedule and the unimportance of punctuallity, but the cool part is is that it leaves a lot of room for God to work! We were meant to leave for Kremenchek ( i know i spelt that one wrong) on Friday night to arrive Saturday morning. However due to a misinterpretation of our tickets, we missed our train. With the help of some local guys who have been such a blessing to us, we were able to get the train for the next night. It was really cool though, because while our plans were changed we were really able to have a great night that night...which included late night trip to the grocery store, homemade pizza, and joanna beating two guys at a game of poker. We just had such a great time hanging out. Our time in Kremenchek was really cool. There is a Vineyard there, that is small, but has a really big heart. We got a taste of some great Ukrainian Hospitality and had so much fun playing with the kids in the church. Andy really felt that God wanted to do some healing stuff and we were trying to be open to the idea. It all happened in such a normal and natural way and that was really cool. At the church service I really felt that God wanted to heal a women who was unable to have children and this one women really stuck out in my mind. I really felt that i needed to pray for her. It turned out that she has had trouble having children. Jordan and I prayed for her and i really believe that God has healed her, but we shall see as time passes.

I was truly blessed by someone in the church that day also. After a few nights of sleeping in trains and not the most comfortable of beds, my back just really hurt. I told Jordan that I really could use a full body massage! There was a guy at the church who was in massage therepy, and felt that he was supposed to give me a massage. How cool is that! I felt so much better after. The next day we had a time of prayer and worship with some of the people at the church...and little did we know that the plan was to have a little question and answer session with the member of the church. They were asking so many questions about how to set up worship teams, how to do kids work...etc. So many of those things are just second nature to me, growing up in a church. It was cool to really think about why we do things they way we do, and try to help others come to those conclusions. Going into the worship night, i really had a desire to see the children be involved with what was going on. I thought about just taking them aside and doing some actions or something to the songs with them. But when it started the kids were all outside and the songs were mostly slow, so it just didnt fit. I just said a little prayer that God would give an oppurtunity to involve the kids. When the questions turned to kids work, I immediately felt like we needed to bring the kids in and worship. Well we did, and we did a little great big god...since we didnt know any russian kids songs and niether did they. I really hope that we were able to share a bit of our hearts for kids with them and give them some insight on where to begin. It would be really cool to send some people there for a short time to do some kids ministry training or even just practically do an event for the children.

After debriefing from our trip, it was really cool to see how God just put stuff together. Every word was confirmed. If God said something to someone, and they didn't respond, He just told someone, and if that person didnt listen, somehow it happened anyway. There are too many stories of that happening. It is so important to be open to what comes your way. To be open to allow God to use you.

Since being back in Odessa, we had a nice relaxing day at the beach and a really cool time getting started at the orphanage. We will be going back to the orphanage twice next week and doing some more street outreach as well as attending a Ukrainian Wedding.

Random Times in Ukraine

2006-05-18T13:59:00.000+01:00

I have been away from England for almost four days now and has it been a journey. Monday was a crazy day. We all slept at the Hemmings house and got a taxi to the airport at 4:15 in the morning. We flew into Amsterdam then to Kiev. And that is where the real fun begins. We spent a short time in Kiev...we basically just went out to eat. We went to this cool buffet and I had no idea what anything was, but I ate it and it was very good. That night we took a train through the entire night. I was honestly dreading the train ride. The idea of being on a train for about 12 hours through the night was not all that exciting to me...however it was in the words of my dear friend Jordan, it was "Magical." There were seperate compartments with four bunk beds in it (we both slept on the top) and it looked like most trains you would see in an old film. It was quite an experience. I was suprised with how well i slept despite the rocking of the train and its frequent stops. It is a real good thing that i enjoyed the train so much, as we will be taking a few more of them throughout our time here.

Our first day in Odessa was very relaxing. We moved in to our new home. We are living in a really nice house that belongs to some missionaries that are currently in the United States. We are living with a women named Lisa who is from Maryland. She is here working with some of the orphanages and hospitals doing infant massage. She has been here since December and it is really nice to have a fellow American women to show us around. Our first day in the house we had chocolate oatmeal cookies and watched Princess Bride! What a great way to make you feel comfortable in a new place. That evening we explored Odessa a bit then went for dinner. Henric has a incident with the police, so he was a bit late for dinner. It turns out that the police here tend to make up a lot of their own rules. He was pulled over because of his Swedish Liscense plate and even though he had all of the correct paperwork, he still had to go down to the station and pay a fine. Unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened to him. We are really praying against the enemies attacks on him, so that he can go and do what God has called him to do.

We have spent the past two days doing a mixture of prayer walking, servant evanglism, sightseeing, and just getting used to the area. There is a really cool bond between us all. The four girls and I have been working together for a while, but we have meshed pretty quickly with Henric ad Lisa (the woman we are living with). We had a lot of fun just hanging out as well as praying for the area. Yesterday, we were at the beach and just began worshiping. We drew a bit of a crowd. Anyway, it was the first the first time I really understood the idea of standing in the gap. It is one of the phrases the is used a lot, that has always seemed so super-spritual. But as i was sitting their worship, I realized that standing in the gap is so simple. As i was worshiping the words that I was singing were not for me...they were for the people that were their. Little prayers for the people around who may not ne able to or even know how to cry out to God for themselves. So much of what we do here, will just be simply setting a foundation for Henric and the others who stay here to build around. Bring the presense of God into places which may seem so far from him.

One thing I am constantly praying for myself is that God will being my heartbeat into the rhthym of his. That it will ache for what He aches for. As I have said before, I am so excited for going into the orphanages. We are going to be spending some time in the Hospitals with Lisa, blessing the babies their. We will also be in an Orphanages of kids who are from ages 10-15. We will be with them about 2 times a week. Please pray that good relationship will build up and that we can really have an affect on their lives. One thing we have been discussing as a group has really stuck out to me. Andy prayed that God would create an Army of Orphans. If they are on fire for God, put them in a place to share God's word with their friends and nieghbors. How fitting is it for the lost and outcasts of society to be reaching out to the other who are lost. Right now that has just really got me going. I took me quite a while to fall asleep last night, as I really felt that I just need to pray for that to happen.

And after all that, I have said nothing about the Country itself. Odessa is very warm, at least in comparison to England. I am in a t-shirt for almost the first time since I have left Connecticut. A lot of the buildings in the center and quite grande even though they have faded from their original form. They have so many different kinds of public transportatiton and their is really cheap alchohol in the grocery stores. Basically all of the bread is freshly made, and unlike the US, very little of their food has any preservatives in it. There is a really interesting mix of old and new. Their are old buildings and new structures. Some people dress very modern, while a lot of the older women dress in more traditional Ukrainian clothing. Most people in Ukrain speak Russian and i think i have learning 5 words so far! Well at least its a start.

Life or something like it

2006-05-12T16:44:00.000+01:00

***This is an old post that i thought i had posted, but it was left as a draft! Enjoy!

Last thursday the gang and left Birmingham to go down south. We spent thurday in St. Albens and at the Harpenden YWAM base. We had a good time getting some teaching from the guys there and just hanging out. That night we went to the cutest pub in St. Albens. It was my second time going there and i really just wish could recreate it back home. It has such a warm atmosphere. I have to admit that it will be really wierd coming home and not being able to go to a pub and order a drink. Not that I have become an alchoholic, but culturally the take on alchohol is just so different. I realized this durring the Vineyard leaders conference in Bournemouth. After the session was over and ministry time coming to a close, they would pop on a vineyard records uk worship album and open the bar. It was a little odd, but it totally worked. Though, I always had this theory that because the legal drinking age is lower in most countries and that the attitude towards drinking is more relaxed; that underage drining is not as big a deal as it is in the states. I have found this hypothis to be utterly wrong.

Anway, on friday we spent a glorious day in london. For the first time since I have been in England i think i was actually hot! The sky was blue, the sun was shining, it was amazing. We basically spent our day going from park to park. We would walk a but, stop in a park and have lunch...walk some more..stop in a park from some ice cream...walk some more played some frisbee. That is my idea of a nice day. I also finally went to Harod's...and it is quite fabulous. I spent most of my time in the food area drolly over gourmet chesses, meats, and chocolates. I got a free sample of a chamagne truffle and it was honestly on the top of my "best chocolate i have ever eaten" list...not that I have such a list.

Later that night, we went to the first session of a worship conference at the Riverside Vineyard. It was really funny because the worship team just reminded me more the worship at VCF New Haven, the the worship in the UK. It made me laugh and reminded me of home..haha they played the one song which vaguely reminded me of "Mighty, Mighty, Saviour." The conference overall was really inspiring. It was attempting to answer the question , "What is Worship?" A lot of is was stuff I have heard, but it was told in such a refreshing and vivid way. There were two main speakers and they were both from canada. One of the guys was just very animated and energetic when he spoke. He made the stories he shared and theology discussed really come alive. The other speaker had such a depth of knowledge and was just super encouraging. I left that conference really inspired and ready to go out to Ukraine and get started.

This past week has been really interesting. We haven't had tons to do, but at the same time i have had lots to prepare to leave. It is odd living in transition. Like the school itself is winding down and we are moving on to outreach. It has been a challenge to really continue to be living in the moment and not in the transition. It is really easy to see our lives as segments. The time a spent in highschool, the years in college, the "gap year," etc. We can easily split up our lives into little sections. I know I have. I think that problem with that, is then it makes it harder to apply what you have learned in one segment than to the rest of your life. It is almost like you are saying, ok I learned all that, but now I am somewhere else. I think it is really important to see your life as a whole. Like my time here, isn't separated from the rest of my life. It is a continuation of what came before and will lead into what comes after. There a modern composer...i cannot think of his name, but he writes these really cool songs that if you listen to straight through you want even know that the music is changing. But if you listened to the beginning and skipped to the end you would realize....wow, the music is so different. I think that is a good why to see your life. It is not about stops and starts and drastic changes...but how the little tiny changes make a big difference in the end.

Suggested Reading: For those of you who have not read the Chronicles of Narnia or have not read them recently...I highly reccomend you do. I have been reading through the whole series and just finished last night. It was so refreshing to read a book that was fiction but taught me more about life than any non-fiction book ever has. I laughed, I cried, and finally realized why I played Narnia all the time as a kid.

Home Sweet Home

2006-04-27T17:09:00.000+01:00

The past week I was visited than none other than my lovely sister liz. It was really great to see her and show her around the city I live in. She got to meet all my crazy Birmingham Buddies..no offense..and also get a taste of this very colorful city I live it. While it was really nice to have her here, it made me realize that I do really miss home and right now, I am just a bit anxious to get back. But at the same time, it also made me realize how much i changed and how difficult it will be to transition back into my life at home. It has put me in a really strange mood. I guess it is making me really understand the fact that my home should be with God and not in any specific place in this earth. I while I know that in my head, it has made me feel really unsettled.

Last week I was working at an Easter Kids Club. A spent a few days teaching a bunch of kids some dramas to perform as part of a larger show. I had a great time, even though the kids were a bit crazy at times. It was a lot to take on in such a short period of time, but the kids really did well and had a really good time.

It is crazy that my time here in England is almost over. We have a little over two weeks here before we leave on our outreach. For those of you who don't know, we are going to Odessa, Ukraine to help on a very young church plant. Actually, Henric, the guy going to go plant the church left last week to begin seeking what God has for the area. It is going to be such a big challenge to be part of something while it is in such a formative stage. I really hope that it will be a great lesson for me in waiting on God and listening to him before acting. Really making sure what we initiate is of the Lord is so important as it will play a role in the foundation of the church being built there. I am really excited about what is going to happen there, but at the same time I am really aware of the challenges and difficulties that lay ahead. We will truly be out on our own with only God to lean on. That will be a good, but hard lesson to learn.

2006-04-18T16:17:00.000+01:00

Some lovely pictures of my adventures....finally!

The Yellow Brick Road

2006-04-12T21:16:00.000+01:00

"Lord, I ask that you will help me not put limits on you anymore. Show me how to not take what you have told me and package it up. Help me to just rest on the revalations you give. It is ok to think of ideas, but give me insight on when to use them. Help to not sell myself short. Help me to continue to step out and take some risks for you. Help me to realize that this has nothing to do with me, nothing to do with 'the Vineyard,' and everything to do with how much you love the people you have created. I want to reach people, not so that I sounds accomplished, but so that they can experience the freedom of living with God in their lives. I have oppurtuntities to do that now...why don't I use them? Sometimes, I am so preoccupied with what I am doing in the future that I forget about what is right in front of me. I am so preoccupied with making waves and doing something, that I am ignoring the things you have put in my lap.

It's like the yellow brick road thing. If I go on your path, you will lead me to the people that need to be set free (the tinman...the scarecrow) and the people who need to be encouraged (the lion). There will be trials that teach me something along the way. When I think that I have reached the end...that I have gotten to the Emerald city..my final destination. Something will come up. Dorothy didn't set out to save Oz from the Wicked Witch...the oppurtuntity to and the means too just came to her.

If all I do is follow you, you will I drop things in my lap. You already have. Sometimes I say yes, like all those times on the bus, but sometimes I say no. I could do more to go deeper into things, but i feel like I lack the wisedom...but that's exactly why I should go for it. It shouldn't be my words, it should be yours. I am so preoccupied with getting to the Emerald City...that i forget to enjoy the journey..."

That was a little excerpt from my journal about halfway through my time in Sweden. Actually, that really sums up a lot of what I was going through while there. My time there wasn't quite what I expected to be. I really had a lot of time to explore the city of Stockholm (which is absolutely beautiful), reflect on what I have been learning, and just spend a lot of time with God. I also had a realy great time just checking out how church is expressed in an entirely different area. We meet with people that led different ministries and helped out with some outreaches. It's hard to say what the highlight was..because it was just really relaxing. There were times when i would've like a busier schedule, but i think it was really good for me to slow down for a little while...as i do have a tendency to keep moving.

Some silly stories in Stockholm:

Carrie, Jordan, and I were wondering the city and came across this outdoor market, that sold fruit and handbags. Odd combination. One of the guy who happened to be selling strawberries..said to me. "Como estas?" Which is really strange...because that means "how are you?" in Spanish..and well..we were in Sweden. So I answered back...bien, y tu? Like any good Spainish girl would do. He asked me if i was from spain...and I told him that i was an American. He was very shocked, but offered me Strawberries for the low prices of 15 sek instead of 20 sek...which is less that $1 cheaper. After refusing the Strawberries..and walked away and he shouts "I love you, I love you!" It was quite and experience.

Jordan and I were walking around Old Town...which is absolutely beautiful. And there was this very drunk man...which was having a hard time standing up. He fell over..and i asked if he needed a hand. (don't worry, it was the middle of the day, and there plenty of people around). Anyway..he didn't stop saying, how nice i was. And that, if only everyone in the world was more like me. Jordan tried to hint that it was "the Jesus in me."

Then, on the plane home...Jordan taught me the dance she did for a talent show to "Stop, Look, Listen"...the kid's praise song. The poor people in the seat behind us must have thought we were insane.

Sweden, here I come!

2006-03-30T13:21:00.000+01:00

Things have been a bit crazy over the past couple of weeks. We had an amazing time visiting London last week. Carrie, Jordan, and I went and stayed with a fab couple called Jim and Bonnie. They live in Kensington....which is a very nice part of town. Let's just say that their next door nieghbor is Hugh Grant. We saw all the sights and did all the typical touristy things and it was fabulous. This week has been a really great time for Carrie, Jordan, Magda and I as a team. We have had a lot of time to discuss what has worked and what hasn't worked for us in the school so far. We have been able to get a lot out on the table....which is always great.

Last night, I cooked a wonderful Swedish meal for us and Andrew (our pastor at South Birmingham Vineyard...which the name is changing soon as we are moving to a catherdral in City Centre!!!) We will be leaving for Sweden on April 1st and will be coming back home to Birmingham on the 12th. I would love for you guys to pray that we will continue to work well as a team and that God will really meet us their and that we may be a blessing to the community their. We will be in Stockholm for the majority of out time their...but the first couple days will be spent just outside of it.

Sorry this is so short....i promise a super long blog after i get back. I just have so much too do!!! Doing laundry to go away...without a dryer...is very challenging. O...and fitting four girls' luggage for 12 days in an english car along with 5 people, will be an even bigger challange!

International Bus Ministry

2006-03-22T20:15:00.000Z

I think that some one must have put a sign on my forehead that says, "talk to me, i will listen." Or at least something along those lines. It all started last Wednesday around 5:30. I had gone to the grocery store and was a bit cranky. I was really hungry and really tired and as usual I had to wait in the cold for the bus. Now most of the time, I am not as crabby as that but I had had a bit of a long day. So anyway, this lady who was also waiting for the bus turned to me and said, "it is really cold today," and my reply was something like...yes it is. Hearing my non-english accent, here first thought was that i was canadian, after explainin to her that i was American, she started asking me all of these questions about what I was doing here. We had the coolest conversation. She was just so interested in what i was doing. We talked about everything from the difference between going to church and following God, what Jesus thinks about the poor, how we should priortize her life, as wells as the basic beliefs of christianity..and this women wasn't a Christian.

Then on Sunday, I was on the bus, on this guy just started talking to me. He was from Ghana and honestly, I could only understand about half of what he said, but he basically just started telling me his life story, sadly i was unable to continue that conversation because I had to get off the bus. So at first, I thought nothing of these two experiences, but then it happened again today. I was waiting for the bus (again) and this older lady came to the same stop and sighed...and then just started talking. I didn't say a word. First she was talking about how old she was, and went on about which body part stopped working first. Then she started talking about this problem she was having with her eye and how the injections she was getting from her docter to make them better kept her from being able to see. By this time, i had already missed two buses. So what do i do? I asked her if i could pray for her...and she says, "O, I'm a christian too." She said that so many people have prayed for her, but God just hasn't healed her yet. So, i prayed and a great finish to the story would be to say that she was healed...but i have no idea if she was. But, when i finally got to get on the bus. She said goodbye with a huge smile on her face, and even if all that happened was a life in her spirit, than that is amazing in it of itself.

Highlights from a blurry couple of weeks...

2006-03-18T13:37:00.000Z

The past couple weeks have been really varied. The week before last, we went to the Vineyard UK leaders conference with the other leaders of our church. It was a really cool experience. There was a lot of cool teaching and we met a lot of people, but most importantly we had a really good time hanging out with the other leaders in our own church. We ate most of our meals together and just had a really great time hanging out. The most priceless moment was with me and nigel hemming, he takes care of the kids ministry and various other things for the church. We all have this joke about creating a dance workout worship video series and on one of the days as we were waiting for the evening session to begin, nigel and i decided to begin work on it. So in the middle of the lobby, we were video taped doing such video. I wish i could somehow post the video...but lets just say that it has played everytime that tape is with me. It is truly hilarious.

On Sunday, i went to the Hemmings for a birthday lunch, and there were a lot more people there than i expected. We had a really good time. My family had sent some embarrassing baby photos to share..which were really funny. It was really nice to be surrounded by my new community and as cheesy as it sounds it just made me feel really special that these people that i have only known for a few months would really go out of their way for me. There were two cakes, plenty of present :) and a lovely lunch. And luckily, i have a lot of it on video....which is really nice. It is the first birthday party that i have captured on camara!

Embarrassing Joanna moment: So, Jordan and I were on our way to bible college. We were sitting in the front of the 2nd level of the bus and were chatting about everything. Basically everything was discussed in that ride from how much we hate bible college to the more silly things girls talk about. Then, here's the best part. We decided that it would be the perfect moment to break into "My heart will go on"...yes the titanic song. It even included Jordan pretending to be the irish penny whistle. Anyway...partly through our song, the person we had not noticed sitting directly behind us got up, looked at us and said, "so, will i see you guys in class?" And oddly enough, it was a guy who was in our bible class. So, any doubts he had in his mind about us just being silly american girls....were gone! haha, nevertheless...it was really funny.

One thing I have noticed is how normal life has gotten. Last night, jordan, magda, and i went to the grocery store and then went to the McNiels to babysit and make ourselves dinner. On the way back, Jordan said, "do you remember when we thought the English houses were so cool?" That made me really think. Everything used to be so life changing. Everything was so different from home, that you noticed all. Different houses, different people, different way of life. Lately, I have been feeling almost like not much is happening. I was talking to carrie last night and we came to a cool conclusion. When we first came here, growing spiritually just felt like such big jumps. It felt like everyday there was something new to dive into, but recently it hasn't felt so drastic. I think that we have gotten so used to growing and learning, just like we got used to the house, that we almost don't notice it as much, because its a part of everyday life. It's an interesting thought anyway.

Storming

2006-03-02T09:18:00.000Z

The last few days, have been a bit heavy. Our group is in what you would call a storming stage, which while it is not very fun..it is so good and neccessary. I think the problem is, is that as I feel things falling apart I have the desire either to put it back together, and if i can't do that, take on everything myself. I feel a deep responsiblity to make sure things happen and happen well. I think to some extent that can be a good thing, but what isn't a good thing is that I end up relying on myself for strength rather than on God. Yeterday was a really busy day. I woke up at 7:30 and didn't really stop untill after 9:00...while typically I could handle a day like that, but when you add it how emotionally tired I felt it was just too much. That night, Carrie and I went to Satur8..which is our churches homeless ministry. We cook and serve a meal, there is a brief teaching, and is just an oppurtunity to talk and maybe pray for them. Carrie and I feeling this exhaustion...hid in the kitchen, we were the pototoe pealers!! I felt a bit guilty for being there and not doing more. But i knew that if i did more, it would've been out of my own ability to cope. I could've gone out, been friendly, made people feel great, but it would've had nothing to do with Jesus and everything to do with me...I worked at a restuarant...I know how to deal with people even when i don't want to.

I guess what I am learning is that just because I am not in a super rocky place and am doing ok, does not mean that I need to take on the burdens of everyone. If they need help bringing them to God or talking them through, then cool, I'll be there. I have this possibly dangerous ability to just get things done. But it can be dangerous as people's feeling will get hurt, and even worse, it can make me push God away a little. I am not in that place yet, but i can feel myself getting there. Please pray for me, that through this process I will really learn how to rest and rely on God rather than on my own strength. I also ask that you will pray for us as a team as we go through some tough stuff!

2006-02-22T22:57:00.000Z

How can I describe what my life has been like for the past week? Truth be told, I had no idea. One minute my mind is thinking seriously about the various teachings we have had, the next I am over come by laughter from something silly one of the girls have done, after that I (or we) as a group are discussing personal identity..which somehow always relates to discussing the men that are not even yet a part of our lives...and at the same time hearing from God and trying to soak in everything He has for me. It has been quite an adventure. I am so thankful to God for the times us girls are having together. He has really broken down some walls that have kept us from being honest and free with one another. There is continually laughter now...and it is great! And through that laughter, we have felt more comfortable sharing more intimate thoughts and ideas. This weekend was just one big sleepover.

On Friday, Carrie and I did a dance workshop in Perry Common. It was for a small group of girl's from 10-14. Preparing for the workshop was a real challenge for me. I have no problem choreographing for worship dances, musicals, or cheesy swing choir tunes, but when it comes to more popular dance styles I am a little lost. Imagine Joanna trying to do hip hop....it is a funny sight. But i pushed through and did my best to create something challenging, fun...and yes cool. In the end, it all went really well. The girls were very intent on what they were learning, and it was so great to just dance and have a good time. They want us to come back and do some dance stuff with them again, which would be a lot of fun.

Saturday was a lot of fun. We went to Cadbury World with some friends of ours. We learned lots of important information on the art of making chocolate...and most important got loads of free chocolate...ok so its not really free because you pay a lot to get in...but thats not the point. Anyway, the funniest part was this little ride we went on at the end..which was totally made forle children. There were these scary cocoa been things doing odd things like sking. Imagine 5 adults trying to squeeze into a little car designed for a family of four! That night we all had dinner at ours. It was really nice to 'entertain.' It made me think of the type of house i want to have when i am older. I really want to be able to have people come to visit. Have an open door for people to come for dinner or just be part of my family. It's the kind of house me and my family had before we moved into our little apartment. Our house was the place for sunday evening gathering and someone you could hang out with my friends afterschool. We always made extra food, because it was rare that it was only the 5 in my family over for dinner. It may sounds really idealistic..but wherever I ever I live, i really want my home to be a place where i can serve and nuture others.

Our weekend in St. Albens was fabulous! We stayed at Emma's (her and her husband head up the school) parents house. Her mother is so amazing. She cooked us this amazing dinner and totally made us feel at home. She has such a servants heart in both a practical and emotional way. She has this inspiring desire to give. A couple of us took emma's dog for a walk. We got to tramp around in the mud...which was a blast. It was nice to be in a more suburban area. We had a great time of worship at the burn church and had some great teaching the next day on vision. Through looking at the bible we discovered that God gives vision in many different ways.

Rather than taint anyone with my ideas...i would really like to here what others think...so here are some questions.

1. What is Vision?
2. How do you define "calling"?
3. How do those things relate to your "identity"?

Rules are....do not rely on spiritual cliches to answer these questions.

I am excited to hear everyones thoughts.

Love alters not when alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove...

2006-02-13T11:16:00.000Z

This weekend has been just so great. Before this weekend I was just feeling kinda crummy. I can't really put it into words, but I just wasn't doing so great. I think what happened...and i realized this after a nice dicussion with Jordan, was that things slowed down. My first month here was great. We were meeting someone new or doing something new everyday. But last week just wasn't all that exciting and reality just hit, which was totally neccesary to happen but not so nice. Anyway on Friday we were all at Rosie McNiels House, she was telling us her "story" and also talking about connecting with God we had some "practise," she also fed us a very nice lunch which included home made bread. After a kinda tough week it was really nice to just rest in the presense of God. It was just so refreshing and really changed my perspective on why I am here. That night, I went to Jo Hemmings House...which was great as usual. It is so fun to just hang out with her and her kids. They have so much energy! That night, i finally got to back some cookies! yay.

Then Saturday was our Mystery Trip with the McNiels...and they took us to Stratford upon Avon! How exciting is that. It was amazing to see the sights that I have learned about and seen pictures of in person. I felt like i was in England again. We saw the house where Shakespeare Grew up, had a picnic in the Garden that Shakespeare's son on, and where Shakespeare lived in his old age. In that garden were all these cool abstract sculptures based on various plays. There was one on King Lear, Midsummer, Hamlet, and one other. I had fun explaining what the sculptures meant. My favorite was the sculpture for King Lear, it was a really good representation of the play. The coolest place we went to was Shakespeares grave. Stratford is a really beautiful area and we did get a pretty clear day which was nice. We also visited Anne Hathaways Cottage (she was married to Shakespeare) There we learned some interesting facts of where some of our everyday idioms come from. One of my favorites was "hit the sack." It came from the fact that children slep on small mattresses filled with straw and to make it more comfortable they would have to "hit the sack." We also learned alot about life in the late 19th century in England.

After that we all went out for dinner, which was a lot of fun and the back to the McNiels for tea. We spent some time looking up where we live on google earth. New Haven looked so brown :(, but you could make out the highschool so well. You could see the football field and make out the words "hamden dragons." The...wow this was a long day, i went to the grocery store with Rosie and the girls...and this is the most exciting part....i bought a pot of fresh basil!!! Now i can cook with fresh basil whenever i want!

Sunday was really nice and relaxing. We went to the first service ever of the Northhampton Vineyard..this guy called steve just planted a church there. They meet once a month in a cinema! It was strange to go to church and sit in seats with cup holders. Then Jordan came over my house and we just had a great time discussing everything from crazy things we've done to our identitys in Christ. I think that really helped, because we both were struggling last week and it reassuring to know that I wasn't alone in that struggle. It also helped us know that we had not in fact gone insane! After that we went to youth group at the pavillion church and then out to an indian restuarant and I finally ate a balti! What is a balti you may ask? Well, its kinda like curry, but it was invented in Birmingham. It's pretty spicey....but super good. Just after, i had said that i would try just about anything once, my friend Ryan discovered and green chili in his food. So he ate half of it and I ate the other half. Let's just say my mouth was numb for the rest of the night!

Right now, I have decided that I am going to read straight through the entire old testament. After reading the new testament in such detail over the past month I have really been wanting to get into the older text. I was going to just read a book, but then i decided that i really wanted to get an idea of the big picture and see how everything fits together. I know all the "big stories" of the old testament but as i am reading, i find it is the "small" stories that tie everything together. The little detials that make the "big" stories significant. The lense I am reading it through with is so different then how i would have read it just a month ago. I think it so odd that i am quite fascinated by the geneologies.

I think God is really deepening a lot of stuff in me right. Truth be told, i don't really feel anything new...its just more. I haven't had any big time revalations, its more like God is just reaffirming things that have been spoken over me or things he has told me in the past. Also, he is just helping me take care of the little things in life...the silly things, but that are so important to me. I have this great desire to grow deeper in intamacy with God everyday, and part of me doesn't quite know what to do with it. One thing God has resparked my desire for is dance. Its really strange, because i have just been moving away from it for so long. I've just been having this de ep desire to move in a way that just expressed my joy to God. I don't really knowto decribe it yet...but its just there.

Pizza, a movie, and a Scary CEO

2006-02-09T09:11:00.000Z

The past week has been a bit quiet but really great. It's just been nice to have time to cook good dinners and read and just hang out with the people here. I was sick for a couple days...which was not fun. It made me feel so not like me and so like i wanted to be home. It's hard for me to pin point exactly how i am feeling and what i've been going through. Things have been a bit heavy, good, but heavy, which made it really nice to have a night out with the girl's last weekend. We saw North Country....which if you haven't seen it go (but its probably out of the theaters back home) and then went out to this really cute (and my new favorite) Italian Restuarant. I finally got some thin crust pizza, and while it was not as good as the pizza at home, it was a bit closr than everything else i've had here. We had a great time just being silly girls, which is just what the doctor ordered.

I have been reading 2 really cool books lately. One is called "Now, Find your strengths!" Okay...bad title, but really interesting. It's all about focusing on your strengths and building those up rather than trying to build up your weaknesses...because then your strengths will get weaker and your weaknesses will just be mediocre. It discusses how to manage a team of people will different "talents" and how to manage your own talents and make them stronger. Its really interesting looking at it from a team building standpoint. Its a great tool to pinpoint how people can work together and what issues they may have. Anyway, there is this test you can take to show you you top 5 strengths...and mine kinda frightened me when i first read them. They made me sounds like a scary CEO of a company. Mine are: Input, Activator, Strategic, Maximizor, Command.

Then, as i was reading the descriptions, i was like this is all so true about me....but i don't want to be a scary CEO! And thinking about it, i realized that most of those qualitities listed above got me in trouble at some point or another. Made people think that I thought that i was a million times better than they are. So i guess i hid those qualities in myself..or at least tried to, so that i wouldn't seem to much, to intimidating. Thinking about it, i realized that the reason these attributes I had kinda took people off guard, was because i didn't really know enough about people to lead them yet, but was put into leadership positions because i embodied those qualities. But as I learn more about people, i will be able to use my abilities in a better way.

Input: Taking information in because you know you can have a use for it in the future.
Activator: Someone who, one they have the idea, can't wait to get started with it. This can appear to be a little reckless...because they (and I) may start things before everything is set...but my thought is I'll cross those bridges when i need to.
Strategic: Can see patterns in data and see the different routes things will take. Knows how to narrow down the routes things will go and because they can see what will work down the road.
Maximizer: Wants to make the most out of every situation. Does not see the point in doing anything that is just "good". Probably explains why i also do 3 things ay once.
Command: Basically means that I can speak with authority and people will listen. It also says that people with this are not afraid of confrontation.

See what I mean...scary CEO of a company! Haha. But I'm starting to see the benefit of these things...I'm still struggling with them thought. Anyway, what I am most excited about is seeing how my strengths fit with the other girls in my team and how we can help eachother with our different abilities. I guess you could do this without reading the book, but i think its a great tool and helps start conversation on such maters.

The other book I have been reading is called "Captivating," it's the women's version of "Wild at Heart." It's by the same people. My mentor, Jo, lent me hers and I am loving it. It is taking all I have to read it slowly. It's just so refreshing to recognize that God made women a certain way, and that we do not have to be men! It sounds so simple but it is so true. There is also some interesting dicussion of spiritual warfare and connecting with God. It's really good stuff...I am excited about reading the next chapter!

Coming soon!
Mystery Trip with the McNiels
Cadbury World and my First Balti
Dance Workshop in Perry Common
Weekend in St. Albens

...and thats just next week!

Just another manic Sunday....

2006-01-31T12:02:00.000Z

I think I finally learned why most pastors take Mondays off, because Sunday is not neccesarily a day of rest. This sunday we were given the tast of doing the whole service at the Sutton Coldfield Vineyard. We spent the week, perparing and attemping to get ready, but you really never know what God is going to do. That morning we got there pretty early and I laughed to myself at all the little things I actually knew about setting up for church. They are meeting right now in some sort of community center so we helped set up for the service and helped a little with sound...with getting songpro to work...and a bunch of other little things that i didn't even know i knew how to do.

The service was really fun, we started out doing something with the kids which included the whole congregation. We got the kids to help us lead everyone in worship. It was a lot of fun. After the kid's were dismissed to their classes, we talked about how God has called us to "go out" and do his work. We each told our stories of how we got here. All the stories were different but had common threads. Which was just really cool...because we didn't really tell eachother what we were talking about. After that we just had a great time of ministry and worship. It was just so amazing how God fell and touched the lives of the people in that church. It was so great to be used by God in a way I never really have before.

After that we had a short break before going over to the Pavillion Church. We work at an afterschool youth hangout club that they do, but on sunday nights they have a more structured youth group. A lot of the kid's that go, really don't know about God and this is the only time they really get to learn. It was really great to see kid's that I saw at the youth club (it's called The Source) in a totally different setting. For me, it was a good time to see where they are at and for them i think it was good to see me in a more spiritual setting. I am really praying for deeper relationships with the girl's there. Right now we just talk about the boys they like, silly tv shows, and play uno, and i just hope that i can be a blessing an influence on their lives and am praying for the oppurtunities to do so.

Then after that, we went to a meeting for students in the area. It was just a get together to discuss how they can be involved in the church community and how the church can support them. We were like the ministry team for them. It was really great to be able to support these students as most of them lead student cells and organization they don't get to many oppurtunites to be ministered too. When i finally got home...I crashed and just went right to bed. Everything that we did was great and honoring to God....but it was so nice to sleep. We had the next day off...which was such a blessing...and now I'm refreshed and ready and want to do it all again......

.....I just hope that attitude will last.

Warick Castle and other adventures...

2006-01-26T15:26:00.000Z

I am continuing to be amazed at the hospitality I have recieved in this city, i have managed to be invited to dinner every night since last thursday. The food has not only been great, but the company even greater. In every place, I feel like I get a little picture of how God works in His Kingdom. It is so great to here about how God is using different people in all different environments, whether they are working in the secular world or in full time ministry. I just really love hearing others peoples stories, not only it is inspiring, but i feel like i can learn a lot through the words of others.

On Saturday, I had a great day. Carrie, Jordan, and I took the train down to Warick. It is only about a half hour train ride...and the train is pretty cheap too. We went to Warick Castle (see picture), which is one of the oldest and most intact castles in England. Let me tell you, we could not have had a more perfect day. I think it was the first sunny day since i've been here. The castle was beautiful. The rooms were full of funiture and wax figures of the people who would have lived there. My favorite part was climbing up the castle towers to see the most incredible view. I took way to many pictures..cause i wanted to get the view from every angle.

What struck me the most was coming back to Birmingham. When we got off the train into the city centre, i felt like i was home. It was the first time I had that feeling. I thought it was really wierd that it just took leaving this area for a day, to make it feel like home...not that i have forgotten my home. Something I have always been able to do is pick up and move around. Its probably because of the moving around I did as a kid. I know it sounds funny, but it's almost like i never really felt i belonged somewhere. Not that i didn't belong in specific places, with specific people, and specific times; but more like i have never felt completely at home. I used to feel really bad about that. Like there was something wrong with me because i felt that way, but i think i am starting to realize that God is using the fact that i feel that way to show me that my home is in Him and no where else. That I only belong to him...and no one else. If feels wierd to say, but in a way I am finally realizing that my home is not in this world and never will be. My home is where God is and when i feel at home, it is not because of tangible place or physical person..but because God is there.

Another thing I have been thinking a lot about is that way that church is expressed and why we do what we do. We seem to have this model of what church looks like, and we have had it for a long time. You start to wonder why that model is there. Is it because it is a true biblical representation of what worship looks like? Do we do things just because it worked for us in the past? Do we do things just because it's how some one else does it? We live in a culture that is changing rapidly and how are we supposed to be a missional church if what we "do" does not reflect that. I think that part of it is when we think of church we think of sunday mornings from about 10:30 - 12:00, rather than seeing "the church" as a group of people seeking God together. I think we need to not be afraid to do things differently, to think outside of the box, on the way we worship God coporately. We need to remember that "church" is not about what we can get out of it. Church is not about getting touched by worship or making a new friend...it is just about honoring God. And while yes, those things can be honoring to God, but they shouldn't be our goal.

(feel free to post your thoughts, I'm haven't really come to any complete conclusions about this)

I am surprised with the number of oppurtunities I am getting to work with children...specifically young children. I have never really pictured myself doing kid's work. Working with youth...maybe...but not young children. And to top it all off...i am surprised at how excited I am about it. Jordan and I are on the "rota" (american translation: schedule) to teach the 6-7 class once a month. It will be a real challenge to be in charge of the whole class, but I am really excited for that challenge.

Just for fun, here are some English to American translations.

Tea: Dinner
Trollied: Drunk
Hostess: Prostitute
Hen do : Bachlorette Party
Chips: French Fries
Crisps: Chips
Pants: It can mean, "really bad" or underwear
Lemonade: Lemon soda...think 7up
Cloudly Lemonade: Lemonade

Well that's just a start, their should be more to come.

Settling In

2006-01-18T12:33:00.000Z

It has been about a week since my last post and I am starting to settle in to the city of Birmingham. Getting used to tons of different accents, new slang, looking right before crossing the streets, and those crazy bus drivers. Church on Sunday was really fun. It was so strange to go to church and not have any real responsibilities. I didn't have to go early to sing, or set up snack, or do any of the little tasks i normally do. Everyone was really welcoming and we got a ton of invitations for dinner, which is always good. Not only do we get free food, but we get to meet more people which just starts to make you feel more at home.

They set up a wireless network in the church office which is so nice...it means that i can post pictures soon! How exciting is that.

I am also loving the ammount of Cadbury products there are. A few nights ago we had Cadbury's version of a Yoodle...believe me they do not compare.

I must be off. I have to find my why to Birmingham Christian College. We are taking a bible class there on 1 Corinthians....which should be really cool.

So many people, such a short time!

2006-01-12T21:08:00.000Z

Imagine trying to learn your way around a new, very large city, meet loads of new faces, try different kinds a food, andpretty much alter your way of life and just a matter of days. Well yes it has been wonderfully excited, it has also been a bit overwhelming. I arrived in Birmingham on Monday (9/1 ... look i'm so european). I spent some time with the leaders of the school and then went to my new home. I live in a very cute two bedroom flat. I am living with a girl called Carrie who is attending the school. Our host will be on vacation that majority of the time we are here, so in a way it is our own place. I feel very comfortably with my new roommate. We have loads in common. Both growing up in Vineyard Church, both love dr. pepper. But we also compliment eachother for example, i like to cook, she likes to clean. That day was pretty quite, i just hung out with carrie and Pippa, (my host) who is like a slighlty eccentric Lainie Elander.

The next morning we went to Network House, which is the South Birmingham Vineyard's office/resource center and met the entire church staff (their are quite a lot of them). Every Tuesday morning, the SBV staff gets together to pray and worship together. It is amazing how worshipping together makes strangers feel like family. The school only has four people. Other than my roommate, there is Magda, who is originally from Polland but had been in the US for school and Jordan who like me just graduated from highschool. We took most of the day to just get to know eachother and start dicussing our expectations for our time here. That afternoon we ventured into City Centre (aka downtown), which is a bit overwhelming. There are tons of shops, museums, restuarants, pubs, and lots of people. WE just went to get bus passes..lol. After that we went back to the leaders house for dinner. They live in Perry Commo. They felt God calling them their as it is a very rough part of town. There is a lot of young people there who have gotten involved in gang violence. Every Tuesday and Wednesday they host a Kid's club in the community center. So we went to hang out with the Kid's there, however, since everyone thought it was still closed for the holiday no one came. I still had a great time meeting the people who work there.

Wednesday was a very fun day, the girl's and i went to City Centre and were given a task. We had a sort of scavenger hunt to help familiarize us with the area. That was a lot of fun and helped us get to know eachother. That evening we went to the Andrew and Rosie McNiel's House for dinner, Andrew is the pastor of the church. They were so welcoming and hospitable and just great people. They have true hearts for what God is doing in the area. They have a very unique vision of what they want the vineyard to look like in Birmingham. There vision is to have 1 church in every postcode (that means about 90 churches). These churches would not act as separate but work share there strengths. The Network House would be a place that they could all use and share (its in the middle of the city). This way each church can cater to the needs of the specific area, as this is a remarkably diverse area, similiar in that of new haven...but on a much bigger scale. Right now there are three vineyards in the area The Sutton Caudfield Vineyard up in the North, my church the South Birmingham Vineyard, and Vineyard City Centre, which is a half french half english service mostly made up of people who moved here from the republic of Congo. There service is full of african inspired worship...i can't wait to vist there. They all meet together for "Big Church" once a month.

Right now is such an exciting time to be in B'ham. You can truly feel that a new movement is bubbling just beneath the surface. So many new ministries and service oppurtunities are popping up everywhere. This city is filled with people who are filled with the desire to change the area through the power of God. It is both humbling and energizing to be among such spirit filled people. I think it is funny that i feel like such a member of their church family already and have not yet attended a Sunday Service.

...and too top it all off there are two Gap stores in city centre

...and further more, actually much more importantly, I live just a little ways away from the first every Cadbury Chocolate Factories!