Cambridge

When I was back in England, I got to go punting in Cambridge. It's a lot harder than it looks, but nevertheless, I would highly recommend the experience. :)

A varied assortment of photos

A table that I set for lunch at L'Abri

Self-explanatory :)

Romsey Abbey

Deep in discussion at breakfast

Choir practice

L'Abri again



Enjoying "high tea" on Sunday evening

Our group at the end of the term. I am amazed at how many countries are represented in this picture: the UK, the states, Holland, South Africa, Austrailia, South Korea, Ukraine, etc.

Josh and I were some of the many people who helped build a duck island in the pond.

 

I played at the local church almost every Sunday while I was there.

 

Myself, Comfort, and Eveline

Pictures of L'Abri... finally!!!

 The front gate

View from the back. My bed was directly under the middle floor windows on the right.

 Tea time:  always outside if the weather was at all decent.

Studying...

 Many thanks to Martin and Tim for sharing some of these photos with me.

Friends and coffee...

Cara, myself, Ruth, and Anna at a lovely little cafe in Petersfield, England.

L'Abri

So, here I am at L'Abri. How to describe it; that is the issue. Perhaps the best way is to share an excerpt from my journal entry on Thursday, May 19:

"Yesterday was my first full day at L'Abri. When I first got here, I felt very nervous. I just didn't know what it was going to be like, and that is scary for me. It made me cry out to God even more. I tried to come in and do what I normally do-- take the initiative in meeting people and starting conversations. Turns out, I love it here. The first night, everyone had dinner together, and we had people from the UK, the US, South Africa, and Australia. That first taste of community and conversations made me so excited for the the next three months. It's hard to describe exactly what makes it so wonderful, but you know when you get here that God is at work. The grounds are rustic and lovely, as well, which is inspiring to the senses. I won't be meeting with my tutor until tomorrow. Nevertheless, I was excited to dig right in and start with Mere Christianity, which I have been wanting to read for a while. I found that I enjoyed the study time immensely and was not ready for it to end."

Sights

Bruce and Bonnie, the relatives I stayed with for my first five days in England, were so kind to take me to visit many lovely sights. Here are a few pictures: 

Flights and Delays...

My family and I arrived at the Kansas City airport an hour and a half early for my 6:50 am flight. Everything went quite smoothly, and we said our tearful goodbyes. When I boarded the plane, however, we had an hour weather delay before takeoff. This brought me into O'Hare too late to catch my 8:55 am flight to Heathrow. The next flight was not until 6:00 pm. I proceeded to find a secluded corner and see if I could get some rest. My mother and I had spent most of the previous night finishing up last-minute details, so I was slightly sleep deprived. I was able to get some sleep and spend time reading the Bible and journaling. I also walked back and forth a lot and now feel quite familiar with the K and L sections of O'Hare's terminal 4.

Here I am, feeling pretty good for having spent nine hours waiting in the airport.

Long story short, I arrived safely in London, I located my luggage and got through passport control without too much difficulty. My second-cousin and his wife "collected" me at the airport and brought me to their home. I will be with them for several days before I go to L'Abri. Stay tuned for many more updates to come...