Bradford, Day 19

Today was the team's last day here, and we spent most of the Day in York. Bethan and I drove up this morning in an attempt (which worked) to beat the crowds, and then met the team there for church. After the service we had a nice lunch, did some sight-seeing and then came back to Bradford for a church service bringing multiple local congregations together. It is really exciting to see the intentional unity in the Body of Christ here in this place.

This evening was the final debrief with our hosts. It was wonderful to have a great team, and so sad to see such a fun group go in our different directions. I am thankful that I get to stay here a few more days!!!

Here are some pics of York:

Bradford, Day 18

Hi Everyone,

This morning we worked with some local churches in the center of town. Then Tim and Bethan (my hosts), their daughter and another friend took me up into the Dales for a picnic and a visit to Malham. It is a really unique area because there is a former limestone waterfall which, because of the porous nature of the rocks, has had the water seep through rather than coming over the top anymore.

Then tonight we had a lovely BBQ at the Carlton's house. Fun to get to be back there for a night!

Here are some pictures from the day:

Bradford, Day 17

Today our main activity was to spend time at a local mosque. It was a really good experience. We were given the opportunity to meet the Imam and were invited to observe the mid-afternoon prayer. Then we talked with some of the leaders and learned more about Islam whilst building some interesting relationships!

I hope everyone at home is very well!

Bradford, Day 16

Today was really, really crazy! We were at the school again this morning, and several of the girls surprised me with cards and little gifts when they saw me again. It was so surprising and really really sweet.

After the school, we had a meeting with some local Muslim leaders. It was a really insightful discussion about the teachings of Islam as they relate to terrorism and other challenging issues.

Then we did some training for the work we'll be doing for Healing on the Streets on Saturday.

Directly following that Ben and I (a British friend) went out to follow up with people about the Jesus DVD project, which we have been helping a local church with. Families in the neighborhood have been offered the DVD and if they wanted to follow up with someone we are going around to do that. We ended our time at one of the little girls from school's house, and had a great conversation with her mom and aunt. They were really so kind and warm!

Following that project, we went to the pastor of one of the churches' house for a Jamaican dinner. It was really nice and we had a wonderful time laughing with the family.

I am looking forward to sleep and am just really thankful for these great experiences!

Bradford, Day 15

Whew, today has been really busy:-)!

This morning I got up kind of late and had to rush to get to the church where we met on time. Once there we prepared for our day and then headed to a local elementary school which has a great relationship with my friends here. We put on a skit teaching about peer pressure and then went by twos to individual classrooms to tell about America. It was good but a little stressful since neither my partner or I have much experience in an elementary school classroom.

After the classes we went to lunch and recess with the kids. I had a following of year 5 girls, who were quite a bit cooler than me, talking about their favorite designers, celebrities, and cars. They were super-sweet. I have pictures but am not sure if I should post them, so I'll check and maybe put them up tomorrow. We'll be going back to the school then.

After being at the school we met with a local Muslim woman and had a wonderful conversation about holy books, true faith, and issues of modesty and women's dress. We Christians have quite a bit to learn from Muslims as we seek to honor God. Let me know if you'd like to talk more about what I mean by that.

Then we went to a local Madrasa, or Muslim school which children attend after school. It was great to meet some of the teachers.

Our dinner tonight kept the inter-faith dialog going. Bob and Kathryn invited some local Muslim men and women to join us at a nice restaurant for an "evening of sharing." It was great to get to talk about some serious Muslim/Christian issues today with Muslims who take their faith seriously.

When I got home I got to spend some quality time with my host family. They are really wonderful.

There is the update! I wanted to note on here that I'm sorry my updates tend to be sterile. There is much more going on in my activities and what I am learning, thinking, and feeling, but because of the time constraints I'm under and out of concern for the privacy of those I'm traveling with and to, I would rather not post too much detailed information in this public forum. I hope that, if anyone wants to follow my trip, this at least gives a good basic understanding of what is going on. But if you would like to know more just ask... I'd be happy to fill you in on the other stuff!

Here is me with some friends in the Madrasa.

Bradford, Day 14

Hi Friends,

Today ended up being another really good day. I thank God for this great trip!

It was gorgeous outside. I didn't need to be anywhere until 10 and had already decided to sleep in a little bit, so got up around 8 and had plenty of time to get ready. Bethan, the mom of the family I'm staying with, is a phenomenal hostess, and in the mornings has set the table for me with (and I am not exaggerating) a plate, bowl, knife, spoon, teacup and saucer, pretty wine glass which she uses for everyday drinks with a red napkin in it, 3 types of muesli, a croissant, piece of seeded bread, butter, cut strawberries, yogurt, a small pitcher of milk, orange juice,and  a french-press coffee pot with the grounds in it and ready for me to just add hot water. Seriously, I am pretty sure my breakfast is better than the queen's!

I then walked to the church where my group meets in the morning, which is a really nice 2 mileish walk, which I enjoy. And I got to meet with my team, sing some songs, do some praying, and it was good. We had a productive morning and then went to lunch at a Pakistani restaurant which was absolutely fabulous. We had some kind of fried lamb and vegetable burger of some kind with FRESH naan and sauces and veggies to go with it. We also had some lovely tea. Oh, SO good! I had a great conversation with one of the local pastors during lunch also, which was incredibly encouraging.

The afternoon was spent in preparation for the next few days, when we are going into an elementary school to talk about America. I hope it'll be fun!

In the late afternoon I got to go around to houses to talk to people about a project the churches have been doing in the neighborhood. I went with a local guy named Ben, and we had a frustrating time for the first hour, finding that it was unclear where we were supposed to go, etc. Eventually, we were about to give up and guessed on a house we thought might be incorrectly recorded. It turns out it was the right place -- we were invited into the man's house and had an absolutely fabulous conversation!

After we finished that project, we went to dinner with our group at a local pub, which was really nice. I decided this was my opportunity to try sticky toffee pudding which I have heard so much about, so I ordered soup for dinner and the pudding for my "pudding" (dessert).

Here's how I found it (what I thought of it)...

Yeah, that's pretty much a full-sized plate :-/. SO yummy, though! After I got home, I went for a brief run:-).

Bradford, Day 13

Today the weather was beautiful, yet again! I am glad it was so nasty when I got here... I wouldn't have believed what everyone says about the weather otherwise! It has been sooo nice.

Today we did crossing cultures training, where we learned about building relationships with people from other cultures by being a learner. This wasn't new for me since I've done the training before, but it was exciting to do it with some teammates who have had very little cross-cultural interaction. Amazing the conversations you can have when you are just there to listen!

We also had fish and chips! Not something to make a habit of, but they sure were tasty!

Sorry my entries are quite quick these days. I'm afraid I've been quite worn-out and have had little down time to write.