Down to Business

This past week I've actually been able to start the jobs I came here to do. I spent a lot of time in the library, learning my way around the system and sorting books. There are over 5,000 books already classified and around that many more still to be sorted and added to the system. I'm still figuring out how to use the computer catalog system effectively so that I can add books. I've certainly got enough work to keep me busy for some time. 



All these books need to be sorted.

 






I started some administration work for the training team. So far I've been setting up finances and schedules. The training team mainly supervises the Global Action program, which trains and places small teams with area churches to partner in ministry. Most of the people in Toolkit with me were GAers. They were split into teams of 3-4 people each and placed in 6 churches, some up to 2 hours away. Each of the churches is enthusiastic about outreach, evangelism, and ministry and is excited to have a committed international team with them to help in that. The admin work that I do is related to the GA teams and their training.

I will also be spending one day a week doing admin for ELCO, which I think stands for English Language & Community Outreach. (OM is very fond of acronyms that they rarely explain.) It's similar to the GA program, but for speakers of other languages to learn English. My help will enable the teachers to focus more on teaching English and less on filing paperwork and recording attendance.

A Hike Across the Countryside

Today I went hiking with a couple of the guys. We took lunch with us (Subway!) and picnicked atop the Clent Hills. They seem to be the highest points around and gave us a nice view of the countryside. The weather was excellent for walking and the sun came out in the afternoon.

 

Halesowen is where the Lifehope Centre is.

The two hills on the horizon are the Clent Hills.

We passed all kinds of livestock: cows, horses, sheep, pigs, and ponies.

 



 In the UK, there are public footpaths crisscrossing much of the country. Most of the paths cross private property, often pastures. Sometimes there are stiles for walkers to get from one field to another, but other places just have a gate. We hopped a lot of gates, all quite legally.

 

 

It was all very picturesque, with hedges between the pastures and cows grazing beside the path. So far, England looks rather like I imagined it should.

 

In the picture below you can see Halesowen, with Birmingham in the background.

 

 

Toolkit finished yesterday, meaning that training is officially over! Next week I will be learning my duties and settling into a routine. In the meantime, I will enjoy a peaceful weekend.

 

Pictures from Wales

These are all from the hike on Snowdon. It was the only time during the week that there were enough breaks in the rain to be able to take pictures. The rest of the time it rained pretty constantly.

 

 

Far over the Misty Mountains cold...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several different places in England lay claim to the Arthur legend. Wales does also, and we got to see some of the important sites from the story. This last picture is of the lake where the Lady of the Lake is supposed to have lived. Nearby is a mountain pass where Arthur is said to have fought his final battle and a cave where his knights carried him afterwards. Looking around at the wildness and majesty of the mountains, it was not hard to imagine all sorts of heroic tales taking place there. Our guides also told us a few Welsh legends about giants and a serpent in the lake, which were of course slain by brave heroes.

Adventure Week

We left bright and early on Tuesday morning, piled into the minibuses, and headed out on Adventure Week. After a few hours, we crossed into Wales, which made me very excited. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, with fields of heather and sheep everywhere. We went hiking in Snowdonia National Park. Our goal was to reach the top of Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales, but we could only go partway due to rain, wind, and fog.

 

We got used to Welsh weather this week. Every afternoon, without fail, it started to rain 15 minutes after we stepped outside. We went hiking, geocaching, played team-building games, and had quiet time, all in the rain. It rarely rains hard, just a slow, steady drizzle.

 

Despite the weather, it was a good week. We really grew together as a team and started learning to communicate across cultural differences. I learned a lot about leadership and myself.

 

 

 

 

A Day in Birmingham

On Saturday a group of us went into Birmingham City Center for the day. In honor of the opening of the new Birmingham City Library, an arts festival was being held with music, dancing, and performances outside near the library. We walked around, only got a little lost, and explored the area. I got to learn some of city's history in the Birmingham Arts Museum.
I took a bunch of pictures and would really love to post some, but have tried several times and been unable to upload them. The quality of my internet connection depends greatly on how many other people are using it at the same time. Often there are 3 or 4 people trying to Skype at once, which uses up a lot of the connection. I will keep trying and will hopefully post some pictures separately sometime.

Today (Monday) we are learning how to do street evangelism and later this afternoon we will actually go out onto the streets of Halesowen and do just that. I am so nervous. This is not what I signed on for, but it is part of the training that everyone receives.

Tomorrow we leave for four days on Adventure Week. It is all very hush-hush, so we don't know where we will be going or what we will be doing. I will not be bringing my laptop, so I will post something on Saturday about that.

Please pray that I stay healthy this week. Several people were sick when they got here and since then various nasty bugs have been spreading amongst everyone. I feel I am starting to come down with something and would hate to get sick just as we leave.

Busy First Week and Mosque Visit

I had intended to post some other things during the week, but found my schedule very full. We are almost to the end of the first week of Toolkit. During this time, I have had sessions on prayer life, British culture, face painting and ballooning, gospel magic illustrations, kids work, youth work, Islamic beliefs, techniques for sharing the gospel, writing a personal testimony, and more. It is a lot of great information crammed into one week, in between eating, sleeping, tea breaks (there are a lot of those here!), cleaning duties, morning devotions, and making new friends.

Yesterday we visited a Muslim mosque. The girls in our group all had to wear scarves on our heads, sleeves past the elbow, and something to cover our hips (either a loose-fitting skirt or long sweater). This was not necessarily a rule of the mosque, but rather something we did to show respect as we entered another's place of worship. 
A Muslim professor gave us a tour, showing us the ritual washing before prayer and the recited prayer with genuflections. He explained a bit about Islam, but I was very interested to notice the way he presented his religion. He was obviously trying to make it appealing to outsiders and used many ideas popular in our culture today. He said Islam is a religion of peace, because the Koran forbids hurting anyone, either physically or emotionally. He stressed how all are equal before Allah, whether rich or poor. In his words, women are theoretically allowed to worship in the same room as the men, but must stand behind them. This is not because they are of lesser value, since no one is greater or lesser in Islam, but because of modesty. However, in practice, there are separate spaces for the women and they rarely mingle, even using different doors and staircases.
It was a large, beautiful building. The large room for Friday prayers (Friday is their holy day of the week) had high ceilings, a crystal chandelier, and blue tile insets in the roof, each one with a different name for Allah. It was very impressive looking. I am grateful to our guide for being willing to show us around his sacred place of worship and answer our many questions.

Beginning of Toolkit

It is my third day in the UK and the first day of Toolkit, a three week training program. There are about 50 new people joining Lifehope, from the US, UK, Canada, Mexico, Hong Kong, South Korea, Algeria, Brazil, Finland, Netherlands, and Germany. Not all of them are here yet, but I think there's around 30 of us now.

I have been meeting people, learning my way around the base and the town of Halesowen, and figuring out how daily life at Lifehope works. The weather so far has been like fall weather at home: chilly in the mornings, sometimes breezy, and warm in the sun (no rain yet!). I am trying to get used to thinking in Celsius. I am still surprised every time someone says it's 21 degrees out. (That's 68 in Fahrenheit.) Between that, British pounds sterling, and the metric system, I am having an interesting time trying to convert everything in my head. Even time is not measured quite the same; many of the times at the base are given in 24 hour style, instead of AM and PM.

I will begin my work as Librarian and Training Administrator after Toolkit is over. I looked over the library and am excited to start work. It has many interesting books on a range of subjects, almost half of which are unsorted and desperately in need of my organization. The room is in the middle of the base, but is quiet and smells of old books. I expect to spend much happy time in there.

There is so much going on that I couldn't possibly tell you everything, so if you have any specific questions which I have not answered, please post a comment and ask. I would love to hear from you!