Wales Cont'd

Saturday morning was the day EVERYONE had been waiting for! But we woke up to a foggy, wet day with dark gray clouds looming above. Julie and I drove to Cafarthfa Park around 9 AM and waited around for about an hour before Garreth had to finally tell us that the Fun Day In The Park had to be cancelled. He prayed for everyone, and then freed us to spend our last full day in Wales doing whatever we wanted. We were all so disappointed that the day had to be cancelled, but kept encouraging each other with the fact that God had this planned all along and that we needed to choose to glorify God with our attitudes and actions, instead of selfishly getting upset over circumstances we couldn’t control.
So a group of us decided we would at least go into town (Merthyr) for lunch somewhere and then decide what to do from there. Vikki and Anna ended up taking us to Chaplain’s Pub, where all 15 of us (I think) got this little downstairs room to ourselves. =)
Then Vikki and Anna said we should try to go to Caerphilly Castle…that was the BEST day ever! One of the men in the church graciously drove us to the castle and we spent the whole afternoon there, just walking around and taking TONS of pictures! It was the most beautiful ruined castle I’ve ever seen.

Sunday, our last day in Merthyr, we went to the service. James, Stephen, and Joey got to play with the Merthyr band for worship, and then Garreth spoke. It was very hard for some of us, knowing we might never see these precious people again until we’re worshipping around the Throne together. At the end of the service, they provided a huge lunch for us, and several of us (both on the team and in the church there) went up to the mic and shared how we had been affected by the trip, the team, or the church some way. We took a few last pictures, took a Team Picture, said our tearful goodbyes, and were on our way to London. Garreth and Tony drove us to a hotel where we’d stay for the night. When we got to the hotel, we practically threw our stuff in the rooms and ran downstairs to eat our last meal with the pastors in Wales. Kyle, Julie, Nathan, and I (Stephen, Joey, James, Maria, and Gloria stayed for a while) ended up staying down there until 1 AM just talking. The last night of a mission trip is always very bittersweet.

Monday morning, Julie and I woke up late and had approximately 5 minutes to eat the yummy breakfast before we had to be out by the curb with our luggage, waiting for the bus to pick us up and take us to the airport. We all made it safely on, without leaving anything (or anyone) behind. Once we got to the airport It was pretty much “smooth sailing” from there to Orlando.

I truly enjoyed my trip to Wales, because even though it didn’t look at ALL like what I was expecting, I learned SO much during that week! I believe God used that time, especially, to grow me in the area of evangelism. Every day that we went out “leafleting” I grew bolder in starting up conversations with strangers, and more confident that I COULD share the hope in Christ that I’ve been given. I developed friendships with people halfway across the world that I never want to let go of, and I learned invaluable lessons of humility and servanthood from the church in Merthyr Tidfyl.

THE END

Wales cont'd

The next morning (Thursday) we did some more leafleting in the morning, went back to the Lloyd’s to have a quick lunch, and then we got to go to Cardiff, Vikki’s city!! We took a train (that Stephen and Daniel missed!) into the city and then they set us loose to wander about the city! Julie and I walked around with Vikki for a while because she wanted to show us “Cahdiff”. We went shopping in their malls, bought presents for the fam, and some gifts for ourselves, and then we took a 1 hour tour on a double-decker bus with Joey and Lauren. I had never been on a double-decker bus before, so of course we had to sit on the top! We were really enjoying seeing the sights from “up high” until it started to rain. The lower level of the bus was packed, so we couldn’t go down there, and we still had about 20 minutes left of the tour and only ONE umbrella between the 5 of us! So I tried to brave it out by giving one of the girls my jacket…not sure what THAT did…but then I was given the umbrella. I was so grateful that I had this amazing invention to shield me from the bullets of H2O that were being shot at me from above, until that amazing invention was not so amazing anymore. The wind was blowing so hard it whipped the umbrella upwards, therefore rendering the umbrella useless, and leaving me unprotected from the evil raindrops that were “pecking my eyes out”! So then we ran through the wet streets of “Cahdiff” to meet up with the rest of the team. We then drove over to a fancy Italian restaurant (I forgot the name!) for dinner…YUM! By this time, though, some of us had lost restraint; this fancy restaurant was not prepared for such an unusual bunch. Daniel was SO enthralled with his dessert when it came, that he smothered his lips and half his face in the chocolate wonder and paraded from table to table, letting all of us take pictures.
After a while, someone mentioned that there was a cemetery across the street so we got permission to walk over there until everyone was ready to leave. It was really neat looking at all the different inscriptions on the gravestones, though the reverence was interrupted by the screams of unsuspecting girls and the childish antics of some of the guys. :)

Friday morning the plan was to do our last day of leafleting all day. But by the time we came back for lunch, it had been pouring miserably all morning that they decided to only send the school teams out, and Julie and I got to go over to Fran and Linda’s (where Kyle and Nathan stayed) to listen to the band rehearse for the next day’s “big event”. It was SO much fun as Julie, Anna and I curled up in a blanket on the couch (we were still freezing and soaked through), and listened as Amy, Matt, Fran, Ryan, Kyle, Joey, and James all played/sang. Then Julie and I were dropped off at home and decided to take it easy for the evening. So we got in our pj’s, fixed some tea, and watched a movie on Julie’s laptop. It was nice after such a long day. :)

Wales cont'd

It was a dismal and dreary morning as Julie and I headed to the team meeting. The worst-case scenario had overcome us, as we were sure we would be sent back to our own country and be forever known as the “silly Americans”. But needless to say, our fearless leader dealt with the matter in a very humble, and non-dramatic way, and all was forgiven. :)
So we went on (except for Amber, whose ankle had gotten worse) to do more leafleting for the day…we sort of got lost on this trip. But we met some neat people and had great conversations! One of the people I got to talk to was an older gentleman. He talked to me about everything from the Beatles, to symphonies, to musicals! It was very enjoyable. I did try to start talking about the Gospel or whether he was in a local church, but he seemed to just want to talk to me. He was a very sweet man.
That afternoon, Julie and I got back to the house just in time to change and leave again with Lynda. She drove Julie, Beth, Meg, and me over to Dan and Mira’s (where Amber and Lauren were staying) for dinner: Chicken Curry, Baked Potatoes with all the “fixins”!! Yum!
Once we were done with dinner, Lynda drove us over to Cafarthfa Castle to see the school children perform Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! It was fantastic! The little boy who played Joseph was phenomenal! Julie and I really enjoyed it. By the time Jules and I got back to our little tower in the castle, we slunk into our beds, exhausted physically and emotionally!


Wednesday morning we continued to leaflet a few more neighborhoods, but the Merthyr church told us they wanted to take us to Sain Fagin’s for the afternoon! This is an area where they built replicas of historic buildings and villages from…I think the 1600’s. So we all just sort of split up into smaller groups and walked around the entire property, going inside old general stores, libraries, and an INCREDIBLE castle, complete with a gorgeous courtyard, vine-covered walkways, and a secret garden…alright, maybe it wasn’t a secret…but it was to me until I found it!
Then the park closed for an hour or so and re-opened for a special theatrical performance! All of us Americans were SO excited because we had no idea what lay in store for us! So we went just outside the park, where they had a grassy hill or two. We spread out blankets and sweatshirts, sat on the grass, and ate our lunches that our gracious families had packed for us! It was SO nice. Some of us just laid down and rested in the heat of the Welsh sun, some went for a walk, and some of the guys decided to play this strange hacky-sack game…guys where running, some were rolling, some were screaming…some screamed like girls.Then we went to see….THE MIKADO (the play)!!!!! It was at this little outdoor theater inside the park, and it was, very different from ANY play I’ve ever seen! It had political humor and jabs, tap-dancing, bicycles, an evil villain who looked a lot like Cruella DeVille, and there were names like Coco, Tiddy-Poo, and YumYum. It was entertaining! :)

Wales Pics

This is me and Meg just after we finished dancing and being silly with Jules and Beth. It was SO much fun, and I miss those girls SOOOOOO much! =(

The Escapade...Part 2

It was a dark and chilly evening! Three adventurous boys led four unsuspecting girls into the misty unknown. Wandering through the hushed streets of Merthyr, the troupe at last reached the outskirts of the park. Some attempted to scale the rather large wall separating the protected castle from intruding pedestrians…it didn’t work.
They ventured further and found a few rod iron bars that had been pulled apart…no doubt it was done by previous intruders. The seven managed to squeeze through one by one, some living more dangerously than others. Once inside, the girls clung to one another, as if somehow constructing a fearsome, stronghold by linking arms and trudging down the soggy, unlit path together. The boys led the way through the pitch-blackness, skillfully using their video camera light to…uh…light the path. They plodded down to the gloomy stage, stood on it and looked at the castle for a brief moment, then they all decided it was best to leave quickly.
The trek back to the gate seemed to take much less time than it did to reach the coveted stage. They had a close call though, as they neared the Trespasser’s Entrance, when they saw a figure darting about in the shadows and then climbing out the way they had gotten in. Soon after, they noticed a policeman strolling by, peering through the bars and into their souls…er, the park! This moment much reminded me of the scene from The Sound Of Music where the family is hiding in the cemetery from the Nazis. But the kindly officer continued on down the street, unaware that seven mischievous shadows lurked behind a cluster of trees. Again, one by one, the seven filtered themselves through the crude opening in the bars, but this time back into wonderfully lit streets! They all concurred that it was time to go back to their homes, as it was nearing the midnight hour. They began sheepishly walking down the streets, only to be stopped by the painful winces of one of the girls who had twisted her ankle while attempting to climb out of the park! Remorse quickly fell on the other six as they realized they had not cared for their sister in arms as they should have. The boys helped her walk gingerly down the slanted streets, only to realize moments later that they had no idea where they were going! The group searched for any familiar signs or streets, in hopes that something would jog their memory and they would be pointed in the right direction. But alas, none could be found. So one of the boys decided to attack…I mean, ask an older gentleman getting out of a taxi cab for directions. The poor man misunderstood the lad’s question and sent the troupe walking in circles, ending up in a dark alley in front of some foreboding houses. The six knew the invalid among them should not walk any further until they had clear direction of where they were going, so as not to agitate the girl’s ankle. Two of the boys were sent off down the street, with the daunting task of finding a way back to each home. The last boy was left with the terrifying responsibility of protecting four frightened girls from whatever lay ahead.
They sat and prayed for the poor girl’s ankle and for their safety, AND that the sent boys would return with the way home. They opened their eyes, and there were the two boys, waving at them to follow quickly! So the reunited troupe once again set off, this time, with a spark of hope that they would be home before midnight! But as they neared the first intersection, the boys realized they didn’t know which way to turn. They were just about to step into the intersection, when they heard loud slurring voices coming from the right. When they discovered that the noise was coming from a local pub and there were several drunken men staggering outside, they felt it best to stay in the dark alley they were standing in, rather than be discovered by the inebriated gentlemen. Once again, the two boys were sent off, only to be found quickly by Dave (the kind man that the boys were staying with), who was in his car looking for the boys! Dave picked up the two, who took him to the now panicking group, as the drunks were making their way down the street, closer to the girls and the last boy. The two jumped out of the car, and the five began to walk towards the car in relief. Then realizing that their identity had been discovered by the wandering drunks, and were now being hooted and hollered at, the girls dove into the car; the boys hung back ready to protect their sisters in Christ with a fight, if necessary! Fortunately, Pastor Garreth drove up right behind Dave to pick up the boys.
On the way back to the girls’ host homes, the girls pondered and grieved over the past few hours, wishing they could have been a better example, and less of a headache, to the Merthyr church. The four girls parted, and the two remaining were driven home in silence. They sneaked up the stairs, growing more sorrowful with each creaking step. Each fell into her bed worn-out, scared, and remorseful. They continued to talk about the evening, though; unable to rid their minds of the embarrassment they had caused their leaders…in both countries. Hours later, they drifted into a fitful, exhausted sleep, knowing they must face their unsuspecting fearless leader (Mike) in the morning…and dreading it!

The Escapade...Part 1

Monday morning, Julie and I drove over to the Lloyds with Lynda to “regroup” before all the different teams were sent out to begin the work of spreading the word about the Fun in the Park day. =D There was a small group of Welsh and Americans that went to some local schools to put on a short skit and tell them about the Fun in the Park. The rest of us non-thespians were broken into 3 groups and were sent out to different neighborhoods to go “leafleting”. It was kind of weird, because I hadn’t done this in a while. But I quickly overcame my fear of dogs and…people…and was able to “press on” for the glory of God! Even though we did get a few door-slams that morning, I was so enjoying the scenery as we walked through the streets of Merthyr. There is so much that us “city folk” take for granted, living 10-20 yards from the next house and hiding midst the towering buildings constructed only in the last several decades. I LOVED walking only a block from the house we were staying at to an old catholic church that was just sitting on the corner of the neighborhood. ~This was just one of my few rabbit trails…I hardly EVER go on rabbit trails during my stories! Speaking of rabbits though…~
So after a morning of walking up and down steps, opening and shutting some really cool-looking gates, and knocking on doors till our knuckles bled (well, not really), we all drove back to the Lloyd’s for lunch. This was so much fun! Each of our families had packed us lunchboxes of some sort, and had made note of our likes and dislikes in just the last few days! It was so sweet! We all ate outside under this little garden area covered by a trellis. After lunch we went out to leaflet some more. That evening after we had “freshened up” at our respective homes, all our families drove us to this Chinese restaurant downtown where the pastors and their families met up with us and we took up the entire upstairs of the restaurant! You know, in the typical American fashion. I ate these little white foamy things that didn’t taste like anything. I tried a few other things for the first time too, but I don’t remember their names. It was a wonderful dinner and really fun fellowship with the church members.
Following dinner, Mike and Sharon (a couple in the Merthyr church) asked a few people to come over to their house down the street for a “sing night”. They ended up receiving the whole American team and some of their host family members! AGH! It was very enjoyable, with Nathan playing the piano, James playing the guitar, and Kyle and some of the other guys leading a time of worship. We sang some old traditional hymns, and some newer upbeat worship songs. It was a wonderful time of refreshing, and bonding with our spiritual family. But of course, we had to go out with a BANG that night! As they were finishing up, a few of us decided to go down to Cafarthfa Castle so we could view the castle from the stage we would be playing on in a few days. Some of the guys had already seen it all lit up at night and said it looked really cool. So we got directions from Andy and we were off!...at 10 o’clock at night….the time that the Cafarthfa park closes….without a native Merthyrian to guide us through the city…boy, we're adventurous!

SLACKER!

Okay, I know. Sorry for the extreme delay. But here we go! I'm going to be posting one day right after another so I can be done with it! :) Feel free to ask questions, or let me know if you think I left out details.
Thanks, once again, for being patient...for the most part! ;)

Wales

Greetings, blogger friends! I apologize for the delay AGAIN in my posting! I'm attempting to pen the details of the famous Monday night story, and I want to make sure that I get everything right! I will do my BEST to carve out time to finish that and more this weekend. For those of you who are already bored with the dronings of a Wales fan, be patient! Once I'm finished recounting this tale, I will resume posting quotes from amazing Christian authors and would love to discuss them with you!

Wales...3

Okay for all you whiners out there...BEGGING me to enlighten your hum-drum lives with a taste of Welsh living...be enlightened! Also, another slideshow will soon follow...
The next morning (Saturday) we awoke to the sounds of birds chirping, and the house bustling…actually it was almost 1 PM in Merthyr when we woke up! The kind family was so gracious to allow the newfound princesses some EXTRA beauty rest. J We all ate together (our breakfast, their lunch) and then they whisked us away to a small park where Julie and I displayed our incredible abilities to twirl in the air on a hanging tire, to balance ourselves on a tightrope strung around the tallest trees, and other turbulentistic feats!
We then rushed over, out of breath, to Mike and Sharon’s house for a time of prayer and instruction. Fearless Mike only had one request that day…NO international incidents! “Simple enough.” we thought. We enjoyed listening to the Welsh accent being used properly that day…Later that afternoon we all went over to Captain Gareth’s castle for a feast of the most amazing delicacies ever laid before your eyes! There was Lamb on a stick, hamburgers, roast chicken, strawberries, pasta, and Lamb and Mint flavored Pringles!!! AHHH, it was GOOD! After they had stuffed us silly with finger-licking delights, they rolled…uh, I mean guided us down to Cafarthfa Park to play football (soccer). The men gave an incredible presentation of “athletic abilities”. Well, it WAS entertaining.
This evening marked the start of a few amazing friendships! Julie and I met Anna, Vikki, and Amy! Those lovely girls will never know how much they mean to me!

Wales

…as we neared our destination, it became apparent to all of us that we had left sunny Florida for a long time. The rain was coming down in tiny, cold little bullets as we rushed inside to meet our new families. One by one we were engulfed in hugs as each entered his/her new home for the next week! Julie and I were first greeted by Andy, king of Park View Castle! I noted immediately his kind eyes and cheery smile. Then as he drove us to meet his family, I mustered up every ounce of strength that I had left in me to fight the mighty Sleep Dragon! It was an exhausting battle, but nothing to lose sleep over.
As we trudged up the stone steps, three grins greeted us from the window in the front room! Queen Lynda, in all humility, with her warm embraces and gentle voice, ushered us into the front room so we could rest and have a cup of tea (our first in Wales!!!). Princess Beth presented herself calm and collected, but I could tell she was brimming with questions for the crazy, tired Americans. I was also greeted by Meg the Fairy! Meg had a sparkle in her eye and a mischievous grin. She floated about the room, unable to contain her excitement about the two new houseguests!
As Lynda beckoned us to retire to our room, we gratefully followed her upstairs, content with a piece of carpet to call our own. But this marvelous family had prepared a feast of a room for their weary travelers! We had been given the highest room in the tallest tower, which Princess Beth so graciously bestowed upon us. Our window overlooked the village of Park View, and provided a wonderful retreat when we wanted to read or spend time in the Word. We slipped into a deep sleep that night, wondering if the dream we had walked into would still be there in the morning…

Wales

Well, where do I begin? I guess the first day would be a good start...going into it, I had no idea what lay in store for 20 crazy Americans taking 10 hours to cross the big puddle...into a land flowing with sheep and accents.
It wasn't until I was already locked tight and sealed shut inside the big bird that I realized what KIND of a trip we were in for. I stared at the odd man in front of me in horror as he wrapped his airline blanket around him and began to contort his face in ways I never thought humanly possible.
Then it came upon an afternoon clear when we met the fearless leaders of the church. Ahh, yes. Captain Garreth himself, and his trusty sidekick Tony. They, together with their super powers, single-handedly scooped all 20 of us up and led us to their mighty carriages. With the wisdom of thousands, they thrust our luggage into the "boot" with a single bound! I had never seen such precision. As we glided through the country-side with the wind on our faces, I pondered the looming future, which led me to wonder: What will my host family be like? What will we do this week? How well do I WANT to get to know my team members? Is that drool coming out of ........'s mouth? (TO BE CONTINUED).....

Check out my Slide Show!

Hey, here's just a few...kind of a run-down of our trip! Enjoy! :)

Finally Home...

YAY! We just got home a few hours ago. I'm so sorry we weren't able to update the blog like I would have wanted to. We couldn't get internet from Julie's lap top very well.
I am SO glad to be home (I get to sleep in MY bed tonight!!!), but it was definitely very hard to leave the people in Merthyr yesterday.
HELLO TO ANDY, LYNDA, BETH, MEG, GARRETH, ANGELA, MATT, TOM, TONY, NORMA, JOHN, JAMES, MATT AND AMY, VICKI, ANNA, and EVERYONE else at the wonderful SGC in Merthyr! I miss you all already! I will be taking my film in tomorrow to get it developed so I may be able to put up some more pics on the site tomorrow night! I love my new Merthyr church family and can't wait to hear from you! Feel free to post on my blog when you can, and send pictures as well!

To everyone here at home that I haven't seen yet, I LOVE YOU and can't wait to see you! Please pray though...my luggage was lost today. :( I got my camera case but my suitcase didn't make it on the plane in Charlotte. They did call us to tell us they FOUND my bag, but it most likely won't get delivered till tomorrow evening at the earliest...which means I don't get to give my family their gifts until then. :(
Thanks to EVERYONE who prayed for us while we were gone, and for the weather! We had a few days where the weather was gloriously sunny and thus enabled us to spend more time serving and spend time with the church. It was definitely disappointing to have to cancel the Fun In The Park day, but I am so grateful that we can trust in the sovereignty of God. I know that God's purposes cannot be thwarted and are not dependent on a team of 20 Americans coming over to help out a baby church. :) God doesn't NEED me to do certain things for His glory...He simply provides me the wonderful privilege of serving His church and lifting His name up in a dark world, because He chooses to do so. How kind of our amazing God to give me such a wonderful opportunity!

Wow...I will be amazed if any of that even makes sense to you guys. :) It's 10 PM right now, which means it should feel like 3 AM to me...which means I should be passed out in a coma by now. =D Again, I love you all and can't WAIT to hear from you!

An Update!!!!

Okay, it's Jennifer again! Here's an update from Abby Carlen on her dad's blog: Mr. ‘C’. It was so cool to read that! :o) And, Abby, you ARE on a Missions Trip...the most important kind because you're taking the Gospel to the lost! It's okay to have fun along the way! ;o)

Nathan's updated his here.

Are they alive?!?!

This is Jennifer in for Julie and Steph since they obviously care nothing about us! :o) I was tired of seeing those travel pictures, so I thought I'd post a picture of their flyer for the upcoming event. As far as news...I guess no news is good news? Still, it sure would be nice to hear from y'all! We love you and are praying for you anyway! ;o)

WE LEAVE TOMORROW!

ONE MORE DAY!!! WOOHOO! My team leaves for Merthyr Tidfyl (sp?), Wales tomorrow around 3:30!!
I'm going to try and keep my blog updated w/ AMAZING european stories and tales of our adventures, and our quest to bring the Gospel to the Welsh...and maybe some pictures.
I am SO excited, but please pray for us! :)