Bonhoeffer

One of our homeworks for this week was to read Bonhoeffer's "Life Together," 18 pages in and I was calling out to God. Its talks about community, and about being grateful for what you have rather than criticizing. And I realized how often I complain about the fact that things aren't the way I want them to be, but God is changing my outlook on life. I am so grateful for the community I have here. Sure there are things I would change if I was running everything, but thats just it, I"M NOT, GOD IS! Thank goodness for that! Because He does so much better than I ever could. He has this whole big plan that I can't see and its just so exciting to get to be in the middle of it. I can see God moving around me, how incredible is that? Constant community is the most amazing thing, this morning I met with my mentor Anne, and she just encouraged me to keep asking God for more of Him and more of what He has for me, because He wants to give us more than we can possibly think or imagine. Then I got a chance to be myself in the Boiler House, I blasted Hillsong London, and praised Jesus at the top of my lungs. Love those prayer times when its just you and God and He meets you there. Then, God teaching me about community as He likes to do, I ran into Carla and got to hear all about what shes been doing in the schools and prayed for her on my walk home. Everywhere i went today, i got to see people that I know, people that i'm building relationships with, people who need Jesus, or encouragement or encouraged me. I got home to a houseful of studious people, and got some insight into God Story, ate some lunch (stir fry from last night, when we had a full table and silence, I think that means I did good) then one of the girls that is doing God Story with me, Hannah, picked me up and we went back to her house to do some studying/debating, and figured out we know nothing but its fun to decipher what the Bible says on all the random topics we come across in our reading. Then her brother Simeon's car broke down so we went and jumped it for him, just another example of what a tight-nit community they have over here. Then when i got home it was time to start thinking about dinner and Steve brought over a friend. Mike made us some awesome Bangers and mash (which is sausage and mashed potatoes). I love that we have an open house where anyone really is welcome at any time. Its awesome to me that people just drop in. I've always wanted to have a home like that, so having it here is amazing. Basically, today God has showed me what a blessing living in community is and that I shouldn't take it for granted, but that i should instead be grateful everyday for the beautiful people surrounding me. :)

His daily places

Its been so incredible to me to just see how all my daily places are where God works. A visit to Morrisons isn't just to grab some milk, but its an opportunity to run into the local kids and pray with them, its a chance to learn the Grocers name and build relationships. For the first time in my life I'm learning what it means to be a missionary. Not just go on a missions trip, but to be a missionary wherever you are. I'm falling so in love with my Jesus. I have always known and loved Him, but being far away from home, and so far out of my comfort zone, its just made me realize how dependant I am on Him. I am so excited with how I have already started to build relationships in the community. There is this group of girls, that are abotu 14 years old and I've been seeing them everywhere. I just love them! God has totally put them on my heart. Be praying for them, especially for Charlotte and Amy, they are so intersted in who God is and prayer. I can totally see God getting to them this year. Angelique and I want to start a girls group for them on Sundays, and they are all really interested in coming. Hopefully that will get started up with just some mani/pedis and Jesus. I think it will be a good combo :) Life here is starting to settle in. It feels like home. I think I could make my home anywhere as long as I knew God wanted me there. And I know God wants me here. I've really never been so sure of anything in my life. I have a purpose here, and I love living a purposeful life. God is so amazing, we're reading through the Bible together and I'm amazed everyday and who He is. I'm amazed at how great He is, and that at the same time, He knows me intimately. He is so good!

Stretched and Strained

We had our first two days of teaching and my mind feels like its going to explode. I'd always thought that I had an extensive knowledge of the Bible compared to most, and perhaps I do, but the truth is, the more I know, the more I discover there is to know. The vastness of my God is unfathomable. The first Bar N Bus night was like nothing I've ever experienced before. I mean these kids genuinly wanted me to pray for them. They weren't like American kids who are just so fed up with Christianity, or who are all "christians" whether or not they know what that means. These kids listened intently to what I said and prayed and were excited to meet me. Its been crazy here, feels like I've known everyone for months or years. I prayed so long for friends, for a real community, and now that I have it I'm just so overwhelmed. Its amazing. I could not have asked God for better people to spend this journey with. I'm os far out of my comfort zone, but I love it. I love knowing that God is going to change me so much more than I could possibly imagine because I'm not in my normal place. I can already see people that He wants me to spend time with and encourage, I just can't wait to see the transformation take place. Thats the cool thing about being in a small community. You can really see the changes take place. The things that happen over the next ten months will actually have an effect that I can see. There is so much gunk in me, and I know that God is going to slowly errode all of that. I hope that when I return ten months from now, you won't even recognise me because I have become so wholly immersed in Christ.

Going crazy in England...

Yesterday a group of eight Christians walked into a room full of 88 first year dance students to offer them a welcome bag full of maps, restaurant guides and small gifts. While we were at first hesitant of what their reaction would be, we received a warm welcome. They were grateful to receive such a loving gift after a hard first week of training. They all arrive everyday at 8am and don’t stop their training until after 6:30 or in some cases 9pm, so people who just wanted to bless them and offer a welcome into their community had a profound effect. Already, 22 people have signed up for the free Indian meal with Alpha that is occurring tonight. You could see the look of shock come across their faces when they heard there were cappuccino and soup packets in the bag. We were able to delve quickly into conversations as we passed out the bags and shared why we were there. We hope that our genuine concern about them fitting into the community will intrigue them and they will desire to get to know us better and will come to the pasta dinner. It was such an awesome opportunity to get to minister to them and hopefully those relationships will grow over time and we'll be able to make an impact on them. Also last night, we went to the mall to get a phone for me, and we had all been talking about getting piercings, so I got my cartilage pierced. Flippin awesome right? :)



I got to help Lisa Anderson set things up for her shop this morning, which sells things that Women in India make and then gives the money back to the women. Tonight is our first night with Bar N' Bus, so pray that the kids will be receptive and we'll be able to build relationships with them.

Giving up my emotions for His steadfastness

We went to London for the day today! It was so amazing. I love getting to explore a new city. We saw all the tourist spots and took crazy pictures (I'll post them soon enough but I have to get them off of various cameras). We got to go to Hillsong's tenth anniversary. Which was in a huge arena(the O2 arena, which meant nothing to me)and Delirious played. Tomorrow starts the actual routine of Transit. I'm leading the morning prayers, and then we're spending a day in The Boiler house doing something with Sally, not sure what. Tuesday we're working with Besom, which is the service part of Transit, blessing people in great need. Wed, we're going to one of the colleges to pass out some bags for new students and make connections and invite them to a house meal at the Boiler House. Thursday we are working with Bar N' Bus, which is like a community bus that has a coffee bar in it, and gives out free food and has a prayer room in it. And then it has a bunch of games and X-boxes and stuff. Good craic(as Mike would say). So we'll just ben hanging out with them and loving on them. Hopefully building good relationships within the community, our house is right next to the park we're they all hang out, which is pretty cool. Then friday we go into the schools, to start of prayer rooms. So its a busy week, and I'm so excited! Keep praying for rest, and patience and just taking in all that God has for me.

TRANSITion

Well for the most part I really am loving it here, but its been much harder on my body than I expected it to be. I haven't gotten much sleep at all which has been making me more emotional and therefore I take things more to heart and I just sort of feel really depressed. But God has freed me from depression so I can therefore claim it! We just got out of a three day retreat sort of thing where we had some teaching and played some team building games and then we all told our life stories. So it was really interesting to get to know everyone. I learned a lot of awesome things about people and the reasons for why they are the way they are. I know God is going to majorly stretch me while I'm here, there are so many unresolved things in my and Gos has told me that He wants to work those things out. And He just wants to love on me in this time. He really is so good! I had the most awesome prayer time today just basking in His grace. Keep praying that God will give me rest and perseverance. I don't want to take this time for granted.
love yall! (or as they say here "yous")
Shirelle

They call Spain, spin and Oregano, Or-eh-gan-o

I'm having such a wonderful time here. I need prayer for protection from depression, because when I don't get a lot of sleep thats what my body falls into, but Christ has freed me from and I just need to claim it. We've had such a wonderful time here though, the official Transit activities haven't started yet, we've just been meeting everyone and getting to know each-other. I love every single one of the transiteers. We are all so unique but I can already see how our strengths compliment each other. It feels like I've known them fro months or years not less than a week!

This is my view from the plane. It was a pretty sunset and the last one in/over the US.


Emma and Kate, two of the nicest people I've ever met, they picked me up from the airport and waited FIVE hours for me to get out of customs, and were still so kind and thoughtful. I'm so glad they are here.



Robb and Sally Harman, they basically run the Boiler Room and live right across the street from it, Sally is a great cook :) and their sons are super friendly and fun to be around, if any of you watched the Moulin Rouge video that was there son Ellis singing with me.



This is Alisa Jeffery, She's a Kiwi and shes AWESOME! I wouldn't let her leave the other day because we were having so much fun. She has traveled all over the world doing crazy things for Jesus.



Me and Mike(from Ireland). Our first morning together, before Joanna and Angelique had arrived.


He'd never seen a pickle jar this big before! lol


Just messin' around on the trampoline having a ball.





Ange's trick for not crying when cutting onions is to stick a spoon in your mouth, oddly enough, it actually works.



Jon Biddle and Ben and then Ben and his fiance(aka really awesome lady who I adore) Beth.



Angelique, from Australia.


Joanna(from England, but one of the Transit Students), me and Angelique


We went to Cambridge for the day to celebrate Kate and Hannah's 20th birthdays. This was the bus ride there.





We had a picinic in the park and played rounders, which is like baseball accept Brits are way less competitive than Americans so it was more fun to play. Then we went punting in the river around cambridge, which is kind of like a gondola, except we got to push the boats ourselves which was an adventure, but a blast.



All in all it was a great day, and I'm looking forward to what comes next.

Customs was a nightmare!

Well I made it safely into the UK after a 25 hour journey. My flight went pretty smoothly and I met a nice girl from Monterrey, Mexico on my flight names Karla. She helped me out with the odds ands of flying and getting to customs, since she goes to school in London and makes the trip several times a year. But when I got into customs into was as easy as I had thought to get in. My letter from Phil stating my address confused the guy questioning me, and then he started asking me all kinds of questions about the people I would be staying with that I really didn't know the answer too. Then he detained me so I had to go through the whole fingerprinting, photograph, interrogation process. I was in there for four hours and needless to say I was FREAKING out. I didn't know if the Biddles(who picked me up) knew where I was. Thankfully, Karla who I met earlier found them and told them they were detaining me, so they at least knew to begin praying. I was in there with four other Americans, all being held for stupid reasons, so that confused me, I thought we had good relations with the UK... But after a lot of talking and PRAYER, God got me through. They interviewed Anne, Kate, Emma, and Phil before they would let me out and all of them matched which was a miracle in itself. So now I'm here in the Boiler house and I've had my first cuppa tea and a hot shower and I'm loving all the people I've met. They are all so warm and friendly. I think I'm going to enjoy my stay here quite well :)
Pictures to come.
Love yall,
Shirelle