Itsy-bitsy Speedo

Have you ever been in a unisex changing room at a public pool?               Probably not.

               because: it's 2013, it's awkward, normal people like the privacy of their own gender, and it really just feels weird.

After finishing swimming with Lauren, Becky, and Dave, I walked into the first mixed gender changing room I have ever been into and was greeted by a 70 year old man in an itsy-bitsy speedo among other interesting people. Rock on, man; keep doing you.

            I've had many other recent adventures besides that one. I took a train to Liverpool with my roommate Rachel and saw the birthplace of the most famous band in history (the Beatles, not One Direction), some massive cathedrals, and some bizarre art galleries.  Then that week, the group worked with a couple of new ministries like Operation Christmas Child and Teams Care For You, where we checked shoe boxes of little presents for children being shipped to places like Romania and Belarus. We also had a Welsh lesson, and I'm still not convinced it isn't a made up language (sorry for that ethnocentric statement).

         This past week, we've had lectures on Jesus and Discipleship, and it was just really great. Every time I read about Jesus or hear about Him, I learn something new. And this week was like that x1000. We talked about Jesus in the time periods that the bible doesn't have specifics on. Like, did he come out of the womb quoting the Torah? Or did he have to learn to walk and talk and make mistakes and overcome temptation like a normal human being, just with a heavenly perspective? It's weird to think about.

        Also this week, we had a secret missionary training. So, we were given 20 minutes to pack an overnight bag, not knowing where we were going, and then it would begin. Expecting the worst, we packed things like toilet paper, matches, blankets, fruit, and basic medication. Our first task was to obtain a visa from people who spoke a combination of Welsh, Portuguese, and something like Russian. The whole situation kinda stressed me out, but I could not stop laughing. It's amazing how much we could communicate with gestures. Then, we had to find specific groceries at a Polish shop where nothing was in English. After that one of us was asked to sing and give a sermon on the spot. Thankfully, Becky and Kelly volunteered. And we ended it with a scavenger hunt and some Indian food. We didn't even need our overnight bag; it was just to freak us out.

        Today, besides swimming, I spent most of my day baking food. I think it is my subconscious way of being a tiny bit homesick because my mom's cooking is amazeballs, and it is almost Christmas cookie season. Plus, tonight we had a team potluck, so it worked out perfect.


I never know how to end these posts creatively. So, bye. Thanks for reading, I guess(?).