Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

    I got a lot of strange looks standing on top of a park bench in the middle of Derby with a bucket of candy yelling "FREE SWEETS!" And people were surprisingly less interested in them than I thought/would have been.

   There was over 100 of us young, irresponsible, and smelly YWAMers gathered in the city of Derby to have lectures on evangelism and put it into practice. My outreach that day was to hand out sweets and try to get people to answer a question we had come up with on a large white board. The board had in big letters "Before I die..." at the top and many small scribbles of "travel the world" or "be married" or "get a tattoo" written below. I think about this question all the time. My list of life adventures includes:

1. motorcycle across South America
2. swim with whales
3. skydive over/near Grand Canyon
4. hike in Patagonia

    We were doing it because we wanted to talk to people, not necessarily about Jesus, but just to talk. About an hour in, a very dark skinned man came over and wrote Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow on the board. Confused because that answer has nothing to do with the question, I asked him what it meant. He responded with "well, in my religion..." and went on to say how yesterday is gone, and that today he has to do good things so that tomorrow he will go to a good place. After I let him explain himself a little bit, he gave me time to talk too, and it was the perfect chance to tell him what grace and Jesus meant for us. He didn't end up praying any prayers or repenting or anything, but seeds were sown and it was awesome. He later told me the he was a Somalian Muslim asylum seeker studying at the university.  

     So many awesome things happened last week in Derby and around 30 people from the city gave their lives to the Lord. I met tons of inspiring and world changing young people from all over and learned a lot. 

Ok, that is all. Over and out.

Love Hearts and Homelessness

"Let me teach you how to draw a love heart."  

The last thing I wanted to do after one of the most stressful weeks of my life was interact with the 4 year old Grace that I sat across from on the train. I was beyond exhausted. But of course it wasn't possible to say no to this tiny human being with big blue eyes full of imagination and spunk. Our conversations started out with her being a little weary of me. She thought I was going to steal her sausage roll or her Smarties or her lip balm. I told her I would because I try to be funny with kids, and I'm not good at it. That caused her father to give me a concerned look. She soon warmed up to me, though, and crawled under the table to sit next to me and play I Spy. Then, when that got too boring for her, we got out my journal, and she carefully taught me how to pointy draw love hearts and wobbly stars. And it was just what I needed.

     I had really been looking forward to this week. We were given a bit of money and told to go somewhere with no connections or places to stay and live solely on God's provision. It sounded like an adventure to me. And as they say, adventures only come in one variety, "daring". There is no such thing as a "safe adventure". I could be homeless and be happy.

     So, my team of 4 bought a one-way flight to Dublin, and left Wales with a head full of dreams and heart full of excitement. We arrived in Ireland Monday afternoon, and after having to tell a tiny lie to customs about having a place to stay (most nervous I've ever been), we hit the ground running. Through a couple different recommendations, we found a place called Dublin Christian Mission. We walked in, set our stuff down, and immediately started walking around the walls of Jericho with about 20 5-year-olds. After a couple hours of hanging out with the kids, we finally got to talk to the director of the building who told us he already had an entire flat set up just for us (with a closet full of free food!!!). All of it was free as long as we hung out with the kids each day from 2:30 to about 6. In the mornings, we cleaned some of the place and did prayer walks. In the evening, we helped out at a homeless shelter and tried some evangelism.

     It seemed like the perfect setup. God was providing, and we were happy. Yet, it wasn't enough. Our situation was too easy. So for a reason that is hard to describe (other than God told us to) we left the comfort and security of Dublin Christian Mission. We walked with all of our stuff out to the streets of Dublin and began the search again. We found Christ Church (the oldest cathedral in Dublin) for morning prayers, where we met the loveliest bishop. He gave us a free and extensive tour of the whole place and then later recommended us to another church who might have programs for us to get involved in or even a place to stay. We set off again. We headed to a church called CORE and talked to their children's minister for a long time about all the programs the church does and how we could get involved. Two people on the team decided to do some different evangelism in the city center, while myself and one other girl stayed with him to do house visits to the kids in the area. We all felt like there was a reason that we were at that church, but the day quickly became evening and we were told there was no place for us to stay there. We were pretty discouraged and tired. Back at Christ Church, we listened to their choir and tried to collect our thoughts. After lots of walking and praying and worrying, it was 10:30 at night, it was scary, and we were frustrated. We stopped at McDonald's with low spirits. As we were talking, I spotted a couple next to us that had a binder with a cross on it on their table. Rachel was bold enough to talk to them, and they offered us a place to stay! All of our eyes got a little teary at that point. They drove us to their home outside of town, offered us food and beds for Thursday and Friday, and then drove us back into town Friday morning. Mind blowing.

     Friday we went back to CORE for a community coffee morning, where we told our sob story to a couple of sympathetic people. That day we ended up receiving 80 euros! It was just enough to get a taxi, ferry, bus, and train back home for Saturday. It was beyond crazy how God provided for us.

    This week taught me that you only get places and have adventures if you are bold and willing to be outside of your comfort zone. Not every moment was enjoyable, but it was so worth it. I, also, learned that at their core, most people are good and want to help each other out.  

 My only disappointment of the week was that I had been praying to see a whale in the Irish Sea on the ferry home and that did not happen. I guess things could have gone worse.

Airports, British Chocolate, and Other Nuggets of Goodness

I had to pass hundreds of aisles of expensive perfume, handbags, and vodka to get to my gate at the Manchester Airport; I forgot whether I was in an airport or a shopping mall. (good joke, Molly) I, however, did get to see a Muslim security man frisk a white guy, so that was kinda of satisfying. Now, I'm just a short flight away from spending my Christmas break with my cousin Mia and some German friends in Germany and the Netherlands!  The Busch families have been most hospitable to Mia and I, and they are going to be our guides and translators for our journey.

             Life has moved pretty fast these past couple weeks, and I have loved it. We have been doing so many Christmas-y type outreaches that have gotten me in the spirit. I think I've sang almost every single Christmas carol you have ever heard close to 10 times. But, since I haven't posted in a little while, I let you in on some other little nuggets of goodness that I have recently experienced.

On November 26, a small, dementia-stricken elderly lady named Dot told me that she couldn't talk long because her father had given her a curfew. We sat knee-to-knee in the lounge at care home that smelled of plastic and flowery air freshener. I asked, “Were you ever married?” Not hesitating a second, she responded, “I’m not old enough to marry yet.”

On December 7, standing in the middle of a busy street discouraged by the lack of response in my effort to help a local ministry, a mentally disabled middle-aged man gave me a hug, and it is something I know I won’t forget. I’m not crazy about hugs from strangers, but there was an innocence about him that brought out the tiny bits of compassion in me. He said, “Merry Christmas” in an accent that warmed my soul, and then he disappeared.

On December 9, I met a homeless woman who hit her partner in the head with a meat cleaver and did not go to jail. Only partially concentrating on the book in my hands on a frigid day in a park, when she approached me and spilled her life story.Thick black eyeliner circled her crystal blue eyes, prematurely aged from bad habits and a hard life. The smoke from her self-rolled cigarette burned my throat. She did not ask for money once. She just wanted a friend.


It's been a great month. 

Also, British people seem to really like to give chocolate as gifts, so I have eaten an embarrassing amount of sweets recently. 


Merry Christmas, friends and family! Ta ra!

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(?).

We Left the House

“The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house. All that cold, cold, wet day.” 

    From this Dr. Suess quote, it appears that The Cat in the Hat was set in Wales. The unwelcome November rain has arrived, and it is biting. I write this post under 2 blankets and 3 layers of clothes. I won't lie to you and tell you that I enjoy the cold rain, but what I do like is seeing people who smile when it's raining. Sometimes you just have to get over it and jump in an ice cold puddle. 

    This week was a local outreach week, and while the weather didn't make things easier, it really was an awesome week. And contrary to the quote above, we left the house. We handed out orange roses one day just to bless people. Another day, we tried to give out as many genuine compliments as we possibly could. One night we handed out hot drinks (except not many people were interested in taking something from strangers). 

    We had a seminar about healthy conflicts and how to handle them, which led to some role play that I just could not take seriously. We did a creative processing group on idols with a pastor who has a degree in children's illustration. Then, we all got to draw our own icons for YWAM Wales. 

    On Thursday morning for worship, we were asked to get up at 5:50 am and bundle up and come outside. There were loads of blankets spread out and candles everywhere, and we watched the sunrise. We were allowed the morning off after that, so I took my kammock and my bible and went for a walk. It was glorious.

    We had another Welsh adventure this week at a place we had been to once before called Nant Mill. A hike was planned and then the group stopped mid-way to pray for English-Welsh relations.

   Today, we had the opportunity to go to a USA vs Wales rugby match at the local university. It was a Rugby League World Cup match which would have been a big deal to me, if I knew even a little about rugby. But I don't. I expected it to be like American football, and in some ways it was, but with a bit of ultimate frisbee and soccer mixed in. It was so aggressive, and I have no idea how they all walked away virtually uninjured. America did end up winning, and I felt pretty good about it. I even forced one of the guys to take a picture with me after. 

    This coming week, we are having lectures on Identity and Personality in the Body of Christ. I am super excited for this because I'm an angsty young person who has left home to find herself blah blah blah.

Braces and Scrunchies

I came to Starbucks to overpay for a coffee drink and get alone time to write this post. I accomplished the overpaying part, but I'm surrounded by many young guys in very tight pants and a large group of middle school age girls with braces and scrunchies. People watching keeps distracting me.

Living at the house with 11 other people is not something that comes naturally for me even though I like to think of myself as adaptable. For the previous 3 years, I've secluded myself to the comforting depths of my cave basement bedroom. And with my siblings far away, my parents have been the larger part of my social life anyway, but in a not lame/loner way (or at least I'd like to think so). 

I am learning a lot through it here, though. I'm learning that some people (unlike me) process thoughts by talking out loud or like it when people touch them constantly or are morning people. I have none of those qualities even though they can be great things, but I am learning how to love those people properly/they way they want to be loved. I keep repeating learning because its not the way my brain works; it is a process. 

This past week has included some fear-facing/awkwardness-overcoming challenges. The lecture topic was evangelism, and we did a lot more practical learning than I initially would've liked. Our speaker was Jude from Liverpool who had fiery red hair and gentle spirit. She is the founder of a ministry called Pearl Program in Liverpool which works with developing relationships with prostitutes. Very cool. She pushed us to get out and talk to people. I did end up having some pretty bad conversations. For example, one pastry shop manager told me she didn't believe in God and I responded with "That's awesome!" and walked out. How do I even explain that?

However the good conversations I had DEFINITELY made the not so good ones worth it. I talked to a Muslim man about homosexuality and love. I talked to an elderly man about his childhood faith. I talked to a woman who had been bullied even as an adult. I wouldn't of had any of those experiences if I had let my less than superior conversation skills hold me back. The whole week did wear me out, but it taught and is teaching me about evangelizing as a lifestyle and not an agenda to try convert people on the streets. 

This week the lecture topic is on the Fatherheart of God. Our speaker is a man named Emmanuel from London, but originally Ghana. The week isn't even half over, but we've already gone pretty deep into it. We've talked about how God as a father is generous, a man of His word, and especially present in our lives; and that is how He created earthly fathers to act. It's not that I've been completely oblivious to this, but all this talk has made me realize how awesome my dad is. Even though I like to joke with him that I'm the forgotten child, he really has always been so present and a leader and so invested in my life. For him, I am thankful. 

My bunkmate, Rachel, asked me to include how awesome my roommates are, but lying makes me feel sick........I am thankful for my roommates (Kelly and Rachel) and that we are so different but none of us are really morning people or high maintenance or super messy, and that they can put up with me. My parents probably won't believe this, but I am a member of the clean room, thank you very much. 

Not like Legoland

So much has happened this past week, and it all has been so so awesome. It was a local outreach week, therefore we spent most of the week evangelizing and meeting people and doing things in the community which meant I spent A LOT of energy trying to not by awkward. Before I start on that, I have to go back a little bit.

Last weekend, we had the opportunity to go over to Chester, England which is on the Wales/England border, and got to explore and eat (YEAUH!) and shop. It was a super cute but busy town. In this first picture is just some of my team including Kelly and Rachel (my awesome roommates), Dave, Steph, and Robyn.

Then at the beginning of this week, we got to learn some Welsh history and later go on a trek up to Castell Dinas Bran in Llangollen (which is not prononced like Legoland, but rather like thlan-goth-thlan). Dinas Bran is the ruins of a castle from the medieval times and translates to Crow Castle, however we didn't see a single crow. We DID see tons of sheep and thus validated the internet fact that says Welsh sheep outnumber Welsh people 3 to 1. The last picture is almost the entire team except for myself and one other awesome lady.

For two mornings, we had Street Pastors training and learned what an awesome and effective organization it is. We learned how to hang out with the pub goers and how to love/help them properly without being overwhelming. This ministry has had a huge impact on the the night life environment and is respected by loads of people. We even got to do some role play to see how we would react to different situations.

Since my last post, I have been apart of Wrexham Feeding the Roofless twice, and that will continue to happen every Thursday at the Salvation Army. We make around 40 different sandwiches each time and this week got to take them along with crisps (potato chips), chocolate biscuits (candy), and hot drinks out to the people. It was incredibly cold handing out the food, but I was one of the few there that is blessed to have a home and a bed and heating to go back to.

On Thursday, we also practiced a super cool/scary form of evangelism called treasure hunting which involved asking God for an image or name of a person or location, and then going out and finding them. It sometimes involved praying for them, but mainly it was just talking to strangers. More nervous sweating that morning, but it ended up being awesome.

Today, we split up to go to youth groups at 2 different churches. My youth group is the The Community Church and I loved it. There was probably 25 kids there from about 11-16 years old. There were 3 leaders there not including us YWAMers, and they were incredibly nice. This group has 2 Fridays of games and hanging out only, one Friday of only spiritual stuff and one Friday off each month. I'm excited to hang out with the kids more and try to build relationships even though that may be the most daunting age group to talk to.

Next week, we are having lectures on evangelism, I will tell you about it later if I don't freeze to death before.