If you aren't up for reading a bunch of words right now you have my permission to check out my other post on the UK which is all pictures. Or just go to my facebook and scroll through all of that. If you are taking the time to read all of this, thank you. Sincerely. I am so excited to share with you all that this last month has held. I spent most of the last month in the United Kingdom taking expensive trains everywhere. I never thought I'd ever see the day when I would be excited to return to the sketchy buses of Tomsk but I did. I saw that day. That day was last week right before our visas came in while we were still in London. It was strange but I know that it was reassurance from the Lord that Tomsk, Russia was the place that I was supposed to be. Tomsk is where God has established us and obviously where He wants now. I am delighted that we had leisure time in the UK but I was ready to be back somewhere familiar.
It has honestly not been the easiest transition back into Russia because I really liked the UK but our dear friends Emil and Jenny have encouraged us to live for the moment and the people here in Tomsk. They told us to envision our last day here and imagine all that God will have us do while we are here. So that's what I'm doing. I'm living in the here and now and letting God to the leading. Each day holds a new adventure and I can trust my Father to take care of me.
The last month has been pretty emotional for me because I have seen the other side. Being in Tomsk has been tough because our supervisor lives 6 hours away by car. There are very few foreigners in Tomsk and we have no real guidance in what we should be doing here. Our program is supposed to be like an apprenticeship and we have had to go out and find our own mentors instead of simply joining one (or some) that are already here. However, in the UK there were TONS of foreigners. Everywhere. And we had supervisors and people taking care of us everywhere we went. It was so nice not having to think about what we had to do and not having to make major decisions all by ourselves.
Enough about transitions and such. Let me tell you about some of the fun things we got to to while we were in the UK! First off we arrived and found out that when we weren't in Scotland we would be living in a house of some Americans who were stateside. Score!! this place had a backyard and a dryer. I could not have been more excited to be in a house after 3 months of apartment living. I guess I like houses... We spent two nights in Horsham, England before we set off for Scotland. The first full day in the UK we got to go down to the coast and see the Seven Sisters white cliffs and dip our toes in the water. It was so beautiful! Then we drove over to the small town Arundel where there was a huge castle and a quint little tea house. Talk about love. I love Europe. I love castles. I love pretty. I loved that Monday!
On Tuesday we caught a very early train to Edinburgh, Scotland. WOWZERS!! That city is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen (besides Prague) and was so worth the trip. As we emerged from the train station we saw beautiful old buildings everywhere. The sun was shining upon the Edinburgh Castle that sits on the highest hill in the city. At the foot of the hill was the greenest of parks and Princes Street where our hostel was located. For dinner we went to the upstairs of a nice pub and had some traditional pub food. I had the biggest fish and chips ever. Ever. And it was so good.
While we were in Scotland we walked 5 miles to the beach, toured the Edinburgh Castle, walked the length of the Royal Mile and Princes Street about 7 times, did some well deserved shopping, took a haunted night tour of the city, ate good food, hiked up an extinct volcano, and drank a lot of Starbucks. All in all, Edinburgh was a treat and a chance of a lifetime. It was a place I never dreamed of going and now I dream of going back. Three days was not enough and now I have the travelling itch again. Can someone pay me to travel and give speeches about what it means to serve the community? I could do that! I like travelling and talking and sharing my faith! Until that day comes I'll be satisfied with the places that God takes me.
When we returned to London we met up with Allie's aunt and uncle and cousins for a couple of days in downtown London. That place is massive, crowded, expensive, and has way too many trains. The sights were beautiful and being in a city was fun but my favorite place was Notting Hill. Alissa and I took a detour to Portabello Market in Notting Hill while Allie and the fam took a 3 hour tour of Buckingham Palace. It was a Saturday so everything was jam packed but it was so fun to simply walk the streets and see everything that London had to offer. Lastly we got to climb to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral, take a tour of Hamlet's which is a huge toy store, and eat Chipotle. London was well worth it.
After our time in London came to an end we spent the next week and a half living in our house in Horsham and commuted to Kingston to help out the International Society at the university. In Kingston we got to experience the beginning of the school year at a British University and meet students from all over the world. I loved getting to talk to hundreds of people and use English to do so. It was a great change of pace from the work we have been doing in Tomsk and the vacationing in London ad. Scotland. Something I did notice about the people in the London area was just how friendly they were. People were smiling and laughing and having a good time everywhere they went. It was familiar and I loved it!
The family who took care of us while we stayed in Horsham was the coolest! Tina and Jerry are Americans who live and work near London with their three children. It turned out that the Barnwell family had lived in Russia for a couple years as well as Prague. WHAT?! It was fun to be able to relate with them about life in Russia and be completely understood. Then I found out that I lived in Prague while they were living there and we even attended the same International high school graduation. I was in the same building, the same room, with this couple 5 years before I ever met them! I am always so amazed at how small this world and the people that God will place in your path. Tina and Jerry have the sweetest kids and it was a blast to spend so much time with them. We got to play games, eat pancakes, watch movies, and learn all about Minecraft with Brennan, Reegan, and Karis. Those three kiddos will always hold a special place in my heart. I pray that someday I will be able to have my own children who are super chill with living in different places and that they will be as kindhearted as the Barnwell's. Lastly, did I mention that Tina is the greatest cook ever? Well, she is. If you would like to know more about this blessing of a family you should check them out at www.girl-meets-globe.com
It has taken me a while to actually complete this post because my mindset and my heart were not in the right place to share my experiences with you. I was feeling slightly bitter about returning to Russia after experiencing such bliss in the UK. This was definitely my flesh trying to win over my desire to serve and live for God. It took some time of prayer and chatting with God but I can now say that I am so glad that we are back in Russia. We have been going nonstop since we returned to Tomsk. God has blessed us with amazing friends and I love being able to share my life with the people here. Please keep us and our friends in your prayers. The weather is getting colder and we are getting busier. I ask that you pray that I would keep my focus on the Lord and find time to rest in Him. Also, that I could stay motivated to serve selflessly and give 100% to our English courses. I am so thankful to have such lovely supporters
No comments:
Post a Comment