Garret’s Blog

 

Well the trip is almost over and it has been a lot of fun. This second week went by very fast. It seems like we have been traveling non-stop for two weeks which could be why it has gone by so fast. I have had many a fun time this trip with Marty and Nathaniel and with the ever-humorous antics of Ben and Mr. Whitcomb. Mr. Whitcomb is the only person in the history of this trip to get attacked by bugs. He claims to have well over seventy bug bites all from last night. He also threw away his shoes and some of his medicine. Marty tried one of his little fruit and fiber things (supposedly medicine) and had to spit it out. Then Mr. Whitcomb threw the rest out. Marty and I were unsuccessful in both of our stunt attempts earlier this week. My 720 (degrees of spin) ended up in the lake and Marty’s jump over the gate ended up in the cement. We have a video of mine, except Nathaniel missed me falling in the lake. We also have a picture of Marty just before he hit the ground. Today we have a short tour of New City (Edinburgh, Scotland) and then we have the rest of the day to shop or whatever. Marty and I have had some good times modeling next to all of the weird posters in various stores. We got kicked out of some store for trying on bunny ears though. In London, there were ice cream men EVERYWHERE! Seriously we saw at least 30 ice cream men while we were there. When we got to Stratford we found Mr. Whippy the ice cream man and my life has not been the same since. Marty took a picture of me by his sign. Ben is attempting to gel his hair right now and I think he used about 2 ounces of gel. Edinburgh is definitely a scary town. Tonight is rock night at our hostel so things could get a little weird. Thankfully we’re on the second floor and not the first. It’s almost nine and the party hasn’t started yet so we’ll see what happens. Today was pretty uneventful but it was still fun. It’s going to be a long day tomorrow (32 hour day). This trip was a great experience and I encourage all of you who have the opportunity to go on this trip, to go on this trip. Start saving and preparing your heart.

Garrett

Posing at Vindolanda (Hadrian's Wall on horizon)

 

Vindolanda

Sarah M’s Blog

Yesterday was a little more relaxing than it has been, we have been on the trip for 11 days now and I think we are just starting to get used to the moving! =) We left the beautiful Lakes District in the morning and headed a little north and a lot west, toward the coast. We went to see another very old Cathedral in a neat city called Durham. As we drove up to the city the Cathedral was obvious, it dominated the landscape! As we stepped off of the bus, right in front of the Cathedral, we could have been blown away by the strong coastal “breeze.” Right across from the Cathedral there was an old castle as well, and they both sat higher up on a hill, making them easier to defend in the times of medieval war. Because it is almost Easter Sunday and this is the Anglican Church’s Holy Week we were unable to enter the church as a large group, but were blessed to be able to go by twos and threes. Inside the Cathedral was very astounding; the pillars that support the cathedral are massive! They each have their own pattern, but it’s not gaudy. Many of the larger cathedrals we have seen throughout the trip have seemed as though they may have been built to the glory of God, but more often than not they seem to be maintained for the glory or pride of men. It has been sad to see what has become of them. There was some of that in this cathedral as well, such as the worship of Bishop Cuthbert. Now Saint Cuthbert, for his supposed healing power, but there are also some inscriptions that read “To the glory of God and in the memory of __” and that’s always nice to see. After leaving the cathedral we were given some time to shop! When we met back at the Cathedral, Ben tried to fly his coat as a kite in the wind, it was so funny to see. He lost his grip on it and we watched it blow away, then suddenly it fell right at the feet of a man walking down the side walk. I wish you all could have seen the look on his face! The man looked around in astonishment, and then realized what had happened as Ben ran up to retrieve his “kite!” It is quite a memory and I am glad that Ben gave me permission to use it.
Following that we headed to our final stop for the day, the Roman ruins of Vindolanda. We were able to walk through the ruins and explore them a bit and it was very fun, especially in the strong wind! The ruins are remarkable! Mr. Whitcomb was telling us that they date back to A.D. 122! I was very surprised to see how much is still there. We were able to talk with the Archeologist working at the site and he was explaining to us that when they dig down about 6 meters they begin to find all sorts of things from the civilization that have been preserved. They found the only Roman Centurion Helmet that we have in the world, as well as cloths, irons, coppers, and a lot of preserved pottery; but the most fascinating are the Vindolanda Tablets. The Tablets have a lot of recorded history concerning the Roman Empire, especially in the North.
After Vindolanda we went to our hostel, Once Brewed, and got our luggage in our rooms just in time for dinner. After dinner we had the option of hiking up a large hill that took us to Hadrian’s Wall. It was built in the 300’s and is also very old. It was my favorite site of the day! When we reached the top we walked along next to the wall and through the sheep pastures; we were able to see for miles around! And the sun was beautiful as it was getting ready to set. It is amazing to stand upon a hill next to something that in ages past was so great. It wasn’t necessarily built to the Glory of God, yet it does speak to his glory. What a magnificent God it takes to create men who are capable of so many great tasks. This whole trip has really displayed that through Cathedrals that make you look up and when you see their splendor you can only wonder at how much more splendid are God and heaven. As the Psalmist in chapter 96, verse 6, says, “Splendor and majesty are before him (the Lord); strength and beauty are in his (the Lord’s) sanctuary.” When I was considering this passage (All of chapter 96) the Psalmist is crying out in song to the glory of God, glory to his great name, and the glory and splendor that he is due! What joy to worship him for the majesty of His sanctuary, and the sanctuaries that we have, whether they be grand Cathedrals or humble churches. I am thankful just to know Him and His splendor. What a great God it takes for Him to be His very own splendor. I am in awe.

Hadrian's Wall at Dusk

Jasleen’s Blog

I am rather far behind on my journaling so today I tried doing what I had been unable to do so far on this trip; write in my journal on the coach. Today is Wednesday and I still am n Old Testament done writing about Sunday. (Actually I only started writing about Sunday last night.)
As I was backtracking in my mind all the things that we did on Sunday, between the church service at Elstow Abbey and having a surprise birthday bash at the Oxford Hostel for Bayley and Marty, I remembered something that I looked at in Moot Hall. Moot Hall was this kind of pub, I would say, that John Bunyan would often frequent. In fact, the greens by Moot Hall are the same ones that Bunyan played Tip-Cat on when the voice out of heaven spoke to him. Moot Hall has now been turned into a museum and by the grace of God, we were allowed to go in and take a look around before the church service started. Inside, there were many neat displays about Bunyan, his family, and even just some things from the era that he lived in. One of the first displays that I looked at was an exhibit of some of his poems. One in particular, I think it was called Remembrances of a Snail, caught my eye and I read it. From the title, I was expecting something humorous. After all, he was going to be writing about a snail from what the title implied. I was completely surprised, however. The poem started out just describing different aspects and characteristics of a snail. By the second stanza or so, Bunyan began identifying spiritual lessons found in his contemplations of a snail. These lessons were not light ones either. They were deep spiritual truths. In particular, I remember Bunyan saying that there are spiritual snails, those people who are faithful and steady in their walks. They may not be going fast and may not have great spiritual bursts, but they are always moving forward and growing closer and closer to Him.
I continued thinking on how little things that don’t have souls can teach us so many spiritual lessons. I especially remembered all the things that the Frisks’, Jessica, and I have learned from Kelly, the Frisks’ dog. Kelly has this growth on her lip and that has been growing and has become tender. Mrs. Frisk was sharing with Jessica and I a while ago that she has just learned to see so much beauty in things that may be deformed and abnormal in the eyes of others.
Just last night Mr. Lugg talked about the good shepherd and sheep. We are been fully immersed into sheep country up here in Ambleside, England. (Ambleside, by the way, is an unbelievably gorgeous town that sits right on the lake, Windermere.) Isaiah 40:11, 28-31 and John 10 were passages that Mr. Lugg referenced. The truths we can learn from sheep and shepherds are profound, especially they are a metaphor for God and His people. I personally was struck by how much freedom sheep have, even under the care of a shepherd. It is so easy to think that a life following God is a boring one and that we won’t ever get to do anything fun or whatever. I was thinking of that as I looked at all these sheep, spread out over these luscious, green pastures and I thought about how a shepherd cares for his sheep. He wants his sheep to have the best and wants to keep them from harm. At the same time, the sheep have so much freedom to roam within the boundaries. Boundaries, limits, rule; these words usually incite negative feelings in our hearts. They come across in our minds as things to avoid because they restrict our “free will.” But if you think about, the shepherd would not keep good things from his sheep. And by good things I mean things that are the best in their respects but at the same time will not harm the sheep. So why would you want to go beyond the boundaries? The evil, harmful things are on the other side of the fence and the things that are good and true are right here, in Christ, our Good Shepherd.
Almost anything that we look at can teach us great spiritual truths. In that sense, not only are we stewards of the earth but we can learn from our charges if we have the right understanding. We can look at a snail, an ant, or a weed and learn about ourselves and our great God. I think along with being given responsibility over the earth, we have been given opportunity. We have been given the opportunity to see our Lord, His love and characteristics radiating through the things around us. All we have to do is look.

Ambleside at Dusk

GOD IS GOOD from Nathaniel

I will try and keep this to a reasonable length because I know how daunting a long blog post can be. That might be a hard task though. God has been teaching all of us a ton through everything that we have been doing.
Before we left I listened to four messages in fairly quick succession about the cost of following Christ. I found it interesting that through my church and school I heard so many messages on one subject. These messages challenged me in my thinking. The Holy Spirit challenged me to deny myself and to value Christ as my highest and only joy. I must be willing to die for Christ. I must be willing to follow Christ and love him more and more no matter what the circumstances are. I was wondering at the time of hearing these messages if there was something more that the Lord was trying to teach me or something that he was trying prepare me for. I found that he was preparing me for this trip.
We have been traveling around England learning about men who knew the cost of following Christ better than most of us ever will. They died for Christ. These men saw Christ as their highest joy and valued him above all earthly treasures. They were willing to die for Christ. They denied themselves and would not recant their so called “heresies”. I want to love Christ with a kind of love that will not turn back when my physical comfort is threatened.
Another idea that we all have been talking about is that all of these so called “great men of the faith” were just ordinary men. They didn’t wake up one day and say “I am going to become great today.” They were just living out their everyday lives and the Lord worked through them to do great things. Want to know how they were able to become “great” or why the Lord was able to use them? They saw what was right and did it. We need to be people who are walking in the spirit at all times and see what is right and then do it. We cannot be people who quench the spirit by no acting on its’ prompting.
I have really been wanting recently to see a greater God and to fear God more. The Lord has showed me through his word that in order to see a greater God I must first remember his works. Ecclesiastes 3:14 says, “I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him.” Every piece of history that we learn over here is to make us fear God. God’s sovereignty is on a mighty display in our hearts as we learn about these events unfolding. How can we not bow in front of God that has created the world and ordained every event from there on. We serve a great God, a God who deserves to be feared.
So much for being short…but I had a lot that I wanted to say and trust me that is the condensed version. I thank the Lord for this opportunity to be with this great group over here. Pray that we will be a testimony to the people around us. As I was writing this post in the cafe three of our girls got into a discussion with a Christian guy at the table across from them about theology. This was really encouraging for them to hear a protestant believer in England talking with them theology and evangelism. Pray that we would truly see a greater God and fall more in love with Him!

p.s. Today was a lot of traveling, but we were able to visit John Wycliffe’s Church and Dove cottage, which was William Wordsworth’s house for eight years.

Lewis’ Home

Wycliffe Monument

Enjoying a Quick Lunch

[gallery]

Jessica’s Blog

Hello all! Well we are over a week into our trip and waking up in Europe every morning still seems surreal. First and foremost I want to say thank you to my parents and all the other parents and teachers who made this trip possible for us. It has been such an amazing opportunity and experience that I know we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
Today we got the opportunity to go and see the home of C.S. Lewis which was located in Headington Quarry, Oxford. The home was vintage-style and quaint, but very beautiful. After touring his house, we were able to go and see the home where Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, resided. The landscaping that surrounded her cottage was lavished with varied types of flowers, stone paths, and willow arbors. Her house was fairly small, but full of character. A random fact that we learned while touring the house was how people during this time period cleaned their chimneys. Someone, usually a little boy, would capture a chicken, tie a rope with a weight attached to the foot of the chicken, drop it down the top of the chimney and let gravity take its toll while the chicken flapped its wings about until it finally reached the bottom. I personally found this rather amusing since my family has four chickens that are more pets rather than chickens used for domestic things.
Following Anne Hathaway’s house, we were given about two hours of free time to go shopping, get lunch, etc. Walking down the small streets of Stratford, I was once again reminded of how amazing and vast our God is. We live in such a big world full of different people and to think that our God listens and even cares about each and everyone’s individual thoughts, wants, and desires. We truly do serve an amazing God! Seeing the different areas of Europe and all the diverse people here has really made me realize how remarkable our God is and how big the world is! And to think I haven’t even seen it all!!
Continue to pray for the safety of us on our journeys through Europe and that we would be shinning lights for Him and showing Him off well in this lost part of the world. I love and miss you Mom and Dad!!

Enjoying the Coach

Jacob’s Blog

Hey ya’ll! This is my first time blogging ever, so it’s just one of the many new experiences we are getting to have in Europe. For those of you who may not know already, we are 8 hours ahead of you; right now, as I write this out in my journal before I type it out tonight, it is 8:45 on Sunday morning, and over there it is 45 minutes after midnight on Saturday, or Sunday morning-whichever you want to call it- but you are asleep right now so I don’t think you really care.
It is really cool and yet weird to look at a clock towards the end of our day and realize that your day has hardly started. It is even weirder to get used to English time and then go over to France, which is one hour ahead of England. However, I have to say that the thing that stands out as most different is the way the English drive. For the sake of contrast, Americans drive on the right side of the road, left side of the car; the English/the UK really does drive on the left side of the road, right side of the car. The most dangerous thing one can do in England, and probably the thing that sets you out as a tourist the most, is looking left when you cross the street. We are getting used to looking right, and then looking left; but it is still confusing because the French drive the same as we do. England is also scary because of how fast they drive and how small the roads are. Most every road in the cities are narrow cobblestone roads and have lots of cars parked on the side, sometimes making the road only one to one and a half lanes wide. On top of that, most people don’t have cars, but they walk or ride bikes in the street, so there is a plethora of people and bikes dodging fast wheelie pulling motorcycles and double decker buses.
We have seen so much! I cannot fathom what few things I could share to summarize the depth that we have very briefly glided over. We’ve seen ancient buildings, museums that hold the proud gates and intimidating stone guards of Assyria as well as the Rosetta stone, family bloodlines that have continued for hundreds of years, and much more that most people only see in textbooks. The English, if anyone, really have a reason to be prideful as a nation, and yet in practical application, we as Americans are very prideful and think that our way is the only or best way. Thus we come over on a trip like this and we say that the new things we see are weird, instead of different. This is why I use the word “weird” very carefully; we use it to describe and often condemn something that is out of the ordinary, but the fact is there is no ordinary, and thus we are to respect and recognize other cultures for the sake of godly fellowship. This is something that was on my heart at the beginning of the trip and has caused me to value our foreign exchange students more.
Ya’ll probably heard in the news about Obama and the Queen; I was disgusted when we heard that the president gave her something so common as an ipod, but as president we respect him, and with that attitude I am proud to say that we stood at the gates of Buckingham palace when the President had tea with her majesty. We couldn’t stay long through, but I was so excited to be geographically closer to the President of the United States than I probably will ever be again or than most Washingtonians can ever boast of. That was on Wednesday, and we saw from the top of St. Paul’s Cathedral the helicopters that were probably following Obama, as well as the hundreds of policemen out on the streets and the fancy guards with tall black hats.
France is beautiful, for as short of a time that we were there, and the memorial on the coast of Normandy, as well as la Pointe du Hoc, was unforgettable. Prior to going on the trip, some of us heard testimonies about how the French people were rather rude, especially to Americans. However, though I do not doubt that this may be true, I was touched when I saw the dominant grateful attitude towards the U.S. in Normandy. We actually walked on U.S. soil in Europe; France has given the grounds of the D-day memorial and cemetery to America, and I’m sure it is some of the best/most beautiful land in all of France. Only two U.S. flags fly on those grounds, though its custodians and caretakers are French and speak little English. They continue to take care of it though, because they see America as a savior from the horrors that run the country during World War II.
A unique thing on this trip was spending time in a culture that speaks little English. When we were buying stuff, we felt kind of like exchange students back home might feel, and it again helped us to value the different cultures that we encounter both here and in America.
The last thing that I will talk about is the churches. Surprisingly, the percentage of the English population that attends church is very, very low. This is stunning because England has some of the most massive and “holy” churches in the world. Throughout the trip, we have seen and walked trough the huge cathedrals of Bayeux, Winchester, Canterbury, St. Paul’s, and many other smaller, but still big, churches. After visiting these cathedrals, I have been troubled by how man-centered the popular church has become. There is a gift shop in almost every big church we got to, and in some there are even cafes. Monuments are reserved for rich dead men or for those who have achieved fame in battle, and “saints” are honored to a higher place than is actually due their human depravity. However, we are observing these churches and their long histories with hearts that are in unison with the body of Christ, even as we reflect on the service we attended at an Anglican church on Palm Sunday.
I didn’t really talk about what we’ve done on a daily level, so ya’ll will just have to make us tell you everything when we get back. I want to thank all of the parents for supporting our going on the trip; it is really worth it! We are enjoying what we are seeing, but more importantly we are growing together in Christ. Hello to Mama and Daddy, and tatie too. ~Jacob Herrington

Grant

Today we went to the Canterbury Cathedral and then we also toured Cambridge with a guide. Canterbury Cathedral was an amazing site to see. It was not only a church but also basically a history “book.” They put monuments up for just about anything, though many of them were there only by way of money. The church leaders that have served throughout the years were also very prevalent throughout the place. The sad thing though is knowing that people have been led to believe that they should worship the leaders instead of worshipping the Head, Christ. Though I am sure there are true believers in the past in these churches, there have been numerous that have, in fact, been led astray. The church leaders that promote false teaching is terrible, but should also be an example to us at what not to do and an encouragement at what to do, for we are the future leaders and it will be up to us in a few years. Will we stand against the world and follow Christ, or fall to the world and deny Christ? These are the questions that we must answer soon, for soon we will be out in the world and away from our shelter. Is our foundation strong?

Having a guided tour through Cambridge was also great. The tour guide had a slightly, if not mostly different, viewpoint than the one that I have been raised with so it was good to hear history from another who knows so much. It is always good, at least for me, to have “different” viewpoints to compare to my own to see how my views stand up and to see if they are biblical and, in fact, right. Historically, it is good to see how other people view the people who came before us.

This trip has been great so far and I am anxious to see the rest of the sites that we are to see. There has been much to learn and that has been learned and I am sure that this trip has affected and will affect my life as well as the lives of those who are here with me. Thank you, parents, for giving us all this opportunity, it is great.

Bethany

This is Bethany blogging. The trip has been amazing so far. Everything we’ve seen has really put life into a bigger perspective. With all the sites we’ve seen so far, my view of God’s greatness has definitely been put into a clearer light. We’ve seen various cathedrals, cemeteries, and churches. All of them have made God to seem so huge and beautiful and us to seem so fragile and small. It’s rather humbling.
We’ve been taking tons of pictures. There are at least 15 cameras that everyone brought. Whenever we take a group picture, the person taking it gets to hold the bulk of the cameras. At one point, I had at least 6 cameras in my pockets as I was trying to get the same picture on all of them.
It was funny walking there though England, there were these people dressed up on the streets. They were doing little quirky things in order to earn money. We didn’t quite know what to think about that. It was pretty fun though.
Regardless of all the little quirks about this trip, the main thing that I think has really stuck out to everyone is just how great God is. Everything I’ve seen so far has made me feel so small, yet so thankful that God is God. God divinely orchestrated all of this history for His glory. There is so much history! Our coach driver knows a lot of history. He just spouts off little tidbits that are really awesome. The majority of the drivers here are crazy. Instead of stopping for pedestrians, it’s like their trying to keep you from walking; they speed up. It’s crazy.
Last night was our first night in a hotel; it was amazing. We all were overflowing with joy because of the wonderful showers and beds. Many of us let out a loud “Hallelujah!” because of our excitement. All of the girls threw Bayley a surprise birthday party as yesterday was her birthday. We had to hang her signs with band aids. It was fun making use of all the things we brought.
The French words for thank you and museum are incredibly similar. Thank you is “merci” and museum is “musee”. It’s funny we think we’re saying thank you but really I know I’ve actually said museum. The French are very gracious though. Many of them actually know quite a bit of English.
Today we went to the Notre Dam Cathedral in Bayeux. I was thinking while we were in there that no matter what buildings we build, or whatever big things happen, the things that God is most pleased with are the things that in regard to souls. A faithful life given to God gives Him more joy and glory than someone building a church to “honor God” in vanity.
My thoughts have been kind of all over the place as I’m sure everyone’s are. I just can’t get over how big God is and how little my perspective is. Even just looking out on the ocean, God is big. We’re so blessed that we’re here able to see all of this.
The time change has been crazy on all of us. But it’s made of a lot of really great memories. Most of us can’t even make out entirely coherent sentences most of the time. Hopefully back home, everyone’s doing great!
Right now, we’re sitting on the ferry watching High School Musical 3. Most of us aren’t really watching though. They’re sleeping, writing, or blogging. Hopefully the next time I blog, I’ll make more sense and actually have an idea about how to blog.
Oh, another thing we’ve been trying to say to the French as we leave has been “adieu”. At least that’s how it’s pronounced but I don’t know if it’s spelt that way. I just know that what I’ve been saying means “God with you”. Anyway, God is great! Enjoy the blogs!

Days Are Like Grass-Marty Yorio

This trip has definitely been amazing thus far. One common attribute about God that He has been showing me all throughout this trip is how “other” than this world that He is. In almost every aspect of this trip, God has been faithful to show me how great that He is and how small that I am. Even as I reflect on this past day, Thursday April 2nd, I can recall so many lessons in which God was able to teach more in this area.

There were many highlights from today that I would love to share about—the memorable ferry ride across the English Channel, seeing the Bayeux Tapestry, and eating lamb kabobs in France. All of that was great. Nevertheless, I really think that I was most impacted in looking at the history and sites of June 6, 1944—The D Day Invasion.

We first visited Point Du Hoc, a cliff-top location in Northern France that was integral in the battle on June 6th. We learned that it was a very important point of attack, and on D Day, U.S. Army Rangers struggled to scale the treacherous cliff while being mercilessly shot at by German soldiers. When we walked around Point Du Hoc today, it was very clear by the countless number of huge craters that there was an intense struggle many years ago. It was absolutely amazing to think that just over 60 years ago, the place that some students from Grace Academy were standing on was a major site for one of the largest battles in history.

Next, we got to go to Omaha Beach, the famed location for another intense struggle during D Day. It was also amazing to look around at the raging seas and cloudy sky and think that thousands of men were fighting for their lives (and our freedoms) just over half a century ago. I was astounded because I actually got to witness the amazing locations that I had read in history books for so long.

Point Du Hoc and Omaha Beach were both incredible sites to see, but the cemetery that held the fallen American men and women who gave their lives during Operation Overlord just astounded me. Witnessing beautifully intricate rows of grave after grave was just amazing. Over 10,000 servicemen were buried there, and the sight of the cemetery was extremely sobering.

As our group was exiting the museum and entering the cemetery, they had a recording playing over the sound system. It was a recording of a woman simply listing the names of the American men who had given their lives on D Day. And, as I thought about it more a couple of hours later, I realized that each of those names represented a soul that either went to heaven or hell.

As much as I was absolutely blown away by the experience of seeing such sheer dedication by our American military so many years ago, God was able to teach me something even more profound. He again showed me how small and insignificant that I am, and how great, sovereign, and supreme that He is. Just as my eyes passed over thousands of graves of men who gave their lives, God once again showed me how frail that life really is. I was reminded of Psalm 103:15-17—“As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to those who fear Him.”

After today, I so appreciate and value the sacrifice of the men and women who have gone before us to preserve our freedom. But, again I was reminded of the words on the plaque that John Piper so often speaks of,

“Only one life, twill soon be past,
Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

From Jasleen Kaler 4/1/09

Wow! London! The day that we arrived, most of us were so out of it that the fact that we were in London just didn’t fully hit. It was so surreal as we lugged our luggage onto the tube (the tube experience alone holds many, many stories) and then across a quaint neighborhood to our youth hostel. (Just as a side note, we sounded like a herd of cattle or something that was charging due to the sound of our many suitcases on the brick sidewalks.) The entire experience that first day was fun but reality hadn’t been able to get past the sleep deprivation.
The second day in London, however, was amazing. We got up early, ate breakfast and headed out to the Tower of London. We took a double-decker bus to Tower Bridge. Americans generally call the Tower Bridge, the one that leads to the Tower of London, London Bridge but that is actually a totally different ridge west of the Tower of London. Once we unloaded off of the bus, we walked over the Bridge.
The Bridge was beautiful. The architecture on it was ornate enough to be beautiful but at the same time, it was a bit simpler than some other structures. As we crossed the Bridge, we saw more and more of London on both sides of the Thames. The city is very unique in that it has so many old buildings and structures coexisting with very modern ones. Yet the feel of the city is not discontinuous. It almost seems as if the two polar opposites belong together.
There were many pictures and such taken between the double-decker bus and when we actually reached the entrance of the Tower of London. Jessica and I were the first ones through the entrance and into the fortress. It was then, as I approached the archway leading into the courtyard that it really hit me. I was in London, standing in the very middle of centuries and centuries of history. So many things had happened here, from battles to revivals, and many of those events affected the world. As we continued through the Tower, I and many others were impressed by the sovereignty of God. Marty mentioned at devotions later that night that “God reigned supreme back then and God still reigns supreme now.” I remember just thinking that those people who had walked through the same hallways that I was then walking through didn’t know that I would some day be walking through them as well. But God did. God knew then, as Sir Ralegh was imprisoned in the Tower that Jasleen would one day come and see the room that he for the most part was imprisoned in. And then also to think of all the things that had to come together to bring this particular group here, it is just mind-boggling.
After the Tower, we walked across the Bridge again and took the Southbank walk which really was just a walk across the bank of the Thames on the south side (implied in the name, right). We were headed to Westminster Abbey but were really enjoying seeing the people and buildings around us as we went. It was a very long walk, however, and by the end of it, we were spent. Unfortunately, we found out that the Abbey had closed earlier than earlier that day. Exhausted, we looked to our Fearless Leader (Mr. Lugg) for direction. Mr. Lugg, Mrs. Frisk, and Mr. Whitcomb quickly decided to go to the British Museum instead. So we headed out on foot to the nearest bus stop that would take us to the museum.
Once at the Museum, we spent some time looking at things together that had great relevance to the Bible. In fact, there were many things that we didn’t even see as a group that were in that building that affirmed biblical characters and stories. Grant later commented on how just by simply looking at the history and the facts, Christianity just made far more sense than any other option.
After the Museum, we went to Wagamama’s for dinner and then took the tube home. During the walk to the hostel from Canada Waters (our tube station), it was so serene in the neighborhood. It was so nice on so many levels that it is really just hard to explain. Maybe I will just have to do it in person sometime.