I have been on outreach with my team for the past month and a half, and whenever I am in an outreach phase, my priorities shift from those that I have during normal living. There's such a trend for "living simply," and while I don't necessarily subscribe to that, I do love when my heart is re-aligned to thankfulness for small things. I don't shower often or sleep in a bed these days, but that does not mean that God's blessings are not bountiful and exquisite.
Today, I am thankful for:
1. Quiet spaces
Even time that is a space of quiet. We have done a lot of camps this outreach, in Paris, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and now in London, which means that we have been around a lot of people. I am thankful for even five minutes of walking to Tesco alone, and because that time is precious, it means that I often grab it to speak to God, to check in with Him, and to let Him refresh my heart and eyes.
2. Showers
Of any sort, really, whether there are several in a room together, one shower for forty girls, or my shower at home that requires a trek. It's so nice to actually shower, to have your whole body clean at one time. It's possible to be clean without showers, but it takes a lot more effort, and it makes a ten minute shower feel like dancing in heaven.
3. Multiple languages
If you know me at all, then you know that I have been trying to learn Spanish for ages. I am finally at a point where I can communicate, even with people who don't speak English, and I am so happy to be able to be in places with so many nationalities. There are several people living at the camp with me now who don't speak much English, so I've gotten to sit with them and stretch my Spanish to learn more about them, about their heart for God, and also how to figure out how to say "The cabbage needs to go above the cabinet." My Italian is also expanding this week, and my Swedish, and I love sitting in the middle of a room and hearing so many different languages being spoken by people with one passion.
4. Worship
I am so thankful to live with worshipers. And that God didn't make music the only way to worship. Seriously, worship is what saves me during days with little sleep and lots of questions thrown at me. It puts God in His proper place and turns my heart from murmuring to gratitude, because the God of all creation (of water, earth, and sky :p) knows my heart and welcomes me into intimacy with Him all of the time. I only have to turn my eyes to Him. I think that's what the lyric "Keep my eyes above the waves" from Hillsong United's "Oceans" means, anyway. It's hard to stay in my own belly button of self pity when my eyes are focused on such beauty.
5. People's Flexibility
When you do camps, you see people all day (and night, if you're creepy and watch them sleep...which I am not.). That gives you plenty of time to see both good and bad, and to have both your good and bad bits exposed. But one thing that has amazed me this outreach is how flexible people are. Sleeping on floors is not something that people normally do, but for the sake of furthering the gospel, I have seen several hundred people sleep on floors this summer. I have seen them go without bathing, internet, and their usual eating habits. In Bones, the camp that my team runs for Notting Hill Carnival, we wake up at 8 and work until midnight with few moments for breathing in between. And do you know that people pay to come do that with us? They pay to sleep in a church, to not shower, to eat the (delicious) food made for 70 people, to go out every day and evangelise, and to learn to walk on stilts or do percussion for the parade that we do at the Carnival. That's crazy! I love people who do insane things for the Lover of their souls.
6. Coffee
But not the instant kind. I don't know why God allowed instant coffee to be invented, to be honest. However, people are gracious with me, and they sometimes bring me coffee, or share their coffee with me, or make me coffee, and I don't know about you, but for me, there's just something about coffee that reminds me that Jesus loves me utterly.
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lists. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Saturday, March 8, 2014
11 Things I Love About London
In two weeks, I leave London for five months (two months in Argentina
with my team, then three months in the States renewing my visa and
visiting churches - let me know if you want to hang out or see me!), so
for the past few months, I have been conducting a mental list of things
that I have learned to love about London in my two years of living here.
1. It is sunny and 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees fahrenheit), which in London heralds spring.Seriously, it has been sunny for two days in a row, which, after three months of chilling rain, feels positively balmy. I went running in just a t-shirt today - the first time my pasty white arms have seen the light of day since September! The birds are chirping, people are eating outdoors at restaurants, and it might even hit 15 degrees this weekend! Time to break out the bathing suit!
2. Despite there being millions of people in the city, I can still find quiet spaces to be alone.
London has so many parks and green spaces, and it's quite spread out. Whenever I went to New York City, I felt claustrophobic, but London has loads of places to disappear to if I need quiet and space.
3. Rail replacement services = transportation for free.
I live near the Overground, which is like the Underground, but above the ground and cheaper. They do repairs on it basically every weekend, and if I can stand the circuitous routes and traffic, I can get rides for free on the rail replacement buses. It takes two to three times the amount of time for the journey, but on the weekends, sometimes it's worth it.
4. The sky is so big in places.
There are wide streets, parks, and hills where the sky is so large that you can see the stars. Tonight, as my roommate and I walked home from the shop, we stopped to stare in awe at all of the stars and moon. We watched all the airplanes fly through constellations. From Primrose Hill, but also from some of the streets nearby, I can see the skyline, as well, which makes me feel so close to the centre, but with space to breathe and be.
5. The city is basically made up of hundreds of towns.
I live in Kensal Rise, which is right next to Harlesden and Willesden Green and at the top of Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill. Each area has its own high street (main street), post office, butcher, hair dresser, coffee shop, etc, and feels like a small town within the whole of London. I have a local corner shop where they know who I am (and grocery store and coffee shop), and it has the benefits of small town living and the wonder of being in London.
6. Corner shops.
My roommate just reminded me of this one. I love corner shops, where you can get so many useful things for a slightly elevated price, but at a time and place that is convenient. At my local corner shop, they ring up my chocolate milk right when I walk into the shop. They ask how my housemates are. And it's always lovely to take a walk to the corner shop in my slippers and sweatpants.
7. I can get a bus to anywhere.
I can get a bus to the centre from around the corner and ride straight to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and the Embankment. I can also get a bus to the airport, or to Paris. Most of the time I choose the city centre, and not Paris, but hey, a girl can dream!
8. There are loads of different churches.
When my mom came to visit me, we went to my regular church, then to Hillsong London, then to Westminster Abbey for an organ concert and evensong. We heard Matt Redman songs, rap, and classical organ music. London isn't a religious city, but that doesn't stop it from having some fantastic houses of worship. It makes me feel like I have numerous homes around the city.
9. There are several markets where you can buy cheaply.
My team works out of a church a block off of Portobello Road, and I love getting fruit in the market. It's fresher than in the shops, and it's cheaper, too. We also do evangelism and prayer in Camden Market weekly, and we've begun developing friendships with shop owners there. There are dozens of ethnic food stalls in Camden, as well as clothes and trinkets that you can't find elsewhere in the city. I also love Brick Lane, a market in East London, because the live music on Brick Lane is the best. But beyond that, there are other large markets as well as small street markets throughout the city. Not only are things sold more cheaply at markets, but it's a chance to get to know people. Which brings me to my next point:
10. People are out of their houses and ready to talk.
Whether it's on the bus or Underground, in the queue for coffee, in Trafalgar Square, or at a market, there are people everywhere. Big cities can seem impersonal and lonely, because it's easy to get lost in the crowd, but for the most part, if you start talking to a person, they'll respond. For me, a missionary, this is fantastic news. For example, the people on the bus are prime opportunities for conversation, because they have nothing else to do as they wait to get wherever they are going. I'm not rude or overbearing about it, but I do enjoy speaking to people on public transportation or out on the streets. I know that England gets a bad rap for being a place where people are isolated from one another, but honestly, if you just start the conversation, you can meet so many interesting people.
11. All of the nations exist in one place.
I do a photography project that involves talking to strangers about their beliefs, and through that project alone, I have met people from dozens of nations. Without leaving London, I can experience life in Italy, China, Pakistan, India, Japan, Mali, South Africa, Colombia, Thailand, Argentina, Finland, Italy, etc, etc, etc. I can meet people from those countries in parks, I can go into their shops on Kilburn High Road, I can eat at their restaurants in Shoreditch, I can venture into their stalls in Camden Market or their religious buildings in Willesden. In Matthew, it says to go to all the nations. God sent me to London, and in doing so, He effectively sent me to all of the nations. I serve a big God in a big city, and He is giving me more and more of His heart for the people that He has placed here to live alongside me in this beautiful place.
1. It is sunny and 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees fahrenheit), which in London heralds spring.Seriously, it has been sunny for two days in a row, which, after three months of chilling rain, feels positively balmy. I went running in just a t-shirt today - the first time my pasty white arms have seen the light of day since September! The birds are chirping, people are eating outdoors at restaurants, and it might even hit 15 degrees this weekend! Time to break out the bathing suit!
2. Despite there being millions of people in the city, I can still find quiet spaces to be alone.
London has so many parks and green spaces, and it's quite spread out. Whenever I went to New York City, I felt claustrophobic, but London has loads of places to disappear to if I need quiet and space.
3. Rail replacement services = transportation for free.
I live near the Overground, which is like the Underground, but above the ground and cheaper. They do repairs on it basically every weekend, and if I can stand the circuitous routes and traffic, I can get rides for free on the rail replacement buses. It takes two to three times the amount of time for the journey, but on the weekends, sometimes it's worth it.
4. The sky is so big in places.
There are wide streets, parks, and hills where the sky is so large that you can see the stars. Tonight, as my roommate and I walked home from the shop, we stopped to stare in awe at all of the stars and moon. We watched all the airplanes fly through constellations. From Primrose Hill, but also from some of the streets nearby, I can see the skyline, as well, which makes me feel so close to the centre, but with space to breathe and be.
5. The city is basically made up of hundreds of towns.
I live in Kensal Rise, which is right next to Harlesden and Willesden Green and at the top of Ladbroke Grove and Notting Hill. Each area has its own high street (main street), post office, butcher, hair dresser, coffee shop, etc, and feels like a small town within the whole of London. I have a local corner shop where they know who I am (and grocery store and coffee shop), and it has the benefits of small town living and the wonder of being in London.
6. Corner shops.
My roommate just reminded me of this one. I love corner shops, where you can get so many useful things for a slightly elevated price, but at a time and place that is convenient. At my local corner shop, they ring up my chocolate milk right when I walk into the shop. They ask how my housemates are. And it's always lovely to take a walk to the corner shop in my slippers and sweatpants.
7. I can get a bus to anywhere.
I can get a bus to the centre from around the corner and ride straight to Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, and the Embankment. I can also get a bus to the airport, or to Paris. Most of the time I choose the city centre, and not Paris, but hey, a girl can dream!
8. There are loads of different churches.
When my mom came to visit me, we went to my regular church, then to Hillsong London, then to Westminster Abbey for an organ concert and evensong. We heard Matt Redman songs, rap, and classical organ music. London isn't a religious city, but that doesn't stop it from having some fantastic houses of worship. It makes me feel like I have numerous homes around the city.
9. There are several markets where you can buy cheaply.
My team works out of a church a block off of Portobello Road, and I love getting fruit in the market. It's fresher than in the shops, and it's cheaper, too. We also do evangelism and prayer in Camden Market weekly, and we've begun developing friendships with shop owners there. There are dozens of ethnic food stalls in Camden, as well as clothes and trinkets that you can't find elsewhere in the city. I also love Brick Lane, a market in East London, because the live music on Brick Lane is the best. But beyond that, there are other large markets as well as small street markets throughout the city. Not only are things sold more cheaply at markets, but it's a chance to get to know people. Which brings me to my next point:
10. People are out of their houses and ready to talk.
Whether it's on the bus or Underground, in the queue for coffee, in Trafalgar Square, or at a market, there are people everywhere. Big cities can seem impersonal and lonely, because it's easy to get lost in the crowd, but for the most part, if you start talking to a person, they'll respond. For me, a missionary, this is fantastic news. For example, the people on the bus are prime opportunities for conversation, because they have nothing else to do as they wait to get wherever they are going. I'm not rude or overbearing about it, but I do enjoy speaking to people on public transportation or out on the streets. I know that England gets a bad rap for being a place where people are isolated from one another, but honestly, if you just start the conversation, you can meet so many interesting people.
11. All of the nations exist in one place.
I do a photography project that involves talking to strangers about their beliefs, and through that project alone, I have met people from dozens of nations. Without leaving London, I can experience life in Italy, China, Pakistan, India, Japan, Mali, South Africa, Colombia, Thailand, Argentina, Finland, Italy, etc, etc, etc. I can meet people from those countries in parks, I can go into their shops on Kilburn High Road, I can eat at their restaurants in Shoreditch, I can venture into their stalls in Camden Market or their religious buildings in Willesden. In Matthew, it says to go to all the nations. God sent me to London, and in doing so, He effectively sent me to all of the nations. I serve a big God in a big city, and He is giving me more and more of His heart for the people that He has placed here to live alongside me in this beautiful place.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
a breath in thankfulness (8 things I am thankful for RIGHT NOW)
I am immensely thankful for so many things. When I was having a hard time several months ago, my discipler encouraged me to wake up every morning and write down the things I was thankful for right in that moment. That started a habit for me of turning to thankfulness in the middle of struggling, and for just a second, I'd like to share some of that thankfulness with you.
1. The primary thing that I am thankful for is all of you. I am so blessed to have people who support me in what I do here. I live in London and get to talk to people about Jesus all of the time, but really, you are here, too. The people that pray for me and support me monetarily are as much a part of this mission as I am. I don't fully know how to express how humbled I am that there are people who care enough about God's work and my place in His great work that they will send their hard-earned money to me to keep me here. It's more than a happy dance and a shouted, "thank you, Lord!" You are the hands and feet in my walk of faith, because you are the instruments that God uses to keep me here. I cannot wait to say it to your face one day, but for now, thank you.
2. I am thankful for living in a team that is my English family. I lived away from home for four years while attending university, and it was a lonely experience. I spent some holidays alone, I ate dinner alone, and I did not always have people to share what I was going through. I always had friends, of course, but that is different from living with people. Here, I have eleven people around me always. If I feel lonely, all I have to do is step downstairs to find my family gathered around the kitchen table. They're always there for a hug, or to listen to what's going on, or to go on a crazy adventure. Right now, we are renovating an attic in our church and building a recording studio, and we get to spend all day sawing things and cracking jokes, and the days are so full of joy for me.
3. I am thankful that Spanish is apparently one of the easiest languages to learn. I have been attempting to learn it for over a year now, and can you imagine if it was one of the harder ones to learn? I'd be stuffed!
4. I am thankful to walk in favour as God's daughter. My eyes have only really been opened to it recently, but there are tiny circumstances in my life that look like coincidences to the human eye, but, when I look more closely, I see God's fingerprints all over them. Jesus Culture gave away a free song by my favourite artist, the money for a guitar anonymously appeared in my bank account, the Overground was shut and I got a free bus ride home, the pastor bought me coffee on a long afternoon at the church...that is only a short list. It's amazing to see the ways that God spoils me.
5. I am thankful to my mother for forcing me to take piano lessons for ten years. We fought so much about it, but for the past few months, I've been practicing the piano again, and there is such beauty in being able to worship God at the bench of a grand piano.
6. I love living with children. I love their giggles, their loud excitement, and how they always seem to know when you need a cuddle or a hug. I love their honesty. And I love that their parents are willing to share them with us, because it completes a feeling of family.
7. I am so thankful that my parents raised me in church and still make it a priority to pray for me. I have a family that stands behind me - my grandparents are some of the loudest supporters of my work here. A lot of my friends don't have the support of their families, but my parents, grandparents, and brother always take the time to remind me that they are proud of me, and that means so much to me. My parents faithfully supported missionaries my whole life, and it is an honour to be a missionary today and to know that their faithfulness is part of the reason that I am here.
8. God. I know it seems obvious, and I don't have words to explain all of my thankfulness for Him, but I hope that it is evident in my life, because it is still incredible to me that I am daily allowed to see more of my First Love's heart.
1. The primary thing that I am thankful for is all of you. I am so blessed to have people who support me in what I do here. I live in London and get to talk to people about Jesus all of the time, but really, you are here, too. The people that pray for me and support me monetarily are as much a part of this mission as I am. I don't fully know how to express how humbled I am that there are people who care enough about God's work and my place in His great work that they will send their hard-earned money to me to keep me here. It's more than a happy dance and a shouted, "thank you, Lord!" You are the hands and feet in my walk of faith, because you are the instruments that God uses to keep me here. I cannot wait to say it to your face one day, but for now, thank you.
2. I am thankful for living in a team that is my English family. I lived away from home for four years while attending university, and it was a lonely experience. I spent some holidays alone, I ate dinner alone, and I did not always have people to share what I was going through. I always had friends, of course, but that is different from living with people. Here, I have eleven people around me always. If I feel lonely, all I have to do is step downstairs to find my family gathered around the kitchen table. They're always there for a hug, or to listen to what's going on, or to go on a crazy adventure. Right now, we are renovating an attic in our church and building a recording studio, and we get to spend all day sawing things and cracking jokes, and the days are so full of joy for me.
3. I am thankful that Spanish is apparently one of the easiest languages to learn. I have been attempting to learn it for over a year now, and can you imagine if it was one of the harder ones to learn? I'd be stuffed!
4. I am thankful to walk in favour as God's daughter. My eyes have only really been opened to it recently, but there are tiny circumstances in my life that look like coincidences to the human eye, but, when I look more closely, I see God's fingerprints all over them. Jesus Culture gave away a free song by my favourite artist, the money for a guitar anonymously appeared in my bank account, the Overground was shut and I got a free bus ride home, the pastor bought me coffee on a long afternoon at the church...that is only a short list. It's amazing to see the ways that God spoils me.
5. I am thankful to my mother for forcing me to take piano lessons for ten years. We fought so much about it, but for the past few months, I've been practicing the piano again, and there is such beauty in being able to worship God at the bench of a grand piano.
6. I love living with children. I love their giggles, their loud excitement, and how they always seem to know when you need a cuddle or a hug. I love their honesty. And I love that their parents are willing to share them with us, because it completes a feeling of family.
7. I am so thankful that my parents raised me in church and still make it a priority to pray for me. I have a family that stands behind me - my grandparents are some of the loudest supporters of my work here. A lot of my friends don't have the support of their families, but my parents, grandparents, and brother always take the time to remind me that they are proud of me, and that means so much to me. My parents faithfully supported missionaries my whole life, and it is an honour to be a missionary today and to know that their faithfulness is part of the reason that I am here.
8. God. I know it seems obvious, and I don't have words to explain all of my thankfulness for Him, but I hope that it is evident in my life, because it is still incredible to me that I am daily allowed to see more of my First Love's heart.
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
and so my home is much larger (nine things I've learned in 14.5 months across an ocean)
I just renewed my visa to stay in the United Kingdom, and as I have filled out the application and gathered all of the materials, I thought about my last fourteen and a half months in the United Kingdom. My life is different than it was fifteen months ago, when I graduated university and moved across the ocean. I am also different. But God? He's the same.
Here are some of the things that I learned:
1. I do not need a room to myself.
But seriously. My whole life, I had my own room. Except for my freshman year at university, I have always had a place where I could shut the door and breathe, where I could block everybody out, and where I and my possessions were safe. I thought that it was necessary for my sanity. I thought that it was my right.
But having my own room is not my right. As I write this, I am in a room with three other girls, all whom I love dearly. I have half a cupboard to my name, and I sleep in a top bunk, and let me tell you, I am just grateful to have a bed.
Even having a bed is not my right.
It is my privilege to be here. It is my privilege to share a room with these three women of God. I learn from them every day, and when I go through hard times, I don't even have to lift my head; they are right there.
Sure, there are times that I want to get away. But I can always run or take a walk or take a shower. Being an introvert and living in community is a challenge, but it has also taught me how to be vulnerable. It has taught me how to live life without hiding from things that overwhelm me. And if I had to guess, I'd say that it's probably preparing me to have a family.
2. I am just as loved when I am struggling as when I am doing well.
Part of living in community means that I am around people all day, every day. I cannot hide my bad days behind a smile and a tight-lipped, "I'm fine." These people that I live with are my family, and they genuinely want to know how I am doing. And when I'm not doing well, they love me just as much as they do when I am good and lovely and caring and giving. In fact, when I am really struggling, they show me love even more clearly. God is a relational God. He created me for a relationship with Him, but also for relationships with others. It is in those relationships that I often see His love for me acted out.
3. Home is not necessarily where you have a bed or a key. Home is where you wake up and know where the breakfast stuff is (and how to work the shower).
By this definition, I have three homes in this YWAM base. And while I do not sleep in all three of our base houses, I know where the breakfast stuff is in all three, and I definitely know how to operate the shower. I also know that, if I knock on the door, I'll be greeted with a hug, coffee, and a lot of love. I think that is really what home is: being greeted at the door with love.
4. Showering is overrated (at the same time, showering is a way to feel sane again).
When we do Notting Hill Carnival, we live in a church and have to walk 20 minutes one way to shower at a sports centre. With all of the preparation and evangelism, there isn't time to shower every day. And during Carnival weekend, we go for four days without showering and with all 90 people living in one church.
It can get pretty gross.
But at the same time, it has taught me that I don't need to shower to be a human. People can rarely tell that I have not showered every day. Showering is another thing that I grew up with and assumed was my right. But showers have not been around for long. Millions of people lived before them, and they seemed to do just fine.
However, I also know that, when things go really wrong, a shower is often what I need to feel sane again. Just the act of cleaning my body helps cleanse my mind and spirit. Which brings me to,
5. Cleaning is a great time to talk to God.
In YWAM, we do this thing called work duties. Basically, the whole team comes together to clean the house. It is a daily activity (when you live in community, you need to clean the house every day), and it is one of the best times that I have with God every day. While my body is busy scrubbing toilets or mopping floors, God has a chance to speak to me without being interrupted. It has gotten to the point where just the thought of washing dishes makes me think about God.
6. You do not need to talk to somebody daily (or weekly) to keep a strong relationship with them.
This was one of my big fears when I joined YWAM. I did not want to end my relationships in the States just because I was moving to England. Everybody says that, with Skype, it's easy to keep in touch, but I think we all know that that's a bit of a lie. It takes a lot of time to Skype people, and to set up Skype dates. With a time difference, there is even more of a challenge. But I have learned that when I finally do get to Skype with the people that I love, it's as if the past fifteen months have only been a month or two. The love and communication is still there.
7. National Holidays are still important, even if you are not in your own country.
Today, we celebrated Chile's Independence. We ate empanadas and danced to traditional songs. At Thanksgiving, I ate three Thanksgiving dinners. The base also celebrated Norway's independence day, and we have Argentinian barbeques several times a year. I love getting tastes of other cultures and seeing the pride that people have for their homeland, even when it has been years since they've lived there. I also appreciate that the people I live with will celebrate days that are important to me, even though they may not understand why it is necessary to sing "I'm proud to be an American" seven or eight times on the Fourth of July. Living in England does not mean that I was not raised in the United States, and it does not mean that my Chilean teacher does not feel pride for her homeland on their special day. It really just means that we have more reasons to celebrate.
And more reasons to fiesta!
8. My value is in who I am, not what I do.
Having a university degree does not make me more valuable. Being able to speak more languages would not make me more valuable, nor would being the best toilet cleaner, or the best email writer. My value is that I am God's creation and daughter. My value is equal with Christ. I have security in that fact alone, not in who loves me or where in the world they are. Certainly not in my bank account. Not in where I sleep or what I do during the day.
I know this seems a bit deep and poetic, but it is a revelation that has taken me 14.5 months to come by. I am valuable. I am just as valuable as I was when I was born, and I cannot lose that value. It does not depend on you. It does not depend on my family here in London, or my family at home. The same is true of you. I do not determine your value. Neither does your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, roommate, boss, or professor. You are worth the life of Jesus. Your value is the same as the son of God. That is exactly what you are.
God loves me (and you) just as much as He loves Jesus.
9. I love the God I serve.
This is not new, but my love only grows as I learn more about my Father.
Here are some of the things that I learned:
1. I do not need a room to myself.
But seriously. My whole life, I had my own room. Except for my freshman year at university, I have always had a place where I could shut the door and breathe, where I could block everybody out, and where I and my possessions were safe. I thought that it was necessary for my sanity. I thought that it was my right.
But having my own room is not my right. As I write this, I am in a room with three other girls, all whom I love dearly. I have half a cupboard to my name, and I sleep in a top bunk, and let me tell you, I am just grateful to have a bed.
Even having a bed is not my right.
It is my privilege to be here. It is my privilege to share a room with these three women of God. I learn from them every day, and when I go through hard times, I don't even have to lift my head; they are right there.
Sure, there are times that I want to get away. But I can always run or take a walk or take a shower. Being an introvert and living in community is a challenge, but it has also taught me how to be vulnerable. It has taught me how to live life without hiding from things that overwhelm me. And if I had to guess, I'd say that it's probably preparing me to have a family.
2. I am just as loved when I am struggling as when I am doing well.
Part of living in community means that I am around people all day, every day. I cannot hide my bad days behind a smile and a tight-lipped, "I'm fine." These people that I live with are my family, and they genuinely want to know how I am doing. And when I'm not doing well, they love me just as much as they do when I am good and lovely and caring and giving. In fact, when I am really struggling, they show me love even more clearly. God is a relational God. He created me for a relationship with Him, but also for relationships with others. It is in those relationships that I often see His love for me acted out.
3. Home is not necessarily where you have a bed or a key. Home is where you wake up and know where the breakfast stuff is (and how to work the shower).
By this definition, I have three homes in this YWAM base. And while I do not sleep in all three of our base houses, I know where the breakfast stuff is in all three, and I definitely know how to operate the shower. I also know that, if I knock on the door, I'll be greeted with a hug, coffee, and a lot of love. I think that is really what home is: being greeted at the door with love.
4. Showering is overrated (at the same time, showering is a way to feel sane again).
When we do Notting Hill Carnival, we live in a church and have to walk 20 minutes one way to shower at a sports centre. With all of the preparation and evangelism, there isn't time to shower every day. And during Carnival weekend, we go for four days without showering and with all 90 people living in one church.
It can get pretty gross.
But at the same time, it has taught me that I don't need to shower to be a human. People can rarely tell that I have not showered every day. Showering is another thing that I grew up with and assumed was my right. But showers have not been around for long. Millions of people lived before them, and they seemed to do just fine.
However, I also know that, when things go really wrong, a shower is often what I need to feel sane again. Just the act of cleaning my body helps cleanse my mind and spirit. Which brings me to,
5. Cleaning is a great time to talk to God.
In YWAM, we do this thing called work duties. Basically, the whole team comes together to clean the house. It is a daily activity (when you live in community, you need to clean the house every day), and it is one of the best times that I have with God every day. While my body is busy scrubbing toilets or mopping floors, God has a chance to speak to me without being interrupted. It has gotten to the point where just the thought of washing dishes makes me think about God.
6. You do not need to talk to somebody daily (or weekly) to keep a strong relationship with them.
This was one of my big fears when I joined YWAM. I did not want to end my relationships in the States just because I was moving to England. Everybody says that, with Skype, it's easy to keep in touch, but I think we all know that that's a bit of a lie. It takes a lot of time to Skype people, and to set up Skype dates. With a time difference, there is even more of a challenge. But I have learned that when I finally do get to Skype with the people that I love, it's as if the past fifteen months have only been a month or two. The love and communication is still there.
7. National Holidays are still important, even if you are not in your own country.
Today, we celebrated Chile's Independence. We ate empanadas and danced to traditional songs. At Thanksgiving, I ate three Thanksgiving dinners. The base also celebrated Norway's independence day, and we have Argentinian barbeques several times a year. I love getting tastes of other cultures and seeing the pride that people have for their homeland, even when it has been years since they've lived there. I also appreciate that the people I live with will celebrate days that are important to me, even though they may not understand why it is necessary to sing "I'm proud to be an American" seven or eight times on the Fourth of July. Living in England does not mean that I was not raised in the United States, and it does not mean that my Chilean teacher does not feel pride for her homeland on their special day. It really just means that we have more reasons to celebrate.
And more reasons to fiesta!
8. My value is in who I am, not what I do.
Having a university degree does not make me more valuable. Being able to speak more languages would not make me more valuable, nor would being the best toilet cleaner, or the best email writer. My value is that I am God's creation and daughter. My value is equal with Christ. I have security in that fact alone, not in who loves me or where in the world they are. Certainly not in my bank account. Not in where I sleep or what I do during the day.
I know this seems a bit deep and poetic, but it is a revelation that has taken me 14.5 months to come by. I am valuable. I am just as valuable as I was when I was born, and I cannot lose that value. It does not depend on you. It does not depend on my family here in London, or my family at home. The same is true of you. I do not determine your value. Neither does your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, roommate, boss, or professor. You are worth the life of Jesus. Your value is the same as the son of God. That is exactly what you are.
God loves me (and you) just as much as He loves Jesus.
9. I love the God I serve.
This is not new, but my love only grows as I learn more about my Father.
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