Last days :(

This week was filled with a lot of lasts-- last week of work, last time serving at Open Door, last cell group, and now today is the LAST day of work.

Pictured above is the Open Door staff I worked with every Wednesday at the Church. Open Door is a ministry serving people in the Colchester community and it provides a welcoming environment for people to come for coffee and find company. From left to right-- this is Rob, Diane, and Andrew... They have such big hearts for God and serving people. They provided me with so much encouragement, wisdom, and guidance in these few short months. I am really, really going to miss them.


This week we also had a Christmas lunch for the people who come to Open Door. The event included a delicious meal with all sorts of meats, peas, mash, and gravy to feed about 70 people. At the end of the meal, we had Christmas pudding with custard, which was a first for me. It was such a fun time to share a meal with people I have gotten to know fairly well these past few months.

On Thursday night, we had our last meal together as an eMi family. Prior to the meal we all went to a Pantomime--which is a theatrical musical-comedy traditionally performed during Christmas time in the United Kingdom. We went to one on the popular Disney movie Aladdin and it was very entertaining mostly because there were hundreds (if not more) screaming children in the audience who were all singing along and booing the bad guy character throughout the show.. oh to be young again.. haha I kid. Ohh-- so the picture above, you'll see that people are wearing paper crowns. These crowns came from Christmas crackers--which are very popular and traditional in the UK for all Christmas celebrations. The cracker is pulled apart by two people and makes a nice 'POP' sound. Inside, there is usually a small toy, a joke or riddle, and a paper crown to wear. I hope to fit as many of these as I can in my suitcase to share with others when I'm HOME :)

On top of all of these festivities, we were also very busy in the office since it was our last week to finish up everything that we were working on. I am happy to share that we finished THREE design reports this last week: landscaping and toilet facilities for two village slums, a missionary rest home, and a girls orphanage home. So we have been printing, folding, and binding like crazy and now the reports are ready to be sent off to the ministries and clients we served in India. Please pray that the needed funds would come through so that the completion of these projects would bless people and further the work of God's kingdom.

So as you can see a lot has been going on and it is difficult to believe that my time here is coming to an end. As excited as I am to be reunited with my family and friends back home, it will be hard to leave here and incredibly hard to say goodbye to people that have become like family.

Snow!!!

Frosty the snowman-- a little lunch break project at the office

A winter wonderland in Colchester

Gearing up for some snowball making!!

It has been snowing, snowing, snowing all week and I LOVE it!!!! Apparently, this is Britians earliest widespread snow storm in the last 17 years... what a nice treat for us before heading back to California in about 10 days!!

THANKSGIVING!!!!

Although I miss my family and was sad to be apart from them on Thanksgiving, this was still a really special week filled with a lot of love, cheers, and firsts.

Thanksgiving dinner #1:

We celebrated a Thanksgiving feast the day before with our Bible study (pictured below).. this was a very fun time and it was exciting to share with a group of people that have become such lovely friends over these past few months, and some who experienced a Thanksgiving celebration for the first time. It was potluck style with a plethora of food and we even managed to have a turkey (thanks to Deb the turkey pro!)

The gals: Lela, Carly, Steph, and Val (from left to right) :)

For dessert, Carly made this wonderful chocolate cake. She was sweet to make it so American!

Thanksgiving dinner#2

It is tradition for the American interns to put together a thanksgiving dinner and celebration for the eMi UK office--So this is the time for the Americans to shine and show another country what Thanksgiving is all about.. exciting right?! Well, even after all of the 20- something Thanksgivings I have had.. I somehow managed to escape the cooking aspect of the holiday. So this was my first time ever making 'Thanksgiving' dishes, so the pressure was on... haha no, not really. It was actually a really fun learning experience with all of the shopping, cooking, baking, decorating, cleaning, washing, serving...etc. I felt so domestic. [Here is a shout out to my parents, aunts, uncles, and friends' parents who have always put so much work into Thanksgiving and cooking and providing such delicious meals :), I thank you all]

So, we were given the day off to cook and prepare (Thank you Mike-- our director at the office)... OH and before I forget, I must mention that.... IT SNOWED!!!! I know, I know.. I've seen snow before and much more of it but for some reason it was just so exciting.. one of those moments that catches you off guard and really makes you smile. Snow on Thanksgiving in another country.. now that is a first for me!

Deb and Val.. aren't they cute?! See the snow?

OK, now back to the cooking. There were four of us in charge (four Americans that is..) Carissa (from Wyoming, long term volunteer with eMi, & my mentor) made pumpkin pies for the first time and let me tell you... they were delicious. Bravo Carissa. They do not have canned pumpkin puree here, so her parents mailed her a 30 oz can early in the month. Thank you to her parents.. Val (from Cali, architect intern, & flatmate) was in charge of chopping any and every veggie and I have to say that Val is the best, most precise chopper ever.. such a talent there Val. I think she chopped about 8 onions... and she didn't even cry-- another of her many talents. She also made deviled eggs. yumm. Deb (from Cali as well, civil engineering intern, & flatmate) is the Turkey woman!! I was really impressed.. and she made the sweetest sweet potatoes. Way 2 go Deb Go. Below I'm helping her dress a turkey (that is another first for me--quite an experience). There is more: I was a little ambitious and went for pumpkin soup, scalloped potatoes, and green bean casserole... with some help of course.. and boy did we have a lot of food. We ate left overs for two meals the following day.

Wa laa the TURKEY!!

We started cooking around noon and we were ready to eat at 7:30pm--phew. This was quite a day. I loved it though, loved wearing an apron, loved cooking, and loved celebrating Thanksgiving in another country. God bless England :)

Below Marietta (Mike's wife) made such a beautiful table setting.

Lastly, in light of Thanksgiving, I'll share with you what I am thankful for:

Our wonderful eMi family... It is truly amazing that no matter where you are or far you are from home, in God's family, you have family wherever you go. I have been incredibly blessed by each one of them. My sweet flatmates Val and Deb, my mentor and friend Carissa, my director Mike and his wife Marietta, their lovely daughter Lela, fellow intern Adam and his wife Laura, intern coordinator extraordinaire Jean, and my friends in Bible study--- I am thankful for each and every one of you.. you have all touched my heart and it makes it that much harder to leave this wonderful place.

Hello again... :)

I apologize for the very long delay... I have not been good about keeping up on this whole blogging deal. and now November has almost come and gone and was filled with work, Bible studies, open door ministry, Italy, London, York, and coffee. I say coffee because it finally happened for me. I look forward to a cup every morning. Don't worry--I'm not addicted.. maybe it's just the cold weather. I used to wonder why my roommate back in SLO (Lisa) would make it such a priority to have her coffee... now I understand. On another note, I had a huge revelation: I'll be heading home in less than a month!! ahh It is too hard to believe and I don't think I'm ready to leave. Everything has been so exciting and busy... I'm finding that there are just not enough hours in a day.. Work has been great.. I'm almost done with a report which includes water test results, recommendations, and toilet drawings for two of the villages we served in India (More details to follow). By the time we get off work (about 5) it is completely dark. So I don't see much daylight anymore --during the week that is. I would take my lunch breaks outside but of course it is too cold. In fact, it is supposed to SNOW this weekend. crazy huh?!

This is a very exciting week because we have Deb back in our flat. She stayed in India after our project trip to help out their office. So Val and I are glad to spend a few more weeks with her. ALSO, we are celebrating two Thanksgiving dinners-- one with our cell group and one with our eMi office. It is tradition for the American interns to put together a delicious feast.. we have to cook the turkey!!--no pressure though right?!! ahh I have never done this before. The turkey is thawing right now for Wed night's dinner. But then we also have to cook another one for Thursday. So here we go. Stay tuned.

This adventure thus far has been out of this world.. I have learned so much about myself, others, and how freedom in Christ truly sets us free. It is incredible to use engineering and what I have been studying the past four years to serve God's people. Living in the UK, getting to go to India, and experience other cultures has been challenging me to see God in all things and to see how BIG his heart is for the nations... He desires for all people to know Him and make Him known.

With Val and Carissa in London

Remember, remember the 5th of November

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

I have been learning a few things about 17th century English in preparation for the evening of November 5th. This night is an annual celebration held in Great Britain where festivities are focused on fireworks and bonfires. Why?.. you may ask...

Check this out!!
"Guy Fawkes & the Gunpowder Plot
Words of "Remember Remember" refer to Guy Fawkes with origins in 17th century English history. On the 5th November 1605 Guy Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with several dozen barrels of gunpowder. Guy Fawkes was subsequently tried as a traitor with his co-conspirators for plotting against the government. He was tried by Judge Popham who came to London specifically for the trial from his country manor Littlecote House in Hungerford, Gloucestershire. Fawkes was sentenced to death and the form of the execution was one of the most horrendous ever practised (hung ,drawn and quartered) which reflected the serious nature of the crime of treason.

The Tradition begins...
The following year in 1606 it became an annual custom for the King and Parliament to commission a sermon to commemorate the event. Lancelot Andrewes delivered the first of many Gunpowder Plot Sermons. This practice, together with the nursery rhyme, ensured that this crime would never be forgotten! Hence the words " Remember , remember the 5th of November" The poem is sometimes referred to as 'Please to remember the fifth of November'. It serves as a warning to each new generation that treason will never be forgotten.

In England the 5th of November is still commemorated each year with fireworks and bonfires culminating with the burning of effigies of Guy Fawkes (the guy). The 'guys' are made by children by filling old clothes with crumpled newspapers to look like a man.

Tradition allows British children to display their 'guys' to passers-by and asking for " A penny for the guy". "http://www.rhymes.org.uk/remember_remember_the_5th_november.htm

So last night, we celebrated by going to a bonfire and fireworks display at Colchester Castle. It was such a fun time and a great cultural experience.

designing a world of hope

Here is a little preview of what I have been working on in the office. It is a toilet block design for the gypsy village we visited in India. There are no toilets on this site, so the people have no choice but to use the surrounding fields. Consequently, they live in poor sanitary and hygienic conditions. So it is our prayer that this design and the work that still is to come will glorify God and bless the His beloved people in Vellore.

It is cold!!!

I don't know how it happened, but it did. The winter weather is here (well,,, it is not technically winter yet but it sure feels like it)!and BOY is it a a sneaky one, freezing every bit of my Californian soul. Yup, it is cold. But I have been told, "honey, this is not cold... just wait until November comes... it only gets worse." So I guess, a reality check will be coming soon. It is time to whip out the gloves, scarfs, jackets, and the layers... the more the merrier. and the consumption of hot beverages will have to happen more frequently :)

Here is a picture of the girls in the Bible study that I go to on Wednesday nights. I look forward to this time every week. They have really welcomed Val and me so warmly and have made us both feel right at home... they also always make sure we have a lift (this is my new favorite word at the moment... lift instead of ride)... At church and in the study we are going through the ten commandments. Each week we study a different commandment, what the Bible says about it, and how we as Christians should be living out the specific command... pretty challenging stuff but such a fun and loving group to study with. I am so so thankful for the sweet friends and community I have here.

Pizookie

A few days ago, Val and I had some friends over for a special dessert.... PIZOOKIE!! This was really exciting because no one had any idea what this could be (and maybe some of you reading this don't know either but it has become pretty popular especially with the restaurant BJ's in the states). It was interesting though shopping for the necessities. We went to three different grocery shops looking for pre-made cookie dough and came out empty handed. no cookie dough. So we instead found a chocolate chip cookie mix which worked just as fine. We plopped globs of vanilla ice cream on top of the pan full of baked cookie and wa la... pizzokie. and let me tell you, it was such a hit!! Now hopefully pizzokie will spread rapidly here.

pizzokie usually looks something like this above

Rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.


Philippians 4: 4-9

It has been a great weekend! We had two interns from the eMi Canada office visiting. Chris and Justin (who were both in my small group at orientation in Colorado Springs) had a project trip in Burundi and extended their layover here before heading back to Canada. They came to work on Friday and Chris taught me how to use Sketchup-- a 3D modeling program for architects and civil engineers. I'm using it to design a toilet block for the slum villages we visited in India... I never thought I would get to design toilets... should be interesting! On Saturday we took the 'Canada boys' to Wivenhoe (north eastern Essex, England) for fish and chips near the riverbank... another beautiful day..

Washed by the Water

It has been just over a week now since returning from our project trip. The climate change was drastic. India was hot and humid while Colchester was chilly with fresh air. BUT the thing both places have in common: rain. Although it hasn't poured with showers yet like it did most afternoons while we were staying in Vellore, we are entering rainy season here... and the reason why I'm yapping about rain and weather is because the song by Needtobreathe Washed by the Water has been on my mind a lot lately.
Here are some of the lyrics:

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

Sometimes when we take our eyes of God, we see the storm. Maybe it feels like we're sinking and there is no way out. BUT God is still there he doesn't leave us. We are washed by the water. There is hope in these storms.. in the hurt and uncertainty of life. There is hope in Him. :)

The following are photos I took walking home from work two different nights. I couldn't help but be reminded again of how majestic our Lord is.

Sethuvalai

The next village we visited was a gypsy site named Sethuvalai. When arriving here, we were greeted by many children clapping for us. They all rushed toward us shaking our hands and smiling. When performing the water test, they brought us chairs to sit in and fans to cool us off. A huge crowd formed with people nervous, interested, and curious to know if their water was bad (Below the picture shows the crowd. Val and I are in the middle of it). At the end of it all, they clapped for us and again we were greeted with handshakes.




After this we were taken into their village chapel where the children sang for us. 15 years ago the gypsies were living under trees near the side of the road. An amazing lady, auntie Jean, who hosted us during our stay and who works with several ministries in Vellore felt very burdened to do something about it. God was telling her “I died for these children too; life has meaning for them also. I want you to come out and serve them also.” So she left her current job (she was an English teacher for 17 years) and started working with the socially and economically deprived. And now 15 years later, the gypsies who probably had never considered putting their hope in Jesus are now believing in Him and serving. They were given a piece of land, a chapel, and small homes to live in. Although they have all these things, their conditions are still pretty poor and their drinking water is not completely sanitary. Both of these sites are really big projects that eMi hopes to tackle in the future by bringing more teams to help. But in the mean time, our team is providing water treatment recommendations to help mediate current problems.

As we were leaving, they people gave us hand-made jewelry. They put necklaces around our necks and a small girl placed a ring on my finger. It was a moment, I’ll never forget. These people had so little, yet they gave so much. Making jewelry is the only way they make money. I felt so undeserving. As our bus was driving away they were waving goodbye, cheering, and yelling out our names… My heart had never felt so warm, yet so burdened at the same time.

KIM

Karunai Illam Trust (KIM)
Mission statement: "To promote the wholesome physical, economical, social and spiritual development of the marginalized people, especially children in the spirit of Christ" KIM ministers to several socially and economically disadvantaged communities around Vellore. They asked eMi to help out with urgent landscaping and drainage needs as well as toilet blocks for each site.

PERRIYAR NAGAR
Our team visited two of the sites that KIM ministers to. The first site is a slum right on the outskirts of Vellore. This visit really caught me off guard emotionally. I have seen poverty before but I was still very much burdened by it all. Immediately when we got off the bus, children were running up to us, wanting to hold our hands and know our names. None of them were wearing shoes and some not fully clothed. As they were holding my hands, I was blown away by their joy and how much these children were smiling. They wanted attention. They wanted love… and in that moment, I felt so helpless. I knew that there was work to be done. We needed to test the water quality of their drinking water and we needed to survey the site but I was so burdened thinking about how we are going to help them. They were living in poor conditions, small homes with a little bit of drinking water, and 30% of them are suffering from tuberculosis. As just a student with little experience, I felt very inadequate.



This site is on a flood plane and has a HUGE drainage problem. Two months out of the year the village is flooded because of the intense rain season and the people are forced to leave their homes to stay dry. They have no toilets, so they have no choice but to use the fields around them. They have one well that is used for washing and their drinking water is only provided weekly by the government. With a kit from LifeWater International we tested the quality of water coming from these water sources (picture below). We tested for coliform bacteria, pH, chlorine, nitrates/nitrites, hardness, and iron. The most important test is the coliform bacteria because coliform is abundant in feces. So if found in a water source, there are probably disease-causing bacteria present in the water. Unfortunately the tests we took did turn positive. The water samples turned black with a 24-hour span, indicating the presence of bacterial contamination. It was a horrible feeling realizing that the drinking water was contaminated and that there is a huge need for water sanitation. But now with this information eMi has the opportunity to help provide clean drinking methods and hopefully help prevent future diseases among the people.

MUT

PRAISE: Val's visa did come through!! She made it to India to meet up with us a few days after we got there.

So with two eMi teams and several different projects and responsibilities, explaining all we did in India may be a bit confusing... so in the next few entries I’ll do my best at describing the projects and ministries we worked with.

Today I'll start with..
Missionary Upholders Trust (MUT)

The vision of MUT is to serve, support, and bless those who are serving. MUT provides rest homes for missionaries and their families to use. The eMi India office has had a strong partnership with them for some time. The MUT staff really welcomed us warmly and provided a nice environment for us to stay while we worked throughout the week.

One of the projects eMi is helping out with:

Pictured below is a vacant two-story building. The land is very valuable and people have tried to buy it but the previous owner was very dedicated to MUT and the work that they do, so it was insisted strongly that this land be used for a missionary rest home. So this is where eMi comes in. We are providing the engineering and architecture designs of a new building with bedrooms and facilities. I'll be working on the water aspects of the project such as drainage.

One more thing... The heart behind all of this work is to help provide a place for missionaries to come and rest :)

Culture Shock

On Sept 21st, I boarded the plane for Chennai, India. It was a 10 hour flight-- the longest one I have ever been on but one of the best flight experiences ever... including a great movie selection, two meals and snacks, socks, and the best part was the provided toothbrush and toothpaste :) Once we landed (finally), made it through the visa check, and collected our luggage, it was time to use the bathroom, again. This is when I encountered Mr. culture shock... Hello squatty potty!! I don't think I was ready for that yet, so thankfully there was a flushing toilet to the right. Then once leaving the airport, I was drastically aware of the climate change. I was wearing jeans and a sweater because it was chilly on the plane (biggest mistake ever). It was 4am in the morning but so hot and we were all already sweating. The humidity and smell combined was overwhelming. Outside of the airport it was really crowded with people and taxis drivers. Walking through the crowds, I have never felt more American in my life (and it doesn't help that I have blue eyes, blond hair, and that I'm the tallest person on my team)! The taxis drive experience to the YWCA (where we were staying for two nights) was like no other.. four of us were cramped in the back, hanging on at every turn. I was so shocked by the traffic and noise even though it was so early in the morning... and the humidity was relentless. Once we made it to the YWCA, we were able to sleep for an hour and a half before breakfast. (Side note: for someone who eats bowls of cereal for breakfast, eating rice and curry took some time to get used to) We met up with the rest of our team from the UK and some from the Missouri, India office. Two of the volunteers are architects from Hong Kong. We spent the rest of the day sharing our testimonies, having culture training, and discussing the projects and ministries we will be working with. The following day we left for Vellore which was a 3 hour bus drive. This bus was our main transportation all week.

We stayed at a missionary rest home called MUT (Missionary Upholders Trust) for about a week and from here we commuted to project sites each day. I'll never forget how welcomed we were by the staff at MUT. We were greeted by auntie Jean and auntie Viji (side note: auntie is a common term used to refer to women who are older than you. Sometimes I was called auntie by children). They took us inside where lunch was ready to eat. They kept offering us water and food and just wanted to make sure we were all well fed. There was a lot of rice and a lot of curry... and this was the day I had a custard apple for the first time! The rest of the afternoon we unpacked and rested. I hadn't even been in India for more than three days and I already had too many mosquito bites to count... and very swollen ankles.. this was kind of funny.. looking. Another thing I had to get used to: bucket showers. Most people take three bucket showers a day just to cool off... and because it was hot and humid-- our clothes needed washing. I hand washed outfits almost every night. I was soon realizing how comfortably I live back in the states and in the UK. God was really showing me how much I rely on comfort and familiarity and was teaching me to let go and to rely on Him alone.

Goodbye India, hello Colchester

After a two hour (actually more like 3) bus drive from Vellore to Chennai, a 10 hour flight to London, and a two hour drive to Colchester, our team is back safe and sound. We have a few days off from work to recuperate from jet lag, so in the mean time I'm taking time to rest and process the last 10 days and all that I experienced in India.

It might take a few days and blog entries to do this so hang tight... First, here are some initial thoughts of things I loved, learned, missed, and found fascinating about India.

The FOOD:

1. Chai and COFFEE are served all the time. It is a very hospitable way that hosts show how much they welcome and appreciate their guests. What I'm about to say next may be a bold statement but I stand by it: India has the BEST tasting coffee ever!!





2. and that goes for the FRUIT too... custard apples are amazing! I LOVE the bananas and the mangoes are sweet. I like papayas (PAPAYAS!) but we all know nothing can beat the sweet love of God (haha anyone remember this song?)
3. I am in love with CURRY (surprise) like never before... and dosas and naan bread. yumm!




p.s. I have eaten more rice in the last 10 days than I have probably eaten in the last 10 months.


The TRANSPO:

1. I was so impressed by the modes of transportation: motorcycles are everywhere and a very popular transport from point A to point B, also buses, taxis (especially auto rickshaw ones--pictured below), and oxes..



2. Honking is common and not necessarily used for road rage but rather to inform other drivers or pedestrians that your coming and not stopping.
3. Driving in general is a true talent.

The CULTURE

1. India is so vibrant and colorful--the food, buildings, traffic, and of course my favorite-- the sari! The sari's that women wear are so beautiful and really represent such grace and femininity. Fun facts:
2. It is proper to eat only with your right hand. Also, utensils are not normally used.
3. If you finish the food on your plate, more will be offered or perhaps given.
4. Shaking of the head from side to side when you are talking with someone, does not mean no.. it more so means "I'm listening" or "I understand"

(sighhh) now writing out my thoughts, I really do miss India already! Yes, it was hot and humid and yes it does feel wonderful to be back in Colchester and back in chilly weather, but there is something very special about India and something very special about working alongside fellow believers there. One night we went to a Bible study group of young college medical students. The leader had said that even though we are from different countries and different cultures, we all serve the same God... We are all one in the body of Christ.

more India entries to come...

INDIA!!

I leave for India tomorrow!!! (and will be there until Oct 3rd)! Now suddenly, everything is happening very fast. I still have some packing to do, still doing laundry, and still figuring out last minute trip details--so I probably shouldn't be spending time writing on my blog... but I'm going to do it anyway :)

If you think of it, please pray for my flatmate Val. She didn't receive her visa today and will not be flying out with the team tomorrow :( We are all still waiting to see if she will be able to fly out on Saturday if the visa comes before then.

Also, prayer for:

Our team, safe travels and especially for two team members Deb and Carissa (already in India) who will travel by train from a northern part of India to Vellore in the south (it is about a two day train trip and right now the train is delayed because of crazy rain).

For the work that we do, the ministries we will serve, and the people we hope to help... that we would be good witnesses to the Gospel in everything we do.

As for projects, we are coming alongside the office in India to help with the engineering and architechture designs of a childern's home, a rest home for missionaries, and now possibly a school!! So there is a lot in store... Although I'm a bit nervous about culture shock ahead, I'm so excited and thankful for the opportunity to serve in this way. It seems to be that during the times we feel uncomfortable or inadequate, God uses us and increases our faith. Even in the times when things are hard or we may think there is nothing familiar to hold on to, God is there to give us strength!

"They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations...

...For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to sprout up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up before all the nations."
Isaiah 61

You're a star

It has been quite the weekend.. On Friday night after a long-ish day at work, our staff team had a pizza and game night at Mike and Marietta's home (for us interns, it is like a second home). They take really good care of us, driving us places if needed, and having us over for dinner often. Marietta is an AMAZING cook. She is from Holland (I hope to take a visit there) and really takes joy in making us feel like family here.

On Saturday Val and I spent the afternoon with a friend from our Bible study. Steph is a fellow American from Tennessee working with International Justice Mission (IJM) here in Colchester. Check out this link < http://www.ijmuk.org/ >. Since we have all been gone the past few weekends, it was nice to stay and explore Colchester a bit after a pub lunch of course... I finally had fish and chips! ....Fun fact: Colchester was the first capital of Roman Britain and apparently beneath the Castle are the remains of the most famous Roman buildings like the Temple of Claudius. Amazing huh?!



Saturday night Adam (our long term intern from Ireland) and his wife Laura had us over for dinner at their new place. They moved from Cambridge to join eMi for a long term stint. Praise God that they now have a place close to the office to live and a car that was a surprise gift from their friends!! This is such a blessing!

On Sunday night, we went to church. For the past two weeks, Val and I have been helping out with serving coffee before the start of the service. This consists of making hot chocolate with a mound of whip cream, coffee, and tea. It has been really fun chatting and getting to know others in the church. After helping out last night, one of the girls who helps regularly was thanking me and told me, "You are a star!" --So this is really exciting because I was told way before I came that this phrase was used a lot, but I hadn't heard much mention of it yet. So it was a fun culture moment for me to be referred to as a star.

A day in the life of an eMi intern

(thanks Val for the idea)
7am ish to 8am ish: wake up (this varies depending on how much rest I get the night before)
8:55am: leave the flat and walk to work
9:10: arrive at work (a small office in the Baptist Church located in the town center)
9:15: devotion and prayer
9:45: tea & coffee and begin work
11:00: elevenses-- tea & coffee break (this happens if we remember... I really don't drink tea or coffee this much BUT some people definitely do)
12:45: lunch (the flatmates and I usually bring sack lunches.. some days are different though- today we went to a pub called Purple Dog for apple crumble)
1:30: continue working
4:00: tea & coffee again? sometimes table tennis break --hasn't happened in a while though
6:00: tidy up at work and head back to the flat
6:20 ish: arrive back at flat
6:30: make and eat dinner with flatmates
the rest of the evening: this varies depending on the night of the week-- Bible study, movie night, socials, etc.. or sometimes laundry (one load takes about an HOUR)

A few of my favorite things:


Biscuits: these are the perfect tea time treats. My favorite ones are the milk chocolate digestives above.



Churches that look like this: We took a tour around Lavenham (in Suffolk, England) and visited the Church of St Peter and St Paul... incredible architecture.



Football: The sport is everywhere. I always see people playing pick up soccer. This makes me happy but also makes me want to play too. Hopefully this will happen again soon.



The town of Colchester: This is a view outside of our flat.


A few things that fascinate me...



The keyboard: Check out the location of the @ symbol



The faucets: SEPARATE faucets for hot and cold water is pretty common in the toilet rooms and kitchens.

Cheerio!

Check out THIS link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9G0XXG-HwA&feature=channel

This is a video of the project trip in Liberia that the summer term interns made... it gives a great picture of what a eMi project trip looks like.

One Week..

As of today, I leave for India in ONE WEEK! Our team is coming alongside the eMi office in India with the engineering and architecture design of a hostel for children in need and a missionary rest home in the Vellore area (Southern India). I apologize for the vague information but I'm hesitant to share details at the moment because a lot of changes have been taking place in terms of projects and clients. So prayers are definately appreciated!

For those of you who may still be confused with what I'm doing exactly in the UK or if I actually work... Most days are spent researching/studying surveying, water standards, typical design for developing countries, etc to prepare for our work in India. Today, I spent most of my time familiarizing myself with a water quality testing kit from Lifewater International (a Christian non-profit in San Luis Obispo-that is exciting). In India we will have to take some tests once we go to project sites and I want to know what I'm doing before getting there. I'm also working on a trip packet which consists of gathering and organizing all important teammate documents, travel information, a general overview of the Vellore area, design standards in India, etc. We are also wrapping up and printing a previous project report of a school in Liberia. A lot is going on, but we always make time for tea and coffee breaks. Always.

If you think of it please pray for Val's VISA to go through.. it was not ready when the others were and we leave so soon! Thanks.

£ (pound) it!!

In Transit

Yesterday my roommate Val and I headed to London (Deb our other roommate is already in India for some early work) to visit our intern director Jean. We saw the St. Paul Cathedral -uhhhmazing and Shakespeare's globe. After all those high school years of reading Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, etc. it was incredible to see the theater. Also, I'm getting used to the public transportation here-- almost a train expert but as for the tube, I would be totally lost if I didn't have Val with me.

We had dinner and spent the night at Jean's flat. In the morning we took the tube to Hillsong church. It was such a good day. First off, it was sunny and warm (it hasn't been too cold or wet yet). Secondly, on the tube I sat down in between two ladies. I glanced to my right and noticed one lady was reading her Bible. and then I turned to my left and another young lady was also reading her Bible. I thought--wow, this is really encouraging to see that on a Sunday in the midst of tube chaos. Thirdly, on the train ride back, Val and I had a fun time meeting and getting to know Christina (shout out to her if she gets the chance to read this :)) It was really great to talk with her about life-- culture, jobs, and traveling.

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus

Here is a longer post of recent happenings in Colchester...

Labor day: We still had work of course, but my roommates thought it would be fun to celebrate a bit at the office. We wore red, white, and blue, painted little American flags on our faces, and played American music in the office-- it was all fun in games. Since we are a small team and have gotten pretty close already, we all like to poke little jokes at one another. One of the interns is from Ireland but was more than willing to humor us and celebrate the day.



Tuesday night: Salsa dancing- I took a lesson with some other friends here.

Wednesday: I helped out with Open Door--this take place in the side room of our church where people who are homeless, struggling with addictions, alone, or who just want company come for coffee and biscuits and a welcoming environment. A lot of the people that come are regulars, so it is great to place names with familiar faces and really get to know those that come every week. Later that night our Bible Study went rollerskating at Roller World--this was such a highlight. I haven't roller skated since I was in junior high--so much fun!

Another week comes to an end... I can't believe I have been living here for a few weeks now. Tonight Val, Adam, and I were invited over for dinner at a couple's home from church. It felt so nice to be welcomed so warmly and to spend time with a family from here. Something that the staff told us when we first arrived was to really invest our time here in Colchester and invest in the work that we will be doing here in the office and in India. Four months does seem like a long time but in reality it is such a short amount of time in comparison to our whole lives, so they challenged us to really make the most of it, get involved, and really get to know the people around us.

So that has been on my mind a lot lately.. I have been trying to soak it all up- invest in the culture, learn about the history here, and try new things.

This morning we had a devotion on 2 Timothy 2 about being strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus (hence the title for today). Often times I get wrapped up in how much I do or how well I do things.. then this results in fear and feelings of "I'm not good enough" but Paul says to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. God's grace is sufficient. The less fearful we are, the more courageous we can be. All we do must continually stem from God's grace and nothing else. It was really encouraging to be reminded of this... We have two members of our team leaving for India today and the rest of us will join them in about a week and a half. Also- Praise God that we do have another project in India to work on-- more details to follow soon. Thank you for the prayers!

Fun word for the day: Plaster... it is a band -aid :)

Worky work

It has been a busy work week so far! On Monday, we spent most of the day practicing with some surveying equipment in our director's (Mike) backyard. Deb and Adam are pictured below. Apparently, when this is done in India, it attracts a large crowd because people think a movie is being filmed.

Tuesday was a more technical day. I spent some time on AutoCAD--trying to refresh my memory on all the gadgets and not go crazy. Also this week--Mike, our eMiUK director, is at a directors conference in Colorado Springs--planning and prepping for future projects and discussing the vision/future of eMi. We are waiting to hear about another design project for our team to take on in India... there are a few possible ones at the moment. Thanks again for your prayers. We are confident that God has something for us there. It is exciting to see what comes up in the next week or so.!

Football

My roommates and I went to Cambridge on Saturday to visit another intern Adam (who recently graduated from their University-Structural Engineering) and his wife Laura. The town was unlike anything I have ever seen.. incredibly beautiful buildings and chapels with such intricate architecture and design. It was an added bonus to have Adam show us around and share with us all of the rich history. Later in the day, we went to a popular pub with a few of their friends. I had my first English dinner.. a roast beef Yorkshire pudding wrap with gravy, petits pois, and potatoes--simply a wonderful cultural experience.

Tonight we went to a beautiful old-style village home out in the country side for a church social. We ate Thai food and later placed soccer (or football I should say) barefoot in our jeans as the sun was setting.. it was such a highlight to play and so fascinating to see how much this game is a part of their culture. I am finding this place to be so home-y and it makes me excited for each day that is to come.

Prayer Request

We found out today that the ministry we are supposed to be working with on a orphanage design project in India dropped out for unspoken reasons. It caught us all off guard because we have been researching and planning for this specific project and now uncertainty lies ahead-- which on our part takes trust and giving it all to the Lord. We still leave for India on Sept. 22 and there are possibilities for other projects to come up. Please pray for our team and especially our trip leader, Mike who has been working really hard and guiding us as a team in this process. Pray that we would all continue to trust God and that he would guide us with open hearts to other project/ministry opportunities in India whether they are engineering-related or not. and pray for India.

Thank you all for your prayers and support!!

Here is a picture of the Colchester Baptist Church where our eMiUK office is. Above are my roommates and fellow interns, Deb and Val walking to work from our apartment flat.

Fun discovery today: two ring hole punches, not three :)

Open Door

I loved today! We started the morning off with a little devotion/prayer before work. Because our office is in the church the staff gives the interns the opportunity to spend half a day once a week helping out with a ministry called Open Door. This takes place in the side room of the church where people who are homeless, struggling with addictions or who just feel alone come for coffee and biscuits, a welcoming environment, and community. I had the opportunity to sit with and listen to a few people who just needed someone to talk to. One really sweet older man that I talked with shared about how his family has abandoned him and the pain is still there, but he is so thankful for the family he has at Open Door and for all of those around him. It was really encouraging to take part in this ministry and get to meet people in a town that I will be living in for the next four months!

Later on in the evening my roommates and I went to a small group for college students and young adults. It was such a warm and fun environment. They were all excited to meet us because they had heard from a staff person that we were all from California so they liked calling us the California girls. They also persisted that one of us read the Bible passage for the evening because they really wanted to hear an American read.. apparently we have obvious accents to them haha. All in all, is was fun to exchange stories and culture as well as share with one another that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. I am really looking forward to this Bible study and excited to get involved.

Water

We had our first official day of work in the office today because yesterday was a bank holiday. Culture shock today: the computer KEYBOARD! Although it looks similar to what I'm used to.. it made for quite an interesting day. The @ symbol is on the opposite side... the enter and shift keys are a bit smaller-- so every time I went to hit enter I was pressing the pound key or when I went for the shift key, I hit the slash key instead. There was a lot of laughter this morning as we were all getting used to it.

All of the interns were given tasks to help prepare for the India project (we leave in less than a month!!). I spent most of the day reading a Lifewater handbook on surface water and groundwater and researching annual precipitation and rainwater data for the Vellore area in India. According to WaterAid.org over 170 million people living in India do not have access to safe and clean water. This is devastating.. so incredibly sad that water related diseases are killing millions. I do pray for change and that clean water can save lives but also that this country would thirst for the one who brings them eternal life.

Tonight, my roommates and I made our first meal together-- spagetthi and salad-- of course. It is so fun grocery shopping here. Lisa, (shoutout to my roommate back in San Luis Obispo) we bought Nutella :)

She loved much

At church today, we were (the interns) introduced to the congregation and prayed over. This is an old Baptist church that supports eMi and has provided a small office free of rent for us to use. It was really encouraging to be supported by a group of fellow believers who were excited to meet us and hear about the engineering work we will be doing in India.

The Reverend this morning preached from Luke 7 about a woman who loved much and was forgiven much. It is a story of God's amazing grace. Grace made her bold. Grace makes us bold. Oh how sweet is the grace of God!

ESFJ

One of the number one reasons people leave the mission field is because of interpersonal relationships. eMi-as a ministry serving the Lord- finds it very important for a group of people working together to know the abilities and gifts God has given them to better understand and serve each other well.

In training thus far, we have talked a lot about our strengths, personalities, spiritual gifts, etc as a team. We have taken many fun tests like the Myers-Briggs (for you Myers-Briggs fans out there I'm a ESFJ) to better understand how we work and make decisions. It is easy to assume that when taking personality tests like these, we are placing ourselves in a box without any room to grow or change. But I have found these tests to be really helpful and encouraging in a way that I desire to build off my strengths and apply the gifts God has given me.

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119: 105

Beofre each work day every eMi office around the world starts of the morning in prayer and devotion. Today was our first full day in the office but before we began training, we read Psalm 119. The Psalmist is so passionate about God's word.. with a desire to know and live it out. There will be days that are more challenging than others or days I feel alone but I pray that I cling to His word no matter what and put my hope in His truth.

In training, we discussed cultural differences between the US and the UK (although there are a lot of similarities). A fun tid-bit of information:

Loo is not a person
A biscuit is a cookie and scone is a biscuit :)

We also talked about cultural differences in India (we leave in about a month for our project trip). So the staff spent some time prepping us and sharing previous project portfolios of work done in India to give us an idea of the kind of work we will be doing. Our project consists of a conceptual building design for an orphanage.. more details to come!

Hello Colchester

Today my roommates and I spent a few ours in the town of Colchester with our director Mike (who is from the area). I had the bizarre opportunity to ride shotgun on the LEFT side of a car. The driving here is so different.. absolutely incredible. It is definitely a good thing that we don't have to drive ourselves anywhere-- it wouldn't be pretty.

We are also all moved in to our apartment flat which is about a 15 minute walk to our small office (by this I mean-- a room smaller than most bedrooms) in an old Baptist church. We will start walking there tomorrow to begin office training.

Have a jolly good day! (one of the many phrases I'm picking up here)

Colrado Springs Training and Orientation

Hello all! I am finally in the UK after a week long training session in Colorado Springs. The week was packed with culture training, biblical teaching, intern testimonies, and technical preparation for our project trips. There were about 30+ interns and staff gathered together from all of eMi's offices: Colorado Springs, Canada, Costa Rica, Canada, India, Uganda, and of course the UK. It was an amazing week to say the least and such an incredible way to spiritually prepare for our internships ahead and to build relationship with other interns who have hearts to serve the physically and spiritually poor.

The picture to the left was taken in Colorado Springs at Garden of the Gods-- a beautiful park of ancient sedimentary beds--we all had the opportunity to hike around and rock climb. The two girls I am pictured with to the top left of my page are my roommates in the UK. On the left is Valerie- an architect from UC Berkley. On the right is Deb--a fellow civil engineer from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Today, my roommates and I were picked up at the London (Heathrow) airport by our director who helped us move into our flat in downtown Colchester. I have been up way too long now and can't wait to catch up on sleep. We have more training ahead and need to get started on preparation for our orphanage project in India! So until next time...

Thanks for the prayers and God bless!!