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
Monday, September 20, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
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!
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.
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.
Monday, September 13, 2010
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.
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!!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, September 10, 2010
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 :)
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 :)
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
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.!
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.!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, September 3, 2010
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!!
Thank you all for your prayers and support!!
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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.
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.
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