How to take over the world in Five easy steps.....

Friday night. Cool air, but tolerable. A perfect Indian summer night.Yup, they call it that here too. Emmett, Paul, David and I were headed off to do one of our ministries. At the end of our walk there would be kids. Lots of noise, laughter and angst awaited us. We did not talk about them. We didn't discuss what we would be doing. No, the conversation in our midst was squirrels. 176 million squirrels. And the sheep that rode them. Four Squirrels a foot. They are our soldiers. Some of the sheep will carry cows. Can you picture it? A cow, with two sheep strapped to each foot. And each sheep carries 16 squirrels. It makes me think of the woman who swallowed the fly. She then swallowed the spider to catch the fly, and the bird to catch the spider. It was a never ending cycle.

Our animal army is the same. We need the air-force seagulls to carry the flying squirrels that are the parachutes for ninja cats that always come with their claws out. This is our first wave. Our second are the sheep. With millions of sheep, some will come rolling on squirrels to invade England. After England falls- because who can stand against sheep that ride squirrels. I mean, who in their right minds would expect that?- the hoard will then head towards the tunnel that I have heard connects  Britain to France. They will invade Paris, all of them climbing the Eiffel tower like...well, like squirrels up a tree. From there the world will be in such chaos that no one would know what to do. The world will be easy pickings for man in sheep's wool that comes riding in on a chariot pulled by 40, hard working, squirrels. (You know who you are.....)

So you see, we could take over the world. It just wouldn't end well. I mean, without llama's, there is no way we could win.

Why am I talking about armies and world-taking-overs? Is that the sort of thing one talks about with guys? Maybe. Most of the time people go into new situations with expectations. When I go down for breakfast I expect to see Emmett at the table, and sometimes Brad will be there, bouncing with his cup o'tea. what was new is becoming familiar. Still, there are many things that I didn't think about before hand. Like what would we talk about- other than the obvious God-centered-conversations- I had no clue. In the past few weeks I have carried on more conversations about guns, guts, and the occasional bag of chocolate crickets than I ever expected to have.

It all comes down to one thing: nothing is as expected. In any part of life, not just here. Certainly, no one thought they would be reading a blog about how to take over the world via an animal army. (One could also view it as a way to not take over the world, but what is the fun in that) I came here with assumptions and hopes and dreams, but what am I actually going to get?

Well, lets take a look at what I have already gotten.

Starting out I had a good view of missions from Perspective's on the World Christian Movement (click here to learn more). I have been exposed to many ways of thinking over the years and am open to being challenged. I thought I had a good grasp on God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. It certainly was much better than it used to be. However, in just two weeks, several of the thoughts I held were challenged, some of them destroyed completely. I had to pull out my beliefs, examine them, and find out where the holes were. Generally the holes are easy to find- in my experience I am staring them in the face for a good long while as the speaker, speaks. Sometimes hole-filled logic is camouflaged as something else. Yet, even then, the speaker has a good chance of uncovering those holes too.

The Holes we dig Ourselves into:
1. Sheep can take over the world, one squirrlestuded foot at a time. (I am not suggesting that anyone should try this at home)
2. I have the power of the Holy Spirit, but cannot do what Jesus did in his three years of ministry. (Even though he said that his followers would do greater things)
3. We tell God, "I will give up anything you like, but I will still do this."
4. Or we say "I will do this if you, God, do this" (An example of that in the Bible)
5. If God would just tell me what to do I would do it.....I need it to be in BIG letters, in RED, and I need to be able to see it from miles, and miles away.

When we put God into a box, we are limiting the Relationship we can have with him. If you don't think God wants a Relationship, then I ask you- what reason would God have for coming down to earth- to a place that is so sad and ugly and pitiable- if it wasn't out of love? Boxes do no good. They get soggy and leak all over the place. If you walk around with a box on your head you will fall into a hole. That hole will likely deepen to a pit with no light. If I truly believed that I could take over the world with an army of sheep and squirrels and did everything in my power to make that happen, I would fall into a bottomless pit. Because no matter what I did, it would never happen. It is the same with God. If what I believe about him is wrong, and ask of him something that is not in his nature, God will never respond the way I want him to. God is not a genie. He does not grant wishes.

Five Promised Steps
1. Stop - There is no harm in being still for a while. It is a good (though hard) practice.
2. Listen - this isn't a drive through (or Takeaway) relationship. You have to be prepared to hear what God has to say.
3. Pray - Talk with God. What do you want? What do you need? What was your day like? God wants to hear it all.
4. Read, Read the Bible - read whole books, not just snippets. Treat it like a letter. A precious love letter from God, your father.
5. Do - take what you read and heard and learned about God and use it to give honor to him. Tell others about Him and his Son. Deepen your understanding. Don't stop talking about Him- the One who died for you. He died to rescue you.

And through it all, worship Him. Give thanks to Him. Praise Him. Speak Truth about Who He is. Above all, be real. The One who created everything knows when you aren't being real. The thing I have learned over the years is that God can handle emotions. So I challenge you now; be expressive. Pray in new ways. Write something with your Creator in mind. Sing a new song. Play with your kids. Dance with your sister. Bake a cake. Wash the dishes. Vacuum. As Colossians 3:23 says; Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

David (Dah-veed) drew this cross. I don't fully remember what he said it means, but when I look at it I think about how Jesus did not count equality with God something to be chased after. Even though he was God. Also I think of the equation:

          JESUS + NO-THING =      EVERYTHING

What do you think of when you see it?

A hole.

 I thought you might like to see one.

 Really. 

Do you want one of these mixed

 up with what you believe about God?

I don't.

If everything I believe is pouring 

through the hole, what am I left with?

Living in a Whale....er Living in Wales, I mean

In the US, there are many differences between one state and the next. From how they say 'stop and go light' in Wisconsin, to how apparently no one wears shoes in Arkansas. In Texas everyone is a cowboy (tell me you believe otherwise) and  Iowa is thought by many- natives and outsiders alike- to be flat. And don't get me started one the differences of pop/soda/coke. The list goes on. My point is, you don't have to go very far to find cultural differences, and to meet people who assume things about your culture that just aren't true. As far as I know, shoes are quite popular in every state. And there are places in Iowa where you can climb down into ravines where the trees are so thick that you can't see more than a stones throw away. Some trees are covered in long black thorns that scream 'POISON!' and an unobservant traveler could run into them  just by looking the wrong way for a moment. (I know from firsthand experience to never grab onto a tree without looking at it first, no matter how steep the incline is.) I love places like that. The ravines are often old river beds that have dried up and been overtaken by a forest. The forests there are young, the oldest trees only a couple hundred at most. And those 'mother' trees are few in a land that was first prairie.

Now think, if one can find thousands of differences in just the continental US, how much more is there to find in the world beyond?

The first thing I noticed that was really strange was the sink. In my room. And its not just my room, but almost every bedroom in this house has one. Is that a Welsh thing or is this house just special? I don't know. The other thing that is weird about them is that all, apart from the kitchen, has two faucets. Why? A faucet that just has hot water will burn your hands, and one with just cold- well its Cold! The sinks themselves are quite deep, and all have plugs (not the push-pull kind I am used to, but a plug connected to a chain that you shove into the bottom of the sink) Anyway, if you wanted to take the time, you could plug the sink and fill it with the right temperature of water. I think that is a difficult thing for fast paced Americans to grasp.

The second thing, and you all must know this is coming, is the food. What surprised me most was:  they don't eat eggs for breakfast, beans are considered an every-meal item, and dessert is almost always called pudding. Even when it is far, far, far from the pudding that I know. It's most often bread. How is a mini-loaf that is covered in something sticky considered pudding? Then there is also biscuits, but thanks to the wonderful worlds of Harry Potter and The Secret Garden I knew full well to expect that. The funny thing is that they still use the word cookie (at least according to some Uni students I met) for nothing less than the must-have chocolate chip cookie.  

Thirdly, the most noticeable difference is speech. Just staying within Wrexham I have heard many different accents. Someone told me that to hear the 'real' Welsh accents one has to travel down to the south. And others were agreeing that the accent isn't as strong here as it is in other places. Which is okay with me. I like being able to understand the people I meet. I have noticed, in a flip of things, that some people don't seem to understand me. I am actually quite used to this, as at home I am soft-spoken and people often ask me to repeat myself. However, this was different. I don't know if it was the pronunciation of my words or if I was using words outside of their standard vocabulary, but several times it has occurred where people have no idea what I am talking about. Though it is usually easy to sort things out, it is interesting (and amusing) to see the difference in how our cultures operate.

Other things that I have noticed include the cars. Thought I should mention that I did notice they drive on the opposite side of the road. It just doesn't really bother me. The buildings are made out of bricks. Then there is the shopping centre. How do I describe it? From the place we enter it looks like an enormous mall. But after one steps through the entryway they find themselves....Outside. There are streets and cars and sidewalks. And alleys filled with shops. Yesterday I passed a bookstore in one such alleyway, and though I didn't have a chance to go in, the single glance I did put a grin on my face. Food vendors all have tables outside, with an awning or umbrellas to protect them. Even the local Subway does this. Yes, there is a Subway. And a KFC, and a Dominoes (though I think this is out of town) And I have heard rumors of a McDonald's. Can't recall if I have seen it. There are also plenty places to buy kebabs, fish and chips, donuts, tea, coffee, ice cream, pudding and other things that I haven't yet had time to notice.

I am very aware that I am no longer in the US. Whenever I hear a stranger speak, or look at the signs dotted through town and along the roads- many of them in Welsh and English- I am reminded of this fact. However, I feel at ease here. As others have put it, this is home. And though it won't be a permanent stop, it is where we are right now. I am so thankful to be here. Every day I am learning something about those I live with, and they are learning more about me. All of us come from different backgrounds, different cultures and worldviews. Yet, somehow, we will become family. It is my firm belief that God has blessed this time. I can't wait to see what this next week brings!

Things to think about:
Welsh is best when sung
Welsh changes the spelling and pronunciation to be the prettiest sound possible
Welsh sounds celtic and Germanic (to me) Does that mean German is a celtic language?

Welsh word for the day:
Ysgol   (any guesses?)

One Last Thought:
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving
Hope yours was a happy one. Mine was.

The sink....

And the cows (the first inhabitants of Wrexham I met, excluding those from the DTS)  

We just don't have churches with windows like these back home.... (more pictures of the church to come, I'm sure its the tallest building in Wrexham)

Ariel and the four 'little' Blotes.....

We are one

Learning as one
we are a collection;
together, always.
Different Minds,
smiles and eyes.
We are separate,
yet the same.
We are one
We learn and
live together.
We are missionaries
We are carried 
in the right hand 
Of The Mighty One 
that we serve,
Together as One.


I wrote the above poem on Monday as we were told that we are now missionaries. We would spend our time together in what they call Community living. I assumed I was somewhat prepared for it. All it meant was sharing my room with a girl, eating meals together, and living under the same roof with others who wanted to learn like I do. Right?

Wrong.

 First, I am the only girl trainee. (To be clear I am NOT the only girl in house. There are three female staffers, and other women who are not staff that are often floating around.) What does it look like to live in community here? From what I have gleaned from different conversations, I think Community living can best be described as living as a 'family'. A family knows each other. They know who likes tomatoes and who dislikes country music. I know that Little G loves music, that it is an integral part of who she is. Unlike her friends, I- as her sister- know the music she has written, but would never share with anyone. I know this because I was there when the songs were composed. I was part of her life. The way she speaks and thinks are familiar to me. And it is this type of relationship that gives birth to or defines family. When people are around each other almost 24/7 for nine months, it is inevitable that we will be knitted together into a unit, a family.  One of the definitions of family from merriam-webster is, 'a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation'. And that is exactly what we are. We are united by the common goal to learn more about God's kingdom and our place in it. We each bring something unique, and pivotal to this group, but we do not all know what this is. By the end of this time, I will know this group. I hope to know them well, each in a different way. They are made in the image of God and each of them is unique. And together we will work to know God more.

It is interesting to hear the way they speak, and learn how they reason. They each have something they are passionate about, though I have yet to see it deeply. I know it is there. My passions flood out, as they tend to do at times (anyone who has got me talking about missions knows this well). It is slowly coming together, this is a Family that God has created. It is no accident that I am sharing this experience with them. It makes me laugh. Just two years ago a situation like this would have me running for the hills. Now it is a sign of my growth that I am thoroughly enjoying myself. I am at ease with them in a way that I did not even dare hope for. Someone said to us that this is the honeymoon phase, where we want to like and be liked and we begin to discover things about each other. And perhaps that is part of it. But I think that God is at work here too. At every other point in my life when I have been in a similar situation (community living of any sort) I have remained closed and unable to give it my all. Going into this, I wanted to be unlike myself in the sense that I took chances. Still, I never expected to be at ease with them so quickly. However, from the beginning, God had his own ideas that were far from where I was. 'This is what you need' He said. 'I hand picked each of them, because together all of you will grow and grow.' I read Proverbs 27:17 today; "As iron sharpens Iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."   We will be friends and family for the rest of our lives, and it all begins here. With this training.

I don't know what will happen when we leave this place. I can't even imagine what the next months will bring. But for this girl, I know that I am in the right place. Even if it is hard, and I struggle to feel like I belong (culture shock will happen eventually) God had a plan from the beginning. I will trust in the One who Knows best.


The names of the trainees are:

• Drew
• David
• Brad
• Emmett

Things to remember

• David is pronounced Dah-veed
• Black cats are the same everywhere
• God is good, forever and always
• Gluten-free bread is better in Wales. It just is.

Here are a couple of pics from our climb the other day.