Dear Friends,
Wow! What an action packed schedule I have had. My first newsletter left off with my first day working with the congregation here in Bristol, and now the day is swiftly coming when I will return home. Here is a summary of what has happened.
First Week Thursday 5 June to Sunday 8 June
Thursday Mornings are coffee mornings. This is a great outreach. I was met so many wonderful ladies this morning and I thought I would never get all their names straight. It seems that everyone's name is either Iris or June. I was invited to lunch at a member�s home. Later that day Pauline and I went and visited a woman named Iris who has been sick. Friday was a hard day because I wasn't feeling part of the congregation and I wasn't feeling like a visitor. It was a really awkward situation for me. I was really homesick that day, but I tried to keep a good attitude. I did some leafleting with Jason for the Drama club with Harding. That night was Youth Night. I made friends with some of the youth that night, and that helped me become more comfortable. This week the fellowship room was being painted so Saturday I went to the chapel to help Heidi and Jason clean up. We then went into Bristol and they showed me around. Sunday worship is slightly different here. English is the only way to describe it. We all start in the auditorium for class. We sing songs and have a sort of devotional. Then we split into classes. I went in with Heidi's class with the younger kids. They were learning the Beatitudes and I was amazed with how much they knew. Communion is different here than what I am accustomed to in the States. The bread is different and they are as Trevor says, a one cup congregation with two cups. It is just tradition. He had warned me about it earlier because a lot of people tend to freak out about it, but I found it to be a very lovely experience. They sing a lot of songs here that I don't know, and the songs that we normally sing in the states, they don't know so well. But we are sharing what we know with each other. After evening worship we demolished the platform over the baptistery. This week's project was lowering the baptistery.
Second Week Monday 9 June to Saturday 14 June
This is when things started getting busy. The group from Harding arrived on Monday. We got straight to work hauling dirt dug from the baptistery to the kip outside. Tuesday I took a few with me to leaflet. Then we came back and mixed concrete. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I am an expert concrete mixer now. We had midweek Bible study and a period of fellowship. I have to say that I have become more domestic while here. I've done a lot of cleaning, Hoovering, Dishwashing (seldom with a dishwasher,) putting laundry on the line. Good for me! Once a month there is a big lunch prepared by Trevor and Pauline for the older women of the congregation. That was this week and it was lovely. I got to help in the kitchen. Trevor let me help make the Black Forest Gateau. Trevor used to be a baker, so this was a learning experience for me. After lunch, Annette preached to the ladies. She is a great woman whom I'm glad to have met. We did more dirty work that afternoon before getting ready for Bible club. This week we helped the children get ready for their Father's day programme on Sunday. Thursday was coffee morning. I was proud to say I knew everyone's name in the room. I even had my June's and Iris's sorted out. That day we went to a Methodist Ladies class. This is normal work for Jason and Trevor. Harding performed for them and Jason gave a short talk. There were in home Bible studies this night. The older people were at Trevor and Pauline's and the younger were at Jason's. By this time I had made enough good friendships that I didn't feel homesick anymore and I was feeling more comfortable. Friday night was youth night and a whole bunch of us went bowling and then out to eat. Saturday was a HUGE day. The whole congregation hopped on a bus and we went to Longleat. It is a mansion house with gardens, a safari, boat ride, you name it. It also has the longest hedge maze in the world. It was such a fun day.
Sunday 15 June to Monday 23 June
Sunday we had a fellowship meal. I washed dishes afterwards. Trevor says this is real missionary work. In a small congregation, everyone helps out. Some of the kids are really growing attached to me and are always wanting to sit with me. I really enjoy that. This was, as I�m told, a very English day for me. I had ice cream in the park, Fish and chips on the beach, and candy floss on the pier. Monday we went to a primary school for the Harding group to perform. They did a series of Bible based sketches. That afternoon began the Drama Club. There was a good turn out and the children seemed to enjoy it. Tuesday the 17th was John Wesley�s 300th birthday. He was very active in Bristol so we had a church history lesson that morning from Trevor. The morning was spent sightseeing in Cheddar, Wells, and seeing the Rock of ages. We did the drama club that afternoon. That evening the Harding group was to perform for the congregation and the community. But there had been a sickness that had hit many members of the congregation. Several of the Harding students were ill, so Jason and I stepped in to help on some of the sketches. Wednesday we were having lunch with a member who lives an hour north of Bristol. We stopped in a town on the way, but we couldn�t stay long after eating so we could get back for Drama club. On the way back it was noticed we needed more diesel for the mini bus. However, petrol was accidentally put in so we had to wait for people to come pick us and Drama club was cancelled that day. We did make it back in time for Bible club. Thursday was coffee morning and then we went into Bristol. I went to see John Wesley�s chapel. That afternoon we didn�t have so many children in Drama club because of our previous absence. We went to a sheltered housing home and Harding performed for them. I was able to meet some wonderful people there. Friday we finished Drama club with the children performing for their parents. They did quite well. We had a lock in that night and there were youth groups coming from far away because we had a youth day on Saturday. At about 1:00 am I did a devotional for the girls. It was a discussion type format and it went well. There were three girls present who are always difficult to deal with, but they were surprisingly well behaved during the devotional. Saturday we had a few lessons and played games and the Harding group performed again. That evening there was a barbecue and that was a good time for fellowship. Sunday worship was led by Americans. For lunch I went home with a family and had a very enjoyable time. After worship that evening we had a goodbye fellowship for the Harding group as they were leaving the next morning. Monday was a relaxing day. Trevor and Pauline went to visit their family in Bath and I went to do some sightseeing there. I saw the Roman baths, the Abbey, the Jane Austen centre, and I had high tea in the Pump Room. It was a relaxing day full of many interesting things.
That has been very long summary, but I hope it was interesting. I have had a very good experience so far. I have learned what it is like for a congregation to host a campaign group and I have learned a lot about evangelism in a community. Unfortunately, missionary life isn�t always nice. There are some things that are not pleasant at all. Please pray for my grandfather and my family. My grandfather is in hospital and isn�t doing well. It is really hard for me to be here when my family is having a hard time at home. Keep us all in your prayers.
In Christ,
Elizabeth