Merry Christmas eve from England!!!

Merry Christmas eve one and all! Enjoy this day before Christmas, the wood fires; friends and family. The love and the lights, the candles and cookies. Enjoy this little respite from the busy, highpaced, and a lot of the time hectic lifestyle we live. Stop and reminisce, think back on days of happiness and love shared with the ones you love. Most of all think about the person who has made this wonderful life for us to enjoy, our Father in Heaven, the Lord most High, the King of Kings, Emmanuel, God with us. Let us be thankful for the life He has blessed us with, and the opportunity to leave our own small mark on this world.
God bless

Pain and suffering.

Pain and suffering are all too real in this broken and lost world we live in. Just drive down the streets in Managua, Nicaragua past the posh shopping centers, and movie theaters into the trash filled streets leading towards the Managua dump. Through the entrance look left and you’ll see a brown and scummy pond. Straight ahead you can see mountains of rubbish. People and cattle rummage through the piles looking for anything worth surviving on. Let the overwhelming stench of burning trash nearly suffocate you, see the small naked children peeping out of the cardboard and tin shacks. What hope is there in a life like this?
Walk down the streets of Seattle and look into the faces of the homeless bums and passerby’s. Look into their eyes and you’ll see the hurt and confusion that fills their eyes. It’s the same in the bum as it is in the wealthy businessman. Each person can find a time in their life when pain has gripped its icy claws into their backs. What are we doing as people who have been given the greatest cure for pain and suffering, Christ’s love and sacrifice, doing to help these desperate and needy people? Not much. How hard is it to smile as we walk by, or befriend a bum? You’d think that after being given so much grace and love from our Heavenly Father we would be chomping at the bit to have a chance at loving the lost and broken people who surround us every day. Why not try it next time you’re walking down the street take out your headphones, slip your cell phone back in that pocket, look up and say hello to someone new. Walk over to that bum on the sidewalk and start a conversation. Be a friendly face in the sea of masks.

19

Some musings about another birthday that has rapidly come upon me.

19 is such a small number when compared to eternity, but it’s no less important. It’s still a year God has given. A year full of new love, lessons, pain and hurt, redemption, growth, failure and triumph. New adventures will begin and the end of current ones will come oh so quickly, new friendships will begin and the ends of others shall come. There are so many questions still to be answered, so many things to learn, and to accomplish. So much will try to distract and derail one who is trying to follow a difficult path. But I must keep a hold tight on the one who has gone before me and walks alongside holding my hand, for He will hold me up when I stumble, be a light for my feet to follow when I begin to lose my way. He will be a strong shoulder to lean on when my legs grow faint, and the provider of sustenance when my body longs for nourishment. There is no obstacle to big, or complicated that can fool Him, no enemy who can ever defeat Him, and none more zealous for my success.

Life...part 2

Some thoughts about that oh so great adventure we live: Life is so fragile and uncertain. We never know when our health will crash or the spark of life will leave our bodies. There is only one certain thing, God is faithful and gracious. He gives us the strength to continue on through any difficulty, trouble, or situation. He lifts us up on wings like eagles and shows us the bigger picture. Tells us He loves us, and holds us in His strong and safe arms. All we have to do is make the choice to run into them. 

life...part 1

Over a month has slipped through the passages of bustling hallways since I left my home. It seems like just a week ago that I was saying good by to my friends and family, but now as I have a weekend of peace, while the majority of students are away on travel weekend, I can stop and think about what has happened in the month that has fallen into the past. 

When you leave home, all alone, everything can be so overwhelming and sometimes scary. The flood of new faces, places and facts can overload a human brain. The daily pouring of knowledge, facts, relationship building, studying, and everything else that floods a person when they are surrounded by 180 other people and a million different activities and opportunities to choose from can be very tiring. A weekend off can make all the difference. Having the entire castle almost entirely empty and being able to relax for once, brings a much needed sense of peace. 

Daily routines

I thought I'd explain a little bit about what I do in a typical day.

A typical day begins at around 7am...well I guess if I'm honest probably closer to 7:20, and breakfast starts at 7:30. At 8:15 I start cleaning the dining hall bathroom, and our first lecture starts at 9am. We have two 45 minute lectures and at then a 20 minute tea/coffee break. After that we have interactive groups until 11:45. An interactive group is about 9-10 students, usually from the same geographical location. (my group is entirely Washingtonians since we are the second biggest group of students, Alberta being ahead of us) It is a student lead group, similar to a bible study, but can also be fun-filled. We had our first one today, and spent most of it just getting to know each other better and talking about what we wanted our group to look like. After interactive group we have one more lecture till 12:45 and then it's lunch time! After lunch we have free-time from 2-5:45. We can do pretty much anything we want in this time, such as: study, play sports, go on walks, read, play games, on different days there are buses available to Carnforth the nearby town, and Lancaster, the nearest bigger city. Tea(dinner) is at 5:45 and then we have two lectures from 7-9. After evening lectures we have till 10:45 then we have to be in our dorms. That's a typical day in my life.

First Adventures

Hi all,

My first adventures start in Seattle at the airport. My flight was delayed an hour causing me to have to change my connecting flight to Manchester to a flight that landed at around 10pm. This made me change my plans to taking a taxi straight to my hostel, instead of taking a train and then walking. Which ended up being easier and probably much safer. But was a little more expensive. I didn't sleep much the first night there in my hostel. All the noises from the streets of Manchester and the sound of thudding bass from the club across the street didn't make for the best sleeping conditions. But in the morning I made some toast, had some tee, gathered my gear, got directions to Picadilly train station, and checked out. Walking the streets of Manchester to Picadilly reminds me a lot of downtown Seattle, the buildings have an older look, but it has a very similar look and atmosphere. Arriving at Picadilly with no trouble, I got my tickets and proceeded to find a place to sit and watch people, and the departure board for my train since I arrived about an hour early. Once it was time for my train to arrive, I went to Platform 14 and waited for a couple minutes till my train entered the station. Trains are most enjoyable to ride, being able to watch the towns and country side pass by is both relaxing and exciting. After quite a few stops I arrived in Carnforth and was picked up by the school. I spent the rest of Saturday meeting my three room mates who are all rad guys, and exploring the school. 

Sunday we had church in the morning, which was an awesome first service. After lunch I played a football (soccer) game for about two hours. My team won! haha Then we had an evening service and the went to bed after hang out for a bit.

Today we had an informational meeting all morning. And now we have the afternoon off. 

That's it for my first adventures.

I love you all,

God Bless.

Leaving.

Hey all,

I'm leaving in a couple hours. I love you so much, and will be missing you. My flight leaves at 9:55 and then I'll be flying directly to London. I have about 2 & 1/2 hours then I fly to Manchester. Once there I'll be taking a train to Picadilly train station, and then walking to my Hostel where I'll be staying the night. That will consume Friday, and Saturday my train to Carnforth leaves around 1 and then I'll be picked up at the train station by the school. Then it's moving in time! A couple things you could be praying for are:

1) That I'd have peace about flying by myself,

2) I'd find my hostel without any trouble when I arrive in Manchester.

3) That I'd stay safe overall.

Thank you all,

God Bless,

Clark