One full weekend

Thursday night we had a coffee house in Junction 26 at the Building. Kat organized and decorated for the whole thing- it was such a success! Everything looked and tasted great! Oh the joy of having a Starbucks Barista at our fingertips.

Ben serenaded us at the end-- we had some great conversations with some Uni students. It was really good.

Yesterday we worked at the building organizing and cutting and folding. They ordered us Domino's pizza for lunch. YUM-O. What a great taste of home! Then we went to Gavin and Emma Smiths (Gav is the church Administrator) and met with the "Senior Teens." They are in 6th form which they also call "college". It's equivalent to 11th and 12th grade in the States. We talked about Dai's messages from the Offensive Roadshow last weekend.

This morning was Shockwave! This is Taige vs. Toms-- doesn't it look like they're using lightsabers?

I was with the little girls at the table painting nails with "nail varnish" for the first half. So fun! This is Karina- she's Alex and Caroline's little sister. They're in my LIFE group.

This is Ellen Rees. She's Rowanne's little sister and the youngest daughter of my Home Group leader and his wife.

Dan talked about the Trinity. He did a great job. All the kids knew, "There is ONE God...in how many persons?" "THREE!"

Giant connect four. So fun.

I worked the bar the second half. (PUBS are where they sell drinks. BARS are where we sell sweets!) One of Kat and my students from Milbrook came to Shockwave for the first time- it's so exciting that this is "working." Going into the schools and inviting the kids to the church events. He's such a sweet kid.

Working the bar has been so helpful in learning the money system here. They have coins for 1 pence, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and then a pound, and two pounds. Thankfully, there's 100ps in a pound- so it works like the penny to the dollar. Whew!

Today we had SUMO wrestling!

And life-size fooseball!

After Schockwave we went to Cardiff to hand out leafletts (flyers) for "Outpost Cardiff" which starts in two weeks. It's when we'll go to a pub on a Sunday night (Koko Gorillaz to be exact) and have some worship, a little teaching, and then just hang out at the bar and order drinks and strike up conversations with people. I'm SO EXCITED!

As I was on the corner, across the street from Toms handing out flyers, I had three fun conversations. First, let me paint the picture for you. I had my white and black striped hat on, a completely oversized black jacket, gloves- with one hand in my pocket holding the leaflets THROUGH my jacket, the other hand handing them out, and I was regularly bouncing up and down because it was so stinkin cold. I would approach the "Oh please don't talk to me" faces with my Bristles voice and say as up beat as possible, "Hey! How are you guys doing?" while offering a flyer. The first leaflet I handed out was thrown on the ground right in front of me. But the second (and third) ones I haded out were two guys who were Christians and they were on their way to a concert they were putting on- saying it sounded similar to Outpost Cardiff; an evangelistic event. It was so encouraging!

Later on there was a guy who refused the handout and said, "I don't want it if it has a demand." I had no idea what he meant. I said, "I'm just handing them out..." He stopped (after already having walked almost totally passed me), took a handout and said, "Where are you from?" Ah, the American accent strikes again! "Orlando, Florida." (Even though I'm not from there, I pretend I am. More people know about it than Virginia.) He took of his Panthers hat and said, "Look familiar?" It's a Florida ice hockey team. BINGO. I started telling him about Justin and how he plays. Anyways, he introduced himself and the conversation continued for a little while before he left. Even though I didn't get to share the gospel with him, I was able to secretly pray for him by name as he walked away. That he'd look at the flyer that was now in his back pocket. And that in God's kindness, he would save him. Third. Haha, this one's just funny. A guy walking down the street with a light blue polo on. No jacket or anything. I smiled, handed him one and said, "You must be freezing!" He said, "I am. I just woke up from last night" (mind you, this is about 3pm) and these are all the clothes I have...I'm trying to find my car. I have no idea where I parked it." I exclaimed, "BUMMER!" He said, "Ya, but at least I get to walk around and don't have to stand out here and hand those out in the freezing cold." I just laughed. It was freezing. We looked like idiots.

Well, there are still loads of times I wonder what the JOHNNY I'm doing here- how did I get here? When did this all happen? THIS IS SO RANDOM! I know God is working even when I can't see it. I just have to remind myself over and over and over again. And then once more. I'm so grateful for His Word and His promises. We would be hopeless without them!