UK.

as many of my readers (honestly im not sure i have any, ha!) know, i traveled to england with my church soon after i got home from north carolina. we chose london, england as our mission trip's destination because the muslim population is growing rapidly over there. and by rapidly i mean so so so quickly guys! after an early morning of driving to the airport, and boarding two flights (totaling 9 hours) we finally landed on the european soil. the sky was gray with layered clouds, and a mist that was constant. in regards to the weather though, it was a pleasant surprise to have a humidity level that was much less than back home. baggage claims were made and we were greeted by sweet, sweet missionaries that our church supports who live there: the phillips and the joneses. i could already tell we would build great relationships with these people.
i never knew how intense jet lag was, until i actually experienced it. the team and i could hardly keep our eyes open and of course mr. chuck's phrase for visitors was "walk them like a dog." so, we were not allowed to sleep for reasons i didnt quite understand at the time; after all, i was craving sleep like nothing else before. jet lag is real everyone. i was indeed thankful for chuck's motto when the jet lag subsided much quicker than it would have had i slept the first day.
because i was in london for two weeks, i won't be able to carry you through what each day held; however, i journal-ed every night so i would be able to reminisce on what i experienced - and reminisced i have done. with the journal at hand, i will throw aspects of EMT13 at you to give you a feel for what took place. we did an excellent job at cramming way too many things into our time there, but for each one i am so thankful. within the bookends of day one and day fourteen we: attended numerous services at IPC (international presbyterian church), built lasting relationships with church members there - including the youth group, observed a mosque, hindu temple, and sheikh temple, set up and manned book tables, walked door to door to talk with people about their beliefs, assisted in women's ESL classes, provided a helping hand at the kids' clubs, listened at speakers' corner, toured the british museum and library (with a tour guide that was proving the Bible's validity) and countless other things. honestly, the fact that i was in england witnessing to muslims, agnostics, athiests, hindus, catholics, etc. seems surreal. multiple times on the trip i would ask myself, "what in the world am i doing right now?" out of complete awe of God's provision and sovereignty.
the most FAQ i received when arriving home was what my favorite part of the trip was. it's really hard to answer that question because the trip was filled with enthralling things left and right; because of the difficulty i always face with that question, i will give you big takeaways instead. i have never learned so much about myself, others, and God than in those two weeks spent in england.
-the reality of the lost people all around the world hit me harder than any other moment ever; i always read about people bowing down to plastic idols, paying homage to perishable gods, and worshiping "holy books," but until you see with your own eyes these things - one cannot comprehend the heartbreak felt. tears were on the brink of my eyes when i saw a grandmother pushing her granddaughter's face on the floor to worship a book.
-i learned so much about the realness of my God - going door to door was the most uncomfortable frightening image in my mind. after i was told that i would go do so the next day, i prayed constantly into the night. prayer for "peace that transcends all understanding" (Phil. 4:7) so that i could walk to each door with a boldness and confidence in Christ. you guys, i have never experienced anything cooler than this. God answered my prayer and went beyond that to replace nerves and anxiety with, not only peace, but enthusiasm about what i was to do: share the most important News these people will ever hear - the Gospel. God is big and mighty; i am small, weak, and frail, nothing but a broken vessel. God is faithful. my trust is in him. he will use broken, sinners like you and me to glorify his name.
-lastly, i learned so much about myself and others. what i mean by that is, i am selfish and always thinking about what i need and what will make me happy; but, God says we are to "do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3). this hit me square in the forehead when i spent two weeks in close quarters with my friends. it was absolutely hard at times to put others before myself, but it taught me a life lesson. my continual prayer since then is to be selfless so that God will be glorified.
i could go on and on about takeaways from my trip to england, but i will keep it to three because that's the correct amount of points right?
also i am so thankful that i got to take little cam with me every where this summer! it served as a perfect companion. i took way too many a memory card full of photos, but i will only share a small, small portion of them with you for the sake of my sanity; we don't want things getting out of hand people. never fear, here are some to suffice your longing!

the goodbye was hard. the impact was hard. my heart is with every person i met. may the name of Christ continue to shine in london, england.