Too Much For Words, Part 3

Ok so while you're reading this you should listen to this song. It makes me happy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btcGAAahSTs

Anyway, this is part 3. So I've talked about the people and the things that I saw, but I haven't said what I felt. I feel like I'm about to spill my guts. Like this is about to get super personal really fast.

I know I just posted this verse on Facebook, but I'm going to post it here because it about sums up whats going on in my mind.

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy" 
-1 Peter 1:8

I've got this feeling like I'm going to burst with happiness, love, joy, and excitement. I know when I went on my last trip, I was all ready to move there, learn the language and be a part of that community after I had left, but this is different. I feel it this time. Wow that sounds cheesy but it's how I feel. Last time, that feeling went away when the plane touched down in Richmond and I saw my family waiting there for me to pick me up. To me, it wasn't so much a trip for serving others but was a trip for myself just to say that I had been to a different country. So since that was the only time I went out of the country, I had the same expectations coming into this one, except that this was London and that was a third world country.

When we got on the streets walking around, I was disappointed. No more than that. I was angry. Don't ask me what I was angry at because I don't know myself. As we were walking, I kept thinking "No, this is not what this is supposed to look like. This is not what Masterpiece Theater told me it would be like. I do not like this." I just kept thinking great what have I gotten myself into? I'm going to spend my time here? In this place? When am I going to see Big Ben?

It took me a little time to simmer down with all the pissy thoughts running through my mind, but by that time we had walked to church, which I was only half aware of because I was weaving in and out of a jet lagged haze and I was just thoroughly ticked off. Then people started singing in not English and that was pretty much the last straw for me. Like, do you know how inconsiderate it is of you to sing something that isn't a hymn? Where's Amazing Grace or Rock of Ages?

Then something happened. Wow doesn't that sound dramatic? It might as well have been a bomb going off next to me because I would have payed just as much attention. Want to know what it was? It was this little old lady walking up to the mic to talk. I'm not going to lie, I had no idea what she was doing up there because I was paying zero attention to the guy talking. Didn't they know I was tired?

Then she started talking. And talking. And talking. But with every word she painted a picture of love. A love for God and for others. A love for those that despise her and those that are lost. I wish I could have brought her home so I could show her to every single person I meet because I want them to be be moved by the most godly woman I have ever met in my life. Every word held me captive and I wanted her to keep talking but I also wanted her to stop because it felt like she was talking to me in my selfishness and essentially reprimanding me for my attitude and all the thoughts I'd been having towards this trip. She helped me realize that I was there not for me, but to serve others.

I'd like to say from that point on, I had no negative thoughts towards anything on that trip. Heck. No. But my heart changed.

So that's the end of my blog updating for London. I really could go on for the next 4 hours just talking but I'm not going to do that. If you want to know more, talk to me.

Keep Smiling,
-Maddie

Too Much For Words, Part 2

I know I said I was going to do another post to London, but really I could go on for ages.

So this post is for specific little stories that happened. I really hope I can remember them. We were supposed to have a team blog and I was supposed to help update it when we (finally) got to London. Well when we got there, a leader told us that I couldn't update it now but tomorrow would be fine. Then the next day, the same answer was issued. Then the next day. And the next. And thus the blog fell apart. While I was supposed to update the team blog, I was going to write on this one as well so that didn't work either. So now I'm going to try my best to remember the things I saw. These stories are going to be pretty random and might not make a lot of sense but bear with me.

Public Transportation

Ok so we had just got on the tube with our luggage and we got our first taste of where we were going to be spending the next week. Also, we were so loud. Like people moved to another place to sit we were so loud. But one guy didn't move. He was this little Asian man sitting right across from me and Emma. We didn't think much of it because there really were no more seats left to avoid the loud Americans. So there we were, playing card games, laughing and trying to stave off the suckfest that is jet lag. While we were in the middle of a game of go fish, the Asian guy took a camera out of his man purse and started taking pictures of me and Emma. I didn't think much of it at first but then he just kept on with the pictures. Finally I just looked at him until he stopped. He then took out this little notebook and started writing. He did that for about 20 minutes. And thats the end of my story of the first 30 minutes in London. 

Day 1

This is pretty much how the first day went. Every time we went on a bus or sat down or stopped moving, someone was asleep. It felt like a joke when someone would tell me it was actually 1 p.m.. They had to be lying because it felt like midnight, but really I didn't care because I was in London and I was pumped. I have never been so simultaneously exhausted and excited in my life. 

We walked.

And we walked. 

And we walked. 

But it was great.

Westminster Abbey

So we had just come from Buckingham Palace, which was beautiful and like walking into a movie, and turned a corner and there it was.

Not super sure whats going on here. Guess I'm just real excited to go to church. 

So this last picture? I was going to delete it but there's a story. We were waiting in line to go to the service and once again, we were being the loud and proud Americans that we are. As I was taking this picture, a man bumped into me. And this is the conversation that ensued.

Man: "Oh sorry love I didn't mean to. I hope I didn't ruin the picture."

Me: "It's ok, I got it."

Man: "Oh you're American?"

Me: "Yep." (totally expected him to hate on us..)

Man: "Brilliant! Well keep smiling!" 

It took me 3 seconds to realize what he had just said as he was walking away. So I just yelled back "AH THATS THE NAME OF MY BLOG." He turned around and waved and had the biggest smile on his face and walked away. It made my life.

Keep Smiling,

-Maddie

Too Much For Words

London.

It was beyond amazing. I don't think I was prepared for what was going to happen. No. I know I wasn't prepared for what happened. It's not like there was this big, huge thing that happened where I had a life changing moment. It was more like a gradual falling in love where it all just comes at you even when you're not paying attention and when you least expect it and then suddenly everything's different.

I hope that makes sense because that's the best way I can form it into words.

Anyway, it was beautiful.

And the people were lovely. 

Did I mention that the people were lovely? Because they were.

For this trip I was the unofficial photog, but I can't post about 1,100 pictures that I took due to different reasons but I hope you love them even if they're random and odd. But to everyone else who took pictures, will you please post them? Thanks bunches.

I can't tell if I want to make this post a billion years long or split into different installments.  

Guess I'll keep going.

So we drank a lot of tea.

But I'm not going to lie, this was one of  the best parts of the day off.

Also on the day off we bought lunch then I had to wait outside while everyone was in the bathroom. So I was waiting outside and all these itty bitty European people were staring at me while I held a ginormous bag of food.  #America 

Meh ok I've decided there's going to be a part 2 and 3 because I'm too lazy to continue. And also there's no more space to post pictures..woops. 

But one last thing. I loved everything about this trip except one thing.

This.

Keep Smiling,

-Maddie