End of Week #3

Happy Friday!  Hope everyone has had a wonderful week.  I definitely have but I have reached the point where I am about ready to come home!  I was able to skype several of my close friends this week and it has gotten me very ready to move back to Starkville.  I am jealous of all of you that are up there!  It is about 4:30pm here and Holly, Haley, Meg and I are leaving for Paris tonight and traveling overnight!  I figured I would give you a recap of the end of this week before I get back on Sunday.

Wednesday:  Today my class went to the Kenwood House.  Most of you probably haven't ever heard of this, but it is a house designed by the famous architect/designer, Robert Adam.  Ever seen the movie Knotting Hill?  This is where it was filmed!  The house is located in the neighborhood where we are living so it was a pretty close walk!  It was free to get in, and the interiors were beautiful.  We couldn't take pictures of the inside but I did get a few from the outside!

The beautiful Hampstead Heath!  It is one of the most beautiful areas in London.

After touring the house, I walked around Hampstead and ate lunch and shopped around a bit.  After lots of walking I came back to the dorm and had a little bit of downtime before dinner.  Meg and I ate dinner at the cafeteria then left to go shopping.  We were heading to Selfridges, our favorite store in London, and discovered the brand new Forever 21 that had just opened that day!  We were so excited.  The store was really nice!  It seemed like the clothing was a little more upscale than the ones in America!  We then went to Selfridges for the rest of the night.  I bought my mom some British perfume made here in London!  Hope she likes it.

Thursday: Happy Birthday Dad!!!  Missed spending the day with you, but I know you and mom had fun at the Neshoba County Fair.  Can't wait to see you soon!

 Today was a long day!  We took a field trip to Oxford and Blenheim.  The train to Oxford was about an hour, then we hopped off the train and took a short bus ride to Blenheim.  We toured Blenheim Palace, the home of Winston Churchill.  It was really neat although a little expensive to get in! I saw some of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen.  

Favorite Bush!

After Blenheim, we headed back to Oxford.  Harry Potter was filmed here at Christ's Church!  We did have to pay to get in but it was worth every penny.  I really enjoyed it!  Here are some pictures from Christ's Church.

That sums up the past few days!  I have been in Europe for 23 days with only 10 days to go.  Unfortunately I will be busy finishing up with lots of school work but hopefully I can knock a lot out on the train tonight.  Can't wait to update you on Paris!  Have a great weekend!

Start of Week #3

Week 3 has started off wonderfully!

Monday:  Yesterday Meg and I started off the morning early at the Tate Modern Museum.  It is a museum of modern art that begins in the early 1900s-now.  It was very interesting!  There was a special exhibit going on that displayed genealogy through photographs and it basically traced ancestry of people during significant world wide events.  It was really neat and we spent most of our time in this exhibit.  I took some pictures of some of my favorite works so here they are!

Painted books on canvas...the picture doesn't really do it justice but I enjoyed the texture!

This was a picture taken after Katrina in Biloxi, Mississippi!  Even in London I somehow managed to find a little piece of Mississippi.

Monday night Holly, Meg, and I went and saw Les Miserables.  We thoroughly enjoyed it.  One thing that we did not really prepare for in coming to London was the body odor of some foreign people!  Holly and Meg sat by some people who really did not smell the greatest, so both of them resorted to sticking gum under their noses to help relieve the smell!  It was hilarious!

Minty Fresh!

Tuesday:  Today we went to the Cliffs of Dover.  Breathtaking!  That is the one word I can use to describe this place.  It was absolutely wonderful.  We left this morning from King's Cross and took a train to Dover, about an hour or so away.  We came prepared in our tennis shoes today and hiked the cliffs and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.  Once again I was in awe of God's beauty!  The shipyard near the cliffs is the shipyard where the main ferries to France go from England.  Dover is the closest distance to France in England and I even got to see France from the cliffs!  It was a little cloudy but I still made out a little land in the distance.

Here are the Olympic Rings in the King's Cross train station!  London is really gearing up for the Olympics.  I can only imagine how busy it will be next summer!

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock."  Matthew 7:24-25

Chi O!

Can you see France?  If you look closely you can kinda see mountain looking land in the distance!

I took a rock right here!  Let's see if I can get it through customs...

After a long day of walking, walking, and more walking I made it back to the dorms.  I booked a ticket to see Catherine's wedding dress and tour Buckingham Palace next week!  I can not wait.  Hopefully I will be allowed to take a few pictures!  Have a great rest of the week!

Trusting Him

I am officially halfway through my experience abroad this summer and this weekend I have been reflecting on God's purpose for me here in Europe.  This entry might be a little personal, but I wanted to share with you how God has been working in my life over the past several weeks.  The Lord especially revealed Himself in 3 extremely clear instances this weekend and it is very clear that the Holy Spirit has been by my side continuously.

First off, I have learned a ton about myself over the past several weeks.  I have been exposed to hundreds of different people, allowing me to understand different personalities and lifestyles.  I have been given the opportunity to explore my own taste in design and decoration.  I have also seen a lot of Hannah Rachel in myself too.  I guess it's taken me 19 years to discover how alike we really are!  We are both planners and organizers, we get upset if things don't go as planned and try to stop problems if they arise.  We are both independent in our own ways.  I have really enjoyed having time to reflect on my own about my experiences here so far and have enjoyed this independence!  Although I miss my family, Taylor, and my friends a TON, this experience has shaped me even more into the young woman God wants me to be.  I have definitely had to figure it out on my own, and I know that is why the Lord sent me here.

This weekend I went to Edinburgh with Meg, Holly, and Haley.  We had a great time discovering the city and getting to know Edinburgh!  We had planned to stay in a hostel because we knew we would not be spending much time in a hotel room.  The train ride to Scotland was wonderful, and we hopped in a taxi and headed straight to the hostel to check in when we got there.  At first, I had a bad instinct about the owner of the hostel.  I am not one to judge, but it was hard for me not to be distracted by his sloppy appearance and the tone in which he spoke to us.  We left the hostel to go explore a city about 30 minutes away, Stirling, after arriving at the hostel.  I felt extremely guilty about the judgement I had placed on this guy.  I prayed that the Lord would forgive me for judging him and for me to continue to trust Him.

We arrived back at the hostel to find the owner extremely rude to us.  He insulted us of being "computer illiterate American girls" because apparently our booking was messed up.  So...we left. And were off on the street with no where to stay.

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."  Mark 11:24.
Lord, please help us find somewhere safe tonight. We are in a foreign country with no where to go.  Please give us guidance and safety.

The Lord answered my prayer.  We walked down the street and found a Sheraton hotel and they gave us wonderful help in searching for a place to stay.  It was a holiday weekend, and we were looking for somewhere within our budget.  They helped us find a precious bed and breakfast within our budget!  After arriving at the bed and breakfast, I received a text from Taylor telling me his grandmother had been diagnosed with lung cancer.  This was my breaking point after a longgggg day.  Taylor has been living with his grandmother to take care of her because she has been having trouble with her help, but they did not know it was this severe.  Luckily I was able to talk to him and the God of ALL comfort worked in our conversation that night.

"Praise be to the God and Father or our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort..." 2 Corinthians 1:3

The next day we toured the city and got a feel for Edinburgh.  That night I found myself in an uncomfortable situation and felt alone even in such a big city.  Again, I prayed for strength and comfort. The Lord sent 2 girls that night that lifted me up immensely and showered me with comfort. They even rode back in a cab with me to a place they weren't even staying!

"My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.  They will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble."  Proverbs 3:21-23

The last morning in Edinburgh, I had the opportunity to climb to the top of "Sir Arthur's Seat."  I felt the Lord's presence in a strong way once again.  Although the climb was extremely difficult, the view from the top was breathtaking.  I was overjoyed in how much the Lord has given to me individually over the past weekend, and witnessing his gift of creation to the world in that moment was incredible.  He reminded me of how BIG He is and yet at the same time how much He loves each and everyone of us so very well.

"You alone are the Lord, You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and alltheir starry host, the earth and ALL that is on it, the seas and all that is in them.  You give life to EVERYTHING, and the multitudes of heaven worship you."  Nehemiah 9:6

God is GOOD!  I am forever grateful for his presence and teachings in my life!

We finally made it back to London last night and woke up to a full nights rest and headed to Windsor Castle.  It's a short train ride about 30 minutes west of London.  This has definitely been my favorite castle so far.  I even got to wear shorts today!  It was a beautiful day, and the rest of the week is supposed to be like today so I praise God for that.  Here are a few pictures from the day!

Hope everyone has a great week!  Can't wait to share what happens in week 3!