June 29 "There and Back Again"

What a day.

I guess there isn't really too much to say about yesterday. We worked on the Bus. We had kids club in Caer. We had another event for Hawthorn High and there were two people who showed up. Fun stuff. Then after the event, Claire drove Becca and I over to her house, with a bike in the back, and I crashed on their couch.

And this morning we had Lions test #2. What a game. It was so close just like the last one. My guess for the score was 18 to 16 lions. The final score. 15 to 16 Wallabies. And on a missed penalty kick...3 points. Would have been spot on. And it was my favorite player that missed it. Sad day. I'm not mad though. It was a hard kick. But this makes next week's game in Sydney a lot more interesting. Instead of an undefeated record, the Lions fight to win the actual tour. Should be quite lively.

After the game, the real adventure began. A 13 mile bike ride to Cardiff bay. We went with the PCY group, but it ended up being a semi-random assortment of friends and family. So much fun. But the seat was so uncomfortable. When we got to Cardiff, we stopped to have some refreshments and Becca and I went in search of ice cream. Instead we found an "American Diner". And they had root beer floats, and slushies. It was great. We enjoyed our sweet frozen treats and then after a short rest we hit the road. 13 miles back home. It was a grueling journey. I cycled between peddling standing up and sitting down. Exhaustion versus pain. Nobody won. Especially not me. But Becca and I made it all the way home! 26 miles. That's like a marathon.

Exhausted, we gathered back at the house and then headed out to Pizza Hut. Good times. Good food. I'm stuffed. And the regular pizza we ordered got mixed up and so we got a large! No extra cost. It was a good night. Now there are cookies in the oven to be eaten with vanilla ice cream.

It was a day full of joy and of blessings. I am so fortunate to be here and to be sharing such good times with such wonderful people.

But I'm going to get off of here for now. I've got another important message to send and some war wounds to tend. There were dirt jumps half-way to Cardiff... I couldn't resist. So I've got a jammed wrist and pedal-inflicted cuts on my knee. Not to mention the whole sore seat thing. But no adventure is complete without it's battle scars.

Farewell

June 27 "Sleep"

I fell asleep twice on the Bus today. Once at the beginning because our class didn't show up and then once at the end, face down in my book in the kitchen compartment. I don't know why. I guess it has something to do with these late nights. Oh well. I can sleep when I'm dead. 

But we got to have another great day today! Kelsie lost her voice because she has been sick, so she used me as a proxy to speak with the girls that she has been chatting with the past few days. It was pretty fun. Then during the talk and testimony time she noticed that the girls were talking about a question but didn't have the courage to ask. So she told me to go and answer it anyway. So I did! I talked with them for a while about the problem of evil and suffering and what God meant to me. It was great, they even stayed after the bell rang. 

After school we headed back to the house and basically hung out until tea time. We had the Hughes family over, with my Becca, and we all sat down and enjoyed a delicious roast feast. It was awesome. Then a bit of tennis and a rainy bike retrieval for Saturday's ride (more later) before leading Bible study again. 

Tonight's Bible study had a lower turnout and it went by a lot faster because of it. But it still went well. We talked about the Holy of Holies. 

Overall it was a very good day. I still am haunted by this sense that everything is flying by so quickly. Hard to believe that when I wake up tomorrow it will mark the 4 week mark. Crazy. 

Apparently, some of the people in Becca's church were talking about how great it would be for us to come over as interns for a year after we got married...and I don't know what to think about it. I'm not sure how serious they were or how realistic it is, but still it's something to think about. I'll get back to you on it. I need to think more. I have no idea where God is going to put us in this next year. Only time will tell. Right now I have other things to do and to think about. In the not so distant future: Sleep. 

June 26 "Legacy"

I really can't keep the days straight. It's almost JULY! Crazy stuff.

So today at Hawthorn (where the Bus is) I got to meet with some of the kids outside and just chat with them for a while. Apparently one of them was at the church two years ago and had to be escorted out. Sometimes Welsh boys can get a bit rowdy. But I told him that he should come back this year...if only to be thrown out again. And I got to give my testimony during lunch!

But after the Bus I came back and might have fallen asleep for a while. Probably. But then I got to work with Becca at the Kids Club in Rhyd! She met us at the church and we all (leaders and six little girls) headed off to yet another park with far superior playground equipment. Americans with their safety concerns...

At the playground, in the midst of all of the fun, I ran into one of the boys from school. We got to talking and he introduced me to some of his friends. It was cool. Often you do something at a place with people and it doesn't really connect that you are in effect reaching the community as well. He basically followed me around the entire time I was there! He shared his candy, told me everything about everything and even kept asking me whose story (testimony) he would get to hear tomorrow. He and his friend even followed us almost all of the way back to the minibus on their bikes. I'm hoping later in the week to get them interested in coming the the after event and even the Holiday club. Ultimately I need to be able to point them to a Christian support system that will be able to encourage them. I won't be here for very long. I want to give people the truth and to get them connected to these churches so that they can keep being ministered to. Pray that such places would be open to them and that their minds would be open to such places.

After that Becca and I got dropped off at Claire's to work on some stuff for Friday Night Kids Club in Caer. I came up with a new and improved method to make a fishing net...and then almost lost my mind trying to tie all of the knots. Eventually I just kind of gave up and watched rugby. Lions for the win! Shut out the Rebels. Can't wait until Test #2 on Saturday.

Rabbit Trail! --- I was able to have a conversation with several guys today about the Lions while I was at Hawthorn! So for those of you who have been reading this and saying "We sent him over there to watch rugby?!" Yes...yes you did. And it is opening doors for conversation. So there... Just kidding. I don't think that any of you are like that. Y'all are my friends.

Pray for me. As I near the halfway point I am starting to think more and more about what I want to try and leave behind when I go back home. There are so many good things that I have been blessed to have been involved in, but I want to contribute as much as I can to these churches and these people as possible. I am not sure what my lasting contributions will be, maybe I won't even be able to say by the end of the trip. Still, I know that God is in the work that I am doing and in knowing that, I know that He will change this place and these people for His glory.

June 25 "The Sun Shines Over Wales"

Another day on the Bus, another group of students rolled through. Today I saw a friend from last time, a guy that I hadn't seen since my return. Apparently he hasn't been coming to church much since we left. Apparently there is an age that the young people just stop coming to church. Once they get well into secondary school, they just lose interest. I am not sure why. Maybe they just get too enamored with the world. Maybe they don't see the point anymore. It happens to a lot of people, all over.

But other than that the Bus went well. I had a lot of time to just sit and think and scribble in my journal. I realized that it wasn't very full in proportion to the amount of time that I have been here. I guess I just do a lot of writing elsewhere...here. I just carry the journal to jot down thoughts and to scribble plans and things that I want to remember. It serves its purpose.

After the Bus we headed here and I got to work on my talk for tonight. We went through the three remaining pieces of the Armor of God. The Shield of Faith, The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit. It went well. I was glad to be able to share with them, seeing as these last two weeks have been the last two weeks that they meet until after Summer Holiday.

And now I'm here. In hindsight it doesn't sound like a very eventful day, but it was a good one. The sun was shining and that is always a treat in Wales.

And now I sit here, relatively early, and wait to see what time I find to fall asleep.

I've been thinking a lot about what's next. Probably because people keep asking me about it. Hard to believe that in less than 6 months I'll be married. Luckily most of the important stuff has been handled for the wedding, but I've still got a lot to do. I need a job and a place to work mostly. I'm not really sure how all of that is going to work out, but it will. Becca and I have taken to memorizing Bible verses together while we are over here. The most recent one is Luke 12:24 "Consider the ravens, they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouses nor barns, and yet the Lord feeds them; Of how much more value are you than the birds!" The Lord provides.

June 24 "The Church's One Foundation"

Yesterday, I do not remember much of. Honestly. I was in a bad mood. I didn't take the time to get focused and to look to Christ for my joy and support. The result was not the best. The negativity carried over into the morning a bit. But then, against all odds and my stubborn self aside, I turned and and began praying for God's forgiveness and for deliverance from my selfish ways. Seeking God through the Word and through prayer is essential. I forget how truly important it is sometimes.

After that, things on the Bus really looked up. It was an enjoyable time and the class that I led was very interested in the material! And they will be back Wednesday. Also, the day trip (today being my Sabbath) that I assumed was dead in the water was able to take place!

Becca met me at Hawthorn High School and we walked from there to the base of the hill separating Rhyd from Caer. It took some time to find the base of the hill, but then up we went. Our Mission: cross the hill in time to get a ride to Victory Church for the evening service. More about them later.

The walk up was good. We saw lots of sheep (I snuck up and petted a sleepy one) and a few Border Collies! At the top of the first part of the hill we found an old church and a pub that I knew would be there. For those of you who heard our pre-trip spiel about the churches in Wales, I mentioned this church- most of the time. It is the beautiful stone church that was chained shut two years ago while the pub bustled right next door. But not so anymore! The church was open! To the public. Becca and I walked in and had the place all to ourselves. Not only was it open, but it was back in use! There were fresh bulletins and Bibles and hymnals sitting around. We explored the plaques and the history of the church and I was just in awe at all that had changed. We sang a good many hymns in there too, just the two of us. It was wonderful. There were a few moments in that church where I just felt so blessed. The morning prior I had been such a bitter and forlorn brat, and God blessed me with a day full of beautiful weather and such wonderful memories. We explored the graveyard and then after praying for the church, we tried to go to the Pub for a bit to eat. It was closed! Life is funny sometimes.

We walked up to the sheep pastures at the base of the next part of the hill and sat down to eat what little food we had brought with us. As we were munching and carrying on our conversation, a horse came trotting down the hill! It came down to eat the onions and leeks that someone had thrown out for the sheep. We tried to get close and it fled to the top of the hill. Naturally, we went after it. At the top of the hill (the very top) there was a whole herd of horses! Well, some horses, and a lot of ponies. There were so many of them, big and small, babies and old nags. It was such a cool experience. We sat down and watched them run around on the hill and just enjoyed the view. Then we walked across to the triangulation point (big concrete pyramid-thing) and somehow we both got on top of it. The base is like the size of my laptop. Then, after barely surviving getting off the point and petting some of the less skittish horses, we descended the hill. We walked and talked and stopped to see the cows, then kept going...then turned around to get the lens cap from the cow stop. Eventually we made it all the way down to Caerphilly and then a few "short-cuts" and Frogger-esque sprints across the roundabout...we made it to Claire's. And just in time! Kelvin's parents were over and had made chicken soup for the kids- with plenty extra. So good.

After dinner, we loaded up into the cars (the adults did) and headed off to Victory Church. This church has been meeting every day since April in Wales and so when the opportunity to go see what was going on emerged, I jumped. We got there and waited a few minutes for the doors to open, but when they did, the people just flooded in. I must admit, my American expectation for this revival was a bit larger, but when I really thought about it, there must have been hundreds of people there. Huge for Wales. Such a great crowd. There were a lot of different things. As a Presbyterian, I have a particular default for worship. This was a bit more Pentecostal than what I am used to. But they had such passion and energy and the sheer size and dedication of this church in a place with so much darkness is just a wonderful act of God.

Please be in prayer for these churches. Between the church on the hill and the Victory Church, today has been such an encouraging day for my perception of the church in Wales. Things are changing. People are changing. There is definitely so much life left in this old stump of a country. Everything here has such a rich heritage in Christianity and there are so many people who want to see it flourishing again. One of the hymns that Becca and I sang today was "The Church's One Foundation", which is Christ. He is the cornerstone to our faith. He is everything. Sometimes I forget that. As a church, as people, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. That is the secret to running this race with perseverance. We must keep our eyes on the Prince of Peace. We must keep our eyes on the prize.

June 22 "Rest"

First thing this morning, rugby! It was a great match between the Lions and the Australia Wallabees. It was close, but the Lions won it on a slipped kick. Good game. Good fun.

After the game I headed down to Caerphilly Castle for a scavenger hunt with Raf and Becca and some of the local children. Becca and I wandered around taking pictures and looking at the updates that were placed in the castle since the last time that I was here. It was a good trip and a lot of kids came out to enjoy the clear day and to hear about God!

After that we went to the GSUS Bus event from Bryn Celynog. We met at a scout hall down the street from the church and this week we had like 8 students come out! It was a pleasant surprise. The other two events had one student each (both of whom were already in church attendance). We talked about self worth and what God says about us. It was a good time with games, food, teaching, and music. I enjoyed myself and I think the students who showed up really enjoyed themselves as well.

It has been a strange couple of days. I have been very tired and trying to catch up on my rest. But I have had very full weekends and everything here has such structure. Pray that I would feel rested and that I would spend my time wisely. I think that it has finally set in that this isn't like the other mission trips that I have been on. In the past I have been gone for a week, 3 at the most, and then after leaving everything I had on the mission field, I come home and sleep. But this is different. I've just been past the three week mark. Not quite halfway. And it is starting to hit me. Fortunately things are going to be slowing down a bit these next few weeks. Pray for my energy. Pray that I would keep focused.

June 21 "An Ocean of Stones"

Six months until I get to marry the love of my life!

And now back to the more Welshy things.

I guess I should probably update you about yesterday. I missed my first day. Shame on me. But it was fairly normal. The Bus, then dinner with the family, then Youth at Pete's for Gateway church. Nothing too eventful. Not for me anyway.

Today was a bit different. It was our last day at Bryn and we did our best to make the most of it. Josh came back and we spent a lot of time talking (girls, country music, the Gospel- the good stuff) and singing (we blew out the Bus! Josh Turner over the speaker system). It was a fun day. BUT to top it all off, Hannah Searle (Welsh friend) was able to give her testimony today, Kelsie gave hers yesterday. The kids have been coming in drove to hear us talk! It has been so amazing. I hope that this indicates a fair interest in the meeting tomorrow night (PRAY FOR IT!). But after Hannah spoke, I was able to sit down and talk with several girls about the Gospel. Essentially they indicated a fear of Hell and I told them the good news! If there is a Hell to be a afraid of then there must be a Heaven! And if that then God must exist! And from there we talked about the hope that those who trust in Jesus have and the free offer of the gift of life! It was a great moment. I was so happy to be able to share the Good News with these girls. I spent some time in prayer for them at the end of the last session. Hopefully we will see them soon.

After school I got dropped off in Caer to help with the kids club. It was a lot of fun. But I think that this week has really hit me hard. I was so tired and I think I was letting stress get me down. It has been a hectic couple of weeks. Tonight will be a good rest I think. And I was able to enjoy the evening with the PCY group.

This week we went down to Ogmore, to a different castle and explored the beach a bit! The beach was covered in rocks and there were these amazing cliffs! Naturally I had to climb up onto them and of course my bride-to-be was right there with me. We enjoyed the seaside for a while before rejoining the group for real life Pacman. It was a complex game involving pea-collecting, ghost capturing and avoiding the ghosts. I was a rather passive and sarcastic ghost. It was awesome. I made a little boy (won't say who) cry three times today. I think sometimes I forget how delicate children are. Inside and out. But he's fine. And we are buddies so he's not salty about it. In hindsight the events are a bit laughable. Basically it was a hat trick.

After the game we rode home in a flurry of bad jokes and McDonald's (Crunchie McFlurry = good, but would be better if they didn't just sprinkle the top...gotta mix it in). Then there was some Minecraft and some relaxing at Claire's before I headed home. Now...bed. Well...almost.

Tonight when I stepped out onto that beach, it reminded me of the piles of stones that the Israelites would place at various places on their way into the promised land. Usually they would put twelve stone in a pile to commemorate the might acts of God. Looking at those cliffs, chiseled away my the mighty ocean, and the seemingly endless beach of smooth gray stones, I thought about how many stones I would need to build a monument for the mighty deed of Christ. God did amazing things for His people when they crossed the Jordan and defeated their enemies in the Old Testament. But that was all just a step on the way to Golgotha. There God's plan to set things right climaxed when the veil was torn. God fixed what we had broken. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The ocean could not hold the stones for that.

June 19 "My Purpose and My Prize"

The Bus was a bit different today. The lessons went as usual for the most part, but at lunch time we opened up the Bus and allowed any students who were interested on board to hear my testimony. It was great, because since they came willingly I was able to say whatever I wanted. So I tried to be as honest and inviting as possible. I gave them the story of how God has changed my life. Here's to hoping that it sunk in for some of them.

I've noticed that when there are a bunch of people on the Bus and the children are working we tend to either loom over them, or sit quietly. I'm not much for looming, so I think tomorrow I might bring a book to read. These kids know how to work a computer anyway. I'm mostly there to lead the intro and conclusion when it's my turn and to fix the bugs when they pop up. We will see how that goes.

After the Bus I had a bit of a nap, not much and then a bit of pizza. For some reason the Welsh are obsessed with Hawaiian pizza. I don't get it. I mean...I can eat it, but pineapple on a pizza? It's just weird to me. And Wales of all places. Hawaii + Italy = Welsh delicacy. Go figure.

In the evening, I went with the Crusaders (apparently that is the name of the Rhyd Kid's Club- nobody ever told me) and we went to the park in Ponty. Once again the Welsh prove to have far superior playground equipment to the Americans. There are a few things that I am going to look into building when I get back. There's no way that it's going to be legal for the public, but that's what back yards are for. When I get a back yard. You may be wondering if I am talking about building these things for my children. I can't promise that I'll wait for them, but they can use them when they get here.

And now we are back fairly early. I am actually blogging before the sun goes down. Crazy stuff. Maybe I will actually get to bed at a decent hour! There is a running joke among the residents of this house about me "going to bed", which has now become code for "Google Hangout with Becca until like 1 in the morning". I can't argue though. It's too true for me to argue.

We are trying something new on the GSUS Bus with the whole giving our testimonies idea. We are going to fully implement it next week, but we have had some difficulty figuring out our Saturday event. I am not sure if we are having one. The first two were discouraging, but I still think it is a good idea. But pray for our efforts. I could see it in their eyes today. These kids have the same questions and the same need that I had when I was their age. I was marvelously blessed to be incorporated into my church (shout-out to Pisgah ARP). It was there that I found the truth and the sense of family that is such a light in this dark world. Wales needs that light. Pray that we would shine.

Also pray for me. I think I am starting to finally feel all of this going and going and going. I need some good rest. Maybe tonight I will go to bed instead of "go to bed". Regardless, pray that I would keep focused and spend my time wisely. Pray that all distractions would be cast aside and that I would keep my eyes on my purpose and my prize, Jesus.

June 18 "Crunchies and Coke 2"

I guess this time it was Cherry Coke, but I just like the idea of reusing the title. It says so much.

This morning was an interesting one. We hit the Bus early and it was up to Brian and I to start the day. Kevin and Kelsie would come halfway through and Alun had an assembly. So I lead the charge and administered the lesson. At the end I was asking about how God can understand our problems. A girl raised her hand and answered that He knows our problems because He died for our sins. I couldn't help but smile. The next question came from a little boy in the back. "You know that some of us are atheists, right?" I smiled. "I know. I'm from the United States, and we have them there too." After the lesson I was able to talk to the little girl for a moment and she told me how awesome it was that I got to come here and share the Word of God. She told me about her recent move and her search for a church. Her name was Rebecca. I told her it was a good name.

The rest of the day on the Bus was great. One of Kevin's youth, Josh, came on the Bus and it did not take long for us to start talking. He is a people person, so he would later tell me. But it just so happens that Josh loves Josh Turner! And so we bled out the Welsh ears singing our fab rendition of "Your Man" between sessions. Then at lunch he showed me around the town near the school and I got a wrap and a Cherry Coke from a local shop (in a complicated series of events I ended up with no lunch). And then I ate while he gave me a tour around the school. At the Bus, Brian was waiting with a surprise Crunchie from home. My Welsh parents spoil me. But anyway, Josh is planning on going to America, to study to become a Youth Minister, which I think is awesome. It is so good to see a young man here who has the love of the Lord in his heart. The rest of the time on the Bus was a joy.

Today was such an encouragement even before lunchtime. It's funny. Josh and Rebecca are two of my best friends and chief encouragement givers in America. Now they have Welsh doppelgangers (Actually, sometimes when I'm bored on the Bus I scan the class to try and find children that look like people that I know from America. It's great fun).

After the Bus I spent my day napping/preparing for my lesson tonight at Coedpenmaen. I taught the children on the armor of God. Tonight we did the first three pieces. The Belt of Truth (a blue and green robe belt that smelled clean), the Breastplate of Righteousness (cardboard...naturally) and the Shoes Fitted with the Gospel of Peace (My Chacos- which are actually the Shoes Fitted with the Gospel of Peace). They seemed to really enjoy it and to interact well. I even got a compliment from one of the moms.

Then I headed off to this week's prayer meeting at Tim and Sarah's and we enjoyed each other's company and spent some time in prayer about the different things that we were concerned about (the Church, our Church, personal issues). Maybe it's just me, but it seems like I don't pray as much in America as they do. Being a Man of Prayer is something that I am striving for. That and encouragement.

Then I had a snack. Then I had a chat. A shower. And now a blog. I now am going to read my Bible (essential) and hopefully talk to my woman before I go to bed (Google Hangouts for the win).

So the original "Crunchies and Coke" will be two weeks old tomorrow. WOW. This is flying by. I am enjoying it so much. I am so excited about what I have to look forward to when I get home. But...WOW. I am thankful that I still have a long way to go and I want to keep enjoying every second that God has given me over here. Thank you for all of your prayers. More and more names are filling up my head and my heart as I think of the different churches and people that I am praying for.

If you could pray for me, then I would much appreciate it. I am thinking a lot about what I need to do when I get home, but I still very much need to keep my focus here. That's not to say that planning ahead is bad and that I can't do that from across the pond, but worry does not need to be a part of that process. I need to be diligent, but trust that no matter what happens, God has a plan and He will provide everything that I need. And He will. God is on my side after all (which ended up being the theme for the Youth lesson). With that comes the peace of the Gospel. For the birds neither reap nor sow and the Lord provides for them. How much more for me, a child of the Most High God?

Hakuna Matata and God bless

June 17 "A Burger"

Back to the Bus. Today we went to Bryn Celynog for a few hours in the morning and were able to start off the week on the Bus. It was the usual crew, but we were joined with an American missionary Kevin, his intern Kelsie, and their friend Pam. It is good to know that we have the extra help. It was a good day. Some disruptions, but all together I had a good time. Then around noon, Dottie and Jake picked me up to go out for our American day. 

We went to the Big Pit, a coal mine that is now set up as a museum. It was awesome. We got to go down into the mine and have a tour of the whole place. Our tour guide was hilarious and I learned a lot about how things were run down there. It was good fun. We also had a lot of time to talk and plan and discuss what we had been doing and were planning. These sessions are great to just kind of catch my breath and get my bearings after a long week of work. 

Then we got to take the train from Dottie's town Merthyr, back to Ponty. It was a fun ride. We spent the rest of our designated day of rest with Jake and his wife Fionn. It was so much fun. And they took me to a REAL burger place. The burger was incredible! I never thought that I would miss the taste of a properly done burger so much. What a treat. And free ketchup. And Coke. And then proper coffee. And then Country Music in the car. It was a great day (Thank you Vances). Lots of good time to just relax and rest for the week ahead. Ministry is exhausting. It felt so good to just chill for a while. 

Then we got dropped off in Caer and Becca and I went for a walk to watch the sunset. Good times. Afterwards we were able to sit down and chat with Claire and Kelvin for a long while before I got a lift home. 

My summaries have been sort of brief lately and I imagine that is because I have been so bust actually doing stuff! It is crazy busy, but crazy fun over here. I want for this blog to be fun and for it to be a good window into what I am doing, but I don't want it to become burdensome. I might skip some days if I need the extra time for work. Or just give very short updates. 

Thank you to everyone who is keeping up with and praying for me (and for Becca). I am very appreciative of those who have aided this ministry from afar. There are definitely some very dark forces at work here in Wales. Pray that the light of life would go forth and that the hearts and minds of the Welsh would be given over to God and His truth. They need Jesus. They need to see the Way. 

June 16 "A Brief Update"

Not so eventful today. Sabbath tour 3 completed. Rhyd for morning worship and then Dinner with Jon and Heather afterwards. It was a great time. We were planning on hiking to Caerphilly for the evening service, but it rained and so we stayed in and watched The Prestige. Great movie. When I thanked them for entertaining us they asked if putting on a film really counted. I responded by telling them that sometimes it's just nice to sit down on a Welsh couch and watch an American movie.

Evening service at Gateway tonight went well. Becca gave the talk for the Family Service and she did a great job. She is such a wonderful encouragement. I'm glad that she is brave enough to step out so that God can use her to benefit others.

The evening was spent with a Fish n' Chips dinner and some Minecraft before calling up the Hornby family for Father's Day. It was great! We got all of Becca's siblings (minus one) and her parents on Google Hangouts at the same time. It was good to see everybody (no matter how noisy and crowded it was). Always a joy to see the Almost-In-Laws.

Now I'm here, at my Welsh home typing up the smallest post yet, I think...

Not much to say about today though. It was restful. For me anyway. Though I am up a bit later than I'd have liked to be. It will be alright. Tomorrow is always a good day to start going to bed at a decent hour.

Be in prayer for this next week. I am back on the GSUS Bus starting tomorrow at a school whose name I haven't figured out yet. But the past few post-Bus events have not been very eventful and so I have a desire to see that change. I don't know how that will happen, but instead of waiting for a last resort, I want to preface our efforts with prayer. Thanks all.

God bless.

"Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks. For this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

June 15 "A Day of Play"

I was woken up by cheers of joy as the children (Sam and James) celebrated their mid-morning victories in Minecraft. Their Xbox is right next to the couch. And so the second that they found out that I was awake they invited me to play. I wiped away my morning eye boogers and looked for a controller. They had set it right next to me...while I was sleeping, lest I be delayed in the slightest at joining in on the fun. So I woke up and was immediately flung into video games. Great start.

A cup of tea and a few minutes later we were watching the British & Irish Lions take on the Waratahs in Rugby. It was a great game. We totally massacred them. Half-penny, a Welsh player, scored 30 points alone out of the 47 that we got- a new Lions record! I am finally beginning to understand the game a little bit (I think). But it was a fun time.

Post-game we went on a hike, uncertain of how the rains might treat us. But they held off. And it was a great time. I didn't know that there was good hiking so close, but it was a good little trek. Beautiful scenery and good company with the Gateway Church and their guests. There was even a Border Collie! She joined us for the whole hike, playing fetch all the way. And she is pregnant! Becca got all excited for puppies and now I think she is 100% on board for the Border Collie. Score. But not for a while now. House first. And marriage. Then dog.

Once we were all hiked out, we headed back to Claire's for a massive helping of chips with buttered rolls. Keep in mind I also had a sausage and bacon sandwich for breakfast and pizza for supper. Good healthy eating. Crunchie for dessert.

In the evening we got a lift to RMC for a Quiz Night! Basically it's a contest of questions! When we got there, Becca and I decided to split up our American genius between two teams (not that it helped much). But after all was said and done my team emerged victorious! I would like to try and ascribe myself some sort of MVP status, but I didn't really do all that much. Even the "America" questions were a bit beyond me at times. I mean...who cares about the abbreviation for Iowa?

When the Quiz was complete and all of the tea and biscuits consumed, we headed back to Brian and Elizabeth's for a little down time. We had ourselves a walk. We chatted with the Davies. And then we took Becca home.

It is hard to believe that it has been two weeks. Time has just been flying by faster and faster. But I am still loving it. It is so much fun here. Even the 'work' is a complete joy the majority of the time. I am so very blessed to be here. Pray that tomorrow would be a good and restful Sabbath. Becca is doing the Sunday School hour tomorrow evening and I know that she will do a fabulous job! Pray for her, that she would be bold and would know that God is going to use her in mighty ways. I am so thankful to be able to do ministry with her. It's only a few times each week, but it has been so much fun and such an encouragement. I can't wait to share my life and my own ministry (wherever and whatever that may be) with her.

God is so good. All the time.

June 14 "One BATH and No Shower"

Didn't get to fill everyone in last night, but no matter. I suppose most of you are still asleep anyway.

I had a pretty slow Friday. Most of the day was spent preparing my talk for PCY tonight. I was given the opportunity to speak on the BATH (Bible And Talk Hour) Night. So I spent most of my afternoon working on that...and watching tennis.

But in the morning Brian and I went down to RMC to open up the building for a time where people could come in and use the WIFI for free. It was also the Moms and Toddler Time, but only Sarah came with William and Emma. It was fun. I sat and worked on my talk and got to meet some older gentlemen who come to use to Internet. It was pretty hilarious. At one point I had to help Paddy with his charger. Apparently it didn't fit anymore. I explained to him that his HP charger was probably not the right one for his Toshiba Laptop. He then gave Tula his charger back and the day was saved.

The day went by quickly and before I knew it, PCY was upon me. And actually, from what I've heard, it was a fairly crowded BATH Night. Usually kids only swarm to the outdoor events. So we had a time of music and worship, in the middle I gave my testimony and then I gave my talk. I enjoyed it. It was a bit nerve wracking, but I got through it. I hadn't ever really done anything like that before. Not for such an extended amount of time. I ended up talking for like half an hour! I thought I was going to be like ten minutes. I finally understand all of those preachers who go on and on and on for ages.

After the event I got a lift with Alun back to Claire's house where we cooked up a ton of food and basically had a huge party. It was so much fun. I had a great time and then we decided that the easiest course of action would be for me to just sleep on the couch. So I did. It was a good rest. I'll have to tell you about how I woke up later on.

This was definitely a day where I made a conscious effort to be trusting in God. I don't really know what to say about how everything went, but I am confident that God was there with me. Unfortunately it looks like Caerphilly's GSUS Bus event was just as eventful (not very) as ours. But the work that we have been able to do in the schools and the possibility of being able to go back and do similar work is such a huge victory for the Welsh Churches. God's Word is going forth and His work is being done.

June 13 "Currants, Cake, a Collie and Costa Coffee"

Got a good start today. Very good. Because today is the day that I had toast for breakfast. But not just any toast. No. This was the best toast in the world. That is because this toast was covered in BLACK CURRANT JAM. Yum. Yum.

More assemblies with Alun. I am spending a lot of time observing this and have realized that I really have no idea how to present these stories to children in a way like Alun does. I am hoping that once I've gotten done with my talk for this week, I will have some more time to think and plan for it. But until then, I will observe and assist. After assemblies I headed back to the house and then surprise plans came out of the woodwork!

After much deliberation, Becca and I met up in Caerphilly and got a lift to the Costa Coffee Shop. It was awesome. I had my first real cup of coffee in ages. SO GOOD. Today was just full of culinary delicacies (roast dinner for supper as well- cheesecake for dessert). After that we wandered around and picked up some stuff from the pound shop...where everything is, you guessed it, a pound. It was a great time to talk about our plans and just spend time with each other. I'm starting to learn how essential decompression time is for ministry. Gotta just walk sometimes. As a matter of fact I had a good long walk when I got back to Tonteg! I even met a guy named Richard who was walking his Border Collie. He said he wasn't a church person, but I'm hoping to see him around and maybe suggest a few things.

Then tonight I led Bible Study. I was the youngest one in the group, but no matter. I just swallowed the nerves and the butterflies devoured them whole. We are working our way through a book on The Tabernacle, of all things. I won't lie, I raised a brow at the somewhat obscure nature of the topic, but it just goes to show that every nook and cranny of Scripture is packed with God's perfect word for us. We talked about a variety of things, only getting through 4 of the 10 discussion questions before closing. We got pretty deep. Then we talked more over tea and now here I am.

Apparently Brian heard me detailing my "devil story" (June 7) to Josh last night and I had to sort of clarify what I was talking about. What can I say, I don't really believe in coincidences. But it was good to hear myself tell it again. Day after day God gives me the strength to keep going and to keep growing. He is so good to me. Beyond all that I could ever ask or think.

June 12 "New Things Afoot"

Another amazing day in Wales.

I awoke around 8 and snoozed until 8:40ish in preparation for this morning's assembly. We met with an attentive group of children and they were all very excited to meet Bob from the States. They were even calling me by name while they helped us carry out the supplies. It was good fun. Then Elizabeth drove away without us, which I wasn't really expecting and Alun and I walked to downtown Ponty.

We strolled into town around 11am and headed for the Christian book store, apparently one of the only one's around. After a while spent browsing and lounging around, we were met by Steve, one of Alun's friends and  fellow minister of the Gospel. We went out to the street and they set up their paint board. Then we did a bit of what they called Open Air Ministry. They were able to do a few paintings, preaching while doing it while we were there. I assisted and handed out tracts to the people who were interested. They all seemed to be a bit standoffish, like sheep. And then for the first time...since I came here first in 2011...rain affected the day. Now it had sprinkled before now, and today was merely a heavy, but persistent drizzle. The rain, of course, stopped a half hour after we packed up and left, but no matter. I've still not experience this precipitation of Noahic proportions that the Welsh go on about all the time.

The afternoon was again spent reading, and studying, and planning. I didn't realize how much stuff I have to do each day. But it is all coming together. Just when I think I am at my whits end, God provides.

This evening's Kid's Club at Rhyd was spent indoors due to unpredictable conditions in the sky. We played dodgeball and then for the lesson, everyone just asked me a bunch of questions. The majority of them were about me and about America, but Alun guided them to ask a few that were a bit more Christ-centered. I am just enjoying the process of building relationships with all of these kids. Then afterwards we did arts and crafts until it was time to go.

Brian, Elizabeth and I watched some TV and had supper (2nd dinner basically- they eat like Hobbits over here!) after the club, and now here I am.

So I've realized that I am going to be doing a lot of new things here. Not just because I'm in Wales, but because I've never done them before. I get to teach an hour long youth group lesson, do Bible story time with school children, lead an adult Bible study... I just keep getting opportunities to grow and to serve and I am excited about it all, but part of me just wants to curl up and sleep. I'm good at school. I can do papers and projects and tests. This is just a totally different kind of work. I am not sure how I feel about it yet. Pray for me. I know that I can do this. God can do this. I just need to stop worrying so much about my ability. This is so much more different than school work in that the one whose ability really matters is not me. Ministry is not a test of my ability, it is an exhibition of God's ability to work through broken and faulty people like me. Now if I can just remember that. No need to be nervous if God is the one doing all the hard work. None at all.

June 11 "Change"

What a good night's rest. I don't think that I have slept that well in ages. And today I felt great. I wasn't even sniffling in the morning!

The morning began with an assembly for little ones. When we got there, we hit a bit of a snag. You see, Alun uses these paint boards that work like fill in the blanks for special words for each story/lesson. And today...he forgot the sheet for the board. SO, I had to stall the children while he quickly painted up a replacement. It was so funny. He asked them to guess where I was from. "India...Pakistan...Wales...France...Paris...England..." It starts with an A! "Afghanistan...Africa...Australia..." It was hilarious. The lesson went off without a hitch and then we headed back to the house to do a bit of work.

I spent the afternoon working on Bible study stuff and things for home (wedding, loans). And I got to chat with quite a few people on Facebook! It was good to touch base with everyone back home. I'm not one for missing people...so we will just leave it at that.

Then tonight I went back to Coedpenmaen for the Youth Club and I really got to meet a lot of the people there. It was a fun night and it was really good to see the youth working together and having fun. I'm glad that these kids have each other to be with and to depend on. It's important. They had some pretty crazy youth group stories as well. It reminded me of the good ole days...

After that, Alun invited me to go out to a men's fellowship with a few Christians and a few nonChristians. It was a fun time to sit and talk. No youth. No work. Just relaxing and enjoying some good food and fellowship. We went to a place called the Bamboo Grill...which made me thing "Asia", but the food and decor was Middle Eastern, and the music was in Spanish. I got a fried banana and a Coke. And I was able to pay for it all with the coins in my pocket! In the States, if I were to pay for a meal in change, I think that they would think I was mad. But not here. They're old school. I felt all medieval and stuff. Twas a good night.

I've been thinking about something that Jake said to me yesterday, about my expectations. I know that I am not here to change Wales single-handed. I am here to help. I know that God has a plan and that I am a part of it, but often times He moves in slow and mysterious ways that we cannot understand. I need to think more highly of God and His work and less highly of my own. I need to trust in Him to act and to be at work. If I can get to that state of mind then I wont feel like there is so much pressure on everything that I do. I want to leave Wales better than I found it, but there are so many other forces at work here. This country, this mission is a lot bigger than I am. And that's ok. I just need to let go. Let go of all of these prideful expectations and realize that no matter how hard I try, the change that I will see most on this trip, will be God changing me. Pray for me.

June 10 "A Good Day's Rest"

Praise the Lord! I feel loads better. Those cough drops sure did the trick. That and the cough syrup. If I was a sickness then I'd want to be away from that stuff as well. Thank you all for your prayers. I'm glad that God answers prayers. I've got too much to do this week to be sick.

Alun took me on my first round of assemblies today and it was an interesting experience. The first school was a secondary (middle and high) school for youth with behavioral problems. Alun gave a brief presentation and then I got paraded around the classroom like a celebrity. It was pretty funny actually. They had a good many questions. Most were about the USA. Then we went to a primary school and I got to see Alun work with the young ones. They were so excited to sing the songs and to answer his questions. It was really encouraging to see. I am glad that the children can get excited about it. Now they just need to fall in love with Jesus! Hopefully I can help out later on. Children aren't my specialty, but I am going to be doing assemblies this summer so I'll figure something out.

After assemblies I got dropped off at Jake Vance's house so that Dottie could pick us up for our day of rest. Monday is kind of our new Sabbath because we often have so much to do on Sunday, so today is our day to rest and debrief with Dottie.

Today we went to Raglan Castle. It was awesome. Becca will have pictures (I should apologize for that- my blog is pictureless because I don't have a camera handy and even if I did there are strict laws about including children in the pictures). I love all of these old structures. It's like taking a field trip back in time and I find it so interesting to look back at how people used to live and what they must have done and thought.

After the castle we took an extra trip to Tinturn Abbey which are the ruins of this massive cathedral near the English border. It was so cool. Standing under the sky in the middle of that giant stone church really draws your eyes up into the heavens. It was a cool sensation to think that so many Christians (all very different from me) had walked in those same places. It was humbling. God is so much bigger than my life here in the 21st century. He is the central character in history and we are here to be a part of His story. How often I get that the wrong way around.

Once finished with the trip we headed back to Jake's for tea with him and his wife Fionn. They made us a lovely meal and served us tea and dessert and it was just a fun evening to relax and watch some TV. It was good to sit and talk with someone who has been where I am now. It was a great encouragement and I had a great time. Hopefully we can find more excuses to head over and hang out.

The night was capped off with a long walk around Claire's neighborhood in Caerphilly. Becca and I just strolled around the streets in the setting sun talking about what we were doing lately and what we needed to be planning for. It was a great walk. We spend a lot of time together, but not much just the two of us. It was good to get away for a bit and just have 'us' time to talk.

It is hard to believe that so much has happened already. It has been such a busy couple of days and I am just now starting to get settled into a schedule. I need to learn how to be clear and to plan well, lest I get swamped or confused by all of the different tasks at hand. There is certainly a lot of work to be done, but it is by no means all mine. God is the one behind all of this. We are here to reap His harvest and resting in that truth makes it so much easier to be here. I don't think that I could bare it if the salvation of these people were resting on my abilities. But God is in control. There is so much comfort in knowing that a loving God is in charge of all of this. It's not just headed nowhere. This world has a purpose. This universe has a grand design. God is at the center of it all, and He loves me. He loves all of His people.

That's a good thought to sleep on. So I will.

God bless.

June 9 "Welsh Cough Drops"

If I ever start a Heavy Metal Band I am going to call it "Welsh Cough Drops". These things are gnarly. But when in Rome, use their meds. I have been a bit under the weather lately...just a bit. Anyone who has been on Facebook likely saw the post on the Wales page (That was Becca, I'd never admit sickness outright). But any and all prayers will be appreciated. I don't know what is wrong with me. I've had some allergies since I got here, but this appears to be something else.

Today I did another Sabbath tour. Rhyd Church was great. We watched another video on Acts (ch13) and I was given the opportunity to give my testimony. I enjoyed doing it. And then we got to sing one of my favorites "Rock of Ages", by my request.

After church I headed to Tim and Sarah's for lunch and we waited for Becca, who couldn't make it to church due to a prayer meeting. But she made it eventually and we had a wonderful dinner. Their must have been about 12 different things on my plate and they were all awesome. Honey Roasted Parsnips...who knew? After lunch we took the little ones, William and Emma, to the park for a bit and I sat quietly on the springy chipmunk and stared out over the hills while Becca made best friends with some random little Welsh girl. She is so great with children. She's amazing.

After Tim and Sarah's we headed back to Rhyd to do some prayer walking where Becca and I were teamed up with Brian. There was more talking than praying, but I was fairly quiet. I began to realize that I was sick and I hate being sick. It makes me feel like I've lost in some way. Anyway, we got done walking around Rhyd, and then headed off to Caerphilly. At Gateway Church, I decided that I wanted to help out with the older children's lesson and so I went up and assisted the teachers there. It was a lesson about influences and this week we discussed advertising. Then after church we got KFC! Fried chicken and chips were a welcome supper tonight.

Then we headed back to Rhyd for a little R&R at Brian and Elizabeth's (lots of travel today- Rhyd to Ponty to Rhyd to Caer to Rhyd to Caer to Rhyd). We chatted and laughed and watched the bloopers from Britain's Got Talent. It was also a good opportunity for us to get some work done on wedding stuff again. Then we got Becca back to her house and I got some medicine and here we are. Blogging and dozing off.

It has been a good day. I really don't like being sick. But I have so many other reasons to be joyful! I will count my blessings instead of sheep tonight, even if I have to do it between sniffles.

Good night and God bless

June 8 "Under A Bright Welsh Sky"

I should apologize in advance. I have no camera and I will have access to some pictures, but they might be better sought on Facebook. Just FYI.

Today started late. Too late actually. Setting an alarm doesn't really work if you don't turn the alarm setting to 'on' on the phone. Either way. I was able to get dressed, pack a lunch and be ready to go in ten small minutes. Today Becca and I were treated to a lovely day around with our friends from the Rhyd Church. They took us to a park with a beautiful lake. It was a sunny day with a warm sun and a cool breeze. Naturally every family in Wales went to the park on this day. We had a boys vs. girls scavenger hunt around the lake (preset signs that we had to find- it was very fun, but not very challenging). After that we played on the playground for a bit and I even got to ride the massive log swing thing (TWICE- once as a counterweight for Tim and Baby William and once with Becca). It's basically indescribable. Maybe the video will emerge soon.

After the park, most of us headed off to a secret surprise tour! I had no idea where we were going, but eventually (several sheep later) we made our way to Ogmore Castle! We started off by hopping across the river on a bridge of spaced out stones that vanish with the rising tide! Very fun. Becca and I ran ahead to explore and came back across the horse pastures to hop back to the castle lest we be trapped by the rising water. We then explored the ruins of the castle (by explore I mean- climb all over). Becca even joined me in  climbing up to the tallest parts of the ruins (that we could reasonably attempt). She's so great.

We then headed back the Ton-Teg to have supper with Brian and Elizabeth. To our surprise they decided that Chinese food would be a good idea! They tend to be very Welsh traditional in their food choices...which they were, but we got Chinese food. But Chinese food is quite different over here...It makes me wonder what REAL Chinese food is like. No consistency... So I ordered random things. One was pretty good. The other...could have been better.

This evening was supposed to be our GSUS Bus event, but when we had gotten everything set up at Temple Baptist Church the only person who showed up was a girl who already goes to Rhydyfelin Methodist. We sat around and chatted for a while, but eventually we had to just pack up and go. I wish that some of the students would have taken us up on the event, but I guess that is just the way that ministry goes sometimes. Especially with youth. Especially in this culture. But I will not be discouraged! God has a plan for His glory here in Wales. He is in control and not a single one of His chosen children will slip through His grip.

The evening concluded with some time at Claire's, where Becca and I watched the Lions game (Rugby) while we worked on the guest list and wedding registries. There was also more Chinese food! This stuff was good. The kind that I should have ordered. Remind me next time- curry and Cantonese- the letter 'c' is the way to go. Then I got a lift back and here I am...falling asleep at the keyboard once more. Tomorrow is Sunday. A day for resting. A day for worship. Pray that we do both well!

Thank you for your prayers! I wasn't sure if people were reading, but Facebook begs to differ!

God bless.

"But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us".

June 7 "One Week and A Wide Game"

We bid Ponty High Ta-ta today after another 5 lessons on the Bus. Becca got to stay for the whole time and even did a lesson herself. She's so great. Next week the Bus is in Caerphilly. I enjoyed it a lot and I will be able to work at 3 more schools with it in a few weeks. Now all that is left for that area is to do the event tomorrow night. Should be good. Pray that we have a good turnout. But after we packed up the Bus and sent it off, we both got dropped off at Claire's so that we could go with her to the Kid's Club in Caerphilly.

The Club was loads of fun. It is basically a weekly Vacation Bible School Session (Holiday Club in Wales) and it was great. I met lots of the children and we were able to have a really great time. I have been helping out with so many different churches and they are all so different! But it is so much fun. It reminded me of 2011 when I worked with that church all week. It was such a good time. I am still so very glad to be back in Wales.

After Club we headed up the mountain for the PCY Wide Game. PCY is a youth group which draws from many of the local churches, so many of the people that I have worked with were there! It was so much fun. The Wide Game is an annual event. Essentially it is a game of capture the flag on a mountain with blocks of wood hidden all around (Alun's doing). Then you go and try to retrieve bricks (varied points), pull socks to capture people (10 points, 50 for captains) and, of course, capture the flag (1000 points). The flag never did get captured. Both teams did a great job of hiding them, so it all came down to the bricks. Jon (A Rhyd Friend) and I were wandering around looking for the flag together looking for the other flag. We scoured their territory and then eventually we found something quite fortuitous. Three 100 point bricks that the opposition had hidden for later. So we took two and I re-hid one and went back for it later. But a chase ensued in which a boy, who I found out was born in LA chased me all around the mountain. Eventually it came down to an uphill footrace with him and Becca (who I'd gotten out once already) chasing me up the mountain. I won. Jon got his block and I returned to capture the third. The final score. Them: 1050. Us: 1250. Stash raid for the win. It was a good time. I ran through a few nettles along the way though. Nasty stinging plants. They are annoying, but don't hurt too bad. Somewhere between normal thorns and a sunburn.

After the game we headed back to Claire's to relax. We ate. We drank tea. We watched British Comedy Programs. It was great! Faulty Towers is especially good, but apparently got cancelled because the main guy had a breakdown. Not surprising given his character...

I had a dream last night. And there was a voice. It told me that I should stop wasting my time doing all of this mission work. It told me that I should change my ways and really start to enjoy life apart from all of the service and ministry. Funny enough, I prayed for protection in my dreams last night. It's not an uncommon request for me as I tend to have very vivid and sometimes very bizarre dreams. This one was such. It definitely affected my attitude as I woke and immediately the day started negatively. Everything was negative and late and going wrong and BAH! But I realized that something was amiss. I checked my attitude. I recalled my dream. I recalled my prayer. I said another. God did not grant me protection from an encounter with evil, but he did protect me from being overpowered by it. The day moved on and things got better as the morning went on. I prayed and I was very conscious of what I thought and said. We prayed as a team. I prayed with Becca. Things just changed. The concept of Spiritual Warfare has always been very abstract for me, but today was very real. I don't believe in coincidences. Too many things made sense. It probably sounds pretty strange, but I think that the Devil was trying to throw a wrench in my gears. Good. That means that we are making an impact. Lest he would not care. But He who is in me is greater than he who is in the world and so I will not fear.

It has been a crazy first week. I have met so many awesome people, done so many great things and learned so much already. This time last week I was scared. I don't know why I was in a panic about things over here. I guess it was just a hard transition between Erskine and Wales. Those of you who know me well should know that I don't tend to get freaked out easily. But the idea of coming here and of all of the efforts that the Church went through to help us just weighed on me. I didn't feel big enough. This is God's mission, His work. And who am I?

But God is good. In my weakness He has proven himself to be strong. My doubt, His faithfulness. My fear, His power and love. It's hard to believe all of the time that we have got left to live and learn in Wales. I am excited to see what God does. Thanks for checking in.

God bless.

June 6 "Up A Tree I'll Be"

I got to see my Becca today! It was so fun. Her and Brian actually beat us to the Bus, but they waited for us to start everything...well...we had the keys. Anyway, it was a good day. Still working with the same system and with a new batch of kids each day. We were supposed to do five groups today, but a few errors (not on our part) meant that we only got to do three. No matter. We got to leave a bit early and I got to do some good journal work in my down time. And I got to surprise Becca with a pack of Reese's Cups. She was thrilled. She also tried a Crunchie. I think she prefers the Cups.

After school we headed back to the house and I hung around until supper. Becca had to go back for a meeting, but came back over for dinner! I think we had like 20 people over. It was so packed. Fun, but very packed. We had a great meal and cake! It's Granny Jean's 88th on Sunday (Elizabeth's Mum) so we sang and celebrated a bit for that. After dinner we went down to the playground and threw the Frisbee for a while. It was not quite as impressive as the one from yesterday, but they did have a good merry-go-round. There was much dizziness.

After playing for a while we packed in Claire's car and drove back to Caer for a youth club at Pete and Kath's house (Gateway people). On the way there Rosie, Claire's oldest, convinced her friends that we were French. I may have complemented it with some French gibberish, but they believed us until we came clean. Funny stuff. We made it to the house, huge and beautiful as I remember, and hung around while people arrived. The night was spent playing games and eating pizza (some of which I was able to take with me- score!) Then to wrap things up, Pete gave an intro on the topic of Jesus. It was interesting. There were some things in his presentation (built for semi-churched middle schoolers) that I hadn't thought about. It is definitely very different here.

After the meeting we were playing in the front yard with a Frisbee that Rosie had won in the games and Raph got a hold of it. Poor, poor Frisbee. He threw it (he's Brazilian...more of a soccer player- though excellent at American Football) and it landed on just about the highest branch of the tree. So all was lost...BUT WAIT!!!  Bobby to the rescue. Shoeless, I scaled the tree and made it to the uppermost branch. Pete and Kath were kind of protesting from a distance- something about the branches having fallen earlier in the week. Woops. I had already gotten so close, and it seemed a shame to turn back. I have been climbing trees as long as I can remember, so I guess I had a bit of a chip on my shoulder. I hope that I didn't scare/offend them, but nonetheless I kept at it. One long stick and a few minutes in the tree and 'Voila!" Frisbee rescued. I felt like a hero. I also boosted Sam up when we got back to their house so that he could get his Nerf rocket off the roof. Someone should pin a medal on me.

At the Hughes residence we watched a bit of rugby (England v. Wales rerun- great game) and chatted in the lounge until the game was over (Wales 30 to 3- old news) and it was time to come back home. And here I am. Tired from a long day and ready for tomorrow. I'm not sure what Friday's here will feel like since not much changes in the weekend. It's all such a wonderful, hectic blur!

Anyway, as we wrap up our time in Ponty High, please be in prayer that the children will have taken some good away from this. Seeds have definitely been sown, but there is a lot of darkness and a lot of hardness of heart here. We are having an event on Saturday evening for the students to come to on the subject of "What am I worth?" I've been given a time to speak and so please pray for me, but apart from that pray for them. There is nothing that I could say or do that would change them without God's blessing and provision. Pray for the children of Wales. They need to know their Savior.

Almost a full week in the country! 10am tomorrow will make it a full week in Wales. Praise God! It has been so fun and so full of joy so far. Pray for my energy, my patience, and my faith. It is an exhausting experience in a lot of ways, but God is good. Thanks for keeping up.

God bless

June 5 "Crunchies and Coke"

Another beautiful day in Wales. Rumor is that the Americans bring the good weather with them when they come. That has been true so far, but I'm not going to count my chickens just yet. It is the UK after all. But today was sunny and gorgeous. It is always a bit chilly in the morning and then a bit hot in the car in the afternoon, but once 2 or 3pm rolls around it feels PERFECT outside. And apparently this is what Welsh summer always feels like! Well...when it's sunny.

We spent another glorious day on the Bus. Today was a bit different because Alun had to go and do a school assembly (an activity that I can tell more about once I start doing them). So it was Brian, Elizabeth, Maggie and I manning the fort for most of the day. It was also different because we had Year 6 students who came to Ponty High for transition day. They are still in primary school, but came over to see what it is like. So 3 out of 4 scheduled appointments were with them. And it was great. We had to rush through them a bit, but all in all it went very well. And then at the end of the day a 5th group, of students that we hadn't seen decided to come to the Bus! Because they wanted to! They basically got the teacher to switch their class time! And then after school we got a lift with Sarah and she told us that the students could not stop going on about the Bus! We might have gotten scolded slightly for the 3-D glasses that we gave them, but who cares! I am so happy. For whatever reason, these students are excited about the Bus. Hopefully whatever is driving them to want to be on the Bus will continue and that may help for some of this to stick. That's the hope. Pray for it to work!

After school we headed back and we hung around waiting until Rhyd Church's Kid's Club. We ended up going to a park in Cardiff (never been there before!!!) and we took 6 children and 2 little ones with us! I made so many new friends. It was a great time. Welsh playgrounds make American playgrounds seem like a big plastic waste of time (except maybe for Martha Rivers). But they had a 30 foot tall robe pyramid thing to climb, and a sideways spinning circle thing, and a 30 foot slide built into a hill, and a tower to play on! It was great. I may or may not have tried most of those things I just mentioned. Except the slide...there was a line...and I would have gotten stuck...maybe next time. It was a good time and then on the way home we saw a fox! Right in the middle of the city. We were all so shocked. It just ran across the road and into some bushes Very cool. I got to ride with Kath and a bunch of little girls (Kath is Brian and Elizabeth's youngest daughter). Good times. 

After we got back from that I decided that I needed a walk. So I walked down to the store and bought a Coke and a Crunchie (delicious Welsh candy) and then I just walked. I walked up the hill trying to find the top, but kept getting dead-ended. It was a good time to just be quiet and think and enjoy God's creation. It was in the middle of the city, but the rolling hills still popped over the houses and glowed in the setting sun. I think I may make a habit out of it. 

It was a busy day. But very exciting. And tomorrow I get to see Becca!!! She gets to come over and help on the Bus and then we are all having dinner here. I think that makes like a dozen people all crowded in this house. We struggled to fit 8 the other day. It will be interesting. 

There is so much good going on here in Wales. But there is a lot of hurt as well. Pray for these churches and pray for these people. And while you're at it. Pray for America too. I hear the older people talk about the attitude that put Wales in the position that it is in and I've got to tell you, if America doesn't begin to change its direction, we are going to face this same spiritual decline. We have got to stop taking God and His Church for granted. We claim to be a Christian nation, but what does that mean? Wales still refers to itself as a Christian nation. The same teacher that spoke of our presentation as a valid opinion among many even said so. Yet less than 5% of the people are in Church. It's nominal. It's meaningless. Pray for us. Pray for them. 

God bless

June 4 "The Power of Prayer"

What a day.

We got an early start and I had a bit of toast just before we had to be off to the Bus. We left early because we had a full day of classes today. Five in all. It ended up that Alun and I each did two and then Brian did the final one. Funny thing was that he wanted to do the last one because he was told that it would be small (5-6 students). About 25 showed up. But he did a fine job, probably better than either of us on our first go. He has learned from the best however. The tone on the Bus today was so different. All of the meetings seemed to go so much better. The children were attentive, with the occasional disruption of course, but all in all it was just a very blessed day. They even asked some really good questions, not hostile jabs, genuine inquiries. The only thing that was really different was how we started the day...with a group prayer. It's amazing how God provides for His people. There were no radical conversion experiences, but it was so much more positive. AND we gave out all of the fliers for our event on Saturday. Hopefully a good number will show up to a place where we can really give them a clear presentation of the Gospel. That would be a good thing to be in prayer about.

After school, (I'm still spending my day in school...) we got a lift home and spent a few hours relaxing here before tea (that's the evening meal). We had fish n' chips!

Then Alun came to pick me up to head over to Coedpenmaen Baptist Church for a Youth Club. It was a good ride and we got to talk about Alun's adventures in the states. Turns out that he has been to Erskine, Bonclarken (Worked Horizon and Quest) and just about everywhere else on the East Coast. When we got to the church we stood around and chatted among ourselves with a few young men drifting out. I met a few of them...but I am so lousy with names. It'll take all 8 weeks to learn them in all likelihood. Aled found me on Facebook though, so if a few more of them do that, then it might just help. After a few moments of hanging out and letting people come in, I helped Alun gather up the chairs and then took a seat to listen to him speak. He got up, welcomed everyone and then introduced the speaker for the night. I was shocked! I thought he was speaking. But he got up and introduced him...some poor fool named Bobby. Now I am sure that yesterday he clued me in that I would be talking with them. As a matter of fact, I think that I might be in charge of that quite a lot in the future. But I found myself completely unprepared. And so I got up, all smiles (and all nerves) and just went for it! I gave them my testimony briefly and a good bit about how I got into missions. Basically my story from birth to Wales. I think it went well...I don't really know what to think. But they listened and I spoke and I know that God can work through those sorts of things. I will say this. For all the awkward silence at the beginning, I got a resounding send-off when I had to leave early.

I left early to go with Tim to the Rhyd Church prayer meeting. All of the people from the church met up to talk about prayer and to do a bit of a study. It was so good! I have been amazed by the power of prayer these few days and now it was good to sit and think about it a bit. We had a good bit of fun there at Tim and Sarah's and then Kath and I headed back here.

And now its time for bed. I am once again, tired. And tomorrow we do it all again! Thank you for your prayers! God bless.

June 3 "First Day of School"

Maybe it's jet-lag, but Monday doesn't quite feel like Monday over here. I am tired, but it is a good kind of tired. A busy day and well-deserved sleep soon kind of tired. And tomorrow is even earlier. Bring it on!

Alun and I worked with Brian and Elizabeth on the G-SUS bus today. We went through three Religious Education Classes at Ponty High and I was even allowed to teach the last one! Tomorrow there are five to teach and I imagine that I'll be teaching a few of those as well.

So tomorrow will be fun. Alun and I sort of ironed out my schedule a bit more today as well so I now have a better idea of what Ill be doing these 8 weeks. But you'll hear all about that as it unfolds. I've got some decisions to make about how I will spend my time, so pray for me in that.

Wales is definitely a lot different than America. For some reason we are allowed to park a bus full of computers on school grounds and teach a class about Christianity. The lesson basically details different scenarios dealing with common problems (Fear, Forgiveness, Rejection) and then gives the children different sources for giving advice on how to solve the problems. It is subtle, and it is innovative. The way that the teacher closed the meeting was interesting though. She basically gave a call for learning about other people's opinions, since that was what we had presented. It's pluralistic religious education. We see it as being a bit more than that of course. The bus are going to be here for 4 weeks in my area and then in Becca's for 2. If just one of these children comes to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ then it will be worth every morning of cold questions and grumbling. Pray for us that these ministry efforts would bear the fruit that the Welsh so desperately need.

Thank you all of your prayers and support! I might not say it as often as I should but I am so grateful to everyone who has been with us on this journey.

June 2 "Fish n' Chips"

Sabbath tour complete.

We started the morning in Rhydyfelin at the Methodist Church and Becca almost made it on time! Worship was good. Turns out that they are working through the book of Acts and watching videos that correspond to the chapters. Fortunately I read through Acts each time I go on a mission trip, so I am on the tail end of the book myself.

After worship with RMC, we all headed back up the hill to Brian and Elizabeth's house for lunch. The Rhyd church has signed up to have us over for dinner each Sunday and we have already filled every week! We are popular! This week we had a wonderful meal of sausage, chicken, roast and mashed potatoes with carrots, peas and corn. Then we had pudding (dessert for you Americans) with chocolate brownie, ice cream, jelly (Jell-O) and raspberry cheesecake. I had the brownie a-la-mode. Then tea. Lots of tea here. It's great.

After lunch we sat around in the lounge for a bit before Becca and I headed off to explore the village a bit. I'm living in Church Village in Tontag right outside of Rhyd. So we headed to the store to get some soap and then after we dropped off the supplies we walked the town a bit. We saw cricket practice! I think I'm actually beginning to understand the game a little.

After our walk we went to Caerphilly for their evening service and had a great time there. They are the church that I worked with last time and so it is good to see them again. As excited as I am to be working in Rhyd, the Gateway Church will always be special to me. After worship we headed back the Claire's house for a while and I played Baseball (arguably superior to Cricket) with the children until dinner. And it finally happened. Honest to goodness Welsh-style fish n' chips. Glorious. I'm about stuffed to sickness right now. So good. After dinner we watched an episode of Hawaii-five-0 (apparently a big deal for these kids) and now we are watching the end of the Brazil v. England game. Good game so far.

Tomorrow we start work with the G-SUS Bus and so I will fill you in on the particulars of that when I can.

Wales continues to amaze me! Maybe it's Wales, or maybe it's just the work that I'm doing but it just feels so great to be here doing what I'm doing. God has been so good to me in His providence for this trip and it has already proven to be such a good experience and I've not even gotten into the bulk of the experience! Looking forward to what the Lord has in store.

(2-2 Draw for football)

June 1 "A Surprisingly American-ish Second Day"

Today was a good day. We had a late morning (such a blessing!) and got out from Paul and Sarah’s about half-ten (that’s 10:30 for all you Americans). I was sad to leave such gracious hosts, but I was excited to head off to the place that I will call home for the next two months. It was a very short walk to Brian and Elizabeth’s house and they received me with all smiles and wamr welcomes. I was shown to my room and have found it to be a nice room with plenty of space. I don’t anticipate spending much time in here, but there is a bed, ample storage space and even a little radio. I’ve found about three stations to listen to so we will have to see how that goes. I didn't get the WIFI squared away yet, so I guess this will actually be posted tomorrow at some point...

But we had a busy morning training with the G-SUS Bus in Pontypridd. It was definitely a new experience, but it is interesting to see such an innovative way of implementing technology to present the Gospel. I will probably fill you in more on the G-Bus (as I like to call it) later, seeing as I will be working with it for quite some time.

After training we headed over to Claire and Kelvin Hughes’ (my host’s daughter’s family) for a bit before heading off to Mark and Georgie’s for a welcome Tea for Becca (not for me, though I was invited- that was a joke- though not as good as the one’s from Tea). It was a great time and got to see even more old friends and make some new ones from the Caerphilly church. The food was great- there was this chicken sandwich thing that had some sauce that was almost like some sort of BBQ slaw- crazy good.

After Tea we headed back to the Hughes’ house for dinner and babysitting. Yeah, you heard right. And they’ve got four children, no typo. But they were a joy! Becca and I got to eat Domino’s delivery and then played American sports with the children for hours before it got dark. Then we went in to look at more sports and managed to get Xbox Minecraft fired up just in time for the children to be sent off to bed. We chatted for a bit and then I was delivered back to my homestead.

It was such an eventful day and I am so glad to be back. It’s all been such an amazing experience so far and tomorrow I get to complete my first Ponty-area Sabbath tour. I’ll explain more about that tomorrow.