Long Time, No Talk. Long Time, Much Thanks!

Long time, no talk...

I have been down to London twice since I have been back! 

      So I realized that I haven't posted a blog since September and I thought that ought to change. Sorry for my silence, but to make up for that, I will be posting a few different reflections this month that I have written over the past 3 months since I have been back in Newcastle. Enjoy :)




Took my flatmate's family dogs out for a walk up in Alnwick with sheep roaming the field and the castle in the background! Classic England :)



Here we go! 
Post number 1,
from 28th November....



Long time, much thanks...

    Today is the day after Thanksgiving, and although for the rest of the country it is simply another Friday, for me it is a day to be thankful (as I ride the train down to London for a 2nd Year TFG conference). 
I would have done this yesterday , but I was too busy cooking an entire Turkey Day meal for two fellow Americans and my lovely flatmates :) -which is obviously number one on my list of gratitude.

Joined my cousin in London for the US vs Columbia football match.

It was a great day of cooking (with help from an Nebraskan native who is in Newcastle to get her masters), watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and all 10 Thanksgiving episodes of "Friends." 
Then we brought American traditions to Britain at little ol' 56 Ashleigh Grove, with all the fix-ins of the big meal, the breaking of the wishbone, a night stroll through the moor after dinner, and my flatmate even prepared some fun USA Quizes to really make the night a blast!

But generally, I feel the need to reflect back on the last two months, as they seem to have gone by in such a blur!

    October was, admittedly, quite tough, with a combination of bad health, rocky relationships, and a lack of faith in how God was using me at JMC. Despite how busy I was in September with freshers and welcoming past students back, all that excitement and energy seemed to produce no fruit (excuse the cringe Christian metaphor). Although I have such a great support system here in Newcastle that was so reassuring through it all, it is very difficult to not let a lack of results affect the way you judge your "success."
But, as God does (as if it amuses him sometimes- I can just see him watching down, chuckling to himself, "silly Elie"), he pulled through this past month, without any action on my part!

I am still working on my musical side in the JMC worship
team on sunday mornings.

I got my health back on track, let go of stress from relationships, and JMC was suddenly filled with new people eager to become apart of our quirky little family :). 
One great example, was the Christian Union Church Search, which rarely brings in any new students for us. Normally, I would go each Sunday, sit around for 10 minutes, and then leave alone. Rob and I had discussed whether or not it was a good use of our time, but thought that the week we aren't there, will be the week someone shows. And low and behold, that very Sunday as I arrived and got out my JMC sign, two students immediately bee-lined their way to me!

Now we have a second student group started, a new young professionals house group going, and by the third song on a Sunday morning service, the Church is full! 
It was a humbling lesson learned (as it always seems to be), that God has his own time and plan, and all I can do is pray that my work is in line with that "schedule." 

This year's UK YAGM group has some gems that I am so
glad to have the opportunity to meet! Including this lovely
lady, Anastasia, who is doing amazing work in a small
town just south of London. Please keep all the new volunteers
in your thoughts and prayers (especially with the coming
Holiday season they will be spending away from home)!

Apart from work, I have had some great time spent getting to know the new UK YAGMs from London to Edinburgh! And now, here I am again on a train--a favorite part of British culture--, eating Thanksgiving leftovers--a favorite part of American culture--so there is much to be Thankful for.

Hanging out with a life-size (yeah, he was
 a short little man) sculpture of
Wesley- the main man of Methodist Church

Thanks G-man!
-Elie 

The other 2nd year volunteers in London for our conference. Only
three of us now, but our numbers will double next month as a few
January starters will be staying on for a second year as well!

The Beauty of a Needle in a Haystack...

Love being back and taking the
evening walks I fell so in love with
last year.

Sometimes God has a funny was of taking us by surprise. We may walk into some situations with certain expectations and enthusiasm, and we end up walking out with a different excitement than we had anticipated; yet still somehow meeting our expectations.

This month is crazy busy, with students returning and plenty of work to do at JMC...and I am so pumped! I have such a good feeling about this year, especially for the next few weeks--to meet new students and young professionals moving to the area, and make solid connections. My diary (British for a planner/schedule book) is filled with events at the university and JMC to welcome people to Newcastle and put myself in the right place at the right time to make these connections....but it seems that each day I come out with stronger and unexpected encounters from times and places outside the ones I have penciled in.

It took three brilliant examples for me to finally see the pattern...

1- I was working a stall at one of the welcome fairs last week, thinking that I would meet students that are really looking for that home away from home, and we (the university chaplaincy team) would be there to help. Instead, God gave me a taste of home myself! One of the students I greeted, of hundreds at the fair, had an American accent, so naturally I got all "USA proud" (as I do when I meet another American...it's a rare occurrence here), and asked him where he was from. When he said Colorado, I got even more geeky-excited, because I have never met another Colorado native in the UK, let alone Newcastle of all places. And to make this world even smaller, and make the encounter a bit more unbelievable, he said he was from the Vail Valley! Completely unexpectedly, I met probably the only other valley kid to have ever lived in Newcastle. We knew each others siblings and were flabbergasted at the coincidence because, for those of you who don't know, Vail is a very small and tight community. But apparently the world can be even smaller :)

Who would ever expect the preacher to ask you to sleep
through their sermon?...mine :) in order to create an image of
waking up and shedding the comfort of our personal
"sleeping bags", Katie asked me to crawl into this bag
and take a 10 min nap as she gave her sermon on Sunday.

2- I was booked in to help with the international student meet and greet last week. So when I arrived at the Student Union and saw a table with another Chaplin helping hand out coffees, I walked over and started pouring hot drinks and chatting with the students who turned up. I had quite a few good conversations and welcomed students from all over the world. There were two students who I had a great conversation with and connected them to some helpful information for their first few weeks. It was a great afternoon and they were very sweet and thankful for the event. When we were cleaning up, I asked one of the student volunteers if she was going to be at the next week's meet and greet. She laughed and told me, "the meet and greet is going on in that room right now, this was the student life coffee lounge." I had been in the wrong room! Honestly I felt very silly, but it turned out that again my expectations were twisted, and although I was at the wrong event, I made those solid connections (and I don't think Student Life minded me helping out either haha).

3- And to really drive the message home: we had a few newbies at JMC's Sunday service this weekend, which was great! But, as I was apart of the worship band that morning, I wasn't able to welcome and meet them all until after the service. So when we found that one girl (who had come to the service on her own) left early, I was bummed that I didn't get the chance to talk with her or get her name.

The next day, I was working another stall at the Fresher's fair. It was buzzing with hundreds of students and over 50 stalls! So as I was leaving when my shift was done, you can imagine I was trying to sift through tight crowds to get to the exit. And randomly, through the mass of students, I bumped into that very girl from Sunday! I said hello and she explained that she's sorry she had to leave early, but she really enjoyed the service. We agreed how lucky our chance run in was and made a plan to have coffee later this week :) again God surprised me and twisted my expectations.

I don't know how, and I fully give that up to God, but I know this year is gonna be a good year :)

Cheers for Now!

-Elie

Some people in the states asked me what English Muffins are called here...well there you have it! They are simply called "muffins."

#Failbetter

Found this gem in Vail :)

I'm Back!

After spending a solid 3 days asleep (jetlag), I'm back in good ol' Geordie Land, and have hit the ground running!
Back to leadership training days, meetings in preparation for the arrival of the students (which is just around the corner!), catching up with friends, and of course back to Sunday mornings at Jesmond Methodist Church. All this activity and excitement makes me so thankful for my time back home in the Mountains to relax and play.

As blessed I have been here in Newcastle, it did not take long to be reminded of the amazing support and blessings I have back in the states. I was reminded of the beauty in Colorado that I got to call my backyard growing up: hiking, biking, paddle boarding, off-roading, and even just looking at it all! I spent time with my amazing family and life-long friends that prove, it did "take a village" to raise this kid. And what a village I am lucky enough to call home :)

Left: Took my dad's Jeep up the mountain to hike around Piney Lake

Right: Some of my childhood friends that I got to catch up with while I was home.



Left: I was able to make it up to Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp for a week, which was such an amazing time as always :)

Right: I had time to relax and just be (my parent's home)








Left: More of my friends supporting me at my "Very British Evening" fundraising night.


Right: Hiked up Pitkin Lake Trail behind my friend's house.





Although I will always be a mountain girl at heart, it was time to get back to Newcastle and the home I've found here for one more year.

So looking at all that lies ahead this year and all the plans being devised and set in motion, one quote has sprung up to the forefront of my thoughts.

While in Dublin with a fellow YAGM last year, exploring the Trinity College campus, we came across the hashtag "#Failbetter." The quote preceding the hastag read, "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."


Looking forward to this year, I hope to take on this mantra fully and give my all to JMC for one last year. We will be doing a lot of the same, and even more new things here at the church and in the surrounding community. I want to approach each situation with such enthusiasm and hope that we blow people away, or fail more epically. It may seem a bit mad, but isn't that what faith is sometimes? A bit mad?


So, here we go. Round two. Faith is fully in God's hands. And JMC is gonna #Failbetter!





Cheers for Now!
-Elie

Year One...Check!

Newcastle Quayside looking beautiful!

It’s crazy to think that is has been a year since I left everything in the States and headed out to live in England. And not London (what we Americans are sometimes guilty of summating the whole of the country to), but to a city in the North I had never heard of; to take on a position, which I wasn’t even sure of the job description; to live in a community where I knew no one; and to live there for a year without returning! Before my last year at Gonzaga University, I wasn’t sure I would ever even get the opportunity to visit Europe, let alone live in Britain for two years! And now here I am, on the plane ride home for a visit before I go back to Newcastle for round 2.

Flashback! UK YAGM Abby and I on our
way to England last August.

As cliché as it is, it seems I was just at home and at the same time, life in Newcastle has a comfort as though it has been my reality for years. Honestly, I’m a bit nervous to see just how much “counter-culture” shock I subconsciously pass over this month back in the states. I’m anticipating the first time I make someone blush by asking if I can use their “toilet” rather than their “restroom,” just as it used to make me cringe when I first arrived in the UK. But apart from the English language variations, I have about a hundred things running through my mind as I make my way home (could be out of boredom from the 9 hour flight, but oh well!)

It’s tough to contain 11 months in a quick reflection, but this last week has been the perfect snap shot of what my year was like. Starting with a visit from Abby (another YAGM in England) and an attempt to get out for the night while saving some pennies with wowcha (like groupon)—we ended up in a new and fascinating corner of the city center that took us by surprise, reminding me of all my adventures with the UK YAGMs this year and how we experienced so many new things together.

American style BBQ with JMC folk
earlier this summer.

Next was, of course, the Sunday service at JMC. I played my guitar again, highlighting just how far I have come from barely knowing three chords when I arrived, and the family feel was practically tangible. To say that the service was an “all hands on deck,” effort would be most accurate! This week’s local preacher noted (speaking to the congregation), “you may just be in the minority if, by the end of the service, you haven’t been up front to speak at some point.” It was a service that captured the sincerity and closeness of this community that I have fallen in love with this year.

I had a couple leaving dos throughout the week with various people, reminding me of all the wonderful connections I’ve made and relationships I have been blessed with this year. Not only that, but Wednesday night was a nice, clear night so we went to the Quayside, and it was impossible for any of us to deny what a beautiful city Newcastle is—we are so lucky! It was also a plus that each occasion was filled with reminiscing over the year, lots of laughter, and confirmation that this is where God wants me to be.

So next to my excitement to be less than three hours from Colorado, and my extreme thankfulness for all this year has been, I have many people on heart…

I pray for the JMC family: for all the support and love they have shown me in so many ways, and for so warmly welcoming me into their community. I pray for Brother Ian: for always bringing such joy wherever he went (as well as all others in hospital right now and their loved ones). I pray for my flatmates: for being such fun to live with, weather we be dancing around a “Mexican” hat for a last minute Cinco de Mayo recognition, or getting overly (but perfectly acceptably) excited when the take away arrives. And finally I pray for the other UK YAGMs: for fun memories and the wonderful friendships I have found in each of them!

Candles representing all the YAGMs throughout the world
this Year, lit in Chicago last August at our orientation.

Please keep all of these in your prayers as well, especially as the YAGMs (UK and across the globe) say their goodbyes and make their way back home.Thank you again for the love and support this year, and I’ll be back in September!

Cheers for now!

-Elie

(Below is a collage I made of my year with an application a fellow YAGM shared, which is appropriately titled "If I stay." I used some photos of the most memorable events, places, and people that made up my first year in Newcastle.)

Sweet Pea

(Photo from the train of the sun setting at 10pm in early June!)

So June 21st was this Saturday, which means we are officially well into the summer season. Although, I am currently in the cafe comfortably sipping a hot drink in a sweater and scarf...it seems someone forgot to tell Newcastle that it is June! Yes the sun is only absent from the sky 11:30pm to 3:30am these days, but shorts and flipflop weather is not an everyday reality for summer in the Northeast of England. But I am not one to complain- as a Colorado girl at heart, the cold never bothered me anyway (yes that was a shameless Frozen plug).

However, one obvious sign of summer has been all the green growth lining the streets and flowers bringing color to the neighborhood. One flower in particular I am excited to see bloom is the Sweet Pea. 

Beginning in early September, Sweet Peas have taken on a significant role in my year. 

At our very first Time For God (TFG) conference, we were each handed a different bag of seeds to write our name on, and as you may have guessed, mine were Sweet Peas. 

We then anonymously redistributed the packs of seeds to another volunteer to take home and plant-- keeping that individual in your prayers for the year.

Fast forward to a meeting with some of the JMC leadership, during a time when I was struggling a bit with stress and homesickness. And without the knowledge of my TFG flower support system, one of our stewards gave me advice and encouragement using the metaphor of a Sweet Pea reaching up to the sun for energy.

Fast forward again to a Cliff College conference-- one of the TFG field officers had been doodling a picture in the lecture, and approached me at the break saying she felt like she needed to give it to me for some reason. It was a sketch of two flowers rising up to catch the sun rays with a quote from Psalm 3.

All I could hear was Bill Engvall (Blue Collar Comedy Tour) in my head saying, "Heeeerrrrreeeee's your sign!"

So I told our minister Rob and he planted some Sweet Peas in his garden.

As you can imagine, those seeds, that were planted this winter and have since slipped my mind, have now bloomed into a beautiful batch of Sweet Peas. These gorgeous flowers that have held such significance in my year, went unseen all winter, until suddenly there they were. Fully bloomed and smelling wonderful-- reminding me of a support that I had forgoten I had this year. 

It is a humbling lesson I experienced at Gonzaga University and truly believe we all need reminding every now and then. It is a realization that love and support are always more present than we will ever know or see. An, "invisible love," if you'd like. Even though the Sweet Peas were not in bloom all winter, even though I didn't see them until this summer, they were still there in the ground, growing and developing a root system.

Some of the Sweet Peas from Rob's garden

Just as I am that "invisible love" and prayer support for the TFG volunteer whose flowers I have, we each have those sources of unseen support we will never know exist. But when you take a moment to think about it, it can be so encouraging and refreshing. 

I realize this is a very vague reflection, but maybe part of the power of "invisible love" is that we aren't meant to fully grasp or understand it. 

So today I simply ask you to pass it on. Pray for the TFG volunteers, pray for the YAGM program, and pray for my community.

And as always thank you for your continued love and support!

Cheers for now

-Elie

*Today I would like to give a special thanks to Eagle River Presbyterian Church in Eaglevail, CO for being an amazing source of "invisible love" and tangible support!

Seconds Are A Blessing!!

UK YAGM ladies back at Cliff College.
 Gonna miss them next year!!

At Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp, we have a saying to indicate when the campers are welcome to a second helping of food if desired...we simply shout out, "SECONDS ARE A BLESSING!"
This helps to let them know that everyone has had a chance to eat and remind them of how blessed they are to have the option of seconds.

This year has been such an amazing experience and being apart of the Jesmond Methodist Church family has brought me such joy from day one! Which is why I am so incredibly happy that I can now officially say, in regards to my year with JMC....SECONDS ARE A BLESSING!!!
That's right, I will be staying on for a second year with JMC (after a month back in the States this summer to renew my visa and visit home of course!!).

Although YAGM (Young Adult in Global Mission with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) is only a year long program, our sister programme here in the UK (Time For God or TFG) offers a second year option. So after putting much thought and reflection into my experience this year, and the possibility of what a second year would look like, I decided to do a second year as the student and young professional coordinator with Jesmond Methodist Church. Of course with blessings from my community, the JMC leadership, YAGM, TFG, and most importantly....my mother ;)

One of the JMC students enjoying the waves at
our Alpha Away Day on the coast

Knowing I will be back for a second year has put many plans in motion for JMC and what my job will look like when the next University year begins.
It has been wonderful watching the younger community members of the JMC family grow in fellowship and to see new talent emerge in our worship team, and I hope this growth continues into next year. Above all this, I am looking forward to helping new leaders step forward and find confidence in their role in the congregation. We may be a smaller church, but this only opens more opportunity for our members to grasp this personal importance.

Now begins another effort to make this happen. Now begins a 2nd round of fundraising!
This time around I will be collecting the fundraising, as I am now responsible for the Travel expenses and fees for Time For God.  My community here in Newcastle is going to be an amazing help over the next few months towards my funding, but it would be great to have some support from the States as well!

Regardless of if you are able to help me reach my monetary goal (Flight expenses and 1,200 pounds/2,020 dollars for TFG fees), I would love to have your prayer support throughout the next year more than anything.
Feel free to email me with any questions about how you can support me, and as always, I can't thank you enough for the love and support over this year so far!!

Cheers for now,
and remember....SECONDS ARE A BLESSING!!
-Elie 

Please Help Bring Me Back To This Beautiful City!

 

Picture Perfect Pup

 The other day I was walking home from meeting some students in town, and as I was passing some terraced houses, I spotted an adorable black lab poking its head through the fence. Her owner was a petite old woman who smiled, asking the lab, "Who's that?" So I took this as an invitation to stop, and asked permission to pet the pup....

Me: Would you mind?
Owner: Not at all!
Me: She is precious! What's she called?
Owner: Louise. She used to be able to nearly hop right through the fence when she was little.
Me: Well she is a sweetheart.
Owner: Yeah she loves the attention...

As I was petting her lab and chatting away, I had a momentary day dream about how this sweet old woman and I might meet like this again and possibly share wisdom and life stories over a nice cuppa one day; just like you see in the movies. But this image, and our conversation, was suddenly interrupted when Louise unexpectedly got sick on the pavement!

The woman apologized and explained that the lab had been munching on the grass earlier. We shared sympathy for the pup, before I turned towards home. The woman called after, insuring that I would feel free to stop by and give the Louise some attention anytime she was outside. So I agreed, thanked her and continued on my way.

Crossing the next street, I couldn't help but giggle--such a seemingly, movie perfect interaction that took an odd little turn.
Life is not meant to be picture perfect, people. But you CAN see God's beauty (and sense of humor!) in almost any situation if you have the wisdom to laugh it off. :)

Cheers for Now!
-Elie

PS- I have some exciting news to share with you all in my next post! Stay tuned :)