Home again (England 2008)

Have you ever returned home from a trip and found that you're wide awake in what should be the middle of the night? Well, that's where I'm at right now. I've been awake for over two hours and need to go back to sleep but there are too many things running through my mind and my body clock still seems to be stuck in England. You've see, I've just returned from a wonderful two week holiday (vacation).

The purpose of my trip was to attend the Newfrontiers: Together on a Mission Conference in Brighton, England. Since it's a long ways away, I went early with the group to get adjusted to the time. We stayed in London for three days and enjoyed the sights (changing of the guard, Westminster Abbey, Cabinet War Rooms, Tower of London, Portrait Museum, Imperial War Museum and the sights and sounds of London). Then we went on to Brighton via the bus and attended the conference. It was outstanding and challenging. It's amazing how a few speakers can cut staight to the heart of things and reminded me directly of the calling and work that God has to do in my life. Some of the things seem awfully big but God is bigger than the obstacles ahead. When the conference was finished we went out to Arundel on the train and toured this amazing castle. It's my favorite castle in England at this point at least.

Then we went North to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare's hometown, and a quaint little tourist town in the Heart of England. While we were there we toured Warwick Castle, the best Medival Castle in Europe (at least it's billed that way) and then did the Shakespeare Tour where we went through his birthplace, Anne Hathaway's Cottage (where his wife was born) and Mary Arden's Farm (Shakespeare's mom's house). We concluded the day attending A Midsummer's Night Dream produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company which was a magnificent conclusion of the day. The theater crammed 1000 people into a very intimate theater. We had great seats just six rows away from the side of the main stage.

Two weeks is a long time to be away from home but it was awfully nice not to have to cook or do laundry for that long. Now it's time to go back to bed and then get up in the morning energized to get to work (do the laundry, clean up the luggage and make meals).