I know it has been a week since I have updated, but we have been pretty busy! I am not sure that I can even remember everything that has gone on, but I will tell you all of the interesting things at least.
On Sunday we were supposed to help with Junior Church (children's church) but unfortunately there were only kids that were under the age of 5 and they do something separate from the other kids. So that is something you can be praying for. We would like to see all aged children come regularly. Some weeks there will be none and others there will be 10 so it is always hard to plan because you don't know what you will be working with! But instead of going to Junior Church we got to hear David's message! He preach on legalism. It was a very good message for me to hear! After the service we had a meal! Just like at the home the Baptist here love to eat! haha After the meal we got to experience our first church meeting (business meeting). They are similar to the one's at home except the whole church doesn't vote on everything. The teams (committees) are the ones that decide how they want things done. Like...someone in the church can say they would like something done and whatever committee that concerns are the ones who get to decide how it is going to be done. So that is interesting..the meetings don't seem to last as long as the ones at home. Well anyways, during this meeting Joey and I got to tell the church what are plans are for the first few months. So you all may know some of the things going on but there is more! Of course you know about the Holiday Club coming up! We are also starting a new bible study on Thursday nights for ages 16-25. Jo will be like the teacher. Also once a month on Sunday nights there will be a service for young adults that will be run by the young adults here at the church. Our first meeting is the 2nd Sunday night of October. This meeting will just be for those of us at the church so that we can get to know each other and kind of plan how we would like to go about planning the services! Joey will also be the speaker for that. Also we will be kind of organizing Junior Church starting 2 Sundays from now. So as you can see there is a lot going on and I am sure there will be more to come! So our first church meeting went very well!!
So we would ask that you pray for all these things going on! We are so excited and can't wait to see where God is going with all this! Please pray for us to stay focused on what God would have us do!Tonight will be the first time that the young adults meet as a class, so please pray for us and pray for Joey that he would say what the Lord wants him to! You can also be praying for Kaelee who is working with us until December! We have already become good friends!
We love and miss you all!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
The Cinema!
Hello everyone!
We are still having such a good time!! I think the last thing I told was about the Phase 10 game with Ian and Phil and that was on Monday night! So now I will tell you about our adventures on Tuesday and Wednesday and what has gone on so far today. So Tuesday we spent all day at the church working on Holiday Club stuff and spending time with the Coffee shop girls. Tatiana is one of the girls who work in the coffee shop. She usually spends her lunch with me and Joey. We enjoy her company! Then Tuesday night we finished our Phase 10 game with our new brothers and we had a great chat with Phil (who won the game) afterwards. Ian went to bed because he lost. It was funny! That was the end of our Tuesday pretty much!
On Wednesday, we got up early and went to the church. We got to eat breakfast with the coffee shop workers. Bruce, the morning manager, cook the breakfast and it was really good! He asked me what was my favorite breakfast and I told him French Toast and so he told me that I could cook breakfast for us all the next day. So I was so excited the rest of the day to be able to cook for them. While sitting in the coffee shop Joey and I talked to some of the older people that are part of a group called the Together Group from the church. We engaged in some very lovely conversations with people. Kaelee and I left Jo to look at some Sunday School stuff and while we were sitting down a couple came over to sit with us. They were very interesting. We learned later that they had actually gotten told that they couldn't come back again until they could settle down. They seem like they have had a hard life and they also told us that they had learning disabilities. It was quite sad and they were like the first people that I had met like that here. But anyways...In the afternoon Kaelee, Joey, and I got on the bus and met Phil at the cinema. We went on "Orange Wednesday" so that we could get BOGO tickets. Orange is like their AT&T and Verizon and if you send a text message to them of some sort then they will give you a code and you just tell that to the cinema clerk. It was really neat. The movie we saw was really stupid but it was fun going to the cinema...They don't call it the movies like we do obviously haha. After the three of us rode the bus back to the church and went to Guides (like our girl scouts) and met all the girls there. Then we waited on David until after 9:00 to get out of a meeting. It was one of those meetings that make you wonder why you ever became a pastor. So you all could pray for him! There is a few things going on that are hard for any pastor to deal with. One being that there is a couple here that is getting a divorce and their children aren't doing well with everything and another being that there is a mom who can't cope with her daughter who is pregnant out of wedlock. So now you have a little idea of what he might might be going through. I know he would appreciate your prayers. So after going home David fixed us something to eat! We had toast with beans on top and fried egg on top of that! AHH it was awesome!!! It sounds kind of gross but it was actually quite nice!!!!! Then it was off to bed for us!
So now today!! We got up early and went to the church! I did get to cook French Toast! I made it with vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar mixed in with the egg. They don't usually put all that in the egg but they all seemed to really like it! I was glad they did! David really like it because Jo picked up some chocolate and hazelnut spread to put on it. David loves anything chocolate! As for the rest of the day we are spending it in the coffee shop and then tonight we will go to church!!
Prayer request: The divorcing couple; The girl who is having a baby; Bruce, who works in the coffee shop is an alcoholic; alcoholism is BIG here so you can pray for that; The Holiday Club; and Joey and I will always welcome your prayers!
We love and miss you all!!
Joey and Brooke
We are still having such a good time!! I think the last thing I told was about the Phase 10 game with Ian and Phil and that was on Monday night! So now I will tell you about our adventures on Tuesday and Wednesday and what has gone on so far today. So Tuesday we spent all day at the church working on Holiday Club stuff and spending time with the Coffee shop girls. Tatiana is one of the girls who work in the coffee shop. She usually spends her lunch with me and Joey. We enjoy her company! Then Tuesday night we finished our Phase 10 game with our new brothers and we had a great chat with Phil (who won the game) afterwards. Ian went to bed because he lost. It was funny! That was the end of our Tuesday pretty much!
On Wednesday, we got up early and went to the church. We got to eat breakfast with the coffee shop workers. Bruce, the morning manager, cook the breakfast and it was really good! He asked me what was my favorite breakfast and I told him French Toast and so he told me that I could cook breakfast for us all the next day. So I was so excited the rest of the day to be able to cook for them. While sitting in the coffee shop Joey and I talked to some of the older people that are part of a group called the Together Group from the church. We engaged in some very lovely conversations with people. Kaelee and I left Jo to look at some Sunday School stuff and while we were sitting down a couple came over to sit with us. They were very interesting. We learned later that they had actually gotten told that they couldn't come back again until they could settle down. They seem like they have had a hard life and they also told us that they had learning disabilities. It was quite sad and they were like the first people that I had met like that here. But anyways...In the afternoon Kaelee, Joey, and I got on the bus and met Phil at the cinema. We went on "Orange Wednesday" so that we could get BOGO tickets. Orange is like their AT&T and Verizon and if you send a text message to them of some sort then they will give you a code and you just tell that to the cinema clerk. It was really neat. The movie we saw was really stupid but it was fun going to the cinema...They don't call it the movies like we do obviously haha. After the three of us rode the bus back to the church and went to Guides (like our girl scouts) and met all the girls there. Then we waited on David until after 9:00 to get out of a meeting. It was one of those meetings that make you wonder why you ever became a pastor. So you all could pray for him! There is a few things going on that are hard for any pastor to deal with. One being that there is a couple here that is getting a divorce and their children aren't doing well with everything and another being that there is a mom who can't cope with her daughter who is pregnant out of wedlock. So now you have a little idea of what he might might be going through. I know he would appreciate your prayers. So after going home David fixed us something to eat! We had toast with beans on top and fried egg on top of that! AHH it was awesome!!! It sounds kind of gross but it was actually quite nice!!!!! Then it was off to bed for us!
So now today!! We got up early and went to the church! I did get to cook French Toast! I made it with vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar mixed in with the egg. They don't usually put all that in the egg but they all seemed to really like it! I was glad they did! David really like it because Jo picked up some chocolate and hazelnut spread to put on it. David loves anything chocolate! As for the rest of the day we are spending it in the coffee shop and then tonight we will go to church!!
Prayer request: The divorcing couple; The girl who is having a baby; Bruce, who works in the coffee shop is an alcoholic; alcoholism is BIG here so you can pray for that; The Holiday Club; and Joey and I will always welcome your prayers!
We love and miss you all!!
Joey and Brooke
Monday, September 20, 2010
City Center!
I told you I would tell you what Boys Brigade was when I found it so I will tell you now! It is something that we don't really have at home. It is kind of a mix between boy scouts and acteens. Something like that! They boys that are involved can earn badges and they learn about safety like boy scouts would, but they are affiliated with a church. There are many churches that do this kind of like acteens. There is always a devotion and things like that. It is actually pretty neat!
If you will remember I mention about the BMS action team on Friday. Well Saturday night we had a "social" with them and it was a blast!! For dinner or tea we had our first experience of British Chinese food! It was very different actually..haha but it was delicious!! They have prawn crackers which I don't think I have ever seen that back home. We played a lot of fun games and really got to know the action team and a few people from the church.
On Sunday we went to church like we normally would back home, but of course the service was quite different! The preaching is way shorter if you can believe that. The do sing the same songs as us though so that was good for us. During the service they have what they call Sunday School, but it is really just for the kids and there is no Sunday School like we would have. After the service this Sunday they had communion and anyone is allowed to take it. It doesn't have to be a church member or anything like that. The deacons of the church do not serve the communion like at home. This Sunday it was all women who served which was kind of different for us. They have communion twice a month. Then after all that and usually after the regular service they have coffee, tea, and cake which we love!!! It is just a time to fellowship with everyone. I don't think this happens at every church, because every church doesn't have a coffee shop in it!
After church we went home with Mrs. Pat, a lady from the church. She was keeping the action team girls at her house so we all at lunch together along with one of the action team boys. For Sunday lunch. most people have the same thing...a roast (chicken in our case), vegetables, gravy, and pudding for dessert! Pudding is like cobbler! It was sooooo yummy!!!! And we had such sweet conversation with all these people!! Then that night we had dinner with a few people from the church at Harvester, a restaurant near here. We had a really good time.
So today, Kaelee, from Texas that is working with us, took Jo and I to Birmingham city center! Ian and Philip, David's sons, took her there when she got here so she was able to show us what she learned. We would say down town though. It was quite nice! It was our first time to ride the city bus. We ate at a pizza hut! haha We just enjoyed being able to see the city! After coming home we rested a while then had dinner or tea! Then Joey and I played Phase 10 with Ian and Philip and we really had a great time!! These guys are soo much fun! They are like the little brothers Joey and I never had!! (except they are both way taller than us and Ian is almost my age!!) Now we are about to go to bed and wait to see what tomorrow may hold for us!
Well that's it for now! If you can think of any questions that you might have about what we are doing just leave a comment or facebook me and I will answer to the best of my ability!!
Love you all and miss you!!!!
Joey and Brooke!!!
If you will remember I mention about the BMS action team on Friday. Well Saturday night we had a "social" with them and it was a blast!! For dinner or tea we had our first experience of British Chinese food! It was very different actually..haha but it was delicious!! They have prawn crackers which I don't think I have ever seen that back home. We played a lot of fun games and really got to know the action team and a few people from the church.
On Sunday we went to church like we normally would back home, but of course the service was quite different! The preaching is way shorter if you can believe that. The do sing the same songs as us though so that was good for us. During the service they have what they call Sunday School, but it is really just for the kids and there is no Sunday School like we would have. After the service this Sunday they had communion and anyone is allowed to take it. It doesn't have to be a church member or anything like that. The deacons of the church do not serve the communion like at home. This Sunday it was all women who served which was kind of different for us. They have communion twice a month. Then after all that and usually after the regular service they have coffee, tea, and cake which we love!!! It is just a time to fellowship with everyone. I don't think this happens at every church, because every church doesn't have a coffee shop in it!
After church we went home with Mrs. Pat, a lady from the church. She was keeping the action team girls at her house so we all at lunch together along with one of the action team boys. For Sunday lunch. most people have the same thing...a roast (chicken in our case), vegetables, gravy, and pudding for dessert! Pudding is like cobbler! It was sooooo yummy!!!! And we had such sweet conversation with all these people!! Then that night we had dinner with a few people from the church at Harvester, a restaurant near here. We had a really good time.
So today, Kaelee, from Texas that is working with us, took Jo and I to Birmingham city center! Ian and Philip, David's sons, took her there when she got here so she was able to show us what she learned. We would say down town though. It was quite nice! It was our first time to ride the city bus. We ate at a pizza hut! haha We just enjoyed being able to see the city! After coming home we rested a while then had dinner or tea! Then Joey and I played Phase 10 with Ian and Philip and we really had a great time!! These guys are soo much fun! They are like the little brothers Joey and I never had!! (except they are both way taller than us and Ian is almost my age!!) Now we are about to go to bed and wait to see what tomorrow may hold for us!
Well that's it for now! If you can think of any questions that you might have about what we are doing just leave a comment or facebook me and I will answer to the best of my ability!!
Love you all and miss you!!!!
Joey and Brooke!!!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Orange Squash?
Hello from England!!! We are already having a great time! We got here yesterday morning and had breakfast with David and his father-in-law. Then, since we were so tired from our long plane rides we took a nap. Then we got ready and had dinner (Salmon, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, and cucumber). Most of you know that I am not a fish or vegetable fan, but it really wasn't that bad. I felt terrible thought because I wasn't really hungry and couldn't eat all my food! Everyone else had a clean plate. But The Barber's (who we are staying with) didn't seem to mind. Joey and I were also able to get unpacked before we headed off to church. They have mid week services on Thursday here. After that we went home and David explained to us what we would be doing today. Then we were able to talk to a few of our family members.
So today we got up early and left at 9:15 to go with Bro. David to a funeral. Funerals here are very different from back home. Here they can only last about 20 minutes because a different service is held every 30 minutes at the same place. So the ministers have to keep it very short! It was quite odd! There are also only a few ministers who will preach funerals. The services are held at the crematorium. They don't bury much here. Most people are cremated.
After the funeral service we came to the church! We have loved every minute of it here! We have met a lot of people here. Oh last night we met the girl that is here from Texas. She has been here for a week and a day! So we have been here at the church with her! We have been meeting people in the coffee shop and just talking to people! There is also a group of 4 teenagers that are here from the BMS (Baptist Missionary Society) They are from all over England and they will be going to South Africa together for 6 months! They are here for the weekend I think and they are doing team building activities. We will get to be involved in that and are excited!! We have also found ourselves already picking up on the accent here. We sound kind of silly!!haha
We absolutely love it here!! We were kind of scared about coming into this culture because of all the "advice" we were giving. We were told back home not to try to be funny or tell jokes but that is all these people do!! lol they are hilarious!!! Also we were warned about the food, but it is not all bad. They don't have flavored coffee! It's kinda sad! lol But we love it so far. We haven't done too much yet! Tonight Jo will do 2 10 minute devotions tonight at the Boys Brigade...not sure what that really is but we will find out later!
I will try to do by best to keep you all updated! Please pray that we would continue to love it here!! Also pray that we would know the Lord's guidance for what we should do while we are here!! We love and miss you all!!
So today we got up early and left at 9:15 to go with Bro. David to a funeral. Funerals here are very different from back home. Here they can only last about 20 minutes because a different service is held every 30 minutes at the same place. So the ministers have to keep it very short! It was quite odd! There are also only a few ministers who will preach funerals. The services are held at the crematorium. They don't bury much here. Most people are cremated.
After the funeral service we came to the church! We have loved every minute of it here! We have met a lot of people here. Oh last night we met the girl that is here from Texas. She has been here for a week and a day! So we have been here at the church with her! We have been meeting people in the coffee shop and just talking to people! There is also a group of 4 teenagers that are here from the BMS (Baptist Missionary Society) They are from all over England and they will be going to South Africa together for 6 months! They are here for the weekend I think and they are doing team building activities. We will get to be involved in that and are excited!! We have also found ourselves already picking up on the accent here. We sound kind of silly!!haha
We absolutely love it here!! We were kind of scared about coming into this culture because of all the "advice" we were giving. We were told back home not to try to be funny or tell jokes but that is all these people do!! lol they are hilarious!!! Also we were warned about the food, but it is not all bad. They don't have flavored coffee! It's kinda sad! lol But we love it so far. We haven't done too much yet! Tonight Jo will do 2 10 minute devotions tonight at the Boys Brigade...not sure what that really is but we will find out later!
I will try to do by best to keep you all updated! Please pray that we would continue to love it here!! Also pray that we would know the Lord's guidance for what we should do while we are here!! We love and miss you all!!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The time is here!
Okay everybody, IT'S HERE!!! We are just hours from going to the airport to get on the plane!! Our flight goes a little like this: Birmingham, AL to Charlotte; Charlotte to New York JFK; JFK to Dublin; Dublin to.....BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND!! We are so ready just get there! All these airports make me nervous!! We got our insurance figured out! Praise God!!!! Today we were able to finish packing and see some of our family and tonight we are spending the night with daddy since he is taking us to the airport in the morning!
Pray that we sleep good tonight and be well rested for the long trip ahead of us! Pray for my nerves to be calmed because we all know Joey is laying back and saying "Eh it's all good!" even though it may not be! HAHA Well we are going to bed! We will write as soon as we can!!
Pray that we sleep good tonight and be well rested for the long trip ahead of us! Pray for my nerves to be calmed because we all know Joey is laying back and saying "Eh it's all good!" even though it may not be! HAHA Well we are going to bed! We will write as soon as we can!!
Monday, September 13, 2010
We are almost ready!!!
We are so close to leaving! We are excited! We have bought our tickets and just want to hop on that plane! I (Brooke) am so nervous! I am trying to remember to just trust God and know that He is going to take care of us! That has been really hard though. It seems like all the little things that could go wrong have. We are still in the process of trying to purchase insurance. As I am writing this Joey is working on filling our everything on line and as soon as he hit submit there was an error with it and we don't know what it is! It is just things like that that keep happening. We know that everything will work out! There is only one person that doesn't want us to go and I know that he will not get what he wants!! We believe that something (we don't know what) awesome will happen while we are in England and the Devil will try all he can to stop us, but we trust that the Lord is faithful to us and we will make! We are just so ready to get there and begin our adventure!!
So please, please, please pray that things will begin going smoother!! Please pray for my nerves to be calmed!! Also pray that we will be able to get everything packed and ready by tomorrow afternoon so that we can sleep before we have our 23 hour trip to Birmingham!
So please, please, please pray that things will begin going smoother!! Please pray for my nerves to be calmed!! Also pray that we will be able to get everything packed and ready by tomorrow afternoon so that we can sleep before we have our 23 hour trip to Birmingham!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Visas are here!!
Our visas came yesterday!! Now all we have to do is finalize our medical insurance and buy tickets! We are hoping and praying that we can get them both today!! We are so excited and can't wait to leave. I imagine leaving our family will be very difficult as we are both very close to them all! We are so glad for technology though! We will be able to talk to everyone via skype and email and for that we are thankful! We recieved a HUGE blessing last night from our church family! They provided for us a "send off supper" and the had a money tree set up for us! We just feel so blessed to have the support of our church family and we will miss them all greatly!!
So please pray that we will be able to get our tickets and insurance today!!
So please pray that we will be able to get our tickets and insurance today!!
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