Meet Ruth Black, my wonderful Northern Irish friend. She's still back at Capernwray, keeping everyone out of trouble, i'm sure.... 

Super Heros Janell and Allison... 

From our hike on satruday... 

This was in Barcelona (the second time). I think this is probably one of my fave pics from the trip... 

Things

Things that are just... wrong:
-Drinking instant coffee out of a plastic cup.
-Boys who swim in boxers (*caugh* Josh V)
-Boys who's duty is to vaccum.
-Being tired after 1/2 hours of hiking.
-Thinking I can do without coffee because I had 10 hours of sleep.

Things that are just... humorous:
-Having only 3 lectures a day.
-Seeing girls in teh ground floor boy's room.
-Being at a school where the staff/faculty are all outdoor Ken dolls or little Arnolds.
-Walking to the conference hall late adn passing the Director, principal and RA who smiled adn said "hi" rather than "why the heck are you late?!"
-Eating bananas at a bonfire.

Things that are just... werid:
-living in a ski town, right under a lift when there's not enough snow to ride.
-Being away from home not even to be with Josh. :(
-Not being allowed to listen to music aloud (oh but wait - I do. muahaha)
-Being so used to amazing/cool things that I'm rarely amazed.

Things that are just... rad:
-Being required to memorize Bible verses and write each week about what I've read.
-The cow bell.
-Chillin' in Austria with good friends.
-Nice showers.
-Mobile phones that transend rules.
-The T-hof staff.
-Having so much freedom that I can let go of my rights.
-Getting to hear John Allen this week.

So... it turns out that snowboarders and skiers really aren't all that different afterall. 

The top of that lift and around ot the right is where we spent most of out time at Kitzbuel.  

So violent. So funny. 

We took a hike on saturday... thankfully no one ended up like this.  

Testimonies...

Such a scary word,
implying a stage, sweaty hands and
a lame recounting of my average life.
At least until I am sat in my chair,
paper in front of me,
mind flipping through the pages of my life
to look hard at th e chapters and
phrases that wouldn't be there if
not for Jesus.
To actually notice the things Jesus does
over and over for this selfish little girl.
To imagine how to express those
experiences and lessons to the class or church,
sitting there just as uncomfrotable as me,
wondering why I'm doing this,
wondering if there's a real reason,
wondering how it can make a difference.
At leaste until I remember it's Jesus.
For Him I say this,
because of Him it's not up to me
and I'm not scared of
what I have seen and
testify.

Word of the Day:

Excitement.
For 2 reasons:
1st - God and His Word. Revelation fills me with so much excitement. I think part of that is due to how I respond to symbols and imagery, but also simply because of teh content. God has the most incredibly amazing outacontrol plan. He is powerful. He is just. He is mercify. He is perfect. His word is perfect - it fits together so crazy... the Bible (expecilaly Revelation) sends you on "treasure hunts" (in the words of Hans Peter Royer). Yaay!!
2nd - SNOW. I had forgotten how excited snow and the prospedct of snowboarding makes me. Being surorunded by snow sport peopel, in a ski town, with a lift and run out my window, having snowboarded less than a week ago and knowing I get to go again in May AND looking out the window during lectures to see snow falling.
Im really glad I gave God my attitude before today so that I can enjoy this.

It's Wednesday Again.

Last wednesday I said goodbye to someone I love.
Last wednesday I was in Spain
eating Churros and Chocolate, calamari and "perm" cheese.
Riding trains and busses and trams
not the usual way.
Riding next to a seat occupied by luggage,
not by the boy who has changed my life.
This wednesday started with a hello rather than a goodbye
A voice alone rather than person standing in front of me.
This wednesday I am settled rather than en rout
With some of the same people, but not all of them.
In review, last wednesday sounds worse.
In reality, this wednesday feels worse.
But last wednesday I said goodbye
So I tell myself this one is better.

Rio Vida... home for a week. 

Heh... Mike and Lisa were in the gondola. I for some reason decided it would be fun to snowboard down *that*. (It actually was. I laughed most of the way down.) 

Had to do it. 

w00t!!! This is Kitzbuel. Oh heck yes, I really was there. 

*grins* Us in Alacante... 

This is taken from in the Sea off the beach just down the road from Rio Vida in Alacante where we stayed for a week. 

The Gueill Park, also in Barcelona. We spent the afternoon here, just sitting in the sun, peopel watching and napping. 

Again, from the park across the street. 

The Sagrada Famillia in Barcelona - Gaudi's cathedral in the works. No words can describe. 

This is THE Pizzeria in Manarola. We ate here every day and thought about it every minute. The Pesto Pizza was ... Amazing. Janell espeically lived for it. 

Abbey Road in Pompeii. 

Pompeii.... yeah... I've seen older. 

Gelato... So good. This was our dietary staple for all of Italy.  

Manarola in Cinque Terre... mmmm love it. 

Italian Espresso. Oh the joy... Ally and Pammy are in the 3rd heaven. 

Group shot (for Danny...) in the Vatican Museum. 

Me and my South Carolinian love... 

Tauernhof

Arrived at the new home on sunday in one piece. Or rather, 4 pieces, you might say. Me, my backpack, my rolly duffel and... The Pillow.
I've been having attitude problems today, so I'm going to list off the GOOD things about being here right now (this is as much for me as it is for ya'll)...
The buildings. (very nice and cute and new)
The food. (it ... tastes. good. wow.)
The location. (we're IN a town, we dont have to pay 2pounds30 to get to one)
The 30 people from Capers. (even though I miss the rest)
The 40 new people. (so many oregonians. crazy.)
The staff. (i Way miss capers staff but i wont talk about it now. and martin and hans peter and the rest are cool i admit.)
The WIRELESS. (oh heck yes. i wont talk about the fact that mine isnt working right.)
The privacy. (i only have one roomate.)
The feeling of being unpacked for once.
The lectures. (yes for Bible school. sucks to have not been to church since Easter.)
The family groups. (yes i've been kicked out of the last family [Daveo and Jelly are still bro and sis...] but i now have BB and Dana)
There. It is as good place.
And I've gotta run....
Dinner in 10 minutes. Dinner that will taste good. Dinner that has already been paid for !!

Spain... ¿Again?

Goodbyes...
Airports...
Packing...
Sleepless nights (if only Girona were a bigger airport or that Barcelona weren´t SO hard to find a place to sleep at)...
Leaving one beautiful place for another...
Sunburns. nutella. weird white yogurt. going to the dungeon to watch a movie. pictures. laughing at how cute Janell is. paying cash. being amazed at all the palm trees. looking for the @ sign. speaking french on accident instead of spanish. discovering that people don´t even speak spanish here. seeing the torchbearer crest as sign of ´home´.
Realizing that this is one of the best times of my life...

Mmmm

Yesterday and today have been so beautiful. I can´t believe I am going from spending 3 days in the sand, soaking up the sun, listening to the waves and looking at the palm trees and deserty mountains to snowboarding in the Austrian Alps. *giddy laugh*
We have done absolutely nothing since we arrived in Alicant, seriously. We get up at 9 for breakfast and then go back to bed till anywhere betewen 12 and 2, then get up only long enough to get dressed and find somewhere else to lay about. (ie the beach or one of the decks) Sometimes we sit up long enough to play cards (dutch blitz or chinese) or watch a movie, but that´s about it. Today we´re being quite productive and have made it into town for a few hours. Love it. Yay Spain and yay friends who also enjoy being lazy.

Sorta Confusing but Sorta Normal

I dont know but I think Ive finally gotten used to the keys on the keyboard moving around on me, not exsiting at all, or having new little symbols on them depending on what country Im in. Also, I think Ive finally gotten used to just doing things online for memory, as all the words are (today) in spanish. Good times.
Right, yes, we´re in Spain this week. Green and blue sea, grey and yellow mountains, red-tiled villas, wind-damaged palm trees, amazing art, friendly (though rather unhelpful) people; I think I like it here. There is a weird thing with dog crap everywhere, though.... (yeeeeah) but other than that, NO complains.
So I dont know exactly how thorough the christian grape vine is (I know Capernwray´s is incredible) but I figured it was about time to post it on the internet that yes, I do have a boyfriend. ( :D ) He´s a wonderful South Carolinian boy named Josh Schreck and the rest you can email me and ask me about. Tragically it has been impossible to get to a computer that I can hook my flash drive up to, so no pics till I get to Tauernhof, most likely. Ya´ll can wait, I´m sure. :)
So yeah... life´s full of changes and suprises, hey? God sure is good.

Spring Break

I know I haven't posted for a while, and at €1.50/15 minutes it's gona be short.
Just to make things easier, I think I'll just say where we've been so far (just assume that I said 'we loved it' after every location)
London [Westminster Abby, London Eye, National Gallery, Tate Modern, Holy Trinity Brompton and Hillsong for Easter], Rome [colluseum, pantheon, spanish steps, trevi fountain, Vatican museum, St Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chappel... lots of shopping lots of people] Pompeii, Florence [didn't go see the David or Uffizi Gallery BUT it was lovely and we did a lot more shopping and eating and relaxing in the sun (no, I did not wear sunscreen muahahaa)], Manarola in Cinque Terre [took us an eternally long and mixed up train ride to get here, but it's so much more than worth it. ahhhhhh.]
We're supposedly meeting up with Mike and Lisa here, but that so far hasn't happened. But we'll be here for a few days non the less, then it's off to Spain!

Finals Week at Capernwray

It's not at all what one might expect a finals week to look like; normal lecures replaced with not exams or presentations but worship and sharing and O.T. reading. Study is replaced with long conversations, last minute rule breaking and packing. One thing remains the same: no sleep.
This really is a good week, though.

Good things yesterday:
Getting up 10 minutes before the breakfast bell (it's a record) and singing "Going to the Chappel" as the wake up call for the express reason of annoying Justin.
Frosties for breakfast.
Rob mentioning "Short Circut" in lectures.
Rob lecturing.
Final session of "Hinds Feet" spent on amazing limestone cliffs with friends and hot chocolate.
Erin letting me pack as much stuff as I wanted in her suitcase.
Only one evening lecture.
Tie Dye with Leslie!
Capernwray Unplugged cd arrival.

Good things today:
Sleeping in half an hour.
Family breakfast.
Year book signing (people signing mine, not me signing theirs).
Last trip to Lancaster.
£111 for peace of mind.
Plane tickets to Paris.
Friends.

Thankyou Jesus

We've had the director from Tauernhof, Hans Peter Royer, speaking to us this week on "Turning Truth into Experience". I can't explain any other way than to say it's been powerfuly simple and profound at the same time. One of the first things he spoke to us on was just the simple obediance of saying "thankyou" to God when ever *anything* happens. So this week, when stupid little things have gone wrong, I've tried to work on that. Haven't always been successful, naturally, but it has been pretty cool as far as seeing the results (my sanity).
Some of those cool little things that God's done this week:
Left extra weight in Erin and my suitacases so that I can send more with her and mail less.
Provided a hostel yesterday for Ester weekend (yeah I thought we were gona live on the street).
Gave a lot of people the inclination to be really nice and cool and helpful.

£52 Box

Hm. It's interesting how it's costing so much more to mail stuff to austria than it is to fly there. More even than flying to Italy, Spain and Austria combined. Hm. Yeah my laptop's worth more than me.
Well, it's good to be home. A little werid... for a number of reasons. Every few hours BJ and I find eachother cos we miss eachother, and every time I see Ashley or Becky I hug them. It's also a little weird because instead of lectures today each team is sharing about their experiences over the last 10 days. Some people think today is pretty much the most borring day we've ever had, but I so far have loved hearing about everyone's outreach and how God has been working and how amazing the church in Britain is. And then the whole issue of the fact that we're all so excited to be back and to see eachother and then we have to deal with the fact that in another 10 or so days we're leaving again. For good. Thank goodness for Tauernhof. All of us austria kids are so stokd to be going there. It's going to be amazing. But England and Capernwray are amazing, too. Sigh.
So, email and snail mail are cool. The mound of packages and stacks of mail were incredible to see on arrival in the Hall yesterday. Even more cool because one of each was for me. (Yes, I am a selfish being.) Mmm, and even cooler because my Pammy Wammy finally got mail.
Yes, the rambling must come to an end at some point, so I'll stop this unorganized flow of bits and pieces that flows from my fingers now.

Lemsip and Telly

[England is so Cool could be the title of my day]

Kiddies in uniforms,
St. James' isn't catholic.
Eyes closed in the car,
That or walking again.
Curry or traditional,
Tea, tea, and more tea.
Soaps and reality shows,
One uni vs another.
Can I say Really good accents.

*shrugs*

Having internet access for some reason makes me feel inclined to blog regularly even though I don't really have much to say.
How is it that Nottingham and Bolton have snow and Leyland doesn't?
Forgetting how to propperly chat online is something I never thought would happen.
The "Destinations" catagory on the Ryanair website is my favorite and least favorite thing - it gives you the information you need, but not what you want.
Warm showers, even if they involve strings, buttons and dials, rock my world.
Tonight was a night for experiencing a real communion service: 6 people (4 from Capers), a wonderful loaf of bread, a table, a guitar, honest sharing.
In England they call erasers "rubbers". And they don't say "crap".
At the end of this week my team will have the strongest right shoulders Capernwray has ever known.

Weekends Really Are for Relaxing

I hate to say "God is good" when I'm having a particularly good time, but why not say it - it's always true whether I feel inclined to say it or not.
Today is one of those days where I feel undeservedly blessed. At Capernwray we have this thing called 10 Day Outreach. Sounds terrifying at worst and stressful at best. But actually, contrary to what we all thought and (the staff Will say "told you so") I'm begining to think this is going to be one of the coolest weeks of Winter School.
In a list: faithful God, freakin rock star team, excited and friendly church, way cool Pastor Tony, wonnnderful host home (Phill and Carol... mmm love 'em) with internet, hilarious yet useful puppet shows, lots and lots of kids, food (need I say more?). Yeah. Obviously, we just got here and the "real" work hasn't started, but it's looking exciting. (Said whilst siting in a warm room with a full tummy and no plans for the evening, granted.)
I think I've used my 20 minutes, and Capernwray habbits are hard to excape.
Sleep tight everyone.