Meetings, Wanderment, and First Trip to Swansea

Hiya!

Honestly, I feel like a day in Wales is the equivalent to 2 or 3 in Oklahoma. They are so packed.

So, Monday morning we had the Glenwood staff meeting. That was lovely. Then Cerys (a delightful woman from Glenwood who has a baby who is about half a year old) picked me up and took me to the bay where we met up with her parents and another mother and all went on a tour of a Tall Boat. We then ate on a different boat. It was lovely and she is lovely.

She drove me home but I didn't have a key and no one was home so I texted Jamie to tell me when she got home and set off to see if I could find my way to town. I did. It was good to get my bearings and do some exploring. I wandered about for about 2 hours. It was good exercise and good fun and I do feel like I made at least one or 2 divine appointments, even if they did seem trivial. I also checked in on a gym about a block away from my house and I think I might join. I have really bad hips and knees and really need to elliptical in order to keep building cartilage and strengthen my ligaments. While I kinda feel bad spending the last of my graduation money on gym membership while I don't yet have enough sponsorship to cover my stay yet... I need to just get over that and try to be a good steward of my body. I am a pretty bad steward of my body and can use prayer for it.

Speaking of spending money, I spent some while I was out. Another ought-not-feel-guilty pleasure: I bought some canvas, paintbrushes and 3 colors of paint. I really prayed about it before buying it and really felt like I ought. Painting is really a blessing to me. I do it when I am stress and it really calms me down and while I paint I usually do some deep praying. And I know God is a creative God and delights when I use the gifts He has given me. Dunno what I will paint yet... maybe a dragon for Wales... Maybe not.

I came home and recouped and helped cooked dinner and then we all went to a meeting to draw up a legal support document for Jess's stuff. It was in a coffee shop and the World Cup game was playing so we had to talk over it. It was a relaxed environment and it was great brainstorming together. I think we drew up quite a blessed document. Then it was home and then to bed.

TODAY - That is Tuesday

Today I got a late start... partially because I prayed longer than I had expected, which is a real testament to the Holy Spirit, because I am AWFUL at setting out time for the LORD and really focusing on HIM. So I took the train to Swansea and got there and settled by about noon. As I mentioned in my last blog. My goal for the day was to sit and pray for Libby and pray that she would come.

I called Derek when I got there. He was with 2 of the girls from his church so after I prayed and waited for an hour I went and had lunch with them. For those of you who don't know, Derek is a 23 year old pastor who founded a new Welsh Baptist Church in Swansea about 9 months ago. So he and the ladies came down and we had lunch for about 4an hour or so. It was lovely. We also were able to get some business done. By that I mean Derek was able to fill me in on some information my dad needs for the Mission trip HHBC is doing next month.

So, after a lovely lunch, I went back to my spot and prayed some more. I called mum and dad and filled them in on the Missions info for a bit, while keeping an ever watchful eye for Libby. After a couple hours I listened to a sermon on my ipod whilst praying and watching. IT was lovely listening to a sermon while literally on the mission field. IT was one of those sermons that gets you fired up and makes you want to act, and here I was but a glimpse of a face away from pouncing into action.

She never came, but I did get several hours with the Lord and several hours of prayer in for her. I think that if I do this vigil again I will bring a journal with me and write in it to her about how much I love her and God loves her so that when I do find her I can give it to her and she can really see how much time I have spent on actively loving her even though she hasn't been able to see it, and maybe that can be a picture God's love. I dunno, we'll see. Maybe next time I will try to make Derek go with me and see if we can find out how to get where she lives.

At about 5:20 Derek picked me up and drove me back to Cardiff because he was going to go there anyways. As soon as I got back we went to Mel's and she had made curry for us. then she had to run. So we tidied up.

Then Rachel came over and she and I had our first little check in meeting. It was so delightful!!! She is really an amazing woman! I cannot speak highly enough of her.

Everyone agrees that is seems like I have been here much longer than I have been. I really do feel like I belong here. Huzzah for God's plans!!!