Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Born For This



Today has been... AMAZING!


Born For This is a musical/dramatic liturgy of the stations of the cross. This liturgy is done fairly commonly within British Catholic circles. It runs about 45 minutes, has 14 songs and 15 scenes (mostly poetry with silent movement by other actors) The SPEC team was presented with this as a project to do with a group of young people in nearby parishes. We were scheduled to have 2 days of prep for ourselves, and 6 hours with the young people before presenting it for their congregation. A bit of a challenge in the time constraint, but doable. The actual day presented a few more challenges (starting an hour late, having only 2 boys, etc.) But overall, it was a huge success!

Though our version of Born For This may not have been the most impressive theatrical or musical piece ever, we did our best in the situation we were in. And I don't say that as an excuse, I say that as praise. Every person working on this project gave their all and truly functioned as a team, which is something that we are constantly striving for at SPEC and has been a real struggle for us. But today, we really performed as a team - give and take, ebb and flow, respect and felxibility. I was truly proud to be a part of our team. The young people also brought amazing gifts, talents, drive, focus, willingness, and a sense of fun to the day. Wow.

It was also a personal highlight because I once again realized how much I truly love putting on a show! It was the first time I got to function as the proper musical director and play piano the whole show... kinda fun!


So THEN we went to the pub afterwords to celebrate and I had a very pleasant time just chatting it up and enjoying the company - especially of our chaplin, Damian. He just moved on-site, so we get to see him more frequently now, and he is a fab addition to the community.


AND THEN!!!

I came back to SPEC - now, I've been waiting for a letter from Illinois Wesleyan University about my application status. I'm leaving for Hungary tomorrow, and had pretty much resigned myself to not knowing until I got back in 2 weeks, BUT it was in my pigeon hole.... and I was accepted!!!! I am so excited! The past few weeks I have been really doubtful that I would get in, so I have been making all sorts of other life plans.... but the joy I have experienced just thinking about the IWU road makes it totally clear. :)


I love you all and will see you soon!
PS - iteresting that the title of this post is "Born For This"... potentially in reference to more than the show :)
For pictures of London in the Sun, click here.
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Prayer of St. Francis

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

When I'm Lost on the Road


My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
And the fact that I think I am following
your will does not mean that I am
actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please
you does in fact please you.
And I hope that I have that desire in all
that I am doing.
And I know that if I do this, you
will lead me by the right road
though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost
and in the shadow of death, I will
not fear, for you are ever with me
and you will never leave me
to face my perils alone.

Thomas Merton

Risk

This is a poem that was used in our training and we also used in the retreat last week. I feel it is very fitting for this adventure.

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool.
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental.
To reach for another is to risk involvement.
To expose your ideas, your dreams,before a crowd is to risk their loss.
To love is to risk not being loved in return.
To live is to risk dying.To believe is to risk despair.
To try is to risk failure.
But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The people who risk nothing, do nothing,have nothing, are nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow,
but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes they are slaves;
they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.

Crisp Flavours.

England has an amazing amount and variety of Crisp (chip) Flavours! Here are a few of my favourites (like the English spelling :) )

Ready Salted
Cheese and Onion
Roast Chicken
Prawn Cocktail
Steak and Onion
Worcester Sauce

These are the normal ones that you'd find in a gas station. Crazy, isn't it?!

English Lingo

  • Lorry (Semi-Truck)
  • Rubber (eraser)
  • Ta (Thank You)
  • Cheers (Thank you)
  • Skip (dumpster)
  • Bin (trash can)
  • Drink (Tea)
  • Brew (Tea)
  • Cupper (Tea)
  • Chips (Fries)
  • Crisps (Chips)
  • Biscuit (cookie)
  • Chuft (Proud)
  • Lie in (sleep in)
  • Rubbish (trash)