Religion in Schools

From a recent trip to Portchester Castle (near Portsmouth)

I was blessed to stay with Katie and Victor (fellow ex-pats).

They welcomed me into their home and I got a chance to explore their amazing town!

Daffodils are like wildflowers here... everywhere!

When I began volunteering in this Catholic retreat centre, it was no surprise that the groups that came here were either from Catholic parishes or Catholic schools. What was surprising was how many there have been. Hertfordshire (our county) just seems to keep pumping out groups of Catholic students. I have grown up in the US where there are a smattering of Christian schools, but they are all private, and definitely not the norm. Our country has chosen to keep the two separate generally. So one of my standard questions to young people is "So, what do you think of having religion in your school?" because it is so foreign to me. Their responses always include a kind of blank look and something to the effect of "it's alright...".

Well, as I have discovered (I mean, I knew this, but I didn't quite realize this) is that the majority of schools in England are Catholic schools. To these young people, having religious education as a part of their studies is completely standard - they know nothing different, and are surprised when I tell them how separated the two are where I come from.

To me, having a class where we pray, and going to a school that builds in time for worship is bizarre. But these schools, like US schools are graded on performance in math in science, are also evaluated on their religious life.

My automatic assumption is that English students have greater opportunity to explore their faith, learn about their religion, and strengthen their community in a religious way. But I am discovering that it may do the opposite. By having religion as a standard subject, it makes it quantifiable, and takes away those more 'spiritual' experiences that one might experience in a parish that focuses more on the worship, fellowship, and prayer life. When these young people come to SPEC, a place that does focus on the latter mentioned areas in a way relateable to their generation, they are pretty surprised. Many comments in their evaluations say "I learned that being Christian can be cool", "I actually prayed during prayer" and things like that.

I look back on my own experience, and I really had to choose Christianity. I mean, my parents certainly had a say in my location on Sunday mornings and Thursday nights (choir :) ), but as I grew, it became something I owned for myself. Had it been a school subject, I could have just sailed through, experiencing it every day with all my friends, but because it was somewhat counter-cultural, it gave me the opportunity to embrace and value my beliefs as my own.

For more pictures of Portchester, click here.

For pictures of a recent trip to Oxford, click here.

For some SPEC social events, click here.

What am I doing here?

I've been thinking lately about what it means to be a missionary. This is something the YAGMs discussed quite a bit before departing to our countries of service. The word accompaniment was thrown around quite a bit, and thoughts of being with people on their journey were floating through my brain. It was quite a happy image - being the happy helper and making little differences every day to all those I encountered.

When I actually arrived, those thoughts were still in my mind, but quickly were replaced with the ins and outs of SPEC - how things go, what I was meant to do with young people, where the ketchup is, and other necessities of survival in a new home. My thoughts of service were then focused on the young people that would arrive at the centre ready to experience a SPEC retreat and all it has to offer. So I put all my energy towards learning the sessions I would lead, exploring British youth culture, and trying to figure out how high schoolers work (they have been a mystery to me in the past). As this part of my experience improved, it became apparent that the rest of my life needed a little bit of help too. I started to work on finding things to refill and recharge my batteries so that I could give the energy to the young people. These activities and strategies have been very important to my own mental health, and also to the ministry at SPEC. As the balance continues to morph into an ideal one, and my life starts to feel a little more at ease with a sense of normalcy, I am faced once again with the concept of being a missionary and wonder where that word falls now.

I think back to a story I heard from a previous YAGM about accepting an invitation to a woman's house for dinner, and that by letting this woman serve her, she was in turn serving her by acknowledging her gifts and talents. This is a lesson I have also learned this year living in a community full of people who like to help people. While there are many times where I would like to just deal with things myself, by letting down my walls and being open to help, I am showing my peer that I appreciate them - that they are important and special.

So then, where does the title 'missionary' lie?

Til now I have focused it on the work with young people, and as that has had its ups and downs, so have my feelings of accomplishment and worth. But have my eyes have only been seeing half of the picture? As I think back to the story from the former YAGM, I realize that one of her biggest experiences of accompaniment was not through her actual job title, but through her daily living - in her balanced life.

When encouraged to "go into ministry" I always have giggled because I view my life as my ministry. Why not live out the values and morals I hold every day and in everything I do? I can easily apply God's greatest commandment to love in any and every situation I encounter. It's not about being in ministry during the day and then being done and going home. Ministry is a lifestyle, and the same goes with accompaniment.

I feel silly putting all this together just now. For so long this has been the focus of my faith - letting it inform my life and not have an on/off switch. But in my pursuit of control and balance, let exactly that happen. I needed to quantify it in order for it to be real.

Coming to this realization has made me feel pretty rubbish lately. Have I not lived up to expectations? Have I missed the mark? So I had a good chat with Anthony about it. I shared the accompaniment model with him and confessed my fear of failure. He assured me, though, that I had definitely been participating in that journey and that accompaniment just by being there. By being a friend.

So I wonder then, is my call as a missionary so rare? Or is this idea of accompaniment something much more universal? Is it our call as humans to journey with each other through our crazy lives on this planet? Is that what being a social creature is all about?

USA is AOK: Superbowl, Peanut Butter, and University!

The past couple months have also brought some big American moments for me. The first clear one was the Superbowl! Brandon threw a fabulous party complete with all the fixin's! We had an explanation of American Football (most of the audience was from around Europe), chips and dip, pretzles, PB&J Sandwiches, pigs in a blanket, betting games, and the good ol' standby, beer. I was really excited about the explanation part because I have never understood it that well. Plus, it was late at night (it sarted at 11 pm over here).

The next of the American moments has been my recent obession with peanut butter. PB is not that popular over here, and the PB&J sandwich is certainly controversial. Now, I have never been a huge fan, but lately, it's all I crave! My Mom sent little JIF to-go pots, SPEC has some generic PB, and I was given some delicious natural PB for Christmas in Scotland. In one week, I may have consumed 2 small jars of peanut butter - eating it like ice cream! I introduced Annika and Anthony to it and we had a grand time as you can tell :)

PB&J Sandwiches were my food of choice as I headed off to my most American event of all - going to America! I made a trip back for 2 weeks to see family and to check out and audition at the 3 universities I am looking at for next fall. I had a fabulous trip! I got to celebrate my sister Megan's 17th birthday and see the whole family, went to PLU on a surprise visit to see Daniel and all the PLU lovelies, had a day with Dad and a day with Mom - both of which included visiting my favourite Bellingham parks, taking walks, catching up, and just being together. I have missed spending this time with them so much - even just car rides are always fun and enlightening. I got to see Megan in her Sound of Music rehearsal - boy has she got pipes these days! "I am 16 going on 17" was sung absolutely beautifully! The rest of my Washington stay was catching up with friends, visiting Western Washington University, and preparing to audition at the other 2 schools in the mid-west.

Those visits were grand fun - I fulfilled my long standing dream of going to Minnesota (because of the movie Drop Dead Gorgeous) and stayed with a friend from camp when I visited Concordia where we visited the Mall of America (my reaction: HUGE), and hung out with Aaron, who I haven't seen for a good year and a half! Aaron came with me to Illinois Wesleyan and kept me sane through the interviews and auditions. Then we went back to St. Louis (where he lives) and participated in a talent show fundraiser at his church. It was such fun to perform with him again! Homecoming came way too soon, but I really missed my friends back here at SPEC - we really form a family.

There were 4 stores devoted to Minnesota!

(Mall of America)

So - The main reason for this visit was to check out schools! My current ranking is as follows: 1:Illinois Wesleyan University, 2: Western Washington University, and 3: Concordia University, St. Paul. I don't think Concordia and I are a great match - It's a little too small, and the city a little too big. But the people were absolutely lovely - I felt very welcome the whole time. They have created a great community. Western was a really fun visit. Both the music and theatre departments had a real family atmosphere, while still obviously working hard for quality rehearsals and performances. Plus, it's in Bellingham, which is very possibly my favorite city so far! The only drawback is that it is so close to home (Love you Mom and Dad!) and I'm not sure if I could continue the great growth that has begun this year in a place where I have already established a bit of a different life than the one I'm living now. Maybe I could, though - It would be an adventure. Illinois Wesleyan was my favorite! Again - great family atmosphere in both music and theatre, and a theatre program and faculty to die for! I really would like to be a part of their BA program, which encourages a well rounded theatre education with a self-created emphasis. Basically - work on what you love and what you want to learn - without losing any performance opportunity. It really fits me. Unfortunately, this is also the audition I feel went the worst, so I guess we'll see what happens... I'm working hard to keep positive and open to wherever I am called for next year, but it's hard sometimes!

Aaron and I had a lot of fun in IWU's gorgeous Ames Library
but who couldn't with a Beauty and the Beast ladder!?

Coming back to SPEC has been a bit of an emotional roller coaster. I was initially really excited to see everyone, give hugs, tell stories, and enjoy England. That subsided pretty quickly as I became rapidly tired and have been working every day since my arrival. I am having bit of an identity struggle. I was just beginning to feel 'English' ish when I hopped back to my old location and self. But when I got there, I felt more English than American, and then coming back, the same. It's a crazy process, but I'm getting there. I'm excited to return to England with new eyes - refreshed with an American perspective so that I can truly appreciate all the little intricacies of the English culture that are so subtle I wouldn't notice till I left. i.e. tea breaks - I didn't like them at first, but found myself missing them in the states.

Continued prayer for patience, strength and perspective are always welcome. And thank you all so much for the plethora of post that was waiting for me upon return from the states. Post is still one of my favorite things to get! It's so exciting! Keep me posted on your lives - I love and miss you all!

For more pictures of the Superbowl party and other SPEC events, click here.

For more pictures of the first week in the USA, click here.

For more pictures of USA week 2, click here.

Young People in the Church

Hello! It has been over a month since my last proper blog post, so I'm going to try and catch up in a few posts :)

Since the new year, the SPEC team has been doing a lot of team building. This has included doing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment, going to M&S (a posh grocery/department store) for coffee, and doing some communication training with our sister project, SPECEast (The one I went on the primary school mission with). This has been great for the team as we learn more about who we are - especially in a work context. The Myers-Briggs assessment points out 4 different areas of personality and we explored which ends of each of these preferences we fell into. Our conversations about frustrations, differences, and problems have become much smoother now that we have that language to use as a team.

This is a 'Friends' poster with the faces of members of

our living area cleverly replacing the originals. Can you find me?

Our training at SPECEast included some communication tools, as well as training on confirmation groups. We spend a lot of time discussing what our confirmations were like and what confirmation is like for the young people we see week after week. As we have chatted, it has come to my attention that, even though I griped about my own confirmation, in all reality, my experience was pretty darn good. That got me thinking on the idea of choosing our attitude and having perspective about life. Especially our church lives.

Young people here have a much different experience of the church than those in the United States. Though certainly not all churches, many US churches typically have some form of youth group, an excited team of adults that knows and wants something to happen for young people - even if they can't quite figure out 'what' or 'how'. Young people are encouraged to get involved and be a part of the church in their own ways. Youth services, praise bands, church choirs etc. The larger expresses this as well through youth gatherings, conferences, and retreats.

That's very much not the case here. Young people are kind of expected to just fit into the adult life of the church and go with it. But as many have discovered, young people are in a different place in life. When they don't enjoy church, they tend to leave.

So I wrote a letter to my home congregation here it is:

Dear CTS, Please be thankful for CTS. Please be thankful for the community
and family. For the passion of so many members. For the offerings of time,
talents, money, ad love. For the openness, for the care of all. For your
thriving ministries for young and old. For the life that all people bring - even
though it may cause strife, it creates movement, and displays the care and
passion and love you all bring. For the support you have for each other - the
excitement for each life. For the intellect balanced with spirituality and the
diversity in music, worship, prayer, opinions... That all of this can happen is
a great testament to the world. You are a living, breathing, dynamic body of
Christ that moves and grooves and responds and lives. Please be thankful and
joyous in the fact that you have evaded the trap of static apathy and have
embraced the movement of your dynamic community. We are all so blessed to play a role. I am so thankful.

Continue to be blessed, Allison

This all puts a whole new spin on my work here at SPEC. It explains why only 20% of our confirmation candidates want to do their confirmation for faith related reasons and why I haven't been able to relate as well to their experience. It does open the window for me to listen to their experiences and have some insight as to where to go next. I have gone through all of the name games that every young christian in America plays ad naseum, and seen programs go from start to finish. There is an opportunity for me to be a resource and different perspective. This has taken the form of passing on song titles, teaching games, and just letting young people know that they CAN and DO have a place and a responsibility in this world to own their faith, their talents, their gifts, and go for it!

Excitement!

A Quiet SPEC in the snow :)

A quick update on the last few days

Our heat stopped working on Friday.

We HAD 2 groups scheduled for the weekend, but since the heating in much of the project wasn't working- including our main kitchen, one had to cancel.

The group that DID come slept in warmth, but of our meeting rooms, only one had heat - we used little space heaters for the rest, which helped a bit.

Come Friday night, we realize that most of the team do not have heating in their rooms, and there is no hot water in our living area either.

Saturday is the same.

Then it began to snow.

We now have about 2 inches or more.



Rebekah (from New Zealand) was really excited for 'soft snow' and made her first snow angel! I'm excited because it's beautiful outside and since I don't work today, it sort of feels like Christmas! Many school children are excited for a snow day.
Many drivers are not. Driving in London in the snow would NOT be a pretty sight.

Now, this experience could be... really bad. But what I love about SPEC is that they make things work. Each team member with a cold room got a space heater. They have made sure that we know where to go for hot water, and have even arranged other areas to sleep if we need it.

It's times like these when I like to throw back my head and laugh. How easy would it be to be grumpy this weekend? Quite easy. But this can be another new and exciting adventure. It's certainly not an expected, normal day, but that's it's beauty. In this day lies ample opportunity to get creative, see new things, and enjoy the spontaneity of creation.

In other news: I have been accepted to Western Washington University and Concordia University St. Paul. I am still waiting for news from Illinois Wesleyan, which is frustrating, because at this moment in time, it is my number 1 choice... Ah well, we shall see what happens.

More to come soon - just wanted to share snow day fun!

Snow Fun!!
Cheers!

TFG BIG conference 2009

Hello All!

I just arrived back from the Time for God BIG conference. This is the time of year when all of the TFG volunteers serving in the UK get together to learn, share experiences, and have a lot of fun! To reflect on our year so far, we were split into small groups - I was in the Arts and Crafts group, so to process what we have done and learned so far, we made books. These books could be anything from our imagination with the theme of 'My year so far...' (and the year yet to come). On the right is a picture of Me, Sara K., Elin, and Alpar with our books. My book turned into a scrapbook of sorts, with a page devoted to new foods, another to memories, some pages about SPEC, and some about me - it's a pretty fun book! I never knew how much fun arts and crafts could be, but I found it very meditative. I hope to make another one at the end of my year, with all of the pictures I am accumulating!





The other highlight of the conference was 'The Fringe'. A multi-cultural talent show! We saw performances of songs and dances from South Korea, Scotland, Hungary, America, Germany, and Sweden, among other silly performances of Little Mermaid re-enactments and an 'Air Band' (that was from the Americans :) ) We saw some tradition dress from both Germany and South Korea. Below is me with Martin and Annika in traditional Bavarian dress. The will still wear this dress to special occasions such as 21st birthdays and weddings!

Our other neat opportunity at this conference was to watch the inauguration of President Obama in Wales with young people from all over the globe. I have never been so 'American' in my life. There were 11 Americans at the conference, and we all stood when the people on t.v. stood, we sang the National anthem with the choir, and said 'Amen' at the end of the final prayer (a prayer which made us all smile). The British commentators were funny - as George W. left the white house for the last time, the commentator referred to him as 'A lovely man, though I know some don't quite agree with his politics'. :)

During this, a good portion of the other volunteers watched, and said that we were more interesting than the actual speech itself! But we were not the only excited ones. Obama's presidency has excited the world. There have been large posters of him in the tube, and when young people hear that I'm American, they always ask if I support Obama. It's nice to have Europeans seeing good in the US. I worry for him - he has a lot on his plate with a lot of people expecting great things. It seems to me,though, that he's got a good head on his shoulders, and isn't too cocky about the challenges ahead. These next few years will certainly be interesting!

Current prayer requests include TFG Volunteers heading back into their placements, Anthony visiting Zimbabwe, The new USA administration, and SPEC's young people, volunteers, and staff.

That's the quick update for now!

Cheers!

Picture links!!

Planting flowers with community and London trip with the girls, Click Here

TFG BIG Conference, Click Here

Horses!

On Wednesday, SPEC had some unexpected visitors. We were patienly awaiting the arrival of a retreat group, but instead of young people, 15 horses showed up on our fields! They were beautiful - brown and white - but we were slightly confused as to how and why they were there. Turns out, there is a traveling community that takes these horses to different fields. The reason they do this is due to some funny English laws. If a herd of horses ends up in an enclosed field, then the owner of the field is then responsible for the well being of the horses, as well as any damage they might cause (i.e. running out onto a road and causing an accident). There are ways to get a court order to sort things out which costs thousands of pounds and takes about 2 weeks. What the traveling community does is take the horses to another field on day 13. So we potentially had 15 horses to feed, take care of, and keep safe for a couple of weeks.

Here's the cool part. This traveling community also comes to SPEC to collect scrap metals. So we called up our contact through that, and 5 people were in our fields taking the horses away within 30 minutes. One of the guys remembered coming to SPEC on a retreat as a youngster. The thought is floating arond that because we respect this community for who they are and give them our scrap metals and such, it wasn't a problem to take the horses right away. Amazing what acceptance can do.