Funny Things

One of the funniest parts about our trip has been the public transportation in each place. Most European places have great public transportation! But there are some places, even though brilliant, that are just plain ridiculous because of the amount of people that you find using public transportation. Mainly in places like England, France, Spain, and Italy. Endless people everywhere, pilling ontop of each other to try and get where they are going. Sheri and I cannot help but laugh when we try to get on things with the locals, this all ready giving us away as 'tourists' because we are the only ones smiling and laughing. This public transportation is serious business, every man or woman for themselves! There is no being friendly or polite, "everyone try to squeeze your fat butts simultaneously through the door." (Brian Regan) I mean I don't know how to be serious when there is someone I have never met and their face is inches away from mine. Not only that but I can't be serious when I watch as everyone is falling over onto each other as the people operating the transportation stop unexpectadly or take sharp turns. How can you be serious, especially when you are apart of that madness?

Rome was probably the worst place for all of this. Not only were the metros full of people but even the buses had people crammed inside of them. There was a point when we had just gone to the market and were trying to find a place to sit and eat. As we were walking down the street we saw buses crammed with people in every available open space and they were stopping to pick up more people. We couldn't believe it and were so thankful we weren't trying to get on that bus. Eventually we had to go through this mess as we were going to the colosseum. The metro had all ready been packed, Sheri and I were standing and holding onto bars provided with people all around us. Here we are in the center of all this and as we stop to pick up more people poor Sheri yells out "We can't get anymore people on this thing!" I always know that when Sheri's patience is up something must be pretty ridiculous, luckily that was our last stop and then we could get off. I will put some pictures up that I took in my attempt to share just how crazy all this was. Two things one should know when traveling by public transportation, get ready for a lot of people and learn to breath through your mouth cause there is some pretty horrific body odor.

I don't think these pictures do justice to how crazy it was but it will give you some idea. This one is the bus, you can see people pushed up against the door. I'm not sure how they got out safely.

The metro, it's all marked up with graffiti, can't see very well the people inside but it is like the bus.

This is one where we were attempting to get on and decided to wait for the next one to roll around. You can see people getting on and people getting off. It doesn't do it justice because these tunnels were long and my camera can only pick up so much.

A Little Bit Of Everything :)

Dear Friends,

It has been a while since I have blogged and to satisfy those who keep asking here goes nothing..............We've really enjoyed our trip so far, not what we both had thought it would be as we were excited to venture out and meet missionaries. Hopefully finding a place that would spark our passion and take off serving. But with the fall through of most of our contacts its been more of a venture out on your own and see what happens. So far we've done quite well and are all ready talking about what we will do next as we realize what might have been better, or where might have been a better place to be as we learn transportation for each place. Transportation is huge when traveling, confusing in some areas and if you don't know what you are doing you are in for a real treat. Sheri and I jumped on a bus after our hotel clerk told us which one would take us to the train station so that we could reserve our train for the next morning. Well the smart thinkers we are we didn't even think to ask which bus we would have to take back and in what direction. So what happened.....we spent an hour getting on and off buses, asking people who didn't speak much English exactly where we were and how to get where we needed to go. It was an adventure after dark!

There has been so many funny things that have happened. I think I naturally find humor in a lot of things but really some things are just ridiculous. Most people know that I love wearing sandals, if I could get away with not wearing shoes the rest of my life I would be so happy. One warning I could offer you though is to not wear them on days that you are traveling, especially in Europe! I don't know what it is about dog poop not being picked up on streets and the slippery marble floors everywhere you go but if you are wearing sandals your butt is bound to regret it. No joke I have fallen flat on my butt twice while here! The first time was in Madrid Spain, feeling good that morning walking down the street with all our stuff to get on the train for Barcelona, and with all of my stuff I can't see in front of me very well. As I go to step around a gentleman on the sidewalk ahhh crap I'm going down. Not realizing what the heck just happened I look around and no joke fresh dog crap lying on the street and now on the bottom of my shoe. Not only that but a sore rear end to go with it. You know people always talk about God knowing our limits in certain situations, I've heard some say that's why people go through certain things, well that day I was believing. It wasn't a big deal that I fell, I could handle that, but if I would have fallen and gotten that dog poop on more than my shoe I think I could have died.

The second time was traveling from Barcelona to Switzerland. I had made it longer in the day this time as we were in the middle of our traveling day. As we were heading down the nice slippery marble stairs to get to our train platform it was like slow motion. I don't know how it happened I just remember thinking “oh no” and BAM the biggest sound you have ever heard. Poor Sheri was in front of me, all ready had made it down the stairs with no problem only to find me on the stairs struggling to get up as I have my big travel bag on my back. There was an older lady who had been going down the stairs with us at the time, she turned around also to see that I had fallen. I didn't understand much of what she was saying as she didn't speak English but the gesture of her hitting her butt and laughing let me know exactly what she was saying. Moral of the story, never wear sandals on traveling days!

Pretty much if you are traveling I hope that you have a sense of humor. A lot of things go wrong and there is no way of getting around it cause it is bound to happen. You can plan plan plan and something will still happen unexpectedly . We've missed our train due to not realizing our train was taking off from another train station and we've had our train reservations get made for the wrong day, leaving us stranded and wondering if we will actually make it to our next destination that day. But I will say that God has always provided and if you are looking to see where you are exactly on that whole trust line I recommend that you travel, it's a slap in the face.

I shared a little in the last blog I posted about what it would be like to live radical like Jesus' disciples did and countless other people who have lived throughout history. On this trip I've realized how much I struggle with the idea of balance. My thinking is very much a black and white way of thinking, I struggle with it daily, going back and forth in my head constantly. Let's be honest I think too much most days, I put too much of myself into most things and don't leave room for God to be apart and ultimately get glory through it. Ridiculous! The exciting thing about this time away from things is that it has allowed me to see things that were hidden away in the daily living. Things like fears that were tucked away and hidden and ways of thinking that didn't make any sense. Plus to just get a break as hard things took their toll, to find clarity in the chaos that was taking place in my own head.

I will end now as I've written so much tonight. But I will end with what I've been reading in scripture. I've still been going through the gospels. It has been so great because it brings me back to when I first came to know Christ personally and first started reading about all that He had done. The scriptures were so alive then, I remember being overwhelmed by Jesus' ministry and telling people “oh man look what He did, get over here and read this!” What happened to that passion? Somewhere in the time that has passed I lost that passion for scripture, but as I have been traveling I've been praying for God to use His word to speak to me. That I might not go back unchanged and that I might go back being disciplined. Anyway, in my reading I've been so overwhelmed with Jesus' consistency in loving and teaching His disciples. How many times do they just not get things and He would have to explain them over and over. But each time it was done out of such love, the gospel of Mark just really seems to point out that compassion and consistency in Jesus with His disciples. I contemplate my consistency in loving others and in my compassion towards them. It's so easy to get caught up in myself and what might be going wrong for me that day. To not notice others around me, to not take into consideration what they have been through that day. Maybe just even being open to how God can work through me to fulfill a need that day, its interesting. Consistency in loving others is difficult, even for the people that are really close to us. I pray I could be more consistant.

Thanks for reading, love you all and hope this finds you well. Many blessings....Amber

Amber and Sheri ready to go see the 3-D London Eye Experience video.

The outside of Shakespeare's Globe.

The weir and bridge in Bath.

A bridge in London.

A mummie at the British Museum.

Pics of England cont.

These are the punting boats at Cambridge.

The Mathematical Bridge at Cambridge. The myth is that Isaac Newton put it together without any nuts or bolts (it was purely mathematical) but then students took it apart to figure it out and couldn't get it back together again.

Corpus Christi at Cambridge. The church that Diane Hakalah serves at.

Bikes at Cambridge. Everyone rides even when in a dress or suit.

Brace Amber crossing Abbey Road with no shoes! :)

Pics of England

This is inside the Liverpool St. Train Station at London. It's a huge station!

This is the gate outside of Buckingham Palace. They were amazing and very detailed with lots of contrasting colors of black and gold.

Sheri and Amber in an oversized astro-turf chair. You can't see them but there is also a couch and giant lamp.

What's London without the red double-deckers and telephone booths?

This is Big Ben and right next to it outside the picture is parliment.

Dedicated To Sheri

Sheri taking a peek of the view from inside 'The Eye'

Dear good friend of mine Sheri,
You do not know that I am putting these pictures on here but I wanted to dedicate a blog specifically to you so that all could see just how brave you are. Also just how proud of you one should be. You conquered it, not easy to conquer one of your biggest fears but HOORAH you did it. So proud of you my friend. -Amber :)

A nervous smile but ready to take on the world!

The biggest 'ferris wheel' and you conquered it

Far view of 'The Eye'

Sheri Post - France

After the much entertaining England, is France. I have to be honest and say that I think I was most nervous on this trip for France. The first day was in Paris and it was quite rough after all the traveling, customs, and another one of those really interesting hotels. The train station was probably the most interesting to start off with because there was a homeless man peeing in the trash can, some very shady people around, and there was some of the worst smells I have ever experienced. But once we got out to the country where a family who owned a bed and breakfast hosted us, everything changed around. It was a beautiful country with amazing hills and landscapes that were very picturesque like a painting. It was really enjoyable and spent a couple days going out into the woods and visiting chateaus and ruins. It was so fun and hardly any people around which was great because then we got to climb all over things. :) At the beginning of the walk through the woods we were told to watch out for certain plants nick named “white buttons” and to also keep an eye out for spiders, ticks, etc. While I happened to be by a stream trying to chase down and catch a frog I grabbed at a plant which stung like heck and got a tiny miniscule thorn in my thumb. Amber saw what I had done and informed me that the plant I grabbed looked a lot like the plant we were not supposed to touch. Sure enough, soon after where the thorn was a small white dot started to form on my hand. Nothing really happens because it doesn't spread like poison ivy which is great. But for such a small thorn it stung quite a bit for a long while and basically, I felt like an idiot. Every time we passed that type of plant every person made the effort to make sure I knew that it was there and to not touch it. :) Anyway's, the bed and breakfast “La Colorado” was absolute amazing. The people there were incredible and challenged me in so many way on how I live my life, the way that I think about things, my relationship with Christ, how I am to serve him and about who I am and who I should be. God used them as such a blessing in my life and I am so thankful for it. After being at the bed and breakfast it gave me and Amber a new confidence as headed to France for two days. We visited the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, and Notre Dame Cathedral which were all so cool! I cannot describe to you how awesome these all were. Each one was so massive in size and history. There will be pictures so you can get a glimpse of these but there is nothing like experiencing it all up close. Well, that is all I have for now and will talk to you later!