Ridley

Ridley Hall. Destroyed by bombs 1940 - Rebuilt to the glory of God 1951

Today, walking past the local bookstore on my way home from a meeting, I saw a card with this inscription on it:

“One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.”

- A. A. Milne

I loved the sentiment expressed on this card. Of course, one of the disadvantages of being disorganized is forgetting to have your money on you, so I didn't purchase it this time round. 

Without being totally and completely disorganized, I have still managed to make a few surprising discoveries - the efficiency of the Royal Mail, the wonders of an available public transport system, and the tastiness of mayonnaise on chips being among them. I've also learned some valuable lessons - what the Qur'an says about Jesus, how gentrification is affecting neighborhoods here, the importance of unity in sharing the Gospel.

The past few weeks have mostly been invested in training, settling in, and getting to know the people I'll be living, studying, and working with - English, American, Pakistani, Bulgarian - we're a diverse crowd, which is a great blessing in such a diverse city. The LCM hostel I'm living in is comprised of people from various parts of England and the States (Perhaps too many from the States, as some of our English brothers and sisters would tell you.)

This Monday I saw Ridley Christian Centre – originally Ridley Mission Hall – for the first time. Sammy, the leader at that location, showed us around the Mission and the neighborhood. This Tuesday we were accepted at a local Christian school to do a short lesson on Job with the year six students. Primary schools here run through year six, basically covering preschool through sixth grade. Secondary school runs from the age of thirteen until the age of sixteen – combining part of what we would think of as middle-school with the freshman and sophomore years of high school. At sixteen, students are no longer required to attend school. (Did you hear that, Juniors?) They may choose to join the military or pursue another course of further education, such as an apprenticeship, until they are eighteen. If they choose to continue in school, it would be called college. College is not the same thing as University, which is higher education where they may receive a three-year Bachelor’s degree.

*Whew* That was a lot of information to run you through. Trust me, it had to be said to avoid confusion. After the lesson, we walked back to Ridley to host an after-school club. There were a lot of new students there, mostly year sevens adjusting to their new gender-exclusive secondary schools. Our girls’ club is starting Monday and the boys’ club meets on Fridays right after a community outreach. Tuesday evening we finished with a local Bible study that has been running for quite a while.

Today I had a meeting with some representatives of my sending organisation (I’ll give you the non-North American spelling just to liven up your day a bit) to ensure I was settling in well. Wednesdays will generally be more relaxed than the rest of the week as they’re set aside for connecting with individuals in the community and preparing for Thursday’s lessons.

There you have it. Thank you so much for your prayers, and please feel free to email me. I'm always happy to hear how things are going. I have a church that I’ve researched and intend to visit this Sunday with the hope that it will be a good fit for me as a regular attender. Please pray for discernment there. Also be praying that I would manage money well; that everyone would continue to get along well in the Hostel, classes, and work; that friendships would continue to develop; and that we would be bold and respectful witnesses for the Gospel.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

– Hebrews 10 : 23 - 25 (ESV)

Oh, and I almost forgot, click here for a video testimony from LCM.

A Quiet Moment by Tower Bridge