Back in London baby!!! I can't believe I've already been back for almost three weeks. The Carnival camp flew by, and Shafer is already back in America. We showed up to the church in the afternoon and were received with so much love. After spending just a few hours with everyone I felt that I'd never left. Shafer took everything by the horns, I barely even saw him! He made so many friends, learned how to walk on stilts, how to do some latin dances like salsa, and was game for everything we asked of him. He had so much fun on the days of the carnival, but was a little overwhelmed during the times of evangelism. So he worked in the kiosk with me selling sodas, and we were able to share with people from there. For me, God really worked a lot in trusting him and relying on him, because I had a killer cold the WHOLE time. But it was really good. The theme this year was joy. Alongside our costumes and stilt walkers, we had a big wall, 5 meters tall by 6 meters long, with graffiti on both sides, and a dancer in harness on each side, with drummers sitting on top that lead our procession. The stilt walked and drummers had pockets sewn on their costumes full of little papers we cut the days before with promises from God on them that they threw out like confetti. The first day, we were escorted by the police once again into the main carnival, without paying. But soon the wheels under the wall started breaking so we headed back to the church slowly. The second day it was raining, but we went out anyways. We couldn't use stilts because it was too dangerous, and the wall we kept just outside the church because of the wheels, but we did the parade anyways. Walking around the block in costume and with drums and shakers, the campers went out with joy and God's love in their hands. It was incredible to see everyone step out anyways, in the rain and cold, ready to share Jesus with the people at the carnival. Their faces when they came back were soaked and running with face paint, but full of light. Closing the camp and the internship, we had a debrief with the campers, and then a small graduation ceremony for the interns, with a night well spent at the pub after. We stayed in the church a few more days before moving back into the house.
Like I said, I felt like I never left. Things carried on so smoothly with the team, I got to meet the interns for only those two weeks, and then saw them graduate. But I was able to spend more time with our new DTS students!!! We have begun our new Arts Revolution DTS at the beginning of Bones (the carnival camp). During the camp, we had a few afternoons of teaching time, where I and some other staff were able to share the YWAM values and just get to know the students and try to ease them in to our craziness. I think after spending their first two weeks at Bones, they are ready for anything. I feel like so many things happened in the last few weeks, I don't even know how to put them in order, so bear with me. As hard as it was to leave home this time, not knowing when I will be back, it is so good to be in my second home. This family I have here is just incredible. We will be living an intense 5 months with this DTS. Every two weeks we have in London, we will have one week in another city in the UK as a mini outreach/networking time. This is going to be very stretching for us as staff and for them as students, traveling in and out of London this much, and also living as so many in the house. But we have been planning for and looking forward to this time so much, I am beyond excited that it is finally here.
Please be praying for us in this crazy time, as we juggle locations and contacts and timetables, etc. If you feel anything from God for us, please write to me, and I will keep you all updated as much as I can. Also, if you feel from God to donate financially as a one time donation or become a monthly supporter, please also contact me personally through Facebook, or my email is periwinkle228@hotmail.com Thankyou so much for keeping us in your prayers!
