This year again I had the privilege to co-lead our June Arts Internship. We had 7 lovely ladies bringing a mix of culture and diversity of artistic disciplines to our team. They were an extremely creative group, always pushing their limits with a lot of initiative. We only had one month of “lecture” phase in the house before we left for 2 months of outreach. Our first weeks were spent in London, hosting our annual International Arts Gathering back in our home city. The last few years we have had this gathering in other key cities in Europe, and it was exciting yet challenging to have it at home again. As an internship we hosted an exhibition during the gathering. It was an impressive display of what the girls had been learning skills-wise and processing with God throughout this season. After this we helped organise Dover Soul, kids summer bible camp (VBS for my American audience) with a theme of Power Up. We made loads of video game decorations, arts and craft projects, outdoor games, dramas, and little chats on who God is and how Jesus is the ultimate power up in life. It was so much fun for us to be with the kids, see how their little minds work, and just have a great time together. Straight from there we bussed down to Cornwall for a Christian music festival called Creation Fest. We volunteered in different areas from music venues, cafe, stewarding and security, to the skate park, prayer team, and a few other areas. This festival is a 5 day activity packed with things to do for all ages, and all of it free. Throughout the day there are different faith talks, an open skate park, music performances, all closing down with a great time of worship and preaching from different pastors around the UK. It’s alaways a huge privilege to be a part of someone else’s vision and help support the kingdom of God in different ways.
(If you are still reading, God bless you! Haha)
Coming back to London we jumped straight into our largest activity of the year, the Notting Hill Carnival. For those who don’t know, this Carnival was born out of an attempt to bring cultural awareness to London. In the late 50’s there were race riots targeting the influx of Afro-Carribbean immigrants that came to help rebuild the UK after World War II. In response, the people created the Carnival to celebrate their culture. Over the years it has developed into a huge street party, the largest in the world just after Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival. Full of music, costumes, street food, and party hubs, this is a place where people come to celebrate but also to lose themselves in drugs, alcohol, and sex. There’s always some hat come to stir up trouble as well and we hear reports of stabbings, knife confiscations, and stampedes caused during these two days. Arise London is our summer of service camp, and within this the outreach for Carnival is called Bones after the passage in Ezekiel 37, calling the dry bones to life. We believe that God is relentlessly pursing the hearts of every individual, very much including all those who attend Carnival. We spent the week before preparing costumes, music, and hand-written promises, but also reaching out to different areas of north, central, and east London. The first day of Carnival it was pouring rain, so we went out in the afternoon simply to just walk the area, pray, and chat with the people in the streets. The second day we loaded up with our 5 meter tall cross, stilts, drums, costumes, and hearts full of the Lord and headed out. We did a small parade route before planting ourselves in one of the roundabouts for the rest of the day. We took time playing music, handing out promises, and declaring God’s love and truth over the city and the people. With one of my friends I got to be part of one man’s process in coming back to relationship with God, letting go of his control and fear of what the future will bring, and trusting in God’s promises. It was amazing! There are many other testimonies from that day that I don’t have space to write down.
After Carnival our schools graduated, and I officially moved into my new place! I spent a week unpacking with my housemates (also teammates) and making the house a home. This next season I will be working alongside the DTS (discipleship training school) that we have until December. I am still focusing in visual arts and barista, and giving some classes in these areas as well as some biblical teachings for the whole school. As always I am so grateful for what God has done these last months, and looking forward to the next ones. He has amazing things in store!
Prayer Points (if you made it all the way here, congrats for your perseverance!)
-DTS outreach in October, we are still in need of host locations
-finances: next September I will be applying for permanent residence here, which will cost around £2700, which is roughly $3500. I am saving as much as possible, but any prayers and donations are very welcome.
-the coffee shop! We are bidding on a property right now, which is the real push into getting this thing started
-for our team to continue walking in God’s will and growing in love for each other, our students, and the city of London
Thank you all so much for your love and support, and patience with my inconsistent updates.
God bless!!!
