Amazed & Confused

Hong Kong here I come!

I've been hoping for a reason to visit Hong Kong for many years and today that reason has arrived. I'm typing this from Heathrow Terminal 3 waiting to make my way into the air to touch down in a new city and country. This is my second week of travel; I had a one day turn around from my trip to Germany - our washing machine was working hard yesterday! I can't wait to make new friends and take in the sights, sounds, smells and flavours of HK. I've been told it's the food Capitol of Asia!? I'll be taking photos and will post a few along with my thoughts when I return. In the mean time, where ever you are in the world, have a lovely week...

 

 

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Five days in Frankfurt

How do I describe the last five days spent with hundreds of friends in Frankfurt, Germany?  It seems too much to condense into one post, but I'm going to give it a go.  'Aufstehen', the eurogathering of the 24-7 Prayer tribes, was a flurry of salty food, warm weather, many hugs, lots of singing, praying, smiling, laughing, re-familiarising myself with the German language, outrageous generosity and more.

I love Frankfurt.  On this my third trip, I took time to explore the old city, take in the padlock adorned footbridge and sample some local ice cream - yum!  It was great sharing both the city and the gathering with Steve.  He makes me see things in a different way and helps me make sense of cluttered thoughts.  (It was also lovely to be together when most people discovered our news, but I'll leave that for another post!)

The gathering itself was pretty fantastic!  There were over 200 people connected to the 24-7 Prayer, Mission and Justice movement across the continent of Europe, each loving God and changing lives in their own way.  There was a lot of hope and much laughter in the room as we worshipped, prayed, listened to teaching, sought God and shared together.  There were so many old friends to catch up with and lovely new ones to make.  Each meal table was full of conversation. 

The message that will stay with me the most: remember the story behind the stories...

It's a call to encounter Jesus and then go and share that encounter with others.  (The vision always has been and always will be Him!)

The moment that will stay with me the most: the auction...  

Each year people bring something they've made to donate to a special auction to raise money for projects around Europe.  The greatest contestant is the legendary Peggy from the Boiler Room community in Stanford.  Each year she dazzles with some truly amazing knitting and this year (though sadly she wasn't with us in person) her knitting shone again.  As the bidding for her 24-7 Prayer laptop sleeve tipped over the €1000 mark I was flabbergasted when the winning consortium walked up and gave me their hard won prize.  I had been not-so-secretly coveting it and was speechless at their gift.  My Macbook has never been encased so beautifully.  I am still overwhelmed by everyone's generosity - especially as Steve pointed out that the laptop sleeve was purchased for more than our car cost us!  

Mind boggling, beautiful, inspiriing... I guess that's just another 24-7 Prayer gatheirng.

Freezing my nose off to help thousands pray

Travel has been my watch-word for the last two weeks with retreats, prayer weekends, trips to Northern Ireland and now Germany taking me away from home and off into the big wide world.

It's been challenging, exciting, refreshing, tiring, inspiring, fun, thought provoking and much more to be away with lovely people in interesting places.  I'm looking forward to this little splurge of travel coming to an end tomorrow night as I fly back home to my waiting hubby and get my teeth stuck into all the work that's been awaiting my return.

The last trip in my schedule is to somewhere new.  Today I fly from Gatwick and arrive in Berlin!  Though I've been to Germany many times I have never landed in it's capitol city and though I only get to drive through it, I look forward to waving hello through a car window.  From Berlin airport Chris Stone and I will drive to Neubrandenberg for 24 packed hours with the great Ralf Neumman.  This rather brief jaunt is to film Ralf's contribution to the upcoming 24-7 Spaces podcast; a 40 day video podcast that helps anyone interested in praying through the life of Jesus in the gospel of John this lent.  So far the contributions people have made have been inspiring!  I can't wait for it to begin.

However... if passion is determined by how much you are willing to suffer for something you love then I must be passionate about Spaces.  I got a text today informing me that it's currently -16 in Neubrandenberg!!!  What!?!  We are totally going to freeze our noses off filming outside in the Datzberg.  Oh well shoud be fun.  If frost bite has spared my fingers I shall blog about it upon my return.  Here's to a new city! 

Good friends, good food, great conversation

Steve and I have returned to a quiet home and bulging inboxes after a week in the sleepy seaside town of Frinton-on-Sea.

It was blissful.  

For many years, over many meals, the Hardings and the Hawkins have dreamed about the day we retreat from our regular lives to take more than an evening in each other's company.  Last week, those wistful conversations became a reality... in a secluded little place on the English coast we made the time to walk and talk, eat and talk, laugh and talk, to nap, watch some 30 Rock, and then do it all again.  

Ed, Jenny and Freddie made wonderful companions to our hermit like holiday style and are, quite frankly, two very entertaining and interesting people to spend a week with.  I whipped through a few more books, discovered a whole new comedy series and generally revelled an agenda-less life.  I also thoroughly enjoyed long conversations with Jenny by the sea shore, realising the Ed and I are food buddies and time to get to know the little person that is Freddie - oh yes ladies, he may yet be one year old but he's already a charmer!  

Mid-week my handsome husband turned the grand age of 33 (or as he liked to refer to it - the Jesus age).  We had a lovely day in Bury St Edmonds buying a second hand guitar, browsing book shops (we have no willpower when it comes to second hand books - especially classics!) and generally enjoying each other's company.  It was a very peaceful way to mark the year and I hope it will carry forward into 2011.  

Actually his birthday got me thinking... I turn 30 this year!  I'm already cooking up some party ideas (currently they're all down the Pixar/fancy dress route - eek!)  Anyway before I get side tracked I should finish up... Really should tackle my inbox before Sunday turns to Monday and meetings take my week away... Ah, to go back to Frinton and do it all again :)

Rocking all over the World

I'm a little dissapointed that though I've made many trips abroad my global coverage is limited. I'd love to explore some of Asia and Russia before 2010. I wonder what this map would look like in 20 years time. I little more red I hope... xc create your own visited country map