Homebound

Then it was time for me to go home, after about 6 weeks of leaving home. Thank God, the flight home was really smooth, though I had to sit for hours and my butt hurt like crazy, but it was alright, I got back to Vancouver safely.  
This trip has really opened my eyes.  Everyday I witnessed the grace of God.  And everyday God was there to guide me.  I didn't want to come back home. I've made way too many friends on this trip. 
Thank God, the fun part of this trip wasn't visiting all the top tourist spots, but it was fellowship with the brothers and sisters and listening to their stories.  To know and understand what their lives are like on the other side of the world is truly humbling.  You don't really realize that you're indeed small until you really step out to see what others are going through.  
This journey has been filled with the grace of God, so much that I couldn't exactly describe it.  Thank God.  May all glory and honour be onto His name.  Amen. 

Back to London

The next day was the day to leave Scotland.  The brother brought us to Marks and Spencer’s, and I bought 4 packs of Percy Pigs, only available in UK.  We also visited the Scott’s monument.  It was one of my favourite buildings in Edinburgh.  Otherwise, me and the Australian brother got on the train and went back to London.   

When I got to London, I felt like I was back home again.  And I didn’t want to leave.   

Thank God, He gave us the opportunity to attend the London youth’s campus fellowship on Wednesday night.  It was good to meet the friends I made in AVMWT again.  Thank God.   We prayed for around 30 minutes before the fellowship. And the day also happened to be a campus prayer, so we prayed some more.  But what was really good was the sharing.  The topic that night was “What are you thankful for in the last week?” and “What have you been praying about? What’s your prayer request?” Thank God, it was really edifying to listen to other youth’s testimonies.   

That night, it was time to say goodbye too the friends I made in this trip.  Thank God that I got to meet so many good brothers and sisters in Christ while traveling.  Though our ways may be parted for now, but we will meet in Christ again.  May God continue to guide them and lead all their ways. 

The Edinburgh

The next day we started to tour Edinburgh. (It’s funny how I didn’t tour the city when I first arrived in Edinburgh, but went somewhere else like in France).  We spent the day at Cramond Island, the Edinburgh castle, and Arthur’s Seat (a hill that can oversee the entire city).  The Cramond Island was pretty cool. At the low tides the ground shows and people can walk directly to the island.  We didn’t spend much time there, but it was a very cool small island.   

At lunch, we tried the British roast.  It was all you can eat (expect the meat) for only 6 pounds. And the food was awesome too.   

In the afternoon we visited the castle. It was the first time that I visited a castle. It felt like I was in the movie the Lord of the Rings. Everything was stony and ancient. And there were cannons too.  It was pretty cool.  

Then we went to the highest point of Edinburgh, Arthur’s Seat.  Originally we were planning to watch the sunset at the top, but we were a bit late so we couldn’t get to the top. But the hill was really beautiful, and you can see the city from the hill too.  After that, we went down to the pond to feed the swans and the ducks.  It ended up that just about every bird in that pond swam over for the food.  And even when we finished all we had, the birds followed us.  It was the marching of the swans.  

For dinner, we had all you can eat sushi and hotpot.  It was awesomeness.  Also, it was good to see a friend I met during AVMWT again.  Thank God.   

Thank God, it was another good day.  And on this day I said goodbye to most of the youths in Edinburgh.  May God continue to guide them and remember their love.   

Hit the Highlands

On the second day in Edinburgh, the youths brought us to the high lands.  It was basically driving from the east of Scotland to the west, and it took about 3 hours.  The high lands is like what you’d expect, the high lands. There were beautiful mountain ranges covered in snow, and you could see deers and sheep, and frozen lakes too.  The views there were stunning.   

One particular stop had a natural spring water flowing down from the mountain.  And the Australian brother filled up his bottle with the water.  I tried a sip, and it was really nice, although it had a bit of taste of grass in there.  Fun fact: Scotland has the best water in UK. You can drink water directly from the tap, and it tastes like awesomeness.   

That night, we ordered take out and had the dinner at the brother’s flat.  They ordered fish and chips with their Scottish chippy sauce (it was really good), and they also had the kebab pizza (this was really awesome, I really wish we can have this in Canada).  

Overall, it was a really fun day, thank God.  I enjoyed the day.   

Fellowship in Edinburgh

After Paris, I flew to Edinburgh in Scotland.  It was weird coming back to a English speaking country again, where I could understand everything.  Originally I was thinking of going to Amsterdam after Paris, but I decided that I would rather have fellowship with the brothers and sisters in Edinburgh than to go solo in Amsterdam.  Thank God, it was a great decision.   

On Sunday, I arrived at Edinburgh, and a brother I met at AVMWT picked me up and brought me to church.  Edinburgh church has their fellowship and choir on Sundays.  And thank God that I was able to attend both.  In their youth fellowship that day they played a bible trivia game, and there were a lot of hard questions that I didn’t know the answer to – thank God! That means I have to study the bible more! Then came the choir time.  The hymn they sang was really nice, thank God.  Edinburgh church has an organ, but they don’t use it anymore. I took a picture of it, it was pretty cool.  And their chapel was beautiful too.  

Thank God, there was an Australian brother who happened to be on his grad trip as well, and we stayed at a brother’s flat (apartment) for the time we had in Edinburgh.  It was funner when you have more company.  

That night, the youths brought us to an Italian restaurant. And in that restaurant I tried out haggis for the first time.  If you didn’t know, haggis is a traditional Scottish dish composed of oats and animal innards.  I wasn’t bad, I liked it.   

Thank God, it was a good day.  

Sabbath in Paris

Thank God, I had the opportunity to attend the Sabbath service in Paris.  Even though I was sick the day before, but thank God that I felt much better after I got up in the morning.  

I attended the service at the prayer house in the east of Paris.  There were about 20 some members attending the service that day.  They conducted the service in French, and interpreted it into Chinese, so thank God that I was able to understand it.   

In the morning, the prayer house had a bible study, and in the afternoon, they had their general meeting.  They had prayers in the morning and also at lunch time for 15 minutes (I think). And I thanked God that they had a spirit of prayer in the church.   

In the church, during their meal time and tea time, everyone was able to fellowship with other members.  Talking to someone older than you is not awkward in the church.  Thank God.  

That night, they also had a youth fellowship.  They had a bible study over skype, and the preacher taught us on 1Tim4:1-6. I was really edified by v.6, where the preacher mentioned that we are nourished in the word of God only when we carefully follow it and preach it. A lot of times we may feel that some teachings we heard in a sermon was very good, but after some time the movement we had at the moment dies out.  What we need to do is to practice these teachings after we heard them, so the movement we had can really become a part of us.  You have to chew and swallow the food in your mouth, otherwise the food would not go into your stomach to benefit you.   

I had a really great fellowship with the youths in Paris.  Originally I wanted to come to Paris because I wanted to see the prayer house for myself due to the church’s situation there. But thank God, He gave me more than what I had expected.  I was greatly encouraged, because I could see that the members there they gathered there for the sake of the truth.  They wanted to stand on the ground of truth.  And today we must also do the same and stand firm in the truth.   

May God continue to guide the members in Paris, and guide the church.  And may God strengthen everyone’s faith in this end time.  

Sick Day

I spent most of my third full day in Paris sick.  Thank God that a brother from Paris brought me around.  We went to the cathedral Notre Dame first, then Mont Marte, and then the Eiffel tower.  After Notre Dame, I started to feel sick: I felt like throwing up. Thank God, at that time it wasn’t very severe, so I went along with the day plan.  After we toured another cathedral on Mont Marte, we went for lunch.  At that time, I couldn’t really eat. I tried the French salty crepe, and it was really good.  But after I ate a small piece of it I couldn’t eat any more. Even so, I pushed on to the next place at Eiffel tower.  Thank God, I was able to take some pictures at the Eiffel tower, though I felt very sick they I didn’t have the energy to go up the tower.   

That day I was originally planning to go visit a truth seeker with a deacon, but I felt very sick at the time.  After the Eiffel Tower, we went to a coffee shop to rest, then we went home.  May God remember the love of the brother.  When I got to the station, I threw up, and I didn’t have time looking for the washroom (I’m sure the janitor had cleaned it up later). Thank God that this didn’t happen inside the train, or else it would’ve been uglier.   

Thank God, after I threw up, I felt much better. And I waited at the station for some time before heading back to the deacon’s place.  After dinner (I couldn’t have dinner), the deacon asked me if I could go, and at that time I was about to say no because I felt a bit worse.  But we agreed that we would make the decision after the prayer.  In the prayer, I told God that if He would like me to go, please heal me. And at the beginning of the prayer, I wanted to stay back to rest.  But half way through the prayer, the deacon got up and laid hand on me, and then I felt better and better. At the end of the prayer, I felt a lot better and I decided to go.   

There’s much to thank God about this.  Later on after the visitation, the deacon let me know that he wouldn’t have gone if I couldn’t go, since the truth seeker was a lady.  I really thank God for His work. God is really the one doing His work, not us.  

I also did some personal reflections: I think God was reminding me to remember Him, because I’ve been slacked in prayers and bible reading during travel.  Thank God for His reminders and His powers.