 The Manchester W & W team arrived safely Thursday morning and spent the rest of the day trying to stay awake. We toured the campus, walked downtown to exchange dollars for pounds and pence, marveled at the gardens, and enjoyed grilled brats and homemade chicken and parsnip soup for supper. The cars looked very different and not just because they're on the "wrong" side of the road. Remembering to always take an umbrella and to walk on the left is almost as challenging as looking in the right direction before crossing the street. We've learned that dishwashing soap is called "washing up liquid" and sorted out the difference between
"chips" and "crisps" (which come in unusual flavors like grilled chicken or lamb and mint).
|
All these books have to go? |
 |
Dusting books |
|
| We took books off shelves in the old library, packed them into bread crates, carted them over to the academic building by way of
uneven sidewalk outside the campus (because we couldn't cross the
construction site for the new library), dusted them off, then put them back on
the shelves once the bookcase crew had disassembled and reassembled those.
|
Rebuilding shelves |
Reshelving books in Classroom 2 |
Ready to reload |
|
Saturday afternoon we piled into two borrowed church vans for a trip to Chester in Northern Wales.
Chester is a walled city, dating back to Roman times and has a cathedral dating
back to around 1100AD.
We started and ended at the cathedral, touring it
first, then coming back for the evensong service. In between we explored the city. Many of us walked the wall and saw historic sites such as the remains of William the Conqueror's castle, several towers, and a Roman ampitheatre under
excavation, and a not-so-historic horse race. Some shopped, and some
tried the fish and chips or other local food.
|
Cutting studs to build wall in emptied library (after removing carpet) |
Putting up drywall |
Stringing IT cable |
 |
|
 |
Sanding and painting windows and trim |
Doors to close off heater and power box |
Doing laundry |
Choir practice |
Painting dorm bathrooms |
| Tuesday we visited Epworth, home of Charles and John Wesley. We toured the church their father pastored for more than 40 years as well as their home with one of the world's leading Wesley scholars, Dr. McGonigle from the college. Join us in praying for another Wesley to begin a revival!
Wednesday through Friday were work days. We finished moving books, scraped paint from windows, then caulked, primed, and painted as the weather allowed, put up drywall on the newly framed office walls, patched plaster, strung IT cabling in the new building, painted dorm bathrooms, and practiced a song to share on Sunday.
|
Samuel Wesley's church in Epworth |
Keeping the team fed |
 |
Entering Skipton Castle |
Having fun! |
Getting engaged |
 Saturday we got to experience a castle in Skipton, an outdoor market that has been in operation since 1200, and the Yorkshire Dales. This was a truly special day as two of our team members got engaged!
While in England, we enjoyed worshipping with two different church bodies, meeting staff and students from many countries, and sharing our faith stories. By the time our plane touched down at the Minneapolis Airport, we knew we had formed some new "bonds of love."
|
.
| |
England Work and Witness Trip (June-July, 2004)