Operation Christmas Child

Our church at home is involved in mission projects throughout the year, with more activities than usual at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has been interesting to see what our church here does for others.

Globally, we participated in Operation Christmas Child in November. People filled shoe boxes with toys, educational supplies, hygiene items, nonperishable sweets, and things to wear. These will be distributed to children in need throughout the world.



Locally, we collected toys for Newham URC in December. (Newham is located in London's East End, where the needs definitely outweigh the resources.) People brought their gifts forward during today's offering, and placed them under the large Christmas tree that now stands at the front of the sanctuary. I'm not usually much of a shopper, but it was fun wandering the aisles of Woking's Toys "R" Us! I bet there are more Doctor Who items on the shelves here than at home....

Harry Potter

I love to read, but I never found time to get past the first 4 Harry Potter books. With more time on my hands here, I went back to the beginning and eventually finished all 7...but in the UK versions. (At least in the first few books, different words are actually printed - jumper vs. sweater, and so on.) As Dave and Chris have both pointed out, it's brilliant (great) to be surrounded now by the British vocabulary. We saw candy floss (cotton candy) at several fun fairs this summer, and often order pudding (dessert) when we go out to eat. Large items go in the boot (trunk) of a car, and I wear trainers (sneakers) on my feet. Plus, the Dursleys lived in County Surrey (as do we), and trips into London involved streets such as Tottenham Court Road and Charing Cross Road (yup, been on both).

The British Library is located between the Euston and King's Cross/St Pancras Tube stops. Naturally, I chose the latter on my September visit so that I could pop into King's Cross Station.



The Harry Potter movies have been filmed all over the UK. I stumbled onto some of these locations by accident. For example, when I visited St Paul's Cathedral in August, this staircase was included on the "Supertour" that went into places not normally open to the public. I don't remember this scene in any of the movies, but then again, I've only seen the first 2, and that was quite some time ago.



And when I visited Durham Cathedral in October, our tour guide pointed out that the Hall (in the center) was used as a classroom in the first 2 movies, and scenes were also filmed in the Cloisters.



On our recent trip to Oxford, I knew that a visit to Christ Church was at the top of my list - for the Cathedral, of course, but also for the Hall.



When I first got there, the Hall was closed for a private function. It opened later just so people could get a glimpse from the entrance. Usually you can walk around the entire room and view the numerous portraits, but access was restricted because of an upcoming Christmas party. And that was good enough for me. Now I'll have to watch those early movies again!

Conquest Art

Dave is here to work at King's College London, and Chris is here to study at Woking College. But what about me? Of course, there are endless sights to see in and around London. And frequent walks to the grocery store are necessary because of my limited carrying capacity. A single small load in the washer/dryer unit takes several hours, so there is always laundry to do. And you know how much I love to clean the flat.... But it would be nice to do something more rewarding.

On Wednesday afternoons I walk down to church when it hosts Conquest Art. Founded in 1978, its aim is to enrich the lives of physically disabled people. I help Joan set up before the others arrive, and then clean up afterwards. During the class itself I socialize (an important part of the program), and do whatever else I can. Numbers vary from 3 to 10 people, and shown below are some of the regulars. Gordon brings his wife Ursula, who has been in a wheelchair since her stroke. They both enjoy creating landscapes with watercolors.



Helena (right) and her team bring a varying number of people from the nearby hospital each week. Chris is also a stroke victim, and he also prefers landscapes. Daphne (left) is the artist who can actually offer creative suggestions.



Vera (left) and Betty (right) both add animals and/or flowers to their homemade cards. And as you can see, I took their picture after the usual tea and biscuits had been served! Joan has a group of church members who help with that on a rotating basis.



So it's not much, but it's one way I've been able to get involved with the church and the community in a meaningful way. And it always renews my appreciation for my own health.