So today on Retreat day which was the best one ever! Go Southwark and Greenwich! We played capture the flag or at least attempted too and then ended up tresspassing on someone elses land. But it made me realize something about myself....I always claim to be a defender, either defending our flag or defending our prision and taunting our prisioners...Sometimes I get carried away a bit with the game..I stay for a few minutes feeling content with my friendly jibes and then realize that I'm incredably bored. Not that someone doesn't need to defend the flag, it needs to be kept safe. It is the whole point of the game, but I suddenly realized that's not where my heart lies anymore. I eventually give up and end up risking my own flag in attempts to capture the other teams flag. But to do this I have to risk my own safety and cross over to the other side of the field, hide behind trees, dodge defenders and run like mad. With my eyes on the prize, that bright orange, beautiful flag, or in this case a plastic shopping bag, I run without regards to myself. I think only of that flag and stay focused attempt after attempt. I usually get caught and put in jail a few times....of course I'm not the fastest runner you know. but eventually the flag is within my hands and i manage to sneak back into friendly territory... No one suspects the innocent looking one that talks like a five year old. So we win the game.....I am not a defender, I am an attacker.
I think far too often in our lives as Christians, we try to hard to protect and perserve our own relationship with Christ. Which is all well and good, we can only control our own chance at salvation, that is our goal but, what about attacking the world for Jesus? Crossing over into enemy territory, dodging enemy bullets, both figuratively and literally, running towards revival, and risking our own necks for the sake of Christ, being thrown into prision, meeting secretly in homes. It could be even simpler than that. How about just speaking to that one person who is constantly on your heart and in your mind about Jesus. Victory isn't standing on earth as long as it takes so noone can take your flag. Victory is taking the world's flag and giving it to Jesus and seeing souls come to Jesus.So I encourage you to keep attacking this world and/or challenge you to stop hiding behind the defensive role and to start attacking if you know that you were called for more. Its far worth the risk....What is a few moments in jail...compared to victory!?
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Learning From London
1. Age doesn't matter in the Kingdom of God.
2. I am a hugely social person but I don't enjoy large social events.
3. I love being white...and the minority.
4. I'm never to old to cuddle my teddy...or my monkey in this case.
5. I hate planning lessons, they turn out better when I wing them.
6. I desperately need my, God, Julie, and History dates to keep myself going.
7. A chord of three is not easily broken.
8. Somewhere deep down, I'm learning to be a liberal. Conservatism is for idealist and sadly I tend to be one.
9.In youthwork, being crazy is the best way to get your point across.
10. Its hard to write on the bus.
11. Trusting who you are is sometimes really hard when the ones you love are struggling to make it.
12. This new generation is gonna change the world. Give them a chance.
13. No future is set in stone.
14. God's Kingdom is huge. Once you start seeking your adventure never ends.
15. Its alright to miss people and be sad.
16. Family is like the most important thing in the world...
17. A little effort goes a long way.
18. Pretend to love someone for long enough, and you just might end up actually loving them.
19. Seeing a young girl become a woman is my favorite thing ever.
20.Trust...on so many different levels.
21. If God gives you a dream, it's good enough to go for.
22. Everyone is a nerd in some way. Some are just better at hiding it.
23. I hate big cities...
24. Every child should go to their local school. Society would benefit.
25. Even 15 year olds love stickers for a job well done.
2. I am a hugely social person but I don't enjoy large social events.
3. I love being white...and the minority.
4. I'm never to old to cuddle my teddy...or my monkey in this case.
5. I hate planning lessons, they turn out better when I wing them.
6. I desperately need my, God, Julie, and History dates to keep myself going.
7. A chord of three is not easily broken.
8. Somewhere deep down, I'm learning to be a liberal. Conservatism is for idealist and sadly I tend to be one.
9.In youthwork, being crazy is the best way to get your point across.
10. Its hard to write on the bus.
11. Trusting who you are is sometimes really hard when the ones you love are struggling to make it.
12. This new generation is gonna change the world. Give them a chance.
13. No future is set in stone.
14. God's Kingdom is huge. Once you start seeking your adventure never ends.
15. Its alright to miss people and be sad.
16. Family is like the most important thing in the world...
17. A little effort goes a long way.
18. Pretend to love someone for long enough, and you just might end up actually loving them.
19. Seeing a young girl become a woman is my favorite thing ever.
20.Trust...on so many different levels.
21. If God gives you a dream, it's good enough to go for.
22. Everyone is a nerd in some way. Some are just better at hiding it.
23. I hate big cities...
24. Every child should go to their local school. Society would benefit.
25. Even 15 year olds love stickers for a job well done.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Best of Both Worlds
Well, Ghana was amazing....one of the best weeks of my life. I've never felt so in tune to what God was doing in his kingdom. There is a song that constantly played in the radio in my head...and one line kept repeating itself until I drove myself crazy...."though we are many, we form one body, the body of Christ." It was amazing to meet the young people at the AACO/XLP school and to see the hope that they had for their own futures and for their nation because they had an opportunity to get an education and because people believed in them....They were young Ghanaian revolutionaries...
Ghana made me realized that my own future isn't set in stone. I promised Jesus that I would go anywhere he sent me and He is placing new things in my heart and new passions. I discovered that my passion isn't in truth the higher education world but, it is in fact the training up of young revolutionaries to shake up our own western world. The two biggest passions in my life still make my world go round, Education and Youth. Im just praying that somehow I can get them to fit together.
But I do know that Im interested in living in both worlds. In the youth worker world and in the higher education world. Maybe my calling is to educate youth workers? Ive seen alot of bad youth leaders and youth ministers in my day, both injure themselves and the young people they work with. If these youth workers would have had better training none of this would have happened.
So anyways, I have the oppertuinity to try my hand at this by staying here in London for another year to be a second year student on the Southwark team. Not only to I get to work with the same awesome young people, I get to help guide the new XLP students on my team, helping them to be better youth workers. And I'll be like a second in command to our fearless leader Chris. But don't worry I'll be back to good old Kentucky for the summer....I miss the wheat too much...Jokes, I miss you all something fearce.
After my second year, who knows? Maybe I'll end up at Asbury Seminary after all, doing a youth work degree, or continue on and get a masters in education and teach high school history. Or maybe even move back to Ghana and serve the people there. Im open for what Jesus has for me. Im living in the best of all worlds..
Ghana made me realized that my own future isn't set in stone. I promised Jesus that I would go anywhere he sent me and He is placing new things in my heart and new passions. I discovered that my passion isn't in truth the higher education world but, it is in fact the training up of young revolutionaries to shake up our own western world. The two biggest passions in my life still make my world go round, Education and Youth. Im just praying that somehow I can get them to fit together.
But I do know that Im interested in living in both worlds. In the youth worker world and in the higher education world. Maybe my calling is to educate youth workers? Ive seen alot of bad youth leaders and youth ministers in my day, both injure themselves and the young people they work with. If these youth workers would have had better training none of this would have happened.
So anyways, I have the oppertuinity to try my hand at this by staying here in London for another year to be a second year student on the Southwark team. Not only to I get to work with the same awesome young people, I get to help guide the new XLP students on my team, helping them to be better youth workers. And I'll be like a second in command to our fearless leader Chris. But don't worry I'll be back to good old Kentucky for the summer....I miss the wheat too much...Jokes, I miss you all something fearce.
After my second year, who knows? Maybe I'll end up at Asbury Seminary after all, doing a youth work degree, or continue on and get a masters in education and teach high school history. Or maybe even move back to Ghana and serve the people there. Im open for what Jesus has for me. Im living in the best of all worlds..
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Christmas Adventures
My Christmas break was amazing. God's people are amazing. No matter where you go, Jesus provides for you. He did this through the Warbutton family, new friends, and XLP friends. Here are some pictures of my travels. There are more on facebook, if you can view them, definantly check it out. And I was in heaven...seeing these historical buildings with some of my best British friends. Bristol, Weston-s-Mare, Bath, Oxford, and Salisbury... I screamed when I saw stonehenge. Take a look......
Monday, December 8, 2008
GHANA
Dear Family and Friends,
Ghana is fast approaching so I thought I should let you all know what I will be doing there. XLP has partnered with AACO, Ashanti Akim Community Organization for the past 14 or so years, working outside the city of Kumasi. If you can, look at a map of Ghana. Kumasi is about a 5 hour drive from the Capitol of Accra which is on the coast to the jungle in the north. The majority of the people living in and surrounding Kumasi are of the Ashanti tribe.
XLP and AACO have completed the building of a secondary school in the town of Danpong. The school includes 3 classrooms, 1 big meeting hall, and a health clinic. This school, now completed is only the 4th secondary school in the whole Ashanti Akim district of Ghana. Lack of education forces many young people to grow up and remain in poverty.
Besides the work in the classroom, XlP spends alot of its time giving lessions, running clubs, giving the gospel message through skits, and spending time with the young people playing soccer and suprisingly frisbee!! Juaso and Agogo are other towns in this district in which we spend alot of time ministering.
This year XLP is the largest it has ever been so, the XLP team has been broken into two groups. I will be going with the second group, flying out of Heathrow on the morning of feburary 14th and comming home the 21st. Please pray specifically for Ghana and that I can get everything ready in time and can raise enough money to be fully prepared. I am in the process of getting a yellow fever shot but since I live in a highly African (Nigerian and Ghanan) section of London, I might be able to get this shot cheaply.
The total cost of this week long trip is about 700 Pounds so somewhere about 1250 dollars. And if you so feel led to give again, please send checks, made out to me, to my momma and she can take care of everything for me. Its great to have such a fantastic momma.
Thanks again for your prayers and support.
Julie
Sunday, December 7, 2008
December Newsletter.
Well here it is December and all is swell in London. It feels that now I have some pretty great relationships with the young people both in the schools and at my church. Just this week, I was riding the bus home and it was soon taken over by a horde of young girls from the Harris Academy that had just let out. As I was moving over to make room and pondering how on earth I was going to be able to squeeze out the door at my bus stop, I received a tap on my shoulder followed by, “Miss, I remember you, you taught my class about Mother Teresa. You were my favorite.” Meeting the young people outside of school has been the most amazing confirmation that XLP does make a difference. This girl remembered who I was and what I said…..young people DO listen!
This month, the Southwark team has started teaching RE lessons in the schools, as referred to in the above story. Re, religious education classes are required by the British government but many teachers want to tackle these religious topics themselves. I feel that this is one of the most important things that XLP does. So Wednesday mornings we teach about the life and social action of significant leaders in the Christian faith. So far we have focused on Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. It is great to see these heroes of the faith and see that even people of humble backgrounds through Christ and a lot of hard work can change the world.
Last night was the Greenwich Art Showcase which is like a huge talent show for the young people in Greenwich, another Borough like Southwark..not as awesome though. Each school that the Greenwich XLP team works in was represented by one maybe two acts. We had many singers, dancers, a violinist, an amazing electric guitarist, and a whole rock band. It is a great event because it brings the whole community together, families and friends come out to support their young person. The whole night was pretty amazing. There are three such showcases, Greenwich, Southwark, and Lewisham and then a South London showcase for the finalists from the first three. Southwark Showcase is next semester after Christmas so our turn to shine is fast approaching.
My friendship with Christina has grown over the past month. I eargley await Tuesday afternoons so that I can see her at the XLP bus club. Last Tuesday we talked about our families and it was amazing with how much she told me, it was great to have that trust. She has 1 sister and 2 brothers and all of them have different dads and Christina didn’t meet her dad herself until she was 8 years old, she is now 11. So we talked about growing up without a father and how that made life difficult for us. Christina says that to deal with her anger and sadness she likes to create art, mostly painting. Art does wonders for the young people here in London. Please continue to pray for Christina and her relationship with both her mother and her father.
This month on the XLP bus, we had a trainer (tennis shoe) design competition. Each young person was given a blank picture of a trainer and was expected to design a shoe that they would want to wear. Not only was it great to see the creative side of these tough 14 year old boys but it gave us a change to sit down and talk with them. Its hard to interact when they are glued to a computer screen. The winner was given a 20 pound gift certificate to a local shoe store. Needless to say, they really got into it!
And I have had a great time outside of all this youth work and have spent numerous days exploring this beautiful but huge city. Last Saturday a few friends and I, Jazz, Lydia, Celia, and Sean went to the Natural History Museum and saw lots of awesome stuff. The rocks and minerals and gemstones were my personal favorite. But among our fellow XLP workers our group has been labeled the nerds…. If the shoe fits.? On Thursday Lydia, Jazz, and I went walking along the south bank of the Thames at night and saw all the Christmas lights and decorations. It was so beautiful. Lots of funny pictures resulted from that night.
And for Christmas, I will be able to do some traveling. The official plan, it has changed so many times, is to go home with my friend Kitty, to Bristol and to spend the holiday with her family. Her mother said she was very happy to have me and even bought me the train ticket herself. The two of us might also travel to Bath which is only about 40 minutes away, as well to visit out friend Polly, also an XLP worker. So I’m really excited about the Christmas Break! Thank you for all your prayers for those of you who were praying about my Christmas plans. 
That’s about all for now. And by church youth are amazing. They rock my world, you could not get a better group of young people. Ghana is fastly approaching in February. Please pray for me as I am again fundraising….An update for Ghana is in the making. Thanks again for your continual love. I miss you all.
Julie
This month, the Southwark team has started teaching RE lessons in the schools, as referred to in the above story. Re, religious education classes are required by the British government but many teachers want to tackle these religious topics themselves. I feel that this is one of the most important things that XLP does. So Wednesday mornings we teach about the life and social action of significant leaders in the Christian faith. So far we have focused on Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr. It is great to see these heroes of the faith and see that even people of humble backgrounds through Christ and a lot of hard work can change the world.
Last night was the Greenwich Art Showcase which is like a huge talent show for the young people in Greenwich, another Borough like Southwark..not as awesome though. Each school that the Greenwich XLP team works in was represented by one maybe two acts. We had many singers, dancers, a violinist, an amazing electric guitarist, and a whole rock band. It is a great event because it brings the whole community together, families and friends come out to support their young person. The whole night was pretty amazing. There are three such showcases, Greenwich, Southwark, and Lewisham and then a South London showcase for the finalists from the first three. Southwark Showcase is next semester after Christmas so our turn to shine is fast approaching.
My friendship with Christina has grown over the past month. I eargley await Tuesday afternoons so that I can see her at the XLP bus club. Last Tuesday we talked about our families and it was amazing with how much she told me, it was great to have that trust. She has 1 sister and 2 brothers and all of them have different dads and Christina didn’t meet her dad herself until she was 8 years old, she is now 11. So we talked about growing up without a father and how that made life difficult for us. Christina says that to deal with her anger and sadness she likes to create art, mostly painting. Art does wonders for the young people here in London. Please continue to pray for Christina and her relationship with both her mother and her father.
This month on the XLP bus, we had a trainer (tennis shoe) design competition. Each young person was given a blank picture of a trainer and was expected to design a shoe that they would want to wear. Not only was it great to see the creative side of these tough 14 year old boys but it gave us a change to sit down and talk with them. Its hard to interact when they are glued to a computer screen. The winner was given a 20 pound gift certificate to a local shoe store. Needless to say, they really got into it!
And I have had a great time outside of all this youth work and have spent numerous days exploring this beautiful but huge city. Last Saturday a few friends and I, Jazz, Lydia, Celia, and Sean went to the Natural History Museum and saw lots of awesome stuff. The rocks and minerals and gemstones were my personal favorite. But among our fellow XLP workers our group has been labeled the nerds…. If the shoe fits.? On Thursday Lydia, Jazz, and I went walking along the south bank of the Thames at night and saw all the Christmas lights and decorations. It was so beautiful. Lots of funny pictures resulted from that night.
And for Christmas, I will be able to do some traveling. The official plan, it has changed so many times, is to go home with my friend Kitty, to Bristol and to spend the holiday with her family. Her mother said she was very happy to have me and even bought me the train ticket herself. The two of us might also travel to Bath which is only about 40 minutes away, as well to visit out friend Polly, also an XLP worker. So I’m really excited about the Christmas Break! Thank you for all your prayers for those of you who were praying about my Christmas plans. 
That’s about all for now. And by church youth are amazing. They rock my world, you could not get a better group of young people. Ghana is fastly approaching in February. Please pray for me as I am again fundraising….An update for Ghana is in the making. Thanks again for your continual love. I miss you all.
Julie
Monday, November 17, 2008
November Newsletter
London is fantastic but very rainy….I’ve never seen so much rain in my life. So I’ve learned to buckle down and run to the bus stop instead of my nice, slow Kentucky stroll. Oh guess what, I saw a fox yesterday on the way to way to one of our schools. Yeah a fox in the city… how crazy is that? London never ceases to amaze me.
Christina has continued to come every Tuesday to the XLP bus and has really opened up and begun to be quite chatty with the other young people. Please continue to pray that more young girls will venture onto our bus. Last Tuesday, outside the bus, Lydia who is also a youth worker on my team and, I taught 2 of our young guys to throw a frisbee. Frisbee is such an American sport (Lydia is American as well) and they had never thrown before. These young people tend to not try new things but Troy and Francis played with us for the whole two hours that the bus was on the estate. As Lydia and I were walking to our bus stop and we ran into Francis shopping in the market with his mother Caroline. I have never met a more appreciate mother in my life. She thanked us many many times for spending time with her son. It was one of the best moments of this year so far and was affirmation that this is where I belong.
In the schools last week we talked about the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10. The team acted this story out but changed the Priest and the Levite into fellow gang members. The Samaritan that passed by was therefore a gang member of another gang. It was pretty effective to put this story into words that they can relate too. I am so happy that the Scriptures are relevant to our lives today no matter how safe or unsafe our lives may be. The young people got really into the beating up part but we got them thinking of who the “Samaritans” are in their lives and how they should be treated. Over all it was very successful.
As well as the schools and church work every week, we the XLP students have a youth work training session on Monday and a theology training session on Friday. This morning we heard a quest speaker who had been a missionary in Egypt for 10 years and has really been given a heart for the Muslim world. Since London is very diverse, it is home to numerous Muslims, in fact more Muslims go to the Mosque on Sunday than Christians to Church in England. But we had a seminar on what Muslims believe, what they practice, and how to engage with them as a Christian. It was very interesting to say the least and very helpful. A few weeks ago, in our schools we played a game involving candy which of course included gelatin which Muslims cannot eat. Sadly these boys were unable to participate. We all are learning how to engage this different religion and culture and to make the Gospel of Jesus understandable to them. So prayers for healthy interaction with Muslims in Southwark would be awesome.
As for my own personal growth, I finally feel like this is home….home is where God wants us to be. Don’t worry Momma, this home is only for now. I feel like I belong. Sunday after having lunch with a few families in my church, the youth in those families, Amy, Hannah, and Jonathan decided that they were going to go see the new James Bond movie in the theater. This is a silly thing, but they invited me along, which of course I went cause I love Britain’s favorite agent…and it was a great feeling to know that they wanted me, “the old youth worker” as Jonathan calls me, to hang out with them. Of course now I also get the bonus of rubbing it in to my brothers that I saw “Quantum of Solace” before they did….before any of you Americans did! I’m really getting to know all the other 17 XLP students as well. This weekend we all went to a fire work show to celebrate Guy Fawkes day which was on the 5th. We all had a great time goofing off together. Please pray for the other XLP students as well. A few of them are Lucy, Emily, Hannah, Oli, Sean and Sam.
Please pray for me as the holiday season is just around the corner and for my family and especially my mother. This is my first Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home. While it will be exciting to have Christmas in England, it will be sad to be so far away from my family. As the plan goes, I’m going home with my friend Lucy who lives outside Manchester for Christmas. It will be fun to see a new part of England. Please continue to pray for these schools, Highshore, Kingsdale, Harris Girls Academy, The Peckham Academy, and The Globe as well. Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
Christina has continued to come every Tuesday to the XLP bus and has really opened up and begun to be quite chatty with the other young people. Please continue to pray that more young girls will venture onto our bus. Last Tuesday, outside the bus, Lydia who is also a youth worker on my team and, I taught 2 of our young guys to throw a frisbee. Frisbee is such an American sport (Lydia is American as well) and they had never thrown before. These young people tend to not try new things but Troy and Francis played with us for the whole two hours that the bus was on the estate. As Lydia and I were walking to our bus stop and we ran into Francis shopping in the market with his mother Caroline. I have never met a more appreciate mother in my life. She thanked us many many times for spending time with her son. It was one of the best moments of this year so far and was affirmation that this is where I belong.
In the schools last week we talked about the story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10. The team acted this story out but changed the Priest and the Levite into fellow gang members. The Samaritan that passed by was therefore a gang member of another gang. It was pretty effective to put this story into words that they can relate too. I am so happy that the Scriptures are relevant to our lives today no matter how safe or unsafe our lives may be. The young people got really into the beating up part but we got them thinking of who the “Samaritans” are in their lives and how they should be treated. Over all it was very successful.
As well as the schools and church work every week, we the XLP students have a youth work training session on Monday and a theology training session on Friday. This morning we heard a quest speaker who had been a missionary in Egypt for 10 years and has really been given a heart for the Muslim world. Since London is very diverse, it is home to numerous Muslims, in fact more Muslims go to the Mosque on Sunday than Christians to Church in England. But we had a seminar on what Muslims believe, what they practice, and how to engage with them as a Christian. It was very interesting to say the least and very helpful. A few weeks ago, in our schools we played a game involving candy which of course included gelatin which Muslims cannot eat. Sadly these boys were unable to participate. We all are learning how to engage this different religion and culture and to make the Gospel of Jesus understandable to them. So prayers for healthy interaction with Muslims in Southwark would be awesome.
As for my own personal growth, I finally feel like this is home….home is where God wants us to be. Don’t worry Momma, this home is only for now. I feel like I belong. Sunday after having lunch with a few families in my church, the youth in those families, Amy, Hannah, and Jonathan decided that they were going to go see the new James Bond movie in the theater. This is a silly thing, but they invited me along, which of course I went cause I love Britain’s favorite agent…and it was a great feeling to know that they wanted me, “the old youth worker” as Jonathan calls me, to hang out with them. Of course now I also get the bonus of rubbing it in to my brothers that I saw “Quantum of Solace” before they did….before any of you Americans did! I’m really getting to know all the other 17 XLP students as well. This weekend we all went to a fire work show to celebrate Guy Fawkes day which was on the 5th. We all had a great time goofing off together. Please pray for the other XLP students as well. A few of them are Lucy, Emily, Hannah, Oli, Sean and Sam.
Please pray for me as the holiday season is just around the corner and for my family and especially my mother. This is my first Thanksgiving and Christmas away from home. While it will be exciting to have Christmas in England, it will be sad to be so far away from my family. As the plan goes, I’m going home with my friend Lucy who lives outside Manchester for Christmas. It will be fun to see a new part of England. Please continue to pray for these schools, Highshore, Kingsdale, Harris Girls Academy, The Peckham Academy, and The Globe as well. Thanks for your continued prayers and support!
The Source, the bible study group of my youth from church was this friday and we had a great time chatting, eating snackies and talking about Weakness. The amazing thing is that every Bible Hero had a weakness...yet God still used them. He can use us....Somehow bible study turned into a photo opt....
Much Love from London,
Julie
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