Long awaited holiday in London!

It had been a dream ever since I returned last year from London go back to visit, and I was able to go for eighteen days at the end of August! I wasn't sure how I'd feel going back: would people remember me? what is the neighborhood like? What would I do for fun? Who would I get to see? Life was full enough before going that these thoughts didn't plague me too much:)
While spending an extra day in Philly due to a mishap with the airlines, i studied for a test and got to know a football (soccer) coach from N. England-which helped the time pass. From the moment I saw my friends greet me at the Heathrow until I left, I felt warmly received and had an amazing time reconnecting with a place that had become home. I didn't miss the big city or tourist places, I missed relationships, so my highlights might seem small unless you know their depth:

1. the normalcy of seeing your old neighborhood
having my old CC, travel card (oyster), mobile and knowing the area made getting around much easier. I was dropped off for lunch at someone's house from the airport, walked into the charity shop I used to work at, ASHA and surprised the family working there, saw familiar faces, and was greeted on the street I used to live on with the shouts of boys calling out for me to play football with them. I stayed around Kenton with a neighboring Indian family, sharing meals and getting time with their son. I had several long conversations over tea, late nights with friends and dinners with families. The time flew by. After being gone almost a year it was comforting to know that the community that had become family to me was still there and still family in many ways despite the distance.
2.enjoying London with friends
I was able to take two boys to a Chelsea match. They had way more gear than me and their relentless chattering exhibited their enthusiasm. though Seattle has their own team now, their matches don't compare to those in the Premier League. I met a friend from high school who is working at a theatre in downtown London and she showed me around the backstage and introduced me to her coworkers. It is sweet to see someone pursue their dreams and trace how God opens up doors. Two high school students involved in the church plant New Life Suwarta Sangat were great as I played show and tell showing some of my favorite spots around the city. The Nottinghill Carnival was colorful, in more ways than one, and crowded but after hearing so much about it I am glad I went. After several full days of seeing people, it was nice to spend a few hours alone in Kew Gardens on an "Indian summer" day with rain pouring between sun breaks.















3. revisiting the ministries I was involved with
The building we were able to use rent free, Glebe Fellowship Hall, had been completely remodeled and our lease we had negotiated was finalized-which meant that I was visiting just before they were fully able to execute all their amazing ideas for using to host events and activities for the community. I was able to visit a few apprentices who were just starting program I had been a part of. It is exciting to keep up with them and hear how everything has developed since I was in their shoes.

4. an afternoon with the Irvines

Though my time with them was very short, it was sweet. The Irvine family with two kids and new baby in tow has just arrived a few days before I left and were the main family I got to know during my time in London. I got to wrestle, read, eat, and play with the kids and heard their stories and told my own of the past year. Reconnecting with kids does not happen easily and I was glad to find them so receptive to letting me back into their lives. The parents and I reflected on how easy and natural it felt for me to be there.

Overall I realized that despite the time and distance, I still have a community of friends in London that I can return to if/when a door opens in the future. But for now I remain in Seattle and begin my pursuit of a Masters in Teaching...another journey begins.

The Next Step

I am have settled in Seattle, Washington and time has flown by since I left London four months ago. London became home to me during my year there and I am excited about returning for a holiday this summer for a few weeks. Several friends there have kept in touch and ASHA, the youth clubs and satsungs continue on without me. Despite the bad economy, I have been able to find two part time jobs that I enjoy and a nice place to live. There was definitely culture shock the first month and thoughts continue to bounce around in my head as I settle in. I decided to start another blog to keep people in touch with what I'm doing and thinking: http://www.benfromseattle.blogspot.com/ Thanks to all of you who've read and kept up with this blog, it was my first and a great way to keep people connected.

Saying Goodbye

I told my friends months ago that I'd return to the States in the fall, but I was slow to have a countdown. I knew leaving would be hard and I didn't want to rush things. Was I excited about leaving? No. But in a weird sense I knew I shouldn't stay. After returning from Italy, I thought we'd start our youth clubs again but due to my pending departure we chose to postpone it. Though I would have loved to start the clubs, it was nice to have time for me to go door to door to say goodbye to the kids and their families. I had held off as long as possible actually saying goodbye to people because i had a hard time realizing I was actually leaving. My days were full but not demanding. I enjoyed spending more days in ASHA, our charity shop and with many of our volunteers back in school, the work load was heavier. I spent most evenings seeing different friends from this last year. My last week, I had three dinners with Indian neighbors and their families in the community. It felt weird to say goodbye. Once you’ve lived somewhere you get in the habit of thinking you’ll see them “around” or “next week”.



The reality of leaving hit me in waves, periodically rising suddenly out of seemingly mundane circumstances-taking my last bus ride, walking past certain streets, hearing Indian music, working at our charity shop, or simply having breakfast with my Indian family. During my last Sunday night, these waves came in abundance and the “tide” rose leaving me overwhelmed. I didn’t fight or ride the waves, I was knocked over-such was the loving affirmation of having 80 friends gather to say goodbye, shower me with cards and gifts, and tell me what I mean to them. Many of them welcomed me as a strange immigrant, brought me into their homes, and in time shared their doubts and dreams, hopes and fears. A year ago I did not know anyone in London; now I know so many and saw ongoing growth in many friendships up my last day leaving: it was not easy to leave, I will miss them.
I walked through downtown London the next afternoon and wandered through streets and sites from my first visit, four years ago when I first had an inkling about living here. Now I have and what an adventure it has been.

Leaving London

I left London September 23rd, the exact day my visa expired, three days short of a year. I had told my friends in the summer I'd be returning, but I was slow to have a countdown. I knew leaving would be hard and I didn't want to rush things. Was I excited about leaving? No. Why am I leaving? Why did I come in the first place? I came to be equipped and shaped in what I want to do in life-love a city through caring for those in transition. Specifically I came to learn and understand South Asian culture within the British context. Knowing both cultures' beliefs and history was crucial, and demands much more than a year's time. London is a unique place. Its hostility to belief, frustration with the influx of immigrants (especially students) and loss of the classical education is met with having an intriguing history, being the gateway to the western world, and marvelously/tragically being the crossroads of the world. That is all big picture commentary. I wanted to see how it looked on the ground, with specific people, in a specific community, with very real, tough transitions and decisions. It is an experience I will never forget and forever be grateful for.

I came with many considerations: teaching, full time work with a charity, council work, career advising, tutoring but in all of those areas I knew I needed further equipping. I also knew I wanted to know my context before simply jumping in with both feet. I got to know the context well enough to feel confident about staying but the simple truth is that that equipping I was talking about was not available. Plus having an expiring visa limits lingering too long on possibilities. I can definitely see myself returning. When, how, where and with who are questions to sort out in the meantime.

Casting aside those future ambitions for a few weeks in Italy was nice because it brought clarity to why I want to do all these things. I want to find joy in what I do and bring joy to others. Everyone does, we just call this different names: vocation, calling, career, purpose in life, etc. Few people venture into the deeper levels of joy; it is convicting and troublesome because it demands community, it demands something/someone larger than yourself. Ask the burnt out humanitarians, teachers, activists, hippies, whoever pours themself out for the world without others being with them and all of them together learning of the higher order of things (God, ethics, a political party, economics, whatever) and clarifying, refining their role within it. Or ask the indifferent, contentedly lazy or "all-wise", armchair skeptic about the deeper levels of joy and they may try describing it but the listener knows they have never tasted it. At times like these, we see more clearly the difference between knowing something experientially and knowing it as merely as data. Though we might be world's apart, we are similar in wrestling with the grey, the mess, as we seek to regain a sense of wonder and hope in a broken world...My unique experience in London made me be honest about the struggles of life while dwelling on and clinging to the hope that only Jesus gives; relishing His grace

July Kids Club!

I know this is long, long overdue but I finally got some photos from our summer kids club-Son Rock Kids Camp! We had over 80 kids come at the end of the July, school years 2-7. The place was packed. It was only four days, Tuesday through Friday but everyone had a blast. A group of high school students from the States came to lead different stations in our building in Kenton: arts/crafts, music, discussion/small games, and story time. Since I was organizing the week, I was overjoyed to have 18 local teenager volunteer to help lead four groups of kids separated by age. Each group had a color and name: purple-bears, green-eagles, red-wolves, blue-chipmunks. Hilarity ensued when the oldest group found out they were the chipmunks but didn’t feel as embarrassed when I announced that I was the “big chipmunk” leader. We tried to work the camping theme into every aspect of the week. We began each morning gathering as an assembly and then proceeded to a nearby park for outdoor games for an hour. We finished by rotating around four stations. The stories got kids involved
I had a fun time that week; largely due to the amount of help. We had a day to train the volunteers and have them connect with their American peers. Every afternoon a group of the student leaders played different sports outside. Even in the summer, rain can come at any moment in London so we were praying for a good week. Thankfully it rained only one morning. The American team did a great job with the stations and all the kids made sure they arrived early to get started ASAP. The parents were very thankful to have their kids at the camp instead of on their computers all day and asked if we could extend the camp another week maybe next summer we will…

There were many highlights that week but one that stands out is our Parent’s Night. Two wonderful mothers in my neighbourhood have always made the dinner and surpassed everyone’s expectations despite having almost 200 people! We had a slideshow and summary of the week, a prayer and then just mingled for a few hours. After getting so much time with the kids, it was nice to meet their parents. Many of them expressed their gratitude and wondered how we did all of this with only £8 cost for the week. Almost half of the kids were at the summer camp for the first time. It is definitely something I would enjoy doing more of, and having help makes it much easier to consider.
I knew it was a good week when two months later I saw some kids in the park and they yelled “Ben, Ben! When are you having another camp?” Yes it is tiring and demanding but very worth it.

I knew very little about Sicily before going: a fun character in Princess Bride, old ruins and the mafia. But thankfully when it comes to traveling, who you know matters more-like a family living there. I landed in Palermo, took a bus into the city and a bus across Sicily to Catania. It was a beautiful drive, what stood out most was the vast open space. It was so nice to have a family take an interest in me and my time in London, show me around, and include me in their routine. I didn't check with them but I'm going to go ahead and tell you who they are: the Stiegler family!
I arrived Thursday and settled into their home. That evening I was invited to go cycling with the father and his friend. I borrowed a cycle and gear. It was one of many times to follow in which I felt spoiled. We climbed some hills and could see for several miles at the top...no cities. After cycling the streets of London, going to the countryside of Sicily was a dream come true!















Friday I went into Catania Market early while it was quiet. It was full of different colors and smells. The prices were actually alright and I got a nice piece of pottery for 1 euro. We had a small snack for breakfast. It was one of the few markets I went to with fresh seafood. In was interesting to know that a few years ago while digging to build a foundation, the city discovered some Greek ruins. We went back and met another family from the Navy base there and headed to Mt. Etna. The family has three girls who were all happy to orient me to the mountain and a cool house on the way up (see pic). After about an hour exploring the hills, it rained-a torrential downpour. We were soaked and headed home a little earlier than expected. Later that evening we went to the castle at Moda for gelato with a few families. It was a cool night and there was a festival going on with costumes, instruments, fire and choreographed dancing but we were tired and didn’t stay as long as we had wanted to.
Saturday we went to the beach at Fontane Biance. It was crowded but we got a paddle boat and explored a bit. Their dad knew of a good place to jump off a rock, about 25 ft up. He was brave enough to dive off, I just jumped. It was a hot day and compared to everyone else, as you'll see in another photo, I was pretty white. We went out for pizza in Nicolosi that night.
Sunday we were invited to an Italian man’s house. It was breathtaking-the covered patio, outdoor kitchen, clear blue pool with an amazing view of the plains below, orchards surrounding the property…and that was before the food was brought out! There were about 8 kids there, so they all kept me busy making sure I used the pool to our full advantage. We had the full 4 course meal and I had a hard time resisting more at each stage. The children had almost endless energy running around, jumping, swimming, racing, and playing with the inflatable shark I blew up for them. We were all full after a few hours. The whole day was a slice of heaven-wonderful food, fun and fellowship, most of us took a nap on the way back.
Monday after dropping off Katherine at swim practice, Becky and I drove to the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento. It was a scorching day! The ancient ruins were in remarkable condition. A Christian ruler built a cathedral around the temple of Concordia, keeping it free from the elements for centuries until the 18th c. when the cathedral was torn down-leaving the temple as it is today. These temples are located along a high ridge overlooking the sea which had a long wall fortified for protection. The temple of Zeus was in complete ruins, scattered rumble of what was once an immense structure. The sheer brilliance of the engineers to create such structures was amazing. I soaked in as much I could in a few hours and rested in the shade with a gelato!
That night I went to my very first swim meet. It was a “fun meet”(a prep for a real one).. I cheered on some kids from the families I had met during my time. Seeing an 8yr old swim smoother, faster and stronger than me was pretty humbling.
My last night we joined another family and went to Taormina, a city right next to the ocean atop high mts. There was a concert that night at the coliseum so we didn’t get to go inside. I loved the character of the whole place-the narrow, steep, twisting roads, the unique and colorful shops, the panoramic vistas. We had dinner at the Granduca, overlooking the ocean. I ordered swordfish for the first time. It was wonderful! I slept well that night with a very satisfied stomach.
My final highlight of Sicily was playing MarioKart Wii with the family I stayed with. I had played a few times with some kids in my neighborhood in London but it was very nice to kill some time, joke around, and get good enough to win more often! what part of italy are Mario and Luigi from?…

Trip to Wales

About a month ago I had a friend invite me to join him in a hiking challenge in Wales: www.welsh3000s.co.uk Our goal was to summit and survive 15 3000ft mountain peaks
in Northern Wales within 24hrs. I had never been to Wales so I had no idea what to expect. I had missed the outdoors immensely since coming to the UK last fall and a drive in the countryside just does not cut it. Thankfully he had been to the area before, so I didn’t have to be too prepared. I borrowed gear from some friends. We knew we needed to do it sometime this summer while the days were long and chose last weekend to go. We planned on getting up there, camping and then going for the 15 the next day and camping the next night if we needed to and then maybe do a day hike our last day-far easier said than done.

Due to weather predictions, we drove up last Thursday afternoon and camped near the base of Snowden around 10pm. It was due to rain Saturday morning, so we figured we were safe with food, water, our bivy bags and some basic supplies until then. We slept alright that night and started off pretty early to Snowden. It was disappointing to learn on our way up that there is a railway that goes all the way to the top and has a café…not very rewarding in my view. We walked up in the fog and mist and started our long hike. From Snowden (1) we went to Garnedd Ugain (2), which was pretty easy. We had to tediously maneuver over boulders on a steep ridge to get to Crib Goch (3), which was incredibly dangerous with the winds and our backpacks. During our descent back near sea level on the road, I sprained my ankle, which was pretty embarrassing. Soon after, my friend Mark slipped and fell landing his knee on a big rock. It was rough way to complete our first set of peaks. I rested a bit and then pressed on, up a thistle-covered field toward Elidir Fawr and Y Garn. These had rocky summits but grassy areas around them. The crucial moment of the day came after completing these peaks: Mark’s hurt knee prevented him from continuing and he offered to return to the car and meet me at the end of the 15 peaks, about 6 miles from the last peak either that night or the following morning. It was the first time Mark had to turn back on an expedition, I would miss his company during the rest of the trip.














I stopped to eat some lunch and tape up my ankle and bandage up a developing blister before heading up a long rocky hill to Glyder Faur(6). Unlike the previous 5 peaks, which gave wonderful views and had clear trails, there was nothing scenic about #6 at the top, just a pile of stones. This was something that would become more and more common through my hike, making me really feel like Frodo or Sam going through Mordor, thankfully without the fire or hot steam (or smeagol of course). Step after step was on solid rock pounding my feet seemingly through my old pair of boots. Hobbit feet are more durable I guess. YET the day itself was beautiful, the sun came out, the mountainous landscape with sea in the distance was lovely. I pressed on to Glyder Fach (7) and Tryfan (8). Tryfan was not a bad ascent, the descent however was treacherous, I basically rock climbed down a steep bowl to get to the next range
I have to be honest; at that point my feet were hurting. It was a gorgeous day but I knew that completing the 15 peaks would be harder than I thought, and take more out of me. I would have loved to have a friend to complete it with. I was tempted as I passed a pub on the road to stop but with 7 more peaks to go and being on my own, I played it safe and pressed on. The hardest ascent was next to Pen yr Ole Wen (9) I was literally rock climbing most the way up with my backpack on, a little scary at points. I was told that after conquering #9, it is much easier from there just time consuming with progressive ascents and descents. They were right. I reached Carnedd Dafydd (10) and Yr Elen (11) within an hour or so. Carnedd Llewlyn (12) took a bit longer but there were amazing views with the sunshine out on the way. I ate dinner at the top of Foel Gras (13) at 8:30pm but it was already cold and foggy. The trail had been almost impossible to follow and I had used landmarks from the map to guide me. With the heavy fog and dimming light, I asked a group up ahead where the next peak was, they pointed me to the left.

Over an hour later after reaching the summit the fog lifted enough for me to see they had led me to the wrong peak, I had to turn around and return to where I had dinner-2 hrs wasted! Black skies and fog made me decide to get behind a stone wall, roll out my sleeping bag, get into my bivy bag and catch some sleep for a few hours, praying that God would help me find the right way in the morning! It was 10:30pm. It rained for a while, but I actually got some rest and my feet needed the break. I left around 5:30 and hiked far, far right (as my best guess) into the dense fog. Within 30 minutes I reached Garnedd Uchaf (14) and in another hour I reached Foel Fras (15). All in all I had an extra 30 minutes in the 24hr challenge. As I slowly walked down the steep grass slope after Foel Fras, the sun broke out, the fog lifted and I had a majestic view of the whole area- a nice little gift from God. Six miles later after passing sheep and wild ponies, I followed a river to the park where my friend sat in his car waiting for me.


We were a bit more worn than expected and with imminent rain two hours later, we decided to head home instead of staying another day. I was hungry, tired but glad I completed all the peaks (plus 1) safely and could look forward to a shower, meal and mattress at the end of the day.