Day 9--London to LA

We all took in the view of the Thames and Big Ben one more time at breakfast this morning. Everyone admits that they are looking forward to getting home to family and friends, but they are also sad to leave such a wonderful trip behind. We made it easily through check-in and security at the airport and are now at the gate boarding our plane. Pray for safe travels; we will see you all soon!

Day 8--London

Today was our last day in England/London, :(  and we packed in as much as we could today.

Our first stop was Westminster Abbey, a quick walk from our hotel, across the Thames, and next to Big Ben and Parliament. To walk out of our hotel and see that view is absolutely amazing. Westminster is THE Abbey to visit when in England. It is not only impressive in size but beauty as well. It is not only a grand cathedral, but also a memorial to many great people of England. Several kings and queens are buried there, including Elizabeth I. But, with a history dating back to 1066, some of the memorials are quite old.

The highlight for our group, though, was Poets Corner, a section of the Abbey devoted to graves and memorials to great authors of England. Chaucer, Milton, C. S. Lewis, and many more are there, so it was fun for the students to pick out authors they have studied. You would think that the kids who come on this trip are here for just the sights, but when you see them get truly excited about a memorial to one of their favorite authors, you realize that these students have gained so much from their literature studies at SCCS.

From Westminster we took a walk along the Thames to The Globe theater, stopping on the way for a bite to eat. The Globe is probably one of the most iconic buildings in England and as the place where Shakespeare's plays were performed in London, it is a fascinating place to visit for anyone who has studied Shakespeare.

We had a wonderful tour guide who is also a resident actor at the Globe. He provided in-depth information as he walked us through the Globe. But, the best part was the acting class he gave the students. They did some warm up activities, and then he had the students work through a couple scenes of Hamlet. The students had a lot of fun putting Shakespeare on its feet as they analyzed the text through playing with the words.

About the time all our counterparts back home were getting up for their first day back at school after break (haha), we hopped on a red bus to head over to the Tower of London. This old castle has been used for various purposes…home to kings and queens; a prison where torture and executions occurred; and an armory. Today it is a museum that holds an exhibit showcasing items from the armory as well as displaying the Crown Jewels.

From there we traveled over to St. Paul's Cathedral for a group picture on the final day of our trip.  This is becoming an annual tradition for us.

From there we walked down the street to The Old Bank of England building for dinner at Fullers. It is a nice way to end our tour together as we "broke bread together," sharing out favorite memories from the trip.  It was a really special time together. 

Our final activity of the day was to return to the Tower of London for the Ceremony of the Keys.  This is a private event, and we have been privileged enough to attend the past two years.  We are led into the Tower by one of the Beefeaters and then observe the ceremony as the soldiers in full dress lock up the gates.  Exhausted from a long day (and a fulfilling adventure in England), we returned to our hotel on one last ride on the Tube.  We now pack our bags, get a few hours of sleep, and start our journey home. 

Thank you all for your prayers over the past week.  We look forward to seeing everyone again soon!

Day 7--London

The end is in sight but there is still much to do and see. We are all getting travel weary, but the sights in London are invigorating and helps give us the motivation to keep pressing on despite how tired we are all feeling. What was nice today, though, is that we have a lighter schedule before the final push through our last day. Even better is the fact that the weather is finally cooperating a bit with no rain and even some sun, making today a lovely day.

We started the day off at the British Museum (after a ride on the tube...we're becoming pros at it).

 

This is an impressive building that has way too many treasures for us to adequately take in, but since our students study as much British history as they do British literature with Mrs. Wyllie, the students took full advantage of looking through the rooms containing artifacts from the the many eras in England's past including the Romans, the Anglo-Saxxons, and Vikings. There is even an interesting exhibit showcasing eight mummies from Egypt, highlighting the many archeological finds that the English are responsible for.  All in all, the museum was a nice way to spend two hours on a Sunday.

From there it was back on the tube for a quick ride to Covent Gardens, a popular shopping district in London that's not too far from Piccadilly Circus. With tomorrow being a very busy day for us, this is really the students last chance to do any shopping on the trip. Many were able to find some souvenirs as well as some other items at popular stores that can only be shopped at in England. This too was a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Before we headed off to the Metropolitan Tabernacle (the church Spurgeon founded), we stopped for dinner. This provided us with another chance to just sit and enjoy each other's company. It has been so nice to watch how well our students interact with each other as well as with the adults on the trip. It should also be noted that our boys (all 7 of them) have been absolute gentlemen, loading and unloading luggage at each destination for the girls.  And, now that we are in London, they have each taken charge of a couple girls to ensure that they are looked after while we walk around London and get on and off the tube. Our girls are definitely in good hands.

One of the challenges on a trip like this is finding a place to worship on the Lord's Day.  We were able to visit the Metropolitan Tabernacle last year, but with us being in London on Sunday, we were able to attend their evening service. While it was a conservative service that was a bit different than what we may be used to, the scripture reading and hymns, along with the message, were a blessing.  The message from John 12 reminded us that just as Christ gave up his life for us, we must too give up our old life in exchange for the new life that He has to offer us if we just receive it. 

Afterwards the students had a chance to visit the bookshop to purchase some of the wonderful books by Spurgeon. These books are definitely the "souvenirs" that have value eternally, and it is a blessing to watch the students eager to purchase them.

Our evening ended with a ride on the London Eye. It is a half-hour “ferris-wheel” ride that takes us nearly 450 feet up into the air and provides an incredible view of the whole city.

Please continue to pray for us as we finish out our last day in England tomorrow.  While we are looking forward to seeing our families again, we are sad that this trip we have been looking forward to for so long is about over.  We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here!  Tomorrow will be a full day of activities, and we are looking forward to sharing all our memories with you!

Day 6--Stonehenge and London

Today marked the beginning of the end of this incredible trip.  We left the city of Bath as the sun broke through the clouds and headed over to Stonehenge before arriving in London, our final destination of our literary tour.

We had an early morning since we had so much to pack in to our day today, but it was worth it. Bath is a beautiful city, but most of it was experienced in the rain yesterday, so it was fun to be able to catch a few glimpses of how much this city shines (even glistens) in the sun.

Last year Stonehenge was absolutely frigid, but even though it was about 15 degrees warmer than last year, the stones are situated in such a place that the cold wind is always blowing.  The only rain we experienced today occurred while we were at the stones, so that made it even chillier.  But, Stonehenge is an exciting destination and many of the students were excited to see and experience this mysterious place.

 

Before we left Stonehenge, we all grabbed a quick bite to eat at the gift shop since our next stop would be our hotel in London, and we would nearly hit the ground running once we got to the city. There is a reason we end this trip in London.  It is an exciting destination and is truly a highlight of the whole trip.  To see the excitement and energy come over the students as we arrive in the city is a thrill.  We literally round a corner and there is Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abby, and our hotel all situated along the Thames.  Even better, the weather was absolutely beautiful.  The temps were in the mid 60s and the sun was shining!

We all did a quick freshen up after checking in to the hotel and then headed out into the city to Harrods.  We walked to the store, stopping for a photo opportunity in front of Buckingham Palace.  Harrods is a fascinating shopping destination with many floors filled with pricey merchandise.  It is still fun to window shop!

From there we took our first ride on the tube to get to our restaurant for dinner (fish and chips or burgers).  It can be a challenge getting 35 people all on the same train, but we managed just fine.

After dinner we hopped on our first double-decker bus ride to take us to the Theater District to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  It was a fun play and everyone enjoyed eating the chocolate bars Mrs. Lillenberg gave us as we watched the performance.  :)

Our day ended with a beautiful walk back to our hotel.  It is amazing to think that we are actually here.  We are truly blessed to take in all the sites and see all that the city has to offer us day and night.  The memories being made will definitely be for a lifetime.

Day 5--Bath

We can’t believe that our trip is already half-way done!  This has been an amazing trip, and tomorrow it only gets better as we reach our final destination of London.  Today, though, was spent exploring the beautiful luxury of Bath. The weather promised rain, and this time, it did not disappoint.  It was fortunately a light rain, and it didn’t damper our spirits (though it did dampen our clothes a bit).  We all are getting pretty good at using these things called umbrellas. :)

We started the day off with a tour of the city on a double-decker bus.  Part of the top was enclosed, so even though there was rain, most in our group was able to enjoy riding at the top of the bus.  The girls got off at the Fashion Museum, while the boys continued on their way to see the rugby field.  The girls enjoyed trying on various clothes and learning about the fashions that make England (and Bath) a fashionable place in the world.  

While the boys would have probably enjoyed running around a rugby field, the rain pretty much put an end to that, but we were able to still get a photo op under the goal posts.

The boys met up with the girls at the Assembly Rooms.  These three ball rooms were (and still are) the centers of important events.  In the past, anyone who was anyone would have wanted to be seen at these events.  While we did not attend a ball, we did take a moment to strike a pose as though we were ready to dance a round or two.

After all this fun, we were definitely ready for lunch and so we headed off to Jane Austen’s house for tea with Mr. Darcy.  The tea, sandwiches, scones, and sweets were all delicious, and I think many had seconds and thirds.  We all think it would be appropriate to change out nutrition break at school for tea. :)

While this would have been a full day as it was, we were not done.  After tea we took another bus ride to Bath Abby (some chose to ride on top with no cover and enjoyed getting a little wet).  

The Abby is a beautiful building architecturally and is really awe inspiring.  It is always fun to see our students marvel at the beauty this country has to offer them.

Right next to the Abby is the remains of the Roman Baths and Temple built by the Romans when they conquered Britain.  These ruins give a glimpse into a time of English history shortly after the life of Christ as the Roman Empire reached its furthest boundaries.  The Victorians discovered these springs and the city of Bath sprang up from the belief that the springs had healing powers.  Besides touring the ruins, the students had a chance to taste the mineral water that comes from the spring…not everyone’s favorite.

The rest of the afternoon was given to the students to break up into small groups with a chaperone and shop before dinner.  Bath is now a thriving tourist destination, and is one of the best places to shop if one wants to really go shopping.  It was a much needed break from all our activities from the day.

We now head off for a quiet night’s rest before heading off to Stonehenge and London in the morning.

Please pray that…

we would have eyes to see the needs of others and a desire to be the one to meet them;

we would find several people today to give demonstration to what sets us apart from the selfishness of the world; and

we would desire a deeper level of less of us and more of Christ. 

Day 4--The Cotswolds, Oxford, and Bath

Each day we are reminded of how amazing it is to wake up in England. Even a bus ride becomes an exciting experience as the scenery constantly provides new and wonderful views of this amazing country. We left beautiful Stratford behind us to make our way to the city of Bath, stopping along the way at the Cotswolds and Oxford. 

After a brief bus ride, we arrived in the small village of Stow-on-the-Wold where the footpath for our hike through the Cotswolds began. We then took our 3+ mile hike through fields, woods, and small villages, taking in and enjoying the English countryside. The recent rains made for muddy paths, but nothing seems to dampen the spirits of our group...we're having too much fun! We are all truly blessed with how well everyone has gotten along, and we have all enjoyed the conversations and laughter that are the results of these times spent together. 

After our hike, our bus took us to the quaint shopping village of Bourton-on-the-Water. It is the quintessential Cotswold village with little shops and cafés situated along a meandering river running through the center of the town. We didn't have much time here, but it was enough for us to get a quick bite to eat (the ice cream is really good!) and do some shopping. 

After a 45-minute ride on our bus, we arrived in the bustling city of Oxford. This is an eclectic, modern city filled with people from all around the world who come to visit and study at the university. The main focus of our visit was the central library at the university, the Bodleian Library. Established with the university in 1425, the library originally held just 22 books. Today, it has the second largest collection in the UK with over 11 million items. Some of its more famous items in its collection are a copy of Shakespeare's First Folio, the Gutenberg Bible, and the Magna Carta. We were able to get a tour of the original library as well as get in some shopping for all the Oxford gear we wanted. We capped off the day with a delicious meal (pizza served in a castle of course!) before getting back on the bus once more for our trip into Bath. 

We have had another fun-filled but exhausting day taking in all that we can of our time in England.  This literary tour gives us a glimpse into the lives and works created by the authors of this country. Even so, our devotions reminded us that "all human books grow stale after a time, but with the Word of God the desire to study increases, while the more you know of it the less you think you know" (Spurgeon).

Please pray that...

God would protect our students from wrong thinking and theology especially in the next months and years as they attend college;

we would be disciplined to saturate our minds with Scripture as a habit every single day; and

our love for the Word would be contagious to those around us who desperately need its Truth.

Day 3--Stratford-upon-Avon

Happy Birthday, Bill! Today is Shakespeare's 450th birthday, and we had the pleasure of being in the town of his birth on this very special day. After a hot breakfast (and some coffee to get us going for the day), we walked two blocks from our hotel to Henley Street to visit Shakespeare's birthplace. 

We were literally the first people to go through the house and pretty much had the house and garden to ourselves. After touring the house and leaning a lot about the life of Shakespeare and his family in 16th century England, we walked around the gardens a bit. Inspired by the day, a few in the group performed scenes from some of Shakespeare's plays. Two of the museum's actors came out and did a couple monologues for us as well, but the highlight were the two musicians who taught the group a song as well as a fun little dance.

Because rain was predicted for the day, we decided to punt (row boats) down the Avon while the weather was still pleasant. The kids had a blast menuevering their boats, while avoiding the many other boats that move up and down the river. As if on cue, just as we finished punting, the sprinkles of rain began. The rain didn't put a damper on the day, though. It was light and really did not last long.

After lunch we visited two other homes connected to Shakespeare...Nash's House and Hall's Croft. Nash's House belonged to Shakespeare's only surviving grandchild and her husband. What's important about this house, though, is that the house Shakespeare himself bought for his own family (New Place) once stood next door. It has not survived, but the history is still alive there. Hall's Croft belonged to Shakespeare's oldest daughter, Susanna, and her husband, the town physician.  He was a wealthy man, and with Susanna inheriting nearly all of Shakespeare's wealth, their house stands as an example of what money could buy in the early 17th century. 

From there we finished out our day of Shakespeare at Holy Trinity Church. This is the church he was married in and where he and his family are buried. It is a beautiful church, and it's bells rang all day celebrating the life of Shakespeare. It was a nice end to all our touring today. 

The rest of the afternoon and evening was given to us to shop and to find a nice restaurant or cafe to eat at for dinner. While the shopping was an excitement for the girls (they just had to get to Jack Wills) the guys were excited that they could eat again. :) Some also made their way to the Starbucks in town and did what they could on the free wifi to connect to family and friends back home. 

Seeing the life of Shakespeare celebrated is exciting, but it is a sobering reminder that this man used all his God-given talents to serve himself rather than to give glory to God. Our devotions reminded us today to use our accomplishments to give the Gospel a platform to help a lost world see how great God is.

Please pray that...

our greatest joy in this life can be traced back to Christ and His victory over our sin;

our enjoyment today wouldn't be self-indulgent, but rather, because of who we now are in Christ; and

we would have at least one chance to speak of our living Lord to a Brit today.