So far...

So much has happened during my first week in that I feel overwhelmed trying to decide what to write about! So,  I am just going to list some funny/random things that have gone on this past week:

1. The are NO coathangers in London! I don't know what the problem is, but NO ONE in London can tell you where to buy coat hangers. We went from store to store asking person by person and three days later we finally found some in a house appliance store in "india town." Even Argos, the store where you order everything from the computer catalog and then they bring it from the back, didn't have any! You'd think that they might want to hang up their clothes over here across the pond like we do!

2. I am so thankful for our wonderful Auburn group! Everyone is so different and so much fun! I can't believe I did not know these people just a week ago!

 (only part of the group of about 22)

3. The city is beautiful! London is so full of character and is much cleaner than NY.




4. London Pubs! I have had a great time haning out with our Auburn group in pubs around London. We have met some really funny locals as well. It has definately been an adventure worth having! I can't wait for more funny stories from this one!

5. Liz and I are roommates! I am so glad that we are getting to live together for the summer. We have already had quite a few adventures. Yesterday morning we blew up an outlet (I'm still not sure how we managed to do it). The whole room went black: all of the power went out and the outlet and plug are now covered in soot. Tonight we cooked a very yummy dinner. Thankfully there were no mishaps with this experience!

6. It has not really rained once since we got here! Besides sprinkling one late afternoon it has been great weather!

7. Our housing is wonderful! Despite all of its quirks (like terribly complicated internet service at the beginning, employees who don't speak english, etc). All of our group is on the same hall, the area is super safe (in the financial district) with great resteraunts near by, and an undergroup stop just around the corner. Could not have asked for any better! (Plus there are some great weekend markets just around the corner with cute, unique things...haven't decided if the is a good thing yet or not, particularly for my wallet.)

8. I have gotten to talk to a friend in Cairo (Azeem!). Who would have ever thought I would be in London skyping a friend in Cairo? And they are ony one hour ahead of London. Crazy!

9. Went to church in Westimenster Abbey this morning! So beautiful.

This has been a long and really random list that leaves out so many good things but hopefully you were able to learn something about my past week :)

I can't believe that tomorrow I will have been here for a week! I'll be up bright and early to go to my first day of work. Say a prayer for me!

London Week 1 Photos...

Click here to go to my online photo album of Week 1 in London!

Arrived...

This is the view that I woke up to from my room window this morning. 

Hello London!

Internship Placement...

I was finally placed and have found out where I will be interning for the summer! And it is...

In the Human Resource department of

Yay! I'm not quite sure what all this means I will be doing yet, but the other students who have interned there had great reviews. I do know that it means I will have quite a commute to London's Zone 4. Can't wait to find out more when I get there!

So, do you think this means they'd upgrade my plane ticket?!

Cordova...

I want to take a break from all of the London excitement and talk about Cordova. This Sunday my parents and I went with a group from Briarwood Church to a town called Cordova, near Jasper. They were hit by two tornados. The one that came through Birmingham hit them around 6 in the morning. At 4 that afternoon, a second tornado, an F-4 tornado, came through the town. When we got there you could not believe the destruction. On the road there I saw truck trailers which had been blown and staked up on top of themselves. The national guard has pretty much shut the town down due to looting. We were escorted into town and the first thing we saw was a beautiful church that had been destroyed.

 

The stain glass windows that were in this church were from 1890. 

Almost all of them were destroyed. 

My mom and I, along with two older men from the church, were in charge of cooking hot dogs for the community.

320 hot dogs later, which were cooked on multiple grills, some quite blacked cause our older cooks got distracted, we finished our job handed them off to a team who drove around and dropped them off to volunteers and community members who were working on cleanup.

There was so much destruction that it was hard to know where to begin helping clean up. It was rewarding to talk to the people and hear their stories. There were very thankful for any help they receive for the work will take months. Here are a few photos of the town:

My sister, Lauren, went to Sipsey, AL on Saturday and was also able to help out. If you want to donate anything she said that they have tons of toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc. Want the people really want and need is Laundry Detergent!

As my youth pastor said, 

"God has shown them His power, now may He show them His love."