I found culture shock came slowly when I moved to London. It took a good six months for it to really sink in that I truly was the foreigner. Mostly I found it was in the nuance of the vocabulary where I most felt like the outsider.

Just for fun, I have been putting together a list of words and phrases I have encountered since arriving in London. I thought you might enjoy a few.

to faff (v./adj.): a waste of time, to dither about.
'Sorry we are late, Abi kept faffing about with her makeup.'
or
'I would rather not fill out those forms, it is such a faff.'

To take the micky: to make a joke at someones expense or to make fun of someone

Elevenses (n.): a late morning snack just to tied you over till lunch, usually to go with a cup of tea.

Queue (v./n.): a line you have to waitn
someone may ask you, 'Is this the queue for the toilet?'
or
'People have been queuing for ages and ages to get a look at the Van Gogh gallery'

Moreish (adj.): when one helping will simply not be enough, usually given as an excuse to take a second (or third) helping when a person knows he probably shouldn't.
person standing next to a plate of yummy chocolaty cake might say:
'I really would like a piece but it looks so moreish that I won't be able to stop once I taste it.'

I caught on quickly that if you through words in like,
Brilliant! or Fab! to describe anything I was excited about,
by putting 'a' in front of coffee or tea (ex: a coffee),
& by complaining about the weather
(which really I don't because, well that is not cultivating a thankful heart, and on the whole I really do love rainy drippy days!)
I would not stick out like a sore thumb any more than I had to.

When Mercy and Jeremiah arrived from Spain at the beginning of January we had a mini post Christmas Christmas celebration. It was fun - we had a happy time of wrapping gifts, and saying things like, "Don't come in here!", and "Who took the tape?", and "Oh no, I cant seem to find so and so's gift!" Then we settled down on the sofas and cheered, admired and celebrated as each gift was given, then opened.
Double Stuffed Oreos! A whole box of Lucky Charms Cereal! Twizzlers - and not just one kind either!...Nathaniel was over the moon with delight.
A back rub for Jeremiah!
and so the evening went happily.

We settled down contented - and tired out from the excitement. Then Mercy produced one more gift - "Abi" she says, "you have the awesomest sister in the whole wide world." and she handed me the parcel.
and what do you think it was?


hmmm - Thank you Rachel for your sweet generosity, if only you could see how perfect they fit in... really just about anywhere I chance to use them.
and thank you Gab for your hand in the process and Mercy for caring it safely across the ocean. I certainly do have the awesomest sisters in the whole wide world.

the towels in the kitchen...

One day last winter I was down stairs in Aunt Gillian's kitchen helping with some washing up.
We were chatting away about something or other and soon enough all the washing was done. All that was left was a bit of drying. I reached up and grabbed the towel hanging on the rack near me and began to dry the dishes in the strainer. Mid-sentence, Aunt Gillian interrupted herself and exclaimed, "What are you doing?!" confusion must have been written all over my face because she went on, "Why are you using a hand towel to dry the dishes? You should be using a tea towel for the dishes." Feeling a little silly I explained I had no idea there was a difference between the two towels - and to be honest did it really make that much of a difference?

So I got a mini lesson right there and then about kitchen towel rules and etiquette. One must always have a hand towel and a tea towel in use in ones kitchen for both have unique purpose.

• the Hand towel: used to dry your hands after washing, or used to wipe food and juices off your hands while cooking (ie - perhaps you are making some tomato sauce and you get a little on your hand and so you wipe the sauce off on the hand towel). It is understood that this towel may get dirty quickly.
• the Tea towel: Used to wipe clean dishes dry, also can be used to cover dishes to keep them warm before being placed on the table. This ensures that clean dishes are always wiped with a clean towel, and that guest are not presented with a dirty towel covering the food they are about to eat.

Huh - it made so much sense! I decided to try it out for myself and probably if ever you come to my house and have a peek into my kitchen you will find some version of this kitchen towel advice being put to practice... though I will admit that I am not as vigilant about it as Aunt Gillian!

tonights treat

It is common knowledge that if you are having any sort of event, whether prayer meeting or convention there Must be time for tea, coffee and some sweet treat to eat. This of course, applies to bible studies in your home as well.
On Monday nights Nathaniel and I host a bible study for the 18 - 25 year olds who attend Christ Church Bromley. So this afternoon my mind is turning to what sort of sweet treat I will be providing tonight! Now if you go to the home of an experienced hostess you will probably find a beautiful cake of some sort, as I am only learning I will be sticking to something more simple - I am thinking oatmeal cranberry cookies.
Simple but oh so yum!


Just in case you don't already have a favorite Oatmeal Cranberry/Raisin cookie recipe already...

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp banking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups oatmeal
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries/raisins
optional - 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts perhaps?)

bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

So - with a new year comes new adventures, new opportunities to grow!

I am rarely gun shy of new adventures, but this year I find myself a bit intimidated by the prospect ahead of me. You see, my adventure is Time - what do I do with my time. I suppose we all have this same adventure, but the challenge is unique to each of our specific situations.

Last week I spent my last days as administrator in the church office. On the 31st of December I handed over my keys to the administrator, and started to function full time as wife and homemaker.

Here is the plan - With Nathaniel working towards going into full time ministry, this seems to be an ideal time for me to get a feel for what it might be like for me - to be the wife of a man in ministry. Nathaniel has thoughtfully made this learning time a priority, "Go ahead Abi, explore your gifts and interests, learn from the women around you, and grow in your usefulness for the kingdom of God. Take advantage of the opportunities around you, as this is a unique time in your life!" he says.

So, I have the adventure of Time. I am so thankful for it, but I am so afraid I will waist it - and that would be such a shame. How and where do I start? Well I have decided to start with a few small things and then work my way up and out!

• I found out that my elderly neighbor upstairs enjoys sweet pastries to go with her tea. It would be nice to make a habit of baking something nice and dropping in for a visit and a cup of tea.
• Nathaniel would be delighted if I took on the challenge of keeping up with the family birthdays (no small task when you consider that on Nathaniel's side of the family alone there are no less then 35 birthdays to keep track of.)
• I learned last Spring that a big challenge of not having a job that required you to be up and out the door at a specific time was that I struggled to get out of bed in the morning! So, I will try to be up by 7 to go for a run and read my bible.

It is just a start, hopefully it is a good jumping off point for other ways I can use my time productively!

the Senior Saints in my life

Through various situations this past term, I have enjoyed opportunities to get to know some of the elderly members from Church. One of these is a woman named Kris.

She is from India and moved to England when she married a British soldier...she has been widowed for some years now. She is known at Christ Church Bromley for her passion for the gospel and delicious home made curry.

On Sunday morning I was having a chat with her about my plans for the new year. "I hope to learn more about how to be a godly woman - ministering along side my husband - and finding ways to reach out to my neighbors..." I said.

Kris then told me how she has been trying to think of ways to be a witness for the gospel. When she was younger and still working, she frequently traveled by taxi and would share the gospel with the cab driver. Now that she is retired and lives by herself in a quiet apartment, she has very few interactions with non-believers. She has resolved to take the bus to the local library once a week and pray for opportunities to speak about the gospel to the people she meets there.

Here is a woman who, though she is nearing 80 years old, has not stopped running the race. It was a wonderful challenge to me - and I am so very thankful for it as I endeavor to run along the way in the new year.

For the Newtons

who live on Trafalgar Street in Texas...


Trafalgar Square in London

We miss you guys!