My Prayer as I go to Cambodia

Today is my last full day in Europe before going to Cambodia. It has been an amazing trip and I today I have decided that rather than cram in a lot of last things to see and do I will instead just spend the day with George and Liz Weber at the Scotsgrove House. They are a wonderful couple (married 45 years) and their home feels like home to me. (They have lived here for 30 years and the house is approximately 900 years old.) This morning I walked out to the "Christmas Coppice (Grove)" with George. It is a grove of almost 100 trees - including 7 apple trees of various varieties and a walnut tree. George told me that one Christmas when his two children were young that they wanted to do something special as a family and so they woke up early and together they planted almost 100 trees - they worked all the way up until supper time. Now the trees are tall and mature, but the apple trees are so productive that the branches are weighted down. And so, this morning I had the honor of working out in the Christmas Coppice thinning the fruit from the trees. I found this time to be very peaceful and reflective. We then had lunch together (Scotsgrove House is not really a "Bed and Breakfast"; it is a "Bed and Breakfast and Lunch and Dinner") and then Liz took me to meet her daughter and son-in-law; and then to the "bookie" who also handles the "allotment", which is similar to the weekly portioning of what we would call a pea patch or community-supported agriculture in the USA. The other benefit of staying low-key today is that it affords me a quiet environment to really seek God in preparation for this move to Cambodia.

Here is the prayer that I wrote today:

Heavenly Father,

I pray for You to fill my heart with love; for indeed, You are Love

Make my hands gentle yet with a steady grip; and may they only always be extended in peace

Give my eyes discernment to see truth, but where there are dark clouds and ugliness to also see through to hope and light

May I always seek first to do Your will and to give You glory

Amen

On this trip I have also been moved by the writings of John Piper. I am thankful for the wisdom that he has been given and shared. One of the themes in his writing that has really moved me is that mercy flows from glorifying God. We often think of God as a merciful God and certainly He is, but as John points out through Scripture God is primarily about being glorified. Also, we (or at least I) have thought of the second coming as being God coming to retrieve His Believers to Heaven, but again Scripture states that it is first about us marveling at and glorifying Him.

I am ready.

Back in Thame

I left France yesterday and returned to London. Following the short 2 hour flight I spent the next 5 hours on and/or waiting for three different buses: one to downtown London, a second bus from London to Oxford, and then after standing in the rain for 1 hour in Oxford the third bus to Thame. Apparently, after having tremendously warm weather all last week London got hit with the storm from France, which barely brought rain at all to where I was in France, but just hit hard just North in Montpellier and brought hard rains and flooding – known as a “Red Alert”. I actually was kind of happy, though, to be able to experience a London rain and cooler weather. Plus, once I got back to Thame I met George Weber. George and his wife, Liz, run a bed a breakfast in Thame. It is called the Scotsgrove House. George offered to come pick me up from the bus stop and so at 10:30 in the evening he drove in the rain to get me. I could not believe what I saw as we drove up to the Scotsgrove House. The house sits on 7 acres and was built 900 years ago. I am staying in the room that formerly housed the Governess. It looks out at beautiful gardens. The house has leaded glass windows and craftsman style millwork throughout. George and Liz are tremendously kind and generous people; very hospitable as B&B proprietors. As George says, "you have to have a passion for doing this kind of work." They both possess the kinds of personalities that make one feel like good friends right from the beginning and so you really feel comfortable and at home when staying here. George even invited me to join him tonight at his church for worship service. It truly is an honor to stay here and it is the perfect place to be just before leaving for Cambodia.

Scotsgrove House

Scotsgrove House

Sheep next to Scotsgrove House

 

Today I took a bus from Thame to Oxford and visited the Bodleian Library, which houses some amazing original handwritten manuscripts and drawings by J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and others. How exciting it was to see a hand-drawn map of Narnia from C.S. Lewis himself. Close to the library there is another Bridge of Sighs (as there is in Cambridge and Venice).

University Church of St. Mary the Virgin

Bridge of Sighs, Oxford

Tomorrow is my last full day in Europe before heading to Cambodia. I am both excited and nervous – there are so many unknowns to this move. But one of the great things about having so many things that are unknown and out of my control is that it increases my faith. I do not hold any illusions of a “grand thing” that I am supposed to do or accomplish in Cambodia, but rather my deepest hope and desire is that in this move I will continue to pursue glorifying God more and more. I really have come to believe that the process of continually seeking God, His will, and glorifying Him is the one true calling that we all have. It is of little consequence or importance to me what my job title is. I believe that the reason why God has placed a calling upon my heart to go to Cambodia is because by going there something will happen to deepen my faith in, love for, and obedience to my Creator.

Visite des Plages (Tour of Beaches)

Today (Thursday - sorry for the delay; I had issues downloading pictures earlier) was beach touring day. I probably should really have named this post “Tour de Playas” (Spanish) since most of the beaches I went to today were in Spain. I started out by driving from Amelie, France to Roses, Spain. Roses is a small beach town and there is really nice beach right in the middle of the town. It has soft wet sand all across the beach and a gentle slope from the shoreline – meaning that even I could still stand with my head above water about 50 yards off shore. There was good breakwater from a marina on one side and rock peers for fishing on the other side. So, the water was very calm. Before swimming I stopped at a coffee shop in Roses where I ordered a Spanish Coffee. Either Spaniards do not call Spanish Coffee “Spanish Coffee” or Americans just made up the drink and named it Spanish Coffee because they do not serve Spanish Coffee in Spain! But this shop did make an exceptional latte.

 

From Roses I drove up the Coast a ways – amazing views! Then up a windy, steep mountain pass that separates Roses from Cadaques, Spain. At the summit of this mountain road is a winery named "Perfita". I stopped by just to take pictures of it because it looked so pristine.

Then it was down the other side of the mountain to Cadaques.  Cadaques is absolutely beautiful. It was where Salvador Dali made his home. I had lunch in Cadaques. In the nearly three weeks I have been in Europe I really have only eaten at a restaurant a small handful of times. I am glad that I ate in the restaurant at Cadaques. The service was great and I had a terrific asparagus, artichoke, and octopus salad. After lunch I drove to the end of Cadaques and found a beautiful beach where I went for my second swim of the day. This beach was located in the mouth of the bay that goes into Cadaques. There is a majestic tree that guards the opening to the bay and lots of beautiful boats anchored a few hundred yards off shore. There are gorgeous homes all around this part of the bay. The beach at Cadaques was also very shallow, but there were a lot of weeds that came up close to the surface and so it was better not to stand up, but just to swim the whole time. I swam out to the edge of the buoy lines and just floated for a long time, turning around and enjoying the tremendous view.

From there it was back to the mountain pass and Roses and I returned to France where I went to beach number 3 for the day. This one was a huge and crowded beach just North of where I was earlier this week in Collioure. This particular beach was also very sandy, but dry sand, soft and deep. The water depth here dropped off rather quickly and there were strong currents and bigger waves just off shore. Swimming was more difficult here.   

One of the remarkable things about driving between France and Spain is that it is so low key. There is no security or customs. You would probably not even know you had crossed into a different country if it were not for a small handful of signs emerging in a different language soon after crossing the border. In this particular border crossing the views are absolutely stunning too – up in the Pyrenees Mountains. As I returned to my rental house I could taste salt in my mouth. I guess that swimming at three different beaches in one day will do that to you. Certainly worth it!

 

Barcelona, Spain

One can get from Collioure (France) to Barcelona (Spain) very easily by vehicle. The drive can be done in a little over two hours and begins by climbing up the majestic Pyrenees Mountains. Barcelona is a crowded, bustling city buttressed on one side by a harbor that hosts hundreds of beautiful boats and that has a sky tram going from one end of the harbor to the other; and on the other side of the city the Collserola Mountain Range. Much of the architecture in Barcelona is very exquisite, especially in the older section known as Gothic Quarter. The narrow cobblestone streets are wedged in between tall buildings on both sides, many that have elaborate etchings on the outer walls. The Cathedral and older buildings along the waterfront boast some of the largest gargoyles I have ever seen. My visit began on “Las Rambles”, the famous street series of markets that begin at Catalunya street and go all the way to the pier. This street is so packed full of shops and people that it is actually much faster to walk than to drive. Parking is also at a premium in this area. Once parked, the area is packed full of fun places to visit including the Gothic Quarter (aka Barri Gotic), the waterfront, and the amazing Mercat St. Joseph/Mercado de la Boqueria. The latter, a food market that boasted fresh juices, local meats, fresh/raw nuts, and fruits & vegetables. I have never before taken so many pictures of food; the displays were so beautiful. I bought two bags of raw cashews and almonds: by far the best tasting I have ever had before. I also bought a cup of fresh melon and mint juice. I am close to making the decision to drive back to Barcelona just to get more of both of these! There were also a lot of amazing candies in the market, but for those who know me well you will be surprised to learn that I didn’t buy any candy. (If I go back for the juice and nuts I will definitely opt for the candy too.)

 

From the market it is just a short walk to Gothic Quarter and the Cathedral. We sat in the square in front of the Cathedral and enjoyed the music of a Flamenco guitarist; my favorite guitar music.

The last thing we did before heading back to France was to go to Park Guell. We got there at just the perfect time: right before dusk; when colors are vibrant, shadows long, and lighting perfect. For those who are unfamiliar with Barcelona it may be difficult to find, but Park Guell is a definite must-see when in Barcelona. Seated high up the hills above the city the views from the park (also spelled “parc”) are absolutely phenomenal. But even these great views do not outshine the architecture of this great park, mostly inspired by Antoni Gaudi. Until I began researching places to visit in Barcelona I was not familiar with Gaudi, but every internet posting I read about Barcelona referenced him, his vast Catalonian inspired work, and the respect accorded to him by many, especially Spaniards. The pictures I saw of his work online do not come close to doing justice to the work that he did. When you see his buildings in person you will be nearly unable to stop staring at and enjoying the playful beauty of this designs. Park Guell is a great way to see a great sampling of his work in one beautiful setting. You will also be taken by the parakeets boldly flying throughout the park.

The park (on Muntanya Pelada, "Bare Mountain") originally was started by an Englishman named Eusebi Guell and was an  unsuccessful commercial project as a garden city movement.

 

Antoni Gaudi's home (pictured below) sits in the middle of the park

 

A beautiful mosaic serpentine bench outlines the large outlook with two Gaudi designed buildings in the foreground of a terrific view of the City of Barcelona.

 

Sagrada Familia Church (above) was designed by Gaudi and is still incomplete after 87 years. (Makes me feel a lot better about Lopez still being incomplete after 15!) The family plans to finish in time for the centennial.

Parakeets (one pictured below) are prevalent throughout the park.

 

 

 

Collioure

The drive from Mas Pallares (where I am staying) to the beaches of Collioure is a wonderful adventure in itself. The narrow streets cross over a majestic bridge, wind through small French villages, tree-lined roads, and a gorgeous, flower-lined highway. Then up a twisty mountain for just a kilometer or two and at the turn of the crest you are treated to your first breathtaking view of the Mediterranean Sea. Collioure is a popular, bustling town with friendly shop proprietors and seems to have a bakery and ice cream shop every hundred steps or so. At one small restaurant on a main alley I bought the best pizza ever remember eating – probably boosted in scale by the facts that I was very hungry and that I was sitting on the side of a glorious bay having lunch on a sunny day. Being so close to Spain the terrain in Collioure looked like how I imagine Bacelona to look. Beaches run up to edge of steep rock cliffs and the water is crystal clear. The most prominent building is an old church rising above the main street. Brick colored rooftops and green fields color the landscape.

 

 

 

Following lunch I went wading in the bay (or as the British call it “paddling”). It was a wonderful day! Here is the view from where I ate ice cream after paddling.

South of France

I am now in the French Countryside in the South of France, near Colloiure, just a stone’s throw from the border to Barcelona, Spain. This is the next to the last leg of my trip in Europe before heading to Cambodia. It is absolutely gorgeous and peaceful here. The pictures posted here are from the sun setting over mountains where I am staying and from a hike/jog that I took early this morning. (The house that I have rented for a week is pictured at the center of the last picture.) My quiet time this morning was splendid: sipping coffee on the balcony of this house amidst the trees and chirping from thousands of birds waking to the day; and just feeling blessed in God’s love. This morning I read in Acts 16 about the amazing ministry of Paul and Silas, but how they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to share the Word in Asia. It struck me about how different a time this is that God’s Word and Holy Spirit is so alive in Asia now. It was also tremendously encouraging to read of their faithfulness: being unjustly condemned, beaten, and imprisoned their response was to pray and sing hymns. And then to read that the other prisoners were listening to them (and that the prison keeper and his family were saved). What a great light their faithfulness helped to bring to such a dark place! How can we not find courage hearing of these brothers in faith and knowing that the very same God is alive in us?    

I am writing with a joyful heart and peaceful spirit.

Thame and Oxford

From a late return to London on Wednesday I boarded an 11:30 (23:30) bus to Oxfordshire then took a taxi to Thame. Thame is a small and very walkable town with very friendly people and nice shops. Today I took a bus from Thame to Oxford where the Ashmolean museum is housed; it is the oldest museum in England. Parts of the Harry Potter movies were also filmed at the University of Oxford’s Christ Church College where I also visited. On the bus ride to Oxford I sat next to a very friendly young man from Oxford and a very interesting older woman from Wheatley. The woman has been volunteering at the Ashmolean museum after recently retiring from working for the British Foreign Service and then the doing software support for a university, which required a lot of travel to Asia. Her husband, a diplomat, unfortunately passed away 30 years ago following a career that had the family living in places all across the globe. As a volunteer at the museum she said her work is very different than anything she has done in her previous positions, but very interesting. Last week, she told me, she was counting and cataloging sea shells. But these were not just any sea shells. The sea shells were collected by Charles Darwin and were wrapped in paper with his handwriting on them. I walked through about four exhibits in the museum. They were all spectacular. There was a marble sculpture collection, a Chinese art collection, the Shikanai Gallery of Japanese art from 1850, and an amazing Ancient Egypt collection.

 

The first two pictures are of a door jamb fragment (date: 1985-1920 BC) from King Amenemhat I and King Senrosret I and coffins dating back more than 3,000 years. The second two pictures are of the view from the museum's rooftop restaurant and the Christ Church Meadows gardens in the forefront of Christ Church College.

I am headed back to France early tomorrow morning; this time to South of France (Perpignan/Colliure).