Radical Journey:
Bradford, a university town, is home to many immigrants and refugees from West Asian countries. Bradford's range of racial, socio-economic, cultural and religious diversity offers many opportunities for participants to take initiative and get involved. Participants in Bradford have served in the local primary school assisting teachers and focusing on building relationships. In addition, participants have assisted in leading a local after-school program. Participants have also assisted leaders at church-sponsored youth circuit activities.
Wikipedia:
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, 8.6 miles west of Leeds, and 16 miles northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and recieved its charter as a city in 1897. Following local government reform in 1974, city status was bestowed upon the wider metropolitan borough. Bradford has a population of 293, 717 making it the fourteenth-most populous settlement in the UK. Bradford forms part of the West Yorkshire Urban Area conurbation which in 2001 had a population of 1.5 million and is part of the Leeds-Bradford Larger Urban Zone (LUZ), the third largest in the UK after London and Manchester, with an estimated population in the 2004 Urban Audit of 2.4 million.
Google maps:
Many of you may wonder why I would want to go to England when there are so many countries out there where people need help, many of which make more sense to people as mission destinations. To that I have a few answers that may help you understand me and my excitement a little more.
1) I have been wanting to do long term mission work for quite a while now. I guess you could say I got a bug way back in MYF when we went to the Dominican Republic. I loved being there. The people and food and beauty of that country has always stuck with me. Something else that has always stuck with me is the feeling that I didn't have enough time. In the years following those early short term missions I always felt this pull to go do something in the world and help people. Starting college meant putting this dream aside for a while, but it was never far from my mind. In fact the closer graduation came the more antsy I began to feel. I knew that that feeling wasn't about graduating and finding a job (though both great ideas). I knew exactly what that feeling was. It was a desire to go out into the world and use the talents God gave me to help people and learn from them in return. So mission work of any kind was desirable.
2) Third world country or Developed country doesn't really matter. God is everywhere and his people are everywhere. We have been tasked to reach out to all of God's people reguardless of race, gender, age, nationality... So, although England may seem like an odd choice to some, to me it is perfectly normal. Same language yet the culture is still a little different. I have a chance to make an impact.
3) England speaks English!! Ok, ok, so they have accents, strange vocabulary and an odd sense of humor....its still English. I have studied Spanish for many years and still struggle understanding and speaking it. People always say its different when you are surrounded by Spanish speakers - that you pick up the language faster. They may be correct, but I know myself and I'm fairly certain I would still struggle. So, I'm ok with an English speaking country. Besides, I have a different language I can speak and connect with. Art! I am hoping to find the opportunity to use art in some way to reach out to the kids while I am in England. Maybe I'm an idealist, but I really do believe art transcends all boundaries. Language, culture, wealth, race, or gender have no bearing on one's ability and insight. Art just is. It is a language of its own that fosters a different kind of communication. This is a language I can speak in. This is a language God gave me. This is a language I hope to share with people while I do God's work.
4) Mission work is about helping people. That is a given. I believe it is also how you live while you are immersed in a different country and culture. Do you spent every single moment actively planning how you will help and change people? Do you come into their world and start showing them your way of life? or do you spend your time getting to know the people and culture, allowing yourself to better understand them and in doing so become better able to reach out to them. I think you have to enjoy your work and have fun and LIVE with the people you are helping, otherwise you will always be an outsider to them. People don't seriously listen to people they view as outsiders. One of the reasons the UK had been one of my preferences was this idea of living in a culture that interested me. Don't get me wrong I would have been excited about anywhere I ended up (I mean come on, who doesn't want to see China or Bolivia...) but I am happy I get to go to England. It is a place I have always wanted to see. This trip will be a great adventure. I fully intend to explore with new friends and learn. I want to see castles, watch a real football game, try tea, play pick up soccer in a near by neighborhood, visit the Edinburgh vaults, see the House of Lords and celebrate Guy Fawkes day. I want to attend church, make friends and meet my neighbors. I want to be a part of the experience instead of trying to control it. In doing so I believe I will be better suited to the tasks I will be given. I want to embrace a culture unlike my own so that I can grow in my understanding of the world and be better able to impact the people that live there. I have always wanted to see England...what better way to do this than by reaching out to her people - letting them teach me while I teach them. It's hard to do God's work if you are an outsider. It's even harder to share God's love.
I have had some people ask me if this is a vacation or a mission trip. To that I can only answer honestly: it is a mission trip that probably has some vacation elements. I can't wait to start doing whatever Radical Journey will have me do, but I also can't wait to explore a different culture than my own. I think most people would only be telling a half truth if they said otherwise. I want to be able to share God's love and the talents he has given me with other people. I want them to be able to share their culture, lives and ideas with me as well. There is no other way to grow. And if we aren't growing how do we show God to an ever changing world?
Just a little sneak peak at how my mind works....So...I'm Excited and I'm going to England!
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