It is wonderful to be wonderful

Sunday, September 12
Last sunday 5 of us were assigned to go to the London North ward. On Sunday we (Mackenzie, Morgan, Lauren, Becca & I) headed off at 8:30 to get to church by 10 (so we thought.) We arrived promptly at 10:40. The ward we relatively small, so we made quite the entrance when the 5 of us tramped in 40 minutes late. But what can I say, go big or go home! To get there we had to take the tube, train, bus, and feet. We got to our tube stop that we were supposed to catch our train at, only to find out that it doesn't run on Sundays. We had to head over to Kings Cross to catch a different train, which we just missed. So 20 minutes later we finally got the train. Long story short, the bus was also late, and we got lost when walking there. It took us about 90 minutes to get home. So we figure going to church every week will be about a 6.5 hour venture. It's a good thing we love the gospel! 
I love the London North Ward! It only has roughly 80 active members, with 30 different nationalities represented. They were so thrilled to have us there. It was brilliant! I am very excited to go back next week. We will also get out callings next week, which I am very excited about. 


Monday, September 13
Monday was just our typical monday. We had class and then we scrounged for leftovers. Really though, I had a salad with spaghetti sauce as dressing. After lunch a few of us headed over to the National Gallery to do homework, and then over to the V&A (Victoria and Albert Museum) for our Jane Austen homework. Jani and I stopped at Marks & Spencer and then Tesco for a little grocery shopping (which may or may not have consisted of digestives and cereal....mmmmm) and then sprinted home for dinner.  
After dinner Sister Bird asked if Lauren, Meegan and I wanted to go see Wicked because she had extra tickets! We definitely hopped all over that. 
The seats were amazing! We were right up front, and it was such a nice change from our typical student discount tickets on the top row of the balcony where we had to stand up and peer over the edge to see. There wasn't the thrill of peering over a 30 ft balcony, but I felt like I was royalty. In all honestly I loved the London production much more than the production I saw in LA a few years back, and that, was GOOD. Almost all of the actors could easily compete with the original cast of Wicked (ie Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth). So, all in all, it was a good day.

Wilfred Owen

Today, Tuesday, I have just had class and lunch so far. Since coming to London and engaging myself into Humanities and my Great War and Modernism seminars my appreciation for the arts, mainly Gregorian chants, art, and poetry has significantly increased. In my Great War and Modernism seminar we connect the Great War to all the poetry, literature and art that was a product of the first World War, which I love because studying the Great War is most surely my forte. 
Today we were studying the work of two poets who were officers in the war, one of whom was Wilfred Owen. He was on the front lines and was killed 5 days before the end of the war. Before he departed for the front lines, he wrote The Parable of the Old Man, and the Young.

So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went,

And took the fire with him, and a knife.

And as they sojourned both of them together,

Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father,

Behold the preparations, fire and iron,

But where the lamb for this burnt-offering?

Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps,

and builded parapets and trenches there,And stretchèd forth the knife to slay his son.

When lo! an angel called him out of heaven,

Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad,

Neither do anything to him. Behold,

A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns;

Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him.

But the old man would not so, but slew his son,

And half the seed of Europe, one by one.