THE DAYS OF THE FALLEN LEAF.

The first of November. I’ve actually been waiting on this day for quite some time now. Several weeks ago I made a pact with myself and a promise to my housemates that I wouldn’t listen to Christmas music until the first of November. But, now, I somehow don’t have the desire to step into such excitement. I look out the windows of my room to our gardens (a.k.a. ‘yards’ in the U.S.) and feel quite immersed in the autumn spirit. I suppose it took a bit of effort to get there, though. You see, most people usually hate the fact that they have to go through the effort to clear the fallen leaves out of their yards. This year, I thought we’d try something different. Due to the lack of trees out back, I was getting bored with the view of well-manicured green grass and rocks. Quite boring at this time of year, eh? So, I made my housemates go collect leaves with me. Eleven bin-liners (a.k.a. trash bags) full. Upon making a giant leaf pile, I ran around the yard throwing them everywhere. But, that wasn’t the end of it. This was all part of my plan to…OVERCOME THE HATRED FOR HALLOWEEN. The night of the 31st of October would be declared: ‘AUTUMNAL BONANZA.’ And, that it was. A celebration of massive proportions. In addition to the leaf pile, dozens of guests were graced with the opportunity to go apple-bobbing as well as a contest to see who could spit pumpkin seeds the furthest. My very own homemade scarecrow also adorned the yard. But, perhaps the most exciting part of the night was the fancy dress (a.k.a. costumes). We had quite the range of creativity show up for this bonanza. Some found it acceptable to come as themselves. Pitiful. But, when all was said and done, I crowned fellow team member Bec with first prize for her astonishing full-body monobrow (a.k.a. unibrow) costume. After many hours of brainstorming, I decided to make an appearance as possibly the worst creation made by man…a yard gnome. Unfortunately, I didn’t take the height of doorways and ceilings into consideration, so I struggled moving about with my rather large red hat. On the positive, though, each guest was greeted with ‘gnome juice’ (hot spiced cider-an unknown delight to the English) poured from my watering can. Oh, what a night!

On a more serious note, it has been a couple busy weeks since I last posted anything. I sometimes feel as if I need to have some wise thought-provoking words before writing. And, sometimes those don’t come, so I put it off. But, enough is enough. Now is the time to update you on my life.

Transit is big on routines. I guess. They say so at least. We’ve found otherwise. Our joke is that the course is actually just one big surprise. It’s quite exciting that way. And for that reason, I’m a fan and do everything possible to make it an even bigger surprise. Some people like these ideas when we’re planning our days and weeks. Others unfortunately think otherwise. With that being said, Transit is actually supposed to be a time of developing a lifestyle. And, with that must come routines. So, two weeks ago was our first full week of normal scheduling. Last week was completely different. Hmmm. In all seriousness, though, we have finally stepped into some new things in the last several days.

My big project is called ‘The Construction Bus.’ This is through East to West, which is a youth organization that the Boiler Room is based out of. The Construction Bus takes place on Tuesdays. But, last week was an intensive week, happening four days. The aim of this project is to reach out to the local ‘down and out’ youth in Staines, trying to get them back on their feet. The Bus gives them the opportunity to develop some practical skills with the goal of eventual employment. Thus far, I’ve been learning right along with them, as we build toolboxes and lay brick walls. Yesterday, they were happy to have me, the ‘Yank’, grill some hamburgers and sausages for them on their very own hand-built brick barbecue. The course also teaches plumbing, painting, and other things like interview skills, budgeting, etc. My biggest challenge with this project has been learning to relate to these young lads. Some are school drop-outs, some have been stabbed and in prison, many do heavy drugs. This course meets them where they are…a place that I can barely comprehend. It’s things like this, though, that reinforce my belief that our goal isn’t to go out and save souls…see how many people we can shove into Heaven. Instead, it’s about bringing God’s Kingdom to earth. Much of that revolves around Justice, and this is a prime example of combining both mission and justice. Pray that I would be able to use the second half of this course to continue to break through to these guys with encouragement. Pray for Dan and Craig and Jason and Sam. Pray for Dean as he has recently been kicked out of his home and yet seems to be seeking after this whole thing called Christianity. Pray for Chris, the leader of it all, who has gone through so much trouble and testing with his work in the last few weeks.

In other news, our team is working through our church to lead an Alpha Course. For those of you unfamiliar with it, Alpha is a course that started a dozen years ago and has now spread into many nations. It is an 8-week introduction to Christianity. The version that we are leading has been written for students. Our focus is Royal Holloway University, located just down the road. Today will be the 3rd week, and I have been handed the challenge of leading one of the small groups that meet and discuss various topics after the dinner and talk. These are students who are coming with questions. They are students who want to know what this whole thing called Christianity is all about. They are individuals at such a vital age in life. Last week really hit me, as I realized how much of a Christian bubble I have been living in for the last 4 years. It’s been hard but good to step out of that and into these lives. It’s also been encouraging to feel as if I’m learning that balance between Christian community and missional outreach. A question to ponder: Does the culture we find ourselves in have anything to do with our attitude toward the Chruch? For those of you trapped in a ‘Christian bubble’, do you think the temptation is be cynical about the Church and be more drawn to the world? And, for those on the other end, is there a tug towards the positives of the Church and negatives of the world? Just a question to consider while approaching our individual mindsets. How do we achieve that balance?

There seems to be a different attitude in the air since my last post about relationships. Since then I was able to have a major connection with a guy on the other Transit team. It’s quite interesting because his view is that their team jumped into the depth of relationships straight on. And, yet, they are incredibly intense about everything. Debates and tough discussions fill their daily lives. That, however, has led to far too much of a heavy spirit in their house. Our two teams have somehow been shoved to opposite ends of the spectrum. One loves depth and intentionality and only wants that. The other can be trapped in the fun and games of it all. Pray that both of our teams would learn to find that middle ground. I’ll tell you that progress is being made. Since I first brought up my concern for a lack of depth within our group, a few others have stated that they have been really convicted about this. We all really just want to get the most out of this year in terms of growth and change. Much of that means proactive steps that are not always the most comfortable or enjoyable.

Awhile back, I wrote a quite lengthy post about Dreams. Since then, my realization of this idea has been hot in my mind. Ideas, visions, dreams, whatever you want to call them have been flowing through my head. I love this, and yet I don’t want to be too future-focused. Pray that I would learn to find this balance as well. I’m hoping that God wants to show me something for the future during this year, yet I don’t want to be so caught up in it that I miss the here and now.

So, now, the question remains of when Christmas will come into full swing. Our town has been decorated for a few weeks now. But, I may just wait this year. I’ll continue to gaze out upon the leaves blowing in the wind around my new scarecrow friend while my jack-o-lantern looks at me with a slightly cheeky grin. And, I’m taken aback to the Midwest…where you can find bales of hay and pumpkin patches and real apple cider straight from the orchard. Could I actually be missing such a land for the first time in my life? Possibly. Maybe some Christmas tunes will help me get over it...

-Aaron