Feb. 18- Cambridge

Another great week in London!

I started off last Saturday in Cambridge. We took the train out there and while we toured around the town it started to snow! So beautiful. We took a 2 hour tour, went to the Fitzwilliam Museum, and to Evensong at King's College Chapel (one of the loveliest places on earth).

Sunday I attended my first Quaker meeting with my next door neighbor Roger (a hilarious 65 year old man who used to be a Quaker and went to Oxford). The meeting was one of the most interesting things I have ever done. For those who aren't familiar with Quaker meetings here is how they work: Two people shake hands to indicate the meeting has begun. Then everyone sits in silence- praying. If you feel led to say something, or if you think God has put a particular piece of Scripture in your heart, or if God has reminded you of something specific this past week, etc. then you stand up and say it. Normally about 3-4 people speak for about 5 minutes a meeting. The rest is silent worship- and it is something to behold. Being able to be still, focus entirely on God with no distractions, and just sit in His presence was exactly what I needed.

I saw two plays this week, Dunsinane and Ghosts. Dunsinane is the sequel to Macbeth and was both dramatic and witty. A few of us got to meet some of the cast afterwards and they were extremely gracious and humble. Ghosts was, well, I don't really recommend it. :)

For class I went through a small part of the National Gallery and walked through Spitalfields. Spitalfields historically has high levels of immigration (our topic of study for the week). We saw a current Muslim mosque that previously was a Jewish synagogue and before that was a Hindu temple. We talked about the importance of culture, whether or not it was possible/beneficial to preserve cultures, and how to incorporate peoples of various backgrounds into communities. Though London is dealing with these issues, it was also neat for us to discuss them because America is going through exactly the same battles.

Headed to the Cotswolds this weekend to enjoy the English countryside! AND... I'm driving!