Its been a week and a half but feels like a age since i've been living in very sunny California - its been intense, beautiful, normal, very different and familier all at once! It's been tough leaving the UK and all the people a care about the most, but as i'm gradually settling in here - i am begining to love the people and the place.
Redding in northern Cali is 2 1/2hours north of San Francisco and has a population of 80 000. The city is on the edge of the mountains and far enough out of the way to be it's own world. Bethel Church has a ministry school of 500 (inc all 3 years), church population of 3000 and a large christian school. It sits on a big campus on it's own small hill overlooking the mountains - and is always busy!! there is a road leading to the church and its constantly got traffic - everyday this church building is a centre of community and kingdom business!
Here's a view from the prayer garden. The littleprayer house is open 24-7 and the garden is inspiring with an infinity pool from which to pray...
On tuesday the whole school left redding for retreat a couple of hours north into the hills - so beautiful! My housemate Emily, a second year and myself stopped on the way up to test out my lonely planet guide and go find a waterfall it raved about. we walked up a railway line for 30min and came to these falls:
The pic only shows a fragment of this spectacular fall. apparently loney planet were guiding the rest of the world too - we met several other students on the tracks inc a brit - Robert.
