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.
4 comments:
I just stumbled on your blog and I was wondering what you thought the biggest differences between the UK and Cali are. And those waterfalls are awesome. Happy Peace Day!
Hmm. there's lots. everyone is super positive - everything is 'awesome' or 'so exciting' - but thats more a difference in languge rather than anything else. there are no town centres like in the UK -no focal point to the town. cars are esential - there is no design for pedestrians or public transport. food is different. houses are very different. even the same magazines are so different - they look like magazines from the 60's - is so strange!
But difference is only a problem if you let it be a problem - it defintly says more about you than the place!!
looks amazing sarah! i'm envious! hehe. i'm as little bit suspicious about how much/little work you're actually doing... hiking in the mountians? swimming in the lakes? hmmm? ;o)
keep telling your stories sarah! Much love!! phil.x
Good luck with the move - that's quite a change, although the nights are drawing in here and I quite fancy a bit of California myself!
Best of luck and take care.
- roGER
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