My Journey to Cambridge (A Retroactive Post)

(I typed this post on Sept. 24th/25th, during my travel to England. Now that I have internet access in my room, I'm finally able to post it. Hooray!)

2:23 a.m. CDT

As I write this, the time is 2:23 a.m. CDT, and I'm sitting on a large Air Canada airplane flying eastward over the Atlantic Ocean, bound for London, England. I'm in seat 17k, a window seat, sitting next to my friend and peer David Wiegert. We go to study at Homerton College, Cambridge University for the entire 2006–2007 academic year (minus, of course, Christmas break, which is Dec. 2 to Jan. 16). The flight is scheduled to arrive at London at 11:05 a.m.

I flew out of MCI (Kansas City International) at 6:00 p.m. (yesterday, technically) Sunday, September 24th. Small and uncomfortable, the plane arrived at Toronto, Canada, at about 10:00 p.m. (EST). After going through customs and inquiring three times whether we needed to reclaim our bags before boarding the connecting flight to London, it was about 10:30. Our connecting flight leaving at 10:50, we had to hurry/hasten to a bus that took us to our terminal. Running, we got off the bus and hurried hastened to our gate, where we finally arrived at 10:50, just in time to catch the plane.

While I was waiting in the customs line at the Toronto airport, a young woman named Megan Lilley introduced herself to me. Twenty-two years old and from Branson, MO, Megan was on her way to London to study at a Bible mission (or Bible school, or something) there. She wanted to introduce herself to me, she explained, because she had overheard David and I talking about the Bible. We talked for several more minutes, until we had made it through customs. An interesting, encouraging, and cool experience.

12:36 p.m. GMT

I'm presently on a bus (or coach) destined for Cambridge. Having landed at Heathrow International Airport, London, at c. 11:10 a.m. GMT (which is six hours ahead of CST), David and I, after passing through customs and collecting our luggage, proceeded to the Central Bus Station at about 11:45. We bought a one-way ticket for two to Cambridge, the bus leaving at 12:10 p.m and being scheduled to arrive at Cambridge c. 3:00.

7:34 p.m. GMT

I finally arrived at Homerton c. 4:00. David and I went to the porter's lodge to get our room keys and other check-in information. We went to our dorm, Queen's Wing, and, after some confusion, we found our rooms. All the WJC students—there are nine in all at Homerton—were all on the same hall. (An interesting group.) Each of us has a single room, and the men and women are not separated but mixed throughout the hall.

Other News

I went to the William Jewell College Perspectives on the Common Good pluralism in US democracy lecture. I asked the black lady there, "Isn't it more important to pursue the truth than to pursue the good?".

I went to the Bethel Baptist Association's annual meeting, so that I could fulfill the requirement for my ministry internship.

I went to Northland Reformed Church Sunday, the 24th. Pastor Syms' made a thoughtful and kind announcement acknowledging and thanking me for my internship and announcing my imminent journey abroad. We stayed for a bit and had interesting conversations with some of the churchfolk. I think my mom is beginning to warm up to the Reformed church and its style and members.