come visit

World Relief Seattle has a blog, and it's amazing. All of the staff contribute stories, and sometimes our refugee clients contribute stories too. If you're interested in meeting some of my amazing students and their families, and getting to know the work that I have the privilege of being a part of better, but you don't have the money for a plane ticket up here, come visit by taking a minute to scroll through our blog and check out some of our stories (although if you DO have the money for a plane ticket, COME!).
Click here: http://worldreliefseattle.wordpress.com/

the sisters do searcy

Climbed to the top of Sugar Loaf for sunrise on my birthday

what happens when the WHOLE kennedy fam goes on vacation?

Day 1 goodness:

How many buddies does it take to paint one set of toenails?


Hangin wit my homies...


Walkin down to the pool with Grandpa.


Finishing up the evening with the Jesus Storybook Bible? Yes please.

privilege

A friend asked me tonight where I'd been over the weekend. I explained that I had had two work conferences back to back, one in Portland and one in Pittsburgh. "Pittsburgh?" he exclaimed incredulously and a bit enviously. "I've never been out of the state."

What?

How can that be?

How can the world be that disproportionate?

How is it possible that someone the exact same age as me could have never had the opportunity in his whole life to travel outside Washington state, while I have enjoyed thirty-three states and nine countries and assumed that to be a normal part of life? Doesn't everyone's parents take them to the Grand Canyon? Doesn't everyone drive with ten of their best friends to Florida for spring break? Doesn't everyone attend a private college and study abroad in Oxford? Doesn't everyone work for an organization that pays for them to travel to conferences in Pittsburgh and Portland?

I have never felt in quite this way how much my life is characterized by wealth and privilege. Yesterday another friend mentioned nonchalantly the insults that had been hurled at her at a bar over the weekend because of her skin color. I was shocked that she thought nothing of it; it's a normal part of life for her. My race has only ever smoothed the way before me. I have been given, for no merit of my own, opportunities, experiences, and education that other people only dream of. I am beginning to understand that if my life is ever "successful", it will be 5% because of me and 95% because of my social class, family, background, education, race, nationality, wealth, and support networks.

It's humbling and a little bit scary to see my privilege. I wonder what things I might be blind to because of it.

guest column!!!

My grandmother thinks that I don't put enough details in my blog. So... here is her very own guest column where she can put anything and everything!
;)

From Mary Jo:

This part of Megan's blog is for family and us old people. I doubt her friends would be interested in this. I told Megan we need to hear more about her life here and she said everyone wouldn't be interested in that, but those in her family are, I told her. So here is my boring blog:

We have all wondered what the restaurant was like where Megan works. So here is a picture or two of Morton's. You will see Megan behind the counter waiting on customers.


This is the London Eye that Megan and Tuila rode on, the second largest observation wheel in the world. Wonder why Allen didn't go :-). I had an excuse. Lloyd was exhausted and we stayed behind a bit and of course I had to stay with him.


I cannot believe I am still alive and living. I have never walked so far and so long, never walked up and down so many steps in my life. It seems you have to go up stairs to go down stairs and down stairs to go up stairs. This going up and down was in the train, bus and underground, tube, or whatever it is called. It seemed everyone in London was busy walking to wherever they were going, too fast for me. Few people drive cars, they walk, and walk, and walk and go up and down stairs.
Megan walks and walks and walks almost everywhere she goes. I understand she does ride her bike quite a bit and it is a wonder she is still alive the way the traffic is. I am amazed though that I haven't seen any dented fenders or any dead bodies lying in the street. We were at City Centre today and Lloyd took a picture of some of the many many bikes parked there.


The girls living in Megan's apt are very thrifty. I won't get into all what I feel are necessities that they live without. I guess when you are a poor student you learn to live without.

We brought wonderful weather with us from the states. Everyone told us to bring raincoats and umbrellas. We only saw a very light mist for a few minutes. It was colder in Scotland and Ireland that I had anticipated and we had to buy additional jackets. As warm as it was in the U.S. when we left I just couldn't believe it could be cold here and we did not heed their advise to take warm clothes. It was beautiful here today in Oxford, probably in the upper 60's.

The scenery is beautiful, georgeous old buildings and castles. But I still like Topeka best.

Don't know what we would have done without Megan guiding us around the train and bus stations. We couldn't understand what was being said when they were making announcements even though they were supposedly speaking English. All the time Megan was so cool and collected and didn't once make a mistake. There are many languages spoken here in the UK and we didn't hear English very often.

There is some delicious looking food in the grocery stores. I wish I could take some of it home with me but don't have room. Megan cooked us a couple delicious meals. She says she really enjoys cooking.

It has been great being here and traveling and especially being with Megan. But we are ready to come home and will see you all soon. Brittany - let Lucky out of the closet!!!!

edinburgh epistle

I've got some work to do on my pictures before I put up my faves from Edinburgh, but I promised someone I'd keep my blog updated while my family is here... (:

After three days in London we spent an entire day traveling to Edinburgh.


This is the first stop in Scotland.


The country is freaking cold, but gorgeous.

I was not prepared for the austere stone magnificence of Edinburgh architecture. Yet although the city has a cold, aloof appearance, the people are warm and vibrant. Check out this sweet city.




Seth was our fantastic and hysterically quirky tour guide in Edinburgh and he was the one who brought the cold city to life.


Tuila and Allen and I took a few hours and climbed an extinct volcano on the edge of Edinburgh called Arthur's Seat. We scorned the beaten trail and got into some sketchy rock climbing! It was hard to get a photo that captured how epic this little adventure was, but check this out,


and then calculate that we didn't climb the crag in the foreground where you see the people standing, but instead the one in the left background that was maybe twice as tall. Here's another angle.


All in all, I think Edinburgh was everyone's favorite. That's just because they haven't experienced Oxford yet... ;)

london city

Day one of fantastic family fun...

bus tour:


Thames cruise:


London Eye:




ice cream:


Day two...

Harrod's department store:


Hyde Park:





horseback riding:


evensong at Westminster Abbey:


ice cream... oh yeah, it's a wonderful life.

old world meets new world

In London with my precious grandparents and aunt and uncle. They are so cute, and it's so fun to have them here.

this is haarlem

I am in love with Haarlem.

Haarlem is a charming town twenty minutes from vibrant Amsterdam, and ever since I got back I've been scheming ways I could go live there for a year or two. University? Tour guide? Church plant? You only think I'm joking...

I hope this video shows you just a bit of the incredible beauty of this city, this country, and the Dutch people. They were my favorite.

holiday

A carefree adventure to Amsterdam and Berlin with my favorite flatmate, Melody... is there a better way to spend a long weekend?

Well... I can think of a few, but they all involve flying back to the States. (:

So for now, it's off to Anne Frank and Corrie ten Boom's houses, tulip gardens, canals, windmills, pancakes, and of course, coffeehouses! Be back Tuesday...

this is krakow

I was only in Krakow for a few hours, but the city stuck itself firmly in my heart and memory. It was a cold, dark, magical winter wonderland. Bustling with life and vitality, but serene and dreamy. And friendly, drawing you in, coaxing you to explore further. I hope someday I will be able to go back. Thought we've only met once, I have the feeling Krakow and I will reunite like old friends.

This is what I saw when I was there.

The architecture.


The Christmas markets on the main square.


It's probably a good thing I was only there at night. It was so dreamlike, the entire city probably disappeared with the morning light.


Not joking. It really might have all disappeared after I left.
Like an enchanted city in a fairytale...

"When the Lord brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed." Psalm 126:1

this is prague

I've dreamed of going to Prague for ages. I have a vivid memory (who knows if it's real or not) of being pretty little, maybe seven or eight?, and looking through my big sister Annie's black-n-white photographs of Prague architecture (Anne, feel free to declare whether or not this memory can possibly be true, and if it is, how long ago would it have been anyway??). Partly because I thought my big sister was freaking cool, and partly because the photos were insanely beautiful, I decided right then and there that someday I would go to Prague. And take black and white photos of the buildings. And so I did.

The end.

(Or the beginning?)











But there are a few things in Prague that just can't be captured in black-and-white:



And my very favorite:


"Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in." Psalm 24:7

beautiful people, beautiful places

I have cherished having Kelly and Kaitlin and Lucy here this week. We rambled all over Oxford on Thursday, despite the pouring English rain. First I took them up in the tower of the University Church of St. Mary because it is AWESOME. Here's Luce with the iconic Rad Cam behind her:


Isn't she beautiful? Here are the girls in the quad of All Souls' College:


And then I took them to G&D's, the best ice cream cafe in the history of the world:


Lucy came to small group bible study at my church, St. Ebbe's, with me Thursday night. It was precious for her to get to meet those girls that I love so much and that have been such an encouragement to me.


She also came with me to formal hall Friday night, and this is us hanging out in the JCR afterwards:


This is fifth week, the week traditionally known for "fifth-week blues." But I had the best fifth week imaginable. Sweet friends rock my world.

"Keep on loving each other as brothers." Hebrews 13:1