England - Days Nine, Ten and Eleven

Continuing the account of our trip, on Days Nine, Ten and Eleven.

Day Nine  -  Thursday, September 8.

We woke up in Cheltenham and ate our English breakfast.  I was now just having two poached eggs, bacon and croissants with orange marmalade, with English tea of course.  We were now in the Cotswolds and wanted to experience much of the history of the area.  We left Cheltenham about 10 am.

Our first destination was a place named Lower Slaughter, specifically to see the St. Mary's' Church and the Old Mill.  Again, to be driving in England was quite an experience and was rather enjoyable.  It was both a challenge and a fun time of traveling.

After a few hours in Lower Slaughter, we drove over to Chipping Campden to see the Old Market and St. James' Church.  We walked through town seeing the shops and vendors.  We went up the steep hill to the church and it was another magnificent example of architecture and beauty.  The view from the hill was grand as well.

Ken and Beifei wanted to stay longer in Chipping Campden, while I was anxious to go a little further to see the town of Stratford-upon-Avon.  Stratford is the town where William Shakespeare was born.  It was getting a little late, but Sondra and I pressed on (without map) to Shakespeare's hometown.  We made it safely but arrived just at 5 pm.  The town shuts down at 5 pm - the shops close, the restaurants are through for the day, and the Shakespeare museum and house are not open past that hour either.  It was somewhat disappointing, but we made the best of it.  We found a pastry shop selling their last goods on the sidewalk at a reduced price, we caught a sandwich shop willing to make us a sandwich as their last sale of the day, and we took many pictures of the Shakespeare house and museum.  We drove further down the street and took some wonderful pictures of the River Avon.

We drove back to Chipping Campden and found Ken and Beifei easily as they were strolling the main street as we passed through town.  Arriving back in Cheltenham, we were hungry.  Sondra and I found out about a place called the Golden Mountain Chinese Restaurant a few blocks away, walked there and had some dinner.  The owner was a Christian man from Malaysia whose father was a pastor, and this owner played English Chrisian hymns through the restaurant speaker system.  It was a great way to end the day, talking with him about his family and his faith!

                                                     St. Mary's Church in Lower Slaughter

                                                     The Old Mill

                                                    Sondra with the stone Gargoyle at a local shop 

                                                    A common sight to see the sheep in the meadows

                                                     The King's Hotel in Chipping Campden

                                                    The old Market Place still standing from ancient times

                                                   St. James' Church in Chipping Campden

                                                    The birthplace home of William Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon

                                                     The River Avon in Stratford

Day Ten  -  Friday, September 9.

After breakfast, we all got in the car and took off for the town of Cirencester.  The history of the area just continued to come alive as we walked the narrow streets and watched the people and looked at the old buildings and churches and businesses.  The cathedral in town was being renovated and a large canopy covering blocked the view of the main entrance.  I had to settle for a picture of the church from the back side.  Still and all, it was impressive.

My main objective this day was to find a good traditional fish and chips pub.  We had been so busy and had not taken time to find one yet.  After seeing some amazing places, we asked some locals about the best fish and chips place in town.  We were told to go to a place called The Crown.  We found it.  The tables were old and wooden.  The bag of cashews were delicious!  The fish was the best it could be!  The fries were big.  The Coke was cold!  Life was good.....ha ha!  It was just one of those satisfying meals that you hope for.  Anyway, it was fun.

Around 3 pm, we drove over to a small village named Bibury.  It is so relaxing and peaceful as you stroll by the rivers and streams and ducks and fish.  Beifei knew of a very old hotel in the village, built around 1633.  It was still elegant and a special place for the wealthy as they came to the town.  We went out to the back garden and had tea and biscuits (what they call cookies).  What a special time of seeing God's beauty in nature and enjoying a beautiful day.

We were back home in Cheltenham about 7 pm.  (We learned quickly that "home" is where your suitcase is!)  Trying to decide about dinner, Sondra and I ventured further into town and found a mall called the Brewery Mall.  All kinds of shops and restaurants and a movie theater were there.  We were acturally looking for a small place that served soups and bread, but had no luck.  We chose an Italian place called Prezzi and had Minestrone soup (delicious) and a ham pizza (very good as well).

                                                     The trees growing together to form an arch on the highways was common

                                                    Sondra in front of one of the many homes with thatched roof

                                                   The tower of the church rises high in Cirencester

                                                   The old Woolmarket entrance

                                                   Here is an example of one of the many narrow streets in the villages

                                                    The river runs silently and smoothly through Bibury

                                                     Galen and Sondra on the bridge with the homes in the background

                                                   The picturesque homes are on the narrow winding pathways

                                                   This magnificent hotel has been here since 1633

                                                    Ken and Beifei, Galen and Sondra enjoying tea time on the hotel grounds

Day Eleven  -  Saturday, September 10.

Our last day in the Cotsworld region began with a hearty breakfast, and then we were off to Stow-on-the-Wold.  This was a small town that was quite busy with tourists because it was the weekend.  It rained just a little.  The real story of this town was trying to find our way out of it, as we took some turns here and there to view the streets and homes.  At one point, I was driving and came upon a very narrow street (in the U.S., we might call it an alley) and decided to make it through.  We looked at both side mirrors much of the way down this street and it became one of our "adventures" along the trip.  We made the passage safely, but I was ready for a big road!

We made it back to Oxford to turn in the rental car about 1 pm.  We then backtracked to go home to Guildford - by train and by taxi.  At 6 pm, we were at our host home.  The man of the house (Robert) was to celebrate his 50th birthday that very evening and two of his adult children were to be in town to take him and Alison (his wife) to dinner. 

Sondra and I took a walk in the evening air to find a little eating place nearby.  None was open.  In God's providence, we met a couple coming our way on the sidewalk and I stopped them to ask about a restaurant.  They said the ones nearby were closed at this hour, and we began to walk together back towards our house.  During our walking and talking, I shared with them why we were there and the various churches we had attended so far.  They told us they were members of Emanuel and were at the same evening service last Sunday night.  By this time, we were enjoying a great time of fellowship in the Lord with them and they asked us to come by their home right then!

They lived two blocks from our host home and knew Robert and Alison Stevenson well!  What a divine appointment we enjoyed together.  Les and Jean (the names of this couple) took us in, fed us bacon sandwiches and dessert bars and lemonade, while Les and I talked about past years and famous pastors and churches.  Some of my favorite preachers of old (known and well-versed by Les also) are Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Dwight L. Moody, George Whitefield and others.  Les' father was a pastor and we had a wonderful evening of sharing, as my father was a pastor as well.  It was getting dark as we finally took leave and went home, rejoicing in such a delightful encounter that was unplanned!

                                                    Getting ready to pack the car to head out for Stow-on-the-Wold

                                                   Galen in the driver's seat with Ken as navigator

                                                   One of the many places of interest in Stow-on-the-Wold

                                                    The church towers can always be seen in the center of the towns

                                                   One of the many narrow streets we navigated through as we traveled

More to come!

England - Days Six, Seven and Eight

More of our experiences in the U.K. for Days Six, Seven and Eight.

Day Six  -  Monday, September 5.

We slept in just a bit and were ready by 10 am for a day at the University of Surrey.  This is where Beifei attended about 8 years ago.  She came from Beijing, China, to get her Master's degree in tourism marketing and management.  This was the place she was exposed to the gospel, and where she later came to faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized.  It was a bit of nostalgia for Beifei as she showed us (Ken, me and Sondra) the places where she lived and studied.  The grounds of the campus were gorgeous as well.

We then went to the Guildford Cathedral (Church of England) and ate lunch at the Refectory cafe.  The churches there all have a very elegant but somber feel.  The ceilings are extremely high and the painted windows are bright and rich with meaning.  The view of the city from the hill that the cathedral sat on was magnificent.

Back at our host home about 3:30 pm, we rested for several hours.  At 5:30 pm, we all had dinner with Paul and Hillary.  Paul is an elder in the Guildford Park Church, where I had preached the previous day.  He had asked me specifically to come to dinner so he could ask me some questions.  We discussed the issues of church growth and congregation involvement and reaching out to build the fellowship.  It was a special time of spending time together.  Hillary gave us a commemorative mug that had the picture of Will and Kate (Duke and Duchess).  Very nice!

At 8 pm we arrived at Paul and Fran's for the Monday night Bible study.  This couple has a mission heart to reach the many students at the university.  They have hosted over 700 students, allowing them to live in their home for the time of study.  They do not charge the students any rent, only asking them to contribute to the purchase of food for the meals!  They call their house church the Destiny Foursquare Church, "A Place to Give and Receive Love."  They are so faithful and loving.

Again, a late arrival back home that night.

                                                     Ken and Beife, Galen and Sondra at the entrance to the University

                                                     The Guildford Cathedral

                                                     Paul and Hillary in their home

                                                     Paul and Fran leading the Monday evening Bible study

Day Seven  -  Tuesday, September 6.

At 8 am Sondra and I were picked up by Asator, taken to pick up Ken and Beifei and then off to the train station.  We took the train from Guildford to Reading, transferred to rode from Reading to Oxford.  We hailed a cab to go to a B & B (The Falcon Bed and Breakfast) that Beifei had reserved for us.  We hopped a bus to the City Centre, walked around for awhile before eating lunch.  We spent some time at the famous Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology there in Oxford.  Some of the exhibits were awe-inspiring because of their antiquity and beauty.

Sondra and I then jumped on a double-decker City Tour Bus, going on a 45-minute guided tour of all the colleges of Oxford and the many historic buildings in the town.  One of the most important things we did was to go to the Oxford University Store for Sondra to buy a sweatshirt there!  She loved it.  We did some more walking and then headed back to our B&B, going to a nearby convenience store for ham slices, croissants, potato chips, Snickers and Orangina soda!  Sleep came easy that night.

                                                     Getting ready to get on the train to Oxford

                                                     Getting out of the cab at our B & B location

                                                     Arrival at The Falcon Bed and Breakfast place of lodging

                                                     Looking down through the streets of Oxford

                                                     Sondra and Beifei laughing with a man who recites the history of Oxford

                                                    The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology in Oxford

                                                     Galen was ready to sit on the upper deck of this Oxford City Tour Bus

                                                     One of the many historic sights in Oxford

                                                     Sondra getting ready to go buy her Oxford sweatshirt

Day Eight  -  Wednesday, September 7.

Breakfast was provided, and it was a full English breakfast!  An English breakfast usually consisted of eggs, bacon (more like large pieces of fried ham), croissants, orange marmalade, baked beans, cooked mushrooms and black pudding (pork blood and oatmeal combined and fried like a sausage patty).

Beifei had a rental car reserved at the local Avis agency in Oxford, so we went to pick it up.  The car was a nice-sized Peugeot (French-made) which was roomy and comfortable for us all.  I volunteered to drive, as I had driven over there in past years.  I just had to adjust my thinking to driving on the left side of the road, and I also had to contend with working a 5-speed stick shift with my left hand!  All in all, it was fun and exciting.  Ken had his iPad and was able to use it for navigation purposes.  What a blessing that was.

We drove to the famous Blenheim Palace, the home in which Prime Minister Winston Churchill grew up.  It was magnificent, and the grounds and many gardens were spectacular and lovely.  It was a walk back through history and elegant living.  We learned a great deal about Churchill's early days before he became such a powerful political figure during WWII.

We then drove to Cheltenham, where we would be staying for the next few days for sight-seeing in the historic Cotswold area of England west of London.  Our accomodations were at the Cheltenham Townhouse.  Again, a wonderful English breakfast was provided each morning.  Because of the lateness of the day, we ate quickly and then off to bed.  I did, however, take a bit of time to read from a mystery novel that was given to me earlier in the week by Fran.  During conversation, she learned that I like to read mystery and suspense novels as gave me a copy of "The Cat Who Robbed a Bank" to read in my spare time.  It was one of her collection of paperbacks in the "Cat Who..." series, in which a gentleman solves mysteries and murders by clues given by one of his two Siamese cats.  I read for a short while before growing tired and falling asleep.

                                                     The Blenheim Palace

                                                     Galen and Ken standing by the Peugeot rental car on Palace grounds

                                                     We stayed in the lower level rooms here at Cheltenham Townhouse

More to come!

England - Days Four and Five

Continuing the review of the days in England, here are Days Four and Five.

Day Four  -  Saturday, September 3.

We got up at 6 am and got ready for the day.  Sondra left at 8:30 in the morning to attend a Women's Aglow meeting with a group of ladies from the local churches.  It was an inspirational time of singing and message, with Sondra meeting a lady named Maggie who has been going through so much turmoil in her life.  That's another story to be told later.  As for me, I rode over to the host home of Ken and Beifei to hang out with Ken for the morning at Paul and Fran's home.  At noon, we went to a small village called Seale to visit and eat at The Seale Tea Room, a small eating establishment inside an old converted barn.  Very charming and quaint.  The soups and breads were delicious!  We toured the St. Laurence Church (Church of England) next door after lunch. 

The highlight of the day was to see Peter Gates, the man who sponsored our trip to the U.K.  This day was his 89th birthday, and we were going to celebrate it with him!  He is a very proper and wonderful English gentleman in every respect - gracious, kind, orderly and keen of mind.  We spent just a short while at his home, as we were all going to another house for the cake and birthday festivities.  We went to a lady's house close by and had food and fellowship.  The candles were lit and Peter blew them out. 

After some time, we left to go visit Asator (who I mentioned in the last blog) and his family.  Asator was born to Iranian parents in Saudi Arabia, moved to Iran for a while and then was sent with his brother to Syria to get away from the oppressive regime in Iran.  He was unable to return to Iran to visit family for 25 years!  He learned Arabic, Farsi, English and several other languages during the years.  His family was Christian and he has been a believer for many years.  He took classical guitar lessons from the top mentor in Syria and is quite accomplished.  His wife, also a believer, was born in Bethlehem.  They have three children, all who are learning to play various instruments.  We spent several hours at Asator's home before going home.

                                                      The Seale Tea Room at the barn

                                                      The inside eating area was very cozy

                                                     Here we are enjoying our lunch

                                                      The St. Laurence Church

                                                      Galen and Sondra with Peter Gates on his 89th birthday

                                                      Peter blowing out the candles on his birthday cake

                                                      Sue and Beifei with the Asator Gazarian family

Day Five  -  Sunday, September 4.

What a special day this was!  We left for Guildford Park Church at 9:30 am to attend the 10:30 worship service.  I had been contacted and was scheduled to be interviewed by the pastor and then to preach the morning message.  It was a blessed time indeed.  it seemed as if God's Spirit took control and touched many hearts.  My message was titled "The Call to Serve."  The passsage of Scripture was from Jonah chapters 1 and 3.  Our three major times of life can be classified into Trial, Tragedy and Triumph.  The call of God to serve is for every chapter of life that we have.  Our life of service to the Lord comes from three areas:

1.  The call to Holiness, which is accomplished by allowing God to work in us and through us.  We are not holy or perfect on our own.  We are holy because God makes us holy!

2.  The call to Obedience, which is accomplished by doing the bidding of the Lord.  We let God be master of our lives in every respect.  We do what He says.

3.  The call to Passion, which is accomplished by having a heart that is changed to show forth the glory of God.  A heart that is full of passion leads to evangelism and ministry and missions!

The church tapes the sermons and you can listen to my message on the church website: 

          http://www.gpchurch.org.uk/

and then click on the "Download Sermons" link.  You will find my sermon listed as "God's Plan" by Galen Greenwalt.  The actual link is:  www.gpchurch.org.uk/sermons/2011-09-04am.mp3 to listen by audio.  It was such a blessing as many came to me and said, "That message on the call to service was just for me!"

We then went over to Paul and Fran's for lunch.  Fran is such an efficient cook as she prepares for around 20 people each Sunday afternoon.  So many international students come and enjoy the afternoon there.  I must admit I was quite tired after lunch and fell asleep for a short while in a very comfortable chair.

At 5 pm we returned to our host home.  Within the hour, we were served tea and crumpets, as well as chocolate croissants and other "goodies."  At 6:15 pm, we were taken to the Emanuel Church, an Anglican Christian contemporary church.  It was youth night named the Cafe Service (as tea and coffee were served prior to the time of worship), and the time of worship consisted of music, testimonies, prayer time and a message geared to the youth.  Many of the young people had attended a Youth Conference (called Soul Survivor) recently and shared their experiences and what God had done in their lives.  It was very interesting and moving for many of the youth.

                                                      The Guildford Park Church

                                                      Pastor Glenn Shotton and Galen

                                                      Galen preaching at the Guildford Park Church worship service

                                                     The entrance to the Emanuel Church auditorium

                                                     The youth-led service at Emanuel's Cafe Service on Sunday night

This night we were home around 8 pm!

It's Good To Be Home - Recap of Days One, Two and Three

What a wonderful trip Sondra and I had across the Atlantic.  We attended and shared experiences with five very different churches and a separate Chinese Christian Bible study fellowship.  We also took a few days of relaxation and touring of the history-filled villages west of London.  It was an amazing time of sharing our hearts for the Lord in another country, and now we have arrived home and are getting back into daily life at home again.

To give a quick background to this trip, I was asked several months ago to consider a mission-type trip to the U.K., in which I would be scheduled to lead some Bible studies and preach in several churches there.  This was coordinated by a lady in our church (Beifei Edwards), who had studied and attended the University of Surrey there in England some years ago.  She and her husband, Ken, are actively involved in our church and did a mission trip to China last year.

When asked by Beifei if I would consider a trip to the U.K. to preach and share with churches, I said I positively would consider it if the Lord provided the finances.  A few weeks later, an 88-year-old man who has dedicated his life to the work of the Lord with his money said he would sponsor the way for both me and Sondra to come to England to share God's Word there.  Beifei was working a trip with Chinese officials in London prior to our arrival and would meet us as we (me, Sondra and Ken) flew to London.  She would then join us for our time of ministry in Guildford, England!

It was an amazing miracle of the Lord to provide and allow us to minister overseas at this time!

Here is a quick recap of our trip, which totaled 13 days (which includes flight days).

Day One  -  Wednesday, August 31.

We got up very early and left Rialto at 4 am, drove to Shawn and Crystal's house in Ontario to be taken by Shawn to LAX (after picking up Ken), took the flight to Toronto for layover, then on to London Heathrow Airport, arriving around 6:30 am London time on Thursday morning.

Day Two  -  Thursday, September 1.

Ken Edwards (Beifei's husband), Sondra and I took a bus to the Radisson Edwards Heathrow Hotel, met Beifei, took showers and had breakfast.  We then took the Underground rail to the London Tower to relax and tour.  After that, we were met and transported by car and taken to our host home in Guildford, about an hour from London in the Surrey area of England.  Our driver from the airport, Asator, was a very interesting man with a powerful testimony of God's power and watchcare.  We were able to se him every so often and meet his family later.  I will tell you more about him in a later blog.  Upon arrival in Guildford, we had dinner (pork chops, fish cakes and lamb kabobs with vegetables and dessert) with the host family of Ken and Beifei, and then we were taken back to our host home for the evening.  Our real "chauffeur" (driver) for the week was a wonderful retired missionary lady named Sue Hanscombe.  She had been a nurse in Nigeria and was now retired.  For our time in Guildford, she blocked out the two weeks on her schedule to be ready every day to shuttle us to wherever we needed to be.  She became our "mother hen" and we were blessed by her love and commitment.  Our host family was Robert and Alison Stevenson, a wonderful couple deeply involved in a local church.  They were very sweet and kind.  He is a podiatrist and she is a special education teacher.  Since they worked, we did not see them until the evening time each day.  It was nearly 10 pm when we got home for sleep that first night in Guildford.

                                                     Ken and Beifei Edwards, Sondra and Galen Greenwalt at hotel

                                                     Sondra and Galen at the Tower of London

                                                     Sondra with the Tower Bridge and River Thames in background

                                                     Sondra and Galen in front of host home

                                                     Our "driver" Sue Hanscombe and her Toyota

                                                     Our host couple, Alison and Robert Stevenson

Day Three  -  Friday, September 2.

We got up early and were taken to town to see the Guildford town center.  After walking High Street, we the went to the Guildford Castle and its beautiful grounds.  There was also a variety of flowers and plants arranged for a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible (authoirzed in the year 1611).  From the castle grounds, we were able to see the home of Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  We ate fish and chips for lunch and I had an opportunity to witness to our waitress, a young lady named Holly who was looking for a church to attend.  That evening, we went to the Guildford Chinese Christian Fellowship, a group of students who are attending the University of Surrey.  Most of them are working towards their Masters degrees and many are Ph.D. students.  There were about 20 of us sitting together in a small apartment for this very special time.  My study was from Ephesians 4:4-14, and my topic was "Ten Truths for Believers."  The ten truths I highlighted were:
     1.  God loves you.
     2.  God wants you to grow spiritually.
     3.  You are saved by grace, and you grow by grace.
     4.  We are to love others.
     5.  We are to focus on Jesus.
     6.  God cares about all of your life, not just your spirituality.
     7.  We are to pray with faith and perseverance.
     8.  We are to read the Bible, as it is fully God's Word.
     9.  We are to get involved in a Bible-based church.
     10. We must not allow circumstances to ever discourage us.
The students asked many questions and were a delight to be with.  We again got home about 10 pm, but it was hard to get to sleep as both Sondra and I needed to "wind down" after such an exciting time with believers who were on fire for the Lord.
                                                     The town clock on High Street

                                                    Sondra posing with a sales mascot on High Street

                                                     Having lunch with Holly as our server

                                                     The Guildford Castle

                                                     Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible

                                                     Home of author Lewis Carroll

                                                     Brother Merlin was the coordinator of the Chinese student Bible fellowship

                                                     A wonderful group of students sang and shared in the Bible study time

                                                     Galen leading the Bible study in the apartment setting

More about our next few days in the next blog!

Off to England

This is a quick blog as we prepare to leave very early tomorrow morning (Wednesday, August 31).  In the photo below, you will see the four of us who will be sharing in some churches in the U.K.  We will be speaking in churches in the town of Guildford, about an hour outside of London.  We will also go to Oxford University, tour in the area where C.S. Lewis wrote his famous books, and then we will also see the sights of Cotswold where there are some ancient Roman ruins.

The four of us are.....Galen and Sondra Greenwalt, Ken and Beifei Edwards.



There will be many pictures that I will share when we return.

Two other important notes:

(1)  Sondra and I went over to Kirk's house last night to visit my sister Marti, who arrived earlier in the day from Oklahoma.  She will be out here a week to help Kirk and Tamra as the baby is still in the hospital.  Little Ezekiel continues to improve slowly with his lungs and breathing.

(2)  My brother Noel will have his ablation procedure done tomorrow morning at the Oklahoma Heart Hospital.  This is being done to help with his heart issues.

Join us as we pray for Noel and Ezekiel in the healing of their bodies!