Fountains Abbey


Traveling the United Kingdom

We took a bus and traveled up north through the beautiful land of England's countryside. We went to York, Manchester, liverpool, Preston, the lake District, Fountains abbey, Beatrix potter's home, hostels, Wordsworth's home "Dove Cottage", York Minister Cathedral and places that were important in church history. We went to all of these awesome place and took scenic drives through the countryside on a bus, live changing drive!

In northern yorkshire a ruined Cistercian monastery was founded in 1132.  Fountains Abbey was by far my FAVORITE! I would love to visit there again! Thirteen monks that had been exiled to this valley realized that they had all the materials that they needed to build a monastery, they used the materials and started building an amazing monastery. This monastery was functional for around 400 years, up until King Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the monasteries. The Abbey buildings and over 500 acres were sold to royalty and taken from the monks. 

Rainbow colors can be seen throughout each stone used to build this monastery, the rocks make the abbey look amazing especially with the vibrant green grass that surrounds it. Walking behind the monastery I saw the water gardens and it is amazing to be able to see things that had been built without machinery we have in these latter-days. There are hug stone walls that surround the monastery, now covered by trees, but there are places that can be seen where rock was removed from to help provide the materials used for building. 

The way the terrain was used and the huge building efforts shows how important building this monastery was to these exiled monks. This made me question how much I believe my religion.  I could never see myself actually cutting rocks from a side bank, building giant walls, and arches so that I could have a place to worship my God. I am amazed by the great efforts that these people went through to be able to have a place to worship. They really believed that they had the correct word of God and they truly believed that they were doing something that was justifiably right and necessary for salvation.  This makes me question how much I would be willing to give for my religion and makes me question why I believe the things I believe.  I also question why these monks believed what they believed to be true even with other religions being pushed on them.  Understanding what I believe has become more apparent to me since I have had the opportunity to visit all of these temples, Abbeys, Cathedrals and monasteries. 

CANTERBURY

The cathedral is 512ft long and the first archbishop was St. Augustine. Augustine was originally a missionary to the Anglo-Saxon people recruited by Pope Gregory the Great.  The Cathedral follows a form of many cathedrals during that time; it contains a nave, transept, and apse, along with long isles of arches and flying buttresses.  Under the cathedral’s main hallways is a crypt; the largest of it’s kind in England.

Two people we learned about that were buried there was Edward, Prince of Wales, commonly known as the ‘Black Prince’ and ‘King Henry IV’.  The black prince’s tomb had something written around the edges, it read, “such as thou art, so once was I. As I am now, so shalt thou be.” The first time he was referred to as the ‘Black Prince’ was first recorded 200 years after his death, he was never referred to that while he was alive. He was friends with Thomas of Becket and that is a reason why he wished to be buried in the Cathedral.

There were several styles of architecture in the Cathedral. Gothic style arches, (pointed at the top), Roman arches(more rounded,  parallel gothic ceilings (vaulted), and very gothic decorations.  We were also told how to tell medieval stained glass from modern stained glass. Medieval glass is thicker and when the sun shins through it you can’t see the reelection of the colors on the ground below. However, modern glass is thin and transparent, even with colors, and when the sun shines through it the reflections of colors can easily be seen on the ground below. 

Sikh and Hindu study:

An experience that changed my thoughts on religion forever. 

At first I was sure that making the trek to these temples were going to be the biggest waste of my life and I had no desire whatsoever to go.  We were told to bring scarves to cover our hair when we enter the temples. 

Sikh-

When you first walk into the temple there are places where you leave your shoes.  (good to wear socks when going to their temple) We went upstairs to the main meeting room, bending down and touching the threshold to the room we all made sure our heads were completely covered. We had to walk down a long aisle with people on the left and right of us sitting in a very orderly manner. The aisle was probably around 500 feet and at the end was an altar.  A man standing behind the altar was waving feathers over their bible to "keep the air clean around it", figuratively speaking. (related to the maharaja's being fanned in the early days because the air was dirty and the fanning was thought to help cleanse the air around him)  At the foot of the altar we knelt down and touched our hands to the floor to show respect.  We then (never turning our backs to the altar) walked away and took a seat (girls on the left, guys on the right side of the aisle).  We sat there for around 30-45 minutes and watched everything that took place. (the people, the way things work, what was being said etc) 

leaving (not putting our back to the altar) we left the main room and got a gift when we received a gift.  There was a lady holding a giant bowl, inside of the bowl consisted of what looked like really thick oat meal.  Turns out it was water, sugar, butter, and flour.  That lady handed us all a hand full of this and we were told to eat it.  (Some of the girls got sick but overall it wasn't that bad tasting) They hand out that gift as a "gift for spending time honoring God".  When you honor God and are obedient, he blesses you, this gift is symbolic of one for many to come. We then went downstairs and enjoyed a free meal. (In any Sikh temple you can get a meal for free, no matter who or why you are there) I didn't have anything, so I can't give my input for this area but my colleagues did, they liked the food. Then we helped the Sikh kitchen crew clean up a few dishes before we headed to the library.  In the Library we had a real Sikh teach us about his religion. They were the 5 K's like Mormon's wear garments.  (Knife, Comb, a certain kind of underwear, a turban, and a bracelet....all symbolic) They wrap their hair every morning and night, they are require to shower daily and use their comb that they store in their turban to keep their hair neat and brushed. They wear the special underwear to make sure that they are modest at all times. They wear the knife to remind them that they are "like policemen", if there is someone in need or if there is a crisis, they are to be willing to give their life to save a life. The bracelet and the turban are mainly just for show so they can tell that there is a sikh in a crowd of people. Kind of cool listening to what this Sikh had to say, I learned a lot about their religion and I have a completely different outlook on their way of life/religion. 

Hindu: 

We had to take our shoes off here too, unlike the Sikh religion, Hindus' worship more than one God. When we first walked into the main meeting room there was a stage with several Gods posed in different settings (selected differently for each God according to their power). 

We sat in there for around 30-40 minutes again and on our way out some of us gave thanks to the people running that particular temple and received a piece of fruit on the way out. (same concept of a "gift" as the Sikh religion) 

Sitting in all of these temples and watching such devoted people made me question my devotion to my religion. If all of these hundreds of people believe their religion to be the most true and sacrifice so much of their time for it, why is Mormonism true? These people sacrifice so much everyday, go to their temple twice a day, wear 5 items on their persons everyday (some even in the shower), and don't even have copies of their scriptures outside of the temple because they are so sacred. How can Mormonism be true if these hundreds of such devoted people don't seem to believe it?  

This really made me question why I believe what I do. I know the church is true. I know that every time I say a prayer it is heard. I know that Heavenly Father knows me personally and I know he wants to see me return to him one day. I want to hear him say, "well done thy good and faithful servant".  I know there is good in all religions but I believe the LDS church to have the entirety of the truth. I am so blessed to have the gospel in my life. I know this has changed my life for the better and if anything, these religious people have showed me the devotion that I should show towards my religion. Heavenly Father doesn't ask to much of his people, he created the world, we are all in debt to him. We should all try a little harder to be a little better about living closer to the gospel teachings. 

Trafalgar Square

My first real outing in London with my great roommates was to Trafalgar Square to visit the National Gallery.  One word: Amazing. 

Walking up to the gallery we passed people in suits, people doing bike tricks, a man coming out of a tent, on top of a column, who was painted green and was bum naked, a singer and a whole lot of arabs. Before we got to the gallery we already had a days worth of fun things happen.  The tube was hilarious, the night before we had been taught that English people don't make eye contact (it's a way they get away from the claustrophobia of being in crowds all the time) and we purposely would make people look at us.  Then we would all try to not make eye contact...very hard to do, either look up or down because everyone is facing each other in the seats. 

The national gallery is pretty amazing, we saw the rosetta stone, an amazing part of history. 

After the gallery we headed up parliament street, saw all of the parliament buildings and then walked past St. John's park to Buckingham palace. Throughout those few hours it probably rained at least 7 times for a 7 minute period each time, gorgeous skies. 

 

 

GOOD MORNING LONDON

When I first landed in London the initial thought to cross my mind was "What have I done"? I was standing in an airport with no signs anywhere except for the word "toilet" printed in plain print above a symbol of a lady off to the side. 

I head down, what seems a 10 minute walk, to customs and am asked what my business is here in London. I told her I was a student from Brigham Young University and she looked at me puzzled, "I've never heard of that place, do you have a customs letter?"  Good thing I remembered to put it into my backpack...she examined my letter and then sent me on my way, waving and saying "have  great time in London!" 

Next I get to baggage claim...no staff members are to be found, just travelers who knew exactly what they were doing. I felt like such an odd ball.  I get my luggage, sit down on a bench and decide to wait and look for someone who might come though this baggage claim for the London Centre. A guy that was my age, off of my flight that I sat next to, comes up to me and tells me, "if I you need any help at all, give me a call." That wont happen but it's comforting. I met him and his sister on the plane, they are from North Carolina.  About that time a girl with blonde hair shoots around the corner and I caught a gleam of her back pack, it was just like mine, BYU! I tapped her on the shoulder and she was so happy to see someone from BYU.  We waited around for any other girls for a bit and then decided that we should just catch a ride to the centre. We looked at cab tickets, way expensive...around 40 bucks a person...so we decided to take the underground tube for 4 dollars. Keep in mind I have two 50 pound suitcases, a large camera, and a backpack...9 flights of stairs and 7 blocks later, we arrive at the London Centre! All of the professors fly outside and great us, seeing them was such a comfort!!! They had cookies laid out on the table with glasses of water and ice melting in them. My friend I traveled to the centre with got placed on floor 3 and I got placed on floor 4.  Oddly enough, floor 4 is on the 7th floor...here I go again with two 50 pound suit cases. I make it up and there's one bed left, the bottom bunk, the one I wanted! I have my own corner, there are 12 other girls in my room, 3 showers, 3 toilets on the lower level floor, and we each get an outlet to ourselves under our beds. There are no outlets in the shower room but there is one in the hallway...that's where we blow our hair dry, one at a time, so I wake up before the other girls. I got put on kitchen duty so I wake up an hour ahead of the girls and meet 5 other kitchen duty girls before each meal, I help set everything up for around 50 people, and then clean up the dishes after. The London Centre is amazing and gorgeous. I love all of the girls and now have 39 new best friends! 

The first day I unpacked my things into my locker and put on the sheets that don't necessarily fit my bed.  I opened the windows because they don't run the a/c, it was so nice outside that day.  I washed my face and showered, the showers are just clear glass so you have to pinch the towel in the door jam to cover the front of the shower.  The water is soft water and so the soap never really feels like it comes off your body no matter how intensely you scrub ha ha.  Maybe having more shower pressure would help, the water definitely takes its time making its way out of the faucet head!  It really takes talent but I am a pro now! 

That same day we walked around our area, which is Palace Court, k gardends, hyde park, and lots of fun streets.  

You'd think with 12 girls talking it would be an issue when you try to get some sleep. Not at all, luckily the girls my age LOVE sleep just as much as me! No when it comes to not getting enough sleep I blame it on my mouse friend.  I have a mouse that sits on my shelf by my bed every night, I always catch him with the light on my cell screen.  I flash my phone up there when it's dark and everyones asleep, there he sits. 

This past Sunday I got assigned to hyde park ward, on the way there my church shoes wore such bad blisters on the backs of my heels until the blood started filling the bottoms of my shoes. I ended up walking the rest of the way barefoot, to my meetings and for the walk back. Not going to wear those again! The hurt spots are now clearing up and things are a lot better with the feet situation. Quite the experience.  I get my calling this week, I am going to be in the Lee something ward and there are a lot of young women there, maybe I'll get to teach them?!

We go on "London walks", it's part of a course we have to take here along with our core classes, and they map out where we are supposed to tour and tell us a little about everything. (It's a book we follow while we walk around) Seeing everything in London is impossible. There is so much everywhere and there is always something unique about whatever it is that you're looking at.  London's the most amazing place I have ever seen, I love it here.  

One thing to look out for, they drive on the wrong side of the road. You would think that I would get used to looking for the cars to come at me...but no. I still don't have the road rules down pat, all of us girls here are constantly getting honked at, oops.  

Today was our first day of actual classes, we have one classroom, it's pretty much the coolest room in the whole place.  The doors on the 2nd floor take up the whole front of the building and they all open into the classroom! The weather is always nice outside and the sun rises through the doors, it literally is hard to focus on the teacher because of how amazing it is just sitting in that room.  On the other side of the room through the other set of doors, there's a garden on the 2nd level of the porch....the students can't go out there but I can see it from where I sit and it is so nice to see. 

My bunk is by the doors on the back of our place, the fire escape is right outside, the coolest thing. I have my own corner which is nice because I get a little privacy but the room is still pretty open. I just finished eating some leftovers for lunch in the kitchen from dinner last night. 

Overall, I love the london centre and I literally am having the time of my life :)