Sightseeing

Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Today is our sightseeing day in the United Kingdom.  Witek has taken the time to research and plan a day that will give us a glimpse into the history of England by taking us to a very old Roman site and then into the city of Lichfield, a city that exemplifies an English town.  The weather is overcast but the sun peaks out frequently; we pile into our vehicles and head out for a day of walking and learning.

Wall is a small village and parish in Staffordshire, England, just south of Lichfield.  It lies on the site of the Roman settlement of Letocetum, an ancient Roman settlement and military post. Directly behind the settlement ruins is St John's church, built in the 19th century.   

After exploring the Roman settlement, we walked up to the church to explore.  We sang a hymn before leaving the church and village.  The view from the ruins gave us a glimpse of the

English countryside of rolling hills and trees. 

Our next stop was Lichfield, an English city built around a medieval cathedral.  We had time to walk through the city center and stop for lunch before walking up to the cathedral for our tour. We spent the afternoon climbing stairs, walking along parapets, and hearing about the history of the cathedral over the centuries. The view from the top enabled us to see for miles and miles. We even had a chance at the end of our tours to hear the choir rehearsing for a few minutes.  I think we were all enthralled with the architectural beauty as well as the preservation efforts over the years that make this cathedral unique. Knowing that it is still a place of worship under an active diocese brought its past into the present.

We walked down to the city center again after our tours and Vitek had a surprise for Stephen.  Along the riverside and a side street is a corner called Speaker’s Corner.  Vitek asked his pastor to say a few words, and Stephen took out his Bible and presented the gospel message to all who would listen and hear.  It was the highlight of the day for our group since this is what we have come to England to do.  We sang the doxology following his message and then walked down to the market square.

We had some free time to shop before everything closed.  Then we were off to our dinner at the Hedgehog, a pub and inn on the outskirts of Lichfield.  Vitek gave us forms before leaving the States to fill out for our restaurant experiences so it was fairly easy to sit down and order even though we were a large group.  It was a long day and a late night but we are thankful for the time to spend together.

The scheduled times of sharing meals and fellowshipping with one another have been a sweet blessing to all of us.  We are seeing our group grow close to the Solihull group by spending time with each other and sharing meals together.  We know we are making connections that will be remembered and built upon in the future.