Youth Pilgrimage

The first leg of our journey was for the European contingent to make there separate way to the Quaker International centre in London, here we played games, got to see old friends and meet new people. People come from Scotland, England, Wales, and Germany. We excitedly prepared ourselves for the impending seven hour flight to Baltimore the next day.

Arrival

The flight went with little hiccup, and having been awake for 22 hours, we arrived into the steaming heat of Baltimore, pleasantly enjoying such delights as being called a limey, having a "great" accent, coping with things such as 110 degree days, and driving on the other side of the road. That night we stayed with American friends, and were treated to real American barbecues, and tours of the beautiful city. In Baltimore we got used to the differences that America has compared with the rest of the world, this includes building things twice as big, eating twice as much, and thinking we had arrived from a different planet. We met up with the North American pilgrims who came from the United States and Canada. After learning new names and playing more name games, we moved on to our next stop, our next state and our next meeting. This time away from Maryland and south to Virginia. To get there however we had to drive across one of the largest suspension bridges in the world, spanning 17 miles across part of Chesapeake bay Once we had arrived at Virginia Beach meeting we invented new ways to keep clean with a hosepipe, swam with dolphins, surfed on the long white Virginia beach, met poisonous snakes, and did work projects collecting litter and working in charity shops. It was here that we all got very pink due to the baking sun.

The School of the Americas

It was here we learnt about the yearly protests against the School of the Americas, which is a school run by the US government that teaches its own people and other governments how to control there people by use of torture and interrogation techniques, something Quakers in America are very against. We also met an exceedingly rich Quaker who let us have the run of his pool house, his pool and his hot tub, his music collection, his snooker table and his giant trampoline, he provided us with an unseemingly exhaustible amount of food, to which we are most grateful. We then continued further south, into North Carolina and experienced our first Programmed meeting, this meeting had crosses on the wall, a pastor, a raised platform for the pastor to sit, pictures of Christ on the wall, and pews arranged in the fashion of a church. We were introduced to the "Church" by the paid pastor and were given a talk, about how exactly it differs, and how Bible orientated the Church was, something prompted by our heavy questioning. The general feeling amongst the group was one of discomfort and of alienisation. Our view of what Quakerism is was suddenly thrown upside down, and it was not what Fox started that was here.

"Conservative" meeting

We then moved on to a "conservative" meeting in Woodland, this is a meeting that is more like the British friends, the pews arranged to face each other, and a simpler building. We stayed in a large wooden fronted house, owned by a Quaker who was planning to turn it into a Quaker retreat centre. Here we had a talk from a very interesting man who explained his spiritual journey, this meant he only wore shirts, trousers, and braces, mainly block or white. He explained how he still wore a wide brimmed Quaker hat, and how he had grown a "believers" beard, this was to show the world about his faith, and also to remind himself of what he is on this earth to do, he was a very inspirational, and a thought provoking man, and mode us think about whether we live out the "simplicity" testimony to the full extent. We then went to the biggest meeting house I have ever seen in my life-it included a private gym for it's members, three basketball courts, 3 buildings, containing a meeting house capable of seating hundreds, three pianos, and tens of rooms-it was simply huge, we were met by part of the youth clubs it runs, and song songs, and introduced ourselves.

From here we spent a day in an Army Base in Fayette, and we were all I disgusted by the glorification of war that we saw there. We spent time in a Quaker charity that helped American servicemen escape the services, this was one of the best days, as it confirmed our fears of the way Americans see war and conflict. We then moved onto stay at Guilford collage, a Quaker University. Here we slept, went to see a play about the underground railroad freeing slaves and what the Quakers had to do with this movement. It was also during this time that one of our leaders, Kevin Pim was hit by a car, and this put him out of action for the rest of the pilgrimage, we went to see him in hospital, and he tried to convince us he felt no pain, all the while pumping his morphine trigger. After 6 days spent here, we climbed back aboard our well traveled bus, end continued south, to Quaker Lake Camp.

Quaker Lake camp

This is an American Summer Camp owned by North Carolina Yearly Meeting. It was full of "authentic log cabins" and lots of 11 year old young Quakers. Here we went swimming, got absolutely covered in the brown stein that we also used to cover the buildings with, and got a taste of what American children have been doing for years. We also toasted marshmallows, taught the children European games, discovered the delights of diving boards, end had lengthy discussions about Christ, God, and the universe. After emotional goodbyes to Quaker lake we left, and headed for the mountains, to an Quaker community at a place called Celo. Here we stayed in the Arthur Morgan school, founded by a Quaker, it only has 28 children. That night we slept in three sided shelters in the forest, preparing ourselves for tomorrows excursion, the infamous hike. The hike the next day consisted of climbing up a mountain ridge, then down the other side, the up a bit, end back. However a few major things stood in our way. There were the three thunderstorms that decided to follow us as we walked. The altitude that effected people, the driving rain, and the height we had to climb, meant that only about half the people that set out, decided to walk back. From here we traveled to a very evangelistically orientated meeting, more into the bible belt, although we felt uncomfortable in there meeting, we felt very much welcomed by their kindness. From here we went blueberry picking, ate deep fried, and chocolate chip pizza, and found out just how big American steaks can be. The next day was spent traveling all the way further north than we started, to Washington, the total trip taking about 7 hours.

Washington DC

We checked into the William Penn hostel, a place for Quakers to stay when lobbying parliament, or just visiting. In Washington we become tourists eagerly looking out for sites such as the Washington Monument end the White House. We also went to the Holocaust museum, which was sickening, we saw the trucks used to transport the people to concentration camps, end the flag that once decorated Adolph Hitler's Home. We then went to Sandy Springs, just outside Washington, for the final retreat, here we ate a large final meal, were cooked English breakfasts by Americans, and in the space of two days come to terms with out farewells. Here the American pilgrims left in the morning, and in the evening the European contingent got the flight to England.

Back in the UK

Back in Heathrow 20 Young Quakers stood crying in a huddle, and the on looking parents realised what a challenging and fantastic event their changed offspring had returned from. The pilgrimage questioned everything I've ever believed in, I made the best friends I have ever met, and have come back with a wider sense of Quakerism, myself, other people and the big blue planet I live on.

Thank you.