Finding the HPU Family Abroad: Senior Joel

his past spring, I participated in the HPU London Semester study-abroad program and it proved to be the most unique learning experience I have encountered. Initially, I struggled with leaving my friends and family back home. I had not anticipated the difficulty of uprooting myself from the strong, supportive community at Howard Payne, and the first two weeks in London proved very trying. My outlook on the semester slowly began to change when a familiar HPU quality, family atmosphere, took hold. Once I took the time to form meaningful relationships with other students in the program from HPU, HardinSimmons University and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and plug into the unique community, the nature of my semester abroad changed entirely.

I discovered the difference between experiencing a city as a tourist and as a resident. Experiences such as early morning conversations over a hot cup of Earl Gray tea in a frigid flat, dodging the

I ARRIVED IN LONDON INTIMIDATED BY

A LARGE GROUP OF STRANGERS,

BUT I LEFT WITH A NEW FAMILY.

cold London rain by ducking into coffee shops with new friends, conversing with locals on long walks through snow-dusted Hyde Park and struggling to navigate the intricate maze of London’s transport system truly teach you about the soul of a city. Strung together to form an entire semester of reflection and growth, such simple moments of normal day-to-day activities resulted in friendships that will last a lifetime. I arrived in London intimidated by a large group of strangers, but I left with a new family. I understood that the same university setting I was nervous to leave for a semester had actually come with me in spirit to London. The opportunities granted to live as residents in a foreign city facilitated our group’s growth as travelers, students and friends.

With my senior year at HPU now underway, I appreciate how the London semester abroad equipped me for whatever goals I pursue beyond Howard Payne. I learned how to respectfully interact with people from different cultures and backgrounds, gained wisdom from consistently stepping outside of my comfort zone and learned how to adapt to my changing surroundings.

Participating in study-abroad with HPU helped bring

history and culture to life by allowing me to engage the two with all of my senses. Instead of reading about the world in a textbook, I experienced it firsthand. I didn’t just learn about other people’s stories – I took part in them myself. For instance, I learned more about British history while gazing upon buildings still bearing the scars from Nazi bombs; I witnessed England’s colonial legacy through the rich diversity characterized in London’s streets; and I found a greater appreciation for my own culture while exploring its origins in the ruins of the Roman Forum.

Most importantly, my study-abroad experience taught me that God is not defined by circumstances or geography. From the steel of the city to the stillness of the mountains, we can rejoice in the colors, aromas and sounds that characterize the manifold richness of His creation. God then offers me the chance to serve Him all over the world in the assurance that such differences and diversity in creation never detract from His constant, loving presence.

The London Semester taught me that meaningful education is more about personal interaction than memorization and gave me multiple opportunities to challenge my preconceived notions of the world and its people.