At the beginning of the week the Taize church services felt a little unusual and in some ways unnerving. However, as the week progressed the time spent in the church allowed a sense of renewal as we reflected upon daily life and felt more comforted by the silence. The hymns repeated in sequence help us take away a sense of peace which we will be able to remember when repeated elsewhere.

Taize church services have a freeing atmosphere as you forget the everyday issues of modern life. Overall the general vibe has a tranquility that draws you closer to faith.

During the build-up to Taize, I was worried about the religious aspect of the church services. Until after a couple of days it opened my eyes to a new perspective of Christianity unseen before. It has helped me question and consider looking further into Christianity.

From a Christian perspective, the presence of God is imminent as you enter the church. The awe of God’s grace is surrounding you through the acts of kindness of others. It helps you look deeper into the mannerisms of Christ and how he affects everyone individually.

People from across the globe gather in Taize through the power of Christ. Through this, we have met many new faces with life stories we will never forget. It’s all fun and games meeting new people but pronouncing their names can be a struggle; therefore meet our new friends “Ladida” and “Shrimp”!! They are Dutch but also speak their native language Friesian - we have learnt so many new cultural differences and languages.

We are thankful for our new friendships.

As we now prepare to leave and return to the UK we take with us the memories and a hunger to explore the stories of Christ and what it means to be Christian. We will take with us a sense of renewal as we return to our normal lives that will be influenced by the Taize way of living.‍