This is Steve. Steve has been our driver since our arrival in England and he has quickly become a beloved member of our group! He gets us to where we need to be. He is a wealth of information. He eats breakfasts and dinners with us. He seems to genuinely enjoy getting to know the students. We love Steve! Tomorrow is our last day with him and his company must give him a day off. Already the students are sad about that!
We departed from Oxford this morning and arrived in Stratford-upon-Avon at 11:30 am. We enjoyed strolling about the city freely for several hours before meeting our tour guide in the afternoon. There was time for lunch and shopping and resting by the beautiful river and gardens! Our first tour was through the birth home of William Shakespeare built in 1540. We learned a great deal about his family, his upbringing and his work as an author. Many of the artifacts in the home are not original, but we were all amazed to actually walk on the home's original stone floor as Shakespeare did! The whole experience was very educational and most enjoyable!
Our guide walked us through the city pointing out other sites of interest such as the King Edward VI School where Shakespeare attended grammar school, the guild chapel built in 1269, other homes owned by family members and Trinity Church. This photo is the chancel of the church and the site of Shakespeare's grave. He was baptized here April 23, 1564 and buried here April 23, 1616.
As you can see, the day was extremely inspirational. All the world is a stage....
As we boarded the bus at the end of the day, Steve had a gift for the birthday boy...a miniature fruitcake that read, "happy birthday!" The group sung happy, happy birthday to Stone all day long. What a joy it is for the adults on this trip to see the bond these students share!
Our day ended with a group dinner at our hotel in Coventry where Mr. Naldony engaged the students in conversation about the day and our experiences thus far. 
Another full and amazing day draws to a close. The kids are excited to see Warwick Castle tomorrow. We've been grateful for beautiful blue skies, good health and your upholding prayers! Good night from England.
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