33: Transatlantic Journeys: A Tale of Love, Faith and Tex-Mex
Today’s Guest: Anna Grace Farrington
Here’s a summary of this week’s story:
Anna Grace talks about how she found faith.
Anna Grace discusses the challenges she faced, including long-distance relationship struggles, cultural differences and language barriers.
Anna Grace shares how the challenges led her to deepen her faith and trust in God.
Anna Grace concludes by expressing her gratitude for her journey and the lessons she has learned, encouraging others to trust in God during their own challenges.
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Sadaf: [00:00:00] Hey there, and welcome to What's the Story. We're an inquisitive bunch of hosts from the What's the Story team on a mission to uncover stories about faith and courage from everyday people. In doing that, we get the privilege of chatting with amazing guests and have the opportunity to delve into their faith journey, the hurdles they've overcome, and the life lessons they have learned along the way.
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Crowd Church provides a digital sanctuary, a safe space to explore the Christian faith where you can engage in meaningful conversations rather than just simply spectating. So whether you're new to the Christian faith or in search of a new church family, visit crowd. church. And if you have any questions at all, [00:01:00] just drop them an email, hello at crowd.
church. They would love to connect with you. And now let's meet your host and our special guest for today. So welcome to what's the story. I am sat here chatting with the beautiful, the amazing Anna Grace. Anna Grace, Kennedy, Farrington, however many names you want to put on.
Matt: Now, it's fair to say we've known each other a fair few years. Yeah. How long?
Anna Grace: I met, I met you when I first came to Liverpool, so that would be 2017.
Matt: 2017, so you've been in Liverpool six years. Mm hmm. So, for those that don't know, whenever, if you, um, if you watch Crowd, if you're a regular to Crowd, you will have heard us in the past talk about Jag.
Oh, yeah. Uh, mainly because it's a [00:02:00] Jeremy Clarkson takeoff, but because, um, you and your husband, John, John and Anna Grace, hence Jag, uh, have done a lot of the worship songs. So we have heard from you in the past. You've done some of the talks in the past, you've done, but you're, you're probably one of the most regular people on crowd, you and John,
which is quite funny. Uh, and so the reason we're doing this conversation is because, um, Um, it was all very last minute, wasn't it? This is definitely not planned. This is the most spontaneous conversation I've had on what's the story. But I've washed my hair. I've done my makeup. I know I should have done mine.
Um, but we were just having lunch because this is your last day, isn't it? In the office. You work with us here. Yeah. And it's your last day before you. Fly off to back to North Carolina. We're gonna get into that a little bit. And so I was like, well, let's do a What's the story for you going you were very game and said, yeah, sure.
Let's do it. So thank you for doing this Of course, of course, I had no [00:03:00] option
Is that what it would have taken years ago? Memo to self, if you need Anna Grace to do anything, just buy lunch. Yeah, food. Uh, food. You know what, Zoe is exactly the same way, my daughter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you want, if you want something, you just say to Zoe, Uh, whilst we're there, if we're going to go do something, whilst we're there, or whatever it is I need her to do, there will be food.
She's like, I'm there. It works. Yeah? Does it work with you as well? Yeah,
Anna Grace: definitely. The stuff of treats. Treats, always, yeah, I
Matt: love treats. Treats, treats are the way to the woman's heart, right? Mmm, yeah. Yeah, yeah, okay, fair play, fair play. So you are heading back to North Carolina. So let's just run through the story super quick.
Okay. How are you in Liverpool?
Anna Grace: I'm in Liverpool because of my husband, John. Mm hmm. I met him in Germany on a gap year. And I thought, I really like him. So I followed him back to England. That's basically what I did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so I was in Oxford for a year. Yeah. And then moved up to Liverpool once we got [00:04:00] engaged.
Matt: Very good. And it was a YWAM thing, wasn't It was a YWAM thing. Excellent. Why Germany? Why did you choose to do YWAM in Germany? I had a
Anna Grace: friend who had done YWAM in Florida and she knew of a base that was starting up in Germany and thought I'd really like it and I thought, sounds fun, so just applied.
Matt: So I thought, why not?
Why not? Let's have a go. Yeah. See what happens. Yeah. What have we got to lose? Yeah, nothing. Seems you gained a lot gained a lot. Gained the husband. So, that year in Germany was, John was also doing YWAM in Germany that year and that's where you both met, right? Yeah. And so, um, you then follow him back to the UK.
Are you guys dating at this point or are you just like stalking him?
Anna Grace: No, no, no. So we, cause you're not allowed to date on YWAM. Right. So we had a conversation before we left for our outreaches to say I like you you like me when we graduate school Let's date. Mm hmm. And so from like March 2016 [00:05:00] we started dating
Matt: Okay, very enough.
And for those that might not know what YWAM is, listening to the podcast, let's not make any assumptions, just explain what YWAM is.
Anna Grace: YWAM, it stands for Youth With A Mission, or Young Women After Men. Um, and it's basically just a gap year program to get people excited about Jesus and going into the nations and stuff.
So it's
Matt: a mission thing, isn't it really? Yeah. And so, yeah, when you're... At that sort of age, 16, 17, 18, I don't know if there's a minimum age actually for 18, I don't know, um, but there's a lot of people do the YWAM gap years all over the world,
Anna Grace: don't they? Yeah, my schools like range from 16 to 40, in age. So it's quite an
Matt: eclectic bunch.
Yeah, yeah. Youth with a mission and slightly middle aging people with a mission. That's true. It doesn't fit quite as well with the acronyms. I didn't think about that. Well, youth is just a number, isn't it? I suppose it's how you feel. So, [00:06:00] that was in 2016. You were obviously a Christian at this point. Yep.
So how did you find faith? What was that? Were you, did you come out of the womb a Christian or was there a journey
Anna Grace: for you? Um, so I've grown up as a pastor's kid. PK. Yeah, PK. Um, I have lovely parents. And so they, from the beginning, um, have always instilled in me the gospel message. Taught it to me, taught it to my siblings.
And so I think from a very young age I always knew that Jesus was with me. Mm hmm. And so I remember being... Uh, a summer camp that my dad would preach at in Arkansas. Arkansas? Yeah. And so I remember, I think I was about six, walking with my dad and he was explaining what the baptisms in the river meant.
And then I said, Oh, I, I want Jesus. And so we sat down under a tree and we prayed together. And then I was baptized at six years old in the river.
Matt: Oh wow. Yeah. Fantastic.
Anna Grace: Yeah. And so, yeah, I remember after I was baptized, I wanted to swim in the river while my dad was continuing the baptisms and he [00:07:00] was like, no, you can't do that.
So,
Matt: but yeah. But I've been in dad. I've already got wet. Why can't I not carry on?
Anna Grace: Yeah. And so I think like, because I was so young, um, it was a very childlike, um, experience. Faith. Yeah. Um, and so I think the foundations that my parents laid for me really prepared me well, um, and definitely feel like I went through seasons of taking ownership of my faith and not just inheriting it and understanding different, different characteristics of God and what that meant for my life and what that meant for my family and friends and all of that.
But yeah.
Matt: Fantastic. So have you, have you always, Then had a faith? Yeah. You never, never done that sort of wandering thing that some people do? No. I've always, I've
Anna Grace: had questions, but I've never left.
Matt: Okay. That's really interesting. So what made you decide then to do YWAM?
Anna Grace: I didn't know if I wanted to do university.
And so I remember [00:08:00] feeling quite out of place when we'd have like the uni conversations in high school and didn't really feel like there was one for me. And then the, I think I was also homeschooled 15. So I'd always done things a little bit differently. Um, and then I remember the opportunity just came up.
And I was like, yeah, this is, just felt a lot of peace about it and a lot of excitement. Yeah. Um, just decided to go for it.
Matt: Fantastic. Yeah. And did you think when you went, I'm going to meet a fella? No,
Anna Grace: well. That was the one rule my dad gave me when I went was to not fall in love. Really? Yeah. That's what your dad said?
Yeah, because he knew what, because to me and my older sister, because we've both done lots of like traveling and adventures, so from my sister he was like, you know, Be safe don't do anything too adventurous or you know stupid and then for me. It's like just don't fall in love and So that that was my one rule and I fell in [00:09:00] love I bumped into John on my first day, and I remember looking at my friend and being like I'm gonna be in trouble
Matt: So what was that call like with your dad um
Anna Grace: Yeah, I feel like they kind of knew they actually were great.
I remember him just kind of being like, all right, even though I'm not with you, I'm watching you. Okay. And, uh, he made John FaceTime him to ask his permission while we were in Germany. That went well. Yeah. Yeah. They loved John. Yeah, I mean, how could you? Yeah, almost like more than me sometimes. He like, he cleans up after himself more than I do.
Yeah, so he's, he's
Matt: great. I've got a, I've, you know, I've had that with my mum that actually I'm convinced since I've got married that mum Much prefers, and quite rightly so, uh, I think Sharon to me in a lot of ways. Yeah. And you feel like slightly pushed out, don't you, by your spouse? Uh, which is quite funny, uh, where your parents are concerned.
So what was it like growing up as a PK? [00:10:00] Were you, did you feel like that was a pressured environment, like you had to conform to something or was that, was that all, you didn't even notice
Anna Grace: that? Yeah, I think I, I think I enjoyed it. I don't remember. Um, not enjoying it growing up. I think there's definitely things that are hard.
I think it's hard when people think that they know you mm-hmm. , um, when they don't know you that well. Mm-hmm. . Um, but I mean, I, yeah, I've had, I've had a pretty good experience. Um, I've, being a pk pk I think I've always known. I think one thing that's helped is my dad's always said that we're his first priority.
Yeah. And so I always knew that we. I came before church and I think because of that, um, it helped me feel protected.
Matt: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So you, you do what your dad tells you not to do, you fall in love, uh, and you come over to the UK, um, you get engaged, you move up to Liverpool, [00:11:00] um, you get married, uh, and you've been living here since, how have you found it living?
I appreciate England is, is not necessarily a foreign country, but it is a foreign country, isn't it? It is different. It is very different. Um, have you found that, because you've got a young daughter, Eden, beautiful, beautiful young girl. Um, have you found it living away from home? Very difficult.
Anna Grace: Mm. Um, I think I didn't find it as difficult until I had Eden.
Right. Um, and I think that's when kind of my perspective shifted, because then my priorities shifted. Mm. Um, But I'm very close to my in laws and John's family and so I've always, yeah, had a good support system around and made loads of friends like family and, um, But it's still hard because, I think one thing that's difficult is, even though I'm American and I speak English and I can kind of blend, I can kind of blend in, um, I say that in my like collegiate jumper, but um, [00:12:00] Carolina, yeah, but uh, but I think there's still this kind of expectation that I like, I'm not supposed to be homesick, I think I've struggled with people kind of expecting me to kind of get over it just because my culture's not as different to here.
Yeah. Um, and so that's been difficult. I can feel pretty misunderstood sometimes. Um, but, um, yeah, so that's, that's been difficult, but at the same time I felt very embraced, but I think for anybody who's not living in their home country, there's kind of, it's always going to be difficult and you're always going to be longing or grieving for something.
Um, just that familiarity. Um, Even if you're not consciously aware of it, I think, whenever I go back to the States to visit, I can feel my body rest in a way that it doesn't when it's here.
Matt: Yeah, yeah, I get that. I mean, I lived in, um, I lived in the States for a couple of years. It was me, it was the other way around.
Um, [00:13:00] and I, I remember coming, the first time I came back after being away for a while, there was just something quite, I, I knew that I'd come home. Do you know what I mean? And it was, and I knew because I had that ability to come back and be home, it meant actually the rest of the trip was... For the rest of the time, I was over there, it was easier.
Yeah. But there are those times when you miss things. Like I just, I usually say, Oh, I just fancy a double decker. Now, this was pre, pre internet really when I was living in the States, so I couldn't just go onto a store and order do you know what I mean and it was, it was just all those little things that you took for granted that when you're away, you come out, Oh, I just, I can't do that now.
Yeah. So what, what's been the things that you've missed the most. I'm just going to move that close to
Anna Grace: your mouth. Uh, besides Chick fil A chicken biscuits. Um, and besides people and my siblings. I think just like food, food's a big one. I think open spaces. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it just, you just have so [00:14:00] much more space.
I've really missed that. Um. Tex Mex. Tex Mex. Honestly, Mexican food here is so bad. It's so bad. And if you know, you know. If you, you do. You
Matt: do. Yeah. Yeah, you do. And I, I mean, I've had Mexican food here and I've had Mexican food in the States and I totally get what that means. I know. Yeah. Especially in Dallas, you know, where, um, when I go over to Texas, cause it's so close to the Mexican border.
Yeah. Holy moly. Yeah. That's some good food. Yeah.
Anna Grace: Yeah. And so my sister, cause I spent 15 years in Houston before moving to North Carolina. And so like That's all we ate whenever you went out to eat is you just go get Tex-Mex. Yeah. And then my sister's married a really talented cook and he's Mexican. Oh, fantastic.
And so we just get Danielle to cook for us all the time. .
Matt: Yeah. So like let's go stay with our sister for a little
Anna Grace: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Let's get some good food. We love
Matt: Danielle. That's fantastic. So you are, um, why are you moving back to the States?
Anna Grace: I. Um, I [00:15:00] miss my family and I think I'm ready for a season with, with them and I've missed a lot of big moments and I think I'm just ready to, to share moments with them and um, I think also my, my health's not been great the past few years and so I think going back home kind of feels like a, a season of like healing and yeah, um, for my body, um,
Matt: rest and recuperation.
Yeah. And sunshine.
Anna Grace: And sunshine, which is great medicine.
Matt: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Yeah. It's like Superman. Yeah. Needs sunshine, right? Yeah. The same way. So if I can ask you this question, then you talked about your health. Um, you've, you've grown up in, uh, you know, in, in the States, you've great family, beautiful family.
Your family is amazing. But what's been some of the tough things that you've had to face? Has it been health related or have there been other things as well? Yeah, so I think...
Anna Grace: The biggest things would probably be when I, when John and I chose to commit to each other, we chose to have an [00:16:00] international like relationship.
And so that meant visas. And so I think that's been difficult because every time we've done an application, there's been something standing in the way. And like, Last minute God comes through with the solution when it just looks like it's just, it's totally one of those things where it's like, we don't trust in man.
We trust in God because there's just been no way that some of our applications should have been approved. Um, so I think doing that right off the bat, um, Um, because John had to defer his degree at university to work seven days a week to get my visa. So that's kind of how we started out six
Matt: because there was like a minimum level of income wasn't there?
Yeah.
Anna Grace: It's quite complicated. And I wasn't allowed to work. So I was on a volunteer visa at the time. And so, yeah, so all those things, um, add a lot of stress into your life. Um, and then, you know. Because we've had to do that every few years, um, and then we got pregnant six months into being married, which wasn't planned, but it was a very, it was a [00:17:00] welcome surprise.
Matt: Happy accident, I think we like to call it in
Anna Grace: Christian circles. Yeah, yeah. Um, yeah, so I think that, you know, was another layer, but I mean, that was an absolute gift. Um, and I think without Eden, life would be a lot more dull.
Matt: It would be a lot more dull.
Anna Grace: Yeah. And so. Yeah, so I think visas and I think my health, I think that's just really, there's just been a lot of things I think that I felt out of my control the past few years and so that's been really difficult to wait when a lot of the decisions are in other people's hands.
Matt: Yeah. Yeah. Are you a naturally patient person? No.
So this is, this is why then, um, It was hard, I suppose, when, when things are in other people's hands. Are you, are you one of these people that was just like, what can I do to make this go along quicker? And I need to do something constantly.
Anna Grace: Yeah. I think I just, I can make my mind up very quickly. And so yeah, having to, it's like if [00:18:00] my decision's made up and I have to wait for somebody else to make my decision happen, it's maddening.
Matt: Yeah. Sorry, I shouldn't laugh. I, I, I just remember. Yes. Very clear. So the. The, the challenges then with the visa, the challenges with, um, dealing with that whole side of things. What was some of the things that you learned in that? Because you're, you're not naturally a patient person. There's a mixture of emotions I'm imagining going on.
There's um, the stress in the marriage, but at the same time, there's God in the equation. So what did you learn in that? Um,
Anna Grace: I think. Um, probably one thing I would always say to John in the midst of like things feeling like chaos, you know, like, Oh, we're going to have to split up and I'm going to have to go to the States with Eden and wait for you or, you know, my health wasn't looking great and I needed [00:19:00] emergency surgeries.
And so you're trying to figure out how to do all that in the midst of all of that chaos. Like I still felt a lot of peace. Knowing that in the end, it's going to, like, I'm going to be fine. Yeah. Um, and I think that was just because going back to, you know, whenever I was six and just knowing that Jesus has always been with me and then in such an undeniable way, um, that I knew I could face it and, um, and he was with me in my pain and my struggle and.
Um, just kind of, yeah, I think there's just like an undeniable peace. Yeah. Yeah. And then also just seeing his church in a very tangible way, um, and just feeling very held by community and just watching people kind of like love on us and, and do things for us practically and, and whatnot has just, it's just shown like his very intentional ways of, of loving and caring for his
Matt: kids.
So, uh, so you, I [00:20:00] mean, I, I've seen you go through a lot of the. The visa stuff. And there was conversations and it's, it's, you're a young married couple now with your very young baby. And visas are in man's, I think the way you described it with man, it was not gonna be possible where you kind of looking at this going, naturally this is not going to happen.
Does that mean that we as a family unit are going to have to split up? We're going to have to live in two. Parts of the world, why this gets resolved, which is, let's just face it, we're speaking, we're not exactly close. I mean, it's a plane ride, but it's still a plane ride at the end of the day. What was the, what was that stress like on you guys early in your marriage?
Anna Grace: Um, it,
I think we coped very well. I mean, I think it just kind of, as you're learning and getting to know each other. Um, it just forces you to communicate, um, and articulate how you're feeling [00:21:00] and how the other person can support you. Um, and so I think we had to learn very early on that like, unless we're talking and okay, that the other person might say something that you, you don't want to hear or that might make you upset, get over it because we have to talk and know how this is affecting each other.
Matt: It's such a, it takes a couple of years to learn this and some people, they don't even learn it. And I suppose that's. That's in essence, you know, because you've gone through, you can, there's this phrase I like to use a lot at the moment, it's my in phrase, I can grow through what I'm going through, right?
And I think it sounds like that's what you did, that as you were going through this. Very stressful time with the visas for the young family, you, you grow through it and you can grow in your marriage. So you're communicating and chatting and talking, which was great. How you talked about the church and how it sort of practically got involved.
What was that like?
Anna Grace: Well, it looks like, you know, people cooking for us people, even just like [00:22:00] Distracting us by like doing fun things. Um, I mean, it was all, I think like our most stressful year was during COVID. Um, so there wasn't too much that we could do with, with other people, but, um, just like people checking in people practically providing and helping us people, um, uh, praying for us.
Um, yeah, just all of it combined. Cause I, I am. Um, I needed a surgery that was taking quite a long time here in the UK. And then...
Matt: Welcome to the NHS. Yeah. God love it. Yeah.
Anna Grace: Um, and then had, uh, a friend in the States that my parents talked to who's our gynecologist in Texas. And she just said, Oh yeah, uh, I'll, I'll do it.
I'll do it like this week if you want me to. And so just, we had people like that just really loving and caring for us and, um, doing whatever they could really to. To support us.
Matt: Yeah, totally. And that was all amazing in its own [00:23:00] right, wasn't it? Because I mean, the NHS, I mean, it's a beautiful organization, but it was struggling after COVID.
Yeah, it's still struggling a little bit now, but a lot now, isn't it? But, um, and so surgeries weren't getting done in time. Yeah. And I remember you being quite concerned about your health and your dad. doing what dads do. Right. I'm going to solve this problem. You are flying back home. We have this doctor, uh, which was, um, which was great.
And obviously, I mean, how's your health now?
Anna Grace: Finding answers. Yeah. So I think I'm still like still on a journey, but I think a lot of the things I can, uh, resolve, um, yeah, still not a hundred percent, but looking forward to.
Matt: Looking forward to getting back up there, yeah, fair play. So you're, you're, you're sort of on this, this, uh, the turning of a new chapter, aren't you? In the book, the page is about to turn [00:24:00] in a couple of days, you get in on a plane, you're going back to the States, you, John and Eden are going to start your life over there.
Um, so looking back on your time, you know, from moving away from home. Um, getting engaged, getting married, becoming a mum, uh, you know, your early 20s is sort of really interesting, very formative part of life. A lot happens in a very short space of time, I think in that part of your life, looking at where you are now, what would you say to yourself if you could go back and have a conversation with that young girl that's going to get on a plane and fly to Germany?
What would you, what would your advice be? Man,
Anna Grace: there's a lot I'd like to say to her, but, uh, I think ultimately I'd say following Jesus comes at a cost, um, don't underestimate it, um, but with that [00:25:00] comes like indescribable peace and joy and safety, um, yeah, it's the. It's the most steady foundation you could ever stand on And I yeah, I just I really don't know how I would have coped With everything that I've gone through from getting on that plane to Germany till now if I didn't have his his peace, yeah and Knowing him as a father provider and a friend.
Yeah
Matt: And knowing I guess in some respects that you're doing what he's called you to do, right? I think that's ultimately there Life's not working out as I think it should, but at least I know that I'm doing what I think God's told me to do. And I think there's quite a lot of peace involved in that. When you say that following Jesus comes at a cost and don't underestimate it, is that what you did?
What do you, as in like? This was the advice that you said that you were going to give to yourself. Yeah, yeah.
Anna Grace: Like, is that, yeah, I think, because it's not easy. Yeah. [00:26:00] There's, Yeah, it's just not easy and I think it calls you to behave differently to how you feel like you, your, your human flesh wants you to behave.
Um, and it doesn't like, it doesn't mean that there's no acknowledgement of our humanness or no grace for that, but it just, I have to, yeah, it just kind of not. It's just an element of trust of like, yeah, my way is not the best way.
Matt: Yeah That's a very good way of putting it. My way is not the best way and I think this is the wrestle that we We face throughout most of our lives to be fair.
I want to do this. No, no, no I think you should do this. Yes, but Lord known and it's that conversation that internal wrestle so What's been some of your best memories then Um, you know, since getting on that plane from Germany, obviously me and John, the first [00:27:00] time you saw him. Yeah. Oh, you're crazy. Wooing techniques.
Anna Grace: You couldn't remember my name for three weeks, but I had already told all my family back home. It was like, I met the love of my life. Um, yeah, no. One of my favorite memories, there's so many, I think, um, my YWAM year was really hard. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it was really difficult, but I met some amazing people, um, and I got to see the world and that was really cool, um, it was really cool, um, so I treasure that, um, yeah, meet and john, the friends that I've met here have just, yeah, can't talk about it too much.
Matt: I haven't got tissues. Yeah,
Anna Grace: um, yeah, um, You know, having Eden, um, yeah, it's just, I love England. [00:28:00]
Matt: What's there not to love, right? I know. What's that? It's full of English
Anna Grace: people. Yeah. Yeah. And I mean, and not just England, I love Liverpool. Yeah. Yeah. It's the best city.
Matt: It really is. It is. It really is. It is.
But it's one of those things, isn't it, I, I, I saw, uh, just to change the subject slightly, um, Yeah. You showed me a video earlier of Eden running around in a Liverpool football kit. Because you finally did the tour of Anfield before you left. And she was dancing. How
Anna Grace: could you not be a Red? That's going to get some comments.
Matt: That's going to get some... In Liverpool, by the way, in case you don't know, there's two football teams. Liverpool and Liverpool Reserves. No, no, Shankly that said that. There's Liverpool and there's Everton. So there's a red side of the city and there's a blue side of the city. Um, and you're either one or the other, aren't you, really?
And there's always been that sort of rivalry between both sides.
Anna Grace: I've really enjoyed that whole aspect. Yeah? Yeah. [00:29:00] I just find it so fun. Don't know much of the game. Yeah. But I'll definitely get involved and be enthusiastic. Yeah.
Matt: Yeah, well, John's a big Liverpool fan, isn't he? Oh yeah, huge. I mean, he's huge.
So, um, you kind of had to follow suit. Yeah, there was, there
Anna Grace: was no way. But then I saw a clop and a smile and I fell in love and I love the team. Yeah,
Matt: yeah. And why not? Why not? That's awesome. So lots of good memories. Yeah. Um, lots of really good memories. And uh, I find it fascinating, uh, what I've, I've found the whole journey of you and John and, uh, and Eden now, obviously quite fascinating.
John I've known since, you know, he was a young whippersnapper coming back up. I've known John's parents a long time. Yeah. And so it was always interesting. This, this young lad goes off. We don't see him for a little while and he comes back and he's like, Oh, I'm going to get married. And you're like, what?
Anna Grace: Yeah, especially since he didn't have a [00:30:00] girlfriend really before you
Matt: met me. It's like, really? Yeah, I didn't realize she'd gone through puberty yet, John. But okay, that's very, it was one of those. Uh, and so it's just been really fascinating watching, um, you guys grow and develop as a family. And all the stuff that you're doing, your heart's massive and, and you guys do some amazing stuff with the worship and, um, beautiful voices, beautiful, very talented musicians.
Uh, and I remember coming around to your house a few years ago and all of a sudden there was a big organ in the, in the corner of the room. Yeah, I think I
Anna Grace: got it for like 40 quid in a charity shop. It was great.
Matt: But it was a big organ and it took up, like, most of the room. Yeah, yeah. But that was a very Farrington esque thing to
Anna Grace: do.
It was, yeah. Yeah, John wrote a whole Christmas song one year and we filmed a music video for him, put tea lights. It was brilliant. It's called Christmas Alone. It's great. But yeah, we had to pass on the organ because, uh, we [00:31:00] had a bit of a mouse infestation and then mice started living in the organ and so.
Oh, okay.
Matt: Yeah. I'm sure there's plenty of children's books where mice come from church organs. Yeah, it's true, actually. It's probably. A whole great deal of stuff there. So looking back on everything. If there was one message, one thing that you felt, you know, that you've learned from God over the last six years, um, the in frontline, we like to call this a Nick Harding message, but what would, what would your one message be if you would, if you could only preach one sermon that you get back home, your dad's like.
Anna Grace, you're speaking at church on Sunday, what would that message be? Yikes.
Anna Grace: Um, I, I think God's faithful. I think, um, he's proven that time and time again. I've seen it in my life. I've seen it in the life of my family and my friends and he's constant and he's faithful. I think that's
Matt: my thing. Yeah.
Someone you can trust, right? [00:32:00] Yeah. Very trustworthy. Yeah, that's powerful. So what are you, the page is about to turn mm-hmm. . What are the hopes? My hopes, yeah. For the next, next chapter.
Anna Grace: Hmm. I hope, um, I really, I, I feel, I really hope this next season feels very abundant. Hmm. Um, like, I hope it's a, a season where we all, all three of us, me, Johnny and Eden can thrive and, um, Kind of just like a next step.
I don't really know specifics. I'm kind of open to anything. Um, Yeah, I think that's kind of the words I'd use is I just I hope it's abundant and I hope it's
Matt: vibrant Abundant and vibrant. It'd be interesting to to watch you guys get re established again Yeah. Um, 'cause for you, you're going home. Yeah. Um, you're gonna stay with your mom and dad.
Mm-hmm. , um, John's obviously he's gonna now be going through what you went through years ago. Exactly, yeah. And he's gotta live in a new country. Eden, in some respects is going to the other side of [00:33:00] her family. Yeah. Right. 'cause half, see half in the, in the us. Um, and so it'd be interesting to see how you guys establish yourselves over there.
Mm-hmm. . Um, I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens. Yeah. Come visit. Oh, there's no doubt. Yeah. Because, um, Uh, you won't know this, uh, dear listener, but, um, your dad's church is like 10 miles away from a really good friend of mine in Charlotte. And whenever I go, I go stay with them in Charlotte and, um, you know, cause I was there a few weeks ago, went to your dad's church, had lunch with your mom and dad who are just, they're amazing people.
If you're watching, you're awesome. Um, so I will definitely be visiting. I don't know who's going to come. Um, whether I'll go to Charlotte, cause I go to Charlotte, I try and go over once a year if I can, um, cause that's near where I used to live, that's a part of the states I lived in, uh, or whether you're going to come over here more, cause obviously you've got the family over here,
Anna Grace: but I hope that we can come to the UK once a [00:34:00] year, that'd be the goal, yeah, yeah,
Matt: at least, we'll wait and see, listen, AG, As we like to call you.
Yeah. Did people call you A. G. before you came to the UK? Yeah, yeah. Okay, so it's not a
Anna Grace: new thing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, so A. G. was kind of my nickname. Um, my dad, like, I, yeah. I don't like people to call me Anna.
Matt: No, no, I learned that mistake. Yeah, yeah. Uh, no, no,
Anna Grace: my name's not. It's either Anna Grace, A. G. That's it.
You have to include both.
Matt: Or Mrs. Farrington. Yeah.
Anna Grace: Well, technically I'm not. Technically,
Matt: yeah. Technically still Miss Kennedy. Yeah. That's another story for another podcast. Yeah.
Um, but no, seriously, uh, cause, love you guys, think you're awesome. And, uh, I, I trust that the next chapter It will be very well written, uh, and, uh, I'm looking forward to reading it and seeing what happens. [00:35:00] So thanks for coming on to What's the Story, uh, the podcast. If people want to reach out, if people want to find out more about you, you have a big social media thing going on, don't you?
Anna Grace: I do, yeah. It's kind of taking a bit of a pause, but, a bit of a pause, I haven't really had time, but I have a Knit-stagram.
Matt: A Knit=stagram yeah. Is that what you said? A Knit=stagram? Yeah. That's a really cool work, because you, you like your knitting. I do,
Anna Grace: I haven't knit in a while, but I think that's just the season of life I'm in.
Right. Um, but yeah, I do love to knit. Love all things crafty. Ha ha ha ha ha! Maybe I shouldn't say That
Matt: can be understood in so many ways. Yeah. And actually probably all of the different ways it could be understood are probably quite accurate. Yeah,
Anna Grace: yeah, I just asked my
Matt: mum. Ha ha ha ha! That was sneaky. Ha ha ha ha!
Brilliant. Listen. You're awesome. Thanks for coming on. Thanks Matt. You're an absolute legend.
Sadaf: And just like that, we've reached the end of another fascinating conversation. Remember to check out CrowdOnline Church at www. [00:36:00] crowd. church. Don't forget to subscribe to What's the Story on your favorite podcast app. We've got a treasure trove of inspiring stories coming your way, and we'd hate for you to miss any of them.
What's the Story is a production of CrowdOnline Church. Our fantastic team, including Anna Kettle, Matt Edmundson, Tanya Hutsuliak, and myself, Sadaf Beynon, work behind the scenes To bring these stories to life. Our theme song is a creative work of Josh Edmundson. If you're interested in the transcript or show notes, head over to our website, whatsthistorypodcast.
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