A Little Adventure

I love a bit of adventure. And I can make an adventure out of the tiniest thing as well (like driving in London or putting on a Holiday club). If you enjoy a little bit of adventure ever now and then, it makes life a little better.

So I went on a little adventure last week. All the Way to Atlanta, Georgia and back. "What's in Atlanta?" I hear you ask. Well, I'll tell you! My best friend is in Atlanta.

Here's some pictures from my first (but not last) trip to the States.

Penguin up close and personal
The Sea turtleThe "Finding Nemo" part of the Aquarium
Jelly Fish
The CNN centre and it's vastness. Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it! I literally gasped. I'm in the bottom right corner. It's a bit mental for something to be that huge, but then that's my general impression of America anyway!Here we are at the end of the Atlanta Braves baseball game. The Braves lost, but it was a good first experience of baseball.
Sweetwater Creek State Park. A very beautiful placeMe and my best friend!
I really liked my first experience of America. It was lots of fun and an eye opener in many ways. And there are many more adventures to come, but more about that later!

A Long List

Things have been happening since I last wrote...

My faith took another bashing at a Youth BBQ. I can understand the school children doing it, they don't know me, they are permitted to ask questions (however mockingly). But at a BBQ with young people I know quite well, sadly I had to walk away and not be part of the conversation any more, cause I'd run out of answers and patience.

Then we had Lewsey Churches BBQ inside because of the torrential rain and thunderstorms outside. I can't remember having such extreme weather in the UK, it's been such a long time since we had regular decent thunder and lightening. I really enjoyed it, mainly because I wasn't getting wet!

The week wore on; it's that time of year for trips. We have an unusal thing in our youth group where two people were born hours apart, so have the same birthday. They are completely unrelated. I love the way God brings people together. We headed to Laser Quest for their birthdays. During 'dinner' I sat back and realised what a wonderful youth group had been formed over the last year. They, as a group, are testament to how much I have learnt. I love them all dearly and pray that their group gets stronger.

We had breakfast on the car park and a mighty miracle from God to do it. He moved the clouds at 8am and the sun shone through till 9.30am. Everything is possible when you let God work! It was great to see the young people and teachers that day, though sadly no dustbin men or old grumpies. Our community doesn't feel complete without them really. It was a great way to end the term.

During that week I also completed the practice and essay for my PGDip and JNC. So I can now say that "I am a fully Qualified Youth Worker, subject to Exam Board passing my essay and practice file". Not quite as fun as saying I'm a JNC Youth Worker, but close enough for me! It's been 2 years of hard work, but it's all done (subject to Exam Board - it's like a sting in the tail).

Then it was time for me and my sister to turn 25. We went our separate ways for our actual birthday. She hung out with our family and went drinking and dancing, whilst I spent the morning at Luton Hoo, and the evening at Silverstone.

For those who don't know Luton Hoo is a stately home turned Hotel, newly refurbished and reopened to the public. They do a great breakfast. So I and 12 girls (and 1 boy who is so tiny he didn't know any different) had breakfast together. It was delightful!
Me and Christine

Me in my new role as Stately Home owner!

Silverstone is a whole other world. Its one of the main race tracks in the UK and where Formula 1 raced only a few weekends ago. I went up there to spend the evening with a friend who was racing with Formula Student. All the Mechanical Engineer departments in Europe racing cars they have built. Was very fun I stood on the track and in the pit lane. My Dad really lovely Formula 1 so was very jealous. I loved it.

The Home Straight

Me standing with a vacant expression on my face... hoping not to get run over, not really know what to do. I look proper tiny under the Santander Bridge!

The pit lane... apparently still had markings on it from F1 (I don't really know though, I'm a girl!)

Sunday was spent at church with a[n embarrassing] rendition of Happy Birthday, which left me very red and quite embarrassed. Then to the parents for BBQ with family, extended family, our church friends and the boys school/work friends. Was lovely to see everyone and hang out. (will post pics soon)

Monday night I held another Youth BBQ and the new Curate helped out. He's a man and loves building fire, so the job was perfect for him. The YP had brought me a card and cake! They surprised me massively. And again I realised how blessed I am to have all 13 of them in my life. Lovely young people! Brilliant end to a great weekend!

Hopefully life will calm down now. Just Uganda and September term to prepare for! Ha ha... working hard as ever!

Tigger moments

No internet at home means plain blogging for a few weeks. I promise many photo's upon the return of BT broadband to the house (Sky lost out because they were massively unhelpful...)

I'm at work, making massive use of the internet before working on a sermon this afternoon with no facebook distraction! There might be something go out of this lack of internet!

No thoughts worth sharing have occurred in the last seven days. But Good News prevails! Since we joined Mission Direct, had a project to go to and confirmed who was going to be part of the team we have raised the £11,160 we need to pay for our tickets.

This was massively helped along by my parents church, my own church and the local community. Everybody has put so so so much in. I got a bit emotional in church on Sunday. Not a bad thing, I was totally and suddenly overcome by how much people had given! It's amazing. God has been gracious to us, He's given more than I could ever imagine.

There are many minds at peace about this trip now, mine is one of them, but I've felt like this since February, so I turned into Tigger. My security and joy definitely come from God and I'm massively happy at the moment.

Now all I have to remember is to pay the money to MD oh, and get the booster injections and health passort I need to gain entry to Uganda.

I have amazing friends!

This is my best friend Christine standing next to her own handy work. And there is another line drawing of Europe off to the right of the picture, but it wouldn't all fit in the frame.
It's not finished yet, but I will go back and take a picture when it is.

I have amazing friends. I could never imagine creating anything so huge or beautiful. My friends are great!

Auf Deutsch

oder auf englisch?

I've just returned from Germany or more specifically Paderborn, which is north west Germany. Just an hour on the plane from Stanstead.

We landed on Tuesday morning and had German breakfast, meat, bread, cheese and coffee (fleisch, brot, käse und kaffee). Before heading to our accommodation in Borchen about 7km from Paderborn. Stephanus-Haus is a youth centre, much like any youth centre in the UK. Lots of room. We headed to Schloss Neuhaus to visit a school and chat to the teachers about exchanges. We went to met Uwe (oo-ver) and all the paid and volunteer youth workers in the region of Paderborn (but Paderborn is a town as well, following me?) in the evening.

Our hosts, Volker and Konni head up the team and were leading the meeting. A long day and the meeting was long too, but everywhere we went we received a warm welcome and food.

On Wednesday we had breakfast in Wewelsburg, a village with a castle which was taken over by Himmler in WWII. There was also a Concentration Camp just outside the village. It was a very tough day, to face the past and to know that I have learnt nothing much from the history books. When it is in your face, it's hard. If you ever have the opportunity to go, do it. It's very educational.

In the evening we went to a youth service and visited a Youth House, an actual house with lots of space for young people to hang out. More coffee and stollen, so much cake. On to Uwe's for dinner and more chatting. Pictures are on the website. He lives miles away in the east of the region, up in the hills. Oh and it snowed!

On Thursday we spent the day in Paderborn, meeting the Superintendant of the KirchenKreis for breakfast. To the Town Hall (Rathaus) for a meeting with the head of the Youth Service in Paderborn. Two very important ladies in leadership. Then back to Wewelsburg for observing an afterschool project, where some very brave 6-8year olds spoke English to us.

We had 2.5 hours in Paderborn for the Weihnachtsmarkt. I really enjoyed the feel of the Market. We ended our trip back in Wewelsburg with dinner in Ottens Hof. Lovely dinner, great company and it's so lovely to be family across the world.

My love for Germany, for the language and the people has got stronger throughout this trip and I was sad to say goodbye this morning at 5am british time.

Good Morning Boys!

The M1 north of Luton is a funny place to be on a Monday morning, but that's where Chris and i found ourselves heading towards Alton Towers.

Was a very fun day, lots of rides and a walk around the towers withs it's dark scary rooms and lots of history. We went up to the roof to have a look around Staffordshire, it was windy and a bit cold.

Tuesday ended in the cinema watching Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (or Full-frontal snogging, for the purists). Wasn't brilliant, much of the story had been changed to fit in with the movie style of doing things. Being 14 was never that fun, and I'm pretty sure Eastbourne's old people are glad to be rid of snogging teenagers. A bit of fun for an afternoon, but nothing more.

Wednesday we went to Chessington World of Adventure. It now has a Sea Life Centre, along with the theme park and the mini zoo. All good fun, especially when it torrentially pours on you when you are getting on your second ride of the day.

Today was Mamma Mia, not as good as the stage show, but again quite fun. Laughed mostly at the end credits and Julie Walters in general. Maybe that tells you something about the movie if you haven't slready seen it. So in two weeks I'm caught up on most of the summer blockbusters.

Dark Knight was pretty stunning last week. Quite brilliantly filmed and delivered. The only thing that's a real bug about it is Christian Bale's Batman accent, why, why, why? Some of the things he said needed subtitling, to have such a deep voice with a bit of a lisp doesn't really help.

Mini film reviews over with, I'll just carry one with life, it's the summer, so we have the complusory camping trip coming up. Yeay!!

Neeeeee-ver...

... forget where you've come here from!

Birthday on Friday, so headed in to London to see the musical based on the Take That songs.

It was very funny. Can't believe that the last time I saw Take That was when I was 11 or so, at Earls Court, minus Robbie. But now they are back, and doing well.

Then we went to Farringdon for drinks, pictures on Facebook!

Cake on Saturday, with family and friends, and then preaching this morning. Notes on the other site. Was a very fun lovely weekend.

Preaching was a good laugh, better than before, little bit of audience interaction and laughing. Now it's on summer programme, and I'll be calming down alot. Going to enjoy Summer this year I think.

What a weekend!

Here for your delight is a choronological photo blog:

This is John Mayer singing Wheel. He is beautiful and played so amazingly at Brixton Academy on Friday. I'm so glad I have seen him, and most definitely am in Love! If you haven't heard of him, I urge you to check him out.
He played Daughters, Good Love and Say during the encore. I have never had a better night, and I shared it with my best friend!


When we got back, I finished making the truffles for the wedding! They disappeared quickly on the day, mostly down Chrisitine's neck.



















So on to the wedding...
Here is my car all made up for driving the bridesmaids around.









Here is the bridal party. Don't they look beautiful?!?
L-R Pete and Becky Clemison, Matt and Mareike Shields, Chrisitne Macfie and Mary (don't know your last name, sorry!!)


We headed to the Oval for the reception and were kept busy with the M&M's on the table.














Here is me at the end of the night after Mareike put the tiara on me. No I didn't catch the bouquet, I was decorating the going away car!!