Start of something new....

So its been quite a while since I last blogged and Leanne and I were reflecting last night about how it was 3 years ago we were starting Team on Mission. I feel like I have changed a good bit since then and yet it is hard to put my finger on exactly how. I feel slightly shrewder which as Leanne pointed out is coupled with being less trusting. When I started team I had planned that by now I would be entering my final year of a degree in Ancient History :) Instead I have just completed a year of Sociology and Theology and I am now taking yet another gap year from university to move to Galway to help start a church....

"For I know the plans I have for you....plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11

How my own plans change. But I say that with a smile on my face :) Even at the start of this year I expected to be sorted for the next few years- working in Sandy Row and completing a degree. And yet now I can't imagine myself in Belfast this year. Tis a funny old world. But all these reflections have made me decide to start blogging again, to show what God's plans involve next for me even on a day to day basis. At the moment they involve going to Lisburn to hang out with my girls and heading to Michelle's tonight for worship and sharing time about Castlewellan....Sounds good to me :)

update on Hannah

have had two missions since i last blogged- sandy row and donegal! sandy row was class got to do outreach in the streets n stuff n we ended up playin frisbee with 16 kids in the park was kul! and then donegal was really beautiful we went up to malenhead which was class- highest point in ireland in was class i wet a bit mad with the camera n took many photos of me posing lol but was gd crack! i also split coke all over the church carpet in the church serivce when taking a childrens talk and the whole church gasped! The lady who plays the organ jumped up and ran to get a cloth for me but a lil girl said some coke had got spilt on her skirt and so I said it was ok not to worry as BERNARD was away to get a cloth! ------- the lady's name is JANICE!!!!! lol was v v v embarrassing i have no idea wot made me call her bernard so v random! the girls were all pissing themselves laughing at me and I had to try and recover myself and carry on with the talk!!! o dear I am a silly thing! I still chuckle to myself when I think about it.....

Al and Nicola came round yesterday for tea which was lots of fun! We had a full 3 course meal- nacho's followed by fajitas and Alister brought dessert- custard and donoughts and cheesecake and icecream man was I full!! and yet today Iw as still able to eat a huge piece of choc caKE from common grounds- which i wud def recommend! also really embarrased myself there as a mate rang and i was typing a msg at the time n i accidently put her on loudspeaker n then she was wantin a no. of me and i didnt know how to get it off loudspeaker and EVERYONE turned round and stared at me! ah! v v embarrassing although doesnt quite top the bernard incident I feel however that i have hda my quota of sillyness so hopefully for a wee while I'll be quite sensible so that my cheeks shall not have to blush but I amuse my fellow team mates greatly and at least i laugh at it myself as well!

But yes nxt mission is in Dublin- I'm in charge - scary stuff! but we;'re getting to work with our southern team on mission counter parts which shud be kul! and we have planned a v exciting serive for the sunday morning- im quite proud of us! Planning was sucha drag at the start really annoyed me coz it took us like 30mins to change the order of sumthin! ah! but now it runs really smoothly n takes way less time

also I am def going to do another year of team- one that travels around getting churches excited about prayer and showin them wot 24/7 prayer rooms can look like also i think a bit of outreach as well! shud be kul!

also discovered yesterday i now have to pay for eye tests n glasses but i had no money so the lady gave me a form to fill in to get it cheaper- but untill that comes through im left with banjaxed glasses- they only have 1 leg- the lens is scratched n the one leg that is there is rather bent- rather embarrassng but i guess it shows i aint vain as i still wear them when i need to!

and ooo there's a new prayer room open at DYCW - theme is Holy Spirit- its v kul go to www.irishmethodist.org to sign up to pray for an hour or even just pop in! if its on thurs pop up to the flat n say hey!

Me and God- currently reading through the Psalms using the message and totally loving it! In Psalm 2 it says "Son it's your bday- wot do u want?" v kul! feel i need to spend sum more quiet time with him though have been mostly rabntin at him lately so feeli need to sit and be still and listen to him but have been waking up each mornin wit a bit from Pslam 5 in my head " I set the pieces of my life on your altar and wait for you to set them alight" which is a gd way to start the day!

wow such a long blog- if u read this u shud congraulate me for being soo soo gd! but it all jsut kinda spewed out when i started typing!

x

im off for easter at the minute which is gd time 2 chill though i think ill start going to the gym nxt week to get fit and to prevent boredom settin in- every1 is being gd and studying at the minute! I've been finding it hard to switch off from working mode- if I see children I feel like I need to speak 2 them! and its strange not having a scehdule for mornng afternoon and evening! eerie infact! but I am enjoying being off- have already read a few books and watched a gd few movies! started watchin 24 as well -very exciting!

To prevent boredom has anyone any challenges for me to complete?
x

blog!

hmm nicky bullied me into blogging again!i just forget!
at the minute im in Colrine on mission for 2 n a bit weeks- stayin wit andrew n lyndsey gibson in nichola's old room - ive made friends with charlie there boxer- he's v kul very cute!
this morning we took the two churches services in bally money n colraine and i spoke on Hannah. I have got alot more confident when speakin in church services- i no longer have the kitters n the knocking knee's- a few butterflies but not really which is well cool as b4 i used to avoid speaking coz it scared me whereas its becommin more natural!
i am really enjoyin the year- its amazin experience (for wot im not sure yet!) but i love meeting the different people and the conversions i get to have- was chattin to one old lady bout prayer ths mornin - i love how open peple are!
pray for next weekend as we're speaking at the youth weekend- just for the right words to say n that God will really use us!
had a really gd bday yesterday- my family n adam came down n we all had a nice meal - was gd crack n i was totally spolit- got beautiful jewlerry! n my nanny knitted me a hat n gloves- hehe ther're kul!
pray for energy- coz we'r gona get tired so pray we just rely on God n dont try to do it by ourselves
n if u havent been to the dycw prayer room- go its v kul n u have to admire the garden- i made it! - go to www.irishmethodist.org to sign up!

please pray for leanne as she's sick like really sick and its contagious and v v likely that we will all get it so that shud be fun- so just pray against it that r immune systems will be stregthened as we go on mission today to Dromore! o and if u havent been to the prayer room at DYCW then check it out- open 24/5 this week with a focus on students! I love going down to it you can almost feel that this is a place where ppl have prayed! Well better go and pack coz we're supposed to be leavin at 2 but I dont think the vans back yet- Helen drove into a ditch and the door now sits ajar...

v quick blog- im in kilkenny! tis goin well- pray for helens back n leanne as she aint sleepin well! im grand rozy n i r sharin a v smail sofa bed n she keeps stealin the covers but part from dat every' things fine! any ideas for a youth weekend with 4 guys rangin from 14-20 let me know!
x

hello! we are having a few recovery days after our Lisburn mission which is lovely to be able to lie in n chill though today i am feelin a bit sicky which aint so gd!

I did enjoy our Lisburn mission- a had some gd wee chats with ppl and the pl from the church were lovely n encouraging! We did a 24/2 prayer room which worked really well- we had been panickin as it hadnt been annoucned or anythin n ppl only had a week 2 sign up but all the slots were covered which was class and tey may be thinkin bout havin a permanent prayer room! i hope Knock has a permanent prayer room with the new building n it wud be class to do 24 hours of prayer while a kul interactive prayer room set up i think it wud blow ppl away! the prayer room set up at DYCW is amazing! when u enter it u just feel a sense of peace and u can almost feel the prayers that have went on in it! i think its open for use while the office is open 9-5 so pop in and check it out n while ur at it visit me!! Im in the flat all week as i dont go to kilkenny till next tuesday so it'll be kul to have some chill time! xo