Weekly Wrap 22

It's finally half-term! For my American friends, that means a one-week break! And I must say, we're all glad of that. This past week was great, but it was busy!

This week in our team Bible study, we looked at Proverbs 3:5-8. Becca did a great job leading us, and God really challenged each of us to trust Him in different areas of our lives. It was amazing as well to see how our Bible study overflowed into our ministry this week, as we too encouraged our students to trust God!

One of my highlights this week was on Tuesday when the head of the Religious Education department at our school invited the team into his Year 7 class in order to observe something called Philosophy4Children. In this exercise, he gave them a word, in this case "Power," and then the opportunity to agree or disagree with a previous statement made (and why!) or make a new statement. It was incredible the things these kids came out with. We watched these 11 year olds discuss what real power is, where it comes from, what you're supposed to do with it, what the difference between hope and faith is, why different people have similar morals and if God actually exists. It was amazing! 

After school on Tuesday was our Christian Union, where Felix led a game about taking a certain path, and Becca talked about her experience of trusting God to lead her and how much better her life has become since she initially made the decision to do so. 

Tuesday night we had a team social! We enjoy hanging out together, and I am really blessed by these people! 

On Wednesday we had our usual lunch club where we did an activity about how we treat people and how that makes them feel. It was pretty dramatic and effective in helping the students realize that little things they do and say can really affect how people feel.

This is Becca talking about the activity, really driving home the point of the message, "How do you like it?"

Johanna gave the appeal and invited the students to consider how they usually make others feel. It was a good time of reflection as we challenged them to think about these things.

On Thursday we got to do our first local mission--Because You're Loved! We helped our students give out lollipops to their peers, with the message that they love their fellow students because God first loved them. As a team, we've all done this before, and it's amazing how simple it can be and also how easy it is to encourage others this way! 

Thursday night was Bath St. prayer, during which we created prayer spaces to pray for Pais--specifically for the students at our school, for our team and for the other nations where Pais is operating! 

Friday was Felix's birthday--we got him this! (He really wanted it!!) 

And now it is half-term and...

Tomorrow we are off to a Pais conference to rest, relax and refresh! Woohoo!

Weekly Wrap 21

Busy week, long, tired, blah blah blah...

Here are the highlights!

This is Nicole, my best friend. This week she turned 30!!!!! I can't believe I couldn't be there to celebrate with her, but I did my best from across the pond and sent her a few things. 

 

Like an Edible Arrangement. These things are fun and unique and probably taste pretty good!

And I sent her some of her favorite flowers. Aren't they pretty? My best friend is amazing and I am honoured to have her in my life, even from such a distance, 

This week in the team we studied Matthew 25, the Parable of the 10 Virgins. I have never looked at this story in light of the two parables either side of it, noticing what is similar and what is different. It's interesting to take the whole of Jesus's sermon, from the beginning of chapter 24 to the end of 25 to get a broader view of what He's talking about and specifically what He's instructing His disciples to take care of and why. I got some new revelation this week and as a team we had some great discussions as we talked about these verses.

At our after-school club on Tuesday, we got the young people to play a game about following someone else's leadership... 

...and challenged them to let Jesus be the captain of their lives. Then we made these cool origami boats! 

On Wednesday at our weekly lunch club, Becky talked about what to do when you feel like you're just going to explode, with a really cool demonstration involving a soda can. Did you know that if you shake a soda can, but then tap it a bit, you can diffuse all the bubbles so it won't explode? Becky talked about how in her life all these issues would pile themselves up within her, causing her to feel like she was a soda can about to explode. But then Jesus came and tapped on her shoulder, just a gentle tap, but over and over again in different situations, and He diffused her anger and all the emotions that had built up within her. Pretty cool, yeah? So our challenge to the young people was...

This lunch club was incredible! In large part due to the fact that one of our young people, while failing to play a game correctly, dropped TWO shaken soda cans onto the classroom floor, which burst open, showering both the carpet and the ceiling with soda!! What can I say? It was epic and the kids won't forget that anytime soon! 

On Friday night Becky and I hit Birmingham to see Miranda Hart's stand-up show. We ate Mexican, had some coffee and dessert and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed... 

I love Caffe Nero!!

Waiting for the show to start! It was amazing!!

Well, we as a team are quite busy and our calendar is full! This next week is our last week before half-term during which we will go to a Pais conference for what they promise is a time of refreshing and encouragement. I hope so! 

Weekly Wrap 20

It's 9:30pm and I'm exhausted! This is my life! But life is good, so that's ok. Mostly this post will be pics because it's been a long week.

Every day in our team we have Bible study, which I love! This week we focused on Galatians 5, walking according to the Spirit, not according to the flesh. I was encouraged that we first need to receive the fruit of the Spirit before we can give/demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit.

Monday was Becky's 21st birthday! We ate a lot of cake! And she and I are going to see Miranda Hart live in Birmingham on Friday to celebrate! Woohoo!!!

Johanna led our lunch club this week, talking about change and how Jesus is the only one who can truly transform us! 

This was our Butterfly Effect activity where we challenged our students to think of something about themselves they would like to change but haven't been able to, something they would like Jesus to change about them. It was great! 

It rained a lot this week, but that's ok--we got this! 

On Saturday we had our team social and went to the Birmingham aquarium! 

I was making fish faces at the fish. I think Becky was talking to them #imnottheweirdest 

 Why are these suckers so pretty??

Garden eels. Ew. Gross.

 Interesting reading...

 We learned a lot about Clownfish...for example, did you know, the female is the dominant one in the relationship and if she dies, the strongest male will then transform to become a female?? Becky couldn't help but notice they left that detail out of Finding Nemo. Can you imagine how that might have changed the story?

<3 My Germans 

After eating a late Mexican lunch, we hit up my favorite coffee shop--Caffe Nero (cuz it's Italian!) without Felix #girlsjustwannahavefun

We had a great week FULL of work, including our first series of assemblies--we did one every day in addition to our normal ministry. Then, a day out in Birmingham yesterday and church (morning and evening) for all of us today. But in its fullness, it has been amazing. I love my work. I love my school. I love my team. Amen and amen.

Weekly Wrap 19

So, life is busy! Whenever anyone asks how I am, the answer is always the same--busy and tired! But that's good because that means we are being productive! We have a lot going on each week, and from this point forward, there will just be more (God help!). But He enables us to do the work, it's worth it, and we all enjoy it.

On Tuesday, we had our usual Christian Union after school where Felix shared his testimony about how God healed him physically and brought him through a very difficult season, encouraging the students to trust Him when they too go through trials. Wednesday Clara brought the Word! at our weekly lunch club and talked about forgiveness, sharing her story of choosing to forgive someone who had hurt her and how that brought her healing and freedom. Thursday we got to attend an oh-so-interesting safeguarding course, and on Friday, we met up with the other team in our area for a day of encouragement, training and planning. All of this in addition to what we already do every week!


My weekend was also fairly eventful. Here it is in pictures, from most recent to least: 

This JUST happened. My host bought her house from a lovely old couple at church who recently told her there's something interesting beneath the floorboards in the pantry. So, what did she do when she came home from church? She had a look! 

And found a machete! Apparently the couple were having some work done on the house years ago by some Gypsies...who threatened them with this! Things got chaotic, it got left behind and the lovely little couple didn't know what to do with it. So they put it here...where it remains.

Tomorrow is Becky's 21st birthday! So today we had birthday dinner out with family and friends. Here is one of her cakes, a panda, which she flat-out refused to cut into, saying "How can you eat a panda??" 

This morning at church our pastor Mark talked about charity. Of course, he had to reference the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which one of the members of our congregation had been challenged to do, but never did, until today! That makes for fun church! PS Did you know Prince Harry was challenged to do this by Jamie Oliver, but apparently, if he ever did it, the video is nowhere to be found. Props to anyone who can find it for me! 

Girls night out Saturday night to support Good Traditions, my church's Irish band 

Me with my host Ruth 

Good Traditions! 

Friday night we took our youth bowling! 

So, all in all, had a busy, work-packed week followed by a great weekend! Now I need some rest, but of course, everything begins all over tomorrow morning! Good thing I love my job!