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!

Weekly Wrap 18

Last week went by very quickly as it was quite full!

We started our breakfast club on Monday of this past week, which is a big deal because it's every day before school. We also started our Thursday after school club this week. Those were in addition to the Tuesday after school Christian union we run and our Wednesday lunch club. It was a busy week!

On Tuesday at our Christian Union I shared part of my testimony and unpacked Romans 12:1 a bit, using my story to encourage the young people to give their lives wholly to God, expecting Him to give them not orders and commands, but invitations to opportunity and adventure! 

Then we had a team social at Starbucks. Happy days!

On Wednesday we had our second lunch club, at which Felix talked about his story of feeling hopeless and challenged the young people to think about who they could talk to in tough times (family members, friends, Jesus, the Pais team, etc.)

Wednesday was a late night for us as it was Open Evening at the school, a chance for families from Walsall with kids in Year 6 to come check out Grace to see if they want to send their kids there next year. We did our breakfast club in the library during that time so young people and their families could get a sense of what that looks like.

On Friday we did our weekly training from Pais with the legendary Paul Gibbs discussing the Four levels of Haverim Devotion (aka Bible study). 

Friday night was a great night, first with kids club and then a joint youth group session with young people from Becky, Clara and Felix’s church at Bath Street. They played trolley hockey and I have since gained confirmation that abstaining from this game was a wise choice as other leaders my age complained about aches and pains for a few days after.

Saturday was a peaceful and relaxing day and today was church, lunch and more church, plus a bit of work. Now I'm off to bed (at 9pm!) to rest up for another busy week!

Weekly Wrap 17

Wow, it's been a crazy week! Last week was our first full week in school and also our first lunch club! But I must say, it went really well! In general, my team and I are adjusting to the staff, young people and to the rhythm of the school. We are learning what we can do and what we cannot do. We are becoming more familiar with the atmosphere and the culture of the place. And we are now doing ministry! Here are a few pics from last week. Enjoy!

Becky and I had our first "Leaders' social" this week. We (aka she) made Mexican!! Quiero la comida Mexicana!

 
















Our first lunch club! I gave a short version of my testimony, sharing some of my fears that God has helped me overcome, and challenged the students to think about their fears, things that might be holding them back, fears they are tired of allowing to control them. Then we wrote our fears on balloons and popped them all together. It was a blast! (Yeah, I just wrote that.)

     Only Felix is tall enough...

This week we studied Joshua 6 and talked about the Israelites marching around Jericho. Becky challenged us to build a wall with the materials she gave us while considering what our Jericho might be, those walls in our hearts and lives that may need to come down.

This was one of my favorite things this week! On Saturday my host Ruth and I went to, as they call it, "The Garden," which is a green patch of land in the centre of Caldmore (pronounced "Karma," oddly enough). Caldmore is a neighborhood mostly inhabited by Muslims and Hindus (and a few Polish people), and this was the band from my church playing worship songs! The Muslim ladies on the left seemed to enjoy it!

Weekly Wrap 16

Well, the first week of official work has come and gone, and I must say, it was a success. That meaning, nobody died. Pais Walsall is in the school and we are getting to know our kids, ahem, excuse me, 'young people.' Don't want to sound patronizing. Monday was a day off (for most, but not me and Becky) and that evening we had our first team social at Brewers Fayre, which was, for the Germans on our team, their first experience of an English pub--but a family pub with lots of food options and actually very few patrons, now that I think about it.

Tuesday was our first day in school. It was a chance for us to (re)introduce ourselves to the kids--I mean, young people--several of whom remembered me from the week I was here to visit in June! It felt good to be in the school, and I am excited about the relationships we can begin building with these ki....young people.

Here are some pics from the first day.

First official Pais Walsall 2014-2015 team photo in the office!

Everyone hard at work.

She's proud of her Wall of Gratitude

Johanna and Felix settling into their new work spaces

Clara working on decorations for the office

Unashamedly stealing markers...

The second day we worked from a coffee shop; such a hardship, I know! Because our security checks have yet to clear, we cannot access the internet in the school, so we worked from a place we could. And got good coffee while we were at it! We then hit a local park for a picnic lunch!

We have been blessed with some beautiful weather for the past three weeks!

Thursday we spent with our "Hub," the "West Midlands Hub" to be precise, which includes our team, the Pais team in Solihull (a town nearby) and our Hub leader Luke. It was a good day of refreshing and encouragement!

Luke talking about Acts 28 

Felix was a bit tired, so he took a short nap during lunchtime. 

West Midlands Hub!

Friday we were back in the school and worked on upcoming ministry as well as our first Pais Walsall video! It was a very productive day, and I was quite satisfied with the work we accomplished. Johanna and I also got our first glimpse of Kids Club and Youth Group at Bath Street!

 Becky directing our video

 Ruth, my amazing host, playing the Key Game with the kids during Kids Club

We did some archery during Youth Group!

Saturday--My Sabbath! I read. A lot. I just started The Little Coffeeshop of Kabul, and I'm very much enjoying it so far.

Today Johanna and I accompanied Ruth (my amazing host!) to church. Johanna got to experience Sunday school while I stayed in the service for the sermon (Next week will be my turn in Sunday school), and then we were invited to dinner at Ruth's parents. After that, it was back to church this evening, and now I get a bit more time to rest before tomorrow brings the beginning of another week.

Speaking of my amazing host, this is the welcome basket I received from Ruth (along with the cute slippers!) filled with all sorts of goodies! I feel so at home here, I love it!

I am looking forward to this next week as we begin ministry and have more opportunity to connect with the young people at school. Please pray for good and efficient use of our time in the office this week before we really get into ministry. I hope you've enjoyed this update and the pics. Check back next Sunday for more!

Encouragement: Don't Waste Your Pain

Remember how I promised to post things I have encountered that I've found encouraging? Well, here's the next one. From Rick Warren's blog, a post entitled Don't Waste Your Pain. This is something I have learned recently. I hope it encourages you!

Walsall!

We are here!!!

We all survived both weeks of Foundational Training, went through Commissioning on Saturday where we were prayed for and sent out, and traveled almost two hours to our new home in the West Midlands! We each experienced a Sunday in our new churches and are getting settled into life here. Today I got the chance to experience the British bus system for the first time since 2006 and successfully made it to my school! We are looking forward to the rest of this week, being in the office and getting used to life in Walsall!

So you know where I am

My beautiful team on our first outing to Clitheroe with our hub 

Our hub, we're so fun!

Me and my Assistant Team Leader Becky  

Being prayed over by our directors 

Pais Walsall 2014-2015 

West Midlands Hub: Pais Walsall and Pais Renewal with our Hub leader 

Pais GB 2014-2015!