Saturday 29 December 2018

Reflections on 2018

Hello world,

Okay, so now the whirlwind has settled slightly, I think it's time to fill you all in on the last 6 weeks. About a week after the last update, I left Swansea, finishing up the bulk of my program with a youth weekend called One2Lead. It's a fantastic training and discipleship program for young people, and I would recommend it to anyone! It was the most amazing weekend, full of fantastic teaching, great fellowship and a TON of laughs <3

After that weekend I went home for 2 weeks, and in the middle of the 'break' I moved house! It was great fun, and yes we're settling in well, and I love the house, but boy was that fortnight exhausting! So much so that when I went back to Swansea on the 11th of December it almost felt like break. But more details on that later. Time for some reflecting.

As I look back over the last 12 months, it has equally gone by in flash, and seems to have taken 5 years. And as I reflect, I am struck by God's incredible provision to me over the last year.

At the beginning of the year, I was blessed with the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome/ ME. Although that sounds rather strange, because it was such a horrid period in my life, being given the diagnosis enabled me to get the support that I needed in school, and really lifted a massive weight off  my shoulders. It validated everything I was going through, and meant I had more of an explanation than just seeming like a tired teenager. Looking back I am also so aware of God's provision in school as a whole. I was a part time student for pretty much the last 6 months of A-levels, and I felt like I was drowning in content. In spite of this however, I not only passed all my exams, but I ended up doing so much better than I ever thought I could, and I know that's only through God's grace and provision.

I have also had the most incredible summer. FREEDOM! I have the most wonderful school friends (you're all legends btw, I miss you!) who made the summer one to remember. I feel so blessed to have been surrounded with such wonderful, loving people through A - Levels. Thank you all for everything. I was also blessed to have been able to go back to Swansea for a missions team for the second year. It was such a intense, spiritually refreshing, AMAZING week. Full of slightly too much coffee, crazy kids clubs, and some amazing new friends.

Along that thread, I have made so many incredible new friends, and acquaintances, through-out the course of this year. That for me has been on of the biggest provisions, especially as I have embarked on this FirstServe gap year. Shout out to the guys at Tilsley Bible College, I really, really enjoyed all the lectures and intellectual conversations with you, but I also really enjoyed the late night movies and McDonalds trips. God bless you all.

And Swansea. Can I have my heart back please? I'm pretty sure I left it there, in one of the many activities I did with you. I had the most incredible time. For those of you who weren't there, let me fill you in on the last 2 weeks of my placement. I was there from the 11th to the 21st, so sorry if I was slightly unbearable about Christmas.. It was a great time of being able to focus on the story of Christmas and share it in school assemblies, kids and youth groups and in the Christmas wrapped up program that was run in Castleton and Dunvant. It was great to do such a jam-packed, varied Christmas program with primary school kids. There were puppets, a grumpy inn keeper, a nativity, some baking and some crafts. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more, the kids, or me. There were also A LOT of Christmas parties that were enjoyed, by all ages. They were all amazing and it was great to spend that time enjoying Christmas with such special people.

I know I keep repeating myself, but I am just so overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of the all the lovely people that I have had the pleasure of interacting with and getting to know over the last year. God has truly blessed me through you all. ❤️

Happy new year everyone 🎉❤

After the whirlwind

Hello World, So... it's been a while, huh? For those of you who have been following me and supporting me on this journey, i'm so ...