The end of training

Wow, what amazing final week of training that has just flown by. We spent the week up in Leeds which was far more north than I realised just as autumn had hit so plenty cold with lots of rain but also quite cool fog on the clouds. Again we had lots of really cool seminars which challenged me really personally and caused me to think about a variety of different things. One that will always stick by me was a trip to east end park and also a chat about it the next day. We saw some really challenging times people were having and their reaction to such times and actually it isn't what you would expect. People were building real community in this place and with some help I saw some really changes happening with a potential for amazing things. We also learnt about interfaith communities and how me might run such an event and was really interesting how an open mind into these situations really shed some light and you saw what might happen if you put the effort in. We also spent some time with Richard Borret talking about our own faith and struggles which not only helped us deepen in our faith but brought us all closer together.

So after a long few weeks training I came home for the weekend. Saturday was mostly much needed rest and time away from other people which was really nice as well as seeing all the family and visiting the grandparents and Sunday was great to getting to see everyone and it really encouraged me to see them take such an interest in me and what I had been doing and making sure I was ok and being looked after/looking after myself. It was a good meeting led by our local DCs and was interesting to see their different style and get to know them in an interview in the evening.

And finally here I am back in Bedford ready to start my year. I have done a couple of days now and I have had a great time getting to know the people around me. Had a very special time in the drop in club where someone had questions about my faith and it gave me the opportunity to tell my testimony and brought on a really good hour or so of great talking and discussions about certain things. Definitely going to be a good year.

Also had a youth meeting tonight where I learnt about what the youth have/will/might be doing and it was interesting sitting there thinking wow that would be great in Chelmsford and linking the names of things with our equivalent. 

Over all a good week and looking forward to what is coming ahead.

Training in the William Booth College

Having a great time on Essential; it is great getting to know everyone and over time we are getting closer and closer together. So last week we were at the William Booth Training College which was quite a good experience doing loads of different things which gave us a new way to see God in the world around us wherever we are. I have been really challenged when looking at what amazing work people are doing for the marginalised and how great communities are sprouting up when all others thought that it was impossible.

I guess it is just a reminder to us that we have to go and find where God is at work and not try and do it on our own strength because if we work with God's strength we can accomplish anything and knowing that God has gone before us we can be comforted in knowing that he will always look after us.

I have really enjoyed the chance to really chat about discipleship and mission/evangelism and what it means to practically get involved with these and we learnt or re-learnt, which is just as important, that it is an ongoing journey which is never completed. There were a couple of things throughout the week which I didn't really get much from apart from seeing other people being changed and challenged by them and I know that where I like the classroom style learning others really don't. Just goes to show that everyone likes different things and we are all different. Over the last week I have learnt that praying for vision for my life's plan isn't always the answer because God will show me that when it he and I am ready; so this week I have been praying for courage. Courage so that when God reveals his plan in my life that I follow it and don't think that it is impossible because with God in my life I can do anything. Also this week I have still been following my yearly reading plan on the app on my phone which has been really beneficial. At the moment it is each day a bit from the Old Testament (Genesis at the moment), a Psalm or 2 and a bit from the New Testament (Gospels at the moment). It is really interesting having almost 3 completely different styles and praising one amazing God and refreshing my mind on some of the stories that I haven't read for a while.

This week I have achieved so much but overall I think not only have I been better at approaching things with an open mind but also after approaching these things being able to form an opinion on it instead of relying on the opinions of others. Some of you may be saying I did that too much all ready but I think I am doing it in a better way and learning to get these opinions across in a loving way. I think this is just one of the things that really shows a maturity forming in me which I am sure will continue to grow over the next year.

So really looking forward to the next week. The rest of this week I will be in Leeds learning about a variety of different things and then I am off home for the weekend. After this I am off to Bedford to start my journey and the hard work I will be doing there. What an exciting time!

Leeds Hills

Up in Leeds for a weeks training.

Essential playing Bible Scrabble

First week on Essential

Wow, what an amazing first week of Essential. Met all the other people on Essential who are amazing and so easy to get along with. Just a time of meeting together at Gilwell Park and spending time round a camp fire. Got to do some of the activities there although in future I wouldn't trust a raft built by me. So after an amazing few days of meeting new the Essentials I went off to Bedford which is going to be my placement. The officers there are absolutely amazing and I was blown away by the effort they have and are planning to put in for us to make sure that not only they benefit from us but more importantly we benefit from them by all they can teach us. I couldn't have been more welcomed. Every single person we spoke to and were spoken to by was so friendly and it couldn't have been a nicer welcome.

Definitely saw God at work in peoples lives. The people at Bedford Corps are definitely working towards a direction and know what they want to be doing but are also keeping God at the centre of all the community and outreach which is so important. Very good day on Sunday although I feel a bit bad for beating the man who taught me to play dominos 4 times in a row but he loved it and we had a great time just chatting over lunch.

Today we are back at the William Booth Training College for some training to prepare us for the year and I am sure we will take what we learn into the rest of our lives. We had a lesson about discipleship and all about what it is, where it came from and what it means to work at being a better disciple. This is so important because "Christianity without discipleship is Christianity without Christ." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) and we all have to work together to keep each other on the right path.

This week has been an awesome week of new experiences which brings enjoyment and challenges. Early morning have always been a problem for me but over the week I have found it easier and easier to get up in the mornings; including waking up before my alarm on some occasions. I have really enjoyed all of the new people who have been so kind to me and have made the transition away from living at home to easy.

This week I have prayed on all sorts of things. We were urged to look in the past over the last year and I realised how much I have grown and matured and the people around me have commented but I never realised until I looked back. We also looked at the present and everything happening as we go away from home into a new life almost and all of the help we can get from God and also the people around us. Finally we looked at the future and what we will be doing over the year. This is going from all the training Alove will provide to all the work we will be doing at Bedford from out in the community to the stuff at the hall to all the youth work that goes on there.

Ii have recently started a daily reading plan on the android app Bible. It is a Bible in a year and it has a few selected chapters a day; not all in order but they compliment each other really well. I have found that it just makes reading the Bible much more interesting and so I don't treat like I would any other book because it deserves much more than that.

My biggest achievement this week must be the amount my confidence has grown. It has really given me the opportunity to get to know those around me and talk about anything such as my faith and my situation and testimony.

Next week promises to be a great week. We are continuing our training at the Training College then going off to Leeds at the Westwood Christian Centre. I haven't been there but I'm sure I'm going to have a great time there learning loads and trying to put it into practice.

Promises to be an amazing week and an ever better year. Looking forward to it and I know I have the support and will continue having the support I need to make it an extra special gap year.