Week thirteen to Seventeen: Too much stuff in it to think of a summary title...

So that was Christmas, and what did I do…. Okay I am not going to continue my blog in the writing pattern of John Lennon Christmas tune lyrics…

This Christmas was an interesting one. As you know I was away from my home for this Christmas period, and I will first off say, that it was difficult, however that didn’t stop me having a wonderful time. Since my last blog was general over view of the month, this one starts on a Saturday.

The Saturday before Christmas started with all the roommates leaving, bar Pedro, to their families. Then we went to a co-workers house to dog sit for them, for the week they were away (over Christmas). The house was beautiful, to say the least, and it was nice to spend Christmas break with the comforts of a Television, soft bed, a pool, and a ping pong table. Of course I had to look after three amazing dogs for this deal, a husky, retriever, and a terrier. All were very hyper, but very friendly.

Andrew And I Photo Bombing the four Abbies

The Sunday, of course was the candle for Love, and in the contemporary service Pastor Jenn Stiles-Williams preached a mighty powerful sermon on the matter. If you go on the St. Luke’s UMC website, you may be able to find it, and I do recommend you see it (Google St. Luke’s UMC Orlando). On Love Sunday in the Youth Sunday school we of course preached on Joy…. This was because we wanted the kids to experience joy in fellowship on the last day before break, and we did that through a short bible study, and then some group games, and of course (in my mind the key to joy) food! That evening we went to the Stiles-Williams for some lovely food, and the chance to watch some superb Christmas films. It was so nice to be able to spend time with them at this Christmas period.                        

    Oh yea I kind of lost the dogs for an hour, but eventually got them back…

Monday was spent working with Andrew, on what the next Sunday School series was going to be, and the videos we needed to record. It was a fairly relaxed work day where we went to lunch at an excellent BBQ joint, called Four Rivers. I then went back to the house I was looking over, to chill, before leaving for Amy Winslow’s house, for an open house Christmas party. This involved lovely food, a speed boat ride, and just generally was great craic all round (good fun, for my American friends).  This also include Amy sitting Pedro down with a doctor, whom she had instruct to scare him into getting the right treatment for his heart condition, and not just waiting till the internship finished.

Not a Christmas service, but the redefined contemporary.

Tuesday was known in the St. Luke’s Calendar as Pre-eve… yea I know a bit weird (to those back home), but the idea behind it, was to free up seats for the Christmas Eve services, for the people who tend to just appear at Christmas services, by having services on Pre-eve. When you have as many people come through your doors as St Luke’s does over Christmas, it sort of makes sense. Never the less I attended the contemporary Pre-eve service, and I have to say it was a very peaceful experience, the message was great, of course it was Pastor Bill who is always on his A-game; mind you so are all the Pastors at St. Luke’s from what I have seen so far. So much attention is put into every sermon, every prayer, every call to worship, it is inspiring….Not that my father doesn’t…. it is just great to see it isn’t just him who puts so much work into preaching…. I think I saved myself there….Any way, the service was brilliant, the music especially sent shivers down my back at times, it was so in tune, not just musically, but in tune to the feeling around the St Luke’s sanctuary, this feeling of anticipation.

Wednesday I had the joys of the Child participation nativity, which involved around 100-200 children singing and dancing, and dressed up as characters from the nativity. I would read the story of the nativity, and then Pastor Bill would invite the children dressed in the correct outfits to come up to the alter space, once they came up in the story. It was (vaguely) organized chaos, but fun none the less. I then went to Amy Winslow’s with Pedro for dinner, where we met her extended family, and of course had more excellent food. Then Pedro and myself went to the 11:45pm Christmas Eve communion service to see in the special day, in a way that I could convince myself I actually went to church on Christmas Day, as they rarely do that in Methodism here.

Christmas Day! I slept in….. First time I have ever done so. Then I got up and walked the dogs, and opened my presents, including a box of tuncocks tea cakes, and a dvd of the dead poet society. We then went to my friend Wendy’s house for Christmas day, which included food throughout the day, including Ham, green bean casserole, a potato dish, and pineapple pudding…which you eat with your main meal (shock horror), but was delicious. Then we had a tremendous banoffee pie for afters. It was very chilled and relaxing, just perfect for Christmas away from home.

On the Friday (American’s don’t do Boxing Day) Pedro and I made sure the house we were in was spotless, especially after all the mad parties we had been throwing (that is most definitely sarcasm, no parties were thrown…)We left and went with the College students to TGI Friday’s for dinner, followed by City Walk at Universal, then back to the intern house to chill. After the college students had left, Ruth came home with three of her siblings, all as equally mad as her…but also as equally friendly. I spent time talking with them, and catching up with Ruth, till the small hours of the morning….

Go sports team!

On the 29th I went to my first American Football game with Mike Jones, which was a College bowl game at the Orlando Citrus bowl. It was a true spectacle! Full of action, running, game food, and... television time outs. Yes the game is totally run by the television networks!

My New Years Eve was spent with my roommate Sarah and her friends till just before midnight and then I left to go to the infamous iHop, international house of pancakes, with the St. Luke’s College students. It was great… till the next morning where I woke bright and early to discover I had either food poisoning or some stomach bug. So was sick all day. Just the way I wanted to start my new year.

The first week of the New Year was spent mostly preparing curriculum for Sunday school for youth, and Wednesday Children’s ministry, this involved a lot of looking for videos, planning lessons and then making power points. It may sound boring, but with the number of videos I have listened and watched, I have so many more ideas for the bible studies I will be writing in the following months. The preparation also involved recording a lot of videos, with messages from Andrew, and small videos from Pedro and I.

The week after was spent writing the power points for the confirmation, which is the process that the United Methodist Church uses for youth to enter into full membership. It is involves attending at least ten services and Sunday morning classes, which cover everything from church history, the bible, trinity, theology, grace, sacraments, and more! This week Shakeria also had to leave back home, so as to have medical insurance that would cover for certain procedures not covered by the YAMM insurance. It is hard to understand for people back home, how health benefits from a job are make or break at times. It was a hard time for the whole house.

I also spent these two weeks with global missions development, starting a dialogue with a Guatemalan mission, as well as trying to get information from a prominent Floridian University on their public health programme. The questions I asked to the Guatemalan mission were brilliant according to the missions development director, but horrifically difficult according to the executive director of missions. They did however reply promptly, and in full, so we are kind of now five steps ahead of where we would have been had I asked the easy questions…. I guess.

This month of January, I went with my Youth to Florida City, home of Pedro, to his home church, and St. Luke’s missions partner, Branches.  This is a non-profit whose mission is “To serve, educate and inspire people through student, family and financial stability services in partnership with our communities”. I must say from what I saw there I was massively impressed, it is a mission which could benefit many communities in Northern Ireland.

A accident sees Andrew impaled... this was a joke.

We went down to join them over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, and help with their service week end, and continue with keeping our friendship between St. Luke’s and Branches a strong and loving one. The youth socialized with the branches youth, and attended services. On the Saturday we helped do garden work on a locals garden, which needed a lot of TLC. It was great fun in the glorious sun! Sunday they helped with a family day at the church centre, including helping with face painting, sports, cooking, serving food, and leading arts and crafts. They did this while Andrew and myself built bookcases from scratch. You should never under play the ability to work with your hands in ministry, it is a massively useful skill; the bookcase turned out beautifully. Then Monday the youth went to paint a house, while Andrew and I put 1.85 TON bell, into its yoke, using “physics and redneckery” it all went well till I dropped an engine lift on my finger… it doesn’t feel right still… but hey!

We came home that day for us to have a day off on Tuesday, to then have Wednesday programming, followed by me house sitting again, for three days, lounging by a pool…it was very tasking…

This weekend the interns and I, went on retreat to Fort Myers on the Gulf of Mexico. It was beautiful. We had a lot of classes on Monday, looking at the growth within our houses, possible issues, and our own personal growth.

 Then on the Tuesday we went to ECHO Global Farming project HQ, which is involved in researching and implementing the use of suitable technology, to help with farming in tropical areas. They had numerous farms there, including an arid farm, a mountainous farm, and an urban farm. All were used to test out suitable technology, by which means using materials of easy access like tyres, and rope and sticks. 

The rest of the time was used to relax. I swam and sat on the beach the rest of the day. 

I came back Wednesday to jump straight into programing with the children’s ministry, and I should mention, it was my birthday. Then that evening we had youth, with small groups, which actually turned into a Disney princess party for myself, organised by Andrew and Pedro, because I am just a princess at heart.

That brings us up to now!

Prayers

Prayer I continue to find more, and more powerful each week, as I continue this walk of mission, ministry, and faith. 

Please keep my family in your prayers as my father changes medication, my brother has selected his GCSEs, and my mother has to put up with the two of them.

Keep my roommate Pedro in prayer.

Keep all the Stiles-Williams in prayer, they continue through dealing with stupid and ridiculous (aka cancer and chemotherapy) and with Grace being in her final year of High school, all the stress is getting larger and more real.  

Pray for Andrew.

Pray for my youth.

And pray for Keria.

Continued prayers for my strength, and passion in my current field of work would be appreciated.


"Forty Four games" will return next week...

 Reflection

I saw something this month at branches that made me think. At the service on the Sunday there were a solid 50 people, whom were actually from Branches, but at the times they were serving in the community on MLK Monday, every one of them was there and helping. But at other churches I have been to, including churches home and here, only a fraction of the congregants serve, and that is the norm. But one of our key callings as Christians is to go out and make disciples of all nations, and love each other as we have been loved, and one way we should fulfilling these two commands is by going out and serving! We can love on each other by working with each other, helping each other. This then will show others our faith ,showing ourselves as Christ-centric, which will help them with their own decisions, on their own fauth. 
What if we had all members of the congregation out serving either with church missions, or with other non-profits, imagine all that could be done!

Peace,

Owain.