tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26425415102401770842024-02-20T22:36:52.327-08:00Forty-Four Weeks in America Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-77753025616017609142015-07-31T09:38:00.001-07:002015-07-31T09:38:42.439-07:00Lead by Stepping Back<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>So as I finish my year at S. Luke’s UMC
today, (31<sup>st</sup> July), I am posting the final team building devotion
for Florida City. The past two devotions where apart of this training, that
sums up a lot of what the missions department aims to instill its volunteers
before they go out to serve, and thus is a lot about what I have learnt the
past months. Through helping others go through this training, I definitely have
had my own eyes opened, as is the intention of it all. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span lang="EN-GB">As I looked back at “Leading by stepping
back”, I thought a lot about what it means to not lead from the forefront, and
how important this is, not only when doing a joint mission experience, but
while working with youth, or within a community, or even just in our everyday
lives. It is about empowering others, while working side by side with them.<o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Lead by Stepping Back</span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Okay, so I am awful with stepping back,
absolutely awful. Two weeks into my internship I went on retreat with the young
adult missional movement, up to Georgia. Two weeks in and I needed a break, I
don’t know what that says about me, but hey. So while away we did the enneagram
personality test. I came out as an eight (as did Ruth by the way) with a strong
9 wing. For those that can’t immediately translate that enneagram language, it
reads that I am a “leader, or challenger” with a strong “peacekeeper” wing.
This means I am </span><span lang="EN-GB">self-confident, strong, and assertive.
Protective, resourceful, straight-talking, and decisive, but can also be
ego-centric and domineering. accepting, trusting, and stable. They are usually
creative, optimistic, and supportive, but can also be too willing to go along
with others to keep the peace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">This enneagram combination gives me the title
“the Bear”, but the traits do mean that at even healthy levels, I can have
difficulties in giving up power and leadership…. This came as a huge surprise
to my roommates… but I do honestly have difficulties if I am not in some
control of my work. So today’s topic of leading by stepping back is probably
the least easy for myself to give a devotion over. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Last week we were looking at gifts and assets, and
in the excellent exercise that Adam did, we saw how Branches likely have as
much to offer us, for our needs, as we have to offer to their needs. We are all
equals and thus one group is not the leader of the other, we are all a part of
one body of workers, and cookers, and child minders. We are all working
together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">We read:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">1 Corinthians 12:12-31</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">12 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Christ
is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the
parts of the body are one body, even though there are many.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">13 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek,
or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">14 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Certainly the body isn’t one part but many.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">15 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If the foot says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not a hand,”
does that mean it’s not part of the body?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">16 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If the ear says, “I’m not part of the body because I’m not an eye,” does
that mean it’s not part of the body?</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">17 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If the whole body were an eye, what would happen to the hearing? And if
the whole body were an ear, what would happen to the sense of smell?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">18 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But as it is, God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like
he wanted.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">19 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If all were one and the same body part, what
would happen to the body?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">20 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But as it is, there are many parts but one body.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">21 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So the eye can’t say to the hand, “I don’t need you,” or in turn, the
head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">22 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Instead, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the
most necessary.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">23 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The parts of the body that we think are less honorable are the ones we
honor the most. The private parts of our body that aren’t presentable are the
ones that are given the most dignity.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">24 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The parts of our body that are presentable don’t need this. But God has
put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">25 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">so that there won’t be division in the body and so the parts might have
mutual concern for each other.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">26 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the
glory, all the parts celebrate with it.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">27 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You are the body of Christ and parts of each other.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">28 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third
teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others,
leadership skills, different kinds of tongues.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">29 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All aren’t apostles, are they? All aren’t prophets, are they? All aren’t
teachers, are they? All don’t perform miracles, do they?</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">30 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">All don’t have gifts of healing, do they? All
don’t speak in different tongues, do they? All don’t interpret, do they?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 115%;">31 </span></sup></b></span><span class="text"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Use your ambition to try to get the greater gifts.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB">Just think on this. We are all a part of
one body of believers, all of us, Branches Florida City and St. Luke’s, (Churches in Belfast, and Bangor, Northern Ireland and America) neither
is greater than the other, neither has greater leadership skills than the
other, neither has greater construction skills than the other, neither has
greater knowledge than the other. We all have our individual skills and
personality types, but together our skill sets are so wide and varied, there is
no one skill or personality that overshadows the rest. This is the same for the
team we will be joining in Fl City, there will be no one dominant skill. This
means neither we are them are capable of leading the charge, being at the
forefront in everything. Leading about stepping back isn’t just about giving
others the chance to grow, or better themselves, it is also about admitting to
ourselves, we can't do this alone. We cannot do it all. So when we lead by
stepping back we really are leading, by being a team together, St. Luke’s and
Florida City. We will be one team!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB">So before we leave Friday, if you haven’t
already, take a personality test, do the enneagram test, or something, just to
look at yourself a little closer, and then think “how will I become part of the
bigger team, knowing this about myself?” </span></span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span></span>
<i>Try taking a minute to think how this can be applied to:</i><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><i>Your home life</i></li>
<li><i>Social life</i></li>
<li><i>Work life</i></li>
<li><i>Church life</i></li>
</ol>
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
Peace,<br />
<br />
Owain Campton<br />
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-70244299685027379562015-07-30T10:18:00.003-07:002015-07-30T10:18:30.443-07:00Skills and Assets<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So here is a devotion I did earlier in the year, that I have been
thinking on recently. I want to share it with you, but here is an idea, if you
can, re-read this with another, or in a group of three or more, and discuss the
questions, because I do think it is important to appreciate other’s skills and
assets, and encourage others, but also it is equally important to look at your
own skills, and think on how they can be used in your life and the life of the
church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This was written and lead by myself before going to Florida City with a
group of different ages, to go help build a playground with the Branches
community. Although it is based around the gifts and assets found by many at
St. Luke’s, gifts and assets are very much universal, so also very applicable
to Northern Ireland, as I will discuss in a later post, that I'm trying to lead
to. Basically I am pulling from my previous work, so one, you can see what I
have been doing, but two, lead you in my thought process, so I can share with
you what I have learnt, and you can see and understand how I got to that point.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: x-large; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><b><u>Skills and Assets</u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uzTyvC2zHQE" width="459"></iframe>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">1 Peter 4:9-11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">9 </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Open your homes to each other
without complaining. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">10 </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And serve each
other according to the gift each person has received, as good managers of God’s
diverse gifts. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">11 </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Whoever speaks should do so as
those who speak God’s word. Whoever serves should do so from the strength that
God furnishes. Do this so that in everything God may be honored through Jesus
Christ. To him be honor and power forever and always. Amen.</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Colossians 3:17<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">17 </span><span lang="EN-GB">Whatever
you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus
and give thanks to God the Father through him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">Luke 21:1-4<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB">He
looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also
saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, “truly I tell you,
this poor widow put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed
out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to
live on.</span><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB">So I came here in October, but prior to
that I had a number of sessions with Britt Gilmore, who is a pastor in Northern
Ireland, who went over as a missionary from here at St. Luke’s. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB">In these sessions we had dinner with his
family and then would sit down with him, the American use to Northern Irish
culture, his wife Alison, the Northern Irish one use to American culture, and
me the blissfully unaware intern to be. No I did have an idea about American
culture, but these sessions were set as a cultural preparation session. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB">One of the things Britt said was “Now
Owain, Americans are rather self-assured in their talents, they don’t hold back
on how good they think they are. Whereas you all are rather held back, and shy
away from compliments.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB">So from that stand point this devotion
on “Gifts and Assets” should be easy, because you all are so self-assured on
what you’re good at! (This said of course to americans!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB">Truth is we do all have skills and
assets, so quick in your groups I want you to discus, what you think your gifts
are, and I want everyone to say at least one!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB">Now you have all discussed what your
skills are I want you to think, how could this be used in the context of
Florida City, and how it could be used here, at St Luke’s? (Think on how your
skills could be used at your local church or community outreach centre!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB">We read <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">10 </span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And serve each
other according to the gift each person has received, as good managers of God’s
diverse gifts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">As well as<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">17 </span></b><span lang="EN-GB">Whatever you do, whether in
speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to
God the Father through him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">This tells us that <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Our gifts come
from God<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We should use
our gifts to represent and please God here<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">And everyone has
gifts<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Now I showed you that clip from the under rated film Megamind, where he
is trying to find a way to use his skills to impress the class, but can’t find
away, because the young Metroman’s skills keep over shadowing his.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Last week I was on retreat and in our reading, I came across this
passage <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">“Here we touch the most important quality of Christian leadership in the
future. It is not a leadership of power and control, but a leadership of
powerlessness and humility...” “Leadership in which power is constantly
abandoned in favour of love” “most of us still feel that, if we have anything
at all to show….” “…we have to do it solo, and make it a spectacle”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Our gifts don’t need to be shown as huge gestures of power in faith, to
make everyone say “oh look at so and so, aren’t they so good”, like metroman
making the popcorn, but we can use our skills together to follow the call to
give up power, and be vulnerable humans, and show love. You shouldn’t look at
others and think, like Megamind did, “man their gifts are so much greater than
mine”, they aren’t. God gives us all gifts, talents, and assets, though some
may show them outwardly, it doesn’t mean that you can’t use your gifts, to
quietly build the kingdom here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">We look also at Luke 21, and we see that it doesn’t matter how large the
gift or asset, if we give it fully to God, it will please him. Like in the how
to be rich series how it talks on “God looks at percentages!” If we give our
all, and put a large percentage of our time and effort, if we put all the time
and energy we can, just like the poor Widow, into the work we are doing here at
St. Luke’s or in Florida City, it will please God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">So here is my challenge for you, go from this place and look at the time
you spend during your day, or week, and see if you can break down the time you
spend at school, work, eating, sleeping, resting, and how much of that time you
spend in worship, service, or prayer. Then maybe look at if you can do the
latter more so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-31920022972521965052015-07-29T09:49:00.001-07:002015-07-29T10:43:11.844-07:00Making Poverty Personal<h2>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Devotions</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>So here is a devotion I did earlier in the year, that I have been thinking on recently. I want to share it with you, but here is an idea, if you can, re-read this with another, or in a group of three or more, and discuss the questions, because I certainly found it interesting how we all have different views of poverty and those in poverty, and its the act of seeing that even those we would see as being in our own social circle, or what not, have different views, that helps open our eyes to our own view on poverty, and a wider look at societies view on it.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>This was written and lead by myself before going to Florida City with a group of different ages, to go help build a playground with the Branches community. Although it is based around poverty in America, it is also very applicable to Northern Ireland poverty, as I will discuss in a later post, that I'm trying to lead to. Basically I am pulling from my previous work, so one, you can see what I have been doing, but two, lead you in my thought process, so I can share with you what I have learnt, and you can see and understand how I got to that point.</i></span><br />
<h2>
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Florida City Memorial Day Weekend Training</span></u></h2>
<h3>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><i>Making Poverty Personal</i></span></span></h3>
<div>
Take a look at this first!<br />
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RE-VlC9Ck28" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #3b9fe5; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Scripture: Matthew 25:34-40</span></b><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">34 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who will
receive good things from my Father. Inherit the kingdom that was prepared for
you before the world began.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">35 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was hungry and you
gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger
and you welcomed me.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">36 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was naked and you gave
me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you
visited me.’</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">37 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did
we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">38 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and
give you clothes to wear?</span></span><span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">39 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="text"><b><sup><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;">40 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you
have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you
have done it for me.’<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18.0pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span class="woj"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #3b9fe5; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Mini-Message<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">What is it that comes to your mind when the
term Global Poverty is used? Africa, poor, Less economically developed countries?
What about when the term Local Poverty is used? Benefits, Handouts, minority
communities? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Let’s quickly debunk some basic
misconception’s, though I am sure you all already know this all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">The US poverty
level was as of 2014, 14.3%, that means of the people on that will be going on
this trip, statistically 5 would be in poverty. (NB we had somewhere between
35-40 people on this experience)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Poverty
does not just occur in pocket communities, within nearly every neighbourhood
there will be people facing issues that make it hard for them to keep their
heads above water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">The
majority in poverty are not there due to “lack of effort”, generational poverty
exists massively here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Those in
poverty are not just looking for handouts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">So I want you to think about these four
points, and in knowing that think to yourselves, what is my mission as an
ambassador of Christ?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">We are called in the passage I read, to help
everyone, where we see need we are called to help. So we need our eyes to be
wide open to the need around us, and a lot of the time it is not going to be
fully evident, and others it will be, but we need to be able to see those in
need and know that no matter the situation we are called to help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">I want you in small groups of four or five to answer
on these four questions. (You can do this alone at home…)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">What do
you view as poverty?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">What are
some areas of poverty, that people even in your community may be facing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">What are
some judgments I am quick to pass on people who need help, that I should try to
drop here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">How will
you help support each other as a team (or support those you live or work with),
to stop quick judgments, and to help do what this passage was talking about?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Here is one more question for you all to take away with you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">What am I going to look out for this week, to try help me identify those
in need, And to help stop myself passing judgment on others?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<b><span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #3b9fe5; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">God we thank you for the time we got to spend together this eve,
preparing to work with our brothers and sisters in Florida City, and we hope
that you can bestow onto us the ability to see the world through your eyes,
that we may see those who need help, and that you also help strengthen us to
fulfil what you have asked of us. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">We bring all our worries, and our judgments, that we may have, and we lay
them in your arms, knowing you are the great provider, and sustainer. That with
you we do not need to worry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Let us go back to our weeks, full of your spirit, ready to help build
your kingdom here, and everywhere we go.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">In your Sons holy name we pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; padding: 0in;">Amen<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>That is the end of the devotion, but I did find this video that I thought was interesting, from a UK stance on the public's view on Poverty</i></span><br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SHamsi388tc" width="480"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
<br />
Owain CamptonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-88559605814264681762015-07-27T10:46:00.001-07:002015-07-27T10:46:49.658-07:00A Letter Home<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Before the letter I will give a little information. This was written and sent on June 22nd, of this year. Many from my home church will have already read it, but it contains a snippet of what I have been up to between my last update blog and now.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hello,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Is
it me you’re looking for? Okay maybe now isn’t the time for Lionel Richie
lyrics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So let me start this letter by apologising
for my disappearance from my blog and lack of communication with back home. It
has been about three months since my last blog post, and honestly I have been
neglecting the importance of letting “Y’all” (yup still using American
colloquialisms) know how I am doing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I am coming into my final month of
working at St. Luke’s UMC and very hesitant about the fact I am having to leave
so soon, don’t get me wrong I want to see you all back home, but I have made
many connections, and friends here, that I really wish I could somehow bring
home and here together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what have you missed, well my supervisor
in youth ministry has moved on to take a congregation of his own, as he becomes
an associate pastor at another church. This has led to two new youth directors
coming on, a Gent called Zac, has become the new director of middle school
ministries, (the equivalent of p7 through third year). He is, of course
completely mad, as you have to be, to work with middle schoolers. Though I
would say he is truly excellent, and I am excited to see how the St. Luke’s
Middle School Youth develops in the future. A Lady named Caryn, has taken over
the High school and young adult ministries, and with her being a member of the
church already, I could think of nobody whom would be more ideal for the role.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-GB">In missions the mission experience I had
been working on since January came together, and we ( a group of about 40
people, of all ages), travelled down to Florida City and worked with the
community to build a playground down at Branches UMC. This was over memorial
day weekend, and took a lot of energy as we moved tons upon tons of mulch to
lay down a protective layer around all the equipment. It was tiring, but
immensely fun. I also got to lead a worship group consisting of two St. Luke’s
youth, Pedro, and a few Branches musicians, in the Sunday morning service. </span>In the past few weeks I have had more and
more time to lead the St. Luke’s Youth worship, and has given me great pleasure
in using my music to help guide the youth in their faith journeys.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have also been continuing my work with
the missions council, in which they try to define the missions criteria, based around St.
Luke’s 4D vision. This also has involved looking at their Belfast mission
partnerships, and seeing how we change, without losing our partnerships, so
that they fit with our vision. So I have enjoyed the chance to help with that
home connection, and hopefully over the next month will help set some more
things in place to make a difference, both back home, and here.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I went on an excellent retreat to Atlanta
with the YAMMERs which involved going to the MLK centre, which was a very
moving and powerful exhibition, that all should see if they can. I also went to
the CDC (centre for disease control) museum, which was also fascinating to see
how our understanding of diseases has changed over the years, from cancer to HIV,
right through to Smallpox. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I finish work at St. Luke’s on the 31<sup>st</sup>
of July, and will be returning home the 15<sup>th</sup> of August. I ask for
prayers for my friend and pastor Jenn, still, as she has just had her final
surgery, in this battle against what she refers to as “Stupid” (Cancer). Please keep her family in your prayers as
well, that they maintain their strength as well. Asking for prayers for the
other Co-lead pastor, Bill Barnes, as he ends his time in ordained ministry and
moves on to other things. Finally please pray for me, that as I try to follow
God’s path for me, and leave this place, for the next in my life journey, that
I don’t find it to difficult.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I continue my prayers for South Belfast
Methodist, and Belfast as we move into the season of parades and bonfires, that
peace will prevail through the time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peace,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Owain Campton</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-90626823428845828292015-07-26T10:14:00.001-07:002015-07-26T17:26:11.009-07:00Hashtag Agapé<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: #fce5cd; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgMLiwusMXG-BBOxD_tbnAvNGloFYBGX6KzxEHVAdT8zsxRYUEf1EfC9djN9a0zvoIrFl7hIANCp15qc16TWIX7rVj2k7M-TaoISmUiWCROVxAp4S6CZVJKY24qarQVhGLbEUCRgXRYc/s640/blogger-image-1861215745.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgMLiwusMXG-BBOxD_tbnAvNGloFYBGX6KzxEHVAdT8zsxRYUEf1EfC9djN9a0zvoIrFl7hIANCp15qc16TWIX7rVj2k7M-TaoISmUiWCROVxAp4S6CZVJKY24qarQVhGLbEUCRgXRYc/s640/blogger-image-1861215745.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #fce5cd;">So you haven't heard from me in ages, and I'm sorry. The honest reason was because I didn't make time to communicate with yous all, because I was finding it harder to want to put down some of my feelings on paper (well, blog) because sometimes it made it too real, or sometimes I didn't want to let people know that at times I was having some issues. Truth is I'm fine, just at times was homesick, or worried about going home, totally two ends of a spectrum, but still.</span><br />
<span style="color: #fce5cd;">I decided to try and post one story ever couple of days about my stay here until I leave, good luck to me!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnj1jbHCeM_bEwCVeng9Aso40wM5SxqCckHQ-imgqxPeVdIohSYubAvekij3OQIT9FZHNeB2b6nzr4UZa6SVQ9iHi-j0LNBzAdpe9NR9R9mus9anuozx2Xns65HngE-WwDnSjNL5zkH9c/s1600/received_10207448519155115.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #fce5cd;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnj1jbHCeM_bEwCVeng9Aso40wM5SxqCckHQ-imgqxPeVdIohSYubAvekij3OQIT9FZHNeB2b6nzr4UZa6SVQ9iHi-j0LNBzAdpe9NR9R9mus9anuozx2Xns65HngE-WwDnSjNL5zkH9c/s320/received_10207448519155115.jpeg" width="269" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #fce5cd;">Today my story is prompted by just stopping at one of St. Luke's mission partners to worship after being on retreat. This was Branches, in Florida City. Now I have travelled here twice this year before today. Once was over MLK weekend, to help with Florida City love yourself, in which I did a lot of gardening with the youth, and moved a stupidly heavy cast iron bell with Andrew. The second was ove Memorial Day weekend, on an inter generational mission experience, in which St. Luke's missions department took a group of people to Branches to work along side the community building a playground. I had the privilege to play with the worship band that</span><br />
<span style="color: #fce5cd;">weekend. It was amazing. Anyhow I digress.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEvhaAv8vyZYlLxW_fq2LRSCO1O6CpByPMay4wXg9f7fRW4YRsqff09Ya2MatYDEeoA3vNDDgjBlsv3eFOh6AH6etxq5daeCwRtt7KN5Ufo7SQFHkHh_fUD4tZzDJvFlqprSH5v2Baf4/s1600/received_10207448518955110.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #fce5cd;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwEvhaAv8vyZYlLxW_fq2LRSCO1O6CpByPMay4wXg9f7fRW4YRsqff09Ya2MatYDEeoA3vNDDgjBlsv3eFOh6AH6etxq5daeCwRtt7KN5Ufo7SQFHkHh_fUD4tZzDJvFlqprSH5v2Baf4/s320/received_10207448518955110.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="color: #fce5cd;">Today (Sunday 26th July) the roommates and I left our retreat in the keys to make our way back to YAMM-lando, for a youth lake day, we stopped at Branches, to worship, and honestly to just say hey to some friends that some of us won't get to see again for a long time. Today was their celebration of "Summer Shade"</span><br />
<span style="color: #fce5cd;">which is their Vacation Bible School, and it was great to be able to see the kids and youth singing, dancing and giving praise to God, and they do it with this feeling of such honesty, as in they didn't seem to hold anything back to try act all "cool" or what not, they just praised, and that's something that I really love about Branches. During the service the kids recalled some of their summer chant followed by "hashtag (#) agapé" and I found this really awesome, coming from a church back home (Belfast south Methodist) who worship in the Agapé centre.</span><br />
<span style="color: #fce5cd;">It got me really thinking on the word.</span><br />
<span style="color: #fce5cd;">Of course we all know agapé is the Greek for "love: the highest form of love, especially brotherly love, charity; the love of God for man and of man for God" (from Wikipedia: the fountain of all semi-accurate knowledge). To see this term both sides of the Atlantic makes me mindful that Love is global! God loves all, and we are called to love all as well. My whole year I have tried to focus personally on the passage from John 13:34 "a new command I give you; love one another. As I have loved you love one another!" Don't underestimate how hard that it is to do so, especially when someone finishes the last of the sunny delight and all you want is sunny delight.... But for real, it is difficult. So seeing agapé today helped me remember that love is global, and we are all linked. We sometimes find it easier either to focus within our local community, or only focus on "world issues", but we need to look at both, because they are linked, and this is something I want to look at in my next blog post. We need to love locally and globally we need to love family and non family, we need to love in all things we do. God's love is agapé. We are called to show agapé love to all.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-76251186039037974782015-02-21T22:53:00.000-08:002015-02-22T19:33:02.676-08:00Week Eighteen (continued) through Twenty: "Owain, you've fallen behind in blogging again!" "Ah well, hashtag Y.O.L.O!"<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Okay so yet again I have left this a while since my last
blog, due to the sheer amount of work that that I have been helping (not
hindering…. Usually) with, at St. Luke’s UMC. So I am going to do this in my
normal style, for an “Owain-you-have-too-many-days-to-remember” catch up blog.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u>Children’s Ministry</u></div>
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<u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlVyOfGRTZUT0Xk_dUOqThL-zWSv_nKoJnu9no5wC-PyVrx960BACFL7yOq1hb2A_ZexnlwaGX_f2KIQAyEOcneG6Z0KvDQuP9uAgnLl7oyWYFD36quR8VrJMhpLCP68u2LWwC1fTS-k/s1600/I+believe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlVyOfGRTZUT0Xk_dUOqThL-zWSv_nKoJnu9no5wC-PyVrx960BACFL7yOq1hb2A_ZexnlwaGX_f2KIQAyEOcneG6Z0KvDQuP9uAgnLl7oyWYFD36quR8VrJMhpLCP68u2LWwC1fTS-k/s1600/I+believe.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></u></div>
<u><o:p></o:p></u><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
So as you now I spent time over Christmas, researching
and trying to find some curriculum, for the hour long period I have total
control over the children on a Wednesday, I was happy with what I brought
together for them, however you would be surprised how many Tuesday nights I
spent looking at what I had planned, and thinking, “what the heck was I
thinking?!”, and changing my plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Looking back at some of the things I did with them, there
are definitely something’s I would change about how I would present it all. So
here is<b><i>:<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdhf4ywLLs91d3N2JgZXgO7wC9UNYc0QHRiF0Gpi_DLhkHIPlixv-hQanii4Dp8E4_R54jKlscPHgG_VWzEj-qZDiTiLMm6QEb-x6CxdPUXoKC6DiAhIbh815c3by5SM758-PeO9eKLo/s1600/in+god+the+father.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEdhf4ywLLs91d3N2JgZXgO7wC9UNYc0QHRiF0Gpi_DLhkHIPlixv-hQanii4Dp8E4_R54jKlscPHgG_VWzEj-qZDiTiLMm6QEb-x6CxdPUXoKC6DiAhIbh815c3by5SM758-PeO9eKLo/s1600/in+god+the+father.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></i></b></div>
<b><i>Owain’s three point guide to not screwing up
children’s ministry.<o:p></o:p></i></b><br />
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<b><i>Do no, I repeat do not, put out the paint, brushes,
and paper in front of them before you explain what to do…. Or you will end up
with something beautiful, but also useless for the lesson… this is pretty much
the same for any craft activity.<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><i>Explain, in detail, to your volunteers what
the activities are, and even if think you have, tell them once more just to
make sure. This stops you having to answer their questions while explaining the
task or activity to the children, which can be very distracting to kids, or
seen as a chance to escape to the toys. Also, once you start explaining, don’t
stop for questions till the end, because when a child raises there hand, this
most certainly doesn’t indicate a question, it may actually be a five minute
ramble on how they went to school without their hair being the way they wanted…</i></b></div>
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<b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD88T5nyf9KXYNjKC1YcqfvBhqw43mauwtOjW3NTkJuY19-Ym1_65-tDUSCahThHqfQeXuNNW05A0eF93pyX3SLPtYWc5eTnaow5Wteqnn5E02_5w4GO5pFBcrJLQ8zO7SWSZF0qHzR2w/s1600/Creator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD88T5nyf9KXYNjKC1YcqfvBhqw43mauwtOjW3NTkJuY19-Ym1_65-tDUSCahThHqfQeXuNNW05A0eF93pyX3SLPtYWc5eTnaow5Wteqnn5E02_5w4GO5pFBcrJLQ8zO7SWSZF0qHzR2w/s1600/Creator.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></i></b></div>
<b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b><br />
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<b><i>When you make a plan, most certainly be free
to deviate, as with children, who knows what the heck is going to happen.
(Number of times I stuck to the plan the whole way…. Somewhere between one and
negative one) When you can't stick to the plan make sure you have small backups
to slot in, to keep the children occupied as you try to find a way back to your
plan. (Example: put on some kid friendly worship, as anyone under ten seems to
have the ability, and loves to dance to anything…)<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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So there you have it. I will put in here, an example of
one of the days we did that I felt went the best…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>The Creed: God the
Father<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<i>First I sat with
and talked to them about the first two lines of the Apostles Creed, “I believe
in God the father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” Trying to get them to
just appreciate how we believe in a being that created everything, and how mind
blowing that is, from the oak leaf veins to the massive burning ball of gas,
that we call the sun. I then showed a time lapse video that we had used in
Sunday school for youth that previous week. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N6-2fVsFV8E" width="480"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>We then created a
huge poster of the world, made up of blue bulletin board paper, and green craft
card, cut by the children into different land mass shapes<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Youth Ministry<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I love every one of my youth, no matter how hyperactive
some can be at times; they are all fantastic! It is a pleasure to be able to
work with them. Over the past month we started new Monday night programming,
called Plugged In, which I have been given as my programme to try grow, and run.
It is good experience starting a programme from scratch, first week we had a
grand total of….Five, which to some may be disheartening, and make you feel
like giving up, but you always have to remember that a programme is not going
to be an overnight success. Also being a new start and blank page, it does give
Andrew and me the chance to be creative with what we do in it over the next
months. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Wednesday nights I am still taking sport, and yes, I am
still awful at basketball…<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Sunday School has been really interesting over the past
few weeks. With Andrew leading confirmation, I have been left to take what
remains of the 7<sup>th</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup> Grade class. It is a great
growth experience, I believe, for me. It lets me actually teach on the topics;
yea that is scary, me teaching young impressionable minds, on our religion and
faith. So far, however, I feel it has gone relatively well! Sunday evenings
have been going well, we still play games that are all…. Carefully thought
through, I think is the best way to describe them… Maybe… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
We also have continue to volunteer with Wyldlife, an
external middle school youth fellowship programme. They are amazing! The leads
are so passionate, and caring towards their youth, it is something that a lot
of youth fellowships could do with! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Forty-four
games that I thought would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow
didn’t….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Dang! We actually have a lot of weeks and games to get
through…. Please note, not all these games are from St. Luke’s Youth, some are
from Wyldlife.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
#13 Scavenger hunt… round a major theme park and night
club area, using Instagram! (Wyldlife) <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Take
youth to a destination full of people, and different sights, have a list of
objects, people wearing specific clothes, etc. and have them go round in groups
(with leaders) to find them. When found the group must take a photo, be it a
selfie or a regular photo, then post it to Instagram, with a specific hashtag!
It did sound like so many things could go wrong, being out in the crowds, but
it was brilliant, and was a great way to integrate technology into the game!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
#14 Reindeer Vs Elves<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Marshmallow gun plus capture the flag, at Christmas! You
have a pitch with three thirds marked out,
a reindeer safe zone, a no man’s land, and an elf safe zone. Basically
if you are shot, you must return to your safe zone. The goal being to… well its
obvious… capture the other flag…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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#15 Ant Raid! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Four points marked round a specific playing area. One person
is the exterminator, pretending to have a can of Ant Raid, the rest are ants. The
exterminator, runs around spraying ants with the raid! (okay so its tag) When
an ant is caught, it lies on its back with legs and arms up in the air. Four
ants can then drag the dead ant to one of the four previously marked points,
for the dead ant to be revived, while doing so they are safe from the
exterminator.<o:p></o:p></div>
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#16 Ninjas and Shaman<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a weird, but awesome one. You need loads of foam
pool noodles (you know, the floats) these are swords for the ninjas. You also
need hula hoops, for the shaman. You have two teams, made up of many ninjas,
and a few shamans each. After the whistle goes, ninjas from opposing teams run
at each other, and sword fight. If hit in the arm, you put your arm behind your
back, if hit in the leg, you hop. This goes on till you have no limbs, and are
then dead. The shaman’s job is to hula hoop around, and heals injured ninjas,
but they can’t revive dead ones. Winner is the team with remaining ninjas.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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#18 Trade Up. (Wyldlife)<o:p></o:p></div>
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So get multiple teams of youth, and give them all a paper
clip. They then get given a specific and unique route around a neighbourhood,
each. The task is to trade the paper clip for something bigger or better, and
then repeat till your set time limit is up. The winner is to the team with the
biggest item, and the most useful item. The biggest for Wyldlife was a sheet of
Plywood, which our team got at the first house in exchange for the paper clip…
we couldn’t really go anywhere further with trading that…. The most useful was
split between a Surf board, and a 52 inch telly. Yea….<o:p></o:p></div>
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To be honest I didn’t really expect a kid to get injured,
mind you with Florida’s stand your ground law, lord knows what could have happened…
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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#19 Wizards, elves, Giants <o:p></o:p></div>
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Wizards
beat elves, elves beat giants, giants beat wizards. Two teams. Each choice has
an action, which you can get creative with. Teams line up opposite each other
in the middle of a hall. Shout 1,2,3 go. At which both teams reveal their
action (which must be the same for each team member, if not those doing the
wrong one, loose) the looser is chased by the winner, back to their wall.
Whoever the winner catches joins their team. Rinse and repeat!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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#20 Human Knot<o:p></o:p></div>
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Everyone(max
12 people) gets into a tight circle, and then put their hands in the middle.
Take your left hand, and grab someone’s right hand, whom is not beside you! Now
they have to untangle themselves without letting go… I am surprised nobody
ended up with a spiral facture or dislocated arm, with the way they tried
untying themselves… And this was done with elementary school children!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Missions<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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Missions work has been great fun recently. Not that it
never was, but it has been more so recently... Saved myself there….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I have been working closely with Miriam, in mission
development and Global Missions, as you will remember. The main project I am
working on at the moment is the Florida City Intergenerational Mission Experience. Kelly Brinker, Miriam, and
I have just recently got the applications complete, and sent out. We soon will
be selecting the team, setting up training times, and going down to Florida
City, to coordinate with our partners down there. The goal is to build a playground
over Memorial Weekend.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have also started work on researching a possible
Intergenerational Mission Training Retreat, to prepare those who want to serve.
One of the places we are looking at is the ECHO far, I talked about recently.<o:p></o:p><br />
This week I hosted Family Promise, overnight at St. Luke's. As their website states: <span style="background-color: white; color: #48423f; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">Family Promise of Greater Orlando (FPGO) is a nonprofit, interfaith hospitality network providing temporary assistance, hospitality, and case management for families with children experiencing homelessness. Family Promise provides these services through the participation of local congregations, dedicated staff, and hundreds of volunteers. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #48423f; font-family: 'Droid Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 24px;">It was great to get talking with the families, and hear all their plans, and what they did in their everyday lives.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Super Bowl</u></div>
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<u><o:p></o:p></u><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I watched the super bowl at Andrews… he is a mad patriots
fan, so Pedro decided to support the Seahawks, because he doesn’t mind stirring
things up at all…. So we watched the game at his, and I got to experience
proper super bowl adverts! There were some very impressive ones!<o:p></o:p><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CvArjpqYn-M" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Also with those last four game plays, meaning the game
was in the balance till the end, made it a game I won’t soon forget. That and
Andrew flipping out when Patriots intercepted in the line…. <o:p></o:p><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U7rPIg7ZNQ8" width="480"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>School System<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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So I have recently started helping some students, at our Monday
programming and some others, with homework, and some tutoring. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Oh. My Goodness! I just cannot get my head around their
system. These youth are under constant testing, and the AP students have large
exams at the end of the year. Some start school before 7am, if they have a test
they need to do, and end around 2pm. In the last year of school they could be
doing up to eight subjects, sometimes more. Admittedly I haven’t come across a
subject (even AP) which goes into as much depth as we do in our A-levels, but
we are doing only four subjects, and other than coursework and practical’s, the
only real thing that counts for our result is our end of year exams, which yes
is horrendously stress full. Here though homework, and in the year tests, all
count, and then you get told where you’re grade is at the end of each term….
The stress is constant. I honestly don’t understand how that can be seen as
healthy, mind you I wouldn’t say that our home system is better. I have thought
one thing… Thank dear goodness I managed to get through it all eventually!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<u><br /></u></div>
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<u>Six Nations</u><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I can confirm I have watched all the games! Wooo! However I will also confirm the games kind of sucked, except the Scotland Wales game, that was a good one. Come on Ireland for Sunday the first of march!</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7B8WM7TyE6Bf1vb_6gh8Hg8kjfA-sEOngvJYgNN_c4kXJDPL8x1yfJz-hCRTtUsWFLZFwkiBJQeZn5l9KYGH_E3LmZhH8CGdG96iQf1vi4VHwxCtYIOHlP1OKFeTobXRSI7XfJiddJE/s1600/Sixnations.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD7B8WM7TyE6Bf1vb_6gh8Hg8kjfA-sEOngvJYgNN_c4kXJDPL8x1yfJz-hCRTtUsWFLZFwkiBJQeZn5l9KYGH_E3LmZhH8CGdG96iQf1vi4VHwxCtYIOHlP1OKFeTobXRSI7XfJiddJE/s1600/Sixnations.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their first rugby game... it sucked....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<u>CQ<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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On Friday just past I took part in CQ, a seminar,
workshop, whatever you want to call it on Cultural intelligence! I was interested
to see where I ranked on the scale for CQ, and it suggested that my cultural background
was, well all over the place. I have the collectivism mentality (focus on We
rather than I) similar to those cultures in in Arab, Confucian and southern
Asian, Latin American and sub-Saharan African. I am High Power Distance orientated,
meaning I see boundaries and somewhat accept inequality levels, as in Arab, Latin
American and southern Asian cultures.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I have a high uncertainty avoidance level, like Latin European
and American cultures, meaning I avoid failure, and need rules. I am
competitive like Anglo and Germanic European cultures, so need to excel and
live to work. I am long term based; I need a long term plan, look at past successes
to determine the likely hood of future success.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am fairly high context based like Eastern European
Latin American and European cultures, so I am indirect in communication at
times, and don’t like upsetting harmony.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am doing orientated, like Anglo and Germanic European cultures,
so am goal orientated. I am time focused, and need a time frame, and a plan!<o:p></o:p></div>
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My home culture would come under the Anglo cluster
culture, which includes the US, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand. However I do
hate the term Anglo…<o:p></o:p></div>
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For the Actual CQ Profile, I was in the top 25% of the
worldwide norm for each of CQ Drive, Knowledge, Strategy, and Action. This
means I do have a good idea of Cultural differences, and know how to interact,
though it did show me areas in which I could improve, like in my
Socio-linguistic skills, or Extrinsic Interest in CQ, which is to see something
in it for yourself, apparently I don’t look at things for my own gain a lot,
which to be honest I am not too sure if this is true or not…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Despite this it was an excellent workshop, and if you are
ever offered to do it, please take it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>Spare time<o:p></o:p></u></div>
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What free time… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I am joking. kind of... Recently in my spare time I have been
hanging with the college students, frequently with my friend Francesca, who I can
honestly say I am lucky to have around, to keep me sane here at times! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I also have been to the cinema with Pedro on numerous
occasions, once to American Sniper, then with youth to Selma, and with him to
see Kingsmen.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
They were all good films, though American Sniper made me
feel very uneasy, especially when the audience cheered and clapped when the “bad
guy” was shot dead from two miles away….<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Selma was mighty powerful, and for someone who knows
little about the American civil rights movement, has created an interest.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kingsmen was hilarious for a twenty year old male….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u>Prayers, Praises and Concerns<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
The Stiles-Williams as they continue their journey, Grace
as she continues through her Senior year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Shakeria, just that whatever is going on in her life
right now is positive; and the same for Francesca.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Pedro, just for his heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Sarah, my other roommate.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
My family back home, that they stay safe, healthy, and
mad as ever. That my father has a positive lent and Easter.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
That St. Luke’s has a positive transition as Pastor Bill
retires in the following months, and Pastor Jenn moves from co-lead, to lead
pastor. That people, who may have fears in this change (as many do not like
change at all), may be put to rest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Pray for me to keep motivated, and energised!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Pray for Andrew, as for the reason below!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u>Andrew<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXjnamsnnfUVgqf18yWPGBPccudlWC4BxgyTXY4bDGSi0RnkCB1Qm1AxKzdor5m5OlBb-yURHAPGuAXeOrs5lAfBit7OWv5M79MDJ8O2JWFtxlmDB1mPQkythyphenhyphen-zK5_HvdWgj4hPCi4U/s1600/Andrew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWXjnamsnnfUVgqf18yWPGBPccudlWC4BxgyTXY4bDGSi0RnkCB1Qm1AxKzdor5m5OlBb-yURHAPGuAXeOrs5lAfBit7OWv5M79MDJ8O2JWFtxlmDB1mPQkythyphenhyphen-zK5_HvdWgj4hPCi4U/s1600/Andrew.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a>So this month Andrew, Director of youth ministry,
announced to the youth, that he was going for ordination into the United
Methodist Church. This was a hard time for them. I have known for a while now, but before I was told, I could honestly say
that he was made to be a pastor, his passion for youth, is only ought weighed,
in my eyes, by one thing, his passion for teaching scripture and theology. I
have learnt so much from him, it has been a pleasure working with him, and I know
he will make an awesome minister! The church council voted to send him forward
as a candidate for ordination, on Tuesday past.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<u>Reflection<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
So this week I went to my first full Ash Wednesday,
complete with the Imposition of Ashes, something which rarely done at home, as
it is a Catholic tradition. Though it is a powerful service where I felt we
look upon our own mortality. We are very fragile, and as is said “the only certainties
in life are death and taxes.” Though as a certain nameless person (for their
own protection….) said “yea but you can avoid taxes….” We come into this world,
and from our first breath we have started our journey to death. There is a
saying, that I do use totally ironically when people ask me questions I can’t
really be bothered answering, and that saying is Y.O.L.O. You Only Live Once. An
example “Owain why is my coat on the ground.” “Because, YOLO.” Or “Owain, why
is my car totalled?!” “hashtag Y.O.L.O!” The thing is though, through Christ we
don’t. We will die, but because of Christ we can be born again, so Y.O.L.O does not apply. Many young people use the phrase, to pass of behaviour that isn't really positive, off as banter, joking, a one off, but we should strive to live with Christ. Viktor Frankl once said "live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time." We should really think about all our actions, be it what we say or do, be it towards someone, behind someone's back, our to our self, because we must love ourselves, others and God, we must aim to live for the next life.<br />
<br />
This video is
worth a watch, I found it as I was thinking on the Ashes service. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kg0UfweQOyc" width="480"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Peace,</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Owain.</div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-28627579593941200152015-02-03T21:20:00.001-08:002015-02-16T09:18:26.040-08:00Week Eighteen: Running in Faith and Colour...<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFordlQkc6s-uPgEL1OsAaHtStfH8Toqsn4jZsA-A1lefP6Rgxpegh3ky7ALmsVu6pubwZ5vEmGVMFFB4kU5JIlZvlwzapcayM8GgutostmZM6bto8ulsyRPzE1YXmSFNllE-XV5DzpY/s1600/P1030546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFordlQkc6s-uPgEL1OsAaHtStfH8Toqsn4jZsA-A1lefP6Rgxpegh3ky7ALmsVu6pubwZ5vEmGVMFFB4kU5JIlZvlwzapcayM8GgutostmZM6bto8ulsyRPzE1YXmSFNllE-XV5DzpY/s1600/P1030546.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
Oh my goodness… I am twenty… What the heck! Gone is the
excuse “I am a teenager”. Two decades down, unknown to go… This week, as you
may have gathered is my first as a twenty year old, and I think I am settling
into it well, and by that I mean absolutely nothing has changed. I still am
working the same as I did, still am as (ill-)disciplined as I was two weeks
ago, still interact with people in the exact same manor. I mean I knew I
wouldn’t have any major epiphany, as I kept reminding my roommate Samantha, as
she practically counted down the days till the house was teenager free. Though
this birthday week has been very different, to start I haven’t had my dad
calmly doing his tax return over it, of course I am joking. The lack of actual
family was really weird at first though, but then I realised, I have a massive
family here. I touched on my Wednesday birthday celebrations last week, and how
Pedro and Andrew threw a Princess Birthday for me, but I didn’t mention the
little things like my boss in children’s ministries, buying me a mountain dew
(and even tied a bow around it) or Minister of Connection congratulating me,
and giving me a hug. Really in life it is the small things that make things
easier. Then my friend Francesca (one of those previously mentioned college
students!) got me a card and candy, despite being broke at the moment, though
how many students aren’t? Then I did
have that princess surprise party with my youth! I arrived home to find the
house decorated by my roommates, with balloons and messages galore. We are all
very busy, but the fact they took the time, and effort, to do all of that was
just so warming, and loving. Honestly have struck it lucky with these guys. I
came in knowing nothing about them, knowing I could be put in a house of freaks,
and to be honest I have, but they are awesome freaks!<br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Thursday I had the joys to come in for a meeting in
mission development and I am serious when I say joy, I had been asking for this
meeting since around New Year…. We got together, Lynette (executive director of
missions), Miriam (Director of mission development), Kellie (Associate director
of missions), and myself (director of squat all/intern); we talked on three
points, Global missions, a Florida City intergenerational mission experience, and
another intergenerational mission retreat. From Global missions we looked over
the links I had made with a Floridian College, in regards to Public Health and
our Jamaica mission, as well as the links I had made with this UMC Guatemalan
mission, you know, the one I asked the stupidly difficult questions… Yea that
one. We discussed how we were going on from there. Then for Florida City we
talked over everything that needs to be done before the trip in May, including producing an application form,
going down to work out logistics, what exactly it was we were going to do. I
will talk more on this next week, after we release all the information. Then I
was given three different family mission based retreat facilities to look into,
including ECHO, the global farm project I was at only two days before! The hope
is to sort a family retreat, which will prepare families those who want to
participate on St. Luke’s missions trips, be it local or global! I love being
involved in the development process, as many know I have a rather… strong
personality… which likes to have control, and leadership… and honestly
(although I am not at all qualified to lead or have full control… at all!),
this gives me some control over the content of these retreats, and over the
development of our partnerships!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEqAYm5BDOqJSFiq1YXNSWGDLCDOF9mIGqLWo3WwG4zBbGQcVz0H6V8OTLDKhZQSxE__1cjvgeQBUDsKhyphenhyphenLvRMY8iYITt1lVV8hRfgcVAhx-EV95JayXmd06PWpNNuW5bj4yaXJYUF3M/s1600/P1030544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEqAYm5BDOqJSFiq1YXNSWGDLCDOF9mIGqLWo3WwG4zBbGQcVz0H6V8OTLDKhZQSxE__1cjvgeQBUDsKhyphenhyphenLvRMY8iYITt1lVV8hRfgcVAhx-EV95JayXmd06PWpNNuW5bj4yaXJYUF3M/s1600/P1030544.JPG" height="145" width="200" /></a></div>
Friday was a day where I just chilled. I awoke to be invited
by Francesca, to come round and watch Maze Runner with Pedro and the other
students, though Pedro could not attend as he had DMV things to attend to, and
the students ended up busy, so we watched Maze Runner, in glorious surround
sound… which lead me to jump just a wee bit when weird sounds came from right
behind me… totally kept my cool…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then that night I had a brilliant experience, as I
celebrated my birthday, with whom I can only describe as my American family,
the Stiles-Williams. I mean they do mirror my home family in many, many ways. I
did have a moment yesterday (Monday) where Jenn, did completely mother me, I
will not give details, but it did make me laugh. They took me in, and cooked
beautiful food, gave me some gifts, then took me out to the cinema to see The
Hobbit (don’t get me started on that film…)(…I just question Peter Jacksons
belief that his direction is more creative than Tolkien’s writing is…) (…That
is all I am saying…)(…but can I also just say, Legolas is pointless and
unneeded in this film series…)(…sigh…)Anyway, we saw the film, I got closure
with the trilogy, then we returned to theirs for home baked (from a box) cake,
complete with candles and ice-cream. There is no doubt that they are a blessing
on my year here. They do everything to make me feel at home in this weird
country!<br />
<br />
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So I got home around about midnight, and came in to be asked
by my roommates “and where have you been to this hour young sir”. Now, I had
told them, so knew they were joking, but I know that they do actually care on
my where abouts and safety. They then proceeded to tell me we had to leave at
7am for the colour run 5k, which I had taken the place of Pedro on the team,
this early morning wake did not fill me with joy… So 6:45 came, I woke, put on
my white t-shirt and sports shorts and gym shoes, and forced myself into a
vaguely conscious state, and we left for the Orlando Citrus Bowl, where the
race would start and end. The race started at 8:30, but I didn’t pass the start
line till 9:04, as they let people go in large groups. I started jogging at an
even pace, only to find out my roommates decided (after 20m) that they were
going to walk it, but not I. I decided before I was going to use this a fitness
indicator, and was going to run it all, even if it killed me. I passed the
first colour zone, which was Pink. I should say for those unfamiliar with
colour runs, at these zones they spray powdered nontoxic paint on you. I should
advise you, when going through these zones, close your eyes, and mouth, and
just don’t breathe…. I couldn’t see for 10s, nearly taking out a small kid, and
was coughing pink powder up for a solid minute… but I continued round, and went
past each zone (learning from my original mistake) and finished in a time of
34minutes, which I was so happy with given: 1 I haven’t done any running in
over two years now. 2 Intern life does not have the most healthy of diets… <o:p></o:p><br />
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I arrived home, and stood in the shower a solid 30 minutes
scrubbing…. The paint didn’t want to come off, and in fact I kind of gave up on
some of it, didn’t care if I looked like I had some sort of skin disease down
the insides of my arms…. Then I took a nap…. I needed it. That afternoon we saw
Selma, that is Andrew, Laura (the one I dropped two pumpkins on her foot, and
fired one at her face accidently in October…) Pedro, and myself went with the
youth (and by that I mean two youth, one of whom was Laura’s daughter).
Honestly Selma was massively educational and emotional for me, having known
very little on the civil rights movement here in America!<o:p></o:p></div>
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That night I came home to my roommates, having to decide how
to celebrate my 20<sup>th</sup>… this took a solid hour and a half, as I didn’t
fancy going to an 18 and up night club, where I couldn’t have anything to
drink, mini golf was way out of an intern budget, so we settled on using house
money to go to a nice dinner. Then we went through every option from American
grill, BBQ, seafood (nope not for me….), buffet, Italian, Chinese, and finally
came to the decision of Mexican! We went to this lovely place, Colibri, which
was only a mile away. Lovely music, lovely staff, and food that was
mouth-watering (you should know by now, I like my food…)We took an after dinner
stroll down the gang walks out to the bridge, and around the local shops, it
was very peaceful. We then returned home to play cards.<br />
<br />
So not going to lie.... The next three days were very normal. Sunday was filled with Sunday school and Sunday evening programming, with the typical shenanigans after. Monday was a day of editing Sunday school videos, starting out out new programming plugged in, an after school programme, where youth come play games, do homework and just generally chill out!<br />
Tuesday I wrote this blog, started work on a mission experience which I will be talking about very soon, and went to the Stiles-Williams.<br />
<br />
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<b><u>Prayers<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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Of course continue to pray for the Stiles-Williams, with
another Chemo week coming up, and Grace having two scholarship interviews this
week, I am sure you can appreciate the stress that they are facing, but I am
sure you can appreciate also, how despite all this, they have such kindness in
them to still look out for me!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prayers for Pedro, and his heart.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prayers for my friend Fran, as she works out some stuff.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prayers for Andrew, as he continues his path in ministry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prayers for my family back home.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Reflection<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here is the thing, last blog, I talked on Branches, and
how it was amazing to see the service dedication, within their community. I
commented how a huge percentage of congregant help in the service days, whereas
at most larger churches, it is a tiny percent that actually is active in the
community that the church works in. It got me thinking on what we as Christians
are called to be. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You know, the bible says Declare His glory among the nations, His
wonders among all peoples, and make disciples of all nations, and above all
love each other as you have been loved. Now it is very possible I have some
very dodgy theology here, but how can we
live into these commands if we only go
to church on a Sunday, or are only active within the walls of the church while
at worship. Surely this means we should be out there, serving? I mean what
better way to teach the gospel than to actually act through it! I am by no
means saying I am good at this…. I suck at this… if it weren’t for the fact I
am interning, I would not be well involved in the community my church connects
to, but I am trying to use this internship, to put in place some foundations
that will stick with me for the rest of my days, and I only put this out there
to share my thoughts from processing all I saw at Branches. I did find this
video helpful when exploring these thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lPswLWIXD7g" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Peace, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Owain<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-43133049149419691502015-01-29T20:01:00.000-08:002015-01-30T06:48:09.700-08:00Week thirteen to Seventeen: Too much stuff in it to think of a summary title... <div align="center" class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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…</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="background: font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4XyM5f8JSQDWX2IESmzd-xPjki1rqsR_MkuGRvvKcicjxy_OhYaSyC4DvtfXDznOnza3Di77mrENCsWKkhoSNCcEm3sgnU2BDfEoSfNconSyteyx205BiX6lr6yJCaVovEo2befDJOU/s1600/Abbies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl4XyM5f8JSQDWX2IESmzd-xPjki1rqsR_MkuGRvvKcicjxy_OhYaSyC4DvtfXDznOnza3Di77mrENCsWKkhoSNCcEm3sgnU2BDfEoSfNconSyteyx205BiX6lr6yJCaVovEo2befDJOU/s1600/Abbies.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andrew And I Photo Bombing the four Abbies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">
Oh yea I kind of lost the dogs for an hour, but eventually got them back…</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8KK6DdBTCI6_FTON6KcsKKjngB6ITbLRa0Epo3W-7-dgww1DYLdLr_vaQrNF7EZmIDl0-7FG_8YmFcwUokZOupUrx4eeMnnaJgOUAsi4tU7ooNu6KqLshCq_HbHJBnAFS6Nso65SzmQ/s1600/P1030342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE8KK6DdBTCI6_FTON6KcsKKjngB6ITbLRa0Epo3W-7-dgww1DYLdLr_vaQrNF7EZmIDl0-7FG_8YmFcwUokZOupUrx4eeMnnaJgOUAsi4tU7ooNu6KqLshCq_HbHJBnAFS6Nso65SzmQ/s1600/P1030342.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a Christmas service, but the redefined contemporary.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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….</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienMJRzPOCtm_rIQ1DbggUaQAGFJeWbGC3V0trJJeAn01Rul4fSCGynmPzSTyYNy1F6Im8M8XR7iFEIFC4KOyJFxRC7KIZ_nJOjfNm3oUXPyB9tux5qAa2bOOllhcml7d6rbeeeL2rjJY/s1600/Football.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienMJRzPOCtm_rIQ1DbggUaQAGFJeWbGC3V0trJJeAn01Rul4fSCGynmPzSTyYNy1F6Im8M8XR7iFEIFC4KOyJFxRC7KIZ_nJOjfNm3oUXPyB9tux5qAa2bOOllhcml7d6rbeeeL2rjJY/s1600/Football.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go sports team!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br />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!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyZnlwY9trknF56Or40YYhDCadfrYW9h5MaFb-5khbJf_k89I-WmdifClqqePsgvnaMkv-nzCjeThyLpZW4yh1N3Bj0l03GJUKKA7Cw_QriN-DRK4BoiFU4K_UYEqbkKWmoHCI4wY96U/s1600/Dead.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyZnlwY9trknF56Or40YYhDCadfrYW9h5MaFb-5khbJf_k89I-WmdifClqqePsgvnaMkv-nzCjeThyLpZW4yh1N3Bj0l03GJUKKA7Cw_QriN-DRK4BoiFU4K_UYEqbkKWmoHCI4wY96U/s1600/Dead.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A accident sees Andrew impaled... this was a joke.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyaWvJU5HQYH-oRa7fodlHCzgMove17941ELG68b4uWSFFd_MWifdC7UIJPTwWjGo0BPUND0P4hpAxwc44FUwldsP3HvfxQ2HaGm8etge36oz3WiJVfdKrRbiwWu93lwLKHJ55O9amzE/s1600/P1030506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyaWvJU5HQYH-oRa7fodlHCzgMove17941ELG68b4uWSFFd_MWifdC7UIJPTwWjGo0BPUND0P4hpAxwc44FUwldsP3HvfxQ2HaGm8etge36oz3WiJVfdKrRbiwWu93lwLKHJ55O9amzE/s1600/P1030506.JPG" height="184" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> 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. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">The rest of the
time was used to relax. I swam and sat on the beach the rest of the day. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYDTY5Oj8VO4hODUr2IY0rH70dkwrgZ1zUshj-ebldBOogU-DDdn2gfA1ARrK6zne-HFNCV06XXtfyrRx8HZEDkif4_JTOKI2M-FRvlV0ZR78lWgG7fFneXR7pt3rnBeZmmmusVRkpC0/s1600/Princess+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqYDTY5Oj8VO4hODUr2IY0rH70dkwrgZ1zUshj-ebldBOogU-DDdn2gfA1ARrK6zne-HFNCV06XXtfyrRx8HZEDkif4_JTOKI2M-FRvlV0ZR78lWgG7fFneXR7pt3rnBeZmmmusVRkpC0/s1600/Princess+me.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">That brings us
up to now!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><u2:p></u2:p><u2:p></u2:p>Prayers</span></u></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Prayer I
continue to find more, and more powerful each week, as I continue this walk of mission, ministry, and faith. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Keep my roommate
Pedro in prayer.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Pray for Andrew.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Pray for my
youth.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">And pray for
Keria.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Continued
prayers for my strength, and passion in my current field of work
would be appreciated.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">"Forty Four games" will return next week...</span></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"> <b><u>Reflection</u></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">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!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<u1:p></u1:p>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><br /><br />
Peace,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Owain.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-31932119053075281472015-01-29T15:37:00.002-08:002015-01-29T15:37:54.716-08:00Sorry, Sorry, SorryDear one and all whom read my blog.<br />
<br />
I am truly sorry for not keeping you up to date with my goings on over here state side. This past month has been madly busy with retreats and visits to mission partners, and then everything else that is usually in my week!<br />
I am in the middle of creating a blog for the total of January, which should be along soon.<br />
Once again sorry.<br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
OwainAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-61624306317650329732015-01-06T12:56:00.004-08:002015-01-06T13:12:46.173-08:00An Open Letter to My Friends the YAMM-ers<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;">
Owain H. Campton<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;">
Yamm-lando<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;">
Florida<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;">
USA<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
YAMM-ers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
St. Petersburg, Orlando, Jacksonville<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Florida<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
USA<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
My friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
I
pray this letter finds you in a good place. The whole point in these devotions,
and what you all have done in each of your carefully crafted pieces, was to
motivate, support, and show love to each of us. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Let me say I love each one of
you, whole heartedly, and you may say “but Owain you only know me from our
winter retreat of three days” or “who is this Owain?!” as you have just started
on this programme. I love each of you because I know what you are doing! You have
intentionally started to serve in a mission setting, and either this makes you
absolutely mad, or means you have a heart to serve, and care for others, in
missions or ministry! I am of course presuming you are mostly the second, of
these, and I love you for that! (Though
to be fair I am almost definitely a bit of both)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I hope you all can see the
effect of the powerful work, which should be enough to motivate you all to
continue; If you cannot though, I want you to know that no matter what you do,
no matter how small the ripple, as long as it is fully through the name of God,
you will be making tidal waves somewhere, and you may not ever see it, but if
you are working for the Glory of God, he will definitely have a plan, and you
are most certainly a part of it!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of you are starting up,
and may be worried; some of you have, and are leaving us early, and both groups
will be feeling a set of emotions at this time. Be this the feeling you couldn’t
see your work to completion, or be it not fully sure exactly how your work is
going to unfold. Take it from me, it doesn’t matter what trials you may go
through, but it is all going to be okay. I have in my mind been to hell and
back, and I know no matter how hard it may get, God I always behind you, even
if you do not think you can always see him, have faith, he is there for you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Family in faith, Pray! Pray,
for every single one of your concerns. From help in friendships, in work, or to
finding those lost keys, God is here for absolutely everything. Prayer is our
strongest link between us and God, because it is literally talking with our
Heavenly Father! He may not answer in as direct a way as speaking to you with
words, but he does always answer our prayers in the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before ending this letter, and
moving on to my reflection (as I do in all my recent blogs), I want to paraphrase
something a Pastor, and friend said to the church, when questioned on why women
are ordained. She (kinda) said, “I act in knowledge that when I finally meet
our maker, it is only going to be me and him. None of the people who told me I couldn’t
be a pastor because I was a women will be there, for me to say – they say I shouldn’t
be a pastor- it is only going to be me accountable”. In your calling listen to
God, don’t listen to those that put you down, who say you aren’t good enough,
or can't because you are a certain label.
Listen to God, and if he says He wants to do something…. Do it, because he
knows the plan he has for you. Think of it as we move through this year, in
work, and all we do, and as we all start wondering, what next? God will lead,
if you will follow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace,
love, and joy, and blessings to you all my friends,<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 108.0pt; text-align: center; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Owain Campton.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Reflection</u></b><br />
This week I was working on programming for Youth and Children's Ministries, and coming up to lent we are both looking at The Apostle's Creed, and I got all the videos for it, and after spending around ten hours on the children's ministry work, I looked at it last night, to check if it all was solid (aka Good)... At least I would have, if I hadn't lost the document... Ten hours of work gone... so after slightly panicking, I started trying to pull together some stuff together for it, and I stumbled across this video, which I now will be using for Youth ministry when the time comes. To think if I hadn't lost my work, I wouldn't have seen this, and wouldn't get to share it with my youth. Shows God works, amidst technical disaster.<br />
It really got me thinking about what we really mean when we run off the Creed. Just like the Lord's prayer, we have a tendency to not even think about what we are saying. I hope this video gets you thinking as it did I.<br />
Peace,<br />
Owain.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0YNeTwWU1RE" width="480"></iframe> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-74090456843344799772014-12-25T15:46:00.001-08:002014-12-25T15:50:21.491-08:00Week Eight -Week Twelve: The Great Advent Blog.<div class="MsoNormal">
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So I have been real busy over the past month since my last
blog, guess it comes with the territory of being a Churches Intern. So instead
of doing my usual run through of my weeks day by day, I’m going to do a summary
of what I’ve been doing in my separate departments, and my personal time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s start off with my work in <b>Children’s Ministry</b>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Since the start of November we have been focusing on the
advent series. Each week we would read scripture relating to a particular
candle from the Advent wreath (Hope, Peace, Joy, Love, and the Christ candle). Then
we would do some home baking with the children, from biscuits (American biscuits
are like a scone with no sugar), to peppermint bark. I would then lead a story
time, and a craft activity.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently the team has started onto planning the curriculum for
children’s ministry Wednesday evening programing, between the start of January,
and Lent. For this I’m helping via
finding videos relating to the elements of worship, to the Apostle’s Creed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Also On Christmas eve, we had the Child participation Nativity
pageant. This is where family bring their young children, dressed as Mary’s and
Joseph’s (A roommate and I think the plural of Joseph should be Josephie), as
well as other nativity roles, and some non-nativity characters (like dinosaurs).
The children then participate by coming up to the Manger scene, as directed by
pastor Bill, when their part of the Christmas story was read from the Gospel of
Mathew and Luke. I had the honour of reading said story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let’s move on now, to my time with <b>Youth Ministry</b> </div>
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Over the past month I have started to introduce my sports
small group to tag rugby, they seem to vaguely enjoy it…. I have been starting
to get a bit more involved in writing bible studies and curriculum for the
Sunday school. Just before December we wrote our curriculum on the Advent
series (what can I say we are adventurous), and currently are writing the
curriculum for up till lent.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The adult Youth praise band have also had a number of
performances including one where we did a cover of amazing grace, to the tune
sweet home Alabama.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of course from my time with the Youth, comes <b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Forty-four games that I
thought would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow didn’t….<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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#8 Escape
the Fire<o:p></o:p></div>
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We got
every youth in a group and surrounded them by a rope, which was raised up,
representing fire, the group then had to get everyone out of the fire without
them touching the rope, this is particularly tricky for the last couple of
people. If someone touches the fire, then they and three others return into the
fire!<o:p></o:p></div>
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#9 Blind
dot race…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Get teams
of three together and blindfold one of each team, and then place ten numbered
dots (1-10) on the ground, at random. The
teammates must guide the blindfolded member, without entering the course, to
hit every dot, in order. They do this by yelling left, right, forward, back etc…
if they hit a number out of order, they have to start from the beginning. <o:p></o:p></div>
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#10
Elves Vs Reindeer<o:p></o:p></div>
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We also had our large Christmas game, Elves Vs Reindeer,
which was a capture the flag game, where my team, the mighty mighty elves,
destroyed those devilish reindeer. Of course we used marshmallow guns, to
defend ourselves. We set out a field the size of a football (soccer) pitch,
along with plywood Christmas trees to hide behind. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Along with our Elves Vs Reindeer we also had a bonfire (not
like the ones on the twelfth… by a long shot) with smores, and hotdogs, along
with a campfire sing-along which didn’t work out at all, because everyone was
too involved in their own wee conversations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now we will move on to my time in <b>Missions. <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Through the month we spent time doing housing survey in the
East Winter Garden area. This is what we will use to measure development over
the years. We also had a massive Christmas shop, where we took donations of
gifts we asked for, and sold them to families for $1-$5 depending on the RRP of
the gift. At the actual shop I spent all afternoon in the kitchen cooking, and
then the evening I did craft with the children as their parents went to the Christmas
shop!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I have also been doing a number of research projects for the
global missions department, in regards our Jamaican and Guatemalan missions. As
always I have been doing a lot of database entry for them to help keep a
register of all our volunteers, and to help keep people connected.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now for something completely different, my time spent with <b>Worship</b> <b>Team.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I did to worship related tasks this month; one was to take
part in the lighting of the advent candle of Joy, along with the other four St.
Luke’s interns. In this I had to write a small passage on how we bring joys to
others, and I was told I could do it with a sense of humour, so I took this to
the next level and rewrote the lyrics to “We Three Kings…”, this is what I wrote:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>We four interns of
pure joy are,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Bearing little we
traverse a far,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>One from Ireland,
three from Florida,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Spreading Joy near
and far…<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>OHHHHHH…….<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>We make people
smile each day,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Smile from pranks that
we do play,<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Be it in missions or
in ministry <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>We bring God Joy
hear this day.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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I also took part in the live nativity tour, where I was the tour
guide, narrator, and the Angle Gabriel. The tour went through the whole St.
Luke’s campus, talking on our different departments, arriving at different
scenes from the nativity. What can I say, play the Arc Angle Gabriel, was the
role of a lifetime.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, onto some of how I’ve spent my <b>Free Time.<o:p></o:p></b><br />
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I spent thanksgiving with Andrew my boss, and had one meal
at his family, and family friends, as well as one at his wife, Sarah’s, Family.
The food was brilliant at both, and in all honesty the only two dishes I recognised,
were turkey, and roast beef. My favourite new dish, was the sweet potato mash,
served and cooked in a half orange, topped with marshmallow, (marshmallow I hear
you cry, all I can say is welcome to ‘Merica).<br />
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The evening ended with Andrew and
I, meeting up with Pedro, and then going shopping, from 8PM, till 10AM, this
was the infamous Black Friday shopping trip. I must say the deals were impressive,
for instance there were $600 suits for $100-$200, or xbox 360’s for $99.<o:p></o:p><br />
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Recently we had the Yamm-lando (the name we have given the Orlando,
YAMM house) Christmas dinner, where we exchanged Secret Santa Gifts, and had a
meal, and watched elf.<br />
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No matter how much we may get on each other’s nerves at
times, just like a family, we always do end up having a good time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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We also produced a wee reflection on what we are joyful for, to go to our leading lady Heidi (the Yamm-commander)</div>
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<b><u>Reflection </u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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After a powerful experience praising God with middle
schoolers at a program we were helping run (Wildlife) where we also played
Elves Vs Reindeer, I really took a hard look at how I worship and praise, which
ended with me writing a bible study for Wednesday night youth on my personal
and scripture findings. I ended on with this video, which I actually saw at my
first St. Luke’s staff meeting, way back in October, and to be honest it says
much more than I could possibly write down here… <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>Prayer Requests</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Please continue prayers for my pastor, and in my eyes a
friend, Jenn Stiles-Williams, who is still battling with what she now calls
Stupid (Cancer), and is currently going through Ridiculous (her term for chemotherapy) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Please pray for the health of Jayne Andrews, my Children’s
ministry boss, as she recovers from surgery, and continues her battle with
Cancer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Please keep my roommate, co-worker, and best mate Pedro in
mind, as he now needs more medical treatment on his heart, as it is continuing
to enlarge. He will be at the doctors again on Monday.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Please pray for my other roommate and best friend Shakeria,
as she deals with certain issues in her life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Please pray for my father, that his health may be restored,
and possessions stolen from him returned.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Please keep my in your prayers as well, that I may continue
to see the guiding hand of God, through my work, and that I stay motivated. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<br />
Peace<br />
Owain</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-16740866534630839722014-11-29T12:22:00.001-08:002014-11-29T12:24:26.700-08:00Week Seven: Social Justice, and Money, Money, Money... must be funny.... <div class="MsoNormal">
Finally I am (kinda) caught up, yes it has involved three
blogs in one week, but no matter, I am caught up!<o:p></o:p></div>
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This week started off with a Wednesday meeting in Children’s
Ministries, once again planning what we were doing that day, and also looking
towards January programing. I then had two hours of trying to start looking at
the youth Sunday school curriculum for the next six weeks. By that I meant I
was looking at what needed to be done, we have to write and record video
messages, pick verses, as well as write questions. There is a lot to be done,
but thankfully we have two weeks off from Sunday school to prepare. I then had
a meeting with my Boss-boss, Lynette,
and my two sub-bosses, Andrew and Jayne, to try clear up my timetable,
so I would not be pulled in too many directions at once. That afternoon I took children through the
story of the shepherds, using scripture, and the book “The Donkey in the Living
Room”, which in my opinion is a bit young for the eldest in the class, but
perfect for the youngest. Then as the week was “Peace” we all did some painting
in watercolours, to calm, peaceful classical music, that is if you can call “A
Night on Bare Mountain” calm, or peaceful….<o:p></o:p></div>
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The evenings youth programing was small groups, as usual, in
which my sports group played thirty minutes of Ultimate Frisbee, and thirty
minutes Basketball…. As I now realise I am shocking at making shots…. I blame
this on having an arm that has the careful controlled power, of a learner
driver in a Ferrari. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Thursday first thing was a Missions Staff meeting in the new
property in East Winter Garden, including a tour of the house. It was a lot
better than I imagined, and I truly can see the potential there now. The
meeting was basically the norm after the tour, we went through plans and
movements up till Martin Luther King Jr Day in January. The rest of the day was
devoted to database work, and getting ready for camp.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Friday, I awoke bright and early, to go shopping for a tie
dye shirt. I was one of the leaders of Team Tie Dye at the Warren Willis Social
Justice Youth Camp. So I got a funky shirt with a weird floating cat head on it…
Tie Dye is hard to find, so I took the first shirt I could find…. Then Pedro
and I headed to the church to help build banners for the three teams our youth
group where part of, Pink, Yellow, and obviously the best: Tie Dye.<br />
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This is
where Andrew, the youth director, introduced us to his new nerf gun, with
rocket launcher. It is dangerous. At around 17:30 we boarded the bus with
youth, to take the hour and a bit journey to the camp. Once we arrived we had a
worship service and communion, in which they introduced us to the topic of the
weekend, focusing around love, and equality. That night, as a youth we sat down
to go a bit more into depth on what we would be looking at, as well as trying
to get across the message that we were to treat every opinion in our group with
fairness, and non-aggressive responses.<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Saturday, we all were awoken early, by the glorious sound of
the Bagpipes, played by Andrew. It is definitely one way to get a teenager
outta their beds, and I encourage parents to try it, on those days they’d
rather not go to school. After breakfast we had morning worship, and then split
into our rotation groups. St. Luke’s first rotation was to small groups, where
each of our three groups, went a talked amongst themselves on the topic of the
camp. In my group I found it very interesting to see their responses to the
idea of loving everyone. It wasn’t just a unanimous response of yes we will
love everyone, as to move the topic on, but they engaged well as to discuss the
difficulties of doing so. <br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our second rotation was that on a talk of equality, focusing
around the stories of the “Freedom Riders”, a story I had never heard, on the
groups of people of many backgrounds, who came to the south to challenge the
laws on segregation, by sitting in the opposite area of the bus than was
designated to their skin colour. It was a interesting talk, however may have
been able to delve in a bit deeper into the topic. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Third rotation for us was a workshop on how we should focus
on similarities rather than differences. We did a “power walk” where we moved
to left or right side of the room depending on where we fitted in. For example
one was “go to the left if you were born outside of the states, go to the right
if you were born here.” I and two others were on the left. Then we started
talking about feelings we show, or do not show in public, and it got a bit
weird from there in. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_RH60L6VA2wv5qD0E3SnVY2rlzI5VZB1BpNdqd9UfnRJOO9X4gVdiFoNZQeYeXPOvgxn8gh2Un34nGlVuc26BFCfnAbqPr_G-EbHZY2k39ov_rpA29we1Y1ziuUK8WTGEE4LiWx6XEw/s1600/20141115_105032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii_RH60L6VA2wv5qD0E3SnVY2rlzI5VZB1BpNdqd9UfnRJOO9X4gVdiFoNZQeYeXPOvgxn8gh2Un34nGlVuc26BFCfnAbqPr_G-EbHZY2k39ov_rpA29we1Y1ziuUK8WTGEE4LiWx6XEw/s1600/20141115_105032.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a>Final rotation was that of colour-wars tug of war, in which
it was a three way tug of war between Yellow, pink, and the great Tie Dye. All I
can say is that it was rigged….<o:p></o:p></div>
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The final rotation was followed by the full colour wars, in
which there were more games, and races, like a giant ski race, and wheelbarrow
race, and jump-rope challenge. This finished in a group race through a bounce
house, obstacle course. Team Tie Dye did well in the races, winning a number of
them, and with the bagpipes blaring we fought well, but at the end of the day
it was to no avail, as the games were rigged from the start, as a demonstration
to how this world isn’t fair… Or so I was told, so the Black Team won.<o:p></o:p><br />
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That evening we had worship and communion again, and the
sermon was interesting. It was focusing, as was the topic, on equality across
all areas, race, sexual orientation, gender, all areas. However at times I felt
the sermon became a bit more focused on anecdotes rather than any other
content. Looking back on it I feel I got caught up in the moment, thinking it
was great, but honestly think it was a bit thin, and could have pushed the
issue further.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sunday morning was much the same with worship and communion
before we headed homeward. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Once back at St. Luke’s, Pedro, Andrew and I got Greek Gyro
(Kebab meet to you and I) and then came back to the Attic youth hall and napped
for an hour before youth praise band practise. Who knows why we decided having
youth fellowship straight after camp was a good idea.<o:p></o:p><br />
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That night at youth in small groups, we were once again
talking about who to invest in using a micro loan. I was taking the 7<sup>th</sup>
grade girls, which after organising them, so as not everyone was just shouting
over one another, lead to great discussion over the topic. I arranged it as a
mini debate, so they could raise a person they believed should be invested in
and they had to argue their case, followed by opening it to someone against the
case, then we voted. It worked well, however to keep things fair, I had to
inform them when they said something that was factually incorrect, which to be
honest only happened a few times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Monday was very much a recovery day from camp. The house
went shopping, and that was about it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuesday morning was spent in a heart breaking staff meeting,
where we found out people working at the church, above a certain age, where now
being offered early retirement packages, as the church is now into the red to
the tune of $250,000. This is not due to over spending by the departments, as
they actually underspent, by around $140,000. It is actually due to the lack of
offering from the congregation, as St Luke’s is an entirely self-funded organisation;
it relies on its members tithing. I know many reading this can't really help
St. Luke’s, but I pray that whatever church you may go to, you think about your
giving, as we tend to be spontaneous, sporadic, givers, but charities and
churches need, thought out, constant givers. So instead of just a couple of
pounds or dollars in the charity box at Tesco, or the spare change in your
pockets into the offering, why not actually look at what you give
spontaneously, and decide to put than money to one cause? Why not look at your
income, and look at the percentage you give to the church, and try to increase
it by a tenth every other month, till you reach a percentage you believe is
fair?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuesday night I cooked for the house, and Heidi, and enjoyed
the joyful fellowship of roommates.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Forty-four games that
I thought would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow didn’t….<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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#7 Ghost in the grave yard.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Get the children or youth to lie on the ground face up (they
are the dead), in a darkened room, have a single ghost go around, and try make
them laugh. If a child laughs, they two become a ghost and do the same. Aim is
to be the last one on the ground, by keeping a straight face.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This Video is my <b><u>Thought
from the Week</u></b>! I saw this wee lad for the first time, in this video
which was used at camp. This Kid President, not only is hilarious, but raises
the great point, of how we need to work together, regardless of differences, to
create and try to make this world a better place.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Prayer request as always for my dear friends in the
Stiles-Williams family, as well as all my housemates, and fellow interns
working as YAMM, that they stay motivated and enthused by their work, and that
they are shown all the appreciation the deserve.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Owain.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-26276321639315837832014-11-21T18:59:00.001-08:002014-11-21T18:59:13.431-08:00Week Six. Christmas strikes back!<div class="MsoNormal">
Week six, or as I apparently pronounce it “week Sex” due to
my accent… they wind me up about my pronunciations a lot, but hey, such is
communal living. Yet again I am a week late, so please accept my apologies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Week Six started with the start Christmas… Yes, here as soon
as Halloween is over, Christmas begins. Of course they have thanksgiving here
(the last Thursday of November), but seem to overlook it and start playing
Christmas tunes everywhere. So I came
into St. Luke’s to have a meeting in Children’s ministries, on what we were
doing now the Genesis session was over, and also to start planning our topics
come January, because we only had four weeks of programming before we finished
for the two weeks off at Christmas, and with one week off at Thanksgiving, we
had to start onto the Advent series… Yes I had to start talking about the
Christmas story in November. So we agreed on the order of each week, in which I
would take the kids who came in for the second half of afternoon programming,
and those who remained from the first half (as many go off to the children’s
choir), and I would read them a Christmas themed story, along with the
corresponding scripture from Matthew and Luke, along with organising a
corresponding craft activity, and either preparing games for them, or bringing
them to the playground. Although I don’t yet feel in the Christmas spirit, I
still love getting to read with the children, and talk to them about what they
do at Christmas. Their wee worlds are just brilliant.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I went straight from that meeting to another, this time with
global Missions in regards to the phone call script I wrote up in preparation
to trying to set up a new missions partner with our Jamaica Health Mission.
Apparently the letter was completely perfect, then we went on to change
everything except four lines…. It was funny though, to see how some phrases I
use are just not used here in the States, there are a number of cultural
differences I have started to pick up on recently.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That afternoon I had children’s ministries, and youth
ministries between three PM and eight PM.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Thursday started off with a staff meeting for Missions,
where we went over the plans between now and Martin Luther King Day in January.
Basically a lot going on over Christmas…. And I mean a lot…. More on that as it
comes. But afterwards I worked a bit more on a Jamaica partnership and then
went and did my first ground work in East Winter Garden. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In EWG Shakeria and I, went around rating houses by
appearance, and maintenance needed to the roof, garden, and other structures.
We did it by street so we could map out the assets in the community, to set
down a general marker, which we can compare the community to in a year to give
us an idea on how the transformation is going. It was another good experience
to compare and contrast communities from back home with East Winter. After we
just sat in the park, which consists of two basketball courts, and a play park,
and I just sat and observed the people around. It was not that different to
areas of Ballybeen, or Finaghy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Friday I was off all day and did absolutely nothing… I just
sat back and chilled.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Saturday was another Christmas experience, with the United
Methodist Women’s Christmas Bazaar (I still stand by that it should be bizarre
as it is so early). I was there for just after eight to sell doughnuts and
coffee, for the youth fellowship scholarship fund, followed by selling pizza
and soda at lunch. To start off, the doughnut guy never showed up, so Pedro had
to pick up some from Publix (equivalent to a regular Tesco). Publix only had a
dozen. They sold in a flash. Then as it was sports day, and Liverpool FC and
Ireland where playing I was checking the score every so often under my small
sub sales desk, leading to the Youth Director, Andrew, getting a picture of me
looking as if I was asleep… I was not… </div>
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To wrap it up, the pizza was late, so
instead of getting three deliveries at 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30, we got three
around 12:15…. We still sold a lot, and made a good bit of money to the Youth
scholarship. Within my time at the Bazaar I saw way too much Christmas, and
also a scale replica of the titanic (pictured along with proud new owner), it
was just mad!<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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I went home and watched the last ten minutes of Ireland’s
glorious victory over South Africa, which I had sent my family back home to!
After that I just did as little as possible. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sunday started off with Sunday School, where I was with the
7<sup>th</sup> and 8<sup>th</sup> graders. I cannot stress how hyper they are…
and this is at 9:30 in the morning! Still I love working with them! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I then had Sunday contemporary worship, where we looked at
the How to Be Rich series on stewardship, particularly fitting, given St.
Luke’s current financial status, due to a lack of financial donations through
the offering.</div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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Sunday afternoon me Andrew and Pedro sat down and designed a
game, which didn’t require us to go by anything else, as to save as much as we
can, so this game possibly was one of the more dangerous ones, please do see
below for details. So at Youth Fellowship we played this mad game, and then we
had a message from Miriam, whom I work with in global missions, on a task the
youth were in charge of. The task was, they were to decide where $500, would
go, out of a number of cases in Mexico and Malawi, who were applying for a
micro loan, to develop their business, and to help local the community economy.
It is a great opportunity for youth, to just sit down and talk over these
cases, and to think about pros and cons on where this money goes, I love how
they are actually given control over the money and where it goes, and not made
to just observe what happens. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Monday I came into work, to help Andrew and Pedro, on the
new Sunday school curriculum, along with some database entry. We discussed and
planned the next four weeks, up to the Christmas, break, and we (as you could
guess) are going to focus on advent, mainly joy, peace, and hope, Christmas
break starts too early to do love. So we will be scripting, and recording
videos for these classes over the next weeks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuesday was another staff meeting where we looked onto the
next How to be rich video, which was a very powerful message on how God is not
impressed by the amount you give, not by the number of zeros after a number,
but by the percentage you give, to paraphrase. Imagine how much the church
could do if we all just gave 5% (never mind the tithing 10%). So much more
could be done. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Forty-four games that
I thought would end with a child in hospital, but somehow didn’t…<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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#6 The Mummy Obstacle Course<o:p></o:p></div>
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So this came about as we were looking through our youth
store room, to see what we had to make a game out of. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Basically you need shaving foam, paper plates, baby diapers,
and lots of toilet role, and things to create an obstacle course. Split the youth into teams of six, five have
to complete the obstacle course, to collect supplies, of one plate of shaving
foam, one baby diaper, and three toilet roles. They then dress the sixth up as
an Egyptian Mummy, by wrapping them in paper and putting shaving foam in the diaper,
and putting the diaper on their head. Prizes for, the first group to finish,
and for the best looking Mummy. </div>
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<o:p></o:p><br />
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In our obstacle course we had a wall of boxes for them to
dive over onto gym mats, followed by two crawl tunnels made out of large boxes
and hoola-hoops, ending in a wheelchair race, round a cone course.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I want to start something this week that I will try to do each week. I will post a video, or a post I have seen, that has made me go "hmmmm" with a brief thought on it. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><u>A Thought from the Week</u></b></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/itvnQ2QB4yc" width="480"></iframe>
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This is a video which I first saw in my second week of my work here, and I recently saw it again in the past week, and I don't believe it has been seen back home that much. It especially speaks to me trying to move towards a life of following the teaching from John 13:34 <b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;">“A new command</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26665A" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26665A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> I give you: Love one another.</span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26665B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26665B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"> As I have loved you, so you must love one another."</span></b><br />
I feel there is little else I need to say about this video, as it already says so much.<br />
<br />
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So ends my sixth week, week seven, and prayer requests will
soon follow.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-13611665175873021232014-11-17T09:44:00.001-08:002014-11-20T13:10:32.833-08:00Week Five, Run Through!So the past two weeks I have been neglecting my blog. I have also been forgetting to take photos. so this week is going to be a lot of words, with little colour, I am sorry, I hope next week will be more exciting.<br />
<br />
To be honest the majority of the weeks were just work as normal, nothing to spectacular at all so in this blog I am going to just run through what I did in brief, and then I will expand on some of the interesting, or new things I have started on.<br />
So Wednesday the 29th was business as usual. I worked with children ministries, then youth ministries, and it all very uneventful. That night however, Three college students, Pedro, and Andrew (youth director), and I, went to universal studios, to go to Halloween Horror Nights. Basically Americans take Halloween to a level I have never really experienced. In the park there where entertainers dressed in scary attire, all from films, like The Purge. There were also scare houses, which you would queue up to walk through a house filled with strobe lighting, dry ice fog, and entertainers dressed and acting to try make you jump out of your skin. I honestly would have found it relatively terrifying, if it weren't for the fact one of the college students (Francesca) was so freaked out, it was comical. She actually put herself in a head lock with her head buried deep into Andrews stomach, as to not see anything. Most amusing. We unfortunately only got through two houses, as we were given false information on opening hours, but despite that I had a great time.<br />
<br />
The next day (Thursday the 30th) I had missions staff meeting first thing, followed by a meeting with Marian Megistie, who is currently overseeing Global Missions. We discussed a project she wanted me to help with. She wanted me to research University of South Florida's Public Health department, to get contact details for faculty in the different sections of the department. This is because we are needing to change the mission direction in Jamaica, due to suggestion by the Jamaican Government. Recently Jamaica has had to take on a loan from the world bank, and this was followed by terms that they'd raise taxes everywhere, including now taxing missionaries. So we have been working with them to find a way of striking a deal to reduce the amount the missionaries are taxed.<br />
So that day I spent researching USF Public Health.<br />
<br />
Friday 31st, I was meant to be off, but instead I came in to help with the final day at the pumpkin patch, then skyped home, and went to the UCF Wesley Halloween party.<br />
<br />
Saturday the 1st of November, I spent the morning at a farmers market, in Winter Park, followed by lunch with Sarah, and a couple of her friends. The afternoon however, I travelled to East Winter Garden, to help with the running of a Dreams for our Community meeting. East winter is essentially a working class community, which is highly under developed in areas. I found it great listening to all the hopes the residents had, and just hearing their stories. It was a great to be able to compare and contrast the differences and look at similarities between some of the communities back home and EWG.<br />
After East Winter Garden the St Luke's Interns went to Amy Winslow's house, as they were having a scary movie marathon, with food. you will find that typically, if there is food, the interns will be there.<br />
<br />
Sunday was normal, we had Sunday morning bible school, then worship, followed by planing for youth that night. At YF we used the youth to clear the pumpkin patch of the remaining pumpkins.<br />
<br />
On Monday the 3rd, I was off. However Jenn Stiles-Williams, was in surgery, so Sam, and I went to the Stiles-Williams residence with brownies. We chilled there for two and a half Harry Potter films (That is an official measurement of time). I also got to do some quantum mechanics, which was refreshing.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday the 4th, we had the usual staff meeting, where we are all studying Andy Stanley's How to Be Rich, which I highly recommend to anyone reading this, it raises many great points on how we look at our finances, and how we look at our giving, and how we look at our priorities of what in life is truly important.<br />
<br />
<div>
<b>Forty-Four games that I thought would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow didn't...</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>#5 Ultimate Rock, Paper, Scissors</b></div>
<div>
Okay this wasn't that dangerous, at all, but still was a great youth game, which this segment is really about. Everyone starts of playing a game of R,P,S against an opponent, who ever looses ha to follow the victor around, and then you repeat, between victors, who ever then looses has to follow the new victor<b>, </b>with their entire team, until there is one victor, who hasn't lost a single game, and has everyone following them. </div>
<div>
I guess if you want to make it more ultimate, you could get them playing with real rock paper and scissors.... I am joking, don't do that....</div>
<br />
And this concludes my late fifth week. Week six will follow soon. along with my prayer concerns.<br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
Owain Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-38042579122982869572014-11-09T20:49:00.000-08:002014-11-09T21:28:50.157-08:00The Zombie Blog! <div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuATl9oSJRl2KzyoUIdJu6Hib7AwqjzICqCDLrNhgUVecUPMYcaAXS0SBHAVfqOK40g-t_Vtf4gAgMvRxVCUPQM3yaISYrlzcc6d5eRoEiCS6q-TY4SgUo4Zk53OdQRJz2982c8_Rt9w/s1600/The+end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOuATl9oSJRl2KzyoUIdJu6Hib7AwqjzICqCDLrNhgUVecUPMYcaAXS0SBHAVfqOK40g-t_Vtf4gAgMvRxVCUPQM3yaISYrlzcc6d5eRoEiCS6q-TY4SgUo4Zk53OdQRJz2982c8_Rt9w/s1600/The+end.jpg" height="240" width="400" /></a></div>
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It is around mid-day, the date is 26<sup>th</sup> of October
2014, or at least that’s what I think it is, I’m not too sure anymore. I’ve
lost track of the days… <o:p></o:p></div>
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It started in Canada, apparently, but it’s everywhere now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The sun is not too high in the sky any more. I reckon I have
a few more hours of light.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are only a number real humans left; the weapons are
having little effect on these…. These things! It takes at least three clear
shots to take one of them down. Nobody is safe, it doesn't distinguish between
children or adults, it just attacks. It just doesn't care. I have heard rumours
of a cure. I pray that this isn't just another wind up, I don’t know how much
longer I can survive out here alone. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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The sun is nearly down now, but I have found a group. They are
nine adults strong, and they say they have met someone who has the cure, but needs
us to go on a run for him, to collect some medical supplies, 12 boxes worth. I
don’t know them, but they have children, so how bad could they be. I
have learnt that the worst things out there aren't always the monsters. After
the downfall, people would turn on you at the click of a finger. We are headed
to an abandoned church now. Abandoned… everywhere is abandoned now. I should just
say “we are heading to a church building now”. Apparently there was a medical
supply centre, which still had stuff remaining! <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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It’s now fairly dark, just a hint of a glow on the horizon.
We have arrived at the church, but there is a strange noise coming from
somewhere between us and the medical centre. We have decided to take refuge in
the gym hall, to rest and let it get darker. We hope to be able to sneak around
whatever is out there. A man and a young girl from the group have gone to look round the
buildings, to try and find food… they have been away
for a while now… the others don’t seem as concerned as me… they obviously haven’t
seen the worst of what is out there… if they had seen what I have seen, they
might be a bit more worried<br />
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<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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It is now pitch black outside. I have placed my back pack
somewhere safe, that I can get to easily if something goes wrong out in the
open, I wasn’t going to take any chances. If it came to fight or flight, I was definitely
hitting that flight button.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The other two haven’t
returned, the others are finally worried. I agreed to go look… I have found crimson stains near a door… I
opened it slow, and peeked through. It was the little girl, the way she was
standing, with her back to me and slouched told me she was not one of us anymore…
no matter how many times I had seen it happen, I still felt a huge pain of
dread, and sadness. She turned round, and stared at me, and then let out that
ghostly scream and charged. I slammed the door on her, and bolted it and jammed
a nearby chair under the handles. I returned to the group, and had the horrible
task of breaking the news. The mother was there… I walked away and slid down against
the wall, nearly crying. I had decided, this was it, I was going to do anything
to get the cure, and I would no longer flee if I had the chance. I was going to
fight, for this group, for humanity.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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The group seemed to elect me leader… I had only known them a
couple of hours, but it was clear none of them had the ability to make decisive
decisions. With one member looking after the remainder of the children, and the
grieving mother, we were down to five adults and me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We snuck outside, and we saw there where at least two “zombies”.
One of them was the girl… she obviously found another way out. I spoke to the
group and decided to split up, the fastest two would try to lure the
things away, and out run them… I hope. The rest of us would then proceed to the
supply centre. The plan started off fine, they lured them away, and we went to
the supply centre, stumbling across some guns on the way, with limited ammo. We
loaded up and continued. Getting to the portable supply centre, I could tell
something was wrong. The lights were still on, well they were flickering.
They obviously were on a gas generator, but the fact they were on suggested
someone was within. We moved in, it was a
single room, but it was barren, bar one thing. A body lay on the floor. A man
emerged from the shadows, yelling “get out” holding a chain saw. “Where are the
supplies” I said. He then started up the chain saw. Two of my group ran,
followed by me and the other…<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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We were met outside
by one of the monsters. It immediately pounced on one of my crew… the rest ran
and I said sorry, and left. As we ran I tripped over something… it was a supply
box, marked 1 of 12, with a large G on it. I looked around and squinted. I saw
the outline of some of the other boxes in the dark, and figured the rest couldn’t
be too far away. 12 boxes, all nearby, maybe God was answering my constant
prayers for a cure, this couldn’t just be luck… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We started running collecting the supplies; we had got all
bar the last two boxes. That’s when we saw them in the distance. Through the
dark they were running towards us, a hoard of them all screaming. We saw the
last two boxes and ran for them. We picked them up, and legged it back to the
gym. The hoard followed. One of the two I had sent running, was back, looking pale... We locked ourselves in, but they could see us through
the glass; they weren’t going to leave us be...<o:p></o:p><br />
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We got all the supplies we needed, but now there was no hope
we would get out alive… it seemed to all be for nothing… then a bright light illuminated
the hall from behind me. I turned to see a man standing behind me. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Who are you” I exclaimed. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The man with the cure!” the mourning mother called out
shocked. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“you have done well” he stated. Show me what you have
brought me. We revealed the supply boxes to him.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Where is the cure?” I asked. At that moment he rearranged the
boxes for it to spell something, with the letters on the boxes… “GOD IS LOVE” and
three Christian symbols followed… <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is the cure you have sought, go out knowing God is
with you, and they will not harm you, touch the sick and bless them in the name
of the Lord and they will be healed…. At that moment he disappeared in a flash
of bright light. The group looked at me, and I turned to the glass, with the
monsters behind it. I moved to the doors.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you crazy?!” one of the men shouted. “God can't stop
these things”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Through God all things are possible.” I replied, as I flung
the doors open, and walked into the hoard. They did not touch me. I approached
the little girl, whose mother was within the gym. I blessed her, and immediately
I could see her complexion change, she became less pale. Her eyes deglazed. She
was cured. She fell into me. I picked her up and brought her to the mother….<o:p></o:p></div>
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I knew it was now over…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this blog was based on the fourth game in the series: <b>Forty-four
Games I thought would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow didn’t</b>. No
it isn’t the most spiritual of youth ministry games, however it brought many
new faces to the Youth fellowship, and everyone seemed to have fun. Here is my
boss to explain what the youth had to do…<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-71461372281444420992014-10-31T05:34:00.002-07:002014-10-31T05:34:15.980-07:00Week Four: Mosquitos, Zombie Ministry, and More Blooming Pumpkins… <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFWkt2W5Sml1L1qpjXXSdqcO5x9sWro9ed9QfQX3E-83uUvsjjLrMw0IhUT0QSWLxYSHtGhu83NvyXTwqyxrmty7kqjbFU2pggv_nptO5Bi3LeZyFcvVN64MnXM2aHgTMrEJMDKQqNM8/s1600/P1030082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFWkt2W5Sml1L1qpjXXSdqcO5x9sWro9ed9QfQX3E-83uUvsjjLrMw0IhUT0QSWLxYSHtGhu83NvyXTwqyxrmty7kqjbFU2pggv_nptO5Bi3LeZyFcvVN64MnXM2aHgTMrEJMDKQqNM8/s1600/P1030082.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So this week starts (Wednesday) with me and the assorted
YAMMs still on retreat in Georgia, and with me waking up with 68 mosquito bites
… (I won’t give details on where about they were)… So we pack up and leave
Georgia, me in a very uncomfortable way, only for us to run out of Gas around
ten miles out from Florida. So our mini-bus waited as a separate car of YAMMs
went and sought out gas. Eventually we get back on the road, and head, via Jacksonville
(to drop one of the houses of), and a Cracker Barrel (an amazingly weird
restaurant and store), on to Orlando. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We all arrived home only for Pedro and I
to immediately leave for the church for the second lot of pumpkin unloading. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
This unloading was much the same as the previous, only we
had a quarter of the people, to move the same number of pumpkins. So it took us
a lot longer than previously. If that wasn’t bad enough, I managed to
accidently drop two 10 kilogram pumpkins on one of my (many) supervisors, Laura
Turner, possibly breaking a few toes, but we won’t ever know as she didn’t go
get it checked. Then after it passing 8pm and there still being a fifth of a
truck to unload, we decided to start throwing the pumpkins down the truck by
rolling them down the truck. This lead to me firing one of the smaller
pumpkins, up the truck, and hitting somebody in the jaw (accidently) possibly
dislocating it, as they seemed to relocate it, causing them more pain. Who was
this person I hit? Yes it was Laura Turner… Again… Whoops… Apart from that, we
got the truck finished in a speedy time, so Pedro and I got home around ten,
for me to apply some anti-itch cream (which turns out I am slightly allergic
to, waking me up at 3am with legs burning).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So Thursday I was meant to be off, but because I was in such
pain now, with the bites and the burning skin making me highly sensitive,
decided to come into work to do some emails, and set up some meetings. It was a
very non-day, nothing really happened, and to be honest after the madness of
the previous day I was glad. Of course it was an important day back home, with
my wee brother turning 14. So I skyped him and he got my card, and had already
received my present earlier in the year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day was a big day for someone on this side of the
pond. Shakeria, my flatmate, turned 21. So that day, Sarah, Keria, and I did a
bit of shopping during the day. Buying myself some new rags, and Keria a
birthday cupcake, before heading to meet with Ruth at a house she was sitting,
where we gathered before heading to City Walk, at Universal, where we went out
dancing (because I am just such a good dancer…). That night we returned to
Ruth’s house, to watch Netflix and sleep.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday was a long day, after around five hours sleep, Keria,
Samantha, and I, went to East Winter Garden, to attend the ground breaking
service, for a Habitat for Humanity build. Keria took pictures of the ground
breaking, and the other build down the road, while I just looked present and
chatted to some of the leaders. We only stayed an hour, and then proceeded to
Einstein’s to get a breakfast bagel.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The afternoon was spent with Keria, Ruth, and myself, in a
seminar, called bridges out of poverty, which focused on ways we view poverty,
and ways we should think about combating it. I found what was being taught very
interesting, but some of the comments being made by some of the “pupils”,
seemed a bit polarised, though I do believe everyone took away a lot of useful
information. Then Keria, Sam and I, decided to do a bit of window
browsing/retail therapy at mall of millennia. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Sunday was a mad mad day, which mostly focused around this
weeks “<b>Fourty-Four games that I thought
would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow didn’t</b>…” So because this
was such a massive game, I am going to make a separate blog post specifically
for this. It is this area that
represents the Zombie Ministries, part of the title.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Monday, although it was my day off, I agreed to help Andrew
(Director of youth ministry) to collect a ping pong table, in the morning. This
involved tying a large folded table, into the back of a very run down pick-up
truck, using very questionable rope. Thankfully it did not fly out, or get us
pulled over. The rest of the day was spent with me trying to get over the awful
cold that I seemed to be developing, and obviously I didn’t try hard enough, as
I still have it… <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tuesday, I came in with little work to do, and with a fever.
We had our usual Tuesday morning staff meeting, where we started to talk over
the book How to be Rich, which I will talk a bit more once I finish/start
reading it… Then I had a lovely meeting with Miriam, in regards to research she
wanted me to do, to help aid the next Jamaica mission trip. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So that was my week, I am sure I have forgotten some stuff,
but hey when your week is as crazy and awesome as mine has been, how could you
remember every part of it. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This coming week please continue to pray for my friend Jen
Styles-Williams, as she under goes her first surgery, as long as everything goes
to plan, on Monday. Prayers also for her family would be appreciated. If you
could pray for Laura Turner as well, as this next week is a big one for her, as
she goes off to pitch a script in California.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Owain <o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-2438235755799316752014-10-25T09:27:00.000-07:002014-10-25T16:55:29.566-07:00Week Three: From Camp-outs to Georgia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Wednesday was interesting, typically speaking it was back to the normal programming, with Thrive running in the afternoon and evenings, So I went to children's ministries program and took the prayer station, where they were praying things in their life they wanted God to help with. There was an eclectic group of prayers, from asking for help with hay-fever, to help to become a marine biologist, noting these are children aged 4-8. Never the less I had a great time praying with them, and they seemed to enjoy chatting about what was going on in their wee worlds. For their activity we took them to the big boy and girl playground, and then I was drafted in by the kids to play hide and seek. I tell you it's harder than you think to find someone hiding out in the open.<br />
<div>
Evening came and I started work with the youth. The group I was helping take was ripe with difficulties from the get go, many of them were moody and didn't really want to participate in the quick bible study, which eventually lead to one lass walking out after two minutes. and then another cussing another kid out during the activity, ultimate Frisbee. Never the less, even though I felt rubbish by it all, I talked through things with my boss and realised these kids are just different to the ones I would have been in youth groups with before, they have a completely different set of ticks and responses.<br />
So Thursday me and Pedro started getting all the stuff together for family camp-out and the house paint, from marshmallows to paint buckets. We also stopped in at guitar store to pick up some strings for a guitar Pedro had been given, and in a complete impulse buy, I bought a guitar. It is a beautiful Martin backpackers guitar, perfect to take home, and to university. I spent the night playing it, and just loving the feel of it. Then late on, me and Samantha an Keria went to iHop, an all hours pancake and waffle bar.<br />
Friday I was in work from two to help set up the camp ground for the camp out that night. We brought the marshmallow guns and hovercraft out, and we were set. Camp outs over here are huge, we had four camp fire pits, a BBQ food truck and an ice cream truck, along with face painting and balloon art. Also note that food truck food here, is good tasting food. So Pedro and I took the children around on the hovercraft and then set up for marshmallow wars, where kids go running around with plumbing pipe guns, shooting marshmallows at each other, while trying to capture the other teams pumpkin/flag. That night we had to stay up all night to make sure everyone was safe, and that nobody wandered to far, and into an alarmed section of the building. This night shift lead to a midnight drive to Wendy's, as Pedro wanted to get yet more food, I however did not fall to the temptation. So morning came and I woke the camp up with a glorious trumpet call.<br />
Well after no sleep Pedro and I got ready to take our youth group to paint a house in East Winter Garden. The painting was between our youth and a youth group from the EWG community. It started of well, the youth groups mixed well, we all were having a laugh. When we started painting the house, we were painting the walls white, and the trim blue. after nearly completing the house by mid day, we were told that the colours were meant to be inverted... Somewhere the communication lines had been crossed. So we ate lunch together and then started at the house again. The fact we had to start again wasn't helped by the fact the other youth needed to leave before two. So we worked on and got the majority of the house done by our deadline of three thirty. Not going to lie, it could have been better, but we tried!<br />
That night Pedro, myself, and some of the college students, went to City Walk, and Universal, in the intention of going to a film, but due to traffic, and some of them getting incredibly lost, we just had coffee and Chinese, and then explored the area.<br />
Sunday was the typical routine, church then youth, and in youth we did a pumpkin scavenger hunt. we got home at nine to leave immediately for our retreat to Georgia (with a lay over in Jacksonville),<br />
Epworth was just so beautiful, the sun was shining, the grass was green, and the birds singing (and mosquitoes were biting). I also got to meet the rest of the YAMM's, They are a great group of people, so full of energy and spirit for what they are doing.<br />
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So Monday we arrived and had a lovely lunch in St Simon's, and were then given free ice cream by a gentleman we got speaking to in a vintage second hand store, who turned out to own the local ice cream shop. I have found that people that you get talking to about what we are doing, are generally very generous in giving you free stuff, mostly food, and when you are living off around $250 a month, that is much appreciated.<br />
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So during the retreat we had a number of small group reflections, and sessions. This included an exercise to work out your key personality traits, I scored very highly on the leader side of things, with a strong enthusiast wing, Basically this means I have a strong, loud personality, and I like to be in control. It also says that under stress, I start to become an "investigator", I look into things, I research things, although this may not be totally focused research. I can completely relate to this trait, haven seen me go through it with my exams in may-june. It also stated when I was well situated into an area or program, I become a "helper" (another trait I scored highly in). I like to think that when I am pointed in the right direction I am a help, but you'd have to ask my co-workers and bosses. I believe that the enneagram did capture a bit of my personality, however I do hope I am not like the people it linked me to (examples being Stalin, and Putin.)<br />
We also took part in a ropes course, not going to lie the first few high steps where hard but after that it was great, would thoroughly recommend it to any one looking for a team bonding activity. <br />
The Tuesday evening we gathered round a fire that I prepared and they cooked smores, and I just play with the flames. It was great fellowship, and fun.<br />
So that is my third week done. It was long but still had a great time!<br />
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<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Forty-Four games that I thought would end up with a child in hospital, but somehow didn't….</span></span></b><br />
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#3 Pumpkin scavenger hunt.<br />
Basically hide a number of pumpkins around a large campus with numbers on them, give groups of children a list with clues on where to find said pumpkins, with room for them to record which pumpkin was at which spot. To make it interesting set an obstacle course at some of the pumpkin areas, including a hovercraft race, a wheelbarrow relay (best done with one with a flat tyre and a dodgy axil), and pumpkin gutting (where you take out the insides of a rotten pumpkin).<br />
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Please I ask for your continued prayers for those mentioned in the past posts, also for those YAMM's I met this week that they would continue you to feel the lords presence.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-87166189561623832812014-10-17T21:14:00.001-07:002014-10-17T21:14:31.086-07:00Week Two: Pumpkins. . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back home in Northern Ireland, we don't tend to celebrate Halloween as much as the Americans. Boy do they celebrate it. So Wednesday eighth was a very weird experience for me. We (being the youth the interns, and some other St. Luke-rs, staff and members.) unloaded over 2600 pumpkins, and set up the St. Luke's Pumpkin Patch. If you are finding it Hard to imagine over 2600 pumpkins, try imagining a Tesco's delivery lorry (as the Americans call it; a semi) filled from front to back. It was a lot! What made it better was the fact it was around 94 degrees F, 32 degrees C. So unloading was between four and it was half eight before we had finally got every pumpkin off, and cleared the hay from the "semi". It was hard work, but honestly it was good fun, and fellowship, I got talking to a number of new people, and had a good laugh, and there was pizza at the end, so hey I was happy!<br />
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Thursday started off with me coming into St. Luke's to take the children's service, for preschoolers. typically trying to get a word in over seventy young kids is a challenge, however I was struck by how well behaved they were. They listened to my story on harvest, and they happily participated. It was a pleasure. I then had two meetings, one on a book the staff are reading (Toxic charity, by Robert Lupton), which is well worth a look for those serving in community development charities back home. Then I had my first staff meeting. I can honestly say it filled me with joy to hear so many people speak passionately about their jobs and service, and ideas in both those meetings, it made me feel that hopefully that I will one day be as passionate about my work, even if I don't have a clue what field that will be in yet.<br />
<br />
Friday was a non-work day. So I chilled at home and that night introduced two of my room mates (Samantha and Ruth) to the hilarity of Father Ted. They were nearly peeing themselves at times. Late on, Adam Harnet, one of my supervisors, picked me up to take me to his to spend the night, so I could get to my Saturday morning project.<br />
<br />
Bright and early Saturday morning we left for the East Winter comunity garden project I was helping at. We a lot of weeding and re-soiling, and then I let my feet and legs become a living feast for some fire ants. Those six legged demons sure can bite, the pain was like that of a wasp sting, That aside working in the calm of the morning, was somewhat relaxing and refreshing. I also met an amazing eighty something year old lady, who just knew everything about plants and gardening and was also an incredible handy women, knowing how to fix a variety of thing most wouldn't have a clue about, like a leaking tap.<br />
That afternoon I just did some prep for Sunday, and relaxed.<br />
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Sunday was an 8-9 day. It started with early morning bible class where I, with the help of Andrew, head of youth ministries (amazing guy), took the 13 year olds. They were not anywhere nearly as well behaved as the preschoolers. they couldn't listen for more than two minutes. They were so awful I felt the need to apologise to my old youth leader via mail, just in case I was ever as bad as they where. Man talk about a tough crowd.... Then we had worship, lead by Pastor Jen. It was nice after seeing so many on-line sermons of hers, on the St. Luke's webpage, to finally see one in person. So after the service the youth went to burgerfi for lunch, and then me and Pedro came back to the church to draw a giant heart on nine joined up canvases, for the youth to paint and join up later. We both then went and helped cook the youths dinner, which was fun as the chef Stephen was dead-on and taught us numerous new ways to prepare food for large numbers of people. Youth group went off without any major hitches.<br />
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Monday was another day of rest, however I spent it mostly doing washing and trying to sort out my american banking. Hopefully soon I will not have to carry around cash all the time.<br />
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Tuesday my day was spent mostly fixing up a hovercraft. and building and gluing marshmallow guns. I will explain next week. But I was basically high of the plumbing glue fumes by the end, the room was spinning, to say the least.<br />
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At this point I am going to introduce a wee segment to my blog called:<br />
<br />
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<b>Forty-Four games that I thought would end up with a child in
hospital, but somehow didn’t….</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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I am making up for my lost week last time. so this week you get two. These are all games, we have played with the youth of a Sunday evening.</div>
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#1 Epic
Death.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Basically you get two teams of children and youth. You put
up a paper flag between two chairs for each team, then the teams pile boxes and
try to protect their paper flag. You get a large number of dodgeballs and line
them in the middle between the teams. On the start whistle, each team runs to
collect as many balls as possible, and Epic Death commences. The teams now
chuck balls at each other and the flags. If you are hit by a ball without
catching it you’re out, if you do catch it, the thrower is out. The goal is to
rip the other team’s flag completely down, by pelting it with balls. Headshots aren’t
allowed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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#2 Pumpkin
wars. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Two teams. Defenders and Attackers. Defenders build a giant
fort out of bins, tables, chairs, and any other object in the area, to protect
their pumpkin. They are armed with Nerf guns, of different shapes and sizes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The attackers have to run and steal the pumpkin, without
getting shot, if they are hit they return to their checkpoint. At the end Andrew passed off the game as not winnable, I just think the attackers weren't creative enough to find a way to succeed <o:p></o:p></div>
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This coming week please continue to pray for the Stiles-Williams family, pray for Pedro and I, as wee have horrendously busy week. Also please continue to pray for all the YAMM team, that we all continue to serve and trust in God.</div>
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Peace,</div>
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Owain</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-80303970048763624582014-10-10T09:17:00.000-07:002014-10-10T09:17:02.185-07:00Week One: Diving Right into the American DreamSo I got to my friend Wendy, who was bringing me from the airport to my new home. As some of you may know the weather in Orlando has been hot and very wet over the month of September, so as soon as I took my first step out of the air conditioned bliss that was the Airport, immediately I hit a wall of heat and moisture, it felt as if I was walking through a never ending steam room. So we got to the car, and the first order of business was to find me a drink, so we pulled in at Taco Bell (other fast food joints are available) and got me what I can only describe as a behemoth sized Mountain Dew.<br />
Eventually after navigating the Orlando traffic I reached my new home sweet home.<br />
I was greeted by three of my fellow interns, and new house-mates, Shakeria, Sarah, and Samantha, my room-mate, Pedro, was asleep in our room. To celebrate my long awaited arrival, they had left decorations up from Ruth's birthday, along with writing "welcome Owain" up on every surface they could clean it off, and they even spelt my name correct!<br />
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So that night they cooked dinner, however about half way through the oven stopped working, so that night we had half cooked chicken. It didn't kill me so hey, who cares.<br />
So after a late night, I went to bed and awoke at around 8 (not bad for one with jet lag) then went to work for 11. St. Luke's UMC is about 25 minutes drive from our house, which isn't too bad. Once I arrived I was struck in shock by the size of the campus, it probably covers as much ground as my old school back home, it is MASSIVE! Pedro gave me a tour around all the buildings, and I was introduced to a lot of new friendly faces.<br />
We had lunch at Chick-fil-a under instruction of the children of Britt Gilmore, which was nice, and cheap, comparison to home that is. So after lunch I was thrown straight into the biggest day in the St. Luke's week,<br />
On a Wednesday St. Luke's holds and event called "Thrive", which has activities for those of all ages. At three o'clock, I started work with the Children's Ministries. Although I was tired, I felt it was right that I divide straight in, as there was no point waiting another week to see there main night. After my first session with the children (elementary school aged), and after teaching them the game Red River, and Splat. I sat down at the communal dinner. It is a great idea where everyone who has come to thrive can sit down have fellowship with each other.<br />
After dinner I had Youth Fellowship, which involved a small bible study in groups followed by a activities including art, cookery, music, and sport. I helped with the sport, which at the moment is ultimate Frisbee, but soon will be tag rugby (I plan on educating them on real sports)<br />
The rest of the week was not nearly as busy, I had a few meetings with supervisors on what I will be doing, and was off on Friday.<br />
Thursday night I did finally meet my YAMM supervisor Heidi, and it was a pleasure to meet someone who was full of energy for what they were doing, and full of care for those she is looking over.<br />
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Friday evening was my first real experience of american sport. I attended dinner and then the homecoming Dr Phillips game with the Stiles Williams, to see Grace as part of the homecoming court, representing "Colour Guard". It sure was an experience, with the court being shown off in open topped corvettes, in fancy formal dresses, all looking very dapper. The game itself was not extremely exhilarating, there were some good plays by both sides, but the "Pep" before and during the game was a completely new experience. It was impressive. A band in full uniform (in the Florida heat) played in the stands, along with colour guard dancing along beside them. Unfortunately torrential rain, caused us to leave the game during the third quarter.<br />
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The next day we went to Amy Winslow's for a post homecoming dinner, which included the interns being taken out on the Winslow family speed boat, at sunset. We all got dressed up for it, because I think we all really just wanted an excuse to get all fancy.<br />
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So the homecoming teens went off to the dance after dinner, and we then headed over to the Stiles-Williams, to the post dance party, which involved just dance, a giant inflatable twister game, and my first smores. For those who don't know what a smore is, it is a sweet cracker sandwich, with chocolate and roasted marshmallow. It was sickly sweet. Mind you so is a lot of stuff over here.<br />
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Sunday for me was spent at the contemporary worship, followed by a lovely lunch with Wendy and family, and then youth praise, and fellowship. During the fellowship there was a game played, which was made up by the in staff youth leader (and one of my bosses) Andrew. He named the game Epic Death... Put it this way it was like dodge-ball with more people and more balls, and I'm surprised nobody was injured... But all in all it was a good night and I look forward to spending more time with the youth.<br />
Monday was spent with me trying to convince my House mate, that rugby is a better sport than american football, and her trying to do the opposite.<br />
Tuesday was a day started by staff fellowship, which was a very emotional service, as Pastor Bill announced on behalf of Pastor Jen Stiles Williams, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and that lead to another staff member announcing the same, The rest of the day was spent with me sorting out my St. Luke's UMC email, and meeting with Mariam Mengistie, director of missions development, and Bradley Roberts, executive director of Worship.<br />
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So that was my first week at St Luke's UMC, and it was brilliant, I am fully looking forward to the next 43.<br />
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I ask if you would pray for me to keep enthused in all that I am doing, and also please pray for my friends Jen, John, Grace, Caroline and Sam Stile Williams, as they come to terms and move forward through this cancer diagnoses.<br />
<br />
Peace,<br />
Owain.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2642541510240177084.post-75582345099778315962014-10-02T12:18:00.001-07:002014-10-02T12:18:30.570-07:00Week Zero: Bags, Borders, and Beginnings.<div class="MsoNormal">
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34,819,200 in seconds, 580,320 in minutes, 9,672 in hours,
or 403 in days. This is how long this trip has been in the making. In August 2013 I started my networking with
friends from St. Luke’s, fishing for the smallest of placements, willing to
live anywhere, with anyone, and work in any area of volunteering. Little did I
know that I would end up in this wonderful position, with so many
opportunities! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Following my first few emails with Lynette, my boss, it was
clear there where definitely opportunities for me to work over in Orlando, in
mostly youth and children ministries , which I was very excited about, as these
were the areas I was most interested in. So she confirmed that I would be
working over there, and that we would start planning how I would get over, and
how I would live there, and all the little things. So I filled out their intern
application form, so they had all my details and my interests. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So moving on to November 2013, Lynette and a group of
missionaries, came over to look around a number of their mission partners in
Belfast. In their group they had two teenagers, Grace and Reed, and as a part
of a, let’s say test, I had to arrange a few activities for them, so they
didn’t have to do all the boring adult meetings. So I arranged for a tour round
Sullivan (my school), and arranged for them to go to my old youth fellowship on
a Sunday night, which recently had received some money from St. Luke’s. So they
(seemed) to have a good time, I also took them to Carrickfurgus Castle, along
with Jen, Graces mother, as they wanted to see a real life castle. Over all
Lynette seemed happy with my work, and we continued to plan for my arrival.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In March 2014, I got my B1 visa, and booked my ticket from
home to Orlando, flying Dublin, Manchester, then to Orlando. By that point however I had to start really
focusing on school work for my A2 exams, but Lynette kept working on, finding
out who I could work with, and if there where any of other areas of mission I
could explore over here.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So summer 2014 finally arrived and my exams were over, so I
started planning again. I met up with Britt Gilmore, a past member of St.
Luke’s turned Methodist minister in east Belfast mission. He and his kind
family, had dinner with me, and started preparing me for the cultural differences
between Home and America, from little things like where to eat, to explaining
the separation of Church and State.
Britt’s two girls informed me that the one restraint I had to go to was
Chic-Fil-a, which I tried the first lunch time I was at work, (and boy was the
portion cheap, and huge). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally august came and I got my results, which confirmed I
would be going to Glasgow University for physics with astrophysics, come
September 2015. This meant that I didn’t have to worry about reapplying for other
courses, between the results and leaving. So I started preparing for physically
leaving. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I made sure I had all my paper work and tickets, and
passport, all in a single folder. I also had my parents Silver Anniversary to
help with as well (which went off well). So by the time the celebrations were
all over, I only had a week to go.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I sorted all my clothes, and my two suitcases, and decided
what I was going to keep for university, and what I was going to bin. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The big day finally arrived, we drove down to Dublin airport
and my family saw me into the airport, not a hundred present sure if that was in
fact due to deep family support and love, or to make sure I actually was
leaving the country. My flight from Dublin to Manchester was smooth enough, I
enjoyed the flavours of my last Guinness till next summer, and I arrived save
on the other side, to be brought home to English Scottish family, for a lovely
home cooked dinner and a bed for the night before needing to be at the airport
again at 9 am.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Flight from Manchester to Orlando was a long one, I was
sat next to two relatively large gentlemen (as in needed two fully extended
seatbelts large), but apart from having to lean to one side the whole flight,
it was relatively comfortable. Virgin served all complimentary drinks and food
for the entire flight and there was a personal entertainment system for
everyone, all with plenty of films to choose from that I hadn’t seen yet. So
four films and a big bang theory later, I arrived in Orlando. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Border control and customs was a pain! To start two flights
from Manchester arrived at the same time, meaning there were approximately
1,200 passenger’s needing to pass through security. Then after nearly two hours
in line I got to the front and the kiosk agent asked me a number of questions
which ultimately ended in me being told my visa could only be used for 6 months
at a time, despite the Consulate in
Belfast having never told me such a thing. After a nine hour flight and being
up for 14 hours, and feeling hungry, I just went white. Explaining how this
internship was till august 2015, and generally just kicking up a fuss, the
agent eventually said “ well I can stamp this now, and you’d have to exit and
re-enter the country in six months, or you can have a meeting with the senior
supervisor of Border control here” with her stamp hovering above my visa, as if
she thought I was going to fold. I asked for the meeting and I went and waited
a room with other people who had evidently been refused entry or had been
messed around with their visas to. I was called fairly quickly, and I presented
my case to the supervisor. Thankfully he agreed to let me in till September
2015, due to proof of entry to university, and a ticket home. His words were “I
don’t normally do this, but considering your work is non-profit and you are no
threat to the people of America I will grant you an extension.” Well at least
he realised I wasn’t a terrorist.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So eventually I got out of security and found Wendy, my
friend, and taxi to my new Home in Orlando. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And that is where I am leaving it till next week! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Owain<o:p></o:p></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02212057969696726911noreply@blogger.com0