Murder at the Manor

Tonight I led a games night. I know it doesn't sound very holy, but you tell me ...
What is holier than coming together as a community and bonding and laughing and creating in-jokes that will knit you together through the good times and the bad? Worshipping Jesus by coming together as a unit and enjoying one anothers company?

It was really awesome, though my musical choices may have left a lot to be desired - we played a casual game of pass the parcel (which I had to explain time and time again to several Americans! What do they even play at kids parties?!), marshmallow castle, musical chairs and musical statues, an attempt at wink murder - though I thought you moved around in wink murder someone else said that you just stand in a circle, it got a little confusing - and lastly, a classic, Mafia.

WHO DOESN'T LOVE MAFIA? (unless of course you're killed off first.)

Problem was that the narrator (Morrison) is an exceptional story-teller and has potentially seen one too many horror movies. Thus the deaths in the game were fairly gruesome and more often than not, very detailed. A great (not so gruesome) moment? "Marlene was dead, she was so dead that in fact even the doctors were impressed at how dead she was. She was dead." 

There were moments of high embarrassment that will hopefully live on for a long time - specifically people pretending to be monkeys or swapping socks with their neighbour, drawing a moustache on a friends face or cheating at musical chairs ... but mostly, it was just a time for getting together and having a laugh and remembering that in the midst of it all - jokes really are funny, ergo, God must have a sense of humour to create such a funny people.

Hope you're all well .. I'm on "weekend watch" this weekend with the funniest guy - Nico the Swiss Man; basically, it means driving the trainees to their various places, doctors/town wherever - and then cooking tea - whilst welcoming any visitors and remembering to pick the trainees up from their various places! Should be fun. It's all going to be a little mental however, in a weeks time when the outreaches that are currently in S. Africa and Norway return, to a full house!!

My love and sincerest regards. X

You know what I love? Post! and Fire!

Dearests,

I am writing from the warmth of the fire, it's roaring and crackling away beside me as I type. My dear friend Laura is playing the 'Juno soundtrack', so I'm sure you can imagine that the atmosphere in here is rather jolly.

'If you were the winter I know I'd be the snow, as long as you were with me when the cold winds blow'

You may or may not know, I love Juno. She's mental. I like mental.

This last week has been a blur.
I'm now part of the worship team here - we have base worship every Monday morning which is ... (as the name says) where everyone on base comes together to worship. We had the best worship session on Thursday night, it was 'mind-blowing' (someone just described it as that) - so much freedom and joy.
Every other morning we pray - so prayer requests are welcome, and Wednesday we have intercession prayer for wider world (it's usually creative - I love it).

I have been getting alongside the new DTS trainees - they are so lush. 14 trainees and I 'man' the work-duties (every afternoon). I work alongside them / manage them / encourage them when they are hating on plunging toiletes / tell them to do a better job if it's not very good ... you get the drift. I sort of really like it, but no-one has done a bad job yet - so they are sort of making my job a little easy. Wait till time gets on and they get tired. Nah, seriously though, they are such a nice group.Though need to keep on top of what is hoovered and polished!!

I've been working on some stuff for a thing that's happening here in summer - www.justgoywam.com
Check it out - see if you can recommend it to anyone. I'll be taking a team out to Poland anyway - whatever that ends up looking like :) still mid-plans. Check out the website!

Anyway:
The weather warmed.
The rain fell.
The snow melted.
The skies are blue and the grass is green.

I love you all ... send me post. It's the best, the BEST, to receive post.
Big shout out to Mrs D Bostock who sends the most exciting post! And Mama P and Mummy Carol (delicious post!) <3 br="">
xxx

What I'm doing here ...

So - you may want to know a little more about what I'm actually doing here?

My role as part of the Holmsted Staff team will be:
There is a DTS beginning in just over a week - so there is a lot to do in general, both on the base and in preparation for the trainees arriving.
I will be working alongside the DTS staff, being an encouragement to them and the trainees in everything. This may be spending time with the DTS small groups; discussing with the trainees about what they are learning; local outreach in Crawley/Cuckfield/Brighton (looking at homeless outreach and hopefully, if we can
organise it, club ministry) and worship.
As part of the base staff I will have a 'Jack of all Trades' sort of role:

• Manning reception - organisation and sorting!
• Hospitality - this involves preparing rooms for cold and hungry travellers - or anyone that stays, guests and the like. This might also mean interacting with guest speakers to make sure that their stay here is blessed and comfortable. 
• Kitchen - I will learn to cook. Or I will feed everyone cheese on toast. Whichever happens first!
• Local Outreach - this is in the pipeline - but ideas that the basestaff are thinking up to go out into our local community and have an actual presence here in West Sussex. 
• Driving. That's fairly self explanatory - but as one of the few that are of the legal age requirements and driving talent ;) I am able to drive a base vehicle. It's either a little red car or what they call the silver bullet (7 seater maybe). This is good news as I sincerely love a good drive.
  SEND ME MIXED CD's.
  Good plan, thanks.

Wahey.
That is my varied role here on the base.
I am hoping that God will bring more and more to light as time goes on!

High visability was one of fashions more exciting moves.

So. As you may have already heard / assumed, I have arrived safely at Holmsted Manor (which for those who don't know is a YWAM base) and as I arrived there were minor misunderstandings ... but nothing that God isn't bigger than. The house is very big and so quite chilly even though it's not freezing outside.
My new bed (long live the 'tree bed') is 'the cave'. I have made the best cave to live in.I have an indian flag and a rainbow flag to decorate and distract me from the mundane nature of the wood itself - there are scarves hanging down and the presence of a hot water bottle to keep my bed warm like a little lovely warm cave.

Staff Training

Was interesting; being thrown into a scenario where I didn't know anyone was fairly difficult for me. I'm the sort who has to find ones feet before feeling confident. The good thing is, staff training, sort of forces you to be friends - to talk with everyone and to share experiences that are funny or serious together. So that was pretty good.

Pub

The Jolly Tanner is a good 20 mins down the road.
In fact I just android mapped it - it's actually a 1.3 mile and 27 minute walk.
We walked down last night, donned the high vis jackets and wellies. We created a walking in high vis jackets song and left with only one torch (schoolboy error). So there were 7 of us at the pub and there wasn't any space inside, so given that we were all pretty warm from the walk, we sat outside in the garden and enjoyed a delicious glass of red wine.
Then walked back. Which seemed quicker than walking there. So is the way of the world.

Sunday Funities

This morning I went with Jordan, Nicole and Amanda to 'The Point' where we worshipped the Lord. Standard. Cake and Kingdom coffee (coffee with a conscience). 

This evening we had a little get to know each other gathering by the fire -  where we played a casual game of 'CATCHPHRASE' and shared funny wee/poo/vomit stories; not that I had any of course...especially any vomit stories. None of those. 

*I was literally wearing a lashmina* pahahahaha

That's all kids. 

Goodnight from me here in West Sussex, I look forward to hearing from you!