2013 -> 2014

              2013

 This has been a year of joy and struggles. It has been a year of miracles, surprises, crushed hopes and inspired dreams.

Since It's been a year and a half since my last blog post I figured I'd better write another one. So much has happened this year but I never quite knew how to put it into a blog post. However here is what has happened:

        Over this past year, I’ve been receiving eye treatment for a spot in my eye. I haven’t told many people, so don’t be surprised if you had no idea this was happening. I tried to keep it on the down low. Anyways, over the past few years I have had a cluster of blood cells in my left eye near my iris. It was totally random. It isn’t genetic. I have no idea how it got there. However it has been a struggle to live with, as people aren’t always the kindest regarding these kinds of issues! "No guys, I am not doing drugs and I don’t have a gross infection". Anyways, starting in 2012, I’ve had multiple consultations regarding this condition, resulting in 4 different eye operations done, including cutting a section out, injections and biopsies. It’s been really fun. The first procedure in February was classed as ‘cosmetic ‘since the doctor couldn’t see any real medical problems. However after the biopsy (testing of cells cut away) was done, the results came back pretty negative!  The doctor told me that the cells were abnormal and if they weren’t treated then they could have eventually multiplied and spread. I am so thankful that I had that surgery at that time and I’ve been able to have further treatment to prevent anything!

 

            Since then, I’ve had other procedures in April, October and November, either doing injections to ‘freeze’ the cells so they’ll die and not multiply, or a biopsy which means the doctor can test to see if the treatment is actually having effect. Those treatments have been a big part of this year. Even if I haven’t always been ecstatic about knives, scissors and needles entering into my eye, I'm so thankful for the outcome. I now have normal looking and healthy eyes! I am 90% sure that I have finished all treatment now! Thank you NHS for looking after me. Also, a big shout out to my mum for enduring endless hospital trips and a few overnight stays in Sheffield with me! I couldn't have done it with out her :)

            Another big part of this year was driving. I started to learn in Sept 2012, and took several tests throughout the spring of this year. I finally passed in July, which I was so so happy about! Driving tests in England are not easy to pass!! However through the failures God taught me so so so much about problems in my heart that were clearly affecting my driving, like superstition and living in fear of always being wrong. This then resulted in me getting things wrong. What a surprise! It was an expensive way for me to find out those issues but at least I have now acknowledged those problems and dealt with them :) In October I was given a car and my wonderful father found a great deal on insurance. I am still in shock that I have been blessed with this, as it is truly a miracle!

 

            Over the Summer my family went to Colorado to see family and it was such a nice time since it had been 3 years since we'd seen them and Jonathan and I had definitely grown since then! We also spontaneously took a trip to the Grand Canyon which i was feeling indifferent about but it was so so beautiful I would love to go back :) Jonathan and I ended our time in the states by going to Hawaii for a week to see our friends since it had also been years since we had been there. It was lush to catch up with friends and of course we were nostalgic about how we used to live there, however I had never felt more at peace about living in England. (I'm probably the only person on the planet that would say that statement- about living in the UK over Hawaii!! :) Must be some pretty powerful peace).

            

 I am now in my final year of college and I am so ready to finish! I am studying Health and Social Care Level 3 to graduate with an Extended BTEC diploma. Over 2013 I have had 3 different placements, including an elderly residential home, a private school and a school for special needs children. At the residential home I learned a lot about how to care for dementia patients, as well as how to make many cups of tea!! I was at that placement for 2 months. At the Private school I worked with the 4-5 year olds as a teaching assistant for the teacher and I was there for 6 months- I really enjoyed that placement because the children were so sweet and easy to teach- I learned a lot there about primary education etc. My final placement was at a school for special needs children where I was for 2 months- this was my favorite placement, which was a big surprise to me! I loved working with the children and I learned so much from them, about love and kindness. It’s been a good time in college and I’ve made some amazing friends, as well as being blessed with opportunities by the college, one of those including a trip to a Buckingham Palace garden party in July of 2013. In January 2014 there is another opportunity that has opened up for me at college, however I will explain about that in another post as I am not 100% sure what is occurring there. Watch this space!  

       During 2013 I have also said goodbye to some very close and dear friends as they move on to different seasons of life. It always breaks my heart a little to say goodbye however I hold onto the fact that the love with my friends is so strong, which makes departures so hard. Friends & Family- I am so thankful for you all. Thank you for standing by me during 2013, a year of uncertainty and difficulties as well as through the joys and celebrations. All my love. <3

            2014

As I write this on January 1^st 2014, I am so excited for all this year will hold. I have 6 months of college left and then I’m outta here! On June 23^rd I am taking part in a YWAM course called a DTS (Discipleship Training School) in Denver, Colorado, where I will spend 3 months learning more about who God is, and then 2 months overseas putting into practice all I’ve learned in the ‘outreach’ phase. I will be doing the first phase of my DTS in the beautiful Rocky Mountains near Denver. I am so excited! Being a YWAM kid, I’ve seen hundreds of people go through this program and now it’s me !? :) My DTS will finish in November and from there I am open to anything to happen.  I don’t have any plans so far. What I feel called to in my life is something along the lines of counseling / youth work / social work. I have no idea what this will look like. But that general area is what I want to work towards through other training programs, possibly university (did I just say that? God’s done a massive work in my heart since I’ve been opposed to uni for a long time. I guess stranger things have happened).

            I currently have a job in a local café where I work when I don’t have college- through this I am able to save up towards my DTS. I am doing what I can to save up for this trip, and I am confident that God will supply the rest!  :)

            This has been my 2013…. And 2014.

Love you all. 

3 months later.....

So.... It's been a while.

These past few months have been INTENSE and so much is changing/has changed/ will change.

So this September I am going to College instead of carrying on Homeschooling! English college is different to US college however- for you Americans I am essentially going to be back in my Junior year of high school. My college course is 2 years long and the subject I'm focusing on is Health and Social care- this means that I will be studying on different aspects of health, socially, physically and emotionally. There are many different parts to the course and I'm still not 100% sure what it's going to be. It was a pretty spontaneous decision and tomorrow I have a meeting with one of the teachers so then I think I'll know what is actually going down. :) Yay for change. It's scary but so exciting. God has given me so many conformations about this and his promises to me are so strong. I'm not really fearful, just not knowing what to do with myself for the last 3 weeks of summer vay-cay before college starts!

OLYMPICS 2012. 

As we all know the Olympics this year was held in England. This is where I live. This also meant that many different teams were going to be sent out to Olympic cities all over England to do outreach. At first I was determined that I was going to be in a London team but God had a different plan. He put Coventry on my heart. Coventry is a city that is about 20 minutes away from where I live, and its where the football was being held for the Olympics. I knew that God was going to send me there and at first I objected strongly to the idea but then gave in because I knew God wasn't going to back down... and who am I to argue with my maker? After I chose my destination I had to chose my team. There were a couple of teams going there from the King's Lodge and God had to pull massive strings in order to get me to go on the team I went on. I actually registered and paid just the night before the training camp started. Most impulsive decision I've made so far....

So this outreach started off with a 5 day long camp in YWAM Harpenden (near London). It was called 'Go 4 Glory' and it was an Arts & Sports camp with teams from all over the world. We basically just got to know our teams better and spent a lot of time worshiping and prepping for outreach there. After that, the Coventry teams left to go to a town called Droitwich where we did 3 days of Family Fun days for a local school. God taught me a lot through it and it was a really surprisingly fruitful time :) Yay Jesus.

When Droitwich had finished, the Coventry teams then split up again into our individual teams. My group was actually living in a church center that was located right in the city center which was great for ministry! The other Coventry team was staying at the King's Lodge. 

Ho Hm. That is the basic outline of the outreach. And it was probably one of (if not) the best outreaches I have ever been on. Statement! I say this because my team was incredible and I have never seen so much immediate transformation in people before. Every day we would see people come to accept Jesus on the streets and in the church. My team had about 15 members and each person encountered God strongly during the week. We all came out as different people because of the love that God had revealed to us and then how we could apply that love to our lives. While we were there we did street evangelism, cafe ministry (there was a cafe running inside the church), Ceilidh dancing (scottish dancing), open air family fun days, friendship ministry.... All sorts :) 

Through out the week I fell so in love with Jesus. Who knew what a gentleman he was? :) He revealed that to me personally and also through other people... He knows exactly what we need! It's so exciting.

Stories? Ok.

We were on the street doing street evangelism one day and a man and woman came running up to some of us. The man knew my team leader but the woman was new to us... They were both from Thailand and the man was a Christian but the woman wasn't. We asked them what was going on and he told us that the woman didn't know Jesus but she wanted to know. The Thai woman started crying and she told us that she was so broken and that she wanted to know who Jesus was. It was so precious and it broke my heart.... I then shared the gospel with her and through translation, she accepted Jesus as her saviour. :) waheeeeyyy!!! I saw her again a few days after that and I asked her how she was doing... she said that she felt so free and happy :D She looked so different and her face was brighter. Jesus works miracles! 

The church I was working with was called Holy Trinity Church. It's a beautiful, old, Anglican church and it's located right in the center of Coventry. It's a historical building which means many tourists come to look around all through out the year, and especially during an event like the Olympics. One day an Indian man came in and got talking with someone who worked at the church. He said to them 'I am a Hindu but I don't want to be any more... I want to be a Christian.' um.. Wow? That isn't normal. But it was incredible. A translator was brought in and the man gave his life to Jesus the next day! :)

I have so many more stories. so many. I would love to share them with you but I think I've written a lot already!! But I'm always up to talking to ANYONE! Just let me know and I'd love to meet with you. Love you all!!! Thanks for your support and prayers.... Watch this space for more updates :)

- Giving out flowers to the public :)