Good afternoon lovely blog readers!
Today is very black. Its not surpising to say that there are many non-white women here, but today is more black as almost everyone is also wearing black. You may or may not know that I’ve done this every Thursday for nearly 4 years now. It is really moving to see the lack of colour as we all stand in solidarity with women who struggle in violent situations. We stand against rape, domestic violence, trafficking we do this because we believe everyone should be safe and free.
This blog may come across as very random, I’m short on time, not only cos I can’t currently plug my laptop in, and the internet costs –though yesterday I sent emails, updated the blog and shared it with twitter in just 4 minutes!! But also I have a meeting in 43 minutes! Must also say it may take a day to reply to comments – as I write this online before logging on to post it. Also, don’t have time to check news, any updates appreciated... (Rob you still ok?)
For those of you who worried about my bedroom I’m only sharing with 1 other HKS (Helen Kim Scholar) so its not too bad. She is lovely and is from Hong Kong, though has been in SA for a couple of weeks with the other Methodist events!
The rest of the HKS crew are lovely, 14 girls from all over the world, really looking forward to getting to know them better and working with them this week and beyond. SO far been thinking about confidence and speaking – focus on what the listener gets out of it rather than how I’m doing. And listening for (what can I get out of this) and listening from (perspective, if i think it will be interesting I will be interested) ...
Does anyone know what the red R is on my phone when I turn it on?
Last night we had the opening ceremony that was trying to be as long as our circuit final worship – though they didn’t beat you Andrew. The singing hasn’t been great as many people don’t know the songs – difficult to do a service for so many cultures. This had led to ponderings about specialist worship – if this is for all women and its difficult, and we’ve had similar thoughts about youth worship at national events, how do we get a balance...no answers just thoughts...
There has been a lot of changes to the programme and a lot of confusion, yesterday we only found there was a HKS session cos we went to find the room at the right time, unfortunately there was only 7 of us yesterday but we are all together today, though the main programme changed to confuse us. And stuff needs to be slicker – where is affinity when you need them?!
One last pondering, church of today, church of the future... I really hope I am both, but I hope when I am defined as the now, I’m not past it. I wonder when you from being young and the future to the old and past-its...
And most importantly the food is good! Bread and butter pudding today!
Rach
so many blogs! Just some more thoughts on life as it goes by.
Thursday, 11 August 2011
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
made it
So here I am, I’ve made it safe to my hotel room in South Africa. Little bit confused as I’m meant to be sharing with 3 others and there is only 1 double bed! Could get cosy!
My 24 hour journey had its ups and downs – and a few shaking moments, but what really surprised me was what the bus trip from the airport to Hotel showed me, here are a few:
• A spar, toysRus and other multinational companies.
• A guy living in a tent on the grass verge between a motorway and an A road.
• Many people in jump suits working along side the road.
• Everything was in English
• If you are HIV+ you can text a number and get 5million rand compensation / insurance – about half a million pounds.
• Cities and shanty towns side by side.
• People selling fruit
• Alot of cars like mine!
• And many other things I’ve forgotten already...
To put this all in to context, I decided to fly down to London from Manchester, as I didn’t really want to go through London after the last couple of days, and suitcases on escalators are a pain at the best of time. Having flown for an hour I then had about 4 hours at Heathrow terminal 5! Before flying albeit delayed for 11 hours to Jo’burg, in which I had a choice of movies, music and could watch a map of where we were, how high we were and the temperature outside! As well as 2 cooked meals. I flew over countries struggling with famine and left a country with riots. I just hope that what I do out here will be worth the environmental impact, amongst other things.
But I’m safe, happy and have had lunch. Not sure about plugs, may have just blown a fuse in my laptop plug, so we shall see how long this lasts, but here I am, registered and raring to go. Just need to find some Helen Kim Scholars now.
Rach
My 24 hour journey had its ups and downs – and a few shaking moments, but what really surprised me was what the bus trip from the airport to Hotel showed me, here are a few:
• A spar, toysRus and other multinational companies.
• A guy living in a tent on the grass verge between a motorway and an A road.
• Many people in jump suits working along side the road.
• Everything was in English
• If you are HIV+ you can text a number and get 5million rand compensation / insurance – about half a million pounds.
• Cities and shanty towns side by side.
• People selling fruit
• Alot of cars like mine!
• And many other things I’ve forgotten already...
To put this all in to context, I decided to fly down to London from Manchester, as I didn’t really want to go through London after the last couple of days, and suitcases on escalators are a pain at the best of time. Having flown for an hour I then had about 4 hours at Heathrow terminal 5! Before flying albeit delayed for 11 hours to Jo’burg, in which I had a choice of movies, music and could watch a map of where we were, how high we were and the temperature outside! As well as 2 cooked meals. I flew over countries struggling with famine and left a country with riots. I just hope that what I do out here will be worth the environmental impact, amongst other things.
But I’m safe, happy and have had lunch. Not sure about plugs, may have just blown a fuse in my laptop plug, so we shall see how long this lasts, but here I am, registered and raring to go. Just need to find some Helen Kim Scholars now.
Rach
Monday, 8 August 2011
yes ok I failed!
Ok then, I yet again failed to keep my blog up to date - all I can say is that its a good job I have a faith based around forgiveness and new starts!
I'm not promising to start again, but while I'm at WFMUCW's 12th World Assembly I thought this is a good a place as any to note my thoughts - especially as I can write offline and just log in to update.
Today has been a bit mad, last minute packing, ringing dr's to get a new inhaler, buying a plug to be able to use electricity in SA. and printing a tree's worth of information!
But its all good, cos tomorrow I get on my first plane in 12 years and become "well traveled" as one of my circuit stewards put it. Prayers and travelling mercies appreciated. :)
Rach
I'm not promising to start again, but while I'm at WFMUCW's 12th World Assembly I thought this is a good a place as any to note my thoughts - especially as I can write offline and just log in to update.
Today has been a bit mad, last minute packing, ringing dr's to get a new inhaler, buying a plug to be able to use electricity in SA. and printing a tree's worth of information!
But its all good, cos tomorrow I get on my first plane in 12 years and become "well traveled" as one of my circuit stewards put it. Prayers and travelling mercies appreciated. :)
Rach
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Welcome to Garstang
Ok, so I've been in post for ages now and I'll put some highlights and low lights (yeah there has been times when I've wanted to quit and other times - only 24 hours later, when I've loved my job)
My excuse for not blogging sooner is the fact I hand wrote a entry about Iona and I am waiting to find it to put it on, but I can't be bothered - I'll add it when I find it
So
today I was doing detached (more on that later)in Garstang and on my way to find young people me and a colleague saw this duck with about 8 little ducklings all very cute and feathery. thing is there were crossing the road, but half way across decided to walk up the middle of the road towards Booths (other shops are available - though not really in G.)it was so cute cos the cars stopped for them and everything. :D needed a camera to have a postcard of "Welcome to Garstang!" we then headed off to the river where the duck should have been to find young people most of which were jumping into the river off the bridge.
Actually its late now so I'll talk about highs and lows another day.As well as my exciting detached news.
Rach xXx
My excuse for not blogging sooner is the fact I hand wrote a entry about Iona and I am waiting to find it to put it on, but I can't be bothered - I'll add it when I find it
So
today I was doing detached (more on that later)in Garstang and on my way to find young people me and a colleague saw this duck with about 8 little ducklings all very cute and feathery. thing is there were crossing the road, but half way across decided to walk up the middle of the road towards Booths (other shops are available - though not really in G.)it was so cute cos the cars stopped for them and everything. :D needed a camera to have a postcard of "Welcome to Garstang!" we then headed off to the river where the duck should have been to find young people most of which were jumping into the river off the bridge.
Actually its late now so I'll talk about highs and lows another day.As well as my exciting detached news.
Rach xXx
Saturday, 11 April 2009
afternoon in the country
Another afternoon in March (this time a Saturday rather than a friday)
and the day after the last post
I went for a drive to find some of my churches and show off my new job's beauty to the other half, I also found out he can navigate (which I did know when I was lost in Liverpool months earlier and he became my sat nav or iPhone a friend (I wasn't on the phone to him while driving, I had a passenger - who is the reason we got lost!))
I'm getting excited, its so really now, and so close till I actually start!
:D
and the day after the last post
I went for a drive to find some of my churches and show off my new job's beauty to the other half, I also found out he can navigate (which I did know when I was lost in Liverpool months earlier and he became my sat nav or iPhone a friend (I wasn't on the phone to him while driving, I had a passenger - who is the reason we got lost!))
I'm getting excited, its so really now, and so close till I actually start!
:D
Friday, 10 April 2009
a good childhood
For those of you who don't care for youth work theory you may want to skip this one!
The Children's society have just published 'The Good Childhood Enquiry' and I've been on a training day (with the diocese's CofE primary school head teachers and incumbents) all about it, led by someone one the group from the Children's society.
they say we need to change are attitude to 5 key aspects
Love & relationships,
friendship,
values,
collective responsibility,
learning.
i agreed with alot of what was said, though my youth work training kinda goes against there idea of living alongside the young people, the way they put it almost seemed to be without boundaries, and I personally belive it is important not to be there 24/7 otherwise you are always on show and never get to switch off, but also so young people don't become dependant on the worker .
on another point the term child annoys me, here is covers those 0-18 and I guess it is a good enough phrase (childhood)
however the other day someone called me a child - now I'm 20! she also called all of my course mates children which is strange saying as not only are we training to work with young people but some of the group are mature students and are therefore much older!
this is something I need to look into further, I think buying the book and having a good flick through is on the cards when I get some time.
Rach
The Children's society have just published 'The Good Childhood Enquiry' and I've been on a training day (with the diocese's CofE primary school head teachers and incumbents) all about it, led by someone one the group from the Children's society.
they say we need to change are attitude to 5 key aspects
Love & relationships,
friendship,
values,
collective responsibility,
learning.
i agreed with alot of what was said, though my youth work training kinda goes against there idea of living alongside the young people, the way they put it almost seemed to be without boundaries, and I personally belive it is important not to be there 24/7 otherwise you are always on show and never get to switch off, but also so young people don't become dependant on the worker .
on another point the term child annoys me, here is covers those 0-18 and I guess it is a good enough phrase (childhood)
however the other day someone called me a child - now I'm 20! she also called all of my course mates children which is strange saying as not only are we training to work with young people but some of the group are mature students and are therefore much older!
this is something I need to look into further, I think buying the book and having a good flick through is on the cards when I get some time.
Rach
meeting the circuit boss
there was an afternoon back in march (decided to stop backdating) when I drove to a village (where he lives) to meet my circuit line manager, and we had the chance to talk, drink coffee, study maps, and plan for the future.
We then went and saw 6 of the church I will be working with (out of 7) 4 of which I got to go inside, its a really rural circuit, with some small churches (that you can tell are methodist)
really getting excited now, there's alot of potential in the churches and working ecumenically, ready to go now!!!!!
We then went and saw 6 of the church I will be working with (out of 7) 4 of which I got to go inside, its a really rural circuit, with some small churches (that you can tell are methodist)
really getting excited now, there's alot of potential in the churches and working ecumenically, ready to go now!!!!!
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