Fri 19th

In at 11.15 ready for everyone to arrive at 12. Today was the day of rehearsals! We spent the day alternating with the band for stage space and time in the room upstairs. We had technical rehearsals, run throughs and then played games so we didn’t get totally fed up! 4.30pm was the dress rehearsal which went brilliantly. Then time for something to eat, soundcheck and ready to start at 6. Matt (last year’s drummer) came to watch, very excited to see him! The performances went really well, the girls were so nervous but did a great job. The band performed their song twice to a very enthusiastic audience. Oak Grove Chapel was packed out so it was a very successful evening! Then for the fun of clearing up, packing down and heading home, arriving back in Wickford just after 11pm, phew!

Activity weeks are great fun and it’s good to get to know a group of young people over the week and help them create something. I find it a challenge to create something of a high standard without making it repetitive and boring for them! It’s their half term so in a way you can’t tell them what to do too much, but then to make something really good you need to. I try to make it as fun as possible, but with so little time it can be hard work for them. The girls this week were fantastic though, worked really hard and I hope they are really proud of what they achieved and enjoyed the week. I guess we pray now that the relationships between them remain strong and also with Darren and Becky, the youthworkers at Oak Grove, that they can really get alongside these young people and encourage them to explore more about the awesomeness of Jesus.

Weds 17^th

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACK!!!! In for 9.15 this morning. The morning consisted of the group being split in half – half going out on the trip and half staying back to play games and then swapping. The groups picked their leaders one by one, I was picked third which I was quite happy with! So addigned to group one we headed off to The Forum in the centre of Norwich for a look round the BBC Radio Norfolk Studio to see how it all worked and how a radio show is put together. It was quite interesting, though I was more excited by the walk down the TV Studio corridor where they film Look East! We got to see the dressing room and control room but sadly not the studio. Big canvas pictures of presenters past and present on the walls, but didn’t see any in real life! Also had a brief stop in the current exhibition there on Climate Change, the concept was quite interesting. Then back to the Chapel for some games and then Group 2 came back and it was lunchtime. After lunch we performed All About Abi, La Roche led the related discussion afterwards and then we had a time of Q&A where the youg people could ask us anything. The questions were fantastic; ‘What made you decide to become a Christian?’, ‘How do you hear God?’, ‘Can you feel God?’ were a few so we got to share our own experiences and really talk about how much God loves each one of them. Brilliant stuff and we could have gone on a lot longer but some people were getting fidgety so we had a break and then finished off with some games. Set up for tomorrow’s recording at the end of the day and then headed to Jo and Colin’s for dinner (where I stayed last Wednesday). Gorgeous Chicken in Coronation Sauce with veg and rice and then a gooey chocolate pudding with candles for Jack’s birthday! We then played the infamous Take 2, which is never fun because Joy always wins! and a games called Sequences which was quite good. Back to hosts just after 9pm.

Thurs 18^th

In at 9.15 again to check everything. Music people spent the day recording all the different parts to the song and choreographing the dance routine while we rehearsed our play over and over again. We took the scenes apart and really focused on them, worked on making the transitions quick and smooth, filmed it and then watched it back so they could critique themselves and also had time to go on the computers and design programmes/posters. By about 3.15 everyone was going a little bit loopy so we stopped and all came back together to play some games. Then at the end of the day set up the extra staging, positioned lights and arranged tabs while Andy finished mixing and then all hands on laptops to burn 30 CDs with the finished song! Then over the Ang Fox’s house (run’s The Mix in April, last year we arrived on my birthday, so my birthday dinner was at her house) for dinner; chicken in sauce and vienetta and crumble for pudding. We spent a long time discussing things for tomorrow and the weekend but never really coming to many conclusions! Then it was time to head back to hosts. Lie in in the morning, we don’t start til 11.15, young people arrive at 12!

Weds 10^th

Picked up at 1pm, we had to go and get the van weighed (for an insurance report after we had a bit of a bump in Scotland) then off to Keel’s to meet everyone else. Becca drove to Norwich in her car to make life easier there as everyone is staying so far apart, so Ben and Jack went in the car with her, leaving me, Keel and La Roche with lots of space in Linford! We arrived at Oak Grove Chapel just before 5, met Darren and Becky for a cuppa and quick  plan of Thursday, then off to hosts for dinner. I was staying with Jo, Colin, Izzy and Steph for the night. In the evening Jo, Izzy and I went to Refresh, a women’s social at the church and basically drank hot chocolate and ate cake! I met Louise, a DNA student who will be working with us. Then home to bed as an early start Thurs!

Thurs 11^th

Up just after 6, being very careful not to fall into the drum kit in my room and wake everyone up! At Sewell High School just before 7 to set up in the hall and start at 9.10. Record for the quickest set up, everything went according to plan! Had all yr7 for an assembly first thing, then saw them all in smaller groups throughout the day. We also did an impromptu song at lunch time and another assembly. A very busy but very good day, the staff loved it! Packed down and then headed to Joy’s Mummy’s house for dinner (affectionately known as Nanny Pearl). After a debrief, plan and pray we had the most gorgeous meal and chocolate brownie, followed by several games of Rummikub. Me and Keel made up the beginners team, but soon got into it! We have a feeling there may be many more games to come! Then back to hosts…now staying with Darren’s Mum Carol and I have a lovely comfy double bed!

Fri 12^th

Up at 6.10, came out the bathroom to be greeted by the smell of fresh coffee…amazing! In The Hub, Catton Grove Primary School about 7.20 to set up. Having been to the school last year, the guys already knew the logistics so that made life a bit easier. I had a bit of a black material nightmare, but all worked well in the end and looked really good with our lights. Then followed a day of primary lessons…I loved it!! Yrs 4,5&6 in for an assembly, then the individual year groups back for lessons followed by a mini concert at the end of the day which ended up being the whole school, including the tiniest reception children! It was all so much fun, they were so enthusiastic and co-operative, it was brilliant! At lunchtime we were slightly mobbed to sign lots of flyers! Set a few more bits and pieces up for Saturday’s gig and then headed to Anglia Square shopping centre for the boys to go to the music shop for an hour. I went to Shoe Zone and bought some cheap boots…having not been able to find any nice ones for the past 3months, I relented and bought cheap ones which won’t stay waterproof for long! Then to Jack’s hosts for dinner in their massive house, then back to our hosts for the rest of the evening.

Sat 13^th

Morning off so got up just after 10am and then Katie (Keel and La Roche’s host), Keel and La Roche came to pick me up and we headed to Wetherspoons for late breakfast. Met Ben there, and Lois came too, yay! Had good healthy fried breakfast and then all headed back to Katie’s for the afternoon where we relaxed and played Articulate. Me, Lois and Keel against Ben, La Roche and Katie. We won! Mainly due to me and Lois knowing what each other was thinking (poor Keel didn’t get a word in!) and Ben’s slowness when the decider was La Roche pointing to his palm and saying ‘It’s a kind of tree’…I got in there first! Linford came to pick us up just before 4 and Lois got to experience our travelling conditions! We went to The Hub and set up final bits for the gig. Dinner was our choice of takeaway and we had a long debate about whether or not Becky should get an iPhone. She is still undecided! Gig was 7pm-9pm and was attended by a wide age range! We had a fair few primary children, a large group from Jack’s home church in Sheringham and then various other youth groups. It wasn’t packed but it was still a good gig. We recorded the sound live, for the first time (as we have our recording gear for the activities week with us) so will be exciting to see how it came out! Lois went back to her halls and we headed to our hosts. Always difficult to wind down after a gig so took me a while to get to sleep!

Quotes from Articulate:
LR: It’s a fruit and a phone
BR: Nokia!
(Actual answer: Blackberry)

LK: An angry cow with a ring through it’s nose!
(A Bull)

Sun 14^th

Happy Valentines Day! I am not a fan, commercial rubbish and all that, probably best not to get me started! Back at The Hub for 9am to get ready for Oak Grove’s morning service at 10am. We led the service, performing What’s It Worth and then Psalm 139 in the middle of Joy’s talk which was quite effective. The whole theme was God’s Love and it was a really good service. A couple of girls from Sewell High who were at the gig came along, not Christians but wanting to find out more. Please remember Oak Grove in your prayers, a major source of funding has been cut, affecting them and many other organisations, putting a lot of jobs on the line (including Darren and Becky). They do some incredible things in the community and are trusting God for the finance to be able to continue. We packed down everything and drove to Oak Grove Chapel where Nanny Pearl had set out some snacks…i.e. a feast! We ate lots and then unloaded and set up which took us til 5pm. Then to Katie’s for dinner and a team game of Articulate. Me, Keel, La Roche and Ben vs Jack, Becca, Joy, Andy and Katie. They won, but we’re not bitter! ‘A Flea’ was the best one on our team…there’s a story but it’s long and probably not that interesting, but I wanted to write it here so I can look back and laugh to myself. If you really want to know then ask me about it! Back to hosts and I’m preparing for the first day of our activities week tomorrow. Let’s see what happens!

We spent a week in Hawkwell Baptist Church running an activities week for age 11-18yr olds. Most of them were young people from the church and their friends. We had about 25 for the week. We spent the mornings split into Songwriting and Drama streams and then the afternoons chilling out playing pool, air hockey, guitar hero and chatting. Taste had 16 people in their Songwriting stream and spent the week writing and recording a track called ‘Face to Face’. Diversion had 7 girls: Becky, Becca, Jessie, Bailie, Grace, Dani and Chloe. I was initially a bit worried about a group of girls (having been at an all girls school, i know the arguments that occur!!) but they were amazing! The brief I gave them was to come up with a piece of Theatre In Education to perform to their friends on the Friday night. So we spent the first 3 days establishing the theme, message, plot, characters and technical stuff. We workshopped ideas and techniques and played games on creating stories and impovisation. The girls worked so well together and were really focussed and enthusiastic. The final piece was brilliant!!! The Drama Team names was ‘Herd Wot?’ (Anagram of ‘The Word’, the name of their youh group), with the tagline ‘The Word In Disguise’. The piece was called ‘Do you know who you are talking to?’ and was on the dangers of social networking – meeting people online. It included a news report with CCTV footage – filmed and edited during the week, and an MSN conversation on the big screen. I was SO impressed with the quality of the piece and the performance gave me goosebumps! On the Friday night we put on an event which including Taste songs, Street Tuff from Diversion and the two performances from the young people. It was a really great night, with lots of people and lots of positive comments!

We have since heard that 2 of the young people, previously not part of the church have expressed interest as a direct result of the activities week which is fantastic. I really hope and pray that the relationships built up and conversations had have a lasting impact on the young people and really enthuse them to get stuck in with God.