This week we are in the office preparing for some of the events that are coming up:

21st March: Strictly Come Praying, Grangemouth
8th-13th April: Spring Harvest, Minehead Week 2
16th-18th April: The Mix, Norwich
29th-3rd May: Baptist Assembly, Plymouth

There are others in between but these are what we are focussing on! A meeting about each to plan and prepare, as well as rehearsals, stock checks and other admin type stuff! We had an office prayer time this morning, its great to catch up with the people who work in the office, day in and day out keeping everything going and doing the really important stuff that keeps us going on the road! A chance to find out how the other ministries are going and what God’s doing. We’re going out for a meal on Thursday lunchtime, sort of a leaving do for Clive but he can’t make it…so we’ll still go anyway! Any excuse to go out! Also this week is a chance to meet with Andy and Joy and chat about how everything is going and what’s happening next year…I have no idea what God’s plans are for me for September so your prayers would be much appreciated!

Currently preparing part of a seminar for Strictly Come Praying. It’s on ‘How does God speak to us?’. Myself, Keel and La Roche are running it and have chosen the 3 topics of through The Bible, Sung Worship and People & Circumstances. We’re doing 5min chat and 5min practical activity for each. I’m doing Sung Worship so if anyone has any thoughts they would be much appreciated!

On a non-work level…It’s nice to be ‘home’ (Mum gets upset if I call Wickford home so hence the ”!) for a week, a chance to catch up on washing, hang clothes up and have a bit of a tidy up! Very much looking forward to watching Holby City at 8pm tonight, rather than on iPlayer a few days later! Saw Maddie, Emi and Billy at the weekend – we went to the park and got really muddy and it was great fun! I fell over so had to change into my pjs when I got back to Sarah’s and put my jeans in the wash! Watched a film called ‘Fish Tank’ in the evening and it was really good! I recommend for anyone who likes real life films. Had Billy laying on my tummy for a couple of hours, all snuggly and warm! I miss them so much when I don’t see them! 

I bought the Florence + The Machine album and have been listening to it for the past couple of days. I like it a lot!

Mon 15^th

Happy 7 year wedding anniversary to Sarah and Matt! Got a lift to the chapel with Carol for 8.45 and we set up and prepared for the day. The day runs from 10am-4pm with half an hour lunch and a couple of short breaks. We have 21 young people this week, so spent most of the morning as a big group playing games and getting to know them…including the infamous Name Game run by Joy. We then spent the last 20mins of the morning and all afternoon in our separate Drama and Music streams. Ben and I have 5 girls in our drama group and they worked really hard to begin putting a piece together. We have the theme of relationships and they have to create a piece of drama with a message for their audience. We decided on a theme, message, team name, storyline, characters and began devising the separate scenes. I was impressed with their enthusiasm and how well they worked together. At 4 the young people left and we packed down and headed to Ann and Steve’s who were feeding us. La Roche, Keel and I were dropped off at Sainsbury’s for vital supplies and then we walked to the house. Dinner was really good, really nice pizza, La Roche claiming the best he had ever tasted ‘with real food on top’. We had a nice relaxed time after, a sort of meeting but everyone was joking around and it was good fun! We had a prayer time and then headed back to hosts about half 8. I had a peppermint tea and phoned my mummy and had an early night!

Tues 16^th

Becca picked me up this morning, in for 9am. We started the day together with registration, a song and a game and then split up into our groups for the rest of the morning. We spent the morning continuing working out the scenes and then scripting them. I typed everything up so they had copies to take home and learn. We finished the morning by acting out the story of The good Samaritan in lots of different styles including as aliens! Then lunchtime which I spent making a powerpoint for the afternoon…Oak Grove’s Got Talent. We had 9 acts including singers, poetry, piano recital, baton twirling and ‘The Potato Heads’ (Darren, Bex and Pete singing Mrs Robinson by The Lemonheads). It was a highly entertaining performance, though not much in the way of vocal talent! We spent the rest of the afternoon delving into ‘The Check It Out Team’s Collection of Amazing Games’ and having some fun! After everyone had left we set up for Abi tomorrow and then headed to Conor’s beautiful extended refurbished bungalow for dinner.  It was a gorgeous meal with make your own pancakes for pudding! We then spent a bit of time playing on the Wii and trying to complete a couple of puzzles in the house – a cross in a cage and a 4 tiered heart. Then back to hosts!

Having had a brilliant couple of days off, seeing Billy, taking Maddie and Emi to Crazy Kids and ripping holes in my jeans so then having to go shopping and buy more jeans (oh what a shame!), I am now ready for our next event!

We are heading to Norwich for a 2 school’s days and then a gig on Saturday Night at Catton Grove Primary, Weston Road, Norwich 7pm, morning service on Sunday at the same place (10.30am probably!) and then an Activities Week. Like we did in Hawkwell back in October, so Taste are doing songwriting and we are doing a drama one. There are other things going on, a couple of trips out and a performance next Friday night. Should be good! Hoping to have internet access so I can keep you more updated.

Please pray for us!! xx

I have a new nephew! Born at 5.20pm, 3rd February 2010. He weighed 8lb 7oz and he looks just like Maddie! Sarah is well, labour was under 3 hours! They came home on Thursday and Maddie and Emi love him! Went round to see him that evening and here are a couple of pics. He is gorgeous (obviously!) and very good! He sleeps lots and when he cries it’s more like a squeak! So cute and tiny…but he does have quite big feet!!

So the holidays are over and it’s back into the office!

It was really nice to have a break and switch off, but I did start to get a bit restless towards the end. Three weeks is quite a long time, and it makes it harder to get back into it! One of the highlights of the holiday was Dan and Jeni’s wedding in Lowestoft on the 2nd January. It was beautiful and a perfect day! The church looked incredible, with 5000 fairy lights hung on the back wall, with blue voile draped over the top. Jeni looked absolutely stunning, though how she didn’t freeze I have no idea! It was great to be back with the guys from last year as well, miss them all very much!

Now back in the office for 3 days rehearsing for Solid Remix on Friday and then up to Scotland for 2weeks on Saturday. Taste are rehearsing worship songs in the studio while I write material, do stock checks, write emails, print things and other such officey stuff that I love doing!

I’m currently living in wellies as they are the only footwear I have that don’t let in the snow! I’ve also borrowed Mum’s electric blanket from home…now nice and snuggley when I go to bed!