Well after Germany we had a few days in the office and then a very nice 2 weeks holiday!

Now it’s back to work. Yesterday we had a retreat day with the staff, praying into the future of Viz-a-Viz Ministries. It was a really good time of being together and also encouraging each other with the awesome things that God has been doing. Den shared some of his heart and what he thinks God is saying for the future and the leadership team have an away day today to look at that more in depth. It threw some curve balls in for me too as I’m thinking about what happens next for me. Everybody and his dog seem to be asking me what my plans are, and no-one’s satisfied with ‘I don’t know!’. I’d appreciate your prayers for me in hearing God’s voice in it all. I don’t want to be so focussed on what’s next that I don’t give the best I can to what is happening now because this is the most exciting bit of the year for me!

Last night we had a creative planning meeting for SOLID 2010 where we are leading the late night creative worship slots. We ate pizza and wrote down lots of words and discussed ideas around the theme of ‘See I am doing a new thing’ (Isaiah 43) and I think it was fairly productive!

The next week or so is mostly in the office preparing and writing and training and things like that! Our next event is a weekend in Clacton and then we’re off to Torquay at the end of the month.

Finances… I still need to raise £1744 for this year and would really appreciate any support you can give me. You can support me financially in the following ways

• Donate online at www.justgiving.co.uk/laurabayliss
• Download a form: http://www.vizaviz.org/VAVsupport.htm
• Send a cheque payable to Viz-A-Viz Ministries to:
  Viz-A-Viz Ministries, Phoenix Court, Christopher Martin Road, Basildon, Essex, SS14 3EZ
  Please make some reference to the fact it is in support of me otherwise it will support Viz-A-Viz in general and not me specifically.

Thank you very much. I am more than happy to chat to you if you would like more details or to know where the money is going.

I really appreciate all those of you who are praying for me and asking after me, thank you!

(Started yesterday on site!)

Tonight is a mental party night on the third floor of a multistorey car park. All the technical equipment has been hired in and they’ve been setting up since half 8. We arrived at 11 but not much for us to do yet, just watch. They hired a van simply to drive from the bottom of the car park to the third floor. There’s various areas being set up: graffiti area with car bonnets in it, life size inflatable table football, a course set out for little cars and some crazy bike things, the stage is at a diagonal in the middle with four towers at the back with moving head lights on top and plasma screens mounted on them, there are LED par cans everywhere, strip lights across the pillars and various other T-bars and uplights. A smoke machine will be set up too. The evening starts at 5 where the kids have the opportunity to climb a climbing wall to get into the 3rd floor. Then there will be workshops, presentations, the next installment of the daily drama (which is in German so I don’t have a clue what the storyline is!!), Taste are doing 4 acoustic songs and then at 9pm is the ‘Disco’ with La Roche djing for an hour or so. Keel is very excited to be doing lights, i’ll be running visuals and lights when Keel isn’t around and Joy will be doing sound. They’re just putting the climbing wall in…it’s basically a big sheet with climbing rock things attached to it that they’ve dropped over the edge! Back in the base they’ve been filling a couple of hundred helium balloons on strings to bring over. I’m sat in the tech area writing this on my iPod and then I’ll post it later tonight. It’s so exciting to be part of this, it’s gonna be awesome!

Well add a few barrels of fire, some hot dogs and about 300young people and you might begin to imagine what happened last night! The event was fantastic, the set up looked perfect and people seemed to be having a really good time! It all ended with an hour dj set from La Roche with Keel and Ben doing amazing things with lights and smoke. It was all hands on deck to pack everything down and several loads into the van and out again at The Lighthouse but it was all done in an hour and a half. Means we have resetting to do this afternoon to be ready for tonights session and Taste gig!

We have been having lots of fun in Germany!

Friday we were in a school taking some lessons; Saturday was setting up the venue, The Lighthouse; Sunday was church, pancakes for lunch, soundchecks at The Lighthouse and then out for a Bavarian Beer! The boys had litre glasses, I had 0.3l glass! It wasn’t that bad!

Yesterday the week began. Every night this week there is a programme from 7-9 then Friday night La Roche is djing a set on the third floor of a multistorey car park next door that the kids can climb up to! Its all really well done, the venue looks amazing! It was packed last night and got very hot and sticky! I’m running visuals and also doing a bit on the lights whch is good fun!

Heading into Herne town centre now, will try and write some more soon!

Today was a welcome day off! After a lie in and relaxed breakfast we headed to Cologne. First stop was a mahusive music shop with lots of instruments and techy stuff! We spent an hour looking round while Keel was dribbling over various sound equipment and I was enjoying watching all the pretty lights and smoke! We then followed Joy who had sat mav in hand to find the steak house by The Dom (cathedral). Fortunately there were some non beef options so Keel and I shared a platter of ribs, chicken, sweetcorn and wedges. It was very yummy! We then had the best part of 2 hours to explore. It was pretty grey and drizzley but still enjoyed wandering around. Went into the Dom which was huge and pretty. Walked down the the Rhine and then back to the shops. 4 H&Ms in a very short space of time! Went into the Lego shop which was very exciting-there was lots of Toy Story Lego including a giant Woody. Also Lego digital cameras and mp3 players! Got a double chocolate Dunkin Donut on the way back to the van and we sat in lots of traffic to get back to the hotel! Quick freshen up then to Hans (the guy we’re working with) for dinner. It’s his birthday today so got him a tray of Dunkin Donuts with a candle in. We ate pizza and chatted then headed back to our hotel as we’re leaving at 7.30 in the morning for some lessons in a school. Please pray for us!

We spent the weekend in Plymouth for the Baptist Assembly, running Innovation the 11-18s programme. We were set up in a local Baptist Church and had around 50 young people from Friday to Monday. It went really well, had good opportunities to pray with young people. Also got a chance to explore Plymouth a bit, our hotel was right on the front – very pretty at night time!

After packing down on Monday we travelled all the way to Ashford and stayed in the Travel Lodge. Up ready to leave at 8.30am to get the ferry from Dover to Dunkirk and then drive to Herne in Germany, arriving at 7pm. Today we went into a school, set up and did a 45minute gig, then packed down and went to a youth cafe for lunch. Fortunately most people speak pretty good English but it’s still a bit of a challenge communicating! Tomorrow we”re not working so we’re off to Cologne hopefully!

Next week we’re part of a mission called Lighthouse Week – check out the website if you fancy some translating!

Currently we’re in 4 double rooms, hoping to switch to Twin rooms at the weekend! I haven’t been feeling too well today so your prayers would be much appreciated! We have free Wifi at the Hotel so will try and keep anyone that is interested updated! You can text me but I won’t reply coz it will cost me!!

xx