Last week went well, managed to sort out my hair for the photoshoot (last minute curling in the tech office!) – photos to come once Simon has sifted through and picked out the best ones! We had a great time on Wednesday morning going through one of the lessons with the guys, getting them to pretend to be 12 year olds! Our day with Den was fantastic – despite having done the session with him before, it was so good again! Looking at the Bible and how it fits together – in 2 hours we got to the beginning of Exodus! I had a really lovely time with my cousin as well, we had dinner at Prezzo and then went back to my house. We chatted non stop and I found out loads that I didn’t know and generally a really good catch up. The weekend was busy but i always love spending time with my sister and the children, babysitting was good fun, even being woken up on Sunday morning by a very excited Maddie and Emi bouncing on my airbed! Was also treated to Mum’s Gammon Roast Dinner and home-made apple crumble…yum!

This week began with a bit of sad news; Tom Tonks decided that Taste wasn’t for him right now and so unfortunately won’t be continuing with us this year. This has big implications both for us and him and we’d really appreciate your prayers for him as he seeks what is right for him, and for Andy and Joy as they make decisions about the future. For now Andy is swapping back to guitar, Joy is singing and bass is on backing tracks. This is as temporary measure for the events coming up.

So this week…

• Monday: We had a session with Beth Powney (Rich’s mum) on surviving spiritually which was very good and challenging, then more rehearsals in the afternoon.
• Tuesday: This morning Keel and I took Andrew and Jonny to McDonald’s for breakfast and a chat about office etiquette and host housing…we made it fun! This afternoon has been Abi Rehearsals and admin.
• Wednesday: Planning meeting for ‘More Than A Story’, Media meeting, more rehearsals and then a trip to Lakeside in the evening woop!
• Thursday: Photo shoot for All About Abi visuals, writing and more rehearsals.
• Friday: Day in the barn for rehearsals and set up practice.

Sunday is Taste’s first gig in Gorleston. Please pray!!! Andy, Joy and Andrew are rehearsing frantically to be ready in time. Keel and I are going along to help with tech.

I read this yesterday and was really encouraged:

1 Corinthians 3: 5-9
⁵What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. ⁷So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labour.⁹For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.

Actually it’s not down to us to make people ‘grow’, to ‘make Christians’ – it’s only God that can do that. We’re all called to our own individual tasks, but ultimately it’s God working through us.

Tags: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9, All About Abi, Bible, Exodus, Gorleston, More Than A Story, Roast Dinner, Taste

We did an alternative Halloween event at Gorleston Baptist Church working with Unite Norfolk. The wonderful Matt Williamson of last year’s Taste fame was part of the organisation of it…really good to see him, although still doesn’t look right without the hair! We set up one end of the hall and Unite set up the other end, hanging black material around the entire room – looked quite good!!
The evening consisted of extreme games run by Unite, 2 sets from Taste and Diversion running a game and performing ‘What’s It Worth’.
The games that Unite did were horrendous!! One involved a paddling pool filled with porridge, pieces of carrot and sweets and the kids had to get the carrot and sweets out with their mouths – that one was called Vomit Spit. Another was a large sheet of plastic on the floor covered in ketchup, mustard, mushy peas and relish and the kids had to push a fish across it using only their nose. They had protective suits on, but the zip didn’t work and the ketchup etc soaked through onto their clothes. The smell of the fish was disgusting and that and a combination of eating far too many sweets meant I felt very sick!! I was almost speechless as I was trying to present!
It was a good night, lots of fun although didn’t get home til 2.30am!

Tags: Carrot, Diversion, Fish, Gorleston, Ketchup, Matt Williamson, Mushy Peas, Mustard, Porridge, Sweets, Taste, Unite, What's It Worth