I'm in Reading!!!

Hi there

Just a quick update as promised - I'm now back in Reading. Sale of the flat eventually went through after many phone calls and times when we thought we were the solicitors!!! A really nice feeling to know that everything went through fine.

Hopefully another update will be on its way shortly..................

Fi
-x-

Update from Norwich (apologies to one and all for its severe lateness)

Hey guys and gals, it's great too hear everyone is doing so well, and I thankfully am no exception. This year has wth last year has started as a hive of activity, as well as joining the same clubs (Hockey and Rock Gospel Choir), I have also, after much stress and strain, eventually got the go ahead to set up the UEA's first Archery Club. We meet every wedsnesday and have just completed our 1st month of training, and thankfully everything with it is going extremely well.

The biggest change to life in Norwich is that i have moved into my student house. Where I am pleased to say I have been incredibly blessed both with the accomadation itself but also the 4 other guys I live with. My housemates, Matt, Matt, Matt and John (NO I'm not kidding, we couldn't find a Mark and a Luke :-D) are all fantastic guys and also all Christians, which in itself is a blessing of support in my faith in contrast to my atheist friends on my course.

On the academic side of life, I am fortunate enough to only have 8 hours a week of lectures and seminars (apologies again to all those on far more intense courses), however in this second year the reading and general workload has had a big increase. I am writing to you now with two fast approaching essays, which I will hopefully meet the deadline for.

Church life at Kings continues to flourish, with the arrival of new freshers (both on campus and at Kings), there has been a great oppotunity to make new friends and encourage others in Christ. We have recently been blessed by visits from a number of guest preachers on a sunday morning who have included Ian McCormack and Jonathan Conrathe. As well as these there have been visits from church leaders from other NewFronters churches across the globe, including Dubai and Bejing.

I apologies for this extremely late update, it is due to several factors including, internet problems at home, workload and my own forgetfulness. I pray that all goes well for each and every one of you, God Bless Matt xx

fix your eyes

I've just looked at my calendar and realised that this post comes a week late, but that has been a blessing in disguise as so much has happened in this past week. Just a quick update about me, I’m now settled in a church called St. Nicholas’ where I am receiving some amazing and inspirational teaching. I will be having a meeting with the youth work co-ordinator next week about contributing to church life. I’ve just got back off of a college CU weekend away in Scotland and am so excited about the way in which I can see that I have grown in my faith since I arrived in Durham and how much god has spoken to me in the short time I've been here. One phrase that has been a recurring theme in the teaching I’ve had here, has been that I am to fix my eyes on Jesus, and his plan for my life. Although I’ve only just arrived here, God is already directing my thoughts to my year abroad in third year and making sure I stay focused on his purpose. My weekend away was full of conversations that have lead me to a greater understanding of what God has in store for me and has also meant I now have some resources to start researching what I want to do.

Despite this long-term focus, God has definitely called me to be in the present and is challenging me and some of my friends to start living radically different lives for Jesus, so as to be a good witness to our non-Christian friends. Although there are a large proportion of Christians here, especially in college, this has meant I’ve had fellowship like I could never have imagined and also that for some of our peers it’s the first time they’ve met and been friends with Christians, certainly such a large group and they’ve seen something different in us. One friend has been asking questions about Jesus and last Sunday decided to attend a ‘taste and see’ event run by one of the local churches, a service particularly designed for people with no experience of church.

Please pray that he keeps taking small steps to a better understanding of life in Christ and also that God really speak to him in the next weeks and days, especially about some of his bigger issues (he doesn’t understand why he needs forgiveness). Also pray that I might rise to the challenge of living radically for God and that we as Christians could live in a way which really reveals more of him to non-Christians

Thank God so much for all his answers to prayers and his revelations both in the extraordinary encounters and the ordinary and day-to-day.

Abi in Winchester Part 2

Hey Everybody,

The calender organisation of my life seems to be working! I know that my mum will breathe a sigh of relief that it has suddenly dawned on me I don't always need to be late.

I'm in the process of looking for a place to live next year, reading Dave's blog has made me stop and think about where and why I will go where I go. Stopping and thinking seem to be what I am doing alot of at the moment. This year I am finding very hard emotionally. That doesn't mean I'm not enjoying it, I am,but the modules I'm taking are all very challenging. The most challenging is Christianity and Politics. It is so very interesting but can also be a little depressing at times, what it does do is challenge me as a christian to actually think about what I can do and reminds me that I am not helpless and so I shouldn't act like I am.
I'm glad I have the tutors I do as all are very politically active around the world and each has interesting stories to tell.

My friends here are great as ever but I do miss seeing my friends at home and really miss my family and support and love which I may have taken for granted last year.
Winchester is as lovely as ever and we have just had a new student union built.
I'm doing Karate which is marvelously calming as it is all about defense and repetitive, slow movements. So all in all this year has started really well.

I hope you are all well its been great reading what you are all up to.
All my love and Gods blessings.

xXx Abigail xXx

Slum Survivor

See what the WAMers have been up to this weekend: living in cardboard boxes in the church car park, essentially...

If the link above doesn't work (with all the lovely pictures), here's what it was like, from the horse's mouth.

"When was the Slum Survivor event?
9.30am Sat 27th October for 24 (or 25) hours [it was the night the clocks went back]

What type of Slum Survivor event was it?
We held a Slum Survivor Weekend

How many people were involved?
8 youth and 2 adult leaders...

Post event info:
What happened?
We all arrived 9.30am Saturday morning and began our first challenge - building our slum. This took approximately 3 hrs! However it was actually impressive - we had pallets for flooring, wood and cardboard for walls, cardboard and taupaulin for a roof.

Once 10 of us climbed in it was dark but very cozy! The challenges were cooking our food (rice and lentil dhal) , making a football, testing the football and the slum, making paper bags with glue also made, taking our medicine, a quiz and of course surviving!

Bible study took place and in spare time the footballs were used and left over rope turned into one big skipping rope. Although the meal was edible not many liked it and I can say that the rewards for the challenges were appreciated.

The following morning, after a restless night because pallets aren't that comfortable, nobody wanted breakfast of rice and dhal(surprise!). We all joined our morning service at 9.30am - new clock time - and participated in the service based around Slum Survivor.

Hopefully everyone learnt alot and now appreciates alot. I think on the whole we all felt 24hrs was enough for us!"