Quick update...

I went to a 'wellness' seminar in January and have been enjoying taking the time to eat more healthily and do more exercise: two things which I have been meaning to fit in for the last few years! I have started running and have bravely (stupidly?) signed up to do a 10k race in May. A 16 mile bike ride along the Sacremento River in the hail and wind and a 4 mile run in the rain at 8am were both quite an experience - made much more pleasant by the fact that one of my housemates has now joined in the training with me :). Much to the horror of the other girls in the house I have also been enjoying the odd corainder smoothie (their shrieks and refusal to taste them have only spurred me on of course).

A couple of weeks ago I also got to go skiing which I absolutely loved. I spent most of the time on my back laughing (whilst 4 year olds whizzed past me) but I did finally manage to make it off the baby slope and went onto on of the grown up ones and loved hurtling down that. I did it with much speed and very little style but I enjoyed myself and did not break anything which was a key aim of the day.  I did manage to fall face first and give myself a black eye  (which I was rather proud of and spent the next day at school pointing it out to people).

School has continued to be fabulous and is the most encouraging place you could ever hope to be. They teach a lot on 'calling out the gold in people' and telling them the potential you/God sees in them and the qualities they have. They also teaching  us other people skills like methods for resolving conflicts, how people give and receive love (e.g. people's 'love language' may be gifts, quality time, postive words, acts of service or touch). 

At first this all felt a bit un-Me ( un-British?) (tell people you don't know that well what you really think? talk face to face about a disagreement rather than letting it go?) but it has made a big difference to me and how I view myself and others. I really love how practical the teaching is and we get lots of opportunities to put this into practice in and out of the classroom. When I am my healing team where we pray for people in the church who are not well, some teams go into the shops and streets of Redding each week and find creative ways of letting people know that they are important, valued and loved (making artwork for them, hosting street BBQs, praying for them, giving the children balloons etc).

I leave tonight for Quito, Ecuador to visit people there and in Riobamba. A team of 16 of us are going to visit youth groups, nursing homes, children's hospitals and our aimis to let them know that they are loved and valued. I have a feeling I am going to be pushed out of my comfort zone somewhat! The whole class has had the opportunity to go overseas and we have heard lots of great stories from teams who have been to L.A, Mexico, South Africa, England, Alabama etc etc etc! My roomate is currently in Guatemala cooking meals and spending time with people who live in rubbish dumps.

Corainder & Avoacado...You know you want one really!

Riobamba

I mentioned before that lots of my classmates have got incredible stories of how their lives have been completely turned around from drug addictions, homelessness and other difficult circumstances. My aim is to share some of those stories on here soon. I will fill you in on my Ecuador trip too...

I should add... you are loved, valued, important, significant and well pretty fab really!