Another day in London`

It's Sunday today and we're sitting in the dining area of our hostel finishing off our tea and relaxing before we go to church. Apart from being cold, London really is a beautiful city. There is so much history and age all around, so much of what we don't have back at home. Even just looking up on the streets you can see the beauty and age of all these old buildings.

Yesterday we spent the day looking at museums and art galleries. It was great fun and really interesting. There is so much culture here. We went to the house that Handel lived in when he was in England; saw lots of artefacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and even the area around the Jordan river; saw numerous paintings, including vanGogh's sunflowers. It was great.

London Baby!

Under God's protection and guidance we have safely made it to the wonderful city of London. More than 20 hours after saying goodbye to Mum one lasy time, we touched down in a very different, very cold city. London.

After a long flight (6 hours to Singapore and then another 14 hours to London) we were tired, cramped and excited when we 'deplaned' and were welcomed by the crisp cold air of London. After going through the border, getting our bags and then through customs we dug around for something warm to wear while we braved the elements on the London Underground.

We got to our accommodation around 8 in the morning which was a little bit too early to check in but we were able to leave our bags there and we went of so explore London.
Now I can say that


Now I am really really tired. I have to write in my journal before I forget (in Thailand I got so far behind that I couldn't be bothered to catch up but I am not going to do that again). There have been so many wonderful experiences and events happening. Stay tuned for more

xxx

Looking forward and looking back

Everything that we experience helps shape us into who we are. After being home for a week, I can begin to see how much my experiences in Thailand have helped to shape me. I have been able to see how I have grown and changed in my outlook on life, my perspective about things that matter and most importantly in my relationship with God.

Looking back on my time in Thailand I have made some amazing friends, worked with some adorable and sweet children and have had experiences that will stay with me forever. And yes, I can say that I have really changed. I can see how God has worked in my life through this experience to learn more about His world and the children that are in it, to learn more about Him and to also share His love with others.

 There have been parts of coming home that have been difficult. I have had an experience that has changed me, but I have had this experience on my own. No one that I speak to here is going to be able to understand what I have seen, what I have been confronted with and what I have been able to do. I might be able to explain it to them but that isn't the same as them experiencing it and in that way it is challenging. Not everyone I speak to is going to be concerned with disabled orphans in Thailand, not everyone in going to be interested in the work that I have done with children on the other side of the world. I have to remember that the things that don't matter to me anymore still do matter to others. Just because my world has expanded to include people from another country, that doesn't mean that everyone else's world has and I guess I have to remember that. The things that matter to them are still important even if they do seem small to me.

So now it's time to look forward. On to my next adventure and the plans that God has in store for me. Right now I'm looking for jobs here in Australia to apply for but I keep distracting myself by searching for volunteer opportunities else where. I want to help people and change there lives, I guess the biggest way that I feel that I can do that is in countries where there isn't such immediate access to health care and particularly speech therapy. But that is something that requires a lot of thought, a lot of prayer and a lot less impulsivity.

God has a plan for me and I have to also accept this plan even if it does involve working here at home

xxx

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

I'm home. Back with my family. Back in my own bed. Back enjoying good steak and wine :) (only a few of the luxuries I missed while being away). Even though I had a really amazing time away and am already missing everyone back in Thailand. It is really really great to be back home.

I was able to see my family again! I could see how much my brothers and youngest sister had grown even though I was only away for 3 months (or I shrank while I was in Thailand). I could say hello to my horse and our dogs and get an excited hello back! I could enjoy an amazing peice of T-bone steak, with potatoes (fried in garlic and rosemary), beetroot salad and greek salad (It was really really good, thanks Mum). I was able to have a warm shower and flush the toilet paper down the toilet! I could have a really good sleep in my own bed with a blanket over me (not just a sheet). It's good to be home.

Now to go and unpack all my stuff. I cant leave that for too long cause I'll need to fill my suitcase again for Europe.

xxx

One day more

Thinking of a title for this post has just put the song "one day more" from Les Miserables in my head. And now it's stuck. One day more until I'll be back home, one day more to touch Aussie soil once again.

One day more in which I can enjoy eating Thai food (kpraow moo, satay moo, amazing coconut smoothies, the amazing pineapple from the fruit man and amazing mangoes). One more chance to get a Thai massage. One more meal to enjoy with all of my house mates.

So all I still have to do is pack my washing in my suitcase, clean up the mess that has collected in my bedroom, stuff all my scarves in my guitar case to protect my guitar, put a photo on the wall of fame where I can join all the other past volunteers and write a card for everyone else in the house so that they know how much I'll miss them :)

Ok, so I just left that sitting there and completely forgot to post it... Now I'm home but you can still read that.

The end of the beginning

Today was my very last day of work at CCD. The morning was a usual friday morning at FF babies home. We did some activities and played with the kids. My last few days here have all been a bit mixed up with us visiting the Logos Hope ship, having a sports day and cleaning the whole day care centre so I hadn't seen the children for a little while.

It was so great to see how much they have changed. One of them was walking and running everywhere when he had only been able to take a few steps the last time I saw him, another child was really focussed on all the activities rather than his usual 5-10 second attention span, and some were feeding themselves or just interacting and playing. It was so good to see (I had my little proud mum moment just cause I was able to see all the development that has happened over the past 3 months).

After lunch at the Blind School (which is where we have lunch every day), we had a leaving party for me. This involved:

Watching a DVD of a collection of photos taken

receiving a large poster print of a picture taken while I was here...

Receiving and wearing a floral headband, necklace and a nice sash saying 'thank you'
Oh, and getting a certificate and reference letter...

taking lots of photos...

...

... eating lots of food and trying not to cry.

So officially I am finished for CCD and it's not long before I head back home. I have had an amazing time working for CCD. I have met some amazing people, worked with some beautiful children and have some amazing memories. That is not to say that anything is finished yet. In fact I think that my adventures have just started...

Mixed up

Only four more days of work. Only four more days working with some really amazing staff, other incredible volunteers, and the most beautiful children ever. And, as my siblings keep reminding me, only 8 more days before I will be back home. So while there will be a lot of goodbyes and sad times leaving all the wonderful people that I have met here behind, there is also so much to look forward to. 

So yeah, right now I'm feeling a bit mixed up. Everything here is coming to an end. I had a debriefing session with the 'lead volunteer' last night and that just made my leaving even more final. Today was my last day at Rainbow house. Everything just seems to be coming to an end. BUT there is so much I can look forward to. Seeing my family again, seeing my friends, eating steak and enjoying some wine and cheese, and I get to go to Europe at the end of this month. So yeah, I'm a bit mixed up.

My friend just told me: "Relax and enjoy the emotions... that's what makes it all so special." So yeah, that's what I'm going to do. Relax and enjoy all the emotions no matter how mixed up they are, cause feeling them are what makes being alive so special

xxx