2013

Me again. 

It is the 1st January 2014, and I thought, as is common practice now, that I would write a reflection over the year that has just past. Plus, it seems like quite a good way to procrastinate from doing my assignments!

I'm not sure how this is going to work, so it may be a bit hit and miss.

Work

Probably the biggest change that has happened to me this year is my job. At the start of the year I was working as a secondary school science technician in a north Bristol school. It wasn't what I wanted to do with my life, but post-degree when the job market was a little thin on science jobs, it was as good as anything. I was entering my third year of doing the job, and finding it getting more and more stressful. When I'd started, I'd said that I wouldn't stay for more than two years, but that didn't quite work out. I worked with some great people, but the work and the school environment was getting tougher. 

Around March, I started looking at alternative jobs, and someone mentioned Ministry to me, church ministry. The idea initially terrified me, as I don't feel like I can preach, and ministry automatically means preaching doesn't it? As I thought and prayed more about it, and chatted to friends, I started to think about youth ministry, and training to become a full time youth worker. A SWYM (South West Youth Ministries) trainee was placed in my area. I got to meet him and have a chat with him about what SWYM was like. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that this was quite possibly my calling in life. Plus, this trainee kept pushing me to apply. 

So I did, and in May had an interview for the Be Transformed course. I had attended SWYM camps when I was younger and was slightly shocked to find out that the guy who heads SWYM up now recognised me, 10 years on! Anyway, I got a provisional place on the course, and was ready to hand in my notice. But I had to wait. Until I had a placement sorted, there was still a risk that I wouldn't be able to train and would remain a  science technician. 

Things were getting close to the end of the academic year and the deadline for handing in my notice. I had wanted to stay in Bristol. My life was now back in Bristol, and I didn't really want to leave, but after looking at the only suitable placement, it became clear that God had other ideas, and that I was going to move away. 

Things then moved very rapidly. I handed in my notice, without a placement, in the faith that God was going to provide. So I had no job, and no idea what I was doing in September. I got a call about some potential placements, and wanted to look at one in Torquay. The only problem being that I was going on holiday very soon after the term ended, and we wanted to get things sorted. We managed to arrange a visit and interview on the Sunday, when I was going away on the Monday. Talk about manic!! Dad and I drove down to Torquay, visited the church, met some of the congregation, went to a picnic that was rained off, then went back to Bristol ready for our holiday. Lets face it. After disappointments in the past, I wasn't getting my hopes up, but I had felt that things had gone well, and it was now in Gods hands. One week into the holiday the news came that they wanted me and I had a placement, hooray!! God provides. In September, I started my training course, and moved, in mid-September, to Torquay, Torbay, UK. That's another change that has happened this year. 

I'm so pleased that there are people in my life who encouraged me, and spoke to me about this. It is the right choice, and I am so happy. This is where God has called me, and the role he wants me to do. 

Home

As I have mentioned already I have moved. I was living with my parents in Bristol, mostly happy, but safe. I am now living on my own in a little two room bungalow, provided for by the church. It was, like my placement, a little hit and miss, and I did think that I would be starting my placement in a tent or on someone's floor. But during induction with SWYM everything fell into place!

It is a little weird living on my own at times. I have to remember to cook, shop and do my washing, along with everything else. But so far, so good! I do find myself talking aloud a lot though, and making more phone calls that I used to. 

Holiday

This years holiday was a big one. We had been planning it for a year, and was glad when it finally came about. My family go on canal boat holidays, as is tradition, but this years trip was a little bigger than other years. This year we boated around the London canals, up the rivers Lee and Stort, and ended with a trip up the tidal river Thames, from Limehouse basin to Brentford, past a lot of the iconic places, such as Tower Bridge, the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament, and Battersea Power Station. Going up the Thames requires a lot of planning, such as finding a boat company who would let us do it, making sure we had everything we needed: life jackets, serrated knife, VHF radios and licence, and lots and lots of rope! Plus, making notes of things to be aware of along the way. But it was all worth it. The passage was scary in places, and I don't think any of us are in a rush to do it again. Steering the boat yourself is very different to being a trip boat passenger.  But we can tick it off, and we have some great photos and memories. 

Car

Possibly a lot less interesting and significant change, but I brought a new car in February. The first car the I have ever brought. My first car was a 10 year old Renault Clio diesel, that used to be a driving school car, when my dad was a driving instructor. But it was getting old, and I had been told that there were a lot of expensive potential problems lurking, such as with the turbo, that were more expensive that the car was valued at. So I bit the bullet, and started looking. I found a nice Vauxhall Astra, and got rid of the Clio. That was a sad moment! But I now have a different car, that will hopefully get me about. 

I think that's it for now. Obviously, 365 days is a long time, and a lot has happened, from trying to get a friends fish tank home in the back of my car (it didn't fit, and we had to get my dad to help!), to a friends wedding, to many other things, I have only covered a small amount briefly. But I thought that it would be a good thing to do!

So that's it for now, who know's when I'll next be back!

God bless,

Ruth