October Newsletter - Crystal in the UK

October 2007 Newsletter
Scottish Word of the Month: chuffed- proud “ I am so chuffed at my new found climbing ability.”
Quote of the Month: “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid...for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Joshua 1:9
So, I have been abroad for over a month now. It is so hard to believe. I am really starting to settle in and know my way around our little Glen. I have found a place where I can get my riding fix when I have some free time. The Owners of Gulabin Lodge, which is only two and half miles down the road from us, own 2 horses. However, the road there seems like it is uphill both ways especially when it is windy. I am going to be taking care of Rosie (a little Shetland pony) and Stanley (a welsh cob), while Teresa and Darren are on holiday with their 3 girls. The oldest girl, Tilly (12 years) and the youngest, Maisie (2 years) are avid little equestrians. I spent one Saturday going to a little local show to watch Tilly ride, she did quite well and received a 4th place rosette. I had the hardest time figuring out who had won because their ribbon colors are different so for example: first place was red instead of blue.
In Mid- September, Time For God invited us down to Cliff College for a little retreat. So, Sunny (my roommate) and I got to miss 4 days worth of work and travel by train down to Sheffield, which is in central England. The retreat was a welcome respite and a chance for rejuvenation. I got to meet up with some of the boys and girls that I had met at the ELCA Conference in Chicago and then meet other volunteers from Macedonia, Sweden, Slovakia, South Korea and Germany. The conference was really relaxing because they gave us time to learn and then time to explore. So on part of our time off, a group of us went to Chatsworth, the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devon. Actually, for those of you that have watched Pride and Prejudice with Keira Knightly, you have already seen a part of Chatsworth when you watch Keira Knightly admiring the statues and the bust of Mr. Darcy. However, it was the grounds that were most impressive with their maze, cascade, and modern art collection courtesy of Sotheby’s. On the second day, we (me, 3 Germans and 2 South Koreans) climbed the footpath to the top of the cliff in typical English rainy weather and then made an adventurous trek down by forging our own way home through forests of ferns and heather and over rock walls and through a field of cattle. We were absolutely soaked but we made it back in time for dinner, which we were not sure we were going to do when we were in the middle of our adventure.
So, at this point you are probably wondering why I have a quote of the month. Well, honestly I think it is a nice reminder to not be afraid and try new things and you might even surprise yourself. Just the other day one of the instructors, Joe, took my roomies, Sunny and Erin, and me abseiling in Ballater, which near Balmoral (the Queen’s summer home). I made my way down this amazing cliff trying not to look down as I climbed down and then before I knew my feet where planted firmly on the soil. Then the next question was do you want to climb back up? Well, Well… Maybe… Since Sunny and Erin were not volunteering and Joe needed the practice for his SPA Assessment, I took the proverbial bull by the horns and went for it. The first few minutes when I was trying to find my footholds and where to place my hands to have leverage to pull my way up were when the moments of doubt started to set in. “Crystal Marie… you are crazy… you can not possibly reach the top off this little summit… just tell Joe you give up” When I took a deep breath pushed out those little doubts and made the commitment to try my absolute hardest it all started to come together. I took a leap of faith and committed to making the climb and boy was the reward worth it. As I got to the very top the sun was just finishing its descent behind the mountains and lending a peachy glow to the horizon. It was breathtaking… Absolutely Awe inspiring! So, that was my moment of being courageous, of going beyond my normal bounds of activity and it was well worth it. Plus, an enormous amount of personal satisfaction for conquering my fears and climbing a Very Difficult Cliff (the technical rating for the cliff I climbed.)
I hope this newsletter finds everyone well and I wanted to thank everyone that has sent me emails over the last month. I really appreciate everyone’s support. If anyone knows of any fun campfire songs to teach young kids all of the staff at Compass are always looking for new inspiration or if anyone has any easy recipes that a kid tested and mother approved we are always looking for new thing to sing or try out.

God Bless from the Girl that has caught the Rock Climbing Bug in Scotland,
Crystal