British Fun #2 - Lindsey in the UK

07-08 UK - Lindsey
Originally uploaded by YAGM

Tamworth Tribune
The Life and Times of Lindsey Swanson Vol. 2

Church Life
The past month has gone by so fast for me! I have been busy preparing for all
the different Christmas activities that we have coming up for the youth. I have two different Christmas plays to organize (one for just the teen group and one
for all the kids ages 3 to 18). It’s been fun for me to revisit the theatre side of
me with set designs, stage directions, and script writing! Also we have a youth Christmas party coming up. And in true Lindsey fashion, I decided that any
good party should have a theme! So the kids are going to a Hollywood Movie Premiere Party, complete with the red carpet, a proper meal, a cinema style movie, and an “after party” dance! I think I might be even more excited for it than the kids. Although it really has helped me to realize what a passion for event planning I have! But in the midst of all the planning and daily grind I was beginning to feel a bit discouraged and confused. I was suppose to be going out of my comfort zone and help people in the margins over the course of this year. Had God really brought me here so that I could plan parties for kids who are worried about their next cell phone, not their next meal? Their seemed to be so much in the way of the spiritual experience that I thought I would be having. I just found myself continually asking “What’s the point?”. After an especially hard week at The Centre, I was leaving for a weekend retreat with my fellow UK YAGM volunteers. I was really looking forward to the chance to vent to my friends about how stressful life was and how much I was struggling with growing and giving spiritually. During one of our first sessions we discussed faith: what did it look like before this year and what does it look like now. It was that moment that I realized what a HUGE shift my faith has taken in only the first 2 months of being in Tamworth, working with the kids and alongside the other adults. What an amazing blessing to have a personal relationship with God and be able to see him everyday through other people!

New British Vocab

Taking the mickey = Making fun of
A Muppet = an idiot
Lady Bird = Lady bug
Quid = Slang for pound (aka Buck)
Gutted = really upset
Ta = Thank you

To Ponder…
10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Psalm 51: 10-13


Highlights
1. Christmas planning (Writing a couple plays and putting my event planning skills to use for the youth holiday party)
2. Holiday in Spain (Beaches, the Zoo, loads of fabulous food, trip to Gibraltar, so much beauty!)
3. Laser Tag (Going to laser tag with the boys from Hurley)
4. YAGM retreat (Great friends and Great memories)
5. Poppy & Daisy’s 2nd birthday party (Cake and toys X 2…Twins are twice the fun!)