Its Banga time

I’m just about to head to Heathrow to catch a flight to Dhaka,  Bangladesh, where I’ll be volunteering with Tearfund on an ICS (International Citizen Service) programme……

I’m nervous. I’m there for 10 weeks, living and working in a community. I miss my Manchester world already! But this trip has come at a time like no other,  i’m LITERALLY dropping cliches left, right and centre. I am full on going to ‘find myself’,  getting away from the backlash of a disastrous end to a relationship, and going to shift my perspective as to why I am a Christian and i’ve entered into relationship with God. The relationship where no matter how many disastrous moments there might be, it never ends. I’m just flying half way around the world to reconnect with Him. I can’t wait. But i’m nervous, this summer has been pretty diabolical BUT if theres one thing i’m sure if its the fact I want to continue serving people. Loving people. The other stuff is irrelevant. Sure you can pray and read and debate until the cows come home but thats not actually what Jesus said was the most important thing to do. He said love people (even the ones in disastrous human relationships).

I’ll try and blog a bit when i’m there but truthfully I will enjoy the break from social media. You know what i’m talking about.

I’m also not entirely sure as to what i’m going to be doing either – i’m based in a church in a southern region and we’ll just see what happens. Literally. Bangladesh suffers with a lot of flooding so I assume i’ll be doing aid work in relation to natural disasters. I also told them I’m a youth worker and not bad at running drama, cooking and craft clubs so maybe i’ll do a bit of that.

Ciao for now x

Drafts

I have started so many blogs this year. I just haven’t really had the time to finish them. I was going to talk about truth, heartbreak, theatre i’ve seen, Manchester nuggets i’ve experienced, love, travelling, charities, home, the fact that blogging is so 2013, belonging, community, and so on… the list is endless.

Today, on Tuesday 16th September 2014 at 18:59pm I am (just about) certain of the following things:

1. Social media is actually a form of torture. TAKE A BREAK. (Yeah yeah, I know i’m blogging but i’m going away soon so you wont hear nothing!)

2. Manchester is my home and the community I have built here are not worth giving up for anything.

3. Having a ‘career’, a relationship, money, an iPhone, a clean house, a routine & a perfect family doesn’t mean you have it ‘sorted’. The world is bigger. I know God is bigger, even when I don’t feel it. It doesn’t mean you are a better person or more attractive for having those things or more mature. No-one has it ‘sorted’. Everyone is just trying to survive.

4. One Tree Hill, cheese, red wine, The OC, gin, John Legend, Cineworld, and salt & vinegar pringles doesn’t make the shit go away. I’ve enjoyed more than enough of this all summer and it just delays all the ick. Embrace the ick. Everyone gets it at some point.

5. Laughing is better than crying, but crying is not a sign of weakness. I wish laughter made us fly.

6. Provision has been put in place because we are part of a PLAN. Some people just don’t quite know it yet. I forget sometimes.

7. Honesty is important. Sometimes i’m a little bit brutal. I’m working on it.

8. Gossip is never okay. Hiding behind a ‘caring and accountable’ acquaintance is not acceptable. In AND outside the church.

9. Travelling isn’t always about running away. GO SEE STUFF.

10. Anger should be dealt with by focusing on what makes God angry in the world. He does not take every personal offence that we throw at him literally does he! Volunteer. Go hang out with your neighbours.

11. I know myself. I always try to communicate from a place of love. I want the best for people, but situations, moments and people influence how I get there and often my reactions suck.

12. Open Mic Nights are brilliant.

13. I’m going to hang out in Bangladesh for 10 weeks with Tearfund and i’m cacking my pants. But, you totally have to go and do stuff that scares you in your twenties, right?

14. We screw each other over, again and again and again and again. We just need to learn a little bit each time. Lower them expectations peeps.

15. Elderflower cordial is an excellent addition to a Gin and Tonic.

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