Just a Little Rest

What with it coming up to Christmas and the fact that I now work for the church, I thought I would be rushed off my feet. But no, I have been very low on work in the last week. It took me a while to work out, but the penny eventually dropped. Yes, work at church has definitely increased, but because so much of my work is in clubs and schools, they've all stopped for Christmas. I haven't had nothing to do, but I'm definitely not as busy as I usually am. It's just a little rest.

The photos are of the following:

1. The rather scary antenna that has sprouted from Benny.
2. The cake I got for a Christmas party.
3. Bread.
4. The annual decorate-the-church-for-Christmas (with a bit of spring cleaning).

I went for Breakfast with the Bishop last week. But it wasn't as bad as you're thinking that sounds! It was a meeting of all the youth workers in Eastbourne. A great time to get to know and get into contact with people doing similar things to myself.

Okay, this may or may not make sense to you, but here goes. I wrote that last paragraph this morning. It's as far as i got beofre I recieved a phone call, and then I got distracted and I forgot about the blog. It is now 10:45pm, about 11 hours later. There's quite a lot that's happened in the week that I haven't mentioned yet, and I won't because I'm tired and I just want to get on and tell my big news. Besides, a fair bit has happened since this morning.

I've been round to visit all my young people. A long and tiring activity, but I'm glad I did. I've also just been asked to do the children's talk tomorrow. That's all planned and ready. But here's the biggest thing. I haven't told anyone that I have done this yet, so whoever reads this first is the first to know.
I've just applied to Oasis Theological College in London to do a Youth & Ministry degree (BAHons). This is very exciting. I've been considering it for a while now, but tonight I decided to do it. I spent some time praying and looking at Bible verses that a secret* person gave me. These verses where amazing. They really spoke out to me. So I decided it was time to do it. So I've done it. *The secret person was a 'Secret Santa' thing we did with our home group, but instead of presents, we have been praying for the person that we were given. But they gave me a card with some bible verses on.

So there's my big news, and on that bombshell, I'm off.
Have a fantastic Christmas and hope to see you in the New Year!
Mikey x

P.S. - I'm home in Littlehampton from 23rd December to 5th January.

Doing the Do-si-do

I have returned to blog once again! It may only have been 2 weeks since I last scribed my various adventures, but a lot has happened.

The photos are (respectively):

1. My Delirious ticket.
2. The banner I made for the Youth Lounge®
3. A breakfast in Eastbourne includes a pint of lager.
4. This was an activity where we'd find prayers inside news articles by blacking out certain parts. This is one that I 'discovered'.
5. A Hama prayer request that I spent a good 15mins making.

Where we last left off, I believe I was on my way to Youthwork the Conference for Day 1. The whole weekend was an amazing time of spiritual learning, practical learning and amazing worship. I came out thinking "You know, maybe this youthwork thing is for me." I have a place at Southampton Solent Uni waiting for me in September 2010 doing a Film and TV Production degree. The beauty of the gap-year is that I have a year to really consider what it is that I want to do, but more importantly, what God wants me to do. I've worked out that out of the spiritual gifts, I have definitley been given the gift of evangelism. For those who are unfamiliar with spiritual gifts, they're like 'talents' that have been given to each person by God. We need to discover what each of our spiritual gifts are and use them. When praying about what God has planned for me, I turned to this passage -

"Use the gift you have, which was given to you through prophecy when the group of elders laid their hands on you. Continue to do those things; give your life to doing them so your progress may be seen by everyone. Be careful in your life and in your teaching. If you continue to live and teach rightly, you will save both yourself and those who listen to you."

1 Timothy 4 : 14-16

I can't argue with that, and it told me that whatever I do I will be reaching out to those yet to know the love of Jesus (which is a lot of people!) You can say that it is possible to do this in any career, whether it be shouting Revelation in peoples face whilst shopping or being a light in the office. But I think for me, it's more than this. I can pursue my film career and evangelise through the mega-powerful media. Heaven knows we need more people in the media. Though I could continue my work in youth ministry. I've been looking at different colleges for a degree in Youth Ministry and outreach. I'd love to work on the streets to young people. There's one final door that I can see. It's to take my music, the band, a whole lot further. Fame and money don't attract me, music that tells non-Christians about the Good News attracts me. But for that we need a Christian bass player and drummer that have the same desire. So I can see these 3 doors at the moment. Some, maybe all, will remain shut, I just have to chose the right ones to push!

Thirst, the afterschool club, has been running for two weeks now and has been beyond what I expected. Like I said, it was advertised to over a thousand 4-11yr olds. The first week we had two children turn up. We were not expecting that. We expected to start with maybe twenty/thirty and for it to then grow in the New Year. I was saying to some friends of mine that sometimes miracles don't happen as often as we'd like, and certainly not as quickly as we'd like. It's easy when praying for something which doesn't get answered to give up. This doesn't solve anything, it can chip off a little bit of faith as well. We just have to accept that God is working in us and we have to hold on to hope. The 2nd week, both of the children had brought one friend each. If they all did this every week, we'd have hundreds pretty soon! It was dissapointing, but I'll just wait.


Wednesdays are now officially my busiest days. This Wednesday went something like this:

• Early wake-up for assembly at infant's school
• Mid-week morning communion service
• Meeting with vicar
• Detached work in secondary school
• Afterschool club
• PCC meeting
• Meeting with mentor

But it's good to be busy! I'm just wondering if doing too much routine engagements will leave me with not enough time for bigger scale projects. I haven't had time to progress on this arts centre project recently.

The youth group that meets on a Tuesday evening (Impact) is growing in size and in spiritual strength. The fellowship is getting stronger which is fantastic. Some of the Tuesday evening attendees that previously didn't come to church are now attending, which is fantastic. And vice-versa. It's coming up to Christmas as I'm sure you're well aware. So this half-term at Impact we're looking at how can we bring Christmas back to Jesus. How can we make Jesus famous again? So last week they asked if they could do an assembly about Christmas/Jesus. We've also got the film equipment out and we've been making different adverts that we can show to the church. They were amazed when I said that even Christians can lose the focus of Jesus at Christmas! I will try and post the adverts in a next blog.

The passage we're focusing on this half-term is John 3:16
"For God loved the world SO much, that he gave his only son so that whoever believes in Him, shall not die, but have life forever!"

Things to pray about if you could:

• Wisdom, guidance and clarity on where to step next after this year
• That people who come to St. Elisabeth's and any other church for the first time this Christmas will see something they like and want to come back for more.
• That if the band is something God wants to prosper, we will find a bass player and drummer that have the same passion to serve and reach out.

Happy Advent everyone!
Mikey x

Emergency Stops and Squirrel Drops (dead)

A hearty 'Good Day' to you, welcome to yet another wonderful post. I've entered week 10 of Eastbourne, so naturally this is the 7th weekly blog.

The pictures this week are very animal related. The first is the house-cat (Kodak) licking the ears of the house-dog (Sophie). This is a favourite past-time of these two and makes me laugh every time. The second is not so funny, but it is still a dead squirrel winking at you. I found it in a local park so whipped out my camera-phone. This is where I'm going to sound fairly geriatric; it's pretty awesome having a camera my phone! I know it's standard these days, but until recently I've been back to 1999 (where a camera on a phone was seen as witchcraft) with my Nokia 3310. As a photography enthusiast, I love having a handy little camera with me at all times, rather than lumping a big ol' DSLR around.

MY WEEK.
I'm struggling to remember all the things I've done in the past seven days. Every single day I've written a diary entry (a mini blog on paper for those under 15) at the end of each day. Somehow, I've managed to forget to do it. I haven't done it for 11 days and I don't think I have the memory or the time to catch up and now I'm wondering whether to start again, ignoring the last week and a half. Either way, without being able to look back on my diary, I'm struggling to remember all the things I've done in the past seven days. I have been on the trains five times to various places near and far this week. My last journey (back from Southampton yesterday) was an interesting one. I got on the train. Then a hundred or so German kids climbed aboard. They were the same German kids that were at the cinema a few weeks ago (Julie and Julia - 8/10 for the feel-good factor). As we approached Lewes one of the boys next to me (I was stood by the loos with my bike) pressed the big red button and the train came to a sudden halt. He looked like a good kid and went as red as the button he so annoyingly pressed. A rather irritated guard came and reset it and off we went. As we approached Eastbourne Station a toddler in his pushchair the other side of me was obviously intrigued by the button. He lunged for it, his mother screamed "NO, DON'T PUSH IT!!" Too late. Metres from the station we came to a halt agin.

Diocesan Synod Meeting. If you don't know what this is, it's like a PCC meeting x 100. If you don't know what a PCC meeting is, lucky you. So this Diocesan Synod Meeting is a gathering of several hundred vicars and bishops in Sussex. Incredibly dull. Let me just emphasise the 'incredibly'. So I was attending with one of the girls from the YES Scheme as we were going to chat about what it is that we're doing this year on the scheme. The talk went well, and we got some applause. I love the applause from these guys. Hundreds of vicars all seem to look the same (black suit, dog collar, brown hair, slight bald patch starting up and glasses) and they laugh like an army of vikings. It was a mighty HAR-HAR-HARRR! It was the only thing that brought me through that meeting.

I'm off to Youthwork: The Conference this weekend (which is conveniently in Eastbourne) to hear how to do the job properly. Should be good, I know a lot of people going, including some from Littlehampton (cheer if that's you!) Also coming up is the start of Thirst, the new afterschool club I've started. It's been advertised to over 1000 children, so we have no idea how many are going to turn up. Please be praying for that.

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you."

Phillipians 4: 2-9

I look forward to speaking to you again soon,
Mikey x

Show Me All the Blue Prints.

Has it really been three weeks?
My sincere apologies, but I've been busier than busy. I took the half term week off and went home, as there wasn't much going on in the church that week. So I spent my first couple of weeks back catching up!
The photos are the following:

1. (and 2) Rehearsing for the recording session
2. (and 1) Rehearsing for the recording session
3. Gingerbread man-eater
4. My Dad and his new contact lenses
5. Sunrise over Eastbourne
6. Making blueprints for the new arts centre.

So half term was a week spent at home. The meat in my half term sandwich was the very first recording of my band Silence Sung. We spent the week rehearsing (as you can see in the photos) then on the Saturday we actually went and did it. It was fairly disasterous, we only came out with two complete songs. I won't go into wha went wrong, but a lot did. But. It was a learning experience, and we now know what not to do next time! And at the end of the day, we got a couple of songs out of it. I also spent a lot of the week seeing lots of friends and family, which is always lovely! Somehow, and I really don't know how, I got roped into doing my home-church's half term holiday club. Please bear in mind that it was my week OFF of children & youth work. But alas, it was still good fun! It was great to be back at Parkside (my home church) and to see everyone there. The Grand Finalé of my week off was the unbeatable Littlehampton Bonfire Night. A classic show and the usual planet-annihilating, mega-bonfire.

But then it was time to get back to the Bourne. Man-alive, did I have some work to catch up on. I got back and was in my first meeting within 25mins. What with it coming up to Christmas (time to admit it), it's all systems go at church. I have normal Christmas churchy things to organise (nativities, christingles, carol services, club panto trips) but I also have two clubs that are about to kick off! I've just started up a breakfast club and afterschool club which is being advertised to literally thousands of children. The breakfast club I am running in collaboration with a local baptist church which is perfectly situated directly opposite the biggest secondary school in Eastbourne, so they will be our target audience. The afterschool club will be advertised to all the local primary schools, including the biggest primary school in Europe. So a lot of work!

I've also been designing blue-prints (but not on blue paper) for the church as I start planning the new arts centre. It was originally a theatre/ballroom so rooms for things like box office and changing rooms are in the right place, just not in the right state. So I've been designing plans for this big change to the church, which should be amazing! It will be a great way for the community to get into the church as well.

I've been a leader at a youth group in the area for a few weeks now. This group has up to 100 children attending, so is therefore split into two sessions. It means that as a leader, I arrive at 5.30pm and leave at 10.30pm. Last week I had an opportunity to do the teaching bit. We've been looking at 'BIG Questions' and so I had to come up with a question and then answer it for them. I chose an old favourite, 'Was Jesus a Man or God?' It went very well, and I love having the opportunities to share my faith with kids and young people and to teach them a little bit about Jesus. I was asked at the end
"Did Jesus have a winkle?"

Sigh. I looked around the room at the other leaders. Some looked absolutely outraged, some saw the lighter side. I took it with good humour and emphasised my point that Jesus was 100% God, but also 100% man, so of course he had a... winkle. He seemed content with my answer. This is what I have to work with, ladies and gentlemen! So this group is an amazing chance to reach out to the youth of Eastbourne, and I have been offered the job of head-honcho of the first session. This will give me the responsibility of 50 kids and 15 leaders. So I need to decide now. It would be good training, but this group is not conncted with my placement church in any way.

I also had the opportunity to preach to a slightly more mature congregation. It was the mid-week communion service with a very small attendance, but it gave me a chance to give a sermon in an Anglican church. I talked about how our faith is incomplete without a relationship with Jesus. It got a good response and I felt it went well.

The scouts have asked me to come back to give another session and also to plug the Tuesday evening 'Impact'. Talking of Impact, they've taken to the new format very well, they enjoy the more study-based part of the evening and they also enjoy the more organised leisure part of the evening, with group games and organised craft. We've just taken on another two leaders, which is great for the team. We finally have the much needed female leaders! The group of teenagers was pretty much a group of individuals when I started in Eastbourne. It was a group that didn't connect with each other (except in particular friend groups) and did not open up or share thoughts. They are becoming much closer and obviously feel more confident with each other. I've been doing a Q+A session over the last three weeks where they can ask questions which I will try and answer, share any thoughts or feelings, testify or give prayer requests. So far, there hasn't been any of it, but this week we had loads of each thing. What's more, two of the boys prayed in the open prayer time which has never happened before! I hope that this will encourage the others.

M'Ladies and Gentlemen, a few prayer requests from myself, if you will;

• Continual strength during this mad time of year
• Children will hear about the new clubs starting up and will want to come
• Clarity on what to do about the offer of head-honcho
• The fellowship in Impact will grow and grow

And finally, a verse of encouragment for those who are as tired as I have been (which is very).

"Come to me all or you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives. The teaching I ask you to accept is easy, the load I give you to carry is light."

I'm up for some of that.
It's been an amazing 3 weeks. Half term was great and the last two weeks in Eastbourne have been very fruitful and have made awesome progression. I hope and pray that this next week will be much the same!

Cheer-chap!
Mikey x

Stuff I Did

Blog-Day seems to have moved to mid-week. I have mixed feelings about the last 7 days, some definitley seem better than others (or worse, depending on whether you're a glass half full or half empty person). The photos this week start off with the remainder of my trousers after the cycle back to the house this morning. It's the final long, steep hill leading up to my house that does it! The next few photos are of me using the material in the most eco-friendly ways I could think of. Waste not, want not and all that. The last photo is the poster I designed for the new club, Impact, that I started up.

Talking of up, Impact kicked off its first ever session this week with a trip to the cinema to see Up. It was a fantastic film, but not Pixar's best. I would give it 7/10, but this is a blog about my youth work, not my film reviews. So I won't.

Ever since Saturday, I've had mostly boring, stay-at-home days. On Saturday I had what I just described, but got loads of work done. I've planned all my sessions until Christmas for both the Sunday morning Y@11 and Impact. Sunday I had to lead the kids talk during the service. I had this great analogy about my bike, if you want a detailed summary, let me know! So it was set to be a great talk. But, I kept getting tongue-tied, the talk was meant to last 5mins, mine lasted 90secs and I got all the kids at the front whereas they usually stay with their families. It was a tad disasterous. It's not even like it was my first kids talk, I've done several before and this one was by far the worst. Equally, the teenage group that goes out halfway through the service which I lead was set to be a great session. I had spent many hours planning it, and it was full of different sections. But that went bad as well.
Looking back at it and trying to work out what went wrong, it hit me. That Sunday morning, I had a big list of things to do before the 9.30am service. One of those things was to pray. Guess which one I didn't do. I didn't do it deliberatley, but it made such an impact. I always pray before a session, but somehow the most important thing on my list was left til last. It just proves that no matter how much work I put in, it's nothing if I don't involve God. I felt pretty rubbish by the end of that day.

Monday was nice to forget about Sunday, as it was my day off. Grace came over and we went on a 2hr walk, which took us 5hrs. I don't know what was worse, our fitness levels or our orienteering ability. Monday is my favourite day. Tuesday is not my favourite day, particularly this Tuesday. I had another stay-at-home day and I was so unmotivated. I had a lot of work to do, but not the drive to do it. The hours snailed away. Yesterday was a good'un, as I had the opportunity to meet with 4 local headteachers. I had the chance to ask what I and the church could do, and also the chance to pray with them.

So basically Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday are days I'd rather forget, but hopefully it will make me not forget to pray next time!

Talking of prayer, please continue to pray for me, and also:

• That good bridges will be built between the local churches and the local schools
• That the new Impact will be a great success
• That I will be motivated!

I may blog again before I go home on Sunday. I'm going home for half term, which should be awesome! I'm also going to be recording with my Christian band, Silence Sung. And of course, the legendary, Littlehampton Bonfire Night.

See y'all laters,
Mikey x

Permit to Rave

I sure wish I had time to rave! I've been uber-busy (which is pretty darn busy) which is why this post has been delayed by a whoppin four days. The photos are

1. The ticket machine in Eastbourne
2. The teenagers decorating the biggest of the 121 arrows on the stairs.
3. An average to-do list for one day, not including my appointments!
   

I have been progressing with my many projects. The biggest projesct of the year will be turning the ballroom where we meet into an arts centre which a.) brings people into the church b.) brings us into the community more and c.) gets more money into the church, which we so desperatley need! Other projects I am starting include getting an afterschool club going at the church. We have so many kids cut through the church grounds to get home from school and they could all potentially start coming to an afterschool club. Equally, a breakfast club is in my profiteroles. I have been to meetings and been doing research for all these projects!
Another project that I hope to get off the ground by the time 2010 arrives, is to start what's called a Messy Church. A Messy Church is a fun, family based church service. Much more informal and usually on a weekday afternoon/evening. The format is basically:

• Craft/games
• Short church service (very family based)
• Dinner

It's been very successful all over the country and I want it to be successful here in Eastbourne! My home church in Littlehampton is just about to start one. My vicar is a bit cautious about it. I usually have the big dreams and crazy ideas, and he has to tell me the practicalities of it. It's usually money based, as as with most churches, we're running on money we don't have! This is also part of the problem with the arts centre as to get the stage into working order, we would need to install some new stage lights. I was told

"They're not as expensive these days. You're probably looking at only about ten to fifteen thousand pounds."

Jaw dropping moment.

This week saw the end of ClubOne (or Clu Bone as I called it) and next week will see the start of Impact. I was a bit worried about telling the teenagers about it, as there will be a lot of changes. ClubOne ran like this:

• 7.30 - Arrive, do what they want (XBox, snooker, craft, table tennis etc)
• 8.00 - God Slot
• 8.15 - back to doing whatever they want.
• 9.00 - end.

Impact will rn like this:

• 7.00 - Arrive, Bible study*
• 8.00 - Go downstairs for usual activities (XBox, etc...) plus big group games.
• 9.00 - end.

*The Bible study will be much like the Sunday morning group. It will include prayer, games, DVD, music, food, discussions and of course the bible study.
I managed to get them excited about the new Impact by telling them that to kick the new club off we will be going to the cinema next week to see Up. Risk Assessment here I come...

I've had some great successes this week. I have managed to get the much needed female youth leader and she's fantastic with youth! I'm going to be interviewed for a local newspaper about the things I've been doing. Hopefully this will let people see the church is active and alive! I went into Scouts this evening to lead an evening about Christianity as they are working towards their Faith Badge. They really engaged into what could have been a very boring evening! They were very questionable and a lot of them were very interested in coming to church and Impact. But it wasn't only the scouts who were interested. The leaders asked lots of questions too and sat there ears perked. Back to successes, I've also managed to get myself a ticket (not literally) into all of the local schools doing assemblies, clubs and walking around and chatting to kids at lunchtime. This week has been brilliant! I am being used by God and I love it!

Please can you pray for

• Inspiration
• That the right people will contact or be contacted by me to get these projects off the ground.
• That seeds will be sewn into the hearts of the scouts and leaders and that Christians they meet will carry on the work that was started tonight.
  
• Guidance for my friend Jon as he contemplates the next move.
  

Sorry, a very long blog post, but a lot is happening - God is on the move.

Speak soon,
Mikey.

"Respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be reasy to answer evryone who asks you to explain the hope you have."

1 Peter 3:15

Pick Jesus

u


I saw these picks in the Christian Resource Centre and had to have a couple! I'm giving one to my fellow musician Jon, but the other is mine - sorry! I've attempted to find the CRC four times now and only found it today. I was overjoyed when I was told that I can just stick it on the church tab, like using a company credit card. I wouldn't try it for yourself though, you still need the pin!

The other photos are (in no particular order)

• My ginger root
• My peanut butter
• My venus flytrap, Benny, which has now completley devoured the chicken.
  
• My new photos
  

This week has been just as busy as the last. I've been particularly busy today cutting out 121 arrows of different colours and sizes to make the stairs up to the youth room a bit more beautiful. I've also been trying to visualise and plan the conversion of an old but magnificant ballroom and stage into a new arts centre. I went down to the Tourist Information office to get leaflets on every artsy club, group, organisation, gang, crew, posse, gang, troop and herd that is lurking in Eastbourne. The aim is to get them to use our venue for either rehersals, performances or group meetings - turn it into an arts centre. Unfortunatley the TI office was shut, but it'll give me something to do on Tuesday.

Wednesday was most definatley the worst day so far. I woke up late, rushed to church on my bike, nearly ran down two children who stepped out in front of me (their fault), nearly got run down myself (my fault), was 1min late for church so they had already started. In the afternoon I had a funeral. So not the best day, but apart from that, it's all been good!

Tonight I have to pack my little brown suitcase from the 1950s as I'm heading back home tomorrow for a couple of days! This is why I'm writing my blog on a Saturday rather than Sunday. I can't wait to be home. A few members of my youth group are getting confirmed (like baptism, for those at Parkside!) on Monday so I need to leave home early on Monday, I would usually go Tuesday morning. Tonight I also need to finish off my preparation for tomorrow's youth group which will be on the theme of Letting Our Lives do the Talking.

Again, for those pray-ers amongst you, could you please include:

• Me as I go to visit an old friend this week. I'm planning to rescue him from the rather terrible path he's on at the moment and I can't do it without God and prayer!
• The other seven youth workers doing the same scheme as me in different places.

Remember, you're always more than welcome to come up and visit, I would love to see you!
Maybe see you around,

Mikey x

A Week

Me blogging late into the night and the FairTrade food I used for my Sunday morning youth group (that was this week's theme, and was handy for getting respect!). As it was Harvest Sunday at our church today, I asked them:

"Do you want to eat this FairTrade food, or would you rather give it as a harvest offering?"

Some fella will benefit from our teabags and bananas.

One week has been and gone. And what a week!
It has been full to the brim of different duties and events. This week has consisted of:

• Planning meetings
• JAM and Jaffa lunchtime clubs at schools
• ClubOne (Or Clu-Bone as I now call it) evening youth club
• Mid-week services
• Delivering leaflets and getting my bearings of the local area
• Interiour design for the youth room (inc. carpet fitting!)
• A lot of visiting people in the parish
• A lot of planning
• Paperwork
  
• Totz mother and toddler group (60+ people)
• Confirmation class
• Home group
• Under the Dome, a coffee morning for those north of 70yrs.
• Preparing a Harvest Supper
• Planning and leading the Sunday youth group
  
• Some shopping
• Drinking lots of coffee

And on the more leisurely side:

• Going to Beachy Head
• Pub lunch
• Watching movies at the house
  
• Reading
• Relaxing in the sun
• Going to the cinema
• Photo editing
• Playing lots of music
  
• Lots of phone calls to friends and family
• Some shopping
• Drinking lots of coffee

A lot of the latter was with Grace (my girlfriend) who has already come up twice to see me! Mum and Dad came up today (Sunday) which was lovely. I now have a venus fly-trap which I have fed some leftover chicken. My friends Colin and Sue are coming up on Sunday to visit as well!

So as you can see, I've been very busy! I've clocked 35miles this week (average of 5miles a day for the less able mathematicians and tired). I get 20p a mile for some reason that I'm not worried about finding out, so it's turning into a nice little earner! I've managed to write a page in my diary every day so far (usually in the early hours of the next day!) with a bible passage relevant to how I'm feeling or what has happened during the day.

I was thinking about going into the local university to see what kind of thing young people would want from the church and also get involved with the Christian Union. I wasn't sure if people would not listen to me as I would be the same age as the first-years. I was given this as an encouragment.

"Do not let anyone treat you as if you are unimportnat because you are young. Instead, be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith and your pure life."

1 Timothy 4 : 12

I will let you know how that works out.

Again, for those of the praying type, please pray for

• Good relationships with those I work with and meet
• Clarity and guidance for my fellow youth worker and friend Josh Bellamy

If you're not of the praying type, try it!

Thank you for all your kind messages, phone calls, texts, thoughts and prayers - each one really boosts my confidence!

Speak soon,
Mikey x

The Scribbles of a Coastal Youth Worker

Welcome to my blog! The fact that I am coastal makes no difference to my line of work, but I could not think of any other adjective. I hope you have a good read of this and future blogs, as I wouldn't like to feel that the irritating tap-tap-tap of the keys is for nothing.

Well here I am. Eastbourne! I'm in my lovely house (not home) where I shall be for the next few months. In reality, it's nearly a whole year, but I have to keep saying things like "a few months" because in all honesty, I'm homesick. Despite knowing I probably should leave it a while, I've been making lots of phone calls to friends and family. Yesterday I left home. It was very sad, but it had to be done some time, and I believe that this is a great way to do it!

The internet here is, shall we say, limited. I would love to be streched out on the lovely green lawn in the sun, or on my cosy bed, but I'm stuck in a little dark office as the wireless is ineffective. Hopefully next time I blog it will be sorted.

Double dose of church this morning. There was the very traditional Anglican 9.30 service (not my cup of tea) and the more young-family based 11am service. Both services I was interviewed at the front with questions like "What footie team do you support?", "Do you like tripe?", "What was the last film you saw?" (The title was too rude to say! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361748/) and "What are your hopes fo the year?". I was truely interrogated.

The 9.30 was all robes and cassocks, silverware, scripted prayers and to top it off, an organ. It's been an age since my last traditional Anglican service, and it was a shock to the system. The 11am was great though. Despite being told not to plan anything, I was given the task of leading the youth group spontanaeously. It went really well, and we had 8 teenagers in the group. After church, they had their monthly Bring & Share meal. I had no food to bring, but I certainly eat.

I am missing home and I hope home is missing me, but in less than two weeks I will be home. Grace is coming tomorrow as Monday is my day off, she knows Eastbourne better than me and can give me a tour! She gave me a lovely note before I left with the verse Joshua 1 : 9 written on it.

"I've commanded you to be strong and brave. Don't ever be afraid or discouraged! I am the LORD your God, and I will be there to help you wherever you go."

It was really encouraging for me.

If you're a praying person, please include:

• Mum and Dad
• The other seven girls doing the same scheme at other churches across the south.
• Meeee!

Photos are of my room. Keep checking for blog updates!

Mikey x