Telligo! 9 days down (this is the 10th), 5 days to go!

I'm writing this from the computer room at Boundary Oak School.

I'm totally shattered from all the running around, preparing activities and trying to make myself understood by the children. That's the negative. Now, on to the positive things- and there are many! The children here are genuinely nice children 99.9% of the time, which is more than I could have ever imagined given that they're away from home for two weeks in a different country and getting little sleep (the timetable provides them adequate sleep but, of course, nighttime is far too exciting to waste sleeping... *rolls eyes*... hehe). As a counsellor I definitely find it tricky to keep patient with them all the time. On a very good day we get 5 hours sleep a night. We get only one day off a week and I've had both of mine already!






My second day off was a Sunday so I was able to go to church in Portsmouth which I really enjoyed. Everyone was so friendly and I was really happy when Jon Stokes walked in and I realised I knew someone. He and his family were also kind enough to feed me after church, and it was lovely to be in a home instead of being in the school. It was a great feeling to be looked after like that. It's one of the things I love the most about people in the church- many of them are extremely generous and really do look for ways to help you out. It was also great to hang out with some of the YSA from Portsmouth area in the afternoon/evening. I had a lot of fun and met some really lovely people!

Lately there have been some exciting things going on in the lives of my friends too. Hannah has been engaged for a little while and recently invited me to her Bridal Shower which will be great- I'm so happy for her! When we were younger the group of six of us who used to hang out sometimes was: Aaron, Hannah, Rachael, Jonny, Ben C and myself.

Aaron is on a mission.
Hannah is getting married.
Rachael is a Mom.
Jonny is engaged.
Ben C is going on a mission.

And me.... well... I guess I'm in Medical School. That's my life right now! I love it, but I want other areas of my life to move forward. I'm trying not to feel like I'm just filling time right now. I don't like to always focus on the good that's ahead. I want to be happy in the now. However, I'm not fully complete at the moment and I'm acutely aware of that. I am happy. I am living life. I'm having experiences. The things I want most may be evading me right now, but I am walking in the right direction and so I mustn't complain too much. I just have to be patient and enjoy the moments that I'm having which are making me into the person I'll want to be when the time comes to get married and have a family.

I love life so much. There's always open doors and opportunities and people who will surprise you and new friends to meet and the list of great things goes on and on. It really does. I'm so optimistic about it. It's just when I'm tired really that I start to feel incredibly lonely. I'm not embarrassed about that fact though because logically I know that everyone feels like that.

I just need to get my head down, work hard, see friends, make new friends... just make my life full of purpose.
And I can turn to my scriptures for comfort when the 'mean reds' set in. I'm so grateful for that.

x