A few notable things...

Things have felt even busier this past couple of weeks. It's been a bit of a roller coaster as we try and figure out how to bring unity to our team and catch the vision together. I am both physically and emotionally worn-out but trying to find rest, peace and joy at the speed we are moving. I thought I would share some of the things we have been up to aside from the work with the kids because that is equally as important in my eyes! 

As we don't have a washing machine in the house, we all use the launderette down the road. I have personally come to enjoy the experience as they have a tv with cable and I can get an hour to myself where I can watch Ellen and wait for my clothes to dry. Last time I went, it was just after we'd had a load more snow and the owner wasn't particularly expecting anyone to drag a laundry bin through knee deep precipitation. He was wrong. I was out of dresses. We got talking and he enjoyed the fact that I was English, he was Polish I think and said that moving to America was the worst decision he made because it's crazy here. I didn't really know what to say so we talked a bit about me leaving a sock in the washing machine by accident and then watched a bit of the Winter Olympics together. 

I wanted to write about this a while ago, but just couldn't find the time! We are 'hosted' here by a local Church who wanted to offer extra support to us interns. The Church is Presbyterian, which is a popular denomination in the States but not so common in the UK. It is leagues away from what I'm used to, but I love it! The first time I went there, I had people running up to me after the service excited to see me because they had been awaiting my arrival. They quickly found the PG Tips and popped the kettle on, so I guess my reputation goes before me! We have dined twice at one families house, this Sunday was lovely because I went with them on a dog walk, we drank tea, played board games and I walked away with a huge pile of magazines full of recipes. I also got invited this week to join a lovely Canadian lady whose husband has just got a job that involves travel over to Sheffield, so we talked a lot about England. She put oxo cubes in our soup, so that was nice! We also drank tea. Not only that, but we go to a weekly group study at a couple's home not too far from us and enjoy snacks and tea. That time together has really helped us to grow as a team and I am grateful for that. Also, for all the tea I am offered.

Yesterday, we had most of the day off and decided to use that to go and have fun together. It just so happened that the fun was taking place in Philadelphia so it was nice for me to see some new scenery:

It was a bit rainy as you can see, but the weather is getting much warmer now so I'll soon be making the switch from boots to sandals in celebration. 

We went to a place called Dave and Busters which is a sports bar come amusement arcade come restaurant. We all ate together, watched some olympics and celebrated the fact that TEA WAS ON FREE REFILS:

Bravo, Dave. Bravo, Buster.

Everytime you won on one of your games, you were given tickets which turned into prizes in the store. We weren't there for that long but most of us managed to get some tickets:

 It was nice to get out of Delaware as I've not had chance to do much travel yet because there's so much work to be done. Which is fair enough, I'm here to do a job! I made the decision this week that I would cut down my hours at Urban Promise and use those hours to do more with YFC. As much as I love UP, I know that I could be doing so much more here at the Center as we try and put together solid programs and arrange summer trips. I'm just going to go to Urban Promise one day a week and they have asked that I help do some data-input which sadly, I love doing. I will miss 'Crafts with Miss Sarah,' though! The last time I did crafts, one of the kids asked if I was an artist! I loved it. 

Everything had to be made from hearts!

We're excited about where we are headed with our work here and I am looking forward to getting stuff on the calendar. Next week, we are having a whole day dedicated to planning and getting everything in place so I look forward to sharing with you all what that will look like. So many of our kids have hardly left Delaware so I am hopeful that we can give them some great experiences that could potentially be life changing. We have so much support which is very encouraging! 

As for me, I am feeling glad that it's the weekend and have so far today decided to do nothing other than wash. I have an engagement this afternoon to, guess what, DRINK TEA with a friend. Ha!  Have a great weekend!

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Things I've learnt from the Tetley Tea Advert.

Before I start writing: Watch it here.

I saw this advert a while ago, and whilst my heart is all for Yorkshire Tea (as everybody knows) - I thought it made an excellent point. Right at the beginning of my blogging days, I posted about 'Private Life' (scroll down my page and take a look after!) and this need we feel to share so much of our lives online. I hold my hands up and say I am guilty as charged, as those of you who know me are probably thinking right now. I guess it's just become a part of life for us all really, it's almost become a bit of a reflex in some ways. See, I take photos all the time. Usually of things that I love, things that inspire me, nature, coffee or family and I just share it. If those things are important to me, people might care. Or, perhaps not.

This advert addresses this issue so well. Instead of throwing on facebook that 'we have a new job' or 'we're going on holiday' why don't we instead call up our closest friends, the ones who actually care and share it with them first? Lately, I've spent a lot of time on the phone, catching up with people who think they are calling me for 5 minutes and then boom, an hour has passed. But I LOVE that because we are sharing life! Talking is good. I am also quite famous for sitting in coffee shops. I have calculated that there may be 2 coffee shops in my entire town that I have never been in. Just to give you a better picture of what this means: my town has an excess of two things in particular: Hairdressers and Coffee Shops. Anywho, though I do love coffee - more importantly, Coffee Shops offer me time to sit, face to face with a friend who can have my undivided attention. I love losing track of time, having my phone on silent and getting lost in conversation. (For those of you who know what 'love languages' are - mine is Quality Time.) In that time, that conversation is my priority and is the most important thing in the world to me.

Now, all the things I have been to lately; meetings, conferences etc - one thing has cropped up that ties them all together. It's the light bulb moment of 'why have we not been meeting each other before?!' We are all really good (me included) at sending email after email or doing things on the phone, which creates a million other jobs and phone calls and messages that need to be sent, communication ultimately breaks down and the job falls through. So, instead - we meet face to face. We see each other, we give each other time and we share more information than we would through typing. I've personally learnt the value of this through networking in order to find work. If I meet 'that relevant person' I can say 'I need a job' or 'can I help you do this' etc. My face is known, and people will think of me when a job is either created or advertised.

So, what is my point in all of this? Instead of investing in '600' online acquaintances, take your best friend out for lunch. Ring your mum, send your friend a letter, have a dinner party, arrange a catch up and make the effort to know and appreciate the people in your lives who are the ones on which you can rely. In your work, or personal lives - if you are trying to set up a team, organise a project, start a new group then MEET your people. Face to face. Also, get some biscuits. Meet regularly, to ensure that you are all communicating and sharing effectively because this will improve everything, I assure you! Sometimes you might think that it sounds so simple that you can't believe you didn't think of it before, to sit in the same room together and talk. But we just hardly do it anymore...who really likes meetings?! But I want to say that they offer something key that we are losing, they are not always a nuisance - they are an opportunity to be human, to build relationships (working and personal) and to learn together.

For when the busyness of life takes over (as it so naturally does) choose to slow down, get a cup of tea, catch up with a person you love and let them be your focus. People will always be more important than things.

Much Love xxx 

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