Author: JC

Harvest – As it continues

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I know of how things used to be, and how things were done and being run. I find it hard to step back and let people be when I know what has & has not worked in the past. My experience is ignored on the most part and it hurts.

It hurts to be passed over year after year, why do I keep going? I guess I’ve thought of harvest as a safe place

I must let it go… All resentments, and questioning, and allow other to learn – even if it’ll be a harder. I hear prayer for others around me (I’m in prayer tent) but it feels like they’re talking to me and my life.

I’ve always struggled with giving everything over to God. Especially When its came to money, I’ve felt I got myself into debt – I should get myself out of it. I’ve said before that I’ve piles and boxes of junk to sell… maybe that’ll help me out of the debts I have.

I also know that giving something over to God doesn’t mean you forget about it… there is still consiquences whatever but you often get more of a peace when given over. I’ve heard people say that they gave it over to God, now they don’t need to bother with it… but we live in a world that has rules and laws and must not forget we may not be of the world but we are still in the world and have to work within it.

Harvest – Launch Day

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I have been asked by a few people where is my yellow jacket as not on stewarding team this year. It is very different, I know of the many jobs involved that are happening but can not do anything about them. I offer advice, which is sometimes accepted, usually ignored.

Main start was at 3pm, a nice warm up, nice to see so many, but is odd not being directily involved, glad I’m not on team at the same time of missing them.

The polotics of stewarding, organising and all… its a lot more complicated that it used to be. There is no real need for the extra things but thats not the point it seems. I saw stewarding as Health and Safety & checking the people who’ve paid or not paid with a mixture of crowd control aswell. Maybe its changed, maybe I just see it with different eyes.

Ministry: I’m at harvest as part of the ministry team this year. I find it difficult to pray with people – the words don’t often come before I say them and I prefer to be organised. I wanted prayer myself, but didn’t know the words. My team member asked to pray for me, and somehow knew for what I was needing without me giving any words.

I became aware that everyone young and old and even those in between, were all the same. It didn’t matter anything – we are of limited time in this universe.

My usual team leader is a leader again this year. She seems good at organising, when she is told whats happening or who is off site. Would help if others would do as asked, some do… others seem to forget what they were asked or thats the way it looks.

Harvest – The beginning

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It felt very strange tonight to start with, first with the setup – I just got on with it, no rush to meetings. One of us was requested to go to meet team, I stayed back, pegged up & Blew up air beds.

I went to loaves and fishes, where to sit? All stewards in a meeting – I felt very out of place. Sat with YFC team, I’ve worked with them on a few things, felt very strange. Team meeting ended and I went over and mixed.

Nice night over all, some new friends – several old but can already feel that this will be a last as this part of life is over. I do feel as thou I am re-living a dream and enjoying the nostalgia. A safe place, but its now time to act – step out of the easy safe surroundings and go out and find life.

Not sure I’ll get online, so far no signal 🙁 Maybe thats a good thing.

Garlic & Ginger Chicken Mix with Red Wine

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I fancied something different tonight, and had a look through the fridge and found a variety of ingredients that all looked tasty and now mixed tastes quite awesome. Its great what can you can make with fresh foods and not too much time. It took around 45 minutes to make, and around 20 minutes of it just to prepare everything nicely.

Ingredients

500g Chicken breast – Chopped into chunks
400g Tomatoes chopped into chunks
6 mixed Peppers (I used red & yellow)
250g Mushrooms
1 large onion
2 large leaks
1 pack of Minced Garlic
Around 10 to 12 leaves of mint
Fresh Garlic
6cm x 2cm x 2cm ish Fresh ginger sliced into fine strips around 2cm long
Red wine
chinese white wine, soy sauce, lime juice

The Method I used

Chop vegitables into small slices/chunks (around same size)
Heat some oil in wok/pan to medium heat
Add Onion, and chopped mint to pan and brown, add garlic and about half the ginger
Leave for about 10 seconds and add chicken.
Splash in some soy sauce, and chinese wine
Cover and allow to steam chicken in mixture for a few minutes

Ginger Chicken garlic combo

In a seperate pan
– Heat a little oil, and add some garlic
– Brown leaks and mushrooms

Pour pan into main pan.

Seperate pan
– Add peppers to seperate pan (no extra oil)
– Stir fry turning reguarly
– Add 5 splashes of Lime Juice
– Continue to stir until peppers are slightly brown

Chop tomatoes and add to main pan
Stir and leave uncovered for a few minutes

Pour seperate pan into main pan
Stir
Add remainder of ginger
Add around 50ml of red wine
Cover and simmer
Add chosen seasoning to taste
Stir reguarly & then Serve

I served with noodles, its tasty and so much left. Shame no one is around to help me through it. 🙁

SHH (LPO) – And now…. Relaxed

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It is the final full day of the holiday and I actually feel quite relaxed and that I am on holiday finally. I am feeling more like me again, and I’m not sure why… Yesterday I felt awful and unwell, I didn’t get anything done that I had planned to do and now find that yesterday was the last day I could have done so.

Examples are the supermarkets are closed on sundays as are all the shops, I didn’t even realise today was sunday until people told me when I went for the bus. So the things I had planned to get to take back are no longer an option and I hope I can get something on the travels back over the next few days.

I’ve had a good day so far, and its only just after lunch. A niggle of a headache but thats not going to stop me enjoying the day. I’ve sat out with friends around a table with drinks, and biscuits and listened as they play a guitar and sing really nicely… some songs I knew, others not so but still really enjoyed being there out in the glorious sun and enjoying the company.

A lot of this break I’ve been alone, be it wandering in town or around the site, or back at the mobile home writing, reading or listening to things. I was very self concious a lot of the time. I felt the ill feelings coming across me early in the week and didn’t want to pull anyone into it aswell as seeing friends now couples and not wanting to get in the way. After chatting, I’ve discovered I wouldn’t have been in the way but thats how I felt and disliked it so did something else.

My plan now is have some more lunch, and go down to the pool for the afternoon. There is a baptism in the pool this afternoon so will not be in it all afternoon, but a good day out in the pool is the plan and I’m really looking forward to it.

In the pool was a good afternoon time spent. Was in there from about 3pm til 6.45pm – well either there or lazing in the sun of which was nice and warm and welcoming. Drenching each other in the pool. It was fun… at one point around 4ish one person got baptised – I wasn’t expecting it but apparently it was planned. I hadn’t looked at any of todays plans so was none the wiser – just lots of people suddenly arriving at the pool side.

Its been a good day. I’ve felt better today than I have all week and althou its heading back time on Monday (tommorrow) I now feel I’ve had a holiday something I didn’t think I was going to feel yesterday.

So until I update on the travels back, I leave this laptop and internet and enjoy the break. I’ll get to emails and messages probably wednesday where I know I’ve a lot to get through – I’ve enjoyed my break, and will come back sometime but this year has been very different and its been good to see so many friends again but for now, auré-vour and speak soon.

SHH (LPO) – Well… Kinda

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I’ve not been well over the past few days, but managed most of Friday OK until around 11pm. I was glad – I got to try the pool olympics games which I enjoyed however our team came last in.

A mixture of games, mainly races of some sort in the pool that seemed against us whatever. An example is the pool being wider for our team yet same distance for the other two teams. Overall – A fun time all the same.

I managed to visit the town centre too on Friday – it seemed very small to what I remembered. I was done wandering in about 20 minutes after shopping and seeing everything I wanted. Maybe it just seems small after visiting London. I’d like to visit the beach if I’m feeling better and the weather is good still the rest of the weekend.

I was asked if I was going to the morning “meeting” as its a good way to start the day… Not sure about that but was awake for a change. Actually saw the change from darkness to light this morning – shame it wasn’t by choice. Feeling exhausted I’ll probably sleep and hopefully be okay later.

SHH (LPO) – Adventure Playground

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I didn’t know what to expect for wednesday, I signed up for the adventure afternoon which actually involved a variety of safety equipment and a lot of ropes/wires up in the air. There was several different levels you could try, starting with a starter session to get used to it, to much higher and longer routes.

We started small, and worked up – we missed out on one level as the queue of people in front of us and we didn’t want to wait. I think the levels were: yellow, green, white, orange, red, gray, black, then black extreme. I was quite comfortable with the levels up to orange and enjoyed orange.

Red was quite terrifying for me, while up there I was wishing I hadn’t started that route. There was a mixture of ropes bridges, zip wires up and down hill, and quite long between. I felt I had a panic attack of sorts, frozen hugging a tree up high but I got through it – people were quite supportive – maybe to help.. maybe so they could try next, either way I was glad for the company.

I’m a little covered in bruises, and scratches and quite tired but overall I was quite pleased I got through it but don’t think I’d be in any hurry to try the red or above levels. Although fun, it was quite terrifying too – I’ve got through and initial scare and thank fully its over for now. I want to try the games again thou so maybe next time.

SHH (LPO) – A day out of everything

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I am on holiday, it really sank in earlier today. I am on holiday – I don’t have anything I need to do, or really be prepared for so what will I do. I felt a kind of relax although knowing that later I’ll checkup and make sure everything is working well. I have friends here, and thats nice to know – to know that later on I’ll meet them in the entertainment area and we will chat about the day past and maybe prepare something tommorrow.

I slept in until at least midday – I had a set of lucid dreams – the awareness that I could change things by choice and take control of everything around me as if it was never that way. I didn’t want to wake up and kept returning to the dreams.

I don’t recall the actual full dreams but I recall we were helping some people and they wern’t pleased, and after they said what they wanted I re-arranged in my mind to what was wanted and then it was as if it always was. Very strange even in dream state I thought. A dream that in myself I realised I could change things to how I wanted with just a thought, but didn’t realise I was truelly asleep just that it was possible.

A day of not really doing anything but: listening to audio books, chilling in the warmth and just stopping, writing, and enjoying the peace around but thinking I should eat soon.

SHH (LPO) – Wild, Wet Fun…

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I woke up late, after midday – I felt cold last night, I don’t seem to rest well when I’m cold. I met for afternoon games which involved water games: water volley ball which envolved water balloons thrown and caught or drenching people.

A lot of fun. Thankfully, the sun was about – very quick to dry until a plastic box full of water got thrown over me and other boxes over others. That took a long time to dry as the weather changed and sun went hiding.

I went to the pool later in the day… I went just to say “hi” but ended up in the pool chatting and well, Supprisingly the water was warm, not hot but comfy. It was apparently 29’C – I dont think it was. The wind was cool, we stayed in the pool until the sun came out – we were waiting a while.

In the evening, the weather changed nasty – heavy rain, followed by lots of heavy rain that was louder than people talking, and music playing – streams appearing outside, and waterfalls off the roof. I was glad I was inside, and very glad I got a rain coat, packed it and brought it with me.

Some wierd games, with silly prizes but it looked entertaining. Night finished around 1.30am when we were encouraged to leave the bar. It was meant to close around 1am, just no one really moved, and drinks were even served after 1am so that was never going to happen. I’ve had a good day all in all, could have done with going to the shops and apparently missed a party while I relaxed. Sorry I missed it, but happy for what i’ve done too.

Time for bed now, I’ve had some valerian Tea to help me sleep (as I slept in so long). Its not worked yet. But probably will soon.

SHH (LPO) The Travelling Beginning

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SHH (LPO) The Travelling Beginning

My journey beggins at around 8.00am to go to Nottingham, we made good time and were there quite early. The bus hadn’t arrived, but was in a different place to it was last time, it was actually where it was meant to be so got on for the long trip to Portsmouth ferry port. After some interesting driving from the bus driver. He made some good turns with the huge coach around some quite tight corners.

On the boat we went and watched Shrek 4 – I’ve seen it in 3D – this wasn’t in 3D however it was really funny, and had the added dimension of movement with the boat movement.

There has been a lot of laughter and talking going on so far.

We arrived at LPO in France around 6.30pm, we were meant to be there around 5pm however a pickup of people at train station and airports were running late and the bus waited for them so arrived late on.

It was a good night of introductions and a kind of trusting right away, an instant friendship and laughs. Nice mixture of foods and wine on the welcome buffet, followed by introductions to the site team and the night continued.

I watched as I saw people mingle, and joined in but felt some with more charism, working the groups. It was easy to see, and although they projected joy within the group, it felt they were controlling the group and people yet hiding something deep within. I couldn’t read any more, and somehow that inticed wanting to know more, I still don’t know what to think but have chosen to think – if they want me to know they will say and leave it at that.