Another Good Week Down

Friday is here, which marks the end of Week Two.

Thus far, I have learned so much. I really should start a list of all of the things that I've learned. I've learned all kinds of things about God, humanity, and why fires start at one end of the room and suddenly ignite on the other end without the fire from end A moving to end B.

I know that last bit doesn't make a whole lot of sense...but...whatever.

I've been pushed, too. Like...physically, spiritually, mentally.... I have been thinking about a lot of different things lately, like who I am, what I am, why I am, how I am, blah blah blah. I've also been jogging with another volunteer and one of the residents, which has been whooping me. BUT, I have lost some weight (both the scale and a resident told me that today), AND I'm getting better. The jogging is for about 1.5 miles, and I am able to gently jog about 3/4 of it. I can't believe that...after four times of going for the jog.... AND, this isn't all flat jogging; it's up a few hills and traversing through a field and up a driveway a down a rural road.... I feel good about it, but I feel better once I've had my shower and washed all of the gross off.

Speaking of gross, one thing that I did NOT enjoy about this week happened today. The staff watched this video on the spread of infection diseases, and how to stop the spread of them, and that sort of stuff. I'm so freaked out right now about anything and everything that I touch, and I'm afraid that I'm going to get some parasite or bacteria or virus or something that hasn't been discovered yet and it is neither parasite nor bacteria nor virus. GAH!

Ha ha...and late last week I was freaking out because I was coughing a lot and I had some cold-like symptoms and I thought I was getting swine flu. I started freaking out and I didn't want to tell anyone that I was getting swine flu because I don't want to be quarantined like in that movie...which just happens to be called "Quarantine," and be shoved in to an autoclave and have doctors from around the world poke and prod and inject stuff into me and do experiments. I know this sounds like I'm describing an extraterrestrial abduction, doesn't it?

Back to my fear of contracting swine flu. I calmed down long enough to take a dose of Nyquil, then a dose of Dayquil (all when appropriate), and I felt fine. So, I'm not going to be tested on, and I'm not going to be quarantined, and I'm not going to turn into a pig, either.

Tomorrow, two other volunteers and I are going to Windsor Castle, and maybe to Oxford. It will be so nice to go out with some of the other volunteers and have a merry time. Then on Sunday, I'm going with some of the other volunteers, staff, and maybe some residents to London's O2 stadium...thing...and see Hillsong lead worship for a ten year anniversary or something or other. I'm looking forward to that, too. Then Monday through Thursday, I'll be going on my first conference to London. This one is a meeting of a lot of the Time For God volunteers, and it's a sort of orientation/welcome to the UK and our awesome English culture. On Friday, I go to a workshop-type thing where I'll learn about the care of medicines and dispensing them and how to be careful about medicines and things like that.

That reminds me about two things: A) I opened a bank account in the England this week, which means that I'm able to establish some credit in the UK, which is incredible, and I'm kind of excited and kind of nervous about that, but I'm more excited about it than anything, and (B) I may be able to get some certification in Care Ministry and other things like that through working at Yeldall Manor and attending various conferences, which Yeldall will pay for.

In TWO weeks, I MIGHT be able to go with the residents and some of the staff to Wales for Holiday. AH!! I'm freaking out about that! The residents (and me, if I'm able to go) will do all kinds of fun things, but I don't know what we'll be doing, and it will be loads of fun, and I'm so excited about the posibility of me going.

...And I still need to find a church for me, and I still need to learn how to drive a manual vehicle. Driving in England won't be as difficult as I think it will be...because basically I just drive until I'm forced to stop for some reason, and I change lanes whenever I feel like it, and I go as fast as I please, and I can be as aggressive as I want. I'm kidding about most of that...but when I do start driving, I will have to be a more aggressive driver than I am in The States. When it's meal time at Yeldall Manor, there is no politely saying, "Oh, you get some carrots first, and then I'll get some." No, when you want carrots, you get carrots as soon as you can, even if you have to crawl across the table to get to the carrots, battling it out against those who are also going for the carrots, and the potatoes, and the Shepherd's Pie. Meal times can be brutal at Yeldall if you aren't careful.

So...I still need to find a church, and I would like to find a social group outside of Yeldall. I like the idea of going to one of the local universities and joining a group there, or something like that. I really haven't seen many people who look like they're about my age...and London is too far for me to go each week for a coffee or a tea.

That's it. I'm done for tonight.

EXCEPT, here's my address:

Billy Jones

Yeldall Manor

Blakes Lane

Hare Hatch

Reading

RG10 9XR

United Kingdom

I'm so proud of these men.

Folks, I am working alongside a group of very lucky individuals.

These people are changing lives, little bit by little bit. The residents don't like some of the things that are going on, and some of the residents resist the efforts, and they get angry, and they try to make life easier by cheating, and all kinds of other dramatic things go on regularly....

BUT...

The men that the staff at Yeldall Manor works for are incredible. I am so proud of each and every one of these men who have put the world on hold and taken time to get their lives back on track.... These men are incredible. I don't know how to describe the feeling that I have when I think about the amount of growth that some of these men must have experienced before I arrived. The stories that some of these men have to tell are funny, but others are traumatic. It's a wonder they aren't dead, some of these guys. I can't believe that the world is such a terrible place, but I can't believe the light that shines out of the cracks and crevices that exist in the imperfect darkness.

One of the residents told me today that he's so thankful that I'm here, and that he really enjoys having me, and that he isn't aware of any other volunteer quite like me (I can believe that, seeing as I'm a bit off my nut). He told me that he hasn't heard one bad thing about me from the other residents, and that others agree with him that I'm doing a great job and that they like me and that I've assimilated well into their culture and their family. Even though I don't have a history of drug addiction or alcoholism, and even though I don't smoke, and even though I haven't been arrested or in any sort of trouble with the law, I am still able to relate to these men and make jokes and offer encouragement and express myself properly and show God to these men...some of whom have God, and some of whom do not. There are many men who are thinking about God...trying to figure things out. I encourage their questions, and I encourage them to find their own answers.

It's 1:11 AM here, but I absolutely had to take some time to just say that Yeldall Manor has some incredible residents, and an incredible staff who loves the residents...even if the residents don't understand or don't like what the staff is doing.

Week One: COMPLETE

The end of week one is upon me, and I have really found this place to be a good place. I am comfortable with the residents and with most of the staff. There are still some staff that I'm a bit nervous around, and there are some that I still haven't met or been formally introduced to. I have found a group of guys that I can talk to and have a good time with. I support them, and they support me as well. A number of them ask me how I'm doing during the day, teach me something new (like how to do a proper trimming job on the hedges, or how to play pool like a pro, or something like that). I can have conversations with them about a number of different things, and we can share details with each other. They understand that I have never used drugs or been an alcoholic or been arrested or in trouble with the law, but I think they also understand that I'm here, not to judge, but to serve and to learn and to support them and give them something that others can not. I don't know what that "other" thing is that I have to offer, but I'm sure that I'll discover it at some point.

I'm also being pushed by the residents. Yesterday, Darren, one of the volunteers here, asked me if I wanted to go for a jog. It was him and two residents going for about a mile and a half. I reluctantly said yes. I had a really hard time, but "Mike" was incredibly supportive, patient, and told me that he would walk with me as long as I like. I told him that I would need for him to push me some, or I would walk the whole way, and that's not what I should do. He did just that: he pushed me, and when I wanted to walk, he would get behind me and litterally push me so that I had to jog some more. I finally had to stop jogging and tell him that my legs were about to fall off and my heart was about to pack its bags and jump out of my chest. Mike understood, and he just kept walking with me.

Then I gave my first chit today. Chits are like a documentation of a violation. When someone breaks a rule, or shows disrespect, or doesn't perform up to standards, staff have to write out a chit and then hand it to the resident. It's not fun, and I've seen and heard a number of residents get aggravated, even angry, over them. I understand where they come from, but at the same time, I understand where the staff comes from. It's a part of my job, so I have to do it.

So when I gave my first chit, it was to one of the new residents...like he got here this past Wednesday. I pulled him aside, explained why I had to issue the chit, and handed it to him. He said he understood, took the chit, and walked away. PHEW. I didn't get a boot in the face.

Everything is going well. I'm still waiting to hit the wall and realize that this isn't Fantasy Land, but I really am on another continent, in another country, and doing everyday stuff here. I really am weeding, and trimming, and eating, and writing, and reading, and walking, and talking and living life in another country. This seems so weird. It's hard to imagine that these guys have been here for a while, and that they would still be here if I weren't here. Sometimes I find myself thinking, "This person who is talking right now would probably be talking about this very thing, even if I weren't here to witness it." Their conversations would still happen, they would still wake up and do their jobs, they would still eat, and they would still do whatever else they do during the day and the night...even if I weren't here. They have always existed...they aren't characters that just appeared on stage for an act in my play....

...And I find myself thinking that all of the people who are back in the states are going about life as if it were normal. Life change is taking place with the many people that I've left, and they're still eating, and they're still walking, and they're still living life. It's so weird to me that there are other cultures and other people in this world. It's so weird to me that 5PM here is 12AM in the States, and that it's 6PM in Paris. This is weird, but I enjoy it immensly. Emmensly. However it's spelled. I wasn't in school that day....

It's almost dinner time. I think we're having fish and chips, which excites me a lot. :-)

Please Pray For "Carl."

Please pray for Carl. He just made an unwise decision.

Farmer Bill

Today was a WONDERFUL day.

I got to learn a bit more about a few residents...things that I need to know before really getting into work with them. I'm learning, now, what it means to be a staff person at Yeldall. It's funny, because I live here 24/7, and it's difficult not to create relationships with some of these guys, but it's also difficult because, sooner or later, I'll have to start issuing chits (or notices of infringement...when one of the residents does something against policy). I'm going to feel like an resident assistant again. This is like being a resident assistant after a few lattes, I'm sure.

I find it more and more difficult to speak American, but I don't want to speak English because I don't want the staff and residents to think that I'm being a poser or something. I want to be genuine, but I'm genuinely confused as to how to speak and what words I should use. I'm using certain words because it's easier for the people here to understand me if I use their language. It's weird when I talk, though, because I'm speaking with an American accent...and I haven't heard an American accent for some time now.

Today was a work day...my first. There was a morning staff meeting, then the staff divided up and went to there respective places. I went to the allotment (the garden, which is quite nice!) and started picking tomatoes and cucumbers and leeks (by the way, I LOVE leeks!). I also did a bit of weeding. There were two tea breaks and lunch. Lunch was what everyone first thinks of when they think of England--FISH AND CHIPS. Here's the funny thing about English fish: they kept the skin on the fish. Not a big deal, though. you just eat it with the rest of what's there. No problem. It was fried, and there were chips as well. I put vinegar on the fish, of course, as one should do when they eat fish and chips. It's proper to do so...and you can't do it any other way. Oh, and FRESH PICKED blackberries and plums. Both were picked earlier that day by another volunteer, who started the same day I did.

SO my computer just shut down all by itself, and I don't really know why. I'm hoping that it doesn't happen again. I had a train of thought going, but I suddenly have no idea what I was talking about.

I just had dinner. It was delicious...AGAIN! A sort of beef pie with carrots, cabbage, green beans, and mashed potatoes (ALL of the vegitables were from the allotment), and for pudding (dessert), we had a delicious sponge cake with custard. There was also an apple and rhubarb crumble (it's like a pie), but I didn't have the room in my belly for it. I had to go without, sadly.

Folks, I would like to ask that you keep two people in your prayers. I'm going to give them nicknames because I think that's important, but God knows EXACTLY who these folks are: Mikey and Donny. I mean, EVERYONE here needs prayer for some reason or other (staff and volunteers included in that), but these two especially are on my heart right now. I won't go into reasons because, again, God knows the issues.

Alright. I would love to have another book by Augusten Burroughs to read, but I sadly do not. "A Wolf At The Table" was terribly sad, but it was also a wonderful read...wonderfully written. There's a bit of hope in Mr. Burrough's story. I think I'd like to read "Running With Scissors" next....

CHEERS!