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
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