23.06.10 - My Driving Expedition

Today was officially the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!

Glenn and Margo, the directors of the GSP program (we lovingly call them our GSP parents) were both very brave and generous today and let me borrow their car. Now, for those who don't know, I passed my driving test this January and haven't had the opportunity to drive since - let alone in a different country where they drive on the opposite side of the road!

Well, I can happily report that I have been driving their car for almost 11 hours today and I have had an absolute blast! I was so worried I was going to find driving a huge American car in America massively intimidating - but it was just totally amazing! To be fair, I did spend the first few hours praying just to be sure, but it was just one of the most exciting and enjoyable experiences of my life.

I love driving. I got to take some of the GSP students out to lunch, to the local shopping mall - I was kinda like the official GSP taxi service for the day. I even got to drive on the Interstate (which is like a 4-lane motorway for UK folk).

I cannot even begin to describe how ridicously excited I am to have had this opportunity! I feel like the happiest person alive. This is suck a dream come true, to be here in America on an amazing Navigator programme AND driving a car! And that's not even the best news! Glenn told me this evening that his daughter is lending me her car for the GSP!!! I am super psyched!

Thank you God, for making this happen! For answering such a huge prayers I never thought possible! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

And to everyone who helped get me here - THANK YOU! This day couldn't have happened without your support!

Peace out!

Vicky xxxx

 

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22.06.2010

Hey everyone,

Well, it's officially the end of my first week at GSP, and man has it been an amazing week. I kinda don't know where to start!
As you know, I arrived safe and sound and the first few days were just about settling in and getting to know everyone. Glen Eyrie is just a beautiful place and you just can't go to somewhere like this without seeing something big at work. It is just such a blessing to wake up in the morning and see deep red and orange mountains right outside your window against a brilliant blue sky.

I've had the opportunity to get to know everyone on the GSP now, and there are people here from all over the world: England, Scotland, USA, Ghana, the Philippines, Mongolia, Kenya, the Netherlands, Japan, South Africa and Brazil! It such a huge merging of cultures here - it's great, especially as a psycholgist, to see how everyone interacts with one another and the difference and similarities between the different cultures and countries. And other than a minor tiff between England and Scotland (England is obviously better... you don't see Scotland in the world cup) everyone is getting along wonderfully.

Earlier this week we had the priviledge of going to the US International Navigator Headquarters that is located here at Glen Eyrie and we got to meet a wealth of amazing Navs who had some fantastic experiences and stories to share. We also had a seminar on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test to identify not only differences in our cultures, but our personalities too. Surprisingly, all the team leaders came out as introverts, and only 8 out of the 34 people here are 'thinkers' compared to 'feelers'. Again, my inner psychologist was having a field day. For those who are interested, I came out as an INTJ - which is an Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging personality - a trait only found in 0.8% of women. For those of you who always thought I was especially weird, here is your proof.

We have also had out first week of work. So, as part of the GSP programme we help out at Glen Eyrie to cover some of our accommodation and food expenses - the GSP students all work 20 hours a week over 5 days, and team leaders work 12 hours over 3 days. I've been allocated to the kitchen, which means I'm helping prepare the food being served at the Glen and doing washing up duty. Anyone who has lived with me will find this wonderfully appropriate. For me, the kitchen is just an awesome place to work - I'm having a great time working there. It a really fast paced environment and there is always something to do, so the four hour shifts fly by. Oh, and there is an added bonus of being able to sample the food. For quality control of course.

So, for the Navs reading this, I'll let you in on our guest speaker list this summer:
*drum roll*
David Lyons
Donald Mcgilchrist
Esther Waruiru
Ian McIntosh
Mark Stebbins
Jim and Beth Luebe
Ruth Knutson
Jerry Bridges
Nabeel Jabbour
Jerry White
Randy Raysbrook
Eddie Broussard
Doug and Pam Nuenke
Tom and Dana Yeakley
Roger and Lynn Hamilton
Jim Peterson
Vic Black
Mike Jordahl
Paul Stanley
Mike Treneer

I mean, just look at that list of amazing people! I am so excited that I get to meet these world-famous Navs and reap some of their wisdom!

Oooh, I also found out that just before the end of the GSP they're holding a banquet for us... and it falls on my birthday! How cool is that?!

I'll leave you with some pictures taken this last week. And also with my apologies. I think this blog will have to be a weekly thing, because it's just so busy here I'm not having the time to blog that often. So, I hope you're all good with weekly updates!

Prayers: Please pray for the people suffering altitude sickness and home sickness, that God comforts and heals them here. Please pray that God moves powerfully and answers prayers here - for emotional, spiritual and financial needs for all the GSP crew.

Thank you, and much love.

xxxxx

P.S. - The photos are all taken at Glen Eyrie. The mountains photo is the view from my room, and the rest of the photos are taken all around the Glen. The red building is the Glern Eyrie Carriage House, where they kept the original horse and carriages!

 

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14.06.2010

Hey everyone,

Well, you'll be pleased to know I landed in Colorado safely yesterday afternoon! My flight went wonderfully without any delays, and my plane offered a choice of 197 movies to keep me entertained for the 10 hour flight. I didn't managed to fit them all in, but I gave it my best shot.

Margo picked me up at the airport and welcomed me with a big hug. Both Glenn and Margo here at Glen Eyrie has just been so kind and welcoming to everyone - I think it's something we've all really appreciated. :)

I was so tired last night though I went to bed at 8.30pm and woke up about 8.30am this morning. I was out for 12 hours! Although, I had been awake for 24 hours the day before and was pretty tired!

So today is a settling in day for everyone. Margo took me for a Starbucks this morning to update me on all the team leader stuff, and just have a nice chat over a good American coffee. I'm totally in my element in a Starbucks, so that was awesome. Then we went to Albertsons which is a huge supermarket... it... was.... amazing!!!! Everything is so huuuuuuge here. I went to get some soya milk and I kid you not, the smallest size carton of soya milk they has was half a gallon. Half a gallon!!!!!! I've never seen anything like it! I think I walked around the store with the widest smile on my face.

I tell you, I was born in the wrong country. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it here. I feel like i've come home. The shops are huge, the amounts are huge, the cars are huge! It's so spacious! I love it!

The Glen is beautiful. I've put some photos in the blog. We're right at the base of the Rocky Mountains I think - these huge, giant red mountains. The view is breath-taking... literally, we're so high up here that some of the GSP students are feeling really dizzy and light-headed! I can't tell if it's excitement or dizzyness on my part!

We've got an amazing summer planned and some great guest speakers - for the Navs out there - Nabeel Jabbour, Jim Peterson, Tom Yeakley and Mike Treneer amongst over 20 guest speakers!

Well, for now enjoy the photos and i'll update you all in a few days time! Ooh, one of the photos is of some little gift bags the team leaders have made up for the girls in our teams! I've got four lovely ladies in mine; Deelke and Evelyn from the Netherlands, Elise from USA and Kabukour from Ghana! Wooo!

Thanks to everyone who has been praying for me this year to make this dream come true.
God Bless,

Vicky

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Packing...

So, it turns out packing isn't an easy as I thought i'd be. I have no idea what to pack. Or rather, I have too many ideas what to pack and can't justify putting them all in my suitcase. Mainly, on the clothing and shoes front.

My suitcase isn't full, it can close, and is under the weight limit. And I know i'm going to be out in the States for two and a half months... but I still seem to be packing half my wardrobe.

Plus, I've heard the weather in Colorado can be like an English summer... hot during the day, but chilly at night (because it's so high up). So, I feel like i'm packing for every possible occasion. Then, of course, I'm going straight off the plane to a wedding when I get back, so i've had to pack a nice dress too, randomly.

Oh well. This is the point where I drag my mother in and get her to give me her wisdom on suitcas packing I think. Mum's always know best.

Email Update

Hey

This is just me setting up blogging via email. It means I can include pictures! Yay!

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Getting Ready

Hey everyone,

So last year I went to Ethiopia and I found that having a blog was a really useful way of letting my friends, family and supporters know what I was up to.

Well, this year I am adventuring off to the States for two and half months on this amazing volunteer programme with the Navigators (the organisation I work for!). Obviously, I'm gonna be gone quite a while, and I get the impression I'm going to be busy busy busy once I'm there and keeping in touch with people might not be easy. And also, expensive. Boo. Thus I will blog!

Here's a link to the website which explains what on earth I'm doing:
http://www.navigators.org/us/serve/navsummer

Basically, it's a two month intensive Navigator international training programme. I'm going to be joined by 33 other Nav workers from all over the world! We'll have daily prayer times, Bible studies, engage in team activites and have loads of seminars, as well as get to do some voluntary work at the amazing Glen Eyrie Conference Center!

So, i'm going to be staying at the Glen Eyrie conference center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It's right in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and is just beautiful! Check out the website: http://www.gleneyrie.org/

I hope that gives you in idea of where I am, and what i'm up to!

I'd better go. I'm at the packing stage as I leave in five days!

For those who pray amongst you, please pray that I have a safe and easy flight over and both myself and my luggage arrive in one piece! Also, please pray for the safe journeys for the other 33 people coming from all parts of the world. Please pray that we all have an really amazing time there and get to meet God and serve Him!

Thanks so much - and enjoy the blog! :)