Right...I'm here! Flights were all fine (I flew Birmingham-New York Newark-Houston-Belize City) and am feeling kind of OK and not too jet lagged. By which I mean, I'm not too jet lagged YET, although I have slightly lost the ability to speak sense.
Spent the night in Houston, Texas, and managed to follow the mantra 'everywhere you go, always take the weather with you' that far, and in it break some records for earlist snow or latest snow or something in Houston. Unsurprisingly, that's as far as I could get the cold (it was nice cold, no bitter winds like in England, so it made me think it's not too bad) so I'm now in Belize City, in the house I'll be living in for at least part of the next six months, feeling rather warm- 89 (I'll let you all practice your conversions! I have finally remembered the rule and am getting a bit of a feel for them.)
Have already had my first 'rice and beans'.
Other firsts- first cross atlantic flight, first time in the States (fairly unrusprising given the previous statement) and first ever listen to Dark Side of the Moon. Yes, it is as worthy of comment as the other 'firsts'.
Thanks for all the support, (especially to certain family members who helped with the stress of packing)
Caroline
Thursday, 25 February 2010
Saturday, 6 February 2010
fundraising news
Fundraising has come along fantastically, and I can't say how grateful I am to all those who've contributed, and how blessed and humbled I feel by the response of many people.
I did a sponsored silence on Saturday 23rd January at a OneSound weekend in Dorridge and raised just over £100 from the good folks of OneSound, who were delighted, if bemused, at my silence. (Since I was there for choir rehearsals, I obviously had to sing when directed to. The combination of lots of singing and no talking in between seemed to do my throat some damage, and I was in considerable pain for a few days until I realised it was a lovely cold, which I'm still fighting off.)
Most of my support has come from members of the local Methodist churches, some of whom I know quite well but some of whom are totally unconcerned that although they know me, I have not always remembered their names (this is not my laziness, it's a natural consequence of being a minister's daughter.) We put on a 'Games Night' and a couple at one of the churches put on a quiz, the latter especially being a huge success.
All this, and a few sizeable grants, contrive to make my total reach over £3000; with my total expenses likely to be around £3500, this is a real blessing!
I did a sponsored silence on Saturday 23rd January at a OneSound weekend in Dorridge and raised just over £100 from the good folks of OneSound, who were delighted, if bemused, at my silence. (Since I was there for choir rehearsals, I obviously had to sing when directed to. The combination of lots of singing and no talking in between seemed to do my throat some damage, and I was in considerable pain for a few days until I realised it was a lovely cold, which I'm still fighting off.)
Most of my support has come from members of the local Methodist churches, some of whom I know quite well but some of whom are totally unconcerned that although they know me, I have not always remembered their names (this is not my laziness, it's a natural consequence of being a minister's daughter.) We put on a 'Games Night' and a couple at one of the churches put on a quiz, the latter especially being a huge success.
All this, and a few sizeable grants, contrive to make my total reach over £3000; with my total expenses likely to be around £3500, this is a real blessing!
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
dates
About ten days ago I finally booked flights, after numerous trawls through the wonder that is the World Wide Web trying to find reasonable flights. After faffing for so long that the outward flight I'd just about decided on had gone, I had a mini tizz, stopped faffing and booked, leaving Birmingham at 9am on Feb 23rd, and getting back on the 15th of September. The thought of over 30hours in transit fills me with mild horror, but I get to sleep overnight in Houston (arriving and flying out of 'George Bush Intercontinental Airport'; draw your own conclusions on how confidence inspiring this might be.)
I'm now trying to do as much as possible and see as many people as possible before I go, as well as making sure I'm actually ready.
Hooray!
I'm now trying to do as much as possible and see as many people as possible before I go, as well as making sure I'm actually ready.
Hooray!
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Welcome!
As some of you know (but many of you don't), I was recently accepted onto a programme called EEP (the Experience Exchange Programme) which is run jointly by the Methodist Church and USPG (Anglicans in World Mission). The programme gives people of all ages the opportunity to spend between six months and a year living and 'working' (it's voluntary) with the church in another country and culture; so in the last week of February, I'm flying out to Belize City in Belize, Central America, and won't be back for six months...
I expect to be dividing my time between teaching Maths in a Methodist Primary School, and assisting with children and young people's strategy development work which is supported jointly by the Methodist Church in Britain and Action for Children. I say 'expecting' because if something else needs doing that I can do, I might end up doing it!
I'm going to use this as a chief means of communication to let you all know how I'm doing and what I'm doing and to hone my amazing writing skills (haha); I realise the title is misleading since I'm not actually in Belize yet, but it seemed practical and informative.
Love to all,
Caroline
I expect to be dividing my time between teaching Maths in a Methodist Primary School, and assisting with children and young people's strategy development work which is supported jointly by the Methodist Church in Britain and Action for Children. I say 'expecting' because if something else needs doing that I can do, I might end up doing it!
I'm going to use this as a chief means of communication to let you all know how I'm doing and what I'm doing and to hone my amazing writing skills (haha); I realise the title is misleading since I'm not actually in Belize yet, but it seemed practical and informative.
Love to all,
Caroline
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