Post-camp update!

So the youth camps are over!! They went really well. Administration wise it was reasonably smooth, which was of course quite exciting for me. High School camp (grade 9-12) was April 13-15 and we had about 160 people. It was the least stressed I’ve ever been at any event I’ve helped organise. The next weekend (April 20-22) was Middle School (Grade 6-8) and we had 207 people. It wasn’t quite as smooth administratively – wasn’t as well prepared as the week before, and the increase in numbers at the last minute meant re-ordering a lot of food. I’m always a little stressed about guessing food quantities, especially when the weekend before we didn’t seem to have quite enough. I have lots of stories about camp but… I’ll leave them for another email. The pic is from high school camp – sitting at the piano with my hair in pigtails. I thought I’d include it cos it seems like a good display of how relaxed I’ve been lately :-)

Other than that, it’s now been almost a month since I finished my full-time work at BICF. It’s amazing the difference in my stress levels! I’m working at least as much with the youth camp stuff as I was on my job, and without pay, so theoretically I should be more stressed, right? But instead I’m much more relaxed that normal. Many people here are remarking on it – and not just the people I’m really close to, either. I think it’s a good sign. I’m still fine financially for a month or two, and seeing the changes in my emotional state help confirm to me that I’m doing the right thing.

Today is ANZAC Day (for the unintiated, this is a sort of remembrance day holiday in Australia and New Zealand). As is my tradition, I went to the dawn service. This year it was at the New Zealand embassy, which I’d never been to before. The two embassies switch off year to year, but I was in Australia on ANZAC Day in 2005 so I’d only been to the 04 and 06 services, both at the Aussie embassy. Anyway, it was, as usual, a simple but nice service. A kid who I met at middle school camp (and who is from Canberra – but the dark side!) read the Ode, and I got to say hi to him and his mum which was nice. There was also an Aussie celebrity present – Grant Hackett! No idea why he was there, but he was.

What else…. well, my laptop is pretty sick. Think it has a nasty virus or two. Sigh. So the internet is working at home but without a computer to connect to it, is pretty useless to me. I’m surprised at how much it limits me not having a computer at home, internet or no internet. I didn’t think I used it that much, but it really cuts down options. It’s also the main reason I’ve been slow responding to all the emails I’ve received. (Well, that and the whole youth camp thing!) If you sent me an email and I haven’t replied, I’m sorry! I’m slowly wading through them all! I’ll get there eventually, I promise! It was probably a silly idea to send an update email right as I was about to get super busy with camp stuff, but… oh well! Live and learn!

I guess that’s enough of an update for now. This photo is from Easter, when I was singing at the services. Someone I corresponded with for my work sent me an email saying that her husband took a bunch of photos during the service and she thought I might like the ones of me – which was so sweet! I have very few photos of me singing/performing, even though it’s an important part of my life.

One more photo – this is of a bunch of people hanging out at my house (another very important part of my life!) I’m very blessed to have a flatmate who also loves opening our house to people and playing big sister. We REALLY enjoy it, and really enjoy being able to do it together.