Laura's move to 'New Abode'

Hi guys, another update from Laura. Had the pleasure of talking to her for about 1/2 hour on Christmas Day. She sounds great and up for every challenge ahead_ don't stop praying, all thoughts are appreciated.

Laura has now moved to a new base that actually has a bathroom with a toilet and toilet paper [the simple thing we take for granted]. It even has an upper deck for sunbathing! [on days off]. This is situated next to a huge lake in Chennai. The owners are the leaders of the church they are attached to, which is based in the house- not far to travel on a Sunday morning! However the cockroaches, ants and mozzies love it there as well, much to Laura's horror.

This week they have lots of kids work planned, running a holiday morning, for two days, for children in the area, and intercession walks around the area. After which they are hoping to work in the orthanage down the road. She has already spent some time in a Children's Home where many of the children have Aids.

She will not be celebrating New Year in India, however, wishes you all a 'Happy New Year' and looks forward to sending more news next week [she only has access to the internet on Mondays]. She has a few photos posted on facebook, so take a look at Laura in Indian traditional dress!

*MERRY CHRISTMAS*

Hey guys - wanted to tell you that I miss you all and hope all is well?

Just to wish you all a very

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I love you all a lot.

Kisses. 

x x x x

Update from India

Quotes from Laura's e-mail : "Hey followers of the India travells,

So just a quick update to keep you all informed of my whereabouts at this current time. We are situated in the rural area of Chennai but it is still amazing to be here.Will be at the base until end of December before we move on to a new base, but that means we have a tree for Christmas and a living room and people to share with us - and it will just be simply lovely.

Yesterday we went for a special walk around the area, it was so sad to see some of the things. We went to look around a womens mental home- which was incredible to see how the government are helping to rehabilitate women of all ages and religions.

At the base we have a fan whjch we sleep under to keep cool at night. Meal times are 'ish' ,the event being more important than the time. Also curry for breakfast is not to my taste, but the rest of the day it is fine.

Anyway, all my love to you and see you in 8 weeks or so. Keep me in your thoughts. Also Imon is not yet out here - we want him to be with us, so that would be good for you to keep in mind! Love you all. xxxxxxxxx "

LAURA ARRIVES IN INDIA

Lesley [Laura's mum] writting on behalf of Laura whilst she is in India.

After a 30 hour jouney and sleeping on the floor of a couple of airports Laura arrived in Chennai, India. She reports that the weather is lovely but a little sticky at times. She is staying in a small house that is used as a Suicide Prevention Centre for the first 2 weeks, so will be there for Christmas.
Her biggest nightmare upto date is the bathroom, or lack of. The toilet consists of a hole in the floor and bath-time consists of 1/2 a bucket of water to wash hair and body. On arrival she was given 2 'salwar kameez' [local dress] which they have to wear when out of the house.
She sends all her love and wishes everyone a 'Happy Christmas'. Keep both the teams [India and Poland] in your prayers. I will pass on any news as I get it. God Bless Lesley x

Finale of the lecture phase ... God is Incredible.

This is to be my final blog from the old Angleterre ... oh guys, how I will miss the chill that is Britain in December/January and February. But it will be strange to be warm at Christmas, and without close family. Weird. But I am looking forward to it incredibly.  Mum dropped off some Christmas presents so that will be nice when I get to the land of India at Christmas. Woop.

India will be a challenge and a half - we are going to come up against so much spiritual warfare, so much poverty, hunger, desperation and so on! I am scared witless of being knocked off my feet by the culture shock. I have never been anywhere that hasn't been western (when I've been able to remember anyway!) So that'll be an eye opener.  I am excited about the Dramas and the talks that we are going to give - they really are incredible ... God in every step we take.

So, the last few weeks God has really been preparing me for the outreach part ... we have really been praying for Imon's Visa and just trusting that God has this in his hands and that it'll all be ok - that is hard - but we are doing it. I have really learned patience and how to trust, also giving myself to God .... I have also been really challenged to step out in faith.

This weekend (my last one in England for two months) was great, we did Drama's on Friday night - and my Mum, Dad and Andrew arrived - me and Dad drove round for ages looking for somewhere to sell me some Diet Coke. It is a mild addiction now. This is sad. On Saturday we left at around 10.30 to go to Emma ex-Delany now Jeffery's Wedding. It was so lovely, Emma looked beautiful and the wedding itself was fabby and just brilliant. Spent most of the evening chatting with some friends of my Dad's their son was 20 and had been to India, so we were chatting about that. Was good. Sunday, came back and played Outreach games all day, we cleaned up leaves and washed a car, we hiked for about an hour with our backpacks on (was incredible!), we sat by a fire (which we lit ourselves) in the dark - it was great.

So all in all, the last few days here have been brilliant. I am so scared about leaving the Poland team, but I know God has so much planned for them - and I will see them in Feb when I get back. But otherwise for now, I leave you with the knowledge that I am going to make sure I stay alive and that I speak out truth wherever I set foot. I miss you all daily - and hope that you are all well. Love to you all!!!!!!!!!

Always yours, in whatever country I happen to be in...

Laura x x x x x x 

P.S. Mum, I rang the bank, don't worry, they said that is fine.

P.P.S. I have packed my passport somewhere safe inside some form of plastic wallet like you do when we go on holiday. It is in my hand luggage. Oh and my bag only weighs 11kg. Winner.

P.P.S.S. Hi Andie ... you shweet. face kisses.

GRANDMA AND PAPA I LOVE YOU BOTH A LOT.

REW/ You are a star, I love you.

LOUISE, TOM, HELEN = have a merry Christmas.

JAY - ik hou van jou. (it's Dutch - look it up) xx

EMMA B: I adore you so much for your prescence even though I have been in Sussex this whole time. x

WENDY: I will miss you thank you so much for all your attentiveness over the last three months, I will come visit when I get back.

CHURCH LOT - see you in Feb ;)

BLOG READERS: Thanks and sweet sleep :D

DAD - I would never forget you. xxx +1

New Update? Are my eyes decieving me??

It’s been 14 days. 14 days since I wrote my last blog. How sucky am I on a scale of 1 to 10? That is a rhetorical question DO NOT ANSWER IT. I know I suck at keeping up with this.

HI GUYS I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLL x x x x x

Anyway, I have a rubbish announcement – when I go to India I am not allowed to mention ‘Missions’, ‘Outreach’ or ‘YWAM’, ‘Convert’ or ‘Evangelise’ or anything to that effect … so Lauraonamission will probably cease to exist unless I email someone who will post blogs for me once a week. This may have to happen as I think it is a necessary to keep up the blog and I need your prayer. So I will ask my good friend Emma or my Dad and see if I can entertain him.

This last week or so has been incredible – we have had talk on Spiritual Warfare the week before this one … which was all about the spiritual world not being a separate world from the ‘real’ world. So that was pretty interesting, from that they prophesied a ‘new song’ over me – and Ginny and Nikki encouraged me to write a song … we’ll see.
This week was on Relationships and they had a whole conversation about masturbation – I WAS HORRIFIED. I had NO idea what to do!! Also, the lady who was talking made me say arouse L in front of the whole class. I went bright red. It was horrid.

This weekend, just gone, I went to London, it was incredible. I had SUCH a good weekend. Ann-Louise, Lydia and myself stayed in a hostel (which we booked on Thursday night for Fri and Sat night) 35pounds for two nights – it was good.
On Friday we went to Starbucks and had coffee and hot chocolate, then we wandered down Ebury street to find that our hostel had stairs like a lighthouse – 5 minutes from the station. Brilliant. Then we went sightseeing, Annie and I tried on amazing dresses in Monsoon and we got kicked out of accessorize because we tried on hats and tried to take pictures! Went to see Westminster Abby, Big Ben, Houses of parliament, London Bridge, the Southbank which brought back many choral memories. Later that day I met Tom in Covent Gardens, then we got coffee and Hot Chocolate in Nero with Tom – wandered the streets around Leister Square and Trafalgar Square, then walked Tom to the foreign office – the last time I will see him before Feb … sad.
Saturday we met Luke and Imon in London and went to see Notts County play and they lost 6:1 – sad. So we went to Pizza Hut to console Luke and then we went bowling. Which I suck at it turns out. I lost with only 22 points.
Sunday we played about in about 3 different Starbucks and then went to see Buckingham Palace before we left to go home.
It was a lovely weekend, and a joy to see Tom. I had a really good time. Woo Hoo.

This last week has been interesting – and God has really taught me some stuff, even just through my friends, Lauren and Ilse have been my legendary Dutch and Aussie friends this week. I adore them both.

We made the boys breakfast on Friday morning before we had a day of ENERGETIC drama practise … insanely amazing. Anyway, so we gave them encouragements from each of the girls, bless them. We love them. So the two dramas we did were so energetic that my body ACHES today from my neck to my thigh muscles. Crazy. It was so much fun though.

I better go, Love you all … muchos adoration to you and please pray for me with all the stuff that is going on in India right now.

Love much
x x x x x x x

Ah to be an Angel ...

Oh this week was so much fun. 

So Fiona Gifford taught us this week on Sin and Repentance - which sounds a heavy heavy topic, but it wasn't - it was really good, just looked into safety within the group and that our true safety is in God. Then we did some prayer time with issues that were bothering us ... I laid down some things that I had been worrying about - worry is never necessary.

Last night Nikki made me sit and look into a mirror blindfolded and think about how God sees me as opposed to how I see myself - it was weird...good though. Nikki is my one-on-one chatter and my small group leader. She's English.

I want some fizzy. I need some fizzy. There is a chance that I might be addicted. But you guys knew that.

The Angel-Mortal week was fantastic, Ilse did not know that I was her angel at all ... I have surprised her all week with gifts and notes and sweets. I gave her a blanket and some nail varnish - the nail varnish story is very sweet. Ilse came bouncing into the room and said she had been praying for blue nail varnish and her angel had got it for her. I nearly died laughing. it was so very cute.

So I must leave you on that note, not really sure what else to tell you, but it is going well. Next weekend I am going to London to visit Tom as he is there on some business of some foriegn office form. Oh well.

So, here I go with the leaving malarky.

Bye then ... 

Love to you all, I am thankful for your prayers about the Visa, but if you could keep praying about the Visas until I let you know that we have them ... it's risky at the moment.

LOVE xx xx xx