Change

"A change I believe in, that change is, our real chance to grow”

I have now been in South African for over 2 weeks and it actually feels longer, in a good way of course and I’m very happy that I still have quite a long time left. I’ve really enjoyed it so far, I didn’t think I would enjoy it this much so soon and I didn’t think I would settle in so easily! I really think that God has been a big part in helping me settle in as that was one of my worries before I came.

This week volunteering for Links has been great. I’ve been challenged a bit which at times I haven’t liked so much but afterwards I definitely felt like I had gained.

My main projects for this week have been creating a new blog series called Being A Volunteer which we hope to develop into a general resource for others considering volunteering. It will offer insights, advice and lessons I have learned. I wrote my first article called ‘The Importance of Vision, Goals & Expectations’. I generally enjoyed writing my article but there were a few things which I found hard, as I am still developing my writing skills.

I have also been developing a framework for a formal website review I am doing of www.linksinternationalsa.com. I found it hard to create a structure for my article and the framework for the web review questionnaire I am working on.

But the helpful thing is to have people in the team who are good at this sort of stuff. For my article James explained to me the importance and meaning of themes, titles and headers and how using those step by step throughout the article will help you get to where you want to be. He explained how to create a framework, as before I had no idea how to create one, without James help I don’t think I would have been able to do it.

So the first thing I have learnt this week is to how to create frameworks and strategies. I feel as though I’m making huge steps towards my goal of gaining more work experience/skills. I didn’t think I would ever enjoy learning English/computers skills but it’s honestly great and that’s also one thing I’ve learnt about myself!

I have been experiencing a lot of change in myself since I have been here and I’m surprised! I didn’t think I would really see / feel myself change, I just thought that I would change but when I’d get back home people would tell me how I have. Before I came here, at my last church meeting the congregation prayed for me and I had a few prophecies;

“Your fragrance will change”

“You will come back a women and friend of God”

I already feel as though my fragrance has changed. I feel that through what I have been learning and experiencing from being here I’m starting to become the person who God wants me to be and I’m feeling very proud of who I am. God has been doing a lot of healing in me over the past year and I found it very hard to be proud of myself but that is definitely starting to change!

I also feel as though I’m becoming a women and friend of God. I was a friend of God before, but now that friendship is really starting to grow so much stronger.

I feel so so so blessed to be here, I never ever thought that coming here would change, show and teach me so much about God and myself. I think everyone should experience this! It’s amazing!

Do you ever feel as though things seem to change so much when you’re away? And because you’re not there it feels worse?

Things are changing all the time and I think because I’m here changing in different ways hearing about the changes going on back home is hard. It’s been making me think about when I will have to go back home to UK and every time I think about it it brings tears to my eyes! I never look forward to going back home where ever I have been, the last 2 times I have been to Uganda I cried because I didn’t want to go home and my holiday to France in September I did the same. I think this time it’s going to be even harder. I’m so glad I still have more than 2 months left, but I’m just praying that God will help me when the time comes.

“Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2