Where to begin. It's been almost a month since my last post and so much has happened! I flew out of the states on New Year's Eve and landed in Amsterdam for the start of 2012. After 12 long hours in the airport I was back on a flight again to get back in Nunthorpe late Sunday night. The next morning it was off bright and early for the annual YFC Staff Conference in Wales. The ride up was interesting as I was crammed in a small car with 4 British men.
The ride was totally worth the wait because did I mention we stayed in a castle?
Not to shabby eh?
The place was absolutely beautiful and I couldn't have imagined a cooler way to start off the new year.
The first night I had my very taste of lamb (almost like the beef of England I suppose). It was rather good, tasted a lot like roast beef.
The entire week was full of awesome three course meals, great worship and inspiring talks. My favorite talk was by a man called Rob Parsons. He spoke on how the job we do as youth workers makes a difference. He told us about the youth worker who invested in him at a young age and how that molded him into the speaker and man he is today. He focused on the three things we have to prepare kids for:
1. Getting hurt by other people. Don't rest your faith in others, rely on Christ.
2. Disappointment with ourselves.
3. Disappointment with God. Can you hold on to God when life doesn't make sense?
One of my favorite parts was a story he told about a boy named Paul who was home alone one day and banged his thumb. He remembered his mom calling information for all kinds of things so he picked up the phone. The operator, Mary, talked to him and told him to use ice to make it feel better. From that day out the boy called Mary for everything from help with homework to the death of his pet canary. As he cried into the phone questioning how God could let something that sang so beautifully die. Mary replied, "Paul, remember there are other worlds to sing in." Years later after he had grown he came home and for kicks called the number. When he realized the voice was different he asked for Mary. The operator told him she had died and then asked is this Paul? She told Paul how much he had meant to Mary because she couldn't have kids and that Mary wanted to tell him to "remember there are other worlds to sing in."
I just love when speakers have moving talks like this one and it was inspiring. People never know how much they mean to each other and it's important for us to be constantly loving each other in Christ. Made me realize how much more intentional I want to be in my relationships this year.
