A long week!

Well we have completed week one of our course and it seems to have lasted for AGES! 

We are getting more used to the everyday routine now and the pace of college life...chores start at 7.20am and then we are straight into the day!  For those of you who know me well you will be able to imagine me walking about like a zombie at that time of the morning!   Pity the people who have to work with me!!

We have had some interesting lectures this week - most helpful has been one on dealing with change and the phases we go through at times of great transition in our lives.  It has been helpful to realise that everyone here is going through the same process in differing ways.  We have also explored our team roles through the Belbin model and learning styles, as well as our identity in Christ and ways to sustain ourselves emotionally, spiritually and physically when we go overseas.

I have continued to have bad pains in my head so went to the doctor on Friday - he said I have a virus and my glands are swollen but also that my neck muscles are very tight which could be causing the pressure on my head.  He asked if I was under any stress!!  Haha!  So I'm praying that as I settle into this new and temporary routine that these pains will settle but at the moment they are still keeping me awake at night so I would appreciate your prayer for that.

This week's module is on 'The Bible and Mission' and it looks like the lectures will contain an overview of mission through the Bible as well as looking at mission in today's world and issues of contemporary Western culture. 

We are getting to know the other students better and had some interesting conversations with people from all around the world.  One of the Swiss students is helping us remember our school German and a lovely lady from Ghana has shown us how to make a shawl into a baby carrier!  It's all very varied!  On our landing alone we have people from England, Ethiopia, Germany and Brazil and in our En Route group we have people from Egypt, Denmark, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zambia and Switzerland.  All of these people are going to another whole host of countries when they leave here so it's fascinating getting the whole world covered and finding out about different cultures and customs.   

I haven't taken any photos this week but here is one of a cheeky squirrel on the outside of our window...we have put conkers everywhere to try to deter the enormous spiders and this squirrel clearly thought we had left them out for him!!