Merry Christmas
a belated merry christmas to you all. i hope anyone reading this is having a good christmas season!i am still really enjoying being home in england but i have to admit that i am missing vancouver quite a lot.my last few days have actually been pretty hectic but relaxing at the same time if that makes any sense!christmas eve was spent with my dad and lesley and my extended family in manchester. we had a really enjoyable day...eating lots of yummy food, watching the kids go crazy as well as trying to watch the garfield movie in the midst of the chaos...it was quite good actually, a little silly but good none the less!!christmas day was great as usual...my mum and i went to church christmas morning which we have done ever since i can remember and i absolutely love it. then we went round to some really good friends of ours for coffee and mince pies/biscuits and exchanged gifts. and then we went round to my uncle dave and auntie barbaras for christmas dinner. there were 9 of us altogether and it was just an absolute blast! i was in total stitches all afternoon! i think this year was the best christmas dinner we have had. i cant put my finger on exactly why but it was just amazing. of course we ended the meal with good old home made christmas pud...we got to the point that we werent sure if the flames were ever going to go out there was so much brandy in it!!! it sure tasted great though!!!boxing day was extremely restful...i spent most of the day sleeping due to a bad cold i had picked up. liverpool beat newcastle 2-0 which is a definate highlight! welcome back to anfield michael!so that just about sums up my last few days...so until next time...
In My Liverpool Home
well i made it safe and sound back to liverpool a whole week ago now and its great to be back. sorry i cant put pics up at the moment...im in a similar boat to lindsey in that my computer here cant take the stress of it all!!!
well things have been much quieter than usual...its nice to have a bit longer here so i dont need to rush round as much. i have managed to see a few people though and it has been wonderful. my friend who is living in mexico for a year actually came on a suprize visit home for christmas...she didnt know i was home and i didnt know she was home so you can imagine the suprize!!!
i got my hair cut and highlighted yesterday which is all very exciting...i have had the same hairdresser, andrea, since i was about 6 so it was fun to catch up with her.
i have been sorting out my room beginning to get ready for it to be decorated so thats been fun. everyone who knows me will know that i am not one to throw too much out but i have actually been really good and got rid of a bunch of things...woo hoo for cleaning!
well i am going to end this update here but will try to write more soon...
bye for now
Homeward Bound
it is now 9pm on sunday evening and i have spent the entire weekend preparing to go to england for christmas! all the usual things that need to happen before going on holiday happened or are at least going to happen...
laundry, packing etc!
packing was a slightly bigger job this time as i am also taking some things home to leave there in preparation for my return to england next year!!!
my english friend henri is also on the same flight as me so it is going to be great having a travel companion.
i leave vancouver on tuesday evening and arrive in london on wednesday afternoon...
Christmas Lights
last night was our staff christmas party...
we ate good food, sung a few christmas carols and then a group of us went to stanley park for the annual visit to view the christmas lights. i have visited the lights every year that i have been on staff here in vancouver and i look forward to it every year. usually it is encorporated into a wonderful christmas 
lights tour of vancouver but that doesnt start until after i go to england so it was just stanley park for me this year!
there was a huge homer simpson blow up thing which can be seen in the picture to the right...interesting!
i feel like i am just beginning to realise that it is christmas day in 2 1/2 weeks!!! last night begun to get me in the mood!
my ben memory from this event is that last year as we were walking around, he tried to touch a raccoon...crazy boy! i miss you buddy!
Farewell Benjamin!
my dear australian friend benjamin left vancouver on tuesday to go back to australia and pursue his dreams of being a pilot. i am so excited for him but it was very hard to say goodbye and i miss him so so much!
ben and i have been friends for 4 years now and he is like an older brother to me. we did our dts together in 2002 and have led 2 dts outreaches together.
i love ben so much and will always remember the great times we had together and i hope there will be many more when we see each other again sometime!
i now have a great reason to visit australia too!!!
ben has taught me so much over the past 4 years and he has impacted more lives than he will ever know.
thanks ben, i love you!
Prayer Station
"The ministry of the Prayer Station is based on the fact that we are providing an opportunity to pray for people who have a variety of needs and believeing that God will hear our prayer and act on behalf of those for whom we pray. Our prayer of faith then becomes a starting point for us to share our faith." YWAM New York
the prayer station ministry began in new york and has spread worldwide. mike and craig, from our base here in vancouver, have started one in our local community and they go out twice a week at the moment. i have been out with them a few times now and it definately takes me out of my comfort zone. it is an absolutely incredible ministry though and i am excited to see what else God does through it! 
the picture to the right is jessi, jamie and i today before going out!!!
i am always pretty nervous about it before hand because you never quite know what response you are going to get when you ask someone if you can pray for them. i have to keep reminding myself why i am doing what i am and who i am doing it for. i am learning so much about myself and most of all who God is and seeing people how he sees them. it brings a whole new dimension to interacting with people. i love it!
God has really provided some incredible opportunities for us to share the Gospel through this. it is not always easy to go out there, especially when it is freezing and raining/snowing like yesterday, but consistency is the key! i have a bunch of cool stories from it which i wont go into now but if you want to hear more about it please talk to me!!!
to find out more about the prayer station ministry go to:
http://www.ywam-ny.com/ click on urban ministry then prayer stations.
