Hello all, welcome to my gap year blog! This is probably the easiest way for you all to keep up to date with what I’m doing, as it will likely be an action packed year with lots to tell people about.
Currently, my plan is to do the XLP eXperience course, which looks amazing. It is in London on some of the rougher estates, and the aim is to bring a little of the love of Jesus to these kids’ lives, through teaching them to read and write (some of them can’t because they weren’t taught in their home country and they have newly moved to the UK), working in the schools, teachings lessons, running lunch time and after school clubs and doing a talent show called the Arts Showcase. These activities aim to bring self esteem and confidence to the young people and teach them good values and to make right choices, and tackle issues such as drugs, gun and knife crime, under age sex, and self harm.
My heart really burns for the young people in urban areas and the issues they face, they can have it really tough. It doesn’t help that they (we even) are criticised so much in the media and dismissed as “yobs” when the issues surrounding such behaviour are far more complex than the media leads us to believe. Self harm, alcoholism, and hopelessness are some of the problems I have encountered among people I know, even in the nice cuddly town of Romsey, so you can imagine how much deeper it goes in the inner cities.
The song “Youth of the Nation” by POD sums it up, here it is on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEVPoo0kOa4
As a Christian I am called to be “salt and light” in my generation – sharing love and acceptance to all who need it. Since Soul Survivor my concern for our nation’s youth has reached a whole new level and I am rooting to go out and help.
If I get on the eXperience course, it will be a tough and exciting gap year. I have sent my application to the team, which they will consider and interviews take place on Monday the 7th of September.
If that falls through, I plan to apply for a job at Waitrose to get some cash behind me for travelling, and going back to Uganda looks like a possibility. I would be doing teaching part time at Wobulenzi Town Academy with Beth from church, and sightseeing or volunteering during the rest of the week. After that there are a few countries I’d like to see, such as Japan, Iceland, and Italy.
All in all it will be an exciting and action packed year! I will keep up to date regularly on this blog so keep up regularly!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment