Week 1

So I've been here in Llanelli for just over a week now and I think I've just about learnt how to pronounce "Llanelli" properly, which being English in Wales goes a long way, trust me!
This first week has been soooo packed, I can't even begin to try and explain how much has happened in so little time, I've bearly had time to think to be honest. However I will try to summerise what has been happened. On Monday - Wednesday morning's we have "North Dock prayer" this is where we pray for various things to do with World Horizons such as council meetings and vital team member roles they need filling...so if any of you feel called to mission you know where to come yeah?
We've been learning so much about different cutures via different games and also simply by living together in community with people from all over the world. So here's where I'll introduce you to the team. The long termers consist of Jos from just around the corner in Wales, Joy who comes from Bedford, Sarah from Thatcham and Nate whos from California, USA. Then there are the Gappers who consist of, me, Hollie whos from Bridgend, Wales, David from London, Aurora from France, Isaac from Indiana, USA and Godgive from Nigeria. As you can see even between the 10 of us there are mass cultural differences and different personalities. Its been such a learning curve for everyone and its such a massive answer to prayer how quickly we've all got close and are like a massive family now. I love it!
I've been put as team leader for my cleaning/washing up/catering team which is me, Nate and Joy, HA what an absolute joke, thanks Becky and Debbie (Gap year and long term leaders). Its been so crazy and I'm literally not sure how we've coped with getting eidable meals out realitivly on time cause I have literally no idea what I'm doing! I swear its a bloody miracle. 
I loved getting involved with my new church (Elim Swansea), sorry MCC but gotta move on and you know that will always be my home church. The life of of Elim is so obvious its amazing to walk into a building like that for the first time and just feel so content and at home amongst being so unsure. The work the people put into this church is incredible and the passion they have to create new projects to help people is immense, there just seems to be so much going on within the church.
The main thing I'm involved in helping with is on a Friday night working with two people called Dave and Laura and helping the work they do in reaching the homeless and addicts who so desperately need God but are just oblivious to this fact. The do this with a main and vital philosophy of simply ( or not so simply) loving people and forming relationships that can spark those important conversations. Dave and Laura both have amazing, inspirational stories of being delivered from the place they were in and its so obvious to me they're now doing the work they were designed to do. They're helping so many people, 11 people in rehab in at the and they're so committed to being there after they get out of rehab or teen changellge. I could go on about them for ages, so amazing. Even though I'm super buzzing over this, it has been a challenge for me and I've found just over this last 10 days God is continuing to push be futher and challenging me causing me to have to trust him like I'm so scared to do, so far its going well and I can tell my faith is growing already and I just have a continuing desire to learn more about his word and look more deeply into his teaching, something that I've never had before.
The church service I attend with Nate and Hollie on an evening touched my life massively and brought up so many painful things that I thought I'd delt with that after the talk I realised I had held on to, I know God wants me to get rid of the hurt I hold on from these times but the reality of it and having to face in head on infront of 10 other people is scary as and super emotional but I know God is doing some amazing work in me and its only week 1!!!
Today we learned about the possibilites for out 6 month work abroad, as you know from my last post I intended to go to Cambodia...note the past tense. I, along with the other gappers are so confused and blessed by the amount of amazing opportunities we have put in our path. So now I'm can't decide between Cambodia and Turkey, so please pray I hear where I being called to go!
I feel like I've been going on for a year and honestly I could write more, its been such an emotional rollercoster of a week, don't think I've experienced anything like it before but I can honestly say I wouldn't want to go through this with any other group of people, they're all so amazing and crazy and slightly annoying at times but as I said they're all gonna be my family for 3 months and I couldn't have asked for a better group of people.
Sorry again for the essay!
Bring on the rest of the week!
Speak soon
Helen xoxo

Before The Start.

So I'm off on a adventure into something I would definitely class as the 'the unknown', hence the name of the this blog. I decided this would be the best way for everyone to see the crazy stuff I'm getting up to in the next year, I will try and post on here as much as possible however I'm sorry in advance if there is a gap between posts, my daily schedule is gonna be pretty packed! 

To start off, for those of you who have zero idea what I'm doing with my life at the moment, here's a basic summary of what World Horizons is and the reason I decided to take this year out instead of doing the standard thing of going to uni.

As many people will know I was all set on going to uni to do Adult Nursing, however very few of you know the reasons behind postponing this. I very much started to feel, once all the craziness of personal statement writing and work experience had died down, that I actually had no idea if this was even the course for me. This lead to me deciding to look around various ways to spend my year the majority of which weren't suitable for me or I was too young to do. However one of my friends had done the World Horizons gap year a few years ago and so my mam told me to have a look at that and everything just seemed to fit together, it was exactly what I looking for and what I think I need in my life right now. After I decided this is what I was going to do, Teesside University rang me up themselves and told me that I'd be unsuccessful for September 2012 as there wasn't enough space on the course but they thought I was a good candidate so wanted to defer my place till September 2013, this is when I was certain what I was doing was in Gods plan and not just my own.

So what even is World Horizons you ask? World Horizons is a multi-national Christian charity who aims to reach out to those countries and people than are a lot less fortunate than ourselves, develop relationships with the people of these countries and share the message of the gospel to those who have never heard it before. As a part of this charity there is the option to do a gap year with them where you spend 3 months in their UK base in Llanelli, Wales focusing on discipleship and spiritual growth, as well as key preparation for working in a cross-cultural environment. Next I'm off on my 6 month placement (Jan-July). I'm not fully sure where the destination of this placement will be, however Cambodia is looking highly likely, but I'd be grateful for prayer for confirmation of this! 

This next year is going to be one of the scariest, inspiring, eye-opening, and amazing years of my life and I can't wait for it to start. I am 100% sure the people I will meet along the way will change my life as much as I hope to change theirs. 

I may post a few extra thoughts before I go, but if not my next post will be from my short term home in Llanelli, Wales!! Arghhh

Speak soon
Helen xoxo