Monday after Celebrate Conference 2005

Well 12 days ago I left for Ilfracombe, Devon for the Celebrate conference with a long blonde streak running from forehead to neck in a Mohican stylee. I thought the hair style (if U can call it a style) was quite ironic (which I preceeded to tell everyone) - in that many people who wore a hair cut as stupid looking as this probably actually thought they looked quite cool. whereas I thought it looked more funny and humourous and that is how I wore it.
anyway enough about the hair.

Met up with the usual setup crowd of Andy G (Sir, chief, master and amazing father) and Phil( I drive a 4 by 4, but it's okay I live in Scotland) Dan (my lovely room-mate - girl and gadget magnet!), Julie (will do anything for anyone) Nicky (I will hug you to death you know), Rob (but I thought I did turn it down), Andy F (Spiderman and gymnast), Stu (I have some amazing wrenches for any possible purpose and I will tighten bolts so you will never be able to remove them again), Salv (I keep a rhythm, it's just way faster than you guys can play) and Keith (I will start work before you guys even wake up and I put up blacking out better than any man in this hall) - along with Enda (I can break you by looking at you, but I love you so thats just fine) and Peter (I will organise everything in my notebook and people will call me Enda all day!) with me creating the 13 setup team Disciples! Spent 3.5 days setting up a school hall and gym. And what a rig it was.

People who go to Celebrate often don't realise where they have their meetings is normally a school sports hall. I will try and get photos of before and after on da blog.

It is great before the conference as you have the same crew working away for many days in fellowship and prayer. Then U have the gradual arrivals of different communities coming to set up their rooms in the school - Sion Cross Purposes are great and friendly southern (mostly) bunch led by Clare and Matt and Martin and then you have the always jovial Youth Mission Team from Newcastle (soon to be my place of residence - possibly) led by Tony and Fr Dermot. Those guys are great fun - looking forward to hooking up with the YMT crew and maybe helping them in their youth accomodation centre.

Then suddenly Sunday comes about and all the punters turn up.

It was overall a good time - this year my role was to help the Steward chiefs Kirty Mac (an old friend, who talks from her heart) and Fr. Steve (but he's not a father) then I was helping Enda and Peter in the afternoons taking over the Caretaking of the school. I was less busy than previous years, having time to lie in in the morning but still help out at Mass. It left me with more time to do some youthwork around the school, but as much as I was around their was very few youth hanging out at the school with year. but had a chance to chat to a few locals about faith and dogs! Big up to "Starsky" the black Pitbull Labrador.

This year was also a bit unique as I actually chatted more to people my own age with 23-30ish group. this well was kinda interesting. Emily Hall (I'll start off my own stream then....and it's not a dating thing) and her crew of "just before middle-agers" had a few socials through out the week to try and bring together the uncatered for and often forgot about single and some non single age group. It was a bit difficult for me for interact intially with the guys that were in the group as they were all (I mean all) very different to the usual people I hang out with of this age group and I often ended up in silence as I struggled to find a common ground to build from, but after a deep chat with Emily, which I can't remember much of what it was about apart from it was challenging! I decided to give the group another go. I managed to get to another one of the socials (after being on the same beach as them and not finding them and missing a bring and share meal) and hey, it was a little better - at least Em kept me company, it was just a little difficult as I found I couldn't really add to the conversation and when I did I seemed to kill the conversation! Oh well it's probably me being paranoid, but it was great to hear testimony of a few of the guys there. I think I will stick with youth workers and clubbers, I don't tend to kill conversation so much.

It was great this year to get more time to speak to people this time, and got to know alot more people and chat to proper adults to about the stuff I am involved in and about Mercy Ships. It was funny on the first night as Sue Whitehead - love her - got me up on stage on the first night infront of everyone - to give me an easter egg to thank me for all the work I do and to say I won't be there next year because of Mercy Ships - no exageration over 60 people asked me about Mercy Ships and was able to encourage them.

It was great chatting to the permanent Stewards loads, hanging out with John (Drum and Bass Massive), Ron (Can i borrow your BMX?) and Alex (Beer sneaker!) and Becky (I rule, don't argue) - check out www.ezekielproject.com also Esther (Miss Latino dancing craziness) and Bori (I will smile all day if you like it or not) funny foreigners (in the nicest way!) Budi for teaching me about Catholism (none of which I understood) and Alex(2) for being a dude.

Then just as suddenly as the party started 6 days passed and it was time for everyone to go home. Then the mass 8.5 hours of getting every packed down and on the lorry. rushed, yes. Hungry, yes. tired, very. but done dusted and then Chinese food feast to end it all. Celebrate over for another year.

Celebrate 2005 brought up many issues for me in my faith this year. It is strange how you can act around a group of people (1500 people) one way as you know you only see them once a year and act completely different around people you spend the rest of your life with. At Celebrate I act like a complete tart and come across as all confident (sometimes/much of the time arrogant) and I also drink way more in that one week than I do in 6 months normally. Why is that? How can you be two people?
I was really challenged by this on the final night of Celebrate by my friend, Lizzie. Cheers Lizzie.

Maybe a little challenge for all of us.

Yeah, I found it a little lonely at Celebrate this year. I got on with all the people I worked with really well and I am so glad I had time to spend with them (the setup team and the stewards), I just found it hard to create great friendships with people I will only see once a year, which makes me think about perhaps going to more Charismatic Catholic events thoughout the year. Walsingham and Youth 2000 or Bright Lights perhaps. Perhaps it was lonely as I missed my EZ36 (www.ez26.com) and Reload (www.reload-uk.com) crew. To be honest I don't really know what was wrong with me this year, perhaps it was the realisation I can't get on with everyone.

Keep it safe boys and girls.