Have you all had a happy Easter?

That was just a rhetorical question really, as I know that most of you must have had an awesome time in the Philippines (Katie), the Dominican Republic (Stacey & David), the Faeroe Islands (John), France (a group of people) Switzerland (Glyn) and Lowestoft (Ok, not as glamorous but still, Andy &V).

A few weeks back, when I first realised that so many people were travelling, I thought this Easter was going to be quite boring. Not in the spiritual, Christian sense of it of course, but just, you know… But I was wrong.

A few months back, just after Christmas, Tracy and I were asked to organize a play for Easter. We thought that surely it couldn’t be that difficult, after all when we did the Christmas Play there was so much material that we were spoilt for choice and that we should easily find something that we could do for Easter. We were a bit wrong. There are a lot of scripts around but nothing (and I mean NOTHING) seemed to be doable for us – we looked at so many different ideas (thanks by the way to everybody who kept telling us where/how/trough whom we could find more scripts or ideas) but I think we really weren’t easy to please with this.

During all this searching I too had to give in to the flue in January. And while I was at home I made the most of the excellent day time TV shows that make me proud to pay for my TV licence. I now know more about DNA Tests and why one would need to have one done than is good for me. And in all that the idea of a play was born. I will post the play in my other blog (www.anna-scribbles.blogspot.com, I'll find the fancy way of adding hyperlinks one day)– it might be the only thing to ever be posted on there but that’s OK.

So Tracy and I spend hours sitting in her car at the seafront working out how to turn this idea into something that made sense – Tomas the Disciple went from believer to Doubter to Traitor, Defender and finally back to Doubter. Poor bloke.

After hours of writing, rewriting, rephrasing and deleting we felt we had sort of stitched something together. I would just like to say that we have taken ideas from other people and the Professor was completely based on books that have actually been written by clever people who did their research, the idea to have a gardener was “stolen” from the “Glyn writes” blog.

There were several occasions were we felt that it wasn’t going to happen – when people we asked to be part all said no. But slowly it started coming together and there was a point when suddenly it wasn’t “Tracy and Anna are so excited about this and we don’t want to be the killjoy to tell them it’s rubbish” to “we are all together in this one”. It was great – great to see people coming to practise saying: I wasn’t comfortable with my lines, I thought we could change it… what if wore… how about having the chairs… and if I came in trough that door… and the lights could then… maybe if you spoke quietly…
It was so cool to see this turn into a group thing with everybody supporting everyone. It was as if everybody brought in their own knowledge about different things, like Darren giving tips on the acting, John correcting some Biblical facts that weren’t accurate, and Phill, spending hours to create our very own, very big tissue box – to make sure people could see what the Tissue Lady was doing.

And you know what amazes me most? That at the point where I felt that everybody that was involved with the play one way or another was getting excited about it I lost faith in it. Completely. All of a sudden I thought: This is never going to work. We need a big name in it because I can’t do my part so I started asking people if they could do my part, people who are known to be good with this sort of thing. I felt we needed someone to come along to our practices to try and safe what there was to safe, to tell us what to do because at the rate we were going… and anyway.. and it was only us, how did I EVER think it could work? (Un) fortunately none of the people asked could make it. And now looking back I am quite annoyed with myself because everything we needed was right there: People who weren’t involved but who still kept asking how it was going and supporting us this way. People who offered to sew all the costumes, people who gave their time and talents and worked really hard.

The day before the play I was absolutely useless because of my nerves and it was lovely to go to the cinema and just think of something else because at that time nothing could be changed anymore anyway. I was only slightly concerned about Paul – he seemed to enjoy a movie with Zac Effron in it (although he told me if I ever said that to anyone he would deny it – but we know the truth, don’t we.)

So when we finally played it out and everybody was perfect with words, cues and actions that all felt great. The congregation/audience joined in right from the beginning. It was pretty cool to walk in and have everybody clapping before I said the first word. It was awesome to see some of the shyer people really raise above their inhibitions, those who were struggling with lines to be word perfect and all our desperate last minute changes were in place as if had had millions of rehearsals. People even came from Dartford to see it 

But that didn’t make it the best Easter ever. The best Easter ever was when my Dad said to me: I’m really proud of what you did here. But I would have been really proud anyway.

...and when I'm old I shall wear purple

After having taken some time off bloggage I thought it might be time to make some efforts to keep my readers. Mainly those who get bored at work without my entertainment.


Those of you who know me know how excited I get when I have visitors from home coming. It's great to have people round and even better if they are people you haven't seen in a while and whom you've really missed. I think it's just the coolest feeling when you get a text saying: I have a weekend off - have you got a spare bed and a little time for me? And I'd do anything to be able to say: YES!!!

So just before Christmas Annemarie had a few holidays left and she decided to come and see me. It was funny but it was only at the airport that I realised that I had never ever seen Annemarie without her husband David. I had been friends with David and we used to lead the youth Group in Thun. I remember when we once went to some sort of event as a youth group and Annemarie was there. That was before they started going out. He said: Don't look, but it's her, over there... That's how it all started and it was really cool for her to come and see me so that we could get to know each other more. We had a great time and I look forward to catch up with both of them in Mai.

In February I had Martina (right) and Sonja (centre) over. The best thing ever is when you have friends whom you haven't seen for a long time but when you see them it's as if you had never been apart. When I first came back to Switzerland from Brazil Martina was going out with my Cousin and I couldn't stand her. Now you may tink that it's a bit silly to write that in a blog but she knows that and basically everybody does and this story still makes me the root of many jokes so I think I'm allowed to tell it here. Anyway, because she was going out with my cousin and I was living with my aunt we were forced to spend time together, like meals etc. And somehow all the disliking slowly turned into liking and there was apoint where I staretd to look forward to seeing her. So since then we had pick nics in her car, random car trips trough the hills, loads of swimming in lake Thun and Spagetti. I really miss her!

Most people who come to stay with me are friends. But in some rare cases I get a random message saying: I'm so and so, I'm related to x or friends with z. One of these People was Pamela (centre). She is Jasmins sister and we had only met briefly. It was a lovely idea for her and her friend Lara to come and spend the day with me when they were spending some time in the UK. I was really worried that it might be awkward to spend a whole day with someone I don't really know but I couldn't have been more wrong. After about 10 Minutes of walking down the high street it was as if we had been friends for years. Lara and Pämi hed the great idea to bring me some Swiss Chees Fondue. I didn't have the right pots to prepare it so we had to stand in the kitchen while eating to enable us to keep it stiring etc but it was one of the best meals I had.

Now I had great times with all the people who have come so far and I look forward to have loads of more people staying for a night, a weekend, or how ever long they think they can bear me. But I know that a lot of these visits have been made possible or at least been made easier by Andy and Tracy with endless drives backwards and forwards to Airport, Stations, Busstops, carrying suitcases and chasing bookings up online. THANK YOU GUYS!!!!

..and the next one is in sight already! 2 weeks until la bella arrives - the fact that in the last picture we took together you can still see Zavvi prooves that we have been appart for way too long and I had to live without random serenades at lake Thun, hot Chocolate around cheesy bartenders, impulsive decisions to get a piercing and sneaking into empry churches to sing the greatest version of Amazing Grace EVER sung!

On other notes my Tracy has graciously taken me to see Wicked. I loved the Music and, considering that usually stories where people die but then miraculasly (is there a word like that?) end up still being alive for whatever reason makes me want to poke the writers in the eye I quite liked the story line too. I was most amazed at the voice of the girl in the wheelchair and the guy in the ubertight trousers. And I won't even have time to digest all thismusical pleasure because my Tracy will also soon take me to see Sister Act - YAY!

If you happen not to be as lucky as I am to have Tracy who takes me to see all tehse shows then I thought I'd just mention taht on Easter Sunday evening there is a little play going on at Southend Citadel. It's nothing big, but it's the first thing I've wriitten (with loads of help of course) and if you have time then please come along! It's absolutely free and you get a free Songster Song and Band piece and all of that PLUS we have our own jingle so it would definitely be worth coming along.

Picking out the raisins

You might have heard that the world economy is not at its best at the moment. In fact, if you have turned on the TV, logged on to the Net, listened to the Radio or read a newspaper (even The Sun counts) you will be aware that times are not easy. The news of the Credit Crunch have invaded our everyday lives so much so that small talk is no longer about the weather but about the financial crisis. Even the question that you’d ask when you first meet a Swiss person has been changed from: “Do you yodel?” to “And how is the Franc holding up?” (They usually ask about the Euro – but I understand what they mean).

Fact is, the world is in a crisis. People are loosing jobs and houses and even the most basic things are getting more and more expensive. It is not a nice time.

Thing is though, that over all this, God is still in charge. He is so to speak, Master of disaster – however disastrous times may be, he is still the Master. And I’m sure that, if he can use good times, how much more will he be able to use bad times to show people that he is there, just waiting for them to come to him in times of need.

Thing is also that this is our time to stand up, to open doors and "shine our lights". I am convinced that people who would in normal circumstances not eve think about asking questions about life may now be wondering if there shouldn’t be something bigger than Wall Street, something more honest. And cool, in a time where demand is on an all time low, we have the one thing people might still be asking for!

Now with the Economy lying on the floor in defeat we can take the opportunity to look at all bad things it has done to people (by the way, have you ever stopped to think about headlines like: greedy bankers are to blame for all of this? As if the bankers where the only greedy ones! I only need to look in the mirror to see someone who’d love to spend more than she’s got – and I’m definitely not a banker).

But that wouldn’t help AT ALL, would it, really? So why don’t we look at all the good ideas the Business World came up with, and maybe use them in our favour? Most of them are no big new ideas, just basic stuff really!

- Customers won’t give you a second chance. How true –true for church people too! If people come to your place once and they don’t feel welcome they won’t come back. And I’m not even worried about the figures we like our Corps to show but about the number of seeking Souls that feel they have been looking in the wrong place. How sad would it be if your hour came and you got to spend eternity with the Lord and while you walk into Heaven you see all the poor wicked people who have been to your place of worship but you were too busy to have time for them.

- Don’t sell what you have – sell what they want! No explanation needed really. Except of course, we don't sell. We just give.

- Make them feel loved. Do you know the advert with the Top ups where this couple runs after the guy because he didn’t say Good Bye and the slogan is something like: with longer between the Top Ups, you are going to be missed. People appreciate when they are missed. It’s nice to get a Text or call asking where you’ve been if you didn’t make it to a meeting or so.

-Don’t be stereotypical or fake. Again, think of the advert of the fat banker guy with the introductory biscuits and introductory niceness? How many people come into your place of worship with ideas and prejudices – have fun proving them wrong.

I don’t know about your church (if you have one) but I, despite all the moaning about things (read: people) that annoy me because they are wrong (read: don’t do what I think they should), love my church. Despite the horrid Carpet. Because I can feel they care. They must do, or why else would some of them be at the hall on Saturdays at 8 to prepare for X-Stream Club, for Kids who wouldn’t hear of Jesus otherwise. People who get up early to pick up the elderly, people who spend their free time in the drop-in to feed the hungry. People who, however much I could make lists and lists about their shortcomings, are made in the image of God. And I hope that we can go more in this direction and less in the one that we sometimes feel more drawn to. Where we feel the need to “teach each other lessons”. Where we fight our little internal wars and forget the ones just outside the door.

So here it is: If you think that your life might be worth a little more than FTSE then maybe check out your local church. With that I don't mean the building. Or the Service. It might be a young peoples' group in your area, an open choir (I know a good one ;-)) or a drama group (we need you!) A parents and toddler group or a housegroup. There are many people out there who would love to welcome you in.

And if you are part of a local church, make sure you keep your doors open!