hey it's been a while

Hey there i hope you are all ok? well i wasn't but thankfully i am now :) I am sorry i have not kept everyone up to date. Since being on essential a few things have happened i was putting on a brave face for everyone, i was enjoying the people and training weeks on essential but wasn't happy. I tried convincing myself i was and was trying to get on with it all but being the stubborn person i am i got on with it. But some things happened and i was given some time off to think about what i want to do and how i feel with essential so, I went to the doctors and they said i was suffering from really bad stress and high blood pressure and high anxiety. They told me to calm my head down a bit and take a few blood tests and go back in 2 weeks. A week later I go to THQ for a meeting to see what i would like to do and i made a decision that i would like to return to Eston and carry on with essential, so we had a good chat and made up a plan for me to get back into essential and back in the programme at Eston. I was happy but i think i was still putting the brave face on my sleep pattern wasn't good as i couldn't sleep because i was thinking about way to much. I went back to the doctors after 2 weeks luckily there was nothing wrong with me from my blood tests but i was diagnosed with clinical depression, I was given a 2 weeks sick note and anti depressants so I can get used to them. My friends were really supportive started swimming and riding my bike to and from the swimming pool. I even started to do bmxing again with my friends i was getting in a better mood. But i still couldn't sleep properly something in my head was saying don't go back so i was really thinking and praying what to do. I eventually broke down and said i can't go back my head wasn't right yet and i couldn't go back putting a brave face on i would of ended up a lot worse than what i was feeling at that time. I just needed to find out who i was not to be like my brother or compare my self to anyone else just needed to find the real me. So i rang THQ Alove department up and told them i couldn't carry on i needed to get better and get my head together. I was worried at first because i didn't think hey would understand why i am leaving the programme. Mike loyd-jones the territorial youth secretary really understood and was very good and supportive of me because everyone wanted for me to be better. I am a person who usually bottles things up and doesn't really let anyone in or how I am feeling, i started to think about whats next now so i was looking for work again, seeing my friends and doing a lot of swimming and bmxing with them. I started to feel a bit more like myself again I started to eat more healthy and exercise more and i lost some weight which i am really happy about. Then Matt Leeder rings me up to ask if i would like to carry on with essential as i have changed a lot and progressed so much from the year. So we spoke and i decided to carry on but it would be from home working with my divisional youth officer Ben Still and a corp officer Susanna Offor from canvey corps as part time participates programme, which i started last week. It has been very good so far I have helped the youth worker from leigh on sea and ben, to do some things for the youth programme. Which i am also using that as my research project, to help find funding for the youth work at Leigh on sea, to also find data and give out questionnaires to the youth of young people in the church and also for non christian young people from Leigh on sea. That has been really good so far and finding the research and data. I have also help prepare things for the big day out which should be really fun and is soon :). I also have been a part of a Bar'n'bus in canvey which is a youth club on a bus it has game consoles and for young people to talk to that will be great when it starts. So can you please pray for that and for it to go really well. Everyone at Dhq are so nice and welcoming and i have been helping some of them out while i am at dhq. I will be starting the parents and tolder group and food parcels at Canvey Salvation army and then have some lunch and start a worked based mentoring session with Susanna Offor. I will be going to Wickford salvation army on a sunday morning for my meetings and thats my home corp too, my friend mike will be my mentor aswell from wickford and my essential discipler. I am looking forward to the last few weeks of essential helping Ben and Susanna and finishing of essential. I would like to thank everyone for there prayer and support to the people of Eston corps i have made very good relationships there and i will miss everyone there. To thank Garry and Lorraine for the support of caring and prayer, you welcomed me to your church family and helped me through some hard times and worked me hard. I am grateful for everything. I would like to thank the Alove team for caring and supporting me to and wanting me to finish this year. Thanks for putting a programme together very quickly and Ben and Susanna for having me in your programmes to facilitate me for my last few weeks so thank you. And a big thanks to my mum and dad for all there support and helping me through this rough patch and my friends too, Wickford corp for financially supporting me and through prayer too. So that everyone knows I feel more like my self and i am happier too from the support and the tablets too. God works in mysterious ways on puts on paths we do not choose ourselves. Strength will rise as we wait upon the lord. Phillippians 4:13 says I can do all things through christ who strengthens me this has always stuck out to me and its my favourite bible verse i believe in God more than ever than i have done before in my life. I hope you enojyed the read sorry its long, let me know what you think :) God bless Matt

What a week in France!

Hello all or should I say bonjour. Hope all is well. So the last week spent in France was not only inspirational but amazing too, we got to see different places and people, the first stop was at Dunkirk wherever met a lovely couple from Dunkirk Salvation Army. They have been there since July and it is there first appointment. They welcomed us there and gave us a French breakfast which was bread and short bread type things, and yoghurts and we could put either honey or sugar or different flavoured jams and marmalade. Then we went into there meeting hall where they explained more things to us about the area and what goes on. The church and government don't work together, that's all churches so the Catholics and Protestant. The Salvation Army there is a church but also does social work, the social is funded by the governant and don't have a lot to do with the church. It was really nice to meet the corp and have breakfast and lunch with then, they also took us on a prayer walk. For those who I haven't told I was doubting my faith a bit, I was more in believing than not. Now I believe so much more and my faith is stronger than ever from the support I've had at Eston and the support from Alove and friends and family. Forge and France opened my eyes a bit by reflecting and really thinking of who I really am, I am Matt Oliver a 23 year old who loves GOD! I want to get into sports ministry and hopefully by essential 2 the second year I've really been listening to my calling, and while traveling aswell as having fun and a laugh on the bus and the places we were in France I used it to think of what I want to do. We went to Omaha beach it's one of the main D-Day landings, all the 9000 American graves are it was so peaceful and beautiful but 70 years ago it was a battlefield. Had a nice time on the beach and in the sea to but really what stuck to my head was the men from all the countries died here who were my age, had a lot going for themselves. Me James and Axl were at the back playing football manager then we started hitting 2 balloons one a bat the other a ball and played a game of cricket. We had such a laugh playing it aswell as farkle and football manager, we also had some very good chats we are all becoming a big family now is essentials and the team. I think I have come a long way since September. One of the places we went had a blocks in the sea which is what the  Brits used to make a port the size of Dover to get trucks etc over to France as the Germans had the others. And Ian said a quote a necessity is the mother of creation. We then went to a place called liseaux, there were a couple who planted a baptist church there of 10 at a house to over 40 now. A man there said which really stuck out to me was, what ever we think god is calling us to do might not be what god is calling us to do but go for it as god will always have a door open for our right paths and he will be with us to get us on the right path. I hope you enjoyed the read let me know what you think have a blessed week. Could you all pray for me and the other essentials and the Alove team, to bless us all as we're coming to the end of an amazing experience but pray for Matt, Anita, Axl, Chris, Malin, Lottie, James, Matt thanks again for reading god bless Matt :) 

What's god doing in your life?

Hey there hope all is well? I'm having a really good time. Matt Leeder came up with his wife chel and baby Edith they led our meeting and cage church :). It was very good really fun learnt a new song come all you vagabonds now I love it.                                                                                                                                                                The following week was good learning more about myself each and everyday, we went to forge that's was really good and blessed weekend learning more about youth work in a Salvation Army, and about what I want to do god spoke to me that week as I was doubting my faith a bit but I think it's stronger than before from the support I have had, I want to do go into sports  ministry doing children's and youth work. Led cameo this week was about forge and I am going to lead the house group which will be scary but fun. France is upon us going to France for some training after explore leadership day. Hope you have a blessed week matt 

It's been a while sorry bout that

So coming up to half term but what a few weeks it's been. We have did a start course which finished yesterday it was really good. Helped me look at things in different ways. Find where I am in my journey we'll I'm some ways I'm still not ready for the journey to start yet. But then again in other ways I have started my journey, just gong back and forth on things but I know I definitely want to carry on changing being the person god wants me to be! Like I a song says I'm in his hands, and it's a great song I'm

In his hands. And i am in a great place with great people, the relationships are getting stronger not just people I'm helping and working along side with friends and long lasting friends to. 

But the last few weeks is just opening my eyes to my journey what my path is, and overcoming walls in my life we all hit a wall at some point in our lives, and if you know me I don't open up about things unless your very close to me but I still I then keep it hidden, not the best thing I know but how I deal with things I'm slowly opening up. Over coming walls in the past slowly as they are always there but god knocks it down for us and puts us in his path. I'm getting on really well at the youth club I help out with called focus , they are a great bunch of kids learning in there own pace and letting god into there lives. I went to a church rocks thing they did which was like a evening meeting cafe church type thing. One of the youth team leaders spoke and it was very good but one main thing that stuck in my head from it was a song called we believe and the lyrics spoke to be. Cameo is as good as it is always the older generation are so funny and always out a smile on my face :) so over half term I'll miss the people here but I'll have a good think about myself my journey and how I can get my self closer to god and being what he wants me to be. Which to be honest I should listen to him he have his son for me, let his son die for me, rose again and took away my sins away for me. If that's not love then I don't know what it god loves me and I love him and if you don't know god then please give him a chance and he'll make you a better person thanks for reading :) 

Hey there

So Christmas at he was very nice got a kindle fire hd :) nice seeing friends and family. It was mums birthday so spent time with family at a nice meal for her birthday. We then came back up to Eston was very cold I didn't like it. It was nice to see how much we were missed and I missed them too :). So I led cameo the second week back which went well and the food was good like always. So I've settled back in and enjoying every minute of it. I've started to think of what I want to do next year. Which is youth work I've got my self involved with a youth club which is good fun. Now I am

Off for a prayer weekend which should be good.

hello Christmas is upon us :)

The last couple of weeks since training have been very good, very busy but good. getting everything sorted for Christmas, getting the crafts ready for carols in the car park.today we was giving out leaflets for that. on Friday when i go listen to the children read to me at the school, well this week it was different i watched there wigly nativity instead, which was very good. on sunday we went through sparkle again and listen to help the kids learn there lines and the songs was a bit chaotic with the younger ones running around but everyone did amazing and sparkle will be very good. We have got the cameo party and the high 5 christmas party this week which will be really nice having a disco and food and games. Which will be really nice to get in the christmas spirit. Tonight i went and had a look at a youth club which was really good got asked to go ice skatign with them next week which will be fun, getting to know the youth better and the team better aswell. I think it will help me get experiance with doing youth work as its what god is calling me to do. Well i hope you enjoy the read its quite short but ill do another one at the end of the week to tell you how this week goes. so after tonight it will only be 15 days till christmas can not wait.

Hello there :)

So the last week we went to training left Eston at 6 got to kent about 12ish so a early long morning. So we had feed backs on things while we were there learning about what we are going to do this week and said our reviews on some books. I quite liked the grave book which is a illustrated version of what's so amazing about grave I'd recommend both, as you learn about grace in different situations. I like one chapter on velvet Elvis which was when rob started a church. It was successful getting bigger the church but he didn't know if he believed in god and the chapter was about that. We have new books now to read darkest England way back in and a book written by brother Lawrence. So on the first night didn't have why games really to play but we bought nerf guns had fun with them all week even if yiu do get shot in the face! We did part of our creditation which was the presenting a presentation which went really well, did that all day then. We then said our stories of how we found hoe and what he is doing in our lives now, so we had to that for 5 minutes mine was 6 minutes 7 seconds everyone did very well. We listend to brother Paul about his journey, of how he became a friar as he was a successful man with quite a bit if money he worked hard on but he listend to god and was talking to him and that's how he decided to be a friar. He told is about the history of the hermit monks and how the branches of different friar families he is a carmanlite friar if that's how you spell it. The building was nice accept no hot water so cold showers and the beds were hard but it was warm and nice. The food was very good and we were fed well. A really lady made is homemade cakes and biscuits everyday. We went to mass one morning it was different but I didn't understand it or connect with it, we had captain Steve Wilson from Abergavenny come in and do bible explorer the New Testament which was really fun and good was hard to remember the actions, but we did try learn it on one day. We all had chats with Matt and Anita if you don't know who they are they are apart of the alove team. They are the ones who sort everything out for us like placements training all f that. So we had individual catch ups which was good. We did a cross walk which was very good as I was trying to listen to god avid speak to him of what I want to do after this year which at the moment is to do essential 2 and become a youth worker that's my calling at the moment. But this week for me was to reflect and listen and speak to god figuring out the plan he has for me. I want to thank everyone for the financial support but the prayers too it's been a great help. So we went to the college Friday night as we had to go regent street hall in the morning to help the fair trade Christmas market thing. But before that the joystrings we're singing and talking at WBC me axl and Chris didn't want to go we even got asked by Joy Webb and we still said no we went and played table tennis instead before we went to bed to get up early. So get up early go to regent hall Salvation Army which was really fun help set up the bunting and then all day stood outside giving leaflets out trying up get people in. Was hard giving them out as many said no thank you but we managed to give some to people which was good. So I go to give some leeflets out and I see my mum and dad as they were going to the fair. So I said hello to them and spent some time with them had some lunch which was very nice :) Was getting a bit cold but at the front was a game being sold in the market which I was the best at. It was called PUCK IT where you ping little pucks through a gap and to win you had to ping all your pucks through to the other side do you don't have any pucks at all on your side. I would recommend it to anyone. So then get back to work and I start giving out free bags which I was getting rid of quickly. The girls who we're giving them out kept saying more already every time I got then out. Theny brother comes and meets up with us with other essential 2s as we all went to the alumni together it was really good seems him and other people I know good was good TC Comissioner Clive Adams spoke well, the first part of the talk to me seemed more  aimed to the Timothy's who were on the Timothy programme and past essentials and towards the end aimed to the present essentials which was good. So overall it was a great week and a great weekend with great people and a great team. I hope you all read this far haha and really enjoyed it too