Exciting plans – I have been busy this week planning for the trip to Guatemala in August. I was so excited when Tim told me it was definitely going ahead that I wanted to start packing straight away, but my parent’s persuaded me it was too early! So I am having to be content with just being excited.
Leap of faith – I still remember how exciting it was last year, leaving the country with 3 people who I had only met once before, and flying for about 13 hours. I was surprised at how calm I was, considering that I don’t travel much. I only go on public transport with my family/friends, and had previously only flown for 1 hour to Scotland with my dad, so this was a big leap of faith. I am glad that God was in control and made things go so smoothly. I really enjoyed it!! I am looking forward to going back again to share what God has done for me with more people, and to share my experience of being blind. I really can’t wait – have I said that?
Conducting – My friend and I are planning several things to fund raise and to promote awareness of the trip. These include a concert, a Guatemalan evening, and going round churches to talk about why we are going. In between all this, I am going to a conducting day with my choir. We are used to having just 1 conductor, but this week we will have a different conductor for each piece of music. It will be interesting for me because I can’t see the conductor. They are all pieces we have done before and know well, so it will be hard to do them wrong. I will have to follow the choir member next to me very closely and just hope they are getting it right, otherwise I could end up singing in the wrong place!
Random conversations – I am also going to a cousin’s wedding this month. I have a big family so weddings are fairly frequent. I don’t much like weddings though. I find them very long. I usually enjoy the service, but standing round for photographs is not much fun, I can’t even look round and see what other people are wearing to pass the time. I find it hard too in the reception to make conversation. I will sit on a table with my parents, and they will be able to talk to people even if they don’t know them, wheras I find it hard to just start a random conversation when I don’t know who is there. I think though that other people on the table must find it hard to talk to me if we haven’t met. A lot of people are not sure what to say when they realise I am blind, so the ice doesn’t really get broken by either of us.
People don’t talk to me – The same thing happens when I visit new churches. The people on the door are quite often phased by not having any eye contact, or me not stretching out my hand to take their’s. Quite a few places I have found that they talk to my parents and not to me, not because they are being horrible, but because they are not sure. My parents introduce me to make things go a little easier.
Leading the singing – Mostly wherever I go I try and stay inconspicuously between my parents. I was going to try and do that at this wedding, but then I was asked to lead the singing, so I don’t think I’ll get away with that.
