As Fi Bows to Peer Pressure

Some 30 days ago, I wrote about me. One of the things I said was that I’d done some number crunching and realised that, according to my very tight budget, I was lacking around $11,000 needed to get me through the coming year.

I’ve just re-crunched those numbers and was extraordinarily excited when I discovered that this has dropped to around $6000. The NZ dollar has helped things, but I’ve also had God provide in ways I didn’t expect and it’s looking increasingly like I will just make it through financially. I might, at some stage, need to use my NZ overdraft facility or even get a little loan, but it’s not going to be anywhere near the $20,000 I had originally thought. YAY God!

In 11 days, I’m getting on a plane. It’s starting to seem real now, although I’m avoiding using the words goodbye to anyone. There’s been so many “last times” that I’ve stopped thinking about it, which is kinda nice in some ways because thinking about it makes me rather sad to be leaving. I’m sorting out/getting rid of the last of my stuff. I threw out 5/6 of my letter collection, which I’ve had since I was 10, but it was nice to read so many of the wonderful letters people have written me one last time. I’ve sold my old lappie, which has always been my baby despite the fact that it didn’t do half the stuff I needed it to, and tonight I’ll get rid of more clothes.

Last Sunday, I was confirmed. I should have invited more friends, sorry about that!

Confirmation, for me, was an affirmation and renewal of the public declaration that I made when I was baptised at Hoko Baptist Church in 1994, while confirming publicly that I want God to do his work through me. I did a whole heap of stupid stuff at high school and got to a point where I was ordered to choose my path. For once, I made the right decision, and my relationship with God has grown ever since. I got into politics because of God opening a window while closing a door (did I get that metaphor right?).

Last year, I got 1st class honours and successfully ran an election campaign ONLY because God gave me strength and wisdom I needed. I totally relied on God last year, absolutely and completely, and I learnt a lot.

I’m very lucky, I know exactly what God is calling me to do, but in some ways this can feel like both a blessing and a curse. I’m called to leave my home, my friends, my family and spend the rest of my life working where he needs me. I have to continue to rely on him and hope that the rest of my life follows suit. It’s a big call and frankly, I’m very scared. Confirmation was a chance for me to say that, despite my fear and everything else, I was ready to answer this call and take this next step.

And that is the end of my rather weird post on life, the universe and everything . . .

Time for something completely different, in the middle of the chaos that is organising my life into boxes and suitcases at the moment.

Some things to be thankful for:

China has promised to provide clean and safe drinking water to 300-million people in the country in the next 10 years. A government spokesman says billions of dollars will be invested to tackle water contamination and chronic shortages. The problem has been caused by factories dumping toxic industrial waste into rivers and lakes, and by the heavy use of pesticides and fertilisers. Drought has left 18 million people in China without enough water this year alone.

A United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) led project that uses hybrid varieties of rice to increase production has resulted in unprecedented yields of the staple crop in Egypt, the agency said today. Rice is the world’s most widely-consumed food - some 618 million tonnes were produced in 2005. With the world’s population growing by more than 70 million a year, the FAO estimates that an extra 153 million tonnes of rice will be needed by 2030.

$940 million in pledges were made for Lebanon’s reconstruction yesterday’s international donor conference in Sweden. OCHA also reported today that a World Food Programme (WFP)-chartered vessel had arrived in Lebanon with 10 vehicles and food, while two WFP trucks had left Beirut for southern villages carrying clean water supplied by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The Global call to Action against Poverty (GCAP), which is the worldwide alliance the Make Poverty History campaign came from, is uniting again in global solidarity for the Month of Mobilisation 2006, which runs from September 16th through to October 17th. During the Month of Mobilisation millions of people across the world will Stand Up Against Poverty on October 15th to demostrate against poverty and inequality. Oxfam are organising a series of events for the Month of Mobilisation throughout New Zealand. I’m going to be at the Stand Up Against Poverty in London, but I haven’t got any details yet for anything here in NZ. I’ll let you know if I hear anything.

It is understood he was killed by a sting-ray barb that went through his chest.

I’m only realised this week that I am actually moving to London in two and a bit weeks. Suddenly everything seems a little weird and it’s all been rather dream-like until now.

I move out my wonderful flat tonight. I’ve had fantastic times with my ferpect flatmates and I shall miss them lots! It will be weird living at home for the next two weeks, but I definitely need the time to sort my stuff out.

I’ve sold or got rid of a lot of my clothing, but I still have FAR FAR too many tops. Plus I’ve got to work out which of my office clothes I want to keep, caus I definitely won’t need as many there.

I only have two weeks left at work, and as much as I knew it would be like this, it’s really weird to think I’ll be leaving the party and the people behind. Everyone has been so good to me here.

I also need to buy a cabin-bag wheelie suitcase, preferably hard as I need to put my lappie in it. I’ve sold my old lappie. How weird to think it will be gone too!

Ah well, time to stop boring you with my thoughts and think about the fun of the next few days. Today is Dave’s birthday, tomorrow is celebrating Dave’s birthday with his family, and on Sunday I’m being confirmed. Lots of happy stuff to keep me occupied until Monday :o)