"HOME" highlights

'Home' was the name of the 24-7 prayer international gathering in Southampton. There were about 200 people from al over the world (that i can remember: many parts of the UK and USA, Canada, South Africa, Macedonia, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Holland, Spain, Ireland, Czech Republic, Iceland and a lot more), all with a different story to how they came to be there and how they came to be involved in 24-7.




It was definitely more of a 'gathering' than a conference, although there was some great teaching - focused around the verses that say God's house is to be a house of prayer for all nations and some great times of worship. But a lot of it was seeing old friends and making new connections, sitting and eating together and listening and learning and encouraging.



i was glad that it was pretty chilled because don't think i could have coped with anything too intense. i didn't know loads of people there but that was OK too - again it made it more chilled. and i guess i just felt comfortable there - 'at home' - you could say. and it was the kind of atmosphere that conversations with 'strangers' just happened really easily and before you knew it you were talking about all kinds of things.



highlights for me were:

• catching up with friends i met last year, mainly ibiza connections and from the "feast" (last year's gathering in Sevilla)... meeting ben and becky's new baby daisy; saying goodbye to another becky as she heads off to live in south africa; reunited with Ursina who was out in Ibiza with me, Rachel who also lived in Sevilla this year...

• the AUCTION, to which people had given homemade CDs which all sold for extortionate amounts of money. the winner being the entry from the corringham community complete with knitted CD case which went for over £300!!! just incredible generosity from people who probably don't have much to begin with. the money went to a family from California who recently moved to Kansas to serve there.


• worship being led by "tribe" - a group of 5 drummers from Tulsa


• the goats cheese and roasted veg salad i had at bella italia (food is important!).. and the look on the waiter's face when about 40 people walked into the restaurant in the space of 5 minutes!


• drinking tea with 2 swiss girls and a finnish girl (well they drank tea and i as the english girl lets her country down as she can't stand it so it was coffee instead!) in the uni flat i was staying in as we discussed european-ess mong other things. felt like i was in first year again!


• meeting such a crazy collection of unique people from all over the world including a couple of lovely Spanish girls who i wish i'd met while i was living there!


• exploring southampton on monday morning with Holly from Tulsa who lives in Ireland, Johann the only Dutch representative, Regula Michele and Matthias from Switzerland and Milka from Finland.

so... good times. and a good way to finish. and maybe to start dreaming about what could be next...