Nearing The End Of Training

We have been in Glasgow for the weekend, as a Resident Group, to attend a Committe Meeting in The Iona Community's Glasgow Office. We also enjoyed dinner at a Community Members very nice flat at the top of a very steep hill with very lovely views across the city, some time with the Youth Development Team, a spot of shopping, staying with various Community Members, lots of eating, church services with our hosts, Holy City event and a very cold but informative pilgrimage around Glasgow. We started our pilgrimage in Govan Old Church, which is the church that George MacLead, founder of The Iona Community, was minister for many years. It was amazing to go inside and see this place that I had heard so much about.

Our Pilgirmage was led by Alison Swinfen, a Community Member, and I also attended a session last night at Holy City that she was running based around Refugees and Asylum Seekers... Her story is so real, so honest, so terrifying... I would love it, and I'm sure she and her husband and their foster daughter would love it even more, if you could go to any of the below websites to have a look at what is happening to them just now, and to do what you can to help  them...

Online Petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/rima/
Official website: http://www.letrimastay.org.uk/
NCADC: http://www.ncadc.org.uk/NCADC-Campaigns/rima.html

Last week during staff training we did a days First Aid course, run by a guy from Inverness. I understand now why at the start of our weekly pilgrimages around the island the leaders always say that they have basic First Aid training and that you don't want to be the person to find out how basic.... One day isn't a long time, and I know now how basic that training is! Was a good day though, and quite a giggle... Especially when a question was asked as to how we know what the signs of hypothermia are, and wondered what you should do if the majority of the people in the room at the time are displaying those signs... it really was a cold cold day!! Here is a photo of us on our training pilgrimage, stopping for a quick bite to eat and to catch our breath...

Last week we also spent a day down at Camas, the Iona Community's outdoor adventure centre on Mull. It was a beautifully crisp day, and was a very nice change from being in the Abbey all day long. They have two little kittens there just now, one of whom loves attention...

There is a massive amount of work to be done before our vollies (short for volunteers!) arrive on the 9th, and before our work week guests arrive on the 13th... and we are now all on holiday until going back to Iona on Saturday... So, this does mean that I am doing lots of work today, back in Edinburgh... but, I shall (try to) put that to the back of my brain tomorrow as I will travel down to Whitby to have a few days holiday with Eilidh, Sarah, Sue and Becki :) Can't wait to be out and about and enjoying the company, good food, outdoors and relaxing and refreshing before a busy season begins.

And a few more photos for you...