End of degree and summer 2010

Long time no write. I know. And apologise.

So, what's been happening?

First of all - I finished my degree!!!!! It was crazy, exciting, tiring, overwhelming, stressful, challenging, brain-wrecking and all the crazyness related adjectives you can find in the Shakespeare's language. It was mad. Exams were almost lethal. Seriously, I don't think I had ever been that tired. Not even when I did my year 12 exams and everyone knows that wasn't particularly healthy.
But I did it. Actually... I didn't. God did. He used my hand to write on the exam paper, but it was Him. And He makes sure He has all the glory for it. Every time, God tries to teach me in the same way. He doesn't want me to rely on my studies for all my worth. My worth is solely in His Son, that loved me enough to come and die for me. If I rely on my grades to assess how much I'm worth, it's pretty much telling God that His Son wasn't good enough. And that's a sin. Not only a sin, it's stupid. How can the God that was there in the beginning, the Lion of Judah, the Rock of Ages, the Prince of Peace, how can The Christ not be good enough??
So God tries to get me to live this every year. It's mind-blowing how He doesn't just leave me to it. He could just tell me "Ana, this is what you need to do. I've given you a brain and free will. I've saved you from the chains that bound you to sin. Now just go on and do it." Most of the times this is what I do with people. I tell them what they need to do according to the Bible. I tell them they are saved so they are able to do it, though Christ. And I leave them to it. Then I come back and I'm shocked that they failed. How could they fail? Don't they have a brain? But I praise God this isn't how He deals with me. Because He knows I would fail. He is there. He lets me get exhausted trying to do things by myself and my way. He stays there while I try to convince myself that I've done it before so I can do it again. He's is there warning me that I'm trying to do His job. And then He watches me when I start realising that, actually, I can't. He is right there when I finally break down and realise that I definitely can't do it. And people that know me know that I hate not being in control. And then, amazingly, He steps right in. Once I realise that I can't do it, He says "It's ok. You're not supposed to." And He does it.
God carried me through doing and passing my exams. He got me the grade I needed to fulfil His plan. And I can say that it was all God.

Long story short, I'll be starting my Integrated PhD in Immunity and Infection in the University of Southampton, School of Medicine, in October. Really really excited to see what God has planned for me in that city. But I'm also scared, so please pray for me.

But for now, I'm home for summer. I've just been resting, hanging out with friends and family. It has been good to relax.

David is coming on the 12th and on the 14th I start my first camp. So excited, too! Over the past few years, this camp has been a blessing for the children and the leaders to I'm looking forward be part of it again, this summer. Plus, I'm missing CEF camp life.
Then, on the 21st, the future Mr & Mrs Haskew are coming to stay for a week! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahh! So hyped up about it! I'm missing Jo so it'll be really good to have her around for a week. I'll try to show them a bit of the best of Portugal. Well, as much as you can see and experience in a week, really. But it'll be fantastic to just hang out, regardless. They are getting married next year and I've been working on the bridal party entrance with Laura's precious help. Well... she's been working on it more than me. I just told her what I wanted and she's making it happen because she is amazing like that.

On the 27th, teenager camp which should be really cool. And then, back to the UK.

And I think that's probably it! I'm hoping to write again after camps but won't promise anything.

Thanks for reading! :)
ASG

No more night - David Phelps