YEAR IN THE SON was....

YITS was...

the most amazing year I have experienced in my 18 years of life.

The most freeing experience of my life

the year I met the most fantastic people with the biggest hearts for God and for changing the world.

the Year i truly found myself, the sometimes quiet and deep, sometimes superficial and loud and zany and spontaneous and caring (for others and the world) person that the rest of YITS accepted regardless of past experiences.

the most indescribeable year EVER!

the most fun i've had EVER

the most meaningful.

the year i Cried the most, laughed the most, got headaches the most, questioned the most, shared the most of myself and recieved little pieces of most peoples hearts....

even more than I EVER expected!!

The year I TRULY found God and understood his AMAZING love and grace!

the year I realised I wanted to see the world and make a difference to the people that are less fortunate than me and learn from those people....

Nothing can take the place of everyone that experienced this year with me in YITS and especially the perhaps lifelong friendships that have come out of this year (yes.... I'm meaning you, Mel Maidment)....

I'm sorry for being "absent" for half the year... I'm sorry if i didn't get to know everyone really well. I'm sorry that I didn't feel comfortable to cry in front of you and break down in front of you until later on in the year and didn't feel comfortable enough to open up to everyone until later on in the year...

Though, i think if i did anything differently, i wouldn't have had the same year and I'm thankful for the year i did have!!!

I'm writing this hoping that YITS people are reading this. If you are, I really do THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!! YOU ALL have made a positive impact on my life and on my heart! I will maybe forget you though, and grow apart from everyone but the memories that we have shared and the 1000's of photos we all took will be with me possibly forever!!

I learnt to interpretive dance, the act like an idiot and not care, to express myself through paint and art further. i learnt that its about the journey, not about the destination!
I learnt that the experience is more important than the outcome (thanks Sally).
that everything can be more fun with more people being louder!
That being on my P's is really no fun in my small group, though it does mean that 5 or more people can get to where we have to be.
I learnt that its ok to be late sometimes!
That myspace and msn are really good if you don't wanna do an assignment!
I learnt that you can get sick of cruisers and that Southern Comfort and Coke is pretty good!
I learnt that it is ok not to have it all together and it is ok to cry sometimes!
I learnt a heck of a lot from the YITS crew this year.... thankyou for expanding my mind well beyond what we may or may not have learnt through lectures.... Thankyou!

Yeah!! and as i head into the holidays with a whole lot of work ahead of me! and then next year, head into a bachelor of arts majoring in Youth Work (or Bachelor of Youth Work, which is what i come out of it with).... I will never forget the people or experiences of this year.... as some of them I will see next year at Youth Work anyway. and some of the friendships going past these next two/three years and into the rest of my life... I'm excited about the possibilities of the future!

Special thanks must go to Mel Maidment, Carly Adler, Deanne Gray, Sally Parker, Aaron Lange, Shane Burford, Naomi Backler and others who have been my light in the darker parts of the year, the people I can always count on for a hug or for someone to talk to... and of course to everyone else who was there as support and let me be me!

Well this year is over. A season is over. I'm grieving the loss of the old season, but welcoming the new excitingly....

cya round like a rolling donut coming to attack you in your sleep

Jess