Finding Joy in the Little Things

Image: Google

What's better than joy? I absolutely love laughter and happiness - it's the best thing! Sometimes life can be going really great and it's really easy to be happy, sometimes life can be neutral, and sometimes life can be painstakingly numb.
But I've learnt that in all seasons, seeking joy (even just in the little things) is key to my happiness. I've been so blessed this year with colleagues that love to laugh, and love to make each other laugh. Working with kids certainly has it's joyful moments, too. Kids allow anything and everything to be amusing - and it's so much fun to witness and enjoy. We really do have lots to learn from children's minds!
About a year ago, I completed my first ever A-Z of Thanks list. It was amidst a really difficult season in my life, arguably the most difficult time of my life to date. Spending a day thinking up the contents of my list really helped to show me that finding gratitude in the little things was a little yet big stepping stone to feeling more grateful for my life day to day. Perhaps it's time for another list, just for fun? An A-Z of Joy. Watch this space.
Joy is right there, staring you in the face, hidden in plain sight. Last week I was driving home from work. It was hot, my air con was taking too long to kick in, and I hit traffic almost straight away. I looked up to see that the car's numberplate in front of me read WASHED and I was instantly reminded of the day that I got baptised. And looking even further up, I saw a dog in the back of that same car who's hair was styled brilliantly! Like it had just had a wash and blow dry!! The dog looked like a giant, white, fluffy pom pom. The traffic started moving, I laughed to myself and we went our separate ways, only for me to be met with another dog in the car in front at the next set of traffic lights. This dog was sat in the middle back seat of the car, and just as one of it's owners reached over towards the other, the dog sprung up eager to be part of the family love. Looking hopefully from owner to owner, as if it was watching a tennis match, in anticipation of getting some attention too. Really cute, and really quite funny.
It's these small moments, ones that are so easy for us fly through life without seeing, that are so worth slowing down to enJOY.
I really hope this weekend that lots of these silly/funny/joyful moments pop up to brighten your ordinary days.
Click here to see last year's A-Z of Thanks.
A little life update for you:

The last week of my gap year is just around the corner, and with all the amazing things going on in the office and at camp over the next week, these days are going to fly by! But that won't be the end. I've been offered, and I've accepted, a short term contract (maternity cover for a colleague) with the charity that I've been gap year-ing with! It's such amazing timing and such good news. Over the course of this entire year, never have I felt that dreaded 'back to school' feeling that was all too familiar a few years ago. I love my job and the people I work with. And I'm so happy to be staying for a few months longer! I'll also get to continue sharing a room with Tortellini the tortoise, and be greeted by Rupert's cute little puppy face after work each day!
That's all for now, 
Amy xo

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Mexico 2017 - In Moving Pictures!

So in my last post I promised you loads of pictures. And what better way to fill this post with pictures than to give you a whole load of moving pictures! 
See below for the Mexico 2017 video that I've put together.  If you've never been before, it'll *hopefully* give you a great insight into the trip. And if you were with us there this year, it'll *hopefully* bring back a whole load of great memories!
We did it. Mexico ReBuild 2017. 4 days. 3 houses. 2-gether. 1 family.

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Mexico 2017 - The Building Begins

This time last month we were waking up to the last full day in the UK before we began our travelling to Mexico. That means it was our last day to pack and, in true Walters' style, it was the day we began to pack! What followed was an indescribable trip, but I'm going to give it a go.

Photo cred: KG

Being the last to arrive at the airport meant we got to say hello to everyone as soon as we arrived! Seeing KG, ET, JB and KB from last year's trip was brilliant, and we couldn't wait to camp and build with them again!

Photo cred: BW

A quick 10/11 hour flight later and we'd landed in LAX. When going through border security I got separated from the rest of my family by a member of staff, which could've proved tricky seeing as we were entering the country on the same piece of paper (landing forms). But I got through really speedy with no problems, made some new friends who were also going to Mexico, collected all 7 suitcases from the carousel and waited, and waited, and waited for the rest of the group. Fortunately I'd packed my Ukulele, so KG entertained us with some tunes. Eventually the lucky 15 (of which I was one), who'd been separated and sent to a shorter, faster queue, were reunited with the rest of the group who'd just spent the last 90 minutes standing in line.
With everyone together we ventured outside in search of our coach. Yellow Prius after yellow Prius sped past until eventually there was a gap in traffic big enough for us to make it across the road. Once we'd made it to our hotel in San Diego, it was about midnight US time and about 8am UK time - we'd not slept in 24 hours. We had dominoes pizza as a US midnight snack/UK breakfast and then headed straight to bed, in order to be ready for the early start to get to Mexico the next day.

Photo cred: BW

The sun was up and following our American-pancake-breakfast we were treated to views like above whilst we waited for the coach to turn up. Through the Mexican border, we were met with more waiting whilst the coach itself was being checked. 
The first drive through Tijuana was just as shocking as last year, but in a different way. I was shocked that I'd completely forgotten exactly what it was like. 'Houses' stacked upon 'houses'. So. Much. Poverty. Driving through was a feeling like no other, you have to be there to feel it.

Photo cred: BW

Some houses were built so close to the edge, they really looked like they might not stand the slightest gust of wind.

Photo cred: BW

We arrived at the Amor camp and it felt like we'd never left! The yellow circus tent still standing, the baños hadn't moved, and the mountains looked as magnificent as ever. Baños, for those of you that don't know, is the Spanish word for toilets. Only the toilets we got to experience were far from ordinary. No flushes, just a big ditch. And something happened that we didn't expect... Because the the ditch below the baños still had some room and therefore the baños hadn't been moved, we were weeing and pooing upon our own wee and poo from last year! Gross.

Photo cred: BW

Baños were best braved in pairs or groups - thanks to air vents, you could have a conversation with a friend to distract yourself from the buzzing flies and awful smell. Top tip: Poo-Pouri works in Mexican toilet ditches as well as it does in flushing toilets (as discovered by mum), perhaps even better as it covers up years of smell! Okay... tmi, moving on.
We'd set up camp, added a few extra tents to solve the tipee over-population issues, experienced our first lunch and our first dinner, come up with a team name and a team chant (which seemed to change every night), and we were just about ready for sleep. Night one. Humans vs Earwigs: 4-0.
Thanks to a cockerel with an underdeveloped 'cocka-doodle-doo' and a donkey that hadn't yet mastered the 'eeyore', the leaders were 'awake' and ready for their 6am meeting.

Photo cred: BW

The buses arrived promptly at 7am, ready for us to leave the site at half past. We loaded the buses with pack lunches, igloos (cold drinks containers), and humans that were ready to build some houses. Singing our way through Tijuana meant the journey from camp to build site felt really short.
Our first impressions of the site were really positive. There were no 25ft drops like last year, and we got the privilege to all build on one site, together. 80 people, 2 single houses, and one double house.
The building began. (Watch this space for part 2)
Thanks for reading, I promise loads more pictures in the next post!

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Why Mexico?

- Tomorrow I'm flying out to Mexico with my family and some friends. In Mexico we will be building a house, along with a group of people from Plymouth. There will be 3 other builds taking place at the same time, being built by people from all around the UK. We will all be eating together, praying together, camping together and hearing about each other's progress throughout the builds. The building will take 5 days and we will also spend a day either side of the build in Mexico to set up and pack down camp, and to hand over the keys to the families. -

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"Why help people abroad when those on our own doorstep, in our own country, need help too?" The number of times I've heard this response to mission work abroad is countless. So I thought I'd write an open response to anyone who has thought about this question before or to anyone who has no idea how to respond to this kind of question but would like to. -

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There are people in the world who need help and there are people in the world who can help. In fact, I'm sure we could go as far as to say that everyone needs help and everyone can help. You see, the help we all require is different and relative. One woman needs help getting a job, whilst one woman needs help getting to and from her job. One man needs help with childcare, whilst another needs help and support after the loss of his child. Sometimes the help we require can be a long and seemingly never-ending list. Does that mean the list isn't worth denting? Checking some things off is surely better than none at all.  - What can you offer to someone who needs help? A friend is struggling to stretch their finances to the end of the month, could you bless them with a meal? Perhaps you are that friend that needs help financially, so could you invite a friend over for coffee and encouragement? Perhaps you are that friend that needs a shoulder to cry on and a whole heap of encouraging, could you smile at someone in the street to give them a warm and hopeful feeling that everything is going to be okay? Perhaps you are that person who needs a smile, could you bless a family with a meal? These small acts of love really do make the world go round. Not everyone can give everything, and not everyone needs everything but it becomes a beautiful cycle when we all give what we can to the people that need it. - There are opportunities around us every single day to help people locally and, occasionally, the opportunity might arise for you to help someone further afield.  A project abroad has a much bigger impact than the obvious: blessing one family with one house, blessing an orphanage with supplies and volunteers, etc. The 'help' reaches so much further. For the people who receive some help, they get a weight lifted off of their shoulders - an item ticked off of the list of things that they need help with. They feel loved and supported, and they feel safe. For the people embarking upon the adventure, they come home with a fresh new perspective on life, family, and what it means to be happy. They work towards helping a problem much bigger than they can imagine, empowering them to know that they can make a difference in people's lives back home too. For the people at home who have cheered them along, they get to see the fruit of their own hard work and support, which in turn encourages them in knowing that they are valued, needed, and that they have purpose. I could go on!  - Sometimes, no, all the time, the project is about the people. The people who need help, the people who give, the people who are inspired. The people. We're all people on earth in search of love and happiness, purpose and direction. So, let's get the ball rolling! Start helping out and start asking for help this week. - Why Mexico? To make love look like something for all of the people involved. - See you on the other side! Expect a picture-filled post in a fortnight's time! - Amy xo -

Deeper Than Music

Image Source: Google

It's a Friday morning, a much-needed day off, and I would love to be told: "Open your eyes, it's the weekend, and great things are going to happen". But unless I scroll endlessly through Facebook memes and 'cute text quotes' to find my motivation, there's very little chance someone is going to know exactly what I want to hear. Except... this Friday I woke up with a song in my head: 
'Wake up it's a beautiful morning, the sun shining for your eyes... so wake up boo, there's so many things for us to do, things that we can do-o-o'
Surely, in other words, I'm waking up hearing 'open your eyes, it's the weekend, great things are going to happen' and more than that... 'it's a beautiful day for doing things together!' So recently I stumbled across this new way that God likes to communicate with me! And it's a way that I love; He definitely knows how to talk to me during the day when I'm tired and just not up for conversation. And He talks (sings) to me in a way I love to listen.

Image Source: Quote Fancy

M U S I C The thing with these moments is that they can't be forced. A song just pops into my head and then I notice it. A couple of weeks ago, I was hearing...
'Girl put your love on me, and I won't let you down, and we will be singing'
 ...over and over and over again in my head until I noticed the lyrics. It was in the lyrics that I could take this message even deeper. Deeper than the music. A quick Google search of the Bible led me to these words 'Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you' and 'the Lord your God is with you... He... Rejoice(s) over you with singing'. So, it's biblically sound - If I put my love on God, He won't let me down and He loves to sing with me. So I can forget these fancy words like 'forsake' and 'rejoice' and remember God's promise to a catchy tune: 'Girl put your love on me, and I won't let you down, and we will be singing'. So maybe your thing isn't music, maybe it's TV, art, or nature. Seek motivation in those things because they're in your language, you notice them every day naturally. As a tree goes through seasons, so do we - sometimes we need to let go of our leaves and after that we blossom. As a paint brush splashes colour onto a blank canvas, so can we - splashing colour into the lives of people who feel bare and empty. If TV is your thing, find motivation in those scenes you love! 

Image Source: Pinterest

Find your thing and explore it! Discover what keeps you going, what motivates you, and what your language is! If you want to hear from God, ask Him to reveal things to you in your own language, and then forget about it! Things will just pop out at you in the middle of your weekly shop, during your drive to work, or any other time of day (or night). Roll with it and enjoy the ride. Okay, that's me done rambling for today...
"You are the music in me... To hear your voice, above the noise, and no, I'm not alone. Oh, you're singing to me"
Amy xo
(Who doesn't love a Disney finish!)

She travels... Amsterdam

| Lows: 2°C || Highs: 14°C | Seeing as I enjoy reading back on my Budapest post so much, I've written one for Amsterdam to keep a beautifully picture-filled record of my time in the city. On Monday afternoon my sister, Becca, and I set out on our first holiday together without our parents - adventure time! We parked at a good friend's house in Essex, followed by a lift to the airport (thank you, J!)

Cue fast food meal number one of the holiday. London Southend Airport is really small and with just 5 gates it was very easy to navigate! Before we knew it we had landed in Amsterdam, and we were now going to see if my many hours of planning would pay off! After buying our transport tickets and hopping on the hotel shuttle we checked into hotel number one! Hotel numero uno was the cheapest of all the hotels to allow for one night in a really nice hotel at the end of our stay (continue reading to see just how cool it really was)! Day 1 We awoke to the snow that we hadn't seen in the dark the night before...

...and then our stomachs led us across the road to the nearby McDonald's for breakfast - fun fact: they don't serve hash browns with their McMuffins in the Netherlands, their meal deal includes a croissant instead! On the way to breakfast we passed a river that was almost entirely frozen over(!), and below is a picture of it, still frozen, that evening.

After a quick bus ride we were nearly at Anne Frank's house, just a 15 minute walk down the side of the canal stood between us and the museum. Inside the house I learnt so much about Anne Frank and her family. I didn't know much before we went in, other than my (very) limited knowledge that stems from the film The Fault In Our Stars... Speaking of which, after we'd checked a few more items of our 'must do/see list', we went in hunt of the TFIOS bench. I didn't know what this bench was and why it was significant but Becca informed me it was from a famous scene in the film. And it wasn't too hard to find once we discovered it has it's own spot on Google Maps! 

 We headed further into the city after a drink in the Anne Frank café, or rather we headed further out when I navigated us the wrong way up the canal! Tram line 14 to the rescue, we were now back on track and in search of the Sex Museum... yes you heard it right, and yes it really is full of everything sex-related. I'll let you discover it all for yourself should you ever find yourself in Amsterdam...

Moving swiftly on, we went in search of a street I've been wanting to photograph ever since I saw it on one of Pinterest's '10 places in the world you must visit' lists. Wijdesteeg - a small street covered in graffiti, including the paving tiles!!

Image: Google/Flickr

Now what stood in front of us (or not) was one of the biggest 'Pinterest Fails' I've ever witnessed - the entire street has been torn out, buildings and all...

We could only laugh!!

After a quick trip to Primark, a walk up the red light district, an inappropriate question asked by a man on a bike, a short shopping spree in Pandora and a souvenir shop visit, we were ready for dinner: New York Pizza takeaway it was! The evening was spent in our hotel room eating our way through so many carbs and watching NCIS. Day 2 Day two began much like day one, only with a later start. Fuelled up on McDonald's breakfast, we checked out of the budget hotel and took everything by bus to hotel number two. I was very excited! I'd read somewhere that the hotel rooms are made from shipping containers stacked one on top of the other. And we all know my thoughts on shipping containers (if you don't know but you want to then click here).

Picture Source: Google Maps

There are so many perks and quirks in Amsterdam's inner city CitizenM hotel - for starters, your room is controlled by an iPad - mood lighting, blinds, tv, and all!

We had a play with all of the rooms features before making our way to the nearby train station. Adventure number 2 was underway, we were to head out into Old Holland in search of some very cute houses and a bike hire shop. We found the houses but no sign of the bike hire shop! Deciding we now didn't have enough time to cycle around, we strolled through the pretty houses and shops. And we were so glad we did because we found a hidden gem that one would only find on foot! We stopped by for a waffle whilst surrounded by the cutest of things.

Zaanse Schans is a very picturesque area, see below for yourself!

 As we left this little town(?) we smelt chocolate in the air! Quickly followed by the scent of the local brewery... not so nice! But the sweet smell of chocolate returned soon enough (which was a much welcomed scent, especially compared to the weed fumes we'd been exposed to on our way past every "coffee shop" back in the city centre). On board the train back to the hotel we reached a speed of 141km/hour, which in comparison to the slow and peaceful tram rides felt really really fast.
Becca had booked us a table at a local Italian restaurant. Walking down the streets we felt so out of place; everything look really expensive. Modern houses with fancy garages lined the streets that held countless Porsche cars.

The man who greeted us took our coats and led us to our table. We had a bread basket, a main and drink each, followed by a dessert to share - the total cost coming to no more than €34! Upon leaving we were taken to retrieve our coats, given a lollipop, and wished a safe flight home! L'Arena we hope to visit you again soon.

An evening in the hotel followed: we grabbed a couple of Barcardi Cokes at the bar before heading to our room and watching The Danish Girl, one of the many films available to watch for free in the XL Kingsized bed.

Day 3

The arrival of day three meant the arrival of our last day in Amsterdam. We left our baggage at the hotel whilst we made our last trip into the city. Today was to be more chilled than the previous two; we were both tired and had a late drive home ahead of us.

We grabbed brunch and finished it in style with a 'mix your own' McFlurry! Yes, they really do exist.

After paying €1 (!) for us both use the restaurant loo, we made our way to the AlbertCuypMarkt, a really big market not too far from the centre of Amsterdam!  

A short Primark shopping spree (and a *free* toilet trip) later, we were in search of YoYo Fresh Tea Bar. We'd heard that they sell bubble tea, something we both apprehensively wanted to try. If you haven't experienced bubble tea before, you are truly missing out! We went for small drinks, and it really was plenty. Our choice... Base: Iced Green Tea, Flavour Shot: Passion Fruit, Topping: Mango Poppings. 'Poppings' are little balls of liquid coated in a thin jelly layer that disintegrates on your tongue, causing the flavour to burst out of them. One of the best things about bubble teas are the 'pierce your own' lids with giant straws! Like a bigger, grown up, improved 'Kwenchy Cup'!

Our next stop was to be our last stop before heading back to the hotel and collecting our luggage. This next stop was also to be food-related. There was a definite food theme arising in day three. We were on the hunt for some Poffertjes (mini pancakes), a Dutch speciality. They were delicious! Definitely a food to try when in Holland.

And there marked the end of our first ever sisters only holiday. All that was to follow was an hour in the hotel playing on the iMacs and waiting for our train, a one-stop train journey to the airport, a McDonald's, a flight, a long queue at the UK border control, and a drive home.

I spent almost the entire of the next 48 hours in bed recovering from all of the travelling (the life of a girl with chronic fatigue)! But I'm so grateful that my body held up so well whilst we were away.

**this post is not sponsored by McDonald's**

***we just ate a lot of it, and now I'm glad to be eating fruit and veg again!***

I'll finish typing there, but here are just a few more pictures of a such beautiful place...

Amy xo