August was a busy month...

Well, the month of August is coming to a close and it is time to send in our report to our supervisor who is located in Birmingham, England.   We have had a busy month but a good month.  We had a very productive trip to Ireland and have received approval to return in October for some follow-up work with the Branches in the Limerick District.  We will be conducting a Career Workshop along with conducting the Work Choice Profiles with the youth and others.  We will be making presentations to the youth to encourage them to get an education and learn some skills.  We have had 12 people come into the Employment Centre during the month and three of our “clients” have found jobs during the month.

We have now passed our four month mark of our mission and are pretty well established in our routine.  The work is very rewarding when we see a change occur with an individual when they come into the Centre looking for work and are often very depressed.  We work with them to build up their confidence and help them realize the skills they have and the things they have accomplished.  We help draft their CV (resume) and teach them interviewing skills.  We have seen individuals leave the Centre now holding their head high and ready to face the world realizing that there is hope.  I would like to share more detail of our work experiences, but we must maintain confidentialities. 

August was also our wedding anniversary.  Forty-seven years and counting!!  We decided to go into Edinburgh last Saturday for our “anniversary dinner”.   We went to a nice restaurant which is part of the Balmoral Hotel.  I had my first traditional Scottish dinner – Haggis, Neeps, & Tatties.  The “neeps” are turnips and “tatties” are potatoes.  They are mashed and mixed together.  I have put a picture below of what the dinner looked like.  If you were to go to the internet and Google Haggis, you will find lots of pictures that would not look as enticing as my picture.  Actually, the dinner tasted quite nice.  I would order it again…for sure in the better restaurants.  The Haggis served in the Pubs may not look as appealing or as appetizing.

 

Haggis, neeps, & tatties

Today in our planning session we agreed that we will be setting up a Career Workshop for the Glasgow Stake this next month.  It is time for us to expand to the Stakes outside of Edinburgh.  We have had three people this week indicate an interest for us to hold the Self-employment Workshop also.  Today we met with a Ward Employment Specialist from Airdrie (near Glasgow).  We will be working with him to make a presentation to the youth of that Ward and conduct the Work Choice Profile in September. 

This week we met with a fellow who has just graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a law degree.  It was interesting to learn about how the legal system works here.  There is no bar exam as such.   With graduating in law he is now able to find a job as a “trainee solicitor” or a “trainee barrister”.  He must work for other lawyers for a period of time like an apprentice programme.  His degree allows him to work in Scotland but not other parts of the UK.

 

The beautiful, magnificent Edinburgh Castle

(The view from Princes Street)

 

We have also faced the challenge this week with convincing some individuals that work is a principle from the Lord.  One of the first commandments given to Adam in the Garden of Eden was to work.  He and Eve were given the garden and were commanded to “dress it and to keep it”.   We have found individuals here that will not work because they get paid more from the government than then can make by working.  We are to work to take care of ourselves and our family and then share what we have with the poor and those in need.  This teaches us to be self-reliant.  We must work to accomplish this goal and not just rely upon the government to take care of our needs.