Greenbelt 2015

Where to start?
5 days before Greenbelt we weren't sure we would get there as my friend was rear-ended and her car written off.  Her wonderful in-laws came to our rescue though and drove us there and home again after.

This was my 3rd ever Greenbelt, and my 2nd time volunteering.
Volunteering (last year and this year) was wonderful!  You get a completely different feel to things, and you are immediately part of a community, a family.  Last year I was sat with my team leader the night before the festival opened, and a man sat down with us and started chatting.  About 20 minutes later we introduced ourselves and realised we had spent most of the previous 12 months chatting on Facebook!  This was Andy (Dangly).  I soon got to meet others; Storm, Lemming, Stick, Twiglet, McVicar, Sweetcorn, Bigfoot, Tiredy Bear (those are the names I can remember lol), and quickly felt at home.  That feeling was even stronger this year.  I felt energised (and exhausted, but that might have been the two 4am's), I felt safe, I felt embraced (and not just by all the physical hugging).

This year was amazing.
I got to one talk (some excellent questions that I need to think about) and my very kind boyfriend sent me with funds to buy all the talks so we can listen and discuss them together.
I had 2 major insights into things I need to do - specific things; a chat with someone about a question they asked me before I went, and an action I need to do about a different situation.
I also had several other "smaller" realisations about things, and came away with some many ideas and questions and things I want to look into.
One of the best things was the last night.  Talking at the Jesus Arms (hurrah for Crazy Goat!) with first Claire and later Lemming.  Both of them gave me things to think about, but more importantly a strong sense of acceptance.

Greenbelt isn't a hit-you-over-the-head-with-Christianity festival.  It's more subtle, more strong, more sustainable than that.
It's a place where you feel free to express yourself.  To be able to ask the questions you think might be stupid.  To say "this is how I feel".  I said to Lemming how I felt about my faith and he put his drink down, threw his arms round me, and called me sister.  It was wonderful.

I hope (I pray) that I can keep this feeling, this enthusiasm, this discovery going until next Greenbelt.  That I can apply it to my daily life.  That I can explain it to others at my church, and convince them to come to Greenbelt next year to at least give it a go.

I am beyond grateful to the people who convinced me to go in 2013 (last year at Cheltenham).  It wasn't the same experience that first year, but it was so valuable to me at that point that I had to go again.  And then I did.  As a volunteer.  And it was even better.
I spent the whole week grinning (when I wasn't blearily searching out coffee).
Hurrah for Greenbelt!!!!!!!!!!!!