Wednesday, March 21, 2007
A new & humble beginning
My new work place is beautiful.
The building is nice, it is a nursing home for the elderly, called PeaceHaven, it is also a home for the demential and lastly it is a church, also known as a Corp. Pastors are known as Officers.
Because this building is primary a nursing home, our office has the privilege to be apartment styled as well. It's an apartment really, just that it turned office... so u can imagine how clean and good the toilets are! Just like the ones we have at home, only that they are probably nicer.. And we have 2 of them.. complete with showering facilities! Whatsmore, we have quite a nice kitchen with a balcony...facing the swimming pool! hee... (= it looks really inviting!! we all can go down and swim and come up to bathe after that.... *big grins*
Though we might not have time for that looking at our workload. I haven really gotten started yet, because the guy that i'm suppose to take over, i haven got to see him, was on 2 days leave and today, MC. Let me give u a brief outline of what a Case Worker does:
. Get children / families to sign up with us
. Befriend children (we get to date them and bring them out!)
. Link up, get acquainted with families
. Provide counsel, comfort, a listening ear
. Help provide solutions. Financially, emotionally.... hopefully spiritual help too!
. Conduct home visits
. Plan Open Visit parties for inmates and family
. Brief inmates abt Open Visits
. Plan holiday events / bonding events for our families
. Write follow-up reports. a few different kinds, and after every contact and follow-up
. Do cabin duties in 4 prisons. This includes cleaning up the Cabin! (hard work)
. Make transport claims
. Get funding
. Intergrate willing inmates/families to Church
. Submit monthly schedule and reports on time!!!
Looks like alot to me... and i believe i miss some... but at the same time, they look fulfilling. (= So many things to do with just one case... and i'll have 40+ cases (i think) waiting for me. I alrdy know some dates that we'll be gg out with the kids. 28 April is duck tour with Drew & Napier (Law firm) June will be busy planning events also.....
So many things awaiting me..... it's literal too... such a looooonggg journey, to and fro. Mornings and nights (free nights) are never the same. The drill starts at 6.
. 1/2 hr to prepare and get out of the house.
. Catch bus
. Go work :homevisits, cabin duties, office (1st home visit, this friday @ cck crescent)
. Come home : i really dislike this part)
. Fix dinner: dinner tasted like ...... veg over cooked, potatoes under cooked, with minimal sauces and seasoning
. Select attire tmr
. Iron
. Prepare breakfast & supplements
Dont u all think my social work job sounds alot like a ministry!? Ha... Not doing 3/4 of this list and yet being in this job has taught me discipline already... will learn so many different skills... looking back, i think God's really making me more social...I've come to realized more and more the importance relationships.... the how are yous, the connecting, the catching up, a smile, a helping hand, gd, pure and lovely thoughts abt pple, the thank yous, welcomes, i appreciate you.....they go a long way and do a great deal. Our life revolves around relationships and they mean so much in life, in all the different aspects of life... and i will do well to learn how to manage my relationships well and love people. Love working and communicating with people... but i DO have so much, so much more to learn... more of Your grace Lord!
So its non stop from 6am. haha. this is such a change from my previous work experience at Office. So far, i'm still managing ok.... (= and through all of these, i'm really really thankful of how much support, concern and encouragement i get from God, bf and friends!! i've come to realize i have a group of pple, friends who really care for me... they rmbr my special dates, (i feel so loved when pple rmbr and pay attention to what i say, to my likings, distastes, to dates that are significant to me...) and they msged me on the 1st day..... check on me on the second..... (= they send well wishes and encouragement. Msges from Pastor Shern, Pastor Ivan, Maureen...... 5 days worth of cards from Josh for me to read... (sorry that i aways forget..really need to get used to morning drill) and God! i slept at 1 ish am on Monday night, and God brought me through Tue w/o much of me feeling sleepy & tired though i experienced a bus break down....
Thankyousomuch all! though most of you will most prolly not read this, but thankyou nonetheless. :)
An entirely new, different and a humble begining for me. someone who knows nuts abt Social Work is reaching out, she has no experience and lives so far... but she is excited and keen to learn more. There are many things she has and will be giving up to have this opportunities to touch lives, to care for these under privilege ones for Christ. She is gg to struggle along the way...she will most prolly think of giving up at some point.... she will find her families a pain, sweeping and mopping a chore.....
i only hope that at these times, she remembers that she marvels at distance her Saviour travelled, and the degree He is willing to stoop to touch and save us. .. that she hopes to be infected, touched and changed by this love so that she truly can be a vessel of His kind of love to the families and children she comes in contact with....
She hopes to write more,,, but is feeling abit tired. She hopes she can catch her bus tmr morning and have a nice dinner tmr night!
Till the next post! (= Blessings.
Nitey.
Aggie
ate wrote on 10:45 PM.
