2 more sleeps!

All year Lourdes seems so far away, then suddenly you get past June and it arrives all at once! Thankfully everybody has been preparing for months and months to ensure everything is in order for a successful pilgrimage.

In yesterday's post, I mentioned our Coach meetings that have been going on since January so that we have a chance to get to know each other, and learn more about Lourdes as a place, and the part we play. Another integral part is getting together with our groups within Coach 4. Each group of 6 consists of Under 18's, Over 18 Group Leaders and a staff member. Within our group we then plan how to go about leading our Stations of the Cross, and also our themed night prayer whilst in Lourdes. Every evening this communal reflection gives creative and poignant prayer time.

But that's not all we've been doing! We've had two fundraisers this year. A brilliant evening at The Swinley with a raffle, tombola, singing and bonding as we danced the night away to some classic rock 'n' roll. It was really nice to get together along with friends and family, and feel really supported by the community.

We also had a fancy dress "Musicals Night" where each group dressed up as a different musical and performed a number. We had some brilliant entertainment from Bugsy Malone and Hairspray, Pink Ladies and T Birds proved Grease really IS the word, some truly wild dance moves from The Lion King and The Seven Dwarves "Heigh Hoed" to their hearts content.We even had some nuns giving a stunning rendition of "Oh Happy Day" - what a mix ey! We finished off in typical fashion with a nice C4 sing-song which really gave a sense of how much fun we have in Lourdes. Whilst the day is full of hard work but also lots of fun, it's always nice at the end of the day when the yellow polos come off and the guitars come out!

Even in these final weeks, things are still going on! We've had our final meeting where Jenny and Aileen joined us to make sure we were brushed up on our Shout to the North actions and knew all the songs that will be sung in and around Lourdes. Who could ever forget the words to Taste and See anyway? Anthony - C4's very own media wizard - has been tweeting tirelessly from our account @coach4wiganleig. Awareness is growing and we've even received retweets from the likes of Coleen Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Coleen Nolan!

The support we've received has been incredible, and it really makes you feel excited to go forward. Everything seems to be coming together just in time.

2 days to go 2 days to go 2 days to go...