Christmas in Belfast

It is December 27, and Christmas has officially passed.  As I reflect on the past few days, I can't help but smile.  We had such a great Christmas here in Northern Ireland due to the many ways that God has blessed us and the magnificent people who have helped us to feel like part of a family away from home. 

We started out our Christmas celebration on the 23rd as we went to the YAV house in East Belfast. Because all of the volunteers had different invitations for Christmas dinners, we decided to have YAV Christmas Eve and Christmas a day early.  It is tradition for many of the volunteers to have chili on Christmas Eve, so we started our celebration with a wonderful dinner of chili and oyster stew (made by Karl since it is one of his family traditions).  The chili and stew were accompanied by a wonderful spread of other delicious treats.  After dinner, we hung out and talked, played games, and listened to music until Ellison surprised us with a touching Christmas devotion.  He put so much effort into it - it was perfect! Earlier that week, he went around gathering greenery and finding candles to make his own advent wreath. He then set up his room with candles, greenery and the wreath for our devotional space. Karl played some music, and we did some readings and a reflection....it was all very touching and set the scene for the days to come. We then spent the night in East Belfast and woke up on Christmas Eve to exchange our secret Santa gifts with one another.  Santa even came and visited in the night (I don't know how he knew we were celebrating one day early....I have a feeling Ellison had something to do with it)!

Christina and I enjoying some deliciousness!

Patrick in his Christmas jumper

We were quite exhausted after our YAV Christmas party, so Karl and I went home for a little mid-afternoon nap to rest up for the Whitehouse midnight Christmas Eve service.  The Christmas Eve service at Whitehouse is traditionally put on by the youth, so I was very excited for the service we had been working on for so long.  We wrote a drama for the message of the service which was a twist on the nativity story.  If you have ever seen Shark Tank, or Dragons' Den in the UK, you would have loved it!  The drama was about the angel Gabriel presenting the idea of baby Jesus coming to Earth to the panel of judges.  It turned out really good, and the kids did a great job performing it.  Since Karl's church didn't have a Christmas Eve service, he was able to help out by playing the music for the service.  He and Rev. Liz's daughter ended the service by playing Silent Night in candlelight...it was absolutely perfect!



SWAT drama rehearsal

On Christmas morning, Karl and I got up and went to both of our churches' services. It was really nice to get to worship with both congregations and to see all of the people we have grown so close to on Christmas morning.  After the service at Whitehouse, Rev. Liz invited us over to their house to have Christmas dinner with her family.  When we arrived at their house, her husband told us that Santa had accidentally delivered things for us there.  He then handed us two beautiful stockings filled with items they traditionally put in their family's stockings!  We were so touched that they thought to include us in that way.  We had a wonderful time with the Hughes, and the food was delicious!

Yesterday was Boxing Day, which is pretty much a continuation of Christmas here. Most families spend it together, enjoying one another's company and the presents they received the day before.  We were invited into the homes of two families for Boxing Day, which we were very grateful for.  It gave us a chance to see a little more of what Christmas is like here, and most importantly helped us to feel like we have a home here.  I can't express enough how great the people are in our church communities and how much love they have shown us - it is unbelievable!  The first family we went to see is a family of four, however their extended family was there too, so the company was great.  We had such a fun time playing with the young boys and their Christmas gifts.  Both of the boys received electric guitars and one of them received a drum set.  Karl had a great time giving lessons on the instruments.  After that we went over to another church member's house for a delicious steak dinner and great craic (aka fun).  We watched stand up comedy, played guitar hero and met the family pets - a cat, a dog, 6 snakes, 2 bearded dragons, a chameleon, and a gecko!  All in all, we had a wonderful Boxing Day.

Christmas away from home was very different and difficult to be away from our family, but we would not trade the experience for anything.  It was so neat to experience Christmas as part of a new community (YAV & Belfast) here.  This Christmas, I experienced the love and message of Christ in a completely different way.  Christ came into this Earth to teach us about the unconditional and everlasting love of our creator and how we are to live amongst one another in peace.  I definitely experienced that love and peace in all of the moments of this Christmas holiday this year.

A Feeling of "Home"

With Christmas quickly approaching, I have been anticipating feelings of homesickness.  Some homesickness has been setting in, but I have been blessed in so many different ways to help those feelings stay at bay.  In just this past week, I have really felt a sense of home and belonging here in Belfast.

On Monday Doug, Elaine and most of the other volunteers came over for a wonderful morning.  We spent a few hours in the kitchen cooking stew, boil cakes and peppermint mints.  We then set up the Christmas tree in our living room and enjoyed lunch around it with Christmas tunes playing in the background.  It feels so good to have the tree up; it adds a warm feeling to our home and gives us a great place to put some of the gracious gifts sent to us from family at home!  On Monday night, I went to Girls' Brigade where we made Christmas centerpieces....another great decoration for our living room.

Christmas Tree

Centerpiece I made at GB

I started my day off on Tuesday by walking and delivering some potted plants and Christmas cards to members of the church.  It was great getting to meet with elderly members of the church in their homes and get to know them a little better.  After delivering plants, I met with our church's deaconess and had a nice lunch.  We spent about an hour and a half in conversation, just unwinding a bit amongst the busyness of the Christmas season in the church.  In the evening, I went to dinner at the home of a family of Karl's church and then went to the cinema with them.  This family is absolutely wonderful.  There are four girls, all around my age, and they are so much fun!  Spending time with them feels a bit like being with my family (as I am one of four girls in the family). 

Thursday was a very busy, but incredibly fun day.  The luncheon club that I help out with each week went out for a Christmas lunch.  Immediately following the Christmas lunch, I went to the church to help cater tea, tray bakes and sandwiches for a wedding.  The wedding was at four in the afternoon, so by the time I helped finishing with the catering and clean up, it was time for Boys' Brigade.  We had our Christmas outing with the boys and went to Ballymena to go karting.  Karting is quite a serious matter here...we changed into full driving jumpsuits complete with driving gloves and a helmet.  I had such a great time with the boys though.  When getting ready to go out on the last race, the boy in the kart in front of me turned back and gave me a big thumbs-up.  It was in that moment that I was overcome with a feeling of belonging. 

I guess what I am trying to get across in this post is how thankful I am for the blessings of a family and a feeling of home away from home.  The network of people that Karl and I have entered into is amazing!  Between the other YAV's and our friends at our churches and the 174 trust, we are amongst family.  It just goes to show that God is watching out for us, and He is sharing his love with us through the relationships and friendships that we have made.

Individuals United through Christ

Last Thursday, I had some free time in the afternoon, and I decided to go for a walk.  The sun was shining, I was bundled up with a hat and scarf, and I had my iPod rocking some great Christmas music...what a perfect way to spend the afternoon.  As I often do when taking a walk or going for a run, I found myself deep in thought, processing the past week's events and my interactions with people here.  I was thinking a lot about a conversation I had with Karl earlier that week about how we are all connected in this world.  My actions, words and even my thoughts have a direct effect on the people around me and in my life...and this is true for everyone in this world.  We as human beings have the power to affect the mood and personality of those we interact with, therefore giving us a lot of responsibility to try our best to always be making positive influences.

Just the night before I was taking this walk, Karl and I attended a performance at the Lyric Theatre called Action Potential in which some of the kids Karl works with at Disability Club at the 174 Trust were part of.  One of the sketches in the production focused on what it means to be an individual.  The kids portrayed adolescents conforming to different types of groups of people....nerds, athletes, preps, cheerleaders, etc.  They then went on to a succession of individual interpretations through dance.  It was a very interesting sketch, and made me think about being an individual and being comfortable with who God has made me to be.

So as I was taking this walk, I was thinking about the interconnectivity of the people of this world but also the individualism sought by so many.  How does this all play out in a Christian life?

It's funny how God speaks to us, because I am reading 'Love Wins' by Rob Bell, and I came across this:  "That's an extraordinarily complex, interconnected, and diverse reality, a reality in which individual identities aren't lost or repressed, but embraced and celebrated.  An expansive unity that goes beyond and yet fully embraces staggering levels of diversity." 

We are all individually created by our Lord.  We are of different skin color, language, dialect and accents, music and food, customs, habits, patterns, clothing, tradition and ways of celebrating.  But, we are to embrace and celebrate one anothers' differences.  That is what Christ came to this world to do - unite us in his love.  We are all individuals in this world united through Christ.

Tis the Season

It is the first day of December, which means that I have now been in Belfast for 3 months!  It seems like we were arriving in Belfast just weeks ago.  But then again, as I compare my first few weeks here (not knowing many people, not knowing my way around the city, not understanding what the slang the youth were using meant, or even not understanding the speech because of different accents) with my daily life now, I realize just how much I have learned and experienced.  Every day that I go into work and interact with the people of Whitehouse and the community surrounding it, I am reminded of how blessed I am to be here and how blessed I am to serve alongside the people of Belfast.

Being the first day of December also means that we are in the season of Advent.  I did a children's address in church last weekend for the first day of Advent.  During the address, I spoke about the meaning of the word advent - coming.  During the season of Advent, we are to be preparing our mind, body and soul for the coming of Jesus.  I showed the kids various types of Advent calendars and countdowns to remind us of the coming of Christmas and of the gift of Christ.  As many teaching moments go, I found myself learning more about the message I was speaking than the kids to whom I was addressing. 

I am one who normally gets wrapped up (no pun intended) in the craziness of the Christmas season.  I love, and I mean LOVE, listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies.  As soon as Thanksgiving passes, the Christmas tunes are turned on, and if it weren't for Karl asking for a moment's rest from them, they would stay on continuously until Christmas day.  I have been known to spend hours baking sweets and wrapping them in fun boxes to give away to friends.  And, I have to say, I enjoy going out in the rush of Christmas sales, moving from shop to shop, indulging in the consumerism of Christmas.

Lately though, the true meaning of Advent and Christmas has been on my mind.  I keep coming across video clips, articles and blogs about how far we have come from celebrating the coming of Jesus Christ to this Earth on Christmas day (The War Against Christmas, Jesus has Lost:  http://blowinginthewyomingwind.blogspot.com/ & Advent Conspiracy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IN0W3gjnNE&feature=share).  This year, I do not want to spend the days leading up to December 25 frantically shopping and crossing items off of to-do lists.  I want to spend my time in the presence of loved ones and in the presence of Christ.  This does not mean that I will be changing my name to Scrooge and saying Ba-Humbug to all things Christmas.  I will still listen to my favorite Christmas carols, watch Christmas movies with friends, bake yummy treats and even buy some small tokens of appreciation and love for family members back home.  But, I will be doing all of these things with the Holy Spirit moving through me and with the loving memory of Christ's birth in mind. 

On a side note, all of the YAV's celebrated Thanksgiving last Saturday.  We had a wonderful day - went to the park to play (American) football and then went to Doug and Elaine's for a delicious meal!  Here are some photos from playing football:

Pyramid Time!

Team Skegs (We live on Skegoneill Ave./Dr.)

Team Bathgate (They live on Bathgate Dr.)

Time of Thanksgiving

It is the last full week of November, which means that the Thanksgiving holiday is upon us.  Thanksgiving has always been a joyous time for me.  It is a time to gather with family, spend time baking and cooking in the kitchen, eat wonderful food and take the time to think about the things in my life that I have been blessed with and am thankful for. 

Living in Belfast though, Thanksgiving feels much different.  Beside the fact that it is not celebrated in Northern Ireland, it feels different because of being so far away from the family that Karl and I normally get to be around during this time of year.  I am going to miss not getting to spend Thanksgiving day with our family back home, but am embracing the new experience of the holiday away from home.

This Monday I was blessed with the opportunity to experience Thanksgiving in a totally new way.  The day started out with our weekly meeting with Doug and the other YAV's in city centre.  Doug planned a wonderful, Thanksgiving related exercise for us to do.  We talked briefly about the history of the Thanksgiving holiday - the celebration of a successful harvest and the help of the Native Americans who aided the Pilgrims in surviving and getting along in a new territory.  Doug then asked us to draw a parallel between the Thanksgiving story and our own story of living in the new territory of Belfast.  He had us write down the names of local people in Belfast who have helped us to settle in and survive in our new home and work environments.  I started writing down the names of all of the people who have made an impact on me and who have helped me to feel at home since my arrival at Whitehouse Presbyterian and was overwhelmed at the length of the list!  Whitehouse is a church that is filled with so many caring and generous people who are willing to give of themselves in order to spread the love of Christ.  I am tremendously thankful for all of the love that they have shown me thus far.

Monday night is Girl's Brigade, and the captain planned a special Thanksgiving dinner in honor of me.  All of the past GB captains and leaders were invited, and the girls of the GB helped to prepare a delicious buffet style meal for us.  During the meal, I shared a little bit about what Thanksgiving means to me and about the traditions of my family.  The food, company and setting of the meal were not the same as a normal Thanksgiving dinner, but the warm feelings of thankfulness and family were present.  As I sat at the table with all of the other GB leaders, I felt like I was in the presence of family and felt loved.  From start to finish, Monday was a day to be thankful and a day to reflect on just how blessed I am.

This Saturday, Doug and Elaine are hosting all of us YAV's for a Thanksgiving dinner...complete with all of the traditional fixings.  Again, it will be difficult not getting to spend Thanksgiving with our family at home, but I am excited to sit down for a Thanksgiving meal with our YAV family.

Living in Community

One of the aspects of this year with the Young Adult Volunteer Program is to experience living in community with the volunteers who are serving with us in Belfast.  Most people hear the words "living in community," and think of a group of people living together in a house, sharing every day life with one another...grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, sleeping, joining in fellowship, etc.  However, for Karl and I, experiencing community looks a little bit different.  While the other volunteers in Belfast share living quarters, Karl and I have our own flat.   In order to experience the community aspect of this year, we focus on meeting with the other YAV's regularly for fellowship and meals, engaging in bible study and prayer, exploring and growing in our Christian faith together and supporting one another in our faith journeys.  Some weeks we get to see one another quite often, while other weeks we find ourselves swamped with work and only meet up once. 

This past week, we had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in community while on a retreat with the entire group of YAV's.  We travelled by mini bus (driven by our site coordinator, Doug) to the north coast of Northern Ireland.  We stayed in a cozy house in the countryside at a place called Corrymeela Knocklayd.  Corrymeela is a community committed to promoting reconciliation in Ireland and throughout the world (http://www.corrymeela.org/), and they own the house which we stayed in.  The house was located in close proximity to Ballycastle and The Giant's Causeway, which we took advantage of for one of the days of our retreat.  We spent a whole day taking in the breathtaking views of the coast of Northern Ireland and the outstanding rock formations of the Causeway.  This country truly has some of the most spectacular scenic views I have ever seen!

Aside from enjoying the scenery of the coast, our retreat was a time to relax, take part in daily devotions, converse with one another, talk about our experiences in Belfast so far, cook meals and eat together and just get to know each other even better....our retreat was a time to live in community. 

There is something to be said for living in community with fellow believers.  Time spent in the company of the other YAV's is enriching, challenging and humbling in so many ways.  We don't always get along perfectly or agree with each others' views on everything, but each person of the community brings something different to the table.  We are able to learn from each other and learn what it means to gather with and encourage one another in faith.  Living in community with the YAV's is an experience which I would not trade for anything. 

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." -- Hebrews 10: 23-25

Corrymeela Knocklayd House

Entrance to Corrymeela Cknocklayd

The Giant's Causeway

Three Beautiful Ladies at the Causeway

Another Great View

Making Bread Pudding for Dessert

Jamming Out

Just Chilling

Youth Weekend Residential



The leaders (except for Clare)

This past weekend, I went on a residential (retreat) to Crawfordsburn Scout Centre with WhY (Whitehouse Youth).  As I have taken part in many lock-ins and youth weekends in the past, I knew the weekend would be filled with a lot of fun games and activities, loads of laughter, junk food galore and very little sleep.  Let me just say that my expectations were not let down!

We took thirteen kids and five leaders, including myself, on the residential.  This was a great opportunity for me to get to know the youth and my fellow leaders better.  We arrived at the scout centre around 19:00 and got the kids settled into their rooms.  We stayed in a chalet that had dorm style rooms with common toilet and shower areas.  After getting settled and unpacked a bit, we played some icebreaker games and then ventured out in the dark on a night hike.  The scout centre is very near Helen's Bay, which has a nice walkway along the beach, so we set out in that direction.  We ended up taking a very long route to get to the beach, but we eventually got there and enjoyed some time running around on the beach in the moonlight.  After returning to the chalet, around 23:00, we fixed a supper of pancakes and soda farls.  We were all very hungry after our very long walk!
By the time we finished our supper, we (and when I say we, I mean the leaders) were ready to get some shut eye.  The youth had other ideas in mind.  The leaders stayed up until about 1:30 a.m. with them and decided to call it a night.  Once the leaders went away to our rooms, all of the kids stayed in the common area and played truth or dare until about 6:00 in the morning!  We were up for breakfast at 8:00 that morning, so the kids got very little sleep.

For the majority of the time on Saturday, we participated in activities ran by the scout centre.  We did an assault course, grass sledding, a climbing wall, and crate climbing.  We had loads of fun, but were quite exhausted by the end.  That being said, we came back to the chalet, put on Avatar and took naps until dinner time.  After dinner, we played minute-to-win it games that Jonny (another WhY leader) and I planned and watched a DVD until everyone fell asleep.

3 Photos of the Assault Course

Grass Sledding

Climbing Wall

Jonny and I ready to climb

Crate Climbing

 
We had a great worship time on Sunday morning with our small group.  Jonny planned a great devotional time for us all to take part in.  We talked about how we are all ordinary individuals, but if we let God work in our lives we have extraordinary potential (using an acorn and oak tree as an example).  We also talked about being comfortable in our own skin - not conforming to our circles of friends and being the people that God created us to be.  The youth were very engaged in our devotional time, which was very nice to see.  A lot of times they get very distracted and disengaged when we do our bible talks.  I think being away in a different place helped them to connect better. 

It is always nice to get away on weekends for retreats with individuals of the church.  I love getting to goof around and participate in games and activities that I normally do not have the chance to do.  Although the weekend was physically tiring, it was rejuvenating spiritually and emotionally.

Sing Along

Every Thursday, I go to Friends and Neighbours at Whitehouse.  This is a time where members of the community, both Catholics and protestants, come together to share tea and coffee, participate in an afternoon activity and share a meal.  A lot of people come for the lunch at the end of the Friends and Neighbors, but there is a group of about 15 ladies that come every week to the tea and coffee and afternoon activity.  Over the past six weeks I have gotten to know the ladies quite well, and I enjoy getting to see them each week.  The simple gathering of cross community women speaks volumes for how God is working through the luncheon ministry and for His presence in this place.  Take today’s meeting for example:

Fourteen ladies, me included, were sitting in a semi-circle turned towards a keyboard.  Sitting at the keyboard was an exceptional woman named Minty.  Minty has recently suffered a stroke and has been working over the past 10 months to relearn how to do simple life tasks – writing, walking, reading, etc.  Minty is also a very talented musician, and she has been patiently leaning on Christ through relearning and remembering how to play the piano. 

Everyone was gathered around Minty, ready for her to play some fun and familiar songs on the keyboard.  She started out playing a few songs that the women simply sat and listened to; her music was absolutely beautiful.  Then she started to play some songs that the group knew the words to, and everyone started to sing along.  As Minty ran out of songs to play, the group started requesting old songs that the majority of the group knew.  Minty was able to play most of the songs requested, and she was doing so by memory.  I did not know a lot of the songs that were being played, but I was so happy to be sitting in that room listening and witnessing the presence of God.  Multiple times during the sing along I had chills and could not help but to sit there and smile.

Looking back on today’s meeting, I am overwhelmed with the power of coming together as one community.  The ladies who came together today were not concerned with what church each other went to or what neighborhood they lived in when growing up, they were concerned with fellowshipping together as believers in Christ and experiencing the wonderful healing powers of God through Minty. 

Visit to Holy Cross Monastery

Riding the Mini-Bus to Rostrevor

On Monday our YAV group travelled south of Belfast through the rain and wind to a town called Rostrevor.  We visited the Holy Cross Monastery in Rostrevor, where we joined the Benedictine Monks for their Eucharist and their afternoon prayers.  In between the prayer services we had the opportunity to visit with Brother Thierry about his background of becoming a monk, his lifestyle as a monk, his beliefs on reconciliation and ecumenical worship, and his thoughts on Christianity.  His words were truly inspirational and sent me away thinking about a lot of things.

Holy Cross Monastery

The lives of the monks are centered on three things:  community, prayer and work.  These are three aspects of life that we all should focus on as Christians and as human beings.  Living in community is about living in harmony with the people around you and acknowledging that we cannot live on our own.  Brother Thierry stressed that we should treat everyone whom we come in contact with as Christ and realize that everyone has something to offer to a relationship.  We cannot try to be self sufficient, only then will we stop growing and learning from others.  This concept of self sufficiency being the end of growth can also be applied to the church.  Brother Thierry said, “Self sufficiency is the death of the church.”  I agree with his statement.  If the church insists on using only the resources and individuals it has here and now and is not open to having conversations with those who are different, it will cease to grow spiritually and physically.  We must reach out to the people and resources around us in order to live as one body in Christ.

Sanctuary

Prayer and work are the other pillars of the monks’ lives in the monastery.  They spend their days working to sustain their living quarters and are diligent about breaking for prayer at set times throughout the day.  Prayer is vital to their daily lives, as it allows them to bring themselves back to God and to confront who they are and with what they are struggling each day.  As people of faith, we must be able to be comfortable in ourselves as God has made us and be able to dwell within ourselves – prayer helps us to do so.

Brother Thierry also addressed some questions of ours about conflicts between different faiths.  Conflict and differences of faith will always be present in our world.  The major conflict between churches isn’t theology, it is about learning to love one another and be able to accept each others’ differences.  When we are able to love and respect one another, then we may open up in dialogue about differences in theology.

Brother Thierry answered many other questions of ours and was very passionate about what he was sharing.  The issues I wrote about today really resonated within me, and I wanted to share a bit about my reflections on the visit.  It was wonderful to be able to escape from the busyness of work and the city of Belfast to worship and join in conversation with the monks at Holy Cross Monastery.

I am one of those people...

It has been almost two weeks since my last post - sorry for the lapse in time.  Things are continuing to go really well here.  Karl and I are enjoying the work at our placements and are starting to feel pretty settled in our new congregations.  We are so thankful for the support that we are receiving from friends and family all over the world! 

This post is not so much about things I have been doing over the past weeks, but is more of a reflection of who I am and how I am living in this world:

I Am One of Those People

I am one of those people who grew up in Wyoming.  I love the wide open spaces and blue skies that the state has to offer.  There is nothing more enjoyable than being in the mountains of Wyoming:  smelling the fresh air, hearing the breeze blow by and the birds chirping, looking at the magnificent views created by our Father.  I love Wyoming because of the genuinely nice people it contains.  The state is so small and the residents look out for each other as fellow ‘Wyomingites.’ 

I am one of those people who loves running.  The feeling of moving swiftly through the landscape, seeing the surroundings pass by and hearing the activity around you is irreplaceable.  Running allows for the perfect pace of exploring the outdoors (or even cities and towns) – moving slow enough to notice the things around you, but fast enough to want to return later to notice more.  I love running by myself because it is just me, the outdoors and God.  My best reflection and prayer happens when I am running.  Something about being by myself in that motion allows me to think clearly and openly with God. 

I am one of those people who is from the United States of America.  I enjoy the freedoms that America has to offer:  freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of petition, freedom of religion and freedom of press.  Freedom of religion is the best freedom that Americans have.  To be able live a life based upon whichever belief system you choose, without the fear of being beaten, arrested or even killed is astonishing. 

I am one of those people who is at times ashamed to be an American.  America is one of the most wasteful and overindulging countries in the world.  The amount of things that people possess in excess in America is disgusting.  Not everyone in America chooses to live this type of lifestyle, but enough do to give the country that stereotype.  I try to be one of those people who lives a lifestyle to counter the actions of those who overindulge.  I consciously make efforts to live more simply:  take shorter and/or less frequent showers, wear my clothes multiple times between washing, recycle and reuse, put on extra layers of clothing instead of turning up the heat, take public transportation and walk to get places. 

I am one of those people who enjoys being in the kitchen.  There is something about preparing food and sitting down with others to partake which brings people together.  Some of the best conversations and moments happen whilst preparing or eating a meal.  Growing up, my family made dinner and ate together almost every night of the week.  This was the time when we could check in with each other and reminisce about good times and bad.  Christ shared many meals with the people closest to him, and I find value in doing so also.

I am one of those people who is married and is so thankful to have someone to share lifelong love.  In my husband, I have found a best friend to share life experiences, a person whom I can be completely open to, someone to laugh and cry with and a companion to be by my side through hard times. 

I am one of those people living in a new culture.  I have ventured away from the home in which I feel comfortable in order to follow a call to experience God and my faith in a new context.  Living in a new culture has shown me how God is at work in areas unfamiliar to me.  He is present everywhere, and I am encountering his existence in new ways.  Daily I experience people who speak differently than me, sites that are unfamiliar and political issues which differ from those at home.  I am learning about the importance of reconciliation between groups and sides of people who have lived in tension for so long and also learning how this applies to my life and the world as a whole.  God has called us to live as one, breaking down barriers and making peace.   

So, I strive to be one of those people who does not conform, but stands up for their beliefs; one of those people who is filled with the Holy Spirit and lets it work through them; one of those people who challenges the barriers set up between those with conflicting ideals and beliefs; one of those people who enables change; one of those people who follow Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:14-18  "For He himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. "

Karl and I at the top of Cavehill

Patrick and I dishing up some grub....we had dinner with all of the YAV's at our place

A dragon from a dance we saw during Belfast Culture Night

Love in the Kitchen

Jesus Christ calls us to love one another as he loves us.  This love can be shown in many ways:  smiling and saying hello to a stranger, lending a hand to a friend who needs help, taking the time to listen to someone who is hurting, giving someone a hug, and the list could go on forever.  This morning, I experienced Christ's love through a cooking lesson with two of the other volunteers and our site coordinator's wife, Elaine. 

The first week that we were in Belfast, we were going through orientation and had the pleasure of sharing our lunches and dinners with Doug and Elaine.  Elaine was so gracious to cook delicious meals for all of us.  As we raved about how good her cooking was, she offered to give us some cooking lessons.  This morning, we had our first cooking lesson in Karl's and my kitchen.  Elaine taught us to cook lentil stew and scones.  I was so excited to get to bake my first scones in Northern Ireland, and they turned out delicious! 

I do not think Elaine realised how great of an impact she made on me, and the other girls learning the recipes, this morning. The recipes weren't that difficult and complex, and it only took us an hour and a half to cook. But, that time that she took preparing the recipes and ingredients, and the time she spent with us in the kitchen meant a whole lot to me. Cooking is a favorite past time for me, and I have not had much time to cook since starting my work at Whitehouse. That being said, the time I got to spend in the kitchen this morning, in the company of other ladies was wonderful...a bit therapeutic you could say.

Walking in Belfast

I believe that one of the best ways to experience a new place is to venture out on your own two feet.  Since arriving a little over two weeks ago, I have managed to spend a lot of time either walking or running the streets of Belfast.  This is my preferred method of exploration because it causes me to consciously pay attention to where I am travelling, as opposed to taking the bus where my mind can easily wander and lose track of where I am.  Being on foot allows me to take in the smells and sounds of my surroundings as well.   For this blog entry, I am going to tell you about two danders (walks) I have taken.

Mural along the Shore Road

Last Thursday Liz gave me the day to myself and I decided to venture out from Karl's and my flat and walk through various places of Belfast I had not yet seen.  I started the day walking to the City Centre where City Hall is located.  On the way, I took time to notice the many different murals and flags I was passing.  Murals and flags are ways that people of Northern Ireland publicly display their allegiance to political parties or remember events of the past.  Once I arrived at City Centre, I spent time looking through City Hall and its exhibits which focus on the history of Belfast. 

Botanic Gardens

From City Centre, I continued south toward Queen's University and the Botanic Gardens.  Right next to the gardens is the Ulster Museum, so it was my next stop for the day.  The museum has two whole floors dedicated to the history of Belfast and the Troubles.  I focused my attention that day on learning about the history of Belfast, but I will soon be returning to explore the other art and nature exhibits the museum has to offer. 

Taken along the Shore (and below)

Today, I decided to take another walk.  This walk however turned out to be a lot longer than I expected, but it was very enjoyable none the less.  After Friends and Neighbours at Whitehouse this afternoon, a gentleman from church dropped me off at the shore in Whiteabbey.  I was only planning on walking along the shore for a mile or two, but I ended up staying along the 93 bicycle path all the way to City Centre (probably about six miles).  The shore line was very pretty and smelled of breezy sea air.  As I continued along the foot path, I found myself paralleling the motorway...this was not a very enjoyable part of the walk, but I kept going only to find myself in Duncrue, which is a very industrialised part of Belfast.  This was not the most enjoyable scenery either.  But alas, I kept going and stumbled out in Cathedral Quarter.  I came across some neat art pieces and historical buildings, thus making my really, really long journey worth the while. 

There is still a lot of Belfast which I have yet to explore, so I still have many walking or running journeys ahead of me.  Perhaps Karl and I might get to venture out on one together this Saturday when we are off together. 

Albert Memorial Clock

The Big Fish at Donegall Quay

First Sunday with Whitehouse

I woke up this morning feeling quite nervous about my first Sunday with Whitehouse.  I knew I would be meeting a whole lot of people and was nervous about making a great first impression.  A wonderful lady named Anne picked me up for church and brought me right to the kitchen to get a cup of tea before services started.  Immediately I was welcomed by a room full of kind ladies who gave me the warmest hugs I have received since arriving in Belfast!  The members of the congregation are so friendly and really helped me to feel at home in my new church. 

Here is the photo that was projected
during the service for my introduction

I was formally introduced to the congregation during the children's sermon.  My fellow youth leaders, John and Francis, did a little "meet Kendra" interview with the children.  They asked me about my family, what I am hoping to get out of this year of service, where I am from, and what kind of Northern Irish phrases I am learning.  They had the children teach me some words, and it was very fun....we got some laughs from the congregation.

During the message of the service, Rev. Liz Hughes spoke about the importance of church and how church is more than what we do on Sunday morning but is a place where we can join together as family.  This message was so fitting for what I am experiencing right now.  Here I am, in Belfast, so far removed from my family outside of Karl.  I know that my family back home is praying for me and thinking about me, but it is so nice to be surrounded by a loving family inside the doors of Whitehouse. 

After church, Karl and I went to Liz's house for dinner (late lunch), and her husband cooked us a wonderful meal!  It was so nice to sit around the table and join in conversation, starting to form relationships with the people of my new home. 

Lastly today, I attended SWAT (youth group) and met some of the youth of the church.  We spent a lot of time sitting around talking and listening to music, which was a great way for me to start to get to know the kids.  We had a lot of laughs centered around my ignorance to the slang they use, but I think I will start to catch on to the jargon soon...hopefully.  The other youth leaders are absolutely wonderful, and I think that I will be able to learn a lot from them over the course of the year.  They are really good at relating to the kids and have very balanced relationships with them.  All in all, I had a fabulous first day and am excited for what it in store for this upcoming year.

Welcome to Belfast!

The time was about 8:30 AM, the day August 30, and the place Belfast, Northern Ireland.  Continental Flight 94 hit the ground with eight anxious young adults aboard.  Those eight young adults being myself, Karl and six other individuals from around the U.S.  We arrived in Belfast extremely tired but excited to see our new home for the upcoming year. 

Doug and his wife, Elaine, picked us up with a car and a mini bus, loaded our luggage and drove us all to our houses.  We quickly stepped into our new homes, dropped our luggage in our rooms and proceeded to the next house.  At the last house we visited, we took a moment to enjoy our first cup of tea and scones (biscuits in the U.S.).  The rest of the day was pretty much a blur, as we spent it trying to stay awake in order to adjust to the time change. 

After getting a full night's rest, we all set off to begin touring each other's volunteer sites for the next three days.  As we stopped at each site, we toured the premises and learned a bit of the history of the neighborhood and about the community involvement of each site.  It is amazing how complex the conflict between the people of Northern Ireland is and how deep the Troubles have touched the communities that we will be working in.  I have a lot to learn about as the year goes on.

My site, Whitehouse Presbyterian, was the second to last stop for the whole group.  By this time, I was very anxious to see the church, reconnect with Rev. Liz Hughes, and meet others in the congregation.  In fact, I was so excited to see the church that I ran the 2.5 miles to and from to get a sneak peak the morning we were scheduled to see it.  (By the way, I had to be very conscious about which way the traffic was travelling when crossing the street). We got to the church and were welcomed with open arms and hugs.  There were a number of folks from the congregation there to meet us, and they were so hospitable and friendly!  I will be attending my first worship service this Sunday and will get to meet the youth group in the evening...I can't wait!

As an end note, here are some fun words that we are picking up and pictures from a walk to Scrabo (a tower outside of the city):

boke=puke
skint=broke
craic=fun/entertainment
biscuit=cookie
jumper=sweater
bap=bun/roll
come by you=pick you up

Hope and Fear

2011 YAV Group

I am sitting at Stony Point in New York right now writing this post.  We have been at orientation since Monday, August 22, and it is almost over!  I can't believe how fast this week has gone by and how much I have experienced in this past week. 

Throughout this week, I have met an array of new friends and sat in on so many helpful sessions with these wonderful people.  We have joined together to explore critical cultural competency, safety and gender issues, relationships, self-care, what makes me tick, communication and conflict, globalization, and culture shock.  These orientation sessions have provided me with the opportunity to consciously think about my fears, worries, hopes and expectations for this year ahead. 

Since arriving at Stony Point, I have gone through many emotional highs and lows.  During our training, I realized that I haven't really thought about the emotional implications of this year until I got here.  This really scared me.  I was scared about my personal self and health, about Karl's and my relationship, about my relationships with the family and friends staying behind, and about feeling worth something in Belfast.  These fears are definitely fears that I will be carrying with me throughout this next year and the rest of my life, but I have hope that the Lord will help me through.  The Lord will provide me with strength and the people in my life to help me through all of my fears.  This does not by any means mean he will make things easy for me, but it does mean that I can always be hopeful that I am not alone in my fears and struggles.  With that said, I want to leave you with this Psalm which gives me hope:

⁷ I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  

The time has come

Well, it is officially only two days until Karl and I leave for orientation in New York and nine days until we leave for Belfast!  I can't believe that our year in Belfast is finally here. 

As we are making our final preparations to leave, I can't help but feel a multitude of emotions....anxious, scared, sad, excited, blessed...to name a few.  Karl and I have been spending the majority of our summer travelling around to various locations in Wyoming and Colorado to spend time with our family and friends whom we will miss so dearly during our year in Belfast.  God has blessed us with wonderful families and friends, and we are truly thankful for the relationships that we have here.  It is going to be extremely hard to get used to the idea of our family members not being a short drive or simple phone call away.  But, as difficult as it is going to be to live so far away from our family and friends, I am looking forward to all of the new people I am going to meet and walk with in my journey of faith.  God calls us to be in relationship with each other, and this year is going to provide me with countless opportunities to join in relationship with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  I cannot wait to break bread and share conversation with my fellow YAV's, serve side by side with members of White House Presbyterian, and learn about myself and my faith with the people of Northern Ireland. 

In two short days, Karl and I (along with about 60 other young adults) will be arriving in New York to join together in preparation for our year ahead.  Please pray for our safety, for peace of mind, body and soul, for open and loving hearts, and for the will of God to be fulfilled through our time as YAV's.  

Blessings Abound

"And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:19


Thanks to the wonderful blessings of family and friends on this earth, Karl and I have met our fundraising requirement for our year in Northern Ireland!  We cannot begin to express our overwhelming gratitude for the gifts that God has provided us through our brothers and sisters in Christ.  The thought of raising $16,000 was a little daunting when we first started our experience with the Young Adult Volunteer program.  But, as God has promised us, He will always provide.  


We have successfully raised the $16,000 we need for our year of service, but if anyone is still interested in supporting us there are a few ways.  We still ask that you keep us in your daily prayers, that we may continue this walk with God, see his plan for us in our year of service and be transformed into his Disciples.  Also, you can continue to give financially.  The money may not go directly to Karl and I, but there are still some other YAVs who need financial help.  Lastly, continue to follow up with what we are doing during the next year by continuing to read this blog!


I just want to say thank you again to all of those who gave donations towards Karl and I.  We are so thankful to have the love and support of our family in Christ!

So Anxious for Belfast!

It has been quite some time since my last post, and a lot has happened since!  Last week, Doug Baker sent us all of the information for our visa applications.  Karl and I are in the process of filling out the application and getting all of the supplementary documents compiled to send with the application.  Hopefully we will have them in the mail within the next week and our passports will be returned to us with a visa stamp in due time to leave for Belfast.

As many of you know, Karl and I are having an adventurous summer...living out of our car as we travel from town to town visiting friends and family before we depart for the next year.  This lifestyle leaves a lot of flexibility in our schedule, so we have been fortunate enough to have been picked to represent the 2011-2012 YAVs at a wonderful PC(USA) conference called Big Tent.  We are currently in Indianapolis at the J.W. Marriott, joining with approximately 1,700 fellow Presbyterians from all around the world!  This has been such a wonderful experience for us:  we have had the opportunity to attend many workshops, network with fellow missionaries from all over the place, talk with other young adults who are attending seminary, meet up with our site supervisor Doug Baker, and one of the greatest surprises of the conference - I have been able to meet the pastor for the church I will be working with in Belfast!  

The first activity that Karl and I attended when we arrived at Big Tent was the opening worship service. We walked into the humongous ballroom housing the service, a little late, and were looking around for a place we might be able to squeeze into for a seat.  Much to our surprise, Doug Baker caught my attention and made room for the two of us in his row.  He quickly introduced us to a colleague of his from Belfast, Liz, and we went on with the worship service.  Straight from worship, we went to the opening dinner for the conference and got to chatting with some individuals from the Young Adult Volunteer office in Louisville, KY.  One of the individuals informed me that the pastor from my church in Belfast, Whitehouse Presbyterian, was at the conference.  She told me that her name was Liz...I quickly put it together that it was the lady I met during worship...what a coincidence!  Since then, I have had the opportunity to meet with Liz and talk for a short while.  She is a wonderful woman:  warm spirited, welcoming, genuine, friendly, and excited to be serving God's people in her ministry.  I am so anxious to be able to work with her on a daily basis and join in the efforts she has started to reconcile the violence and turmoil in Belfast.  

Belfast Bulletin: Serving at Whitehouse Presbyterian Church

I know I keep saying that as every day goes by, the reality that Karl and I will be moving to Belfast next year sets in even more.  But as the events of today unfolded, that reality hit me in the face!  I checked my email this morning and was pleasantly surprised to see an email from Doug Baker titled, “Your YAV Placements for 2011-2012.”  The moment Karl and I had been waiting for had finally arrived….we were finding out where we would be serving for the duration of the next year. 

The moment we read the locations of our assignments, we Googled the addresses so that we could see a street view of the buildings we would soon be spending so much time at.  Technology of today is truly amazing!  From our apartment in Laramie, WY, we were able to start to picture ourselves in our daily life in Belfast.   

I will be serving at Whitehouse Presbyterian Church (www.whpci.org), which is situated between areas identified with Loyalist and Republican factions in North Belfast, and is involved in cross-community work within those areas.  One of my roles at the church will include youth ministry (including youth fellowship, leadership of boys/girls brigade groups and plenty of recreation).  I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with the youth of the community and church.  Being involved with youth ministry is something I am very passionate about, and I am very anxious to begin forming relationships within the Whitehouse youth community.  Just a side note….I love the fact that the youth groups are called brigades and that I will be able to be involved in recreation!

Whitehouse Presbyterian Church

As a volunteer at Whitehouse, I will also be involved in cross-community projects for older adults, assisting with worship and pastoral visiting.  These areas of my assignment are less familiar to me, so naturally I am a little nervous about putting myself in these roles.  I expect that there will be numerous times in which I find myself very uncomfortable, but God calls us to do new things and to push ourselves past what we “know.”   I ask that you pray for my ability to be open to God’s call for me in this situation, and for my capacity to love those whom I will be interacting with. 

With my placement at Whitehouse, there are also going to be opportunities for me to work with schools in the area.  I still do not know what kind of work that will include, but am excited to see what unfolds in that area of my service.   

There is still a lot of time and items to take care of before the departure to Northern Ireland, but soon enough I will be taking the bus ride to Whitehouse Presbyterian Church almost daily to engage in the service opportunities placed before me through God and the YAV program….I can’t wait!

One Month Closer!

It has been a little over a month since Karl and I found out that we are going to be moving to Northern Ireland for our year with the YAV program.  Since then, we have been slowly moving through all of the items that need to be completed before our departure.  The biggest item we have been working on is fundraising; we need to raise $16,000 for our service obligation.  As we have been sending out fundraising letters to all of our family, church family and friends, we have realized how truly blessed we are to have so many loving people whom we have formed great relationships with here on this earth!   We are so grateful to have such a multitude of people who we can count on for support through this upcoming year. 

Karl and I can’t wait to find out what our work placements are going to be for the upcoming year.  We still do not know which church or community center we will be working in, but our site coordinator, Doug Baker, is getting very close to lining out those details for us.  Before Doug could arrange our site placements, he asked Karl and me to decide whether or not we want to be placed in the same work sites.  We decided that we would be pushed further in our walk of faith if we branched out and served in separate places.  Therefore, we will be working in separate churches and community centers in order to form distinct relationships and face different experiences which we can share with each other.  However, we will have the opportunity to visit each other’s respective church once a month so that we can experience each other’s worship service.  Since we will not be able to worship together on a regular basis, we are planning on setting aside time weekly to share in quiet, home worship.

As we continue to prepare for our year of service, we are learning that new experiences are waiting for us.  These new experiences will hopefully challenge our faith and compel us to lean on God and each other in order to grow as Christ’s disciples.  We thank you all for your love and support, and ask that you continue to keep us in your prayers.

The Belfast Bulletin: A Year of Service and Love

As most of you know, Karl and I are gearing up for a year of mission service in Belfast, Northern Ireland through the Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) program.  This journey began for us in the fall of 2009 when Reverend Doug Baker visited our church to inform us of the many opportunities abound in the YAV program.  During that meeting, God opened our hearts to the idea of spending a year living in an intentional Christian community and experiencing/sharing God’s love through relationships.

Well here we are a year and half later, answering God’s call to serve.  There is so much to do to prepare for this experience:  paperwork, medical exams, background checks, paperwork, packing, applying for visas, fund raising, oh yeah and did I mention paperwork?!  But in all seriousness, the most important thing for us to do in this time leading up to moving to Northern Ireland is to prepare our hearts and minds for how God is going to be using us.  Right now, we do not know the specifics of our work assignments for the upcoming year, but we do know that we will be spending time serving in a local church and in community centers offering opportunities for youth. 

Over the course of the year, we are hoping to form meaningful relationships with members of the Belfast community and within our smaller YAV community.  God has such a capacity for love that we as humans cannot understand, but can try to emulate through our interactions with others.  During our year with the YAV program, Karl and I pray that we will see through God’s eyes, hear with His ears, feel with His hands and love with His heart. 

As we continue to prepare for this journey, we are inviting everyone to join us in this experience.  There are many ways that you can support us:

·         Pray for us and for the people whom we will live among and serve this year.

·         Follow our experiences through our newsletters and blogs.

·         Tell others about our plans and our blogs.

·         Support us financially by giving a tax-deductible contribution as a one-time gift or in installments over the course of our year of service.  You may give online at http://gamc.pcusa.org/ministries/yav/support-yavs/ (include our name in the comments section), or checks can be made out to PC(USA) and sent to the address below (include on the memo line of the check our name and ECO# E210109).

             PC(USA)

             Remittance Processing

             P.O. Box 643700

             Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700