I AM ALIVE...

Well here I am after almost 3 weeks writing about my life! First off, where has the time gone? And why is it that I havn’t been able to sit down and really think about what’s going on in my life….oh wait that’s right…my job at Fisherwick officially started!

So where to start…I really don’t want to bore you all to death…but here is a bit from my first week on the job…

well my job as an intern/volunteer at Fisherwick began on the 1st of September…and that first day we were to report to Fisherwick at 7:30 for prayer! Umm….that’s like pure torture to someone who NEVER gets up that early, but somehow I made it there…eventhough I think we were a bit late! Umm…so Friday was full of introductions, logistic stuff, and soo many administrative things….BORING to be quite honest…but we did get to hear a bit from each staff member and we did get to find out our areas for the next year….I will be working with the international students at Queens University and the children’s ministry! So I get a bit of interaction with the wee ones and the young adults…I think I got pretty lucky!…Friday ended at about 5 or so…and then Saturday was spent at Derek’s house (my boss/pastor) ..and it was more of a getting to know the interns day and that day we shared out stories (testimonies)..and honestly I love hearing what the Lord has done in peoples lives…how He has been soo very faithful…anyhow..i love my fellow interns..we are all soo very different I think, and I know I will learn loads from them…anyhow the night ended with a dinner and many people from the congregation were there…and I think it was that night that it finally dawned on me that my job was to socialize and I do love to talk…but REALLY…I think I may grow rather tired of it after this next year!

Soo…after Saturday I was exhausted…but then it continued all over again on Sunday…and we had two church services and all the interns were introduced to the whole congregation …the morning service is full of elderly people who have been attending the church for AGES…and then there’s an evening service which I prefer to the morning service, and this service is full of college students or young professionals (just sounds better than recent graduates…or Queens alum)..

After the evening service ..Derek and the interns plus Peter drove up North to Derek’s beautiful home in Donegal…and if you have been keeping up to date with ALL the pictures I have been sending…I am sure you have seen the house….but this was my FAVORITE room in his house…so I figured I should put it on my blog…not that I would EVER forget it or anything…

But here is a little something from my journal from that weekend…a prayer to God…

Lord..i am realizing that I have a long ways to go..i have soo much growing to do..allow me to truly love people the way you want me to…without judgements or misconceptions..allow me to see people just as they are..allow me to get out of the boxd I have created for myself and put you in..you go beyond all limitations and all boxes and Father God thank you for brining me this far…I look forward to many adventures together…
I think that prayer stemmed from the sermon from church on Sunday on James 1:19-26

What good is it my brothers if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds…Faith by itself if not accompanied by action is dead…show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do..

So anyhow… we were there from Sunday night to Wednesday afternoon…and my highlights from the few days were …an AMAZING DOUBLE bed…delicious food, esp. the chicken curry Serenus made one night, a morning walk with Peter on his birthday …AND prayer that lasted 4 hours….but I think I came home even more tired than when I left.

So then …I truly can not remember what I did with myself on Thursday or Friday, But i do know that Erin arrived on Saturday..and peter and i took a road trip on down to Dublin to pick her up at the airport!..that morning drive involved much reading to Peter..he supposively loves the sound of my voice?..and while reading the bible together I was reminded of a lovely couple that Bekah and i stayed with in Maui..(remember beks? eva and jack?) and how they would read a little devotional in the care every morning and I thought it was the cutest thing..and then Peter and I were doing that...

Anyhow..so Erin..it was sooo great seeing her..soo great to get a little peice of home...so we had a few hours drive ahead of us..and the drive was filled with a brief history lesson from Peter..for those of you who visit..you can look forward to this! Anyhow we were all talking about Italy and Ireland...and about how much i love ireland..which you all know by now!...but i think i said something to the effect (this is from Erin's blog!..hope you dont mind that i stole it!)..to truly enjoy a place you have to be passionate about the culture, the history, the people....so this is what i say...to really enjoy a place you have to desire to learn the history, find a place that captivates you, a place where you are able to engage with the people...

Anyhow..i love erin and i especially love ALL of her questions..and i love riding in the car with peter...so Saturday night we made banoffi (for those visiting this will be a must thing to make!) and then Sunday was church and we took her to Botanic Gardens and it was a lovely day..and then took her around to the murals..and I was just reminded of how much I love Belfast..and Peters family! WE had dinner with them (what we might call lunch...but they have a huge sunday meal together during lunch time) anyhow..and i left them a wee treat on the table and Gillian (peters mom) said so does this mean you are leaving soon?..and i said well in a few days anyhow..I will really miss them and i do plan on seeing them at least a few times a week..So i was a bit reluctant to leave ..but i knew i had to do it..but i must say..their house feels more like home to me than my own...

So then church Sunday night..Derek preached on freedom and John 8:31-47..which was amazing...and i did the reading for that night..and i truly felt the Lords presence and i knew all the songs for worship...anyhow that night just really reminded me of how far I have come..how much the Lord has done in my life thus far...

So then Monday morning we were up really early to take Erin back down to Dublin..how unfortunate that her stay was sooo very short...that morning we listened to the radio (September 11th)..and it was soo interesting to hear the European take on that day..all about an attack on humanity..an attack on ALL people and even though it was my country they were speaking of..I started to realize just how removed I had been and continue to be from 9/11 and the affects...i think i just thought well it happened on the other side of the country..in a state i have never been to..to people i did not know..it doesnt influence me right? But it can be seen as a genocide and an attack on the human race and the Western World..and it DOES affect me..how naive am i to think it does not?

so to change gears a bit....I was in charge of planning a dinner for the international students for Monday and Tuesday evening…on Monday they expected 80 students and on Tuesday they expected about 150…don’t you worry…I didn’t have to do the grocery shopping! Someone else did it for me, but I did have to find the volunteers to help with EVERYTHING…from set up, cooking, coffee/tea and clean up!…so it was rather interesting…such a long night…and soo many American students, which truly was grand! And everything pretty much went according to plan, EXCEPT the second night we had about 175 students and almost ran out of food...ALMOST is the key word there..and we were all working sooo very hard and i was all over the place..and Peter was a bit short and impatient with me..and said peter stop being selfish and be patient and encourage me!! haha..he changed gears quickly..anyhow..we are just learning what it means to work together ..while forgiving each other and being gracious along the way...=)

so Wednesday i stayed home all day and it was truly glorious..and maybe this night peter and i rented a film called United 93 (mark peters brother recommended it..and i would do the same now after seeing it)..and it was about the plane that the passengers overtook that crashed in Philadelphia i think. Anyhow, i was a bit skeptical of the film becuase all of it was peieced together from phone convos people had with people on the plane..but the majority of the people on the plane made calls to loved ones...parents, mothers, wives, husbands, children before the plane crashed..and it was soooo very sad..i can NOT imagine calling my mother to say goodbye to her..what do you say? where do you start? o i cant imagine receiving a call from my husband telling me he loves me and he won't be coming home...tell the children he loves them..what would i have been thinking if i was them? if i was a passenger on that flight? what would i have done..soo very sad..soo many things i had never thought about..fear..guilt..regrets..deep sadness...WATCH IT!..

So then…Thursday I moved some of my stuff into my new place and was AMAZED at how beautiful the place was…and ill put some photos up soon..i swear…and Friday we had our bible study for interns…which I am REALLY enjoying…we went over Exodus..and had a really great discussion… and youth club

So then this past Saturday we went up to the North Coast…took a little roadtrip and we were gone all day….some people went surfing..but there were only like 2 boards left in all of Portrush…soo..the boys were able to surf for only like 20 minutes! I was able to touch up on my baseball skills and peter and I threw the ball around with the new glove I got him for his birthday…I must say he really surprised me!! Little did I know that he had been PRACTICING!..and it wasn't his first time..haha!! he would just say..im a natural athlete..what did you expect?? But it was soo good to get out of Belfast..and it was a beautiful day…Sunday we had church …Monday was a busy day at the office…and Tuesday evening we left for another retreat…. but ill save that for another blog entry

so my church…check out the website Fisherwick.net if you want to read more about the church I am at…however, I do believe they are currently updating the website so you may not be able to access much..but its worth a shot?

So there are five interns, three from Seattle (Yonkers, Eli, and myself…all just graduated from the University of Washington) …Serenus who was born in India, but spent most of his time in the Middle East, and then last but not least…Lindsay who is from N. Ireland..the only local in the bunch! What a great group it is…I don’t even know where to start with them all to be honest…

well thats all for now..write more soon because i still have even more to write about...