What An Adventure It's Been

To begin, I’d like to apologize profusely for my procrastination in writing this final blog.  It’s been two months since I’ve been home and at least four months since I should have last updated this.  I would like to thank all those who have prayed for me and supported me over the year.  I managed to finish my coursework in the nick of time, and was very pleased with the results.  I now have a Bachelor of Theology!

I feel as though I’ve got a second family in Belfast.  Since being home, I’ve missed everyone dreadfully.  Although I know this is where God has placed me for the time being, I do hope to return to Belfast and Ireland sometime in the near future.

While I was in Belfast I was able to do some travelling.  You are all aware of the bit of travelling I did when my mother was visiting over Christmas.  In my last few months there I was also able to visit Dublin again, the Antrim Coast, and London.  It was very exciting!  I took many pictures I hope to post to Facebook soon.  I also visited the new Titanic Centre – I really had to since I was there!

I was there for the CEF Spring Conference, and even though I was still madly trying to finish schoolwork at that point, I still made some new friends and had an incredible time.  It took place in Portrush, a town on the North Coast of Northern Ireland.

In my final week in Northern Ireland, I was given a farewell dinner by my CEF family as well as another dinner from my Strandtown Baptist Church family.  I received a Bible from my Good News Club and youth group as a thank you.  And on my last day in Belfast, I finally took the City Bus Tour!

I have so many wonderful memories from my time in Northern Ireland, and I will treasure them always.  As I said before, I do miss my Belfast family dreadfully.  They were so good to me, and I love them dearly.  Sometimes it is hard to accept that some people are meant to be in our life for only a season.  That does not diminish the impact or the importance of the friendships forged; but it must be accepted, for it does not do to dwell in the past.  I am so thankful that I was able to make these wonderful friends, and I do plan on meeting them again.  However, I am excited to look forward to what God has next for me.

Since being home, I have graduated with my degree, bought a car, got a job at Faithful Servant Books in Riverview, and watched my little brother get married.  It was been a busy two months.  I am so happy for Jesse and Kayla.  It is exciting to finally have a sister!  As for my job – I love it!  I am surrounded by books all day long!  How could I not love it?  The atmosphere is lovely and I enjoy the work itself.  I don’t know how long this season will last, but I am content to settle into it for as long as God wants me there.  I will do my best to keep trusting Him for my future as I did when He led me to Ireland, and again when He brought me home.

To my friends at home, it has been wonderful to reconnect with you.  Again, I thank you for your prayers and support.  It was encouraging and strengthened me when I needed it.

To my friends in Ireland, I would like to say thank you for all you’ve done for me.  I love and miss you all.  May God bless you in your future, and I hope to see you again soon.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”

Time Flies...

Here I am, five months into my internship, with only three months to go.  I cannot believe how quickly the time has gone by.

Christmas morning I got up and went to church.  It was a really nice time of Scripture readings and Christmas hymns.  Afterwards, I went home to set up Skype with Mom, Dad and Jesse.  A few people here gave me some gifts so that I would have something to open Christmas morning away from home.  So I sat in my little attic room and talked with my family back home.  It was so nice, but very sad at the same time.  I wish I had known last Christmas that it would be the last Christmas the four of us would spend together.  This year I am in Belfast, and next year Jesse will be married and starting his own traditions.  Sometimes, I find it hard to accept the changes brought on by time.  However, I am so thankful for modern technology!  I still got to spend Christmas with my family.  After Skyping with them, I had Christmas dinner with Jaci and her family.  It was kind of funny, for different reasons we had the dinner split between Jaci’s house and her sister’s house a street over.  So we ended up walking between the two houses carrying trays and casserole dishes laden with Christmas dinner.  We had the appetizer at Heather’s house, the main course at our house, and dessert at Heather’s.  After this, we settled in and played “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” board game.  It turned out to be a fantastic Christmas, and a wonderful new life experience.

Boxing Day Jaci had some friends over, and we all played Scrabble and other board games after a meal of homemade chicken curry.  I am usually a big fan of Scrabble, but we played a new version that gave opponents the opportunity to take credit for the words you create and other tricks.  I didn’t like that!  I like to take credit for the really great words I come up with!  I think that’s half the fun of Scrabble.

On the 27^th, Mom finally arrived.  I was so excited!  We had an amazing time.  The evening she got there, she was incredibly jetlagged but she didn’t realize it.  So we Skyped home to Dad, letting him know she’d arrived safely.  Then I opened a ton of amazing presents from home – which made my day!  Then, I left Mom to go to sleep.  The next day, she didn’t remember any of it.  I told her we talked to Dad and she didn’t believe me!  She’s never going to live this one down.

Over the week we visited Belfast City Centre, Edinburgh, and Dublin.  We also went with Jaci and Sally on two different occasions to see more of the country side.  It was a very busy week, but we had an amazing time.  We had so many adventures!  It was wonderful to spend time with Mom.  New Year’s Eve was actually the one day we stayed at home.  We brought in the New Year watching coverage of Edinburgh and London festivities.

On Tuesday, 3^rd January Mom was going home.  However, due to weather complications, her flight was delayed from Belfast causing her to miss her connecting flights.  So, we were up bright and early that morning, but Mom didn’t even get to Toronto until about midnight.  At that point she had to spend the night in a hotel before catching an early flight home the next day.  I’d say it was quite an exciting conclusion to her visit here.

After this, I returned to work.  I’ve completed two more courses since Christmas, and have four to go.  I am currently busy working on the Daily Prayer Guide and the Spring Week of Prayer booklet in the office.  I appreciate everyone’s prayers as my time here draws to a close.

It's Christmas Time in the City

The past few weeks have been full of Christmas festivities.  The house and the office are decorated, and City Centre is gorgeous.  Twice I have been to the Christmas Market full of exotic food and other items from around the world.  I have received Christmas cards, bought an advent calendar, and listened to Christmas music.  I’ve watched three versions of “A Christmas Carol” and have read the book.  I have even been carolling!  My Christmas plans are made.  Some families have invited me to spend Christmas with them and I am truly grateful.  God has put many wonderful people into my life this year.  I have decided though, that I will have Christmas dinner with Jaci’s family.  I have also scheduled a Christmas morning Skype date with my family.  I am so thankful for modern technology!  I have been busy at work and with schoolwork and I’m counting down the days to Mom’s visit on the 27^th.

This is a different Christmas for me, away from the people I love and the traditions I know.  I have had my melancholy moments, listening to Bing Crosby sing “White Christmas” and wishing I was home.  But being in a different place for Christmas has caused me to consider more closely the true reason for Christmas.  I have been thinking of the anticipation that must have been felt in Heaven those many years ago as God’s plan was put into action; the excitement that must have been felt when it was finally time for the promised Messiah to bring salvation to a fallen world.  Christmas is not about gifts, Santa Claus or decorations, and that's something we are all aware of.  However, it is not about wise men, shepherds, or angels either.  Yes, these have become a part of it and all serve to remind us of this wonderful, exciting event in history.  However, without these things it would still be Christmas, because Christmas is the Messiah come to earth.  Jesus, fully God and fully man, came to take our sins, the sins of the world, upon Himself.  He came to rescue us from the punishment we deserve, if only we would accept Him as our Saviour.  This is the reason we celebrate.  Christ is Christmas.

So, while I am already making plans for next Christmas that include all of the traditions I hold dear, this year has served to remind me that the true reason we celebrate Christmas is to honour and glorify the One who came to die so that we might truly live.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

Begin To Be Now What You Will Be Hereafter

Well, I finally tried the bus system!  That was a big accomplishment to me.  I managed to find my bus stop and get on, and then push the button to get off again on time!  I took the bus home that night, and had to wait 15 minutes in the rain for the bus to come by.  Then I missed it because I didn’t know I was supposed to stick out my hand to get them to stop.  I finally made it onto the next bus, and it was so crowded I either had to stand or go upstairs.  I decided to stand awkwardly because I didn’t trust myself to get up and down the stairs on the short ride home.  So the morning bus trip was a success.  The evening bus trip… well, I made it home.

Another new experience for me was taking minutes at a meeting.  I was grateful it was a small meeting with only four people plus me.  I brought my laptop so I could type instead of hand write, assuming I’d be quicker that way.  It seemed to go well, and someone mentioned to me later that the minutes were very thorough.  So, that’s a successful accomplishment!  I was glad to hear I did well.  The bonus in going to this meeting, by the way, is that I got to eat the most amazing scone I’ve ever had!

A couple weeks ago, I went back to CFC to hear a speaker who is a prison camp escapee from North Korea.  Since escaping he has become a Christian and now tours churches as an advocate for those still imprisoned.  It truly increased awareness of the injustices still taking place in our world.

That evening there was a baptism at Strandtown Baptist, and a new friend of mine, Laura Gamble, was one of eight getting baptised.  I was so glad to be there to celebrate their declaration of faith.  Afterwards I was invited to her mother-in-law’s for a celebration with her friends.  There was quite a crowd, so I got to know more people.

Halloween was a bit different than at home.  More noticeable in some areas and less noticeable in others.  For example, at home lawns and houses are elaborately decorated a full month ahead of time.  Here, at least in the city, there were very few houses decorated elaborately or otherwise.  There were, however, fireworks every night for a week ahead of time.  Driving through the city on Saturday night, the streets were filled with costumed partiers.  Of course, the night of, there were trick-or-treaters.  This was the height of celebration from what I could see.  Further west in Derry the celebrations are much more elaborate, really acknowledging the history behind it.  Because Halloween is still associated with its historical roots though, Christians very rarely acknowledge it.

Last week I went to the cinema to see a film with some girls from church.  We went to see a chick flick but it was sold out.  So we ended up watching Contagion.  It thoroughly creeped me out and I did not sleep well that night.  However, after much thought and consideration, I’ve decided it was a good movie worth watching.  Just… make sure you have some hand sanitizer with you for afterward.  You’ll want it.

I was supposed to go shopping in City Centre this past weekend, but the girl I was going in with had to back out when her daughter got sick.  So, I decided to go for a little walk and get a latte or some such hot drink.  As I was walking, I suddenly heard bagpipe music, and looked over to see a marching band of men in kilts playing the bagpipes.  Behind them were soldiers wearing camouflage pants and black shirts pulling an army jeep with ropes.  They proceeded to set up on a street corner and promote joining the army while handing out poppies for Remembrance Day.  The whole thing felt very patriotic!

From there I stopped at a café.  When I walked in, everyone stopped to stare at me.  For a moment I thought I’d walked into a private party, but no one said anything.  So I made my way to the counter, and the staff continued to stare at me.  Finally, I initiated the interaction asking if they did take away.  They went to ask their manager.  She came over and said, yes they do take away and what would I like.  I asked her if they had chai lattes, and had to repeat the question three times.  When she finally understood, she told me no.  They don’t have them.  So I ordered a hot chocolate.  I paid, and without another word someone started making me my drink.  No one spoke to me after that.  I just have to say that it was the strangest café experience I’ve ever had.  I left with my hot chocolate to discover that it was mediocre at best with very little chocolate in it.

I decided to take my hot chocolate home, and on the way stopped at a bakery.  I ordered an egg salad sandwich (which unfortunately came full of onions) and a pastry.  That experience was a bit better than the café.  So I took my lunch home from there, and was walking through the door about half an hour after I left.  Not quite the grand adventure I had hoped for on Saturday, but it definitely gave me some amusing stories.

That night I went to Killinchy for a young adults Bible study that meets once a month.  I had a good time visiting with my new friends from Strandtown.  I am slowly but surely getting to know more people.  It is such a blessing that I discovered Strandtown Baptist so soon after being here and that it was such a perfect fit for me.

Sunday morning at church was a missions morning, and a man from Asia Link mission organization spoke.  It was encouraging to hear of the work being done, and challenging thinking of all that is still to be done.  Many people need Bibles, and they need to hear of the love of Jesus Christ.  He spoke about a people in northern Iraq that believe in the world-wide flood of Noah’s time.  However, they were taught that during the flood, the ark was punctured when it hit a rock.  A great serpent – the same one from the Garden of Eden – then coiled himself over the hole to stop the Ark from sinking.  So, the great serpent saved all mankind, and when Noah left the ark after the flood he built an altar to worship the one who had saved them – the snake.    It is such a sad, twisted misconception of the truth.  This group of people believe that works such as tying knots in fabric or hugging a pillar will save them.  They do not know that it was God who saved Noah and his family from the flood, and they do not know that Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross to save them from their sins and give them eternal life.  They don’t know that their works will not save them.  “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)  Thus far, one man has been saved in this village.  He is under much persecution.  Please pray for the work Asia Link is doing among these people, and that more people would come to know the true Saviour, Jesus Christ.

On a more frivolous note, the MTV Music Awards took place here in Belfast this past weekend.  Sadly, I didn’t get to meet Justin Beiber, although I heard he visited the local supermarket.  Why he did, I’m not sure.  Selena Gomez, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, LMFAO, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Katy Perry were also here among other celebrities.  It was kind of exciting to know that such a big event was happening right where I’m living.  I could hear the music from my house!  The closest I came to a star though, was when I walked past a couple of large buses with tinted windows pulling equipment trailers.  There was most probably a celebrity or two snoozing away inside.

The weather is starting to get a bit colder, and the leaves are starting to fall off the trees.  Everyone is wearing poppies for Remembrance Day.  I walked past a house this morning that had a Christmas tree up.  I’d say it’s almost Christmastime in the city.  Time to pull out the Christmas music!

Jaci is quite a minimalist, so we won’t have too many decorations I don’t think.  I am hoping we’ll have a little tree, but I think that’s optional.

We’re getting a wood burner put in the living room this week, so the house will be much warmer.

This morning Roberta, a woman who cleans the office twice a week, came into my office and gave me a gift she had found at a charity shop.  A set of four coasters with Toronto and the CN Tower on them!  It was so sweet of her to think of me, and pick them up.  I’m going to keep them here on my desk as a little reminder of home.

I’m settling into work, finishing up the Daily Prayer Guide for the months of January – March next year.  You have to start early to get it proofed and sent to the printers.  I think it’s going well.  I guess I’ll soon find out.

“And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua 24:15

Routine

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope your day is filled with much thankfulness and turkey!  I’ve discovered that in Ireland I am unable to purchase a can of pure pumpkin or any type of pumpkin fill.  So to make a pumpkin pie, I would have to buy the actual pumpkin and go from there.  I’m sorry to deprive you of what would have been a fascinating story.  I didn’t buy a pumpkin, but I did have to share that I couldn’t buy a can of pumpkin pie fill.  It was quite disappointing!  Not disappointing enough to prompt me to buy a pumpkin, though.

This is now the beginning of my second week without Kathy.  It’s going well, I think.  Haven’t heard any complaints yet!  My problem at the moment is finding enough to do.  This won’t be a problem for too long though, because it is my job to create the Daily Prayer Guide that goes out to all the missionaries and everyone that prays for them.  I start that next week.

Last Saturday I went to City Centre with Jaci and discovered a side of Belfast I didn’t know existed!  I realized I hadn’t left East Belfast since I’d arrived.  I am currently making plans to figure out the bus system, so I can explore more of the city.  Jaci and I did some shopping.  I bought a pretty scarf and some things that I needed.  God definitely provided for me that day.  I was just thinking that I needed some sweatpants but didn’t want to spend much money on them, when I looked up and saw a pair my size for only £6.  I grabbed them, and when I got to the till I discovered they were on sale for £1.  I couldn’t believe it!  It honestly made my day.

The next day I decided to attend a church called Christian Fellowship Church (found out later it’s Robin Mark’s church).  My neighbour offered to take me, which was very sweet of her.  But it wasn’t my cup of tea.  It was a very large church with four services and a lot of people, and it was very modern.  I suppose I was looking for a church that reminded me more of home.  The people were very nice, however, and I met a couple girls that are interning there.  I’m hoping to go out for coffee with them sometime in the next week or so.  So, it was a good experience, although it was not the church for me.

This past Tuesday, I finally got to Skype with my parents.  It was so good to talk to them, and see their faces.  There was so much to say!  We talked for a couple hours.  I’m hoping to make a regular habit of it.

It was raining a bit one morning last week, so I took my umbrella.  However, it was so windy I couldn’t use it.  I decided to brave a little rain and save my umbrella.  On the walk home that evening, I passed a total of three broken umbrellas just lying on the ground!  I think I made a good choice.

Friday I began my volunteer work at Castlereagh Baptist Church in the Youth Group.  I will also be working at a Good News Club at the same church.  This is part of my schooling, but is also a good way to meet people and get involved while I’m here.  I had a lot of fun, and did meet some people.  I ended up playing Ligretto (a version of Dutch Blitz) with the girls.  It was a good time of bonding and getting to know the teens and other leaders.  I’m really looking forward to getting involved in these ministries.

Yesterday (Sunday) I chose to try a new church just up the road from Christian Fellowship Church.  This one is called Strandtown Baptist, and is a bit smaller and a bit more my style.  I really enjoyed the worship and the preaching.  Afterwards I met some people my age, and stood talking to them for 20 minutes.  I’m planning on going back, and really looking forward to getting to know the people there better.  It feels really good to have decided on a church to call my own.  I feel like I’m much more at home.  I’ve got my work, my house, my ministries, and now my church.  I hope to make some good friends there as well.

Today, Thanksgiving in Canada, is just another work day for me.  I got up this morning to a heavy rain, and managed to arrive at work with my umbrella intact and my feet soaking wet.  I ended up calling Jaci to bring me my slippers.  I think it would be a good idea to keep some here.  I predict many a wet morning here in Belfast.  Now may be a good time to invest in some rubber boots.

My schedule is definitely filling up, and I’m settling into a routine.  I am a bit behind on my schoolwork, but hope to get a lot done and catch up quickly.  I would appreciate prayer in this area.  I need focus and an excitement about what I’m studying.  Thank you for thinking of me and keeping me in your prayers.

I just want to leave you with this most important verse:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”  Psalm 139:14

God made you, and His works are wonderful.  Don’t forget that.

Adventures

Hello!  It’s been a little while since I’ve written and so much has happened!  Last Monday I went to Staff Conference in Kilkeel.  Sally and I drove through Downpatrick and Newcastle along the coast to Kilkeel.  Although the drive down was cloudy, I was still able to see the Mourne Mountains!  As in “the place where the dark Mourne sweep down to the sea”.  They were so gorgeous!!  Yes, they were dark, and yes, they swept down to the Irish sea.  It was a very thrilling moment for me.

When Sally and I arrived at Seaview, the CEF camp, we took our bags straight to our rooms and went to our first meeting.  There were a lot of meetings at this conference.  I was overwhelmed a bit by the information.  But there were also Bible studies that were very challenging.  Alistair McNealy spoke on 2 Timothy.  The daily schedule basically consisted of going to a Bible study, then a coffee break, meeting, then lunch, then meeting, then tea, then meeting and so on.  There was a lot of meeting and a lot of eating.  However, in the middle of this, I was able to meet so many CEF workers.  I met missionaries, and got to know the rest of the office staff.  It made things seem a bit less intimidating, and everyone was very welcoming!  The other girls in my room were the crazy ones in the group.  They took it upon themselves to be the last ones awake each night.  This made for a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.  During the free time we did get every once in a while, I was able to walk around town and take pictures of the sea and the mountains.

I was supposed to go home on Wednesday with Sally, but there was a concert going on that evening.  Everyone thought I should go, and felt bad that I couldn’t because my drive and hostess was leaving that evening.  So, a few strings were pulled and a new lift home was found, and I was given a ticket to see Stuart Townend in concert!  For those of you who don’t know, Stuart Townend is a modern day hymn writer who has written songs like “In Christ Alone” and “How Deep the Father’s Love”.  I was so excited to see him perform, and I was not disappointed!  It was amazing!  I had a fantastic time, and am so glad I was able to go.  I even got him to autograph my ticket!

After the concert, it was another late night and early morning.  Since I was still there, I attended the final day of meetings.  Then, about mid-afternoon, a girl named Angie drove me back to Sally’s.  Mark had told me not to go to the office the next day, so I used it as a school day.

Saturday morning arrived bright and sunny, so Sally and I got up early and had a touristy day.  We started out at an old post office turned into a tea room, then drove toward Downpatrick stopping to take pictures of the Killyleagh castle.  We then took the ferry to the Ards Peninsula.  We drove all up the peninsula, and stopped in Bangor for some lunch and shopping.  From there we went to Scrabo Tower!  That is the tower I mentioned in my last post.  I got to see it up close!  It was beautiful!  It was about 4:30pm by the time we arrived home, happily exhausted.

Sunday morning, we got up for church, and had a nice time of worship.  Unfortunately, the pastor’s wife was under the weather, so we weren’t able to have dinner with his family.  However, we’re going to try again later on this year.  That evening, Sally and I were eating supper when she glanced at the time, and we realized the church service started in ten minutes!  So we madly ran around, dumping our tea down the sink, and brushing our teeth.  We actually made it in the nick of time.  I was rather impressed.

Monday, I got up early and repacked all my luggage, and about 2pm Mark and Kathy showed up to take me to my official home.  I arrived at Jaci’s house just a short drive later.  Kathy and Mark had to return to the office, so they quickly left.  I spent the afternoon settling in, and going to Tesco (the grocery store) for some food.  Jaci can’t have wheat, so I bought my own pasta and bread and so on.  While we were out, she drove the route that I would be walking to the office.

When we returned we made our individual suppers, and then she had to leave for a meeting.  So, I spent the evening unpacking and whatnot.  When she returned we ended up talking until about midnight.  So it was a late night, but it was nice to get to know my new housemate.

Jaci is very kind and sweet.  I think we’ll get along well.  She is a part of the team of missionaries working with CEF in Belfast.  Her house is wonderful and very girly.  The front door is purple, along with many of the accessories.  My room is the perfect size, and she’s also redone the attic as a second living room.

This morning, I woke up very early, because I was nervous about my walk to the office and the work I would be learning.  So I got up and got ready, and still only managed to run out the door at the last minute.  I began walking the route that Jaci had shown me, and got to the McDonald’s.  I remembered there was something about the McDonald’s I was supposed to know… it was either “make sure you turn left here” or “make sure you go straight here”.  And I couldn’t remember what it was!  So I went straight.  It was the wrong way.  I kept walking and walking… and nothing looked familiar.  It turns out, I was supposed to turn left at the McDonald’s, but the route I went took me to CEF eventually.  It just added about 10 minutes to my walk.  I guess I’ll know for next time!

As it turns out, when I arrived in the office Kathy wasn’t there yet.  So I rewrote a few notes, and then went down to help Emma in the bookshop.  Kathy arrived just before coffee break.  After that, we spent the day going over what I’m going to need to know.  I answered the phone a couple times, and I don’t think I was too awkward.  Over all, it was a good day.

Now, tomorrow I have my scheduled school day, and I’m back in the office on Thursday.  I’m finally starting to settle in.  In a few weeks, this may be old hat.  For now, it’s still nerve wracking and exciting and every little thing is new.  I hope to have many more stories to share with you in the coming days.

Please continue to remember me in your prayers.  I’ll try to keep everyone as updated as possible.  Love you all!

Oh My Gosh... I'm In Ireland!

Well, my Friday was somewhat productive.  I did get some schoolwork done, and I got online to catch up on a little correspondence.

Saturday I had my first real moment of “I’m in Northern Ireland!”  Sally was going to get petrol, and she has a specific station she goes to.  So, she invited me along for the drive, and took the scenic route.  On the way I saw a castle!  Okay, it was actually a tower, not a complete castle… but it was pretty amazing!  It was at the top of a majestic hill in the distance looking gorgeously ancient (Although, it was built in 1857, so it isn’t as ancient as I hoped… but still just as gorgeous!)

When we drove into a town called Newtownards, Sally chuckled and said, “It’s New-town-ards.  It was the newest town in the Ards Peninsula at one time.  That’s probably where it got its name.”  I’m sure it was appropriate at the time….

As we drove through Newtownards, and into Bangor, I saw Belfast Lough which is the gateway for Belfast to the Irish Sea!  We drove alongside stone walls that also bordered the beach.  Beautiful!

Next Saturday, Sally and I will try and go see the sights.  If the weather is good, we’ll bring a picnic.  I’m really hoping the sunny weather will hold!  It is cooler here, than it was when I left New Brunswick.  It’s nice though, because most of my clothes are for cooler weather.  This weather definitely gives me more wardrobe options!

I’m having a really nice time with Sally.  This is a nice way to adjust to living here in Northern Ireland.  I am anxious to move into my official home, figure out the public transportation system, and settle into a routine at the office.  Simply because the idea of these things makes me nervous, and that won’t change until I’m actually experiencing them.  While they’re still an idea, I’m still nervous.  But for now, I’ll do my best to live in the moment and enjoy my time in the town of Combard.

This morning we went to church, and then came home to pack for the staff conference we’re going to tomorrow.  Tonight, evening service is at 7pm.

The staff conference will be at the CEF camp in Kilkeel, and will take a couple hours to drive to.  We will be driving along the Irish Sea, so I will be taking lots of pictures!  The conference goes from Monday to Wednesday.  It should be a good time of getting to know the staff.

Oh, and for those who were praying and wondering:  my cold seems to be gone!  Thank you!

I will write again soon, and also do my best to get on Facebook and Hotmail to respond to some posts and emails.  Love you and miss you all!

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24