Turning the Page

There have been many new traditions for me here in Belfast. One that I think that you might find interesting would be New Years' Eve services. Now when they occur at 11pm, they are called Watch Night Services. I on the other hand, went to East Belfast Mission's Fading of Light service which is held at 3:30pm. To put it into context, it is quite dark by 4:30pm. In previous years the service would celebrate the setting of the sun on the last day of the year. This year was quite a bit different. When I walked into the church that afternoon, I saw five caskets at the front near the pulpit. At that point, I thought that I had come at the wrong time and walked in on a really tragic funeral. After I took a minute, I realized that these caskets were the remains of the people that were buried near the church. They had been dug up because they had been previously covered over after the blitz when the church was rebuilt. They also walk behind the hearses after a funeral to their final resting place but in the past it would have been only men. This time the whole congregation walked behind the five hearses till we reached the undertakers office down the road. It was a surreal experience for me as I was not expecting to ever walk behind a hearse.

The video gives a visual to what I just mentioned and if you look closely, you can find me in the video.

Word of the Week: Scundered - has lots of meanings but normally has been used when someone was surprised

Christmas Time

The Christmas tree is decorated and lit. It sits on the top of our bookshelf so that all can see from the front window. The presents sit nearby around a decorative fireplace. The Christmas crackers sit on the mantle with a picture of all the volunteers. The stockings are hung on the mantle with care. The heat is on to keep us warm. There is even tinsel hanging on our hallway mirror. I certainly have all the material things that I would have every other year at Christmas, except that the Christmas crackers are new. What makes this year different? Family. This year I will be spending Christmas with new families. I will be going to multiple houses which should be fun to see how they celebrate Christmas. The second family I am visiting has two boys 6 and11 yrs. old, 3 dogs and a big fat bunny. That is sure to be mayhem but lots of fun.

While living in Belfast, I have been amazed at how much of life here now just feels so second nature. It has been a running theme between the volunteers that we need to remind ourselves that we are in Belfast. That this is new and different. There are a lot of traditions that are the same here but others that

are quite different. One that I have noticed particularly here at Strand Presbyterian Church is that they don't do the advent wreath or candles. Now the other church that I work with East Belfast Missi

on, which is Methodist, does do the advent wreath along with a lot of other Presbyterian and Methodist churches around Belfast. Many protestant churches would also not do a Christmas Eve service but they would do a New Year's Eve service called a watch service. Now Catholic churches will have a Christmas Eve service and I will be going to a monastery for Christmas Eve and will certainly document the event.

Another tradition around December is pantomimes. I went to a Cinderella pantomime

and it was fantastic. It is for all ages but most families go because it is a big treat for the kids. The fairy god mother and the evil stepmother were both in

drag and that is the mark of a pantomime. There is a lot of audience interaction. For instance when the evil stepmother, Ms. Lush, said "mark my words" the audience was asked to respond with "aye, dead on". I love that they teach sarcasm at such a young age. I was sitting with one of the moms from mums & tots and her husband and son. Her son, Thomas, is two years old and is absolutely adorable, and he just learned the word boo and was probably the cutest thing trying to say boo. He really enjoyed it when you said it back to him. I think it was the facial expression that it created that he liked so much.

Snow has come to Belfast. It has allowed for some beautiful but cold sights! The mountains you see behind the houses are the Mournes where are C.S. Lewis got his idea for the world of Narnia.

PS. yes, you do see two boxed sets of twilight under EBM's christmas tree for gifts for those who are in need this year.

He Wore His Religion Well

As Christmas is quickly approaching, the cold has definitely set in. So grab a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy a little bit of the story that continues for me in Belfast.

On one particular afternoon a week, I get to help lead an after school program for kids in inner east Belfast. It is one of the many times I work with kids that age but it specifically makes me anxious. I remember feeling so glad the first time it finished. The kids didn't listen and were generally were insane that day. I love working with kids but that group surely tested me. I have been a camp counselor for two years along with babysitting for over ten years. I thought I knew how to deal with any kid. HA! How wrong I was. I began to dread going a couple of hours before it would start. I just couldn't understand what I was doing wrong, but I knew that it was somewhere that I needed to be. This past week, I had a brief meditation with some of the leaders before we left along with a game plan. I felt a lot more calm going into the school that day for the after school program. Two of the boys actually listened to me that day and did what I said, right after I asked them. It felt like the sun came out and was shining upon me right at that moment. Note: it was already dark outside because it was 4pm.

Now don't let me mislead you, there were plenty of slurs that were uttered, huffiness, and cheeky behavior. The kids had been testing us for weeks and that day I believe they realized we weren't going to leave them even if they were being really cheeky. That particular school has been fighting to stay there because all the kids are right from that area and walk to school. It only has 58 students, which would range from kindergarten to sixth grade. They would refer to it as p1 to p7. I know I will still struggle sometimes with that group but they seem to accept me. That is a truly comforting thought knowing I have put so much work into trying to get to know them.

I heard a visiting minister recently talk about a man "wearing his religion well". That after school program for me, kicks out the complacency that assumes I have it all right. I think without that and some of the other challenges I face during the week and the rest of year here in Belfast, I certainly well could become that person who just wears his religion for everyone to see but does not put it into practice. Its easy to work with people that you are comfortable with. I urge you now though to seek out those places that need some attention. It won't be that easy instant gratification that makes you feel good after doing it. The hard work though will show. It might not be that week or month and it might not look like what you thought it would. It will though cause you to see the world a bit differently even if it just a 20-minute walk from your door.

Word of the Week: Cheeky-mouthing off or being rude or disrespectful, there are different levels of cheekiness of course

Running in Some Direction

It's foreign on this side,
But it feels like I'm home again.
There's no place to hide
But I don't think I'm scared.

As Thanksgiving being tomorrow, I find like many others, that I think of family. Now this isn't the first Thanksgiving I have spent away from family but it is the first away from the US. The lyrics above come from a Nickel Creek song called This Side. It fits how I feel here with the people. I know that I am so blessed to be here.

In the US, the rain would taunt me. Now here in Belfast, the rain is a part of life that I have come to enjoy for the most part. It is a common occurrence, when I run in the morning or walk down the road to work, the rain tends to greet me. Now remember this is the person who loves humidity and enjoys getting in a car that has been baking in the South Carolina sun all day. So this rain I believe is just a trade for me. Of course, I keep my anorak (raincoat) with me most of the time so that I can enjoy the rain. Side note: no peripheral vision when wearing said anorak because of the hood. It becomes quite funny when trying to talk to the person beside you.

As I mentioned in the last post, I started training for the Belfast Marathon. This will definitely get harder to do as it gets dark now at 4pm and stays dark in the morning. I have unfortunately had to give up running on the greenway and have switched to the city running because it is so dark in the morning (aka path covered by foliage on both sides=really creepy when its dark). People keep saying its going to get colder here and that kind of scares me because I just wore my winter coat the other day and it just kept me warm enough. I don't know if I can wear anymore layers!

Word of the Week: manky, the US equivalent would be funky but I really love the way the word manky sounds. Apparently it comes from Scotland/ Northern England but is a common word over here.

Item I Miss From Home: New England Clam Chowder

ps. thanks Andy for the video idea

Where I am supposed to be

I think the question I still get the most often is, "are you settling in well"? It has been more than two months now and I seem to think that this is part of their extremely welcoming personality that they keep asking. I have been settling in well and have been witnessing/accomplishing some firsts this week.

I went to my first Remembrance Day service today. They brought in the flags at the start of the service. I believe the flags were military flags since the day was about remembering those who served in the armed forces. We also had the Boys Brigade enrollment during the service. BB as many like to call it here is like the scouts but with marching and teaching from the Bible every week. They also sang the National Anthem (God Save the Queen) twice. I had the privilege of being able to listen to a packed church singing it because I didn't know the words. People in the UK have also been wearing poppies (paper) to raise money for the British Legion. During part of the service this morning, a few in uniform circled the congregation to come to the front and lay their poppies down on the table. It was a very symbolic gesture for me, like the laying down of lives. It was something so simple but yet powerful in one right.

Another large first for me this coming week is that I will be teaching the parable of the five thousand at one of the primary schools that I work at. I am quite nervous at how it will go over but am excited to spend more time with the children. I only work with that school for two and a half hours on thursdays. I have realized that I enjoy working as a classroom assistant. The last two thursdays, I have worked with a P5 (approximately 4th grade) class and had them read stories to me. That gives them a chance to read in a smaller group and they get more attention. I love doing this and it gives me a sense of achievement knowing that this will help them in the classroom and outside of it. I am an avid reader, so by having the kids read to me and improve, I hope that they will be encouraged to read more.

The last and probably biggest first for those who know me is that I have started training for the Belfast City Marathon. I still can't believe I agreed to do it. I had previously been running off and on in the morning within the city or on the greenway. Now it has had to become more regimented so that I will keep up with it. Feel free to give me tips!

Blooper of the Week: not getting laundry done in time because I forgot we didn't have a dryer here. Things hanging up to dry tend to take much longer, I have realized and have hopefully somewhat cured me of a bit of my procrastination.

Word of the Week: Gherkins, they are pickles in the United States. I gave the woman behind the counter making a sandwich, quite an odd face when she asked me if I wanted any. Thankfully, one of my friends that I work with at Playgroup let me know that she was asking me if I wanted any pickles.

Picture of the Week: Me on the top of Slieve League (a mountain) in Donegal. As you can tell from the hair it was quite galey and mizzly.

A few pictures of my time in Donegal

Yeat's Grave in County Sligo, I recited one of his poems while staring at his grave and basically stood in awe. His grave is among others and is not encased by itself like a shrine. One of the other gravestones cited the person's name and that he fell asleep, rather than saying he died on such date. I thought it quite interesting and unusual, mind you I haven't visited too many cemeteries.
Wool! And a spinning wheel of course.
One of the few places left that does this by hand
Donegal's crest

Its Just an Ordinary Day

As I have been settling in Belfast, it has come to my attention on how much I rely on routine. It came up because of the lack of routine I can now rely on. I think that I have needed that though. We all can have trouble reacting to change. I was ready for change of atmosphere but then was not prepared for the constant change within my environment. I will also experiencing with both congregations that I work with, the tearing down of their churches and facilities. This will happen right after Christmas. I will discuss later the magnitude of this for both congregations as they will have times to celebrate and remember the times shared in those buildings. It will always keep me guessing and never complacent hopefully. Well, since I work with two very different places, I thought to show 2 days in the life of a YAV in East Belfast. This post will be one of those days.

Tuesday

7:00-745am run around East Belfast normally running part of the greenway which is a 7-mile pathway of greenery lined with tons of blackberry bushes. I tend to smell the local bakery on the way back to my house on one of the large roads that I run through.

7:45-845am get ready for the day, which normally means making breakfast, turning on the water heater for the shower and dishes from breakfast, and of course getting dressed

9am I arrive at the offices of East Belfast Mission, where I sign in and then go to a weekly prayer meeting where most of the office meets for reflection and prayers

9:30-11:30am Pastoral Meeting- where the pastors meet and discuss the life of the church and the programs that go on, its kind of the behind-the-scenes for me and is a crash course for me in some ways of how the church functions through another angle.

11:30-1pm Office work, that constantly changes depending on what programs need some administrative work. Soon that time will be used to work on Christmas projects!

1pm-1:30pm Lunch at the Mission Cafe, a place within the East Belfast Mission family to provide people a place to eat at an affordable price and also supports a program called Meals on Wheels

1:30-3:00pm more office work of various sorts

3-4:30pm football (soccer) at Orangefield High School, a club just started by East Belfast Mission. Orangefield is a high school located in inner East Belfast. It doesn't get much funding so hopefully this will bring more attention and help to the school. I am not sure what my role will be there as I won't start that until the middle of November.

5:15-6:45pm go back to the house to make dinner and have a little time to relax by watching some tv or reading the local paper. It is a 20-minute walk back to my place and I am normally surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people trying to get home. I pass by my local library, my GP's office (doctor's office), the local butcher's shop and the smell of the fish and chips shop. Chips in Northern Ireland would be a french fries but thicker. If you want chips, you would ask for crisps. And if asking for a fry, you will get breakfast fare. I love everything being so local, the feel of the community is fantastic.

7pm chaperone two girls from inner East Belfast up to Dundonald on the metro bus to Re:act, a youth group that meets at one of EBM's member's houses

7:45-9:30pm Re:act, which I help facilitate with a couple from that live in Dundonald and are a part of East Belfast Mission (the church, rather than specifically the organization).

10pm I usually have a cup of tea and talk with my roommate Patricia about the day before going to bed not too much later, as I have to get up even earlier for the chance to run on Wednesdays.

Blooper of the Week: I remembered and set my clock back today but then still was late 5 minutes for church. The doors were closed and I had to go to the side entrance, which was locked but I had a key. I was forced either to wait where later I would do creche (nursery) or go through the door from creche to the door at the front of the sanctuary. Naturally, I waited in the creche room, rather than making a grand entrance in the front for all to see I was late (no one comes in through that door, only leaves).

Word of the Week: Chuffed, means happy and since its been a while I will give a couple more words common around here:

Pram is a stroller (which a lot more guys push around here, no matter the age, which I think is fantastic), Hob is the stovetop, Plaster is a band-aid, and Pavement is the sidewalk

Photo of the Week: they have many sayings and stories about the Titanic being built but my favorite that I have heard recently is, "The Irish built it but an Englishman sunk it."

With that I bid you a good week and it might be a while before I can write again as I will be away for the next two weeks in Donegal.