Last Day in NI (this time around):

I don't really want to write about anything yet. Just that last night, Karen held a going away party for myself, Ben, and Sierra since our internships are done at the same time. So, many goodbyes were had at The Press.

Today: a drive to Dromore to see Ben play on worship at his home church, Dromore Elim.

Tomorrow: flight home.

Another Week Gone By: Project 32

This past week was fantastic, and it definitely surpassed all my expectations. After my last hosting-a-short-term-missions-team experience, I was almost certain this past week--well, I knew it had to be better than that one (almost anything had to be), but still not at the top of my list. Far from the truth. The team was absolutely brilliant, and the work was exhausting but so fulfilling. Seeing real change happen in the young people (both those from Dgn and the ones on the team) was such a blessing. It was worth the constant feeling of being shattered, unkempt, disorganized, and slightly grody. It was worth falling asleep to snoring, coughing ever morning, eating a forth of my body weight in junk, getting too much sun (but can't complain too much, considering what island I'm on and all), and being seen as "in charge" though I felt I knew nothing.

This past week, Youth for Christ in Northern Ireland did a missions week called Project 32 (for the 32 counties of Ireland, both Northern and the Republic; www.projectthirtytwo.com). Internationals (America, Canada, France, Italy) and locals came together in 8 different teams to see youth won for Christ, communities transformed, leaders rise up, and the body of Christ coming together and answering the call. We went without much sleep, without much hygiene, without much contact with our lives "back home" in order to come and be a team and see the gospel set in motion.

Team Dungannon did detached work in 4 different estates over the course of the week: Lisnahall, Cunningham's Lane, Milltown, and Annaghshee. Then, we'd do a junior drop-in for 7-11s in the afternoon, and a senior drop-in for 12-18s in the evening. Saturday was packed with a Community Fun Day in the car park of the church we stayed at in town (complete with rock climbing wall, bouncy castle slide, and face paints), then that evening we held a worship concert at the centre plus a 12-hour prayer event as well as Safe Haven that night. And I'm still recovering from all that lack of sleep.

Yesterday morning, sending the team off to Belfast was sad. To be honest, I think it was a combination of realizing I won't see them again though I can see how much God's done in each of them, plus realizing I officially am on my last week in Dungannon.

My Week in the South

Yeooo, so I can officially add another country to my list of places I've been (even though my passport won't show it). The ROI fared well for me, though I'll be honest in saying it definitely wasn't an authentic experience in that it was an Irish melting pot, with loads from all over the island of Ireland. I was able to hear some pretty neat accents, though! Even one from County Cork, which is almost as far away from Dungannon as you can get in a car.

During this past week, I was away at a conference put on by the Church of Ireland denomination called NewWine. While there, I was a member of the team, doing creche (nursery work) during the morning services and sessions for the 1 1/2s to 2 1/2s. And after spending four hours a day for five days with those Wonderful Wobblers (or so the room was labeled), I can officially say I feel quite a bit more confident in minding children--at least, for short periods of time. Each one had his or her own personality, and it was actually quite interesting to see them interact and choose their roles each day. One girl would even act as a mother to another who was obviously much smaller and younger, trying to catch her down the slide and kiss her on the cheek, and on the Friday when it was time for the smaller one to leave with her father, the motherly one started crying at seeing her "adopted" child leave her for good.

My schedule was probably the most consistent it's been since my arrival: wake up at 7am, be out the door by 8:30 to walk to the conference buildings, set-up/prayer, mind children from about 9:15am to 1:15pm, walk back to the flat, and chill until tea (dinner) then go to the evening celebration in the arena at 7:30pm. In the evenings, they had different events (one night was a kid and youth workers' party with snacks and chat, another was a table quiz night). So, though my schedule was very consistent and I had a lot of time to use at my own discretion, I also became easily wrecked as the slots of time were just short enough that I knew rightly if I laid down for a nap, I'd be out for the rest of the day and miss the evening activities as well.

This being said, it was still an absolutely phenomenal week. The Lord showed me a lot of things, and I'm still trying to sort through how I want to share them--if at all. Each of the speakers were brilliant, and I have notes from each night as well as loads of songs I want to learn to play on the guitar one day for my own times of worship.

Anyway. I'm burnt from the beach, burnt out from lack of sleep, and my laptop is getting a little too warm for my lap at the minute. Time to shut down and hibernate until tomorrow, I think.

xx

Summertime Blues

So, yes, I realize that my posts have been increasingly less frequent and detailed since that second month of my internship. Oops. Sorry, kids. Guess you'll just have to wait for the stories when I'm home again in August.

Lately, though, I've had too much time to think. Thinking about goodbyes, and about reunions. About my nearing arrival back at Crown and about my time away from it. About sleeping on couches and on air mattresses in churches, and about my home back in MN. About all the adjustments I've had to make to living, and about how I'm going to have to adjust back again shortly.

I've had too much time to think.

It's really bittersweet, these last three weeks here in Northern Ireland. I know rightly it's going to fly by so quickly that even a sprint car couldn't catch it. And I know I'm going to have a hard time getting back into the swing of being at home again, because now more than ever I feel ready to move on to the next phase of life--the one where I take another big step towards real adulthood and away from "student life". (Not saying I'll actually be an adult, because I don't know when I'll ever get there...but it's closer.)

But at the minute, the most adult thing I can do is to return back to Minnesota, finish up my schooling, keep the aspirations I've developed since coming here to Northern Ireland, and plan for what lies ahead.

That being said, though the goodbyes will be difficult I really am looking forward to seeing all my loved ones from the States again! Coffee dates and living room chats galore!

P.S. In 12 hours I'll be getting into a car on my way to the New Wine Conference in Sligo, in the South. So guess what, I'll get to count it as another country! Hooray!

Success

This is what real youth work does for a person:

One of the young people made this for me while at the Church of Ireland Holiday Club tonight out in Moygashel. (FYI, a "holiday club" put on by a church is basically VBS. We're helping the church out with it all week long, between the two Churches of Ireland--that being the denomination--in the community, St. Anne's in Dungannon and then the one out in the Moy, a wee village down the road.) The theme for the week is "Mission: Rescue", with all the lessons relating to the story of Moses and how the Israelites were rescued out of Egypt. But, along with that is a spy/mystery theme, which is why we had the wee kids (all primary school-age) make up spy badges. However, the girl who made this for me decided to take the spy badge templates and make a "licence to be ___" for each of the YFC interns. Mine, because of my great love for this country, was to be Northern Irish. And of this, I am quite proud.

No surprise here

Well, I guess it was bound to happen eventually.

(Click the photo to see what I mean.)