The days are getting colder and darker here in Belfast as winter begins to settle in. As rainfalls take on chilling proportions and the sun hides away, life takes on a warm vibrancy, especially inside the homes and churches of Dundonald. Over hot cups of tea and coffee (and occasionally a cholocalte digestive biscuit), Sally, Heather, John and I begin our day's work with DFCI. The fellowship I find in the PaKT programs, the Beaver Scouts and Guides, the Youth Fellowship and Bible Classes is what especially keeps me moving.
November has seen many special events for DFCI and for myself personally. On the 8th of November, twenty-five young people came together to participate in an event called Clean the ‘Been sponsored by the Castlereagh Borough Council and the Police Service of Northern Ireland. The day consisted of a debriefing brunch, a two-hour clean up of the Ballybeen Estate and a trip to Lisburn Omniplex which hosts a giant leisure pool with slides. Youth participating in the event came from a variety of community churches and youth organizations some of which included St. Mary’s Church of Ireland. I got the opportunity to do a bit of planning for this event, which made it extra special to watch come together.
It was especially nice to have some of my family come and visit me this month as well. My cousin Rob came to join me with his girlfriend (and my very good friend) Laura. I had an opportunity to travel up the North Coast to the Giant’s Causeway, a compilation of 40,0000 basalt rock columns. One of the tallest set of columns is known as the Giant’s Organ was a great day for walking around when we went, and the scenery was spectacular! (See the pictures to the side)
Another highlight of their visit included a pre-Thanksgiving meal, cooked by some of the finest chefs I know. J We also took a day trip down to Belfast’s Titanic Quarter and over to the Shankill Road which hosts a variety of paramilitary murals and Belfast’s peace wall. We each left our mark on the peace wall with a permanent felt pen, which I think we all felt was testament to how far Belfast has come since the Troubles.
November has also included a retreat with my fellow YAVs to the Crom Estate located in southwestern portion of Northern Ireland in a place called Fermanagh. All eight of us spent some much-needed quality time bonding over car rides (and sing-a-longs – yes, we sing LOUDLY), board games, and long walks around the ancient castle ruins of the Crom Estate. Some of my favorite parts of the weekend were climbing 400-year-old yew trees, singing worship songs to the guitar instrumentals of YAVs Kevin and Megan (see video), and simply resting among the people I’ve come to know and love. And, as a traditionally country girl, I will attest that there is nothing like walking down a Fermanagh country road overlooking miles upon miles of sheep and green.
I think that what has been extra special about November is that I’ve come to recognize and fully appreciate the support I am finding from the people here in Belfast and those at home. As we all know, Thanksgiving is quickly approaching and Christmas isn’t too far behind. A couple of families at my church found out about my turkey celebration day, and offered to jointly prepare a feast for myself and any of the other YAVs who might want to join on Thanksgiving day. Needless to say, I will be one stuffed and happy American on Thanksgiving evening in Belfast, and I am looking forward to it!
Another thing I've noticed in the past month is the impact my presence has had here already in Ballybeen. Several of the kids approached me after my absence at my retreat last week and demanded "Where were you?" some more forcefully than others. Some of the moms from the Sticky Fingers program see me regularly walking around Ballybeen and a few of them acknowledged that they had missed me on Wednesday morning. It's exciting to know that my presence is beginning to fit into the pattern of peoples' lives here. I'm continually amazed by the number of people I come in contact with weekly, and am truly grateful for all that everyone here and at home is doing to support me.
