One more thing...

We have all arrived home after a loooooong day- one that we can officially say was the longest day of our lives- literally.  After being delayed in the scorching hot Newark Airport for 2 extra hours, we eagerly ran through the Buffalo Airport to meet up with our families.  It really felt good to be home despite the many amazing things we have to share of our experience in Northern Ireland.  And I think that may be one of the best things about arriving home to so many people we care about-  getting to share about what has happened, what God has done, and how we have been changed.

Thanks so much again for following along, and keeping us in your prayers, we most definitely needed it and could see the effects of it.  God has done great things, and will continue to do so.  Thank you God for being faithful and good.

Beth

PS--- for all you longing to know what happened to the bee... well...

As it turned out, Harry actually saw the bee and swept it outside on the morn of Doug's traumatizing experience.  After hearing Doug's rendition of the event, Harry stealthily went outside, and retrieved the bee, and let Jenny in on its whereabouts.  They managed to keep this a secret and continued to pester Doug until our very last night.  When Jenny and Harry came to say their goodbyes, they admitted that they had a gift for only Doug on this evening... a tiny bag for a tiny gift... which elicited a grand response.  As Doug opened the gift he uttered "So help me Jenny Robinson if this contains that bee...!"  which his raised eyebrows, widened eyes and huffing made clear the verdict as he removed a small plastic clear box containing the bee's body.  We all had a great laugh and truly enjoyed to the fullest the company, hospitality, friendship and shenanigans experienced through Harry and Jenny on this trip.  Thanks again Harry and Jenny you were the most amazing hosts and we already miss you:)

Onward

Today was our last official day of "work" here in Downpatrick, a kind of bittersweet realization by the team.  It is comforting knowing we will be spending the next 3 days in Dundrum, processing, unpacking and assessing exactly what all happened this past month, with some time for relaxation thrown in there too.  It is strange to think so much time has gone by, and the days in Sandy Row seem so long ago and yet memories of the kids as we recall them seem like yesterday.

We attended two services this morning, both of which are regularly under Harry Robinson's instruction.  We went to Ardglass for the first service which we were a large part of, sharing a bit about ourselves, and taking most components of the service.  John preached a sermon about the treasure we hold within, placed there by Christ and revealed in our times of weakness.  Travis prayed over the congregation, Isaak read through the bible passage, Jenessa was interviewed by Doug, and Ashley and myself sang what we now can only call a "wee song".  Everything flowed smoothly and it was hard to believe this would be the last official thing we would lead as a team here in Northen Ireland.  The second service was led primarily by the American team, whom we handed out flyers for earlier in the week. We socialized and gave our greatest thanks to those at Downpatrick Presbyterian Church and spent time chatting with people we feel that we have known for so long now.

The next part of the day was a trip into Newry for the GAA game, a Gaelic sport like a full contact game of keepaway, but with a soccer goal with extended posts above the crossbar, and different rules regarding travelling with the ball in hand, how you need to pick it up with the option of kicking it as well.  Very interesting to say the least.  The team enjoyed experiencing/viewing a sport that we will never see played at home.

The afternoon passed quickly and after a pizza dinner with those who went to the game AND surprise... Jenny and Harry's one week old granddaughter made and appearance as well.  Such a beautiful little girl, Jenny can scarsely be peeled away from the little thing, she is so fragile and beautiful.

Last of the evening was the usual Sunday Night Session at Downpatrick Presbyterian.  This was not led by us, but it gave us an opportunity to see the kids and leaders we have gotten to know over the last three weeks.  The girls arrived a little late, as they got a special trip to Jenny's daughter's horse barn.  After the event we kept to the Sunday Night McDonalds tradition and said our good-byes to the Downpatrick folk.  Isaak needed to be literally pulled away:)

We are excited for somewhere new tomorrow, but are a little slow in letting go of the familiarilty of our host families in Downpatrick.  It has felt so much like a home here and we have made a lot of great friends.  Overall, I think God has reshaped us SO much through the people, experiences and love we have been shown - and shown to those around us. 

I will sign off the blog (as I am doubting there will be any internet access for the remainder of the trip) with saying a huge thank you for your prayers.  There are surely moments on this trip where we have felt God's protection and providence through your faithfulness in prayer and His true goodness.  Keep praying as we debrief these next few days that the work that has been started, continued or even accomplished on this trip in our lives and the lives of others will not go unnoticed.  Also that we would take the time to give God glory for what he has done, and perhaps uncover things we have not yet acknowledged.  We have been richly blessed. 

Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness, keep us safe on our journey home, and seal the work You have accomplished in us through Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus name,
Amen.

Dublin

Today we were out the door by 6:15. As our resident early riser this was not a problem for me! The rest of the team however resembled drowned rats who had been hit by a train. None the less, spirits rose once we got on our train which was headed south. The scenery from the train was typically beautiful as we had lots of sun to see the Irish sea and rolling hills.

Upon arriving in Dublin we were quickly guided by John to go and see the U2 recording studio. This was achieved with a pleasant walk along the river in which we struggled to read our maps due to the wind! After a quick look at the studio we all headed into the city centre for a full Irish breakfast. This is similar to an Ulster fry but with more pudding and less grease. I bet Isaak £1 that he could not finish the whole thing. Needless to say I am out £1, however the joke was on Isaak as they use Euros in the 'Republic'. At this point the girls went off shopping. Another total afront to cultural norms in favour of shopping did not surprise me, yet I was happy to not be dragged along as shopping with women (or should I say patiently waiting on a bench) is not my strong point! The men proceded to go into all sorts of sports stores. It is interesting to see the Tricolour flag displayed so prevalently, as in Belfast it is assosciated with the republican movement, and can be extremely provocative if displayed. Aside from this we took in all of the sights and sounds and I was able to buy a real Gaelic Football. This football will be put to good use once we learn the rules of the game at a GAA match tomorrow.

Anyway after our wander around we met up with two of the Youth Alpha leaders and went out for a lovely early dinner. The banter was class as per usual of course Isaak stole the show with one of his colourful anecdotes with a clever punchline which left everyone in stitches. We made our way back to the station and headed back north. It was nice to return to the comforts of Northern Ireland and our adopted home in Downpatrick. We settled in for a quiet evening in which most of the team relaxed while Travis and I designed a t-shirt and Jenessa raided the sweet jar. Everyone has gone to bed early as we are leading a service in Ardglass tomorrow and are quite worn out from our adventure to the 'Republic'.

All is well on this end,
Greetings from both the North and South!

just spoiled, absolutely.

It is no exaggeration to say we have been just spoiled, absolutely during our stay in Downpatrick.  Our separate host families as well as Harry and Jenny have been so intentional about our stay here being nothing short of fantastic.  Our meals, supplied by members of Harry's congregation, the constant tea-making by Jenny, and the constant conversation and banter with the both of them and our team has been hilarious, and inspiring.  Many "wee chats" have been had with a wide range from roaring laughter to theological or ethical discussion.  Our time has gone by in a flash this week with all this hospitality.

This morning Harry took us to see Down Cathedral- the Gravesite of St. Patrick, as well as the Down Museum which is located in the old "Gaol" and the St. Patrick Centre where we viewed an informational video filling us in on the history of St. Patrick. 

This afternoon we distributed flyers again around the community, advertising for the American team that is coming this weekend and will be running some childrens programs at Harry's church.  Walking around, going door to door has been an uncomfortable yet great way to just break down conversational barriers and just be social in the community.  I found that rarely do people keep their conversations short or cut you off as you are truly a stranger, they seem to thrive on social opportunities.  It is a serious prayer that God would continue to break down religious and political barriers within Downpatrick, and we hope that times of conversation like this are used in God's plan for reconciliation here.  Isaak and I ran into a group of kids playing in the side streets which resulted in them crowding around us and asking us about Canada.  Their parents were not far off and when we started handing our flyers they said "they would only need a couple, they'll be telling all their friends anyway".  Again there is still a real sense of physical community and family in Downpatrick.  People still know their neighbours and more than that, they just chat in the streets when the weather is nice and watch their kids play.

This evening the girls went with Jenny to be a part of Women's World Day of Prayer, and the boys headed out to the streets with some of the Sunday Youth Leaders to do some "detached youth work" a.k.a. chat up those who were out partying on the street on a Friday night.  The girls enjoyed the more liturgical style service with a genuine focus on seeking justice and a geographical focus on Malasia.  It is again a great social event afterwards to sit, talk and have tea with the ladies. The spitirual setting of the night was one of tenderness and compassion toward the injustice brought to our attention around the world, and yet an encouraging night as well as we could take time to pray and ask God to use us to bring his justice on earth. 

The boys had a somewhat quiet night, taking time to pray as they walked the streets.  Near the end they came across a party situation and started some chats with the guys there.  Some of them probably didn't engage or desire their presence there but many others joined in conversation and asked them about Canada, Ireland, the differences and whatever else came to mind.  God was definitely present in keeping them safe and even opening up as many opportunities as they had.

To round off the day, Harry, our resident McDonalds addict (along with Travis and Jenessa) drove us to the local Golden Arches for a late night snack, which quickly disbanded upon realizing it was late and we are meeting at 6:15am tomorrow to head to Dublin.  Did I mention we are spoiled!  It was a great day, and the week has truly flown by.  We are looking forward to our trip tomorrow but can't believe that will only leave us with the Sunday here in Downpatrick before heading to our debreif location.

The day after yesterday.....

Today we had a lie in. We then pondered what life in Ireland could be like without the responsibility of planning events. This was due to the fact that we no longer need to plan anything and are free to enjoy the hospitality of those taking care of us. I should note that this is a bit more traumatic for me as I am presently on trial for what I feel to be the justified murder of a dangerous bee in our host house. Any way back to the day.  We spent the latter part of the morning meeting with a former member of parliament. He told us about his experiences within the Catholic civil rights movement. Being a political science major made this an incredibly engaging moment for me. Others may not have understood quite as much but still enjoyed hearing about his long and storied political career. After this we moved on to see The 'Saul Church' which is apparently built upon the spot where St. Patrick started his ministry. This is at least the history that I took in and may not be totally accurate.  I confess I was too impressed by the immense beauty of both the inside and outside of the little church to fully appreciate the lecture that we were given on its history.

After a quick lunch we participated in a skype call to the Eden spiritual life department. This seemed to go well and will be shown in chapel next week. Everyone spoke clearly and concisely and we enjoyed seeing familiar Canadian faces. The late afternoon led to a trip to a Downpatrick afterschool program. This is much the same as Sandy Row except the children are slightly better behaved. We participated in a program in which Canadian themed picture frames were made. This was lots of fun as we did not need to plan it and yet could still relate to the kids. Upon returning home we had a large dinner. During which Isaak amazed us by noting that you could kill a shark by shoving a surf board down its throat. I have no idea how it related to dinner but it does seem in a way plausible, and was immensely amusing. The rest of the evening has been low key. This had lead to quiet time for most of the team and intense research on my part.

I 'discovered' this article online and have used it as my defense against Jenny's pro insect agenda. Also, I suppose I should say that we are all well and appreciate your prayers immensely. There, now the ones of you who do not want to read the bee article can rest assured in that there will be nothing else at the end.

Bees The Downfall of Civilization

British honey bee, known colloquially as "The Widowmaker", is a subspecies of the bee. This subspecies is a hybrid variety generated by a man-made breeding of an African honeybee subspecie, A. m. scutellata, with some others subspecies of honeybee (Apis mellifera), mostly various European honey bees such as the Italian bee A. m. ligustica and Iberian peninsula honeybee A. m. iberiensis. The British honey bee varieties are far more aggressive than the European subspecies due to a reversion of behaviour similar to non-domesticated species. Small swarms of Africanized bees are capable of taking over Presbyterian homes by invading the home and establishing their own queen after killing the local deaconess.^[1]

Defensiveness

British honey bees are characterized by greater defensiveness in established hives than European honey bees. They are more likely to attack a perceived threat (especially deaconesses) and, when they do so, attack relentlessly in larger numbers. Also, they have been known to pursue their threat for over a mile. This aggressively protective behavior has been termed by scientists as hyper-defensive behavior. This defensiveness has earned them the nickname "killer bees," the aptness of which is debated. Over the decades, several deaths in Ireland have been attributed to British honey bees. The venom of a Widowmaker bee is no more potent than that of a European honey bee, but since the former tends to sting in greater numbers, the number of deaths from them are greater than from the European honey bee.^{[citation needed]} However, allergic reaction to bee venom from any bee can kill a person, and it is difficult to estimate how many more people have died due to the presence of Widowmakers.
Most human incidents with Widowmaker bees occur within two or three years of the bees' arrival and then subside. Beekeepers can greatly reduce this problem by culling the queens of aggressive strains and breeding gentler stock. Beekeepers keep A. m. scutellata in South Africa using common beekeeping practices without excessive problems.
Rumors about the Widowmaker being a ‘keystone’ to civilization are greatly exaggerated. The rumors are thought to have originated in Co, Down and cannot be substantiated. What is known is that the bee will stop at nothing to maim deaconesses beyond recognition. Anyone who spots a deaconess and bee in the same region should kill the bee immediately. In the past medals of honor have been distributed for this act!

We can't beelieve we will bee home in a week,
Salutations from Downpatrick!

GPS, Bumblebees and Comfort Zones

Another day escapes by in a flash.  It's hard to believe how quickly February has flown past. We met as a team this morning as Doug illustrated his morning events with all the gusto his eyebrows and physical dramatization he could muster.  He had heard buzzing upon waking and realized there was a bumblebee in his room.  He managed to trap it in a towel and kill it- barely escaping death, but by the time he came to telling us about it, the bee's corpse had vanished, thus giving us license to discredit all that he had described.  Doug absolutely could not take this and has devoted much of his sprare time to searching for set corpse.

This morning howver, was also another early assembly which I can personally vouch for being stunned afterwards as if it had all gone by like a dream, with little recollection about how.  We were at Downpatrick Primary School and the children were so lovely and orderly.  Before heading in the auditorium Doug (on his bee quest)  asked in the staff room of the school if it were at all plausible for bumblebees to be about this time of year.  One teacher's response was that one of the children had been stung the day previous.  Doug could not hold in a fist pump of celebartion in affirmation of the possible validity of his tale.  The teacher looked quizically at us, wondering why he had cheered at a child being stung, but laughed heartily with us as we filled her in on the fabled morning events. 

Sitting in their rows, bright eyed and attentive these yourng children were just brilliant as we shared about ourselves, sang some action songs (which were entertaining to say the least) and painted an illustration about Canada; how large it is, how much larger God's love is, and how much farther He goes to show us that love.

After the assembly Harry gave us directions to make it into the heart of Downpatrick by foot, and recommended a gem of a little cafe for lunch.  The wandering haulted completely when we found "Sports Direct.com" shop where Doug could finally gaze upon the long awaited Manchester City Jersey he had been coveting.  We dragged him out of there soon enough and headed off to lunch and then back to "The Manse" (Harry and Jenny's) to chill for the afternoon.  By the time we had returned Jenny had posted a wanted poster on the door for the killer of the house bumblebee- suspected murder as it were, £10,000 for capture of the accused.  This is by no means an exaggeration or at all unrepresentative of our hosts spirits. (as it was indeed Jenny's fault the leaders were up far too late both nights previous- there's ALWAYS time for a "cuppa"- or the now famous saying: I was ready to go to bed, and then Jenny came in).

We spent some time before dinner (tea) distributing flyers in the community for the group of Americans that will be leading some children's events as we leave.  It was quite a different experience going door to door, having a "wee chat" with those who desired, and even those who seemed disinterested would perk up at our accent or when they learned we were from Canada.

Tonight was our last real night of officially leading a kids event.  John drove us to Poleglass - an adventure in itself driving maual on the opposite side of the road and car, with a GPS tuned in to a slightly alternative destination, but thats another story- and we delivered a night of team challenges for a group of 50 (or so) teens.  It was such a fantastic night.  We had a blast with all the teens and the leaders as well.  Isaak afterward declared jovially "I don't think I've ever been so social, I loved talking to these kids- Northern Ireland is really expanding my comfort zone!"  I think I can speak for all of us in saying that God is working on all of us in such a way, and has honestly blessed and been so good to us on this trip.

We returned to Downpatrick quite late and all of us were eagerly awaiting our beds.  Doug still attempted to pull out of Jenny exactly what she was up to with whatever twist she has up her sleeve about this bumblebee business, but only time will tell- stay posted:)  I can promise you- pranksters Harry and Jenny Robinson are not to be messed with.

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN'S GROUP

Today we awoke early to attend an assembly at a local integrated school. Jenessa shared her testimony and Beth shared a song. Both were appreciated greatly. We then had tea with the principal of the school who answered our questions on how the protestant and catholic children of the school were able to function so well together. We were very impressed by the school but had to move on. It is tuesday, and on tuesday everyone knows that it's the mens breakfast at friendship house. We arrived to a warm greeting from all of our old friends and immediately dove into yet another Ulster fry.
Later in the day we spent a last session with the kids from sandy row. We were again able to take them to the park and a wild football match ensued in which the kids demonstrated their incredible soccer skills. Following a delicious dinner we prepared for the big event of the evening, The Presbyterian Womens meeting! Slowly the groups of women flowed into FH anticipating a riveting program... and we delivered. We started off a bit slow but once Isaak pointed out how talented he was at hoovering, we had them in the palm of our collective hand. Ashley calmly but poiniently shared her testimony to enormous and grateful applause. This was followed by perennial Irish hearthrob Isaak also sharing his testimony. Both spoke extremely well and we are all extremely proud of them. Beth closed the evening by playing two of her songs. I am reasonably convinced that with all of her singing Beth could actually perform concerts here. The amount of album requests she has had is enormous, but totally deserved! The team then embarked to celebrate with a trip to starbucks.

On the way back we were greatly amused by a urinal which comes out of the street so that it can only be used at night. I have no idea how anyone could use it as it's located right on a street corner with tons of cars and people in full view! The highlight of the evening was returning to FH where Jenny was just wrapping up her meeting. Our group as well as the Youth Alpha leaders entered the building oblivious to this and quite raucusly and jovially brought the meeting to an appropriate close. It was tough to leave Sandy Row and the frienly people we met there. Alas I am a bit short on sleep so I will spare you the details of our drive home, and close by letting you know that we will be up early again tomorrow for yet another assembly. Please pray for us as this is the 'summit' of our trip and we are all a bit low on sleep and energy.

Peace and Blessings!
Douglas Hunt

The Coast and the Mist

Today we had the pleasure of adventuring our way around the Antrim Coast with our esteemed guide and minibus driver Barry aka - "The Godafather", as well as "Uncle" Harry.  We much enjoyed the venture as banter shot back and forth between the team and Barry and Harry.  He continued to call Jenessa- Guinevere and Travis- Trav, and took to making comments about "women drivers" to get me lashing back at him as well.

With Harry in the car it wasn't long before it seemed time to seek out a much needed fueling at the Golden Arches.  Harry's hope was  diminished quickly as we found no such refuge in the town where we planned to stop.  A different eatery would have to suffice, we were soon be on our way again.

Our first true stop was a picturesque view of the Carrick-a-Reide bridge.  A rope footbridge joining the headland to a close island.  Wepretty much sped across the bridge with most of us attempting to shake bounce or sway the thing en route.  Jenessa however inched across almost as slowly as she descended the stone steps on the hike to this location.  Oh Jenessa.  This only prompted more shaking of the bridge while she was on it when crossing back over.  But how else would you expect a true family to act:)

We continued on to the Giants Causeway.  With Barry stringing us along with his many made of tails of the land and country we could at least sort out the legend at this place as he attempted to persuade us that men had chipped away at the rock here by hand.  It honestly would seem so in some ways by the orderliness of the pillars of stone and their repeated hexagonal shape.  This place was truly a mysterious masterpiece, I suppose God just showing off in the way this certain type of rock cracks when under such pressure.  Pictures hardly do it justice.

Our final stop was at the famed "Silver Sands" eatery.  Harry insisted, Barry protested and we were soon seated in this fine establishment.  A gem that we would perhaps call a "greasy spoon" at home.  Our plates came to us heaped with the largest portions of deep fried goodness that I have ever seen- from fish and chips, to chicken nuggets and chips to Chicken Maryland (an Irish classic consisting of deep fried pineapple, deep fried banana, deep fried chicken and deep fried chips - oh but an honourable mention to the lettuce and tomato garnish attemping to asauge the greasened spirit but ultimately getting left on the plate- admitting defeat).  Needless to say the Irish have us beat when it comes to the deep fried menu.  With our bellies full we re-entered the minibus with "The Godfather" at the helm and made our way to our various homes.  A good day of rest before the action resumes.

Sun?

Today while the rest of the team had a lie in (apparently teenagers need huge amounts of sleep to function in any way) Beth and I attended the early service in Ardglass. The scenery was breathtaking, as the town looks out over a picturesque harbour. As an added blessing the Lord blessed our commitment to early mornings by giving us a clear blue sky and blazing sunshine. By the time we met up with the team at our second service of the day in Downpatrick the clouds had again taken over the sky. Nonetheless everyone had a great time at church and enjoyed our host Harry's sermon very much. The afternoon saw a return to our host houses where everyone was given a sunday lunch. The portions were large, and the take flight team continues to not worry about food at all.

In the evening we lead a youth night in which half of the team made bracelets with the more timid members of the youth group. The other half however participated in a raucus game of dodgeball. As the games came to a close Travis, Isaak, and Jenessa shared on faith, hope, and love. Some great conversations were had in our small groups and Beth closed with a lovely song. After a quick but memorable debrief segment the whole leadership team went to Macdonalds where we maintained our stellar Irish diet with a greasy night cap.

As a side note John Bryan arrived today safely, and we are all happy to have him here. Truth be told I have to share a room with him so please pray that the Lord will bless John with the ability to not snore!

All our love from Downpatrick!

Farewell Friendship House, Hello Downpatrick

This morning we woke up and began packing up our belongings for the move out to Downpatrick. As we thought about leaving Friendship House we realized all the good times that had happened inside those walls. The team bonding, the craziness of the children, the wonderful staff, the singing with the women pensioners, all of this has been so fantastic and much more than this list lets on. Sandy Row has truly become a place of home. Walks down the streets of Sandy Row that perhaps in the first days would have been intimidating by reputation are now seldomly without stopping to have a chat with neighbours, kids or other visitors of Friendship House. We honestly have been made to feel at home there.

Onward however Barry (our minibus driver- known to us as "the Godfather" due to the plethora of secret connections he holds in the common world of Northern Ireland) takes us to our new homes for the week. Doug and myself find ourselves at the mercy of Harry and Jenny (but honestly they are truly "class" hosts), Jenessa and Ashley are next door and the boys a 5 min walk down the road. We all went our separate ways, to later connect for Youth Club in the evening.

For the first time really, the team meets after a meal and hours apart. It feels like family reuniting again as we get down to our patented structure- going crazy with the kids, however we are now in Downpatrick. Doug realizes how his expectations have be changed over the past weeks when observing one child winding up to punch another. In his mind he was all over the situation, ready to jump in, take the blow and separate the two boys. In reality the boy was "just faking it" after which the two laughed at the idea of actually hitting one another. Little do they know their view of violence is such a privilege, as we have even learned for ourselves in the past two weeks. I will really miss the kids of Sandy Row, their lives and their friendship have made a difference in our lives and we will continue to pray that Friendship House continues to be a refuge of safety and love for them in the name of Christ.

BACON STRIPS & BACON STRIPS & BACON STRIPS...

The day began late for the take flight team as we were able to lie in. Luckily Travis got up at a near sensible hour (10 am) and accompanied me for an Ulster fry at an eatery two doors down from frayndshep hice (Friendship House). This was followed by a lazy morning, and a marginal amount of planning for the next few days. The afternoon posed two opportunities for outings Jenessa recruited part of the team to spend an hour in a book store and then further time looking at clothes in the city centre. This was obviously the inferior option as I posed a far superior alternative. Beth, Ashley and myself decided to venture into the heart of Catholic Belfast and take a walk up the storied Falls Road.

While the other three were waiting for Jenessa to sip some useless hot drink in a cafe, we were busy taking in all the culture that we could. It was really neat to see that crossing the highway totally changed all of the slogans and graffiti. Gone were the union jack flags, and mentions of loyalism, to be replaced by Irish tricolours and mentions of republicanism and being 'rebels'. The trip posed a hilarious moment when we settled down for lunch in a cafe that no doubt had more culture than the cookie cutter place Jenessa had forced upon the others downtown. The waitress had such a thick accent that none of us could really understand what we ordered. Beth was given a surprise dose of peanut sauce on her chicken sandwich, I received no greens, but lots of butter on my bacon sandwich, and Ashley was treated to a large breakfast rather than the french fries she had intended. As Ashley does not enjoy bacon my lunch ended up being a bacon sandwich with a side of bacon! We were all able to have a good laugh and luckily did not offend anyone. Hardly able to walk home we waddled back to Sandy Row and returned to the all too familiar mural of a man with an AK-47 greeting us to the home of the 'loyalist south Belfast Freedom fighters'.

For dinner we ate salami sandwiches, needless to say I feel as though I have consumed an entire pig today and am a bit turned off pork products at the moment. Regardless an excellent time was had by all as one group was able to soak up tons of local history, while the other was regaled with the history of Star Wars by Isaak! In the evening the group did a little more planning and watched secretariat. I went out for a walk and was struck by just how at home I feel in Sandy Row. It is hard to define how the area grows on you, but it does... and fast! I am sure none of us will forget our time here and many will return here again.

As a last note Jenessa is looking over my shoulder as I write this and I suppose I should say that she is not as... disinterested in the culture as I have made it appear. She was just 'jonesing' for some coffee I guess...

Salutations From 'The heartland of the South Belfast freedom fighters'!

Castle Day

Today begun again with the early morning Breakfast Club at Friendship House.  It is still amazing to me that these kids are up, awake and wanting to play Mario Kart first thing while being packed full of coco-pops and nutella.  But it was a great last morning with children we have come to know pretty well in two weeks as we talked and coloured with them before sending them off to school.  We consider it a compliment that we get random visits during the day and have some of them pounding on our windows at night wanting to play some more- and also just to "spy" on us.  We are excited that we will be coming back on Tuesday for a visit after relocating to Downpatrick.

This afternoon we had the privilage of touring and sightseeing a bit.  Harry and Jenny hired a "minibus" for us, driven by a friend of theirs- Barry.  A man with a great sense of humour to say the least, he immediately found it neessary to push our buttons intentionally calling us americans to recieve the banter that followed.  Before long there were jokes between us- he also renamed Jenessa to "Guinevere", and shortened Travis to Trav, as the name reminded him of the "American" program Bonanza. 

We visited Belfast Castle (not a true castle according to Barry) which was a great precursor to Carrickfergus Castle- Barry describes as a "real castle".  The site was great to explore.  Barry ended up knowing one of the tour guides there and got us in for essentially nothing, and we received a specially guided tour as well.  It was fantastic.  We were left to explore for a while and had fun discovering all the secret jail cells and arching towers, and best of all scaring Jenessa as someone would yell or jump out as she entered each one.  A high pitched scream and retaliation resulted each time.  Tireless fun to be sure.

Tomorrow we have a day off and will continue planning for the week ahead.  Although we will not be in Frienship House everyday next week there are many engagements ahead that will keep us busy.  We are all quite excited to move into our new Irish homes.  I have no doubts that the Irish hospitality we have experienced thus far will continue to be outstanding, and perhaps by the end of it we will return with more tea drinkers than we came with.

Dawn til Dusk

Today was a full day at Friendship House. We were all up and ready by 7:45 so that we could greet the children as they arrived for breakfast club. Breakfast club is not a quiet affair, rather it consists of loud music, and nintendo Wii dancing for 45 minutes before the kids head to school. One child consumed most of the nutella bottle in only four pieces of toast, to say the sugar made her excited would be a massive understatement.

Eventually we sent the kids off to school and began preparing for our lunch engagement. This of course was a program for the same group of elderly women that visited us last week. Travis shared his testimony and Isaak read a 'Sam' (Psalm). This was followed by a time of singing. The ladies again chose not to listen to Beth's lead at all. Their view point would seem to be that they have been singing longer and therefore know the song far better than Beth. This was fully manifested while we were singing 'I surrender all' Beth attempted to stop the ladies a verse short, this was wholeheartedly refuted as they sang on, even louder than before and the run away freight train of singing continued. Isaak was again the real hit as he received a hug and kiss on the cheek from one of the women due to the fact that he 'looked like her grandson'.

After a hearty feast of chinese food for dinner we welcomed the older children for our last Youth alpha session. The change we have seen in them in only a week is spectacular. Beth even lead a sing along on her guitar with some of the older girls. All in all we will genuinely miss these kids and wish we could bring them back to Niagara with us. I suppose I will end this blog now as we all need to be up again for breakfast club in the morning, ready to pump the kids full of sugar and immediately after send them to school.

Hope all is well at home, Rest assured it is incredible here!

Fat Tuesday... Ulster Style

To be completely honest, we haven't done anything specifically for "Shrove Tuesday", but Tuesday is the morning the Men from the local shelter come for breakfast.  Eunice, one of the full time staff here does a legit Ulster Fry for them each week consisting of: Egg, Potato Bread, Soda Bread, Pancake, Sausage and Bacon (back bacon).  All of the above are fried, even the eggs are fried in oil.  It truly is greasy goodness, we look forward to the Ulster Fry.

We had the middle aged kids (8-11) for afterschool club today and took them to the park.  They obviously love to run the majority of the way leaving us in the dust, but when we get there we are beackonned to the swings for a push or the zipline, a round or football, or really a good chase around the park.  These boys are quite particular and actually issued me off the "pitch" for their football game, I suppose its because I'm a girl.  (Get off the pitch! he says)  Afterward the retreat back to Friendship House for homework club on Tuesdays.  It is a chance for them to have help with homework that is probably not offered at home nor encouraged.  I thought it may be impossible to coax them to do homework but they sat down and it didn't take long for almost all of them to be working away.  It is another fantastic opportunity for them to have one on one time with volunteers and just be cared for.  Its great to see them feel so accomplished when they finish their work.

The evening program is Youth Alpha, and this week was really amazing.  We set up stations this week more like a carnival so that they could choose individually which activities they wanted to do, earning candy/chocolate for their attempts.  They showed quite a bit of interest which was new to us for the msot part.  Doug's station was probably the most curious: " Ask Doug Anything!"  We fully expected the questions to be awkward, immature, or just an attempt to get an inappropriate word or topic brought up, however the result was the exact opposite.  The questions ranged from: "If you could go on vacation anywhere, where would you go?" to "Why are you here?" (as in why do you exist) or "Are you a Christian?" to "When were you most afraid?".  These kids want to know about life.  They desire safety and people they can trust to guide them through the ethical soup they wander through daily.  Every so often we get to see their vulnerability and the deeper side of these children, and we feel so privilaged to be able to speak into that, even if its for a moment.  We continue to be blessed and thank God for the opportunities he has given us so far.

Walls

Today we were taken to see the 'Peace Walls' which divide streets in Belfast. It is absolutely astonishing that a wall would need to be erected because of the dissent between communities. The wall is around thirty feet high and is covered in inspirational messaging. Someone from Berlin wrote 'tear down this wall' to me it demonstrated such a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation it was striking. This was further enhanced when I purchased a Linfield F.C. scarf. This is a soccer team that is identified with the protestant part of town. The man in the shop made certain to tell me 'not to wear the scarf in some parts of town'. Saying 'tear down this wall' is all well and good except what would it accomplish? The real emotion behind the issue needs to be of understanding and reconciliation. The problems and legacy of the 'troubles' are so deep here that it really can make it quite hard to believe that people are able to function at all. Yet they do and it leads to a most complex situation in which they can work together and live in the same city, yet also need to be divided by walls to ensure they do not destroy each others homes.

After this somber walk the mood was lightened by a trip to our friend Robert's sweet shop. We all ate many candies that we had not eaten before. Robert impressed the group by quoting lines from Willy Wonka perfectly as it played in his shop. Later in the afternoon we had another action packed day with the after school club of young children at Friendship House. They of course had lots of energy, we loved every minute of it and will miss these kids dearly as we will not see them again. The evening was a time for reflection the team has planned some great activities for the older kids tomorrow night and also had some time just to sit and have meaningful conversation with one another.

This is truly a trip in which the Lord is revealing new and wonderful things to us each day!
We think of all of you at home often, please keep us in your prayers.

City and Country

Today we got a bit of both worlds...

This morning Friendship House transformed into the gathering place for Great Victoria Presbyterian Church.  Our team was in charge of the majority of the service and honestly, it went so smoothly. We decided to speak about "Faith, Hope and Love" - how each of these is relevant to our salvation as it unfolds now and precisely how each of them have been critical to our mission here in Sandy Row.  Doug introduced the team and gave a little background about Take Flight.  Ashley and I sang a few songs which was fun and many complemented about it afterward.  Isaak, Travis and Jenessa deliever a three part message throughout the service and were excellent.  They spoke so well with great clarity and connectedness.  Many of the congregation gave us positive feedback and we were so blessed in return.  Sandy Row so far has been a dynamic experience but truly a blessing more than anything else.  We have already learned so much.

Tonight we had the privilage of heading to Downpatrick where we will be moving to next saturday for the remainder of the trip.  We joined together with a Downpatrick Youth Group, leading an evening of "Team Challenges".  It was so much fun.  We had incredible help from all their volunteer leaders, and the kids were attentive, engaged and energetic.  Doug gave a short devotional at the end about personal challenges that was really well delivered and insightful.  The energy in the room at the end of the night after the devo and awarding prizes to all the winning teams was really inpiring and we all felt the evening was a success.

Keep us in your prayers as we enter our second week here in Sandy Row.  We are excited to see the kids again tomorrow, and we are praying that hearts are moved, both our own and all those who wander through the doors at Friendship House.  Pray for strength, endurance and above all the humility in knowing that although we are so small, God chooses to partner with us to do His work.

A Day Off

Today we were not committed to do any formal work. This left us the time to go and really explore the Belfast downtown. Ashley and her dad Brian were able to spend some quality time together walking around and catching up. The rest of the team were priviledged to spend the afternoon exploring the stores of Belfast. Most of these stores were quite over priced, however Primark proved to be the exception. I was able to purchase a pair of shoes and a new scarf for £4. Tragically this got Beth and Jenessa in a 'shopping mood' and resulted in much time wasting for the boys while the girls tried on clothes. In the evening everyone prepared for the big church service that we are to lead tomorrow morning. The theme is faith hope and love. Everyone has a part to play in the service and much practice was done in the evening. The team took practicing so seriously that they forced me to leave the room. (apparently I can be distracting at times) All in all we know that God will work here tomorrow and can't wait for the service.

Sincerely
Doug Hunt

Hockey, Parks and Noodles

Today was a combination of all of the above. 

This morning we had the task before us to bring the kids to the park in Sandy Row.  Comfort- the kids all are very familiar and safe in Sandy Row and know all too well where the part is.  Challenge- the kids all are very familiar and safe in Sandy Row and know all too well where the part is.  Nightmares perhaps haunted us about our walk to the park seeing in our minds eye that as soon as the door of Friendship House would be open children would run rampant and find their way perhaps to the park, perhaps home, or perhaps around the streets of Sandy Row.  There was of course great comfort and discouragement that any of the above options had been accounted for in a waiver.  To our greastest surprise all was a success, we walked/ran/met at the park spent over an hour there and made it back to Friendship House in one piece... although quite mangled perhaps from the "spin you as fast as humanly possible on the 'merry-go-round' and then run as fast as you can to the far wall and back" game we intitiated with the kids.  An overall hit, but resulting in some very sore heads and stomachs for the leaders and some kids.  While fully engaged in this activity one child alerted me "Beth, what is that girl's name again?" "Oh, Jenessa?" I replied.  She responded "Yeah, she just fell, and everyone is laughing at her".  Jenessa had slipped on the wet playground surface and was layed out on her back... of course kids find this hilarious.  Jenessa, immediately hoping no one saw was able to laugh at herself.  Doug on the other hand was still tightly gripping the wall as his head spun ferociously after his turn at "spin and run".  How glad we were after our stomachs were already turning on us to return to our home base for a "Mr. Noodles" equivalent- "Super Noodles" Lunch with the kids.  If our inards hadn't had enough abuse already they sure did now, but the noodles were as much a childhood favourite in my own Canadian past as in Sandy Row today.

The kids have become a complete joy to us this week.  Not that anything has changed really about their behaviour, but the bond between the kids and the team has grown in such a way that you just can't stop simling and laughing with them reagardless of what is going on.  Life will honestly never be the same, and the rawness and edge to these kids is teaching us about what it means to be real, and showing us the power of God's love in breaking down barriers.

The other divine pleasure we had this evening was attending a "Belfast Giants" hockey match with the Youth Alpha kids.  Upon reading our previous blogs about Youth Alpha one might wonder why embark on such a trecherous path with these youngsters... are you mad?!  I am pleased to say, yes we are, but also that we had a great time.  Although probably none of them know the rules to hockey, ever had a real interest in the sport, nor spent a whole lot of time engrossed in what we Canadians could deam a "glorified pick up league"- the kids engaged, chanted, chose favuorite players to hollar at (#71), and really made a social event of it all.  Most importantly we made it home in one piece, feeling great about today.

Lie in?

Today we were able to 'lie in' until nine in the morning. This meant that the entire team was rested and ready for another morning of action with the the young children. The morning was a complete success. Success of course meaning that no one was injured, set ablaze, slapped, or cursed out. We are really starting to connect with some of the kids. Once you get beyond the hard shell that many of them put up, they are genuinely curious and caring about us. This has meant that some great conversations have begun to take place and we are gaining a full appreciation for how awesome they really can be! Once the children departed we were left with an afternoon to ourselves. This meant that everyone was free to wander into the city centre and experience Belfast's great traditional establishment... Starbucks! As night fell we all gathered again at friendship house to share dinner and a movie. Tragically we had seen all of the Disney movies that were on offer. This provoked Beth, Ashley and Jenessa to head down to the local corner store in search of a DVD. Upon arriving at the store they were told by the clerk Anne that they did not have any movies, however she did alert the girls that she had lots of movies at her house. After quickly telling her co-worker to 'mind the shap' she guided the girls to her home in Sandy Row where she gave them a selection of movies to bring back and watch! Anne is the grandmother of one of the girls that comes to friendship house all the time. The hospitality of people in this area seems to know no bounds. We are so immensely blessed to see the Lord in many of the people we meet and interact with here.

As a last side note it is worth noting that Isaak is taking Northern Ireland by storm with his vacuuming skills. He is able to get even the most complex of things out of the Friendship house carpet after the children leave each day. This has made many elderly members of the community (especially women) SWOON over his talents. It would seem as though being from Niagara on the Lake and being able to vacuum is the way to an Irish woman's heart.

All is well here as the Lord continues to show himself in new and incredible ways

What a day...

Today was full of surprises... in a great way.  For the first time this week we had the P4-P7's or the 8-11 yr olds come in for Holiday Club, and we honestly just had a blast with them.  I feel that as we have gotten to know Sandy Row a bit our hearts have been uncontrollably softened towards them.  These kids are so full of energy and life and reagardless of the home life they have, there is unlimited enthusiasm to be tapped.  We enjoyed crafts, games, football, and spantaneous adaptations of any games or ideas that crossed our minds.  We had fun.

The afternoon greeted us with "Friendship Group".  About 20 or more elderly ladies from the community of Sandy Row meet every wednesday for "tea" and we had the privilage of introducing ourselves, showing some pictures of Niagara and singing a few songs with them.  Oh the songs... if you have ever led a group of people you do not know in a familiar hymn they DO know... you may have experienced the result.  Travis' red face-- due to concealed laughter really said it all.  Older ladies are not overlly accustommed to the rhythmic style a guitar brings to a song and before one line of Amazing Grace was over, we had arrived at different places.  It became clear that they were going to lead the way in an meter not recognized by mankind.  This was just fine, we loved it, and laughed a great deal afterward.  Tea and discussions about their life during the "blitz" in Ireland was interesting and we enjoyed our time with them.

The evening brought around another round of Youth Alpha, which after the previous night, had our expectations adjusted accordingly.  We decided to do a team challenge night.  We had several challenges planned, and only half of them were really attempted.  The success of the evening however was that, as we provided other game options, opportunities to chat with some of the kids opened up and we had a great night altogether.  These children are defintitely intense, as are the situations from which they come, and you honestly can't help but love them.

Meet The CRAZIER CHILDREN!

Today we were priveledged to eat a meal with local men from a shelter. The breakfast was an Ulster Fry, luckily none of us had heart attacks. In the afternoon the young children came for holiday club and they seemed to behave much better upon knowing who we were. Needless so say having a six year old tell you to 'f off' is still quite common! After a slight break in the afternoon we prepared ourselves for Youth Alpha. This is the youth program for 10-13 year olds in the community. A fake wedding with the message of God honouring relationships was the base of what took place. However as these children have even more energy than the young ones Chaos reigned! Picture the craziest scene you have ever encountered, add a healthy dose of underage swearing, throw in cups full of melted chocolate and stir in balls being thrown everywhere... Now multiply the whole thing by seven. This is Youth Alpha! We are really drained, but really enjoyed working with the kids. they need lots of love and we are here to share the love of God with them. Any who sorry this entry is a bit short, however we are all exhausted and are doing largely the same program tomorrow. All our love

Take Flight 2012.

Meet the Children

Today was a dynamic day to say the least.  Waking up to be ready to go quite early (9am!!), we started the morning just getting oriented for the day ahead, not a full day per se but one that will be requiring full attention.  With a very relaxed morning preparing for the Holiday Club we would be leading for the 5-7year olds in the afternoon, and delivering flyers around the neighbourhood just before lunch, we soon found the banging at the door was the neighbourhood children ready for their afterschool program, and we were ready.

It would be more than an understatement to say that these children have an unlimited store of energy, spontaneity and overall excitement.  Getting them to sit down together was an activity in itself but soon we had reeled them in with the infamous yelling/echo camp song "Boom-Chicka-Boom".  We had their attention.  We used what attention we had gathered to separate them into groups and began the activities we had planned.  It was a perfect mixture of controlled chaos if there ever was such a thing.  But more than anything, we had a great time with the youngsters of Sandy Row. 

Exhasuted and excited for what will come next, tomorrow is yet another day.

Culinary Discovery

Ulster Fry- An enormous grease fest of a meal where everything (even the bread) is fried. It consists of sausage, bacon, potato bread, fried bread, and a pancake.

Sunday Lunch- An Irish lunch served on sunday which consists of meat, gravy, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, yorkshire puddings, and two types of potatoes!

Today in Northern Ireland many members of the team were fortunate enough to eat both of these incredible meals within an hour of each other! That's right after enjoying our morning Ulster fry we were alerted that we were late for lunch! After being whisked out to Downpatrick we sat down and enjoyed the second meal. To say we were stuffed would be the biggest understatement of the century. Don't let me forget Dessert!

Eating in Ireland is as social as the rest of the culture. For this reason you seem to burn off a few calories just in conversation. Regardless this is more than made up for in sheer amount of food... especially potatoes.

With concern to the day itself, we were welcomed into a local church this morning where the team was introduced and Beth and Ashley shared a song. They sang beautifully and a great time was had by all, especially Isaak who had a woman offer her hand in marriage to him immediately upon hearing that he was from Niagara on the Lake.

All in all today was a great success!

Day 3

Waking up this morning was a success in that, we were all present enough to finalize some of the planning for the Holiday Club we will be leading next week.  Today we also had the privilage of taking a bus tour of Belfast, stopping for souvenirs, posctcards and coffee (for Jenessa and I) before heading back to Frienship House for dinner.  The team felt refreshed after all the work and planning we had done in the morning.  We feel really excited and confident now with the games and activities we have planned to do with the kids.  You need to know that Friendship House is a central hub in this community where, if the lights are on, the community kids are curious and will come pounding on the door to know what is happening inside.  We have already met several of them this way.  The one on one conversations we have had and will have throughout our time here are invaluable.  Please pray that more than anything kids will continue to feel safe and loved here, and that they will realize that this is all because of the God we serve, who loves us first.

Tomorrow morning calls for introductions in a local church and a trip to Downpatrick where we will be staying later on. We are having a great time with the volunteers and employees at Friendship House.  We feel so welcomed and at home here.  The Irish have such a generous and social culture that will hopefully come with us when we travel home... perhaps a hint of their beautiful accent as well.  (we'll try anyway:)

Day 2

We have begun to explore our surroundings in Sandy Row. Though initially you are greeted by murals of AK 47's it ultimately has proven to be quite a lovable place. The people here are the friendliest people in the world and would do anything to help us out. We spent the day on a walking tour of Belfast. Our host Natalie (a friendship house employee) made sure to provide us with an energetic and colourful view of all things Belfast. Highlights included a giant blue fish mural, and a beautiful walk through The Queens University Belfast. Belfast is the city in which the Titanic was built, notably there are many signs with pictures of the ill fated ship proclaiming "she was alright when she left here!" The entire team is in great spirits and looking forward to meeting and working with the local kids. The day was rounded off with a trip to see the Ulster Rugby Match. Rugby would seem to be a sport where anything goes all the time. Stepping on one's opponent does not seem to be frowned upon. The only solid rule is that no one may make a sound during a place kick. This amused all of us to see a crowd of thousands become totally silent if only for a few seconds. Our accomodations are lovely. Everyone has their own bunk, and thankfully no one snores!

Hope all is well!

Arrived Safe

You'll be glad to know we have arrived in Belfast and have settled into Friendship House quite quickly.  Our  journey over started off well as we arrived and got through security in Buffalo so quickly that they bumped us all onto an earlier flight to Newark, giving us a 5 hour layover there... After a game of Dutch Blitz and some airport wandering we finally boarded the plane, only to sit for 2 hours in line to be de-iced.  The pilot let us off to strech our legs at least and soon we were in the air. 

Other than Doug's snoring neighbour it was a peaceful flight, we all got some sleep... well all except Travis:)  He's got some catching up to do today.  Isaak and Jenessa have had some good naps this morning and Ashley, Doug and I have had some good chats with Jenny already.  It is really nice to have a day to recharge and get acquainted with the area.  Jenny (one of our hosts) is just lovely, wish you could all meet her, we are having a great time getting to know the kids as they drop by after school and look forward to the programs ahead. Keep us all in your prayers, as well as the community of SandyRow, and Friendship House.

Team!

This years team!!!

Left to right: Jenessa Jessome, Doug Hunt (leader), Ashley Elliott, Travis Braun, Beth Thiessen (leader), Isaak Unger