"You're the strangest person I ever met, she said & I said you too & we decided we'd know each other a long time."

April disappeared I am not sure when or how it came and went far to quickly. Last Month Rachel came to visit she was meant to have stayed here for a two weeks spending some time is Scotland with a friend than time with me in Belfast. After that her mother came over and met her in Dublin and the traveled together for a week. However the craziest thing happened a Volcano erupted in green land and I got to keep her for another week! Which I love but for two tried travelers who where expecting to go home it was trying.







Rachel spent some time with me and the other volunteers we hiked cave hill. We also went on a day trip up the north cost with Leslie who I grow up with and danced with in FL she had come to






Belfast for a wedding. I also took Rachel to the St. Gorges Market which is where many of the volunteers and I meet up many of a Saturday morning to eat hear live music and look and lots of venders sealing hand made crafts and freshly backed bread.

After an extra night in Dublin and we discovered that they where not going to be leaving Ireland until a week after they where meant to go home. We came back up to Belfast. Rachel’s mom enjoyed having a kitchen I don’t think I was allowed to wash a dish all week. Together they explored the city as I went to work. We also spent a day in Bangor and the folk museum. I was also Luckily enough to have them here for my Birthday which was incredible because I felt so loved. I was made to ware a great big butten that said it my birthday today and I had salmon cakes for dinner and a spelt and blubbery cake.

I also felt very loved from all my friends here in Belfast. My church family spoiled me I was suspired with Parity by Karin, Jenny, and Caroline. Where I was made Salmon and asparagus for dinner (there is a paten there) and a melon cake with candles. These three women whom I work with at church I some of the most loving friends who love Garnerville and the Youth there all three of them are so active and sing in the choir. We also have a good thing going called girls night where ware comfy clothing and which TV.




The other Volunteers also all came over to my house where Rachel and her mom cooked a great dinner. I’m so glad I got to share my friends with Rachel and vise versa. I'm blessed to have time with all of them. I was very sad to see Rachel and her mom drive away but I think God know we would appreciate the time together I mean what else could explain the Volcano?

strangers

Last march I was in a conference room that was set up for worship with about 70 strangers. I was there because I felt like I had no where else to go because the places where I wanted to stay I had grown out of.

I could no longer stay at Hollins. This was already in contrast, because at one point there was an opportunity to levee early which I considered manly for finances. I never really wanted to levee not in the August of 2008 or in May of 2009. Hollins was my home the people there had become my family we didn’t always agree but what family does. Some times there was sorrow but there was also joy, meals in the dining halls, hours spent sitting on the flour discussing dance and art and dreams. I felt intelligent at Hollins, no I could not spell or do times tables but I could discuses dance theory, theology, ancient art, and I was creating dances. I build a community for my self in my chaplaincy studies class and with the first year christen fellowship. With the dancer I dances along side and created with, the fencing club on epic drives to torments. Hollins was home.

last march I was sitting in a room with 70 strangers at a placement event for the young adult volunteers. I didn’t have any problem with the idea of going abroad. How ever one of the first things that was asked of us was to let go of are current community we where asked to turn off are phones for the week and not visit friends. We where asked to let the 70 strangers in the room be our community. I have to say I hated this idea and to be honest I broke this in several different ways. I went to visit a friend who went to seminary in Kentucky. I also had internet and would send emails home. I didn’t mind the idea of going abroad. How ever the idea of giving up my home my community terrified me. To be honest I tried the hole no contact thing for the first night. I was in tears but only after messaging a good friend and visiting with my friend Mike did I realizes. That it would be ok I was able to cheer up after that. I got to know my roommate Sara who is now in Peru whom I love and is my prayer partner for the year. I remember being able to laugh with people at meals and towards the end of my time worship became powerful and meaningful.

I came home to Hollins sat under my dorm hugging a friend still completely unsure of what was happening I was going to N. Ireland not because it was a life long dream but because I could not stay in the place I loved.

Last Friday I was teaching my dance class at the school.The dance club kids have come so far they worked on making up there own dances in small groups. And are able to inprov with out feeling self-conches and they laughing and smile the whole time. After school I walked up to peter and Alas for dinner before heading down to church for “The east end show” a choir contest for charity that the choir had work so hard to put together to raise money for Ecuador and Alshimors research. I helped the choir with movement for there songs and I danced not in ways I usually do, but I danced with the GB girls and with the SN@G member dressed as potato and I was asked to dance a solo. I was sounded by happy faces people who are my friends who tease me about trying to merry me off so I can get a visa to stay in Belfast. I was laughing and enjoying my self. The last song the choir sang in the show was from the musical Joseph. I was standing in the wing looking up at the people I have grown to love and realised with out knowing it I let my self have a new community one I love and one I feel that I am apart of. I feel the same as I did last march apart of a community I love but have to leave. Luckily I broke the rules, the same friends I wrote to last march I continue to write now. I also have many new friends. I have my Belfast YAV friends some of whom came to watch me dance this past week. And I have my church family. I am afraid of there not being a community next year. I worry that they is not one waiting for me but I look back at the communities I have been apart of and who supports me and I realizes that I have always been taken care of even when I’m afraid because leaving places has not meant leaving people, given the time 70 strangers are no longer strangers

February

My work here never cesses to be filled with verity. February is one really good example of verity.

On the 14th I lead worship. I wrote out the lituray and prayers. The theme of the Sunday was "God at work" so God in the work places. I fond out some cool things. For exmaple the word vocation means a calling. I like thinking about work as a calling. Maybe our job is not so different from out vocation if we are called to work weather reuality, Nursing, or accounting what does that mean? God goes with us every where we go not just to church or Bible study but work as well and we need to rember God in or work places. I also thought a lot about gossip how we threat the people we work with. I gave a children's sermmon using "is it nice, is it true, is it nessery" the idea being before you speak about some one else go throw your head is what I am saying kind? is it really true, do I know for a fact that so and so has gained 10 pounds? is it nessery do I need to be saying this at all? will it help someone? will it better lives by talking about a person in this way? I used tooth past to show that we can't take the things we say back like tooth pasest words once they are out they will not fit back in the tube. I thought a lot about people who can't find work. Lots of my friends who just finsed school can't find jobs in there feild and men and woman who have worked for years have lost there jobs becoues of the "credit crunch" as they call it here in Belfast.

I have also lead 2 of Gernville's all age worship times. We try to have the first part of the serces when kids are still in the room be a time that reaches every one. So the 1st Sunday of the month is a worship time together, 2nd a traddishnal object lesion or childern's talk. 3rd is dance/drama/ multisensory. 4th is other or any of the above. I used a beanie baby to talk about how God loves us just as childerns love there favourite stuffed animal. When they are lost there whole world stops till they are found. God loves us when we are dirty and have holes and are broken, and if we are in the washer getting a fresh start he will wait next to the maushen untill we are clean. For the presybteran weman sunday last week I build a Gernville maushen I had different member come up and make a movement and a nose they had to conect to the person in front of them. At the end they all did there movement one after the other. I used lots of different people from different groups in the church to talk about the body of Christ and how we need lots of kind of people to make a church work just like a meshean has lots of different parts.

This month I have been helping the choir get ready for a big concert in March. I also have started working at the school more on Fridays. I teach dance class to the preschool students in the moring lead a trust and insctive games with older kids (these are group building games I would us at camp) in the afternoon I teach dance to the P1 than have my usale dance class after school. I am also teaching a dance class onces a month in the commuinty center. I still go to all of my regler things Bowling, Childsplay and friendly club are in full swing (last week I was the entertament at friendly club so I did some reading). Also GB is geting ready for there big display so I have writen a play and am making a dance for them. One Big project I have been working on the last few month is a Sunday school teachers training day (it is tomrrow) I have been working together with the youth worker at another church. I am nervies about it but I love the Gernville techers and I hope it shows how much I aperchat them and that I just want to suport them way I am here.

Earlier in the month the YAVs and I had one of our retreats we went to the beach for a day on the west cost of Ireland. We also went in to Derry and herd a lot about the troubles there and how the people lived during that time we looked at murals that have been painted in an artistic responses to that time. We also drove a long the noth cost we stopped at the Giants causeway. It was a refusing time. A time to share storeys with friends, and rest as well as learn and grow. the pics are from that trip

Here and there

Well I now have lived in Belfast Northen Ierland Long enough to have picked up the slang words and some times the ascent. I have been here long enouth to fall in Love with the people I work with and another church family. I have been here long enough to miss my friends and family back in the states desperately but also dread the idea of leaving behind my new friends and home here in Belfast. It's an unusal feeling really.

I had a fantastic January becoues I had the best of both worlds. One of my best friends Meredith who is a sophomore at Hollins this year came over for the month she was doing an indapented study for her H-term she wrote a play based on the Dockers strike in 1907 it like 120 pages long it ver impress and smart. I got to not only got to spend time with her but I also got to show off all the things I love about Belfast and my church family here. Having her here help to high light all the things I knew I loved, but I could really seen them when pointing them out. I took her to church where she got to see me give a some what descent retelling of Horton hears a who for a childerns sermon. Also she went to bowling club with me and got to meet the group of peopl who have really adopted me. She really left an impression on them when she bowled by holding the ball with both hands and swing it between her legs. Also I was able to bring her to a SN@G meeting.

SN@G is our youth fellowship group at Grenville SN@G stands for Sunday nights at Gernville. It was named SN@G more becoues the youth wanted to here SN@G said in church it is a slang word for making out in Briton. All of the leaders are volunteers and have to be under 30 there are 5 leaders including me Jenny, Carline, Gram, and Karen. I became close to them on a weekend retreat we took the youth to. I also love the kids we have about 10 to 15 youth that come each week and we have a lot of fun. We play games including Wah, and a game called the moo game. Than we have a Bible study. There is always a lot of laughing.

I loved having Meredith here we went down south to Cork and Dublin. She also spent her 20th birthday whith me. She got to meet all of the other YAVs. Some how me being here is more real now that she has seen where I am, and meet my friends. I put her on a plain to go home on wednesday and I am heart broken. I realized as I put her on the plain how much of my heart is back in the states with her,my family, Rachel,my other friends dancing at Hollins, St. Andrews, and the list goes on. At the same time I realized in July I will have to leave another part of my heart in Belfast with the Bowlers, SN@G members, Peter adn Alsa, the community centre kids, and my students in my dance classes. So for now I am telling my self that time with Meredith was so worth the heart ace of another goodbye and in April I will have the nest of both world's when Rachel visits, and than in the summer when my family comes to visit. Than I am not sure what I am going to do becoues I will miss my Belfast family just as much.

Love you all where every you are

Patricia

Christmas in Belfast

Well I promised to be better about writing blogs but I am falling miserably. I siad I would write next about SN@G the youth group but I have decided to postpone it and talk about Christmas here in side.For the most part Britain celebrates Christmas like they do in the states but every thing is just slightly differnt. It like waking up in your own room but every thing is moved two inches to the left.

The Christmas corals have ether a differnt tune than I am used to or different words so I am usaly confused. In the end they give me the same worm feeling of Christmas. Starting with Cold wheather, it snowed the sunday befor Christmas. Like churches in the states they all celebrate Christmas differently. Grenville has a Nativity service on the 4th sunday of advent. We perpared for this for a month with extra rehusale on Friday nights and during sunday school. It was very cute and the kids worked hard to luern there lines and songs. I may have made a guest aperinse.

That same night Gernville has a Carols by Candlelight services. It was beautiful we read the nine scriptures and carols I got to read Isaiah9. The only word that triped my up was Zeal but luckily Jan taught me how to say Zeal my frist year at Hollins, so I did ok. The services was lovely and reminded me of Hollins wight gift serves.

A Chrsitmas eve services is not traditional in prodstent churches here. Gernville doesn't have one. but my Friend Lindys church does so I went to there 11;30PM carols services. she gave the message. It is traditional for churches to have a Christmas morning services. On Christmas moring the familys come to church and the kids bring there new toys. We sang 3 carols and I gave a childern's talk.

My Christmas was really nice. Sally and I decorated the house with decorations we found up stares so no fear we had a tree. Christmas eve I was invited to Peter and Alsa house Alsa is Swedish and they celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve. She cooked a traditonal Swedish Christmas meal. With smoked salmon and potatoes and anchovies and lots of other alsome stuff. I really enjoy spending time with there family and feel very at home around them. After the party I came home and talked to my parents, Rachel, and Meredith on the phone. I will not lie this made me very home sick I missed my family and my cloes friends and St. Andrews a lot on christmas eve. On Christmas morning I was over whelmed by things to open but it was not the gifts that where incredible it was the fact that I really have made so meny wonderful friends here. I felt loved and was fluded with kind faces and hugs I was not lonely at all for Christmas I have such a wonderful church family here in Belfast. Christmas day I went with Peter and family to his sisters' house for a traditional Christmas turkey dinner. Than on Boxing day which is the day after Christmas I went to another familys houes from church and had a great day and another turkey dinner. Needless to say I am any thing but lonely or hungry.

I hope you all had a wonderful blessed Christmas full of Gods love and grace. Have a happy new years

In Christ

patricia

Girls Brigade

Well there is not really any thing like what is commonly known as GB in the states. The closest thing would be girl scouts. It a christen organization I have add a brief history from there web site.

The Girls’ Brigade was formed in July 1965 by the union of 3 organisations ...
The Girls’ Brigade (formed in Ireland in 1893)
The Girls’ Guildry(formed in Scotland in 1900)
The Girls’ Life Brigade(formed in England in 1902)
All 3 organisations were designed to provide weekday activities for members of Sunday Schools and Churches. As these 3 organisations grew and developed they extending into many countries around the world.

In 1965, the 3 organisations merged to form the Girls’ Brigade as we know it today, now operating in 61 countries and islands around the world. Apart of my job and weekly routine is being a leader of the 241st company ant Garnerville. I have to say I have never been apart of any thing like it other than the few times I went to Newton’s on Ayr’s GB in Scotland a few years age. The girls and leaders where uniforms; and have two big formal events a year. The enrolment ceremony and end of year display, at the display they get badges they earned. On a Tuesday the explores come first there are 6 of them they are aged 4 to around 8. We colour, dance some, play traffic lights, duck duck gooses. Some times they do projects like back biscuits (cookies) or paint. Than the older Girls come I am in charger of teaching scripter’s to the Jrs they are aged 8 to 10. I love this I lead a very similar Bible study to ones I would lead at camp. We play games that help lead us in discussion after the stories and I like the girls. I also am helping get a play and a dance together for there big end of the year display. We start getting ready for that after Christmas.

Last Sunday was our enrolment serves. Peter asked me to help him plan the serves which was really exciting. We used the idea of a cloud of witness that yes the girls are members of the GB but that they are apart of a huge support network that God gives us. We had the girls do an egg on the spoon races up and down the aisles and each side of the church was to cheer a team on. This was to show that there are lots of people cheering us on where we are wining or losing. Peter lead that then I gave a message on three woman who are apart of our cloud of witnesses. I read a story on St Brigit, Harriet Tubman and last I ask one of or church member Evelyn to answer a few questions for me. Evelyn did so well and the girls sang there song really well.

I was also given a leaders uniform on Sunday I have never worn a uniform before and I was unsure about it. But the gift of the uniform made me feel as if I was apart of something. And now on a Tuesday I have a polo with my initials monogrammed on it as a reminder that I am also a member of the cloud of witness God has given me at Garnerville.

Love, Patricia

Fit me in Somewhere

Today I got letters from kids in the WOW (Worship on Wednesday) at First Presbyterian Church in Lake City, FL Also this week I got a beautiful card from the Love circle at my home church St. Andrews. The Love cercal has always been kind to me they sent me cards the whole time I was at Hollins. I was so excited to seen one slip throw my letter box. I also have gotten letters from my family, Sally teased me about the existents of a Halloween card. Also some of my close friends have send amazing care packages filled with every thing from instant Irish accent spray to spelt pretzels my new favourite snack food. (Wheat free)

Each letter and email and face book note has been I reminder that I am in no way alone. When I first stood at the front of St Andrews and said that I was going to N. Ireland. I had no idea that some many people would stand behind me. You all are the biggest part of this Journey. That is way I am very sorry I have not been keeping up with my blog post. So I am going to do a series of them this week.



For the first I would like to talk about the N. Ireland YAVs fall retreat. All ten of us pilled in to the Garnerville mini bus, and drove the 3 hours to Donegal Ireland. It was my first time in southern Ireland (the part that is not Britain). We stayed in a house of Lack Elis next to the blue stack mountains. It felt a little bet like Hollins which made me feel at home.

During the retreat we did many things for the most part we just enjoyed the company of each other, because we are so spared out that we really don’t see each other that often. One day we went on a hike up pilgrims path. We also visited the little town of Donegal and took a trip to a very cold beach.

One of my favourite parts of the trip was that each of the four house was asked to lead a worship why we where there. This was my favourite because so many people are so musical talented it turned into a jamming sessions. I even lead a few songs. Below is a poem I read. Sally and I based our worship time around it.

Fit me In Somewhere
By Gerard Kelly

Fit me in somewhere

In this giant jigsaw, God,
Somewhere in this work of art
You’re working,
Select a space my shape can fill
And with a puzzle maker’s skill
Let my contours find their fit without contortion.

Teach me which patch I am, God,
In the cosmic quilt you’re quilting.
Show me where my square of selfhood is of use.
Let the colourful complexities
Of the pattern that is me
Find their purpose in the placement that you choose.

Show me my position, God,
in this group photograph.
Stand me where you want me to stand.
Put me next to whom you will.
Make me stand, for good or ill,
Precisely in the place your plan demands.

Tell me what I am, God
in this body you are building:
a tongue to taste,
a nerve to serve,
an ear to hear.
Give me grace
to not be, gracefully,
the parts I am not called to be
and to play with elegance
the roles I’m given.

Fit me in somewhere
In the gint jigsaw, God,
Somewhere in this work of art you’re working.
Weave your wondrous tapestry
Until the twisted, tangled threads of me,
Surrendered to your artistry,
Form an image that is beautiful to see.

I like the idea that we are all just peaces in a puzzle and we all have some where we fit. And we can fit with out changing our selves. I also like knowing that we are not meant to do every thing. Some times we will not be cast. But there is still a part for us. We just have to keep auditions till we find our part in the play.

Love Patricia

P.S. next blog coming soon on the girls barraged, to be followed by a blog on SN@G youth group.