hello

One week of school down! This semester is definitely not as structured or syllabus orientated as any semester I’ve had before.

Monday – Irish Politics and Society (assignments via internet)

Tuesday – Christian Life (Dr. Hadden Wilson…amazing man who reminds me of Pastor Roher, when he walks into a room his life and love for Christ warms you),

Wednesday – Irish Literature (Professor Derick Bingham: teacher at Queens University in Belfast, brilliant man)

Thursday – Irish Art & Culture @ Queens University (Amanda Croft – her father and mother are both famous Irish artists)

Friday – Philosophy for everyone else, Independent Study Cross-Cultural Communications for me! (study of the process of interpersonal communications and the principles of effective communication within another cultural context (PERFECT for this time in my life & EXACTLY what I love and want to do)

We have class at our little “holiday homes” (if you will) on Mon-Wed, Thurs we go to Queens in Belfast and then back at our homes on Friday. We have a lot of freedom. We have bus passes to where we can go to Belfast (which is a thirty minute drive from Dundrum) and hang out, get free wireless internet, shop! and hang out with college students. Yay for awesome Irish friends.

We’ve already have a lot of reading and studying, but I’m loving every minute of it and all these studies on a different culture help me in my CCC class (cross-cultural communications). Hadden has assigned a book called Streams of Living Water written by Richard Foster and he is wanting it to challenge our understanding of Jesus and how he lived. Since I’ve been here, all 16 of us have become a family. We wake up, run, bike, watch movies, eat meals, study and have great conversations together, and it is such a blessing because our dynamics are strong and very well put together. One of the best things we can do for each other is encourage regular immersion in the Gospel narratives, helping each other understand Jesus’ perceptions into life and his counsels for growth and sharing Jesus’ vision, love, hope, feelings and habits (Streams of Living Water). It is so wonderful to be living in close quarters (and I’m sure I’m going to need to come back and read that again in a few weeks to remind myself) with brothers and sisters who encourage and have troubles the same as me.

We live with our backyard touching the bay (the tide goes completely out twice a day) and an incredible view of the Mountains of Mourne. The beauty here is beyond what words can explain, with green everywhere. Flowers flourish, full of color and life. Soon it’ll be autumn and things will begin to die off, but right now it just is so welcoming. Across the street (which I’m still getting use to everyone driving on the left side of the road) is a pub called “Maggie Murrays” and they have American Country Karaoke Night on Fridays…par-tay! Pubs are interesting. They are family establishments, with food and TVs, where a rugby game is usually playing, and just a time to sit and enjoy each others company…and, despite the stereotype, not everyone in Ireland drinks.

This is one of the first times in my life that I feel focused on where I am. Where my mind is no somewhere else, where I’m wanting to be somewhere else, to be at a different time, where I’m not satisfied in what I have. Over this summer I’ve learned a lot about satisfaction and stability in myself and in God. I’ve always been flighty in a lot of situations involving commitment, mainly because I worry about how my circumstances will change. I really had to evaluate who and what I was putting my stability in and what I was satisfying myself in. Grace is the gift of a foundation that Christ has laid before us, made ready for me to go, it is my choice then of whether or not I actually go through rocky times with stability in God, not myself or others because they will constantly change.

I think about everyone constantly, but I wouldn’t trade anything for this experience and time away, just adding a few more small pieces to my life!

Love!!!