Are you there God...it's me??

I haven't written here in ages and lots has been happening in life with church, college now that im living in Koinonia House and various other things. But i feel the time has come after the past weekend.

We had a Lay Witness Weekend in Seymour Street with a team of 15 fantastic people who came to share with us as a church family. If im honest I was really excited about the weekend, i've had a few struggles over the past couple of weeks, so I was really excited about what God was going to do in our church and in our lives individually. But I was a little let down...the meal on Friday night was great and i believe I was sitting beside the person i was meant to as we had wonderful conversation about things that were on both of our hearts but I left the event feeling a little...empty!! I was really disappointed that God hadn't shown up for me, why when I was so open and excited to receive was I leaving with such a disappointed empty feeling. Or maybe I wasn't as open as I had thought and God had shown up but I just didnt recognise it?!

Saturday came and I went to one of the coffee mornings, a wonderful time of fellowship, friendship and sharing with an awesome and powerful testimony shared very openly with the group and yet i was still asking, "God where are you in this? Why can't I hear what you are saying to me?"

If im honest once more, I was reluctant to go again on the Saturday evening but through the persuasion and encouragement of a good and caring friend I went. After all, how could I expect God to move and give if I wasnt there and open to receive. Again it was an enjoyable time of fellowship and sharing with the Witnesses who very openly shared their story of their walk with God. But once more I couldnt understand why God was being so silent to me. After being so excited and so expectant.

It wasnt until the Sunday that I 'woke up'...during the service on Sunday morning i had such a sense of God's presence and a real sense of being told 'I am with you and I will be there the entire way'

This continued into the evening service which was a true blessing...so many people shared an encouraging testimony/story of what they had received from the weekend. I also received an image of what our church was part of...during one of the first songs we sang during worship "The Splendour of the King", I had an image of our church standing in front of the throne of God which was blazing with light, shining golden and we were joining with hundreds of other people from everywhere alongside Angels and Archangels, all the hosts of heaven in bringing praise and glory to our Father and God. It was a humbling and amazing image and a very special insight into how we as a fellowship are part of the bigger picture of God's fellowship.

So after struggling to find God in what was happening He made it very clear to me that He was there all along. If anything I was depending to much on my emotions and feelings to know that right from the start. Sometimes we just need to relax and know....

All I Want is You...

I love the song 'All I Want is You' by Bellefire (yes I know, before anyone says it is an original U2 song I just happen to prefer the other version!!)

Anyway I was listening to it tonight as i was walking round Hillsborough and one of the verses just totally caught me off guard, as if I was listening to it for the first time...or with fresh ears maybe!!

You say you'll give me
A highway with no one on it
Treasure just to look upon it
All the riches in the night

You say you'll give me
Eyes in a moon of blindness
A river in a time of dryness
A harbour in the tempest

But all the promises we make
From the cradle to the grave
When all I want is you

Not being a huge U2 fan I don't know it there's any kind of story behind the song. But it just really struck me that this could be a song, sung by a child of God to their Heavenly Father and reminded me of a conversation I had with a very wise and Godly man when I was in Sri Lanka this summer. God wants to give us so so much, He wants to provide for us, heal us, love us and fill our lives with the goodness and great abundance of heaven.

We can complicate that and make it so difficult sometimes. We make so many promises right through life...at baptism, marriage vows, at acceptance into membership, dedication services and for Methodists in our annual covenant service and Im sure there are many others...but what do those words and promises mean if we dont seek that abundance that God wants to bless us with, if we don't seek the glory of Christ...ALL we should want is Him and His glory but yet we will receive so much more if that is all we seek.

Retreat...

Last week I took out time once more to go and 'chill' up in Newcastle. Time alone with me, my thoughts and I...and of course my God. Once more I loved driving through the Mournes...I even took a wee walk up Butter Mountain...not quite reaching the top, even though it was just within reach!! Surveying the beautiful mountain scenery around me. I definitely think this is where God does some of His thinking and planning. Walking in the cool of the evening through the Mournes :)


I also did some more star gazing...when it wasnt raining...lying out in the garden staring up at the bright, clear night sky. I could do that for hours and never lose the awe and majesty of it all. And my time there was rewarded with lots of shooting stars. The first being the most spectacular, it just burst across the sky seeming like it was on fire just above me...awesome =]

Then there was the tree I spoke about the last time, as I watched the leaves appear in front of me in the warm Spring sunshine. It was now fully covered in thick green leaves and 'helicopters' ready to fall in the fast approaching Autumn. Makes you wonder why they go to all that bother...all that effort for the leaves to come out...then in a couple of short months they will be strewn across the ground withered and brown. But that's the cycle that tree's go through...blossoming life and then what can so often look like a barren death in the cold hard winter...but no...deep down in the heart of the tree that blossoming life is waiting and preparing to burst forth once more. So often our lives can feel like that...a barren wasteland, a desert but deep down if we search for it in our hearts and in our souls that blossoming life and spirit that God has placed within us is waiting to burst forth, with lots of help from Him...no matter what season it is!!

Has anyone contacted 'Hello'???

I haven't written anything in a while and I have so much I want to catch up on...So im going to start with the biggest day of the summer!!! :)

Friday 07-08-09

The day of the wedding...it was such a beautiful day in all ways, the weather, the ceremony, the reception and above all the people.

It all started with early hairdressing appointments and a visit to the chemist as the bride called for some 'rescue remedy'...which i felt it was my duty as one of the bridesmaids, to look after for her!! :)

Then it was back to the house for make up and final preparations. We thought we had so much time but that last hour and a half just disappeared and suddenly we were 'fashionably' late as we got Janet into her car and Karen, Jill, Roberta and I climbed into the Limo!

The beautiful Bride ready to go and not a sign of nerves!!

When arrived at the church shortly before Janet with a little time to get some photos taken and then it was time to end the poor Groom's long wait!


The ceremony was led beautifully by Brian and was wonderfully relaxed and enjoyable as a wedding ceremony and as an act of worship.

Then it was on to Belfast Castle a beautiful setting overlooking Belfast Lough. Lots of pictures, smiling and mingling in the sunny afternoon.


Then it was time for speeches, dinner and dancing...even some monkeying around!! :)



The very cute monkey, Janet and Gareth made by Karen!!




And we managed to last right through to the very end!!


A fantastic, relaxed and fun day for a lovely couple, now may God pour out His many Blessings upon them as they start out in married life together.

im truly back home...

I had quite a surreal moment this morning...

Tomorrow is Janet's wedding so I have been doing some last minute preparation type things. This morning that involved getting a spray tan...to fill in the white bits!!!...and a french manicure on my nails. As most of you will know i'm not exactly the girly girly type so this was an interesting experience. I quite enjoyed getting my nails done, it was very relaxing and i was nearly asleep, especially with the calming music in the back ground.

Then at one point it just hit me...hold on a minute...whats going on here??!!

This is such a complete and utter world away from where i was last week...and for the past month. Who would have even thought of getting a fake tan or getting their nails done in Eppawella?? There are so many different priorities in life! Like feeding your children, making sure they have clothes to wear and putting them through school. And yet this is the culture I live in where fake tans and getting your nails done is an ever day occurrence for some people, so its about finding your own priorities...what are the really important things. What are you going to spend your time doing and spend your money on buying?

Moving on...

Today was my last day in C.T.S. and tonight is my last sleep here before the team arrive tomorrow afternoon.

I took the time to speak to all the people who I have been involved with these past 2 weeks as i have been made to feel so very welcome in the college and they couldn't have been more hospitable. Apparently I have been one of their 'least troublesome' guests (and the Dr wasn't bad either!!!! :) ) So either we were particularly easy to please or they haven't had very many guests stay!

This last week has been very chilled...in relaxation that is as the temperature continued to soar...that was until today as it has rained all day and the air has been relatively cool...clearly some one knows the Irish are on their way!!

Anyway, I had the opportunity to meet a most wonderful retired Anglican minister from the Church of Ceylon who was an absolute pleasure to talk with. He was able to share from a lifetimes experience of serving in the church and working amongst the Buddhist population so I was able to glean a lot of very interesting and helpful information from him for my research. His wife very generously provided some light refreshments in the form of cookies and King coconut milk. (which I was told has been known to be used in the place of saline if none was available - interesting fact for the day!!!) I'm not quite sure if his final comments to me were prophetic but when talking about what I intended to do after I finished my degree he said something along the lines of...well when you come back to either Sri Lanka, Thailand or...a 3rd country which i cant remember!!...you will now know what to do when you go and live in one of the remote villages!!...hmmmm...we'll see...only God knows that at the minute!!!

Well, the next part of this Big Adventure starts tomorrow when Layasing picks me up from C.T.S. and we head to the airport to pick up the Irish ViM team. (they should all pretty much be in Heathrow by now waiting for their flight here!) Then we head a little in land to Anuradhapura where we will be ministering for the next 2 weeks.

So please pray for them as they travel tonight and as we travel in land tomorrow. Also pray for the people in this college - staff and students as it is a wonderful place sharing God's love, and preparing people to go out and minister to many others.

Im not sure what internet connections will be like where we will be staying so im not sure if i will be able to update this for a while...but sure keep an eye out and we'll see what happens!!


Blessings :)

Surrender...

I had a wonderful experience of worship today.

I think Diyonus, the college caretaker is a little concerned about me being on my own, especially as Derek has now returned to England leaving me in the apartment on my own. So this morning in extremely broken English he asked me if i would like to go to church with him...at least at the time I assumed that was what he was asking!! So i agreed as i had no other arrangements made.

So we set off for a church that I had kind of gathered was pretty close by and it was indeed only a short walk from C.T.S. The sign out the front told me that it was a Dutch Reformed Church of Sri Lanka and that the English service began at 9.00am and that was the service that Diyonus had very thoughtfully brought me for. We went into the grounds and he introduced me to a few people and in chatting we discovered that this week the English service and the Sinhalese service had actually been switched as the English congregation were having an Alpha thanksgiving service. I decided that this was the perfect chance then for me to experience a Sinhalese worship service and tild Diyonus that i would stay for this service rather than come back for the English. So he introduced me briefly to the minister who was preparing to start, then took me to a house that was in the grounds ringing the bell numerous times until someone came to the door. A man cam out and Diyonus introduced me, I assumed this was another minister of the church as each different language congregation appear to thave their own pastor. It turned out in the midst of conversation that he was in fact the President of the Dutch Reformed Church!

So i was guided in to the church and Diyonus tried to get me to sit in one of the front pews but no the Methodist in me kicked in and I headed for the back sitting under a very welcome and cooling fan. Sadly as the service began the electricity cut out, the fans stopped and there was a little reorganisation as song books had to be found because they couldnt use the OHP! It was a wonderful service with A time of lively worship led by 2 young men from the congregation, backed up by a small band consisiting of a piano, guitar, drums and bongo drums. There was then what i could only assume was a time of confession and testimony when many people - all women it has to be said, stood up and spoke briefly.

The pastor, Rev Faber then brought the message, speaking on Hebrews 11:13-16, how we are strangers on this planet and our real home is the one prepared for us in Heaven. He very thoughtfully threw in a few English phrases for my benefit (very like some Sinhalese TV programmes when every now and again you quite randomly catch an English phrase...very amusing!!) to try and summarise his points. I did however catch that he spoke about Michael Jackson at one point, not quite sure how that fit in to what he was saying!! Halfway through I was very grateful when the electricity kicked in once more as it was really starting to get very hot in that little church - even with the slight breeze coming in the door!

All in all it was a wonderful act of worship with lively praise and from what i could tell of the way the preaching was delivered very passionate and so despite the language difference and not always understanding what was happening or being said I could most definitely feel God's presence amongst His people in that little church. For me that is what truly matters God's presence with us ministering to His children in the way they need most. During the service there was one word that kept coming back to me and that was 'surrender'. Surrendering ourselves...myself...to God's moving around me and within me. Letting Him minister to me where i need it most, it may not even be something that I know needs dealt with but He does. So i must surrender myself to Him, make myself vulnerable to His power working and healing within me and make myself available to what He asks of me...no matter what.

Saturday morning shopping...

I feel like such a westerner this morning!!!

A lovely couple called Lallita and Chris took me out this morning. Lallita works in the library here at C.T.S. and was worried that I wasn't leaving the college so offered to take me out today. So I asked her to take me to ODEL which is a big western style department store selling all sorts of things from clothes to books and dvd's, homewares and souvenirs. It was nice just to wander around for a while to see what was on offer and it was full of white people who were clearly tourists.

They then took me to a food court at a local supermarket which had a huge range of food from Asian, to Western, which included Italian and British, and Australian!! Having this opportunity I went for something British!! So a burger and fries it was :) I then felt i could not turn down the offer to try a traditional Sri Lankan dessert - curds and honey, assured that it was just like yogurt. So when it arrived i gave it a go and it was actually not too bad just like a natural yogurt smothered in honey, it was then that Lallita told me it was no normal curds, from a normal cow but rather they were from a Buffalo!! Well sure its something different!! We had some very good conversation over lunch which ranged from their children and grand children to religious issues, thoughts on church and the much debated anti-conversion bill.

So all in all its been a lovely morning with some lovely people...now to relax and enjoy the rest of my saturday afternoon :)

Day number 7 in the C.T.S. apartment...

(you were supposed to imagine that title said in the style of the Big Brother announcer, so please read again if you did not do so the first time!!!)

So yep I have been in Sri Lanka for a week now and it has been a pretty good week.

So what have I been up to since Sunday? Well Monday was a Poya holiday which is a Buddhist full moon holiday...so you are guaranteed at least one ‘bank holiday’ every month...not bad. But I have been told that this used to cause havoc when the poya calendar was followed because there were so many holidays and it was difficukt to follow what day was a holiday and what wasn’t because it wasn’t a set pattern where it was the same day every week or month as it followed the cycle of the moon.

Anyway that meant that the college was closed and very quiet.

Yesterday I took a trip across town by bus as I had to go and sort out a visa extension. I had a great guide and companion in Spurgeon (the college IT guy) who was able to keep me right at all times. But the bus journey was quite the adventure. A great opportunity just to watch city life go by and people watch from the safety of a bus window...it can be really fascinating watching the way people interact and how differently things are done compared to our cultural norms. The process of getting my visa extension was relatively straight forward if somewhat time consuming. You generally find that there are maybe 4 or 5 people you have to see when at home it would be a job for one person.

While I was waiting I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman originally from India, now living in Australia who is a practicing Hindu married to a catholic. Wow! It’s hard to know quite how much you can say to people before you might cross the invisible line or before you might offend but he seemed quite open to what I was telling him about the purpose of my stay in Sri Lanka.

Today I had meetings with two church leaders in Colombo to gather some information for my research project. So I set out in a little tri-shaw...they are so much fun and a very handy way to nip in and out of the traffic but a little bit dicy when you’ve got a huge great bus bearing down on you!! But I had a great driver! It was interesting talking to the Pastor’s and to hear the history and the stories behind the churches and the people, also how they have grown and expanded as they have reached out into the community surrounding them and also as they have felt Gods call to different regions of the island.


A random shot from my tri-shaw as we were speeding along the busy road!!

I was very pleased to be able to make contact with Sugi who was someone I had met the last time I was here in 2000, so I couldn’t come back without trying to contact him. He and his family put me up in their home making me part of the family, when the youth team were working with the Moors Road Methodist congregation. We wrote to each other for a long time and then as happens we fell out of contact. So I was very pleased when Layasing told me that he knew Sugi and would give him my number. So when my phone rang the other day I was very pleasantly surprised to hear that it was Sugi on the other end. He seemed to remember everything that I could have possibly told him about me and my family back then. So I was very happy to hear he was now married and had a son. I really hope to be able to meet up with him before I leave Colombo.

Sugi and I back in 2000!!


Sunset from the apartment.

The sun sets pretty early here and it is usually dark between 6.30 and 7pm so I have been enjoying the coolness of the night air compared to the great heat of the day. It is also gives a chance to be able to enjoy the nightly display of the fireflies dancing through the trees at the end of our balcony...the type of scene that you would just love to be able to capture and share but just isn’t possible. It is a wonderful display of Gods creativity at work once more. Sometimes It’s easy to wonder what is the purpose in something that God has created but if it brings us enjoyment or makes us smile I think that makes our Father smile too and he enjoys watching our wonder at the beauty He made for us to enjoy.

What's your pill??

Sometimes it can be very easy to feel just like P!nk in her song, ‘like a pill’...

I think I’ll get outta here... Where I can run just as fast as I can,
To the middle of nowhere to the middle of my frustrated fears
and I swear you’re just like a pill
stead of making me better you keep making me ill...

There can be so many things that we want to avoid. Things that we don’t want to deal with or don’t want to face up to. Or else we look for the answers in the wrong places and what we think is our ‘pill’ is in fact doing us so much more harm than we can ever imagine. Then we just drop it all and run...anywhere...as far as we can, try to escape, leave it all behind and hope it just disappears.

But there are 2 things we cannot run away from. The first is our own mind, as much as we try to blank it out or where you run to those things will always be there in your mind, it goes with you wherever you go. The second is God. There is no where we can go in all of creation to hide from God, no rock we can hide under that He will not find us...He created it and knows every inch of all creation and He knows every part of us. Including our mind!

So if we are going to run...it should be to God. Only He can satisfy...

No one but You Lord can satisfy the longing in my heart, Nothing I do Lord can take the place of drawing near to You. Only You can fill my deepest longing,
Only You can breath in me new life,
Only You can fill my heart with laughter,
Only You can answer my hearts cry,
Only You...

Father I love You, come satisfy the longing in my heart,
Fill me, overwhelm me, until I know Your love deep in my heart. I long for You, I yearn for You and I’m calling out, I’m crying out for You.

(c) Andy Park

Cry out to Him and let Him come to us as He wants to, let Him fill us with cleansing living waters as He fulfills our every need, our every longing...nothing can take the place of what He can do in our life...if we just let Him in, surrender what we cannot control to His mighty love and grace.

Remembering...

Well i've had a few days to get acclimatised and i'm getting used to the heat(!) humidity(!) and the food.

This morning was the first I have ventured out of the College complex and I was really looking forward to going to church at Kollupitiya Methodist Church as it was one of the churches we had worked with back in 2000. Ivor picked us up shortly after 8.00am and we made our way into the heart of Colombo.

It was great to see areas that were starting to look familiar and I recognised the church straight away. We were welcomed by Rev Duleep Fernando while the Tamil congregation left, as their service is before the English service (and the Sinhalese service is held shortly after the english) then I went off to find a seat.

The worship was led wonderfully by a young woman whom I think was a member of the choir and the Message was brought by Rev Dr Derek Tidball who spoke engagingly on Psalm 103

"Bless the Lord, Oh my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, Oh my soul, and forget not all His benefits..."

I was however a little disappointed by just how traditional and reserved the service was - I found that I have actually no recollection from all those years ago as to what worship was like and was expecting it to be a little more lively, I guess with my most recent overseas experience being in Africa. But none the less it was a wonderful act of worship and as Derek reminded us we are not alone in worshipping but join with congregations across the globe and with the Angels and Arch-angels worshipping around the throne in heaven.

We had a chance to chat for a short time after the service and as per ususal the Irish connections were made...Duleep spoke of Rev George Good and his grand daughter Tara, who was of course on the team with me back in 2000, so we chatted about them and of course Rev Norman Taggart and Rev Stephen Skuce...Methodism really is such a small world! :)

Myself, Derek and David Griffiths, a field worker for CSW were then wisked off by Mano a member of the CTS (college) staff for drinks at the Galle Face hotel before lunch. This is a beautifully grand old colonial building situated right on the coast and it was wonderfully cool sitting chatting in the shade with a fantastic view of the Indian Ocean (I think!!) and the sound of the powerfull waves crashing against the rocks.

David, Mano and Derek by the Beach

The Galle Face Hotel

The hotel is extremely proud of its heritage and has many plagues stating the names of famous people who have stayed and even boasts a small museum containing Prince Phillip's first car!!! I have one memory of the Galle face from my last visit and that was of coming for drinks one evening with the team, and that is of Raymond sitting with a rather large King Coconut with a straw sticking out of it...strange the things you remember!

Mano then took us to the Chinese Dragon Restaurant (the first restaurant we ate out at back in 2000!!) for a wonderful meal.

On the way back to CTS she stopped off at the side of the road to buy some fruit to let us try...sadly i cant remember the name of it. [NB: Just discovered they are called Rambutan and are indeed realted to the Lychee!!]


To me it looked llike one of those odd bouncy ball type things and when you open it you get something that looks like an eyeball!!! But it is very nice indeed, almost like a cross between a grape and a lychee, so very tasty and quite refreshing.

This afternoon I thought I would take some photos of the college so you could see where Im actually talking about...so here they are.

The main college building
Me outside the College Reception

Lou has landed...

So I'm back in Sri Lanka...that makes it sound like I was here just last week - it was in fact 9 years ago which is an absolute age.

I had a smooth easy travelling experience apart from all the waiting around and the unfortunate situation of overweight baggage with BMI which I had to pay for (amazingly the first time i've ever had to pay!) It's so annoying that we have domestic flight weights when we have to fly to England in most cases to get a long haul international flight! Anyway, after 8 1/2 hours of killing time in Heathrow I boarded the plane for another 10 hours of waiting, only in a slightly more confined space! But it was fine and went by relatively quickly although chicken and potatoes for breakfast was slightly odd, why is it that when you travel you seem to eat at the strangest times??

We were greeted in the airport by mask wearing officials ensuring that none of us needed quarantined - very reassuring, but i have to admit i did find myself stopping breathing and turning in the opposite direction anytime anyone near me in the airport sneezed!!...mass paranoia has set in!!

But then the exciting bit...i don't know why I enjoy this so much but I was met by 2 representatives from the Colombo Theological Seminary which I am staying at for the next 2 weeks, holding a sign with my name on it...excellent...one of those things you always see in the movies :) They were very welcoming and made sure I had the most comfortable seat in the taxi nearest the air conditioning!!

At one point in the car on the way through the busy city traffic I realised I hadn't actually stopped smiling since i stepped out of the aeroplane. Yes its hot 30° c when we got off the plane and today was cool!!...humid and sticky but it just feels right :) and that feels good...knowing that you are where you are meant to be and will hopefully be doing what it is I am meant to be doing...and through His strength all things are possible. And as someone shared with me before I left, "even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me" Psalm 139:10

The guest accommodation in the college has only recently been put in place it's not quite finished just yet in that the kitchen area isnt functionable but it is very impressive indeed and my room is just lovely. I do however have a room mate - a tiny little gecko whom I have affectionately named Goliath. He is more than welcome though if he keeps all the other bugs away!! I will introduce him to you all very soon once I can get a picture of him close enough that you can actually see him in!!

Well i think that's all for my first installment now I'm off to bed for a good nights sleep before I try and organise my programme for the next couple of weeks in the morning.

Church family...

I really enjoyed church tonight!!

As I was sitting waiting for the service to start I became aware of the low babble of noise which was the congregation...friends...family chatting, greeting each other, chatting over the week or the day.

That made me smile as I thought about friendships and relationships that grow within the church family.

The service itself was great with a passionate preacher who exudes faith and as he speaks and prays it would be difficult not to see the wonderful and close relationship and journey he has walked with God and that is what he wants to share.

I couldn't help but wonder how I would experience worship next Sunday in Sri Lanka, I've no doubt it will be different but at the heart of the experience I will be worshipping the same God with our extended family. I was however very touched by the well wishes of my Seymour Street family who I know will be praying for me during this summers adventure and it is greatly appreciated.

I'm really looking forward to finally getting there and travel on Wednesday which means I have a lot to do between now and then including packing...which is not my forte at all!!!

Big Adventure...

This day last year was my first full day in Ghana and the start of my Big Adventure.

After a hospitable night with the Sims family in Accra, I travelled with them to Amakom and my first sighting of the lake and greetings with the Jernigan’s, Rebecca, Hollie, Michael and James. A very long but very special day.

The view over the lake from Michael's porch

The Jernigan family with their 3 interns

Never has a place, people or community touched me so deeply and made me feel like one of them so quickly.

So what are some of the things that I miss... (in no particular order!!)

Koko...fried plantain...it just doesn’t taste the same bought from Tesco
Hobnobs with peanut butter and nutella...and the ants that shared them with us
Greeting people on the road as we walked through the villages
The cries of children greeting us “ mama louey” or Abena Louise
Sunsets over the lake
Open, free and enthusiastic praise and worship of the Lord...dancing in church : )
Random visitors popping in for a chat
Girly nights
Long chats into the night
Movie night...with popcorn and taffy
Fun road trips to Kumasi to gather in provisions
Spectacular rainstorms
Lucas and Luiza’s inventive games
Michael’s bright smile and willingness to help us at ANY time!!
Clear starry night skys
Spontaneous dance parties!!
Days spent in the air conditioning and chats with Andrew
James’ constant and joyful singing unto the Lord
Becca’s French toast and Hollie’s ‘hamburger pie’!!
Becca’s great wisdom and Hollie’s wacky sense of humour
Sunday afternoon football
Banter with the builders

I could probably go on forever but I’ll stop there. However, one thing that was constant was God’s presence, comfort, love and protection through every challenge and predicament we found ourselves in.

Michael and I enjoying a bowl of Tizette with intestines and tuna!!

Me and James...my brother who loves to sing!

Me, Rebecca and Hollie returning from our first 'mudding' road trip in Kumasi

My first taste of Fufu!

My 2 football heroes

The builders!! :)

My time in Ghana and at Lake Bosomtwe was such a blessing to me and a year on I’m still learning from my experiences and making sense of some of the lessons that God was teaching me.



The sun has set on one adventure but I will be setting out on another Big Adventure this summer when I travel to Sri Lanka at the start of July where I will spend just over a month. 2 1/2 weeks working on a research project in Colombo and the rest of the time working with the MMS(I) ViM team, which is travelling to Kitiyawa to work on a building project, alongside continuing work on my research project. I’ve no doubt God has many wonderful experiences and challenges in store for me again this year but I have no doubt He will be walking alongside me every moment of the journey once more.

New growth and a spectacular sunset...

Another sunny day after a slightly worrying start!! Yet I was able to spend all afternoon in the garden reading and making the most of the rays!!

As the afternoon progressed I suddenly realised that the big tree at our gateway which had been bare that morning now had some very big and quite prominent buds.



A little later I moved to sit under the tree and looking up I could see a few little green leaves starting to appear.



This just amazed me that I had been able to see the progression actually happening...from bare to buds opening and leaves appearing in the warm spring afternoon sun...quite literally God’s handiwork in creation in action.

In the early evening I thought I would take a drive into the Mournes visiting some of my favourite places along the way. I drove out through Bryansford, past Tolleymore, past the Trassey track, up on to the road leading to Spelga Dam past Fofanny Dam. As I drove along here I couldn’t help but smile as if I’d been in a car with my Dad I would have heard that usual tale of how my Grandfather had transported all the electricity poles out along this stretch of country many years ago when they were first putting up the lines. A little piece of family history! As I got closer to Spelga the sun was starting to go down behind the mountains, blazing gold out across the countryside...just stunning.




Parking up on the road I walked for a few minutes up the slope to try and get a better view...I found me another rock and took a seat to watch as each moment the Greatest Artist changed the magnificent picture before me.

Beach...

Another stunning day...I could not have hoped or imagined that the weather would be this good and I have definitely picked the right time to come away!

So what did I do...I went to the beach of course!!! Murlough to be precise...



It was a little windy and chilly even though it was so sunny but you gotta take every chance you can get living in Northern Ireland!!! Here I played around a little with my new mini tripod but it was too hard to see anything as the sun was just too glaring...but I don’t think I did too badly!!




When I couldn’t take anymore of the chilly beach I just made my way back through the sand dunes!!




Then back to the homestead via Mauds and the library!!!

Back at the house I tried out some more tripod shots, so here’s my rock where my nightly star gazing took place!!

Time to Retreat...

I‘ve decided to spend the next few days staying at our little house in Newcastle, on the coast just past the Bloody Bridge. The weather was amazing today and I’m looking forward to just relaxing, chilling and taking some time out.

Right from the moment I drove into Newcastle I could just feel myself relax. I just love the view you get of the Mournes as you approach the town from Murlough. I don’t think I will ever get tired of that view – it takes my breath away every time and today was no different, it was stunning with a slight heat haze hovering over them. Any time I’m away and I think of home that is usually the image that comes to mind first, there’s something almost steadying or grounding in that view...for me anyway, a little piece of my homeland.



Although it does still make me a little bit sad when I drive past our old caravan park which is now covered in house's...so many memories of fun times there all dug up and covered in bricks and mortar...but they still remain where they are important in my head and in my heart.

Then as I drove through the town out towards the harbour with the window down there was a briny, seaweedy smell that was actually really fresh...maybe different...or else the sun just makes everything seem so much better!!

I love looking at the stars in a clear night sky and here the sky is so so clear at the minute. At home you can’t get the full effect of the stars because they are dulled by the street lamps, so when I went and sat on my rock staring up at the black night it looked like there were thousands more stars than usual. It was awesome. Sitting there on my rock with the distant sound of the waves crashing on the rocks, the wind idling in the leaves of the trees beside me, the occasional bleating of a nearby sheep and the vast expanse of the starry hosts above me. I could see the odd aeroplane pass over silently obviously miles above, the constant flash of the lighthouse at St John’s point, the plough...the only constellation that I can recognise and even a shooting star. Brilliant!

He Has Risen

I really like Easter.

I think I would even say that it is my favourite time of the year - yep even more so than Christmas!

I had quite an odd conception of the period of time between Christmas and Easter when I was younger. It was like we prepared for Christs birth in December and then all of Jesus' 33 years and the entire gospel message fit in to 3 or 4 months depending on when Easter fell. After that there was some kind of Summer-y abyss when nothing happened!!

I guess in a way that is where we are in present days...in that summer-y abyss but we live in hope, hope of the return of the one Who Has Risen and it is only because of that fact we have any hope at all.

So yeh, Holy Week leading up to Easter Sunday is my favourite week of the year and it was celebrated wonderfully this year throughout the Lisburn circuit. It was particularly interesting to be part of a Passover/Seder meal on Maundy Thursday when all of the elements of the meal and their significance were explained as we shared in it together, this was significantly brought to a close by sharing in communion together, the Christian Eucharist or Love Feast which Jesus asks us to do in remembrance of Him and which He shared with the 12 disciples at his final Passover meal.

Good Friday seen the carrying of the cross up Bow Street by the leaders of the main city centre churches. I had intended to get some pictures of this but as soon as the procession led by the cross began to move the heavens opened soaking everyone but the message of the cross was still proclaimed and celebrated.

The celebration that I look forward to most of all is the dawn rise service at Hillsborough Lake. As much as it may surprise many people I enjoy getting up really early to go and worship the risen Lord as the sun rises up over the lake. It may be cold, it may be damp and there may be lots of little flies eating you for breakfast but for me there's just something really special about being there to greet Easter morning and I don't think my Easter would be the same without it.

Then there was our Easter celebration service, a service full of life and Joy as well as a few surprises - especially for the young boy who had an egg smashed over his head by Rev Brian!!! Fair enough it was an empty shell but i'd have loved to have seen his face if it hadn't been - he was surprised enough as it was!!!

Brian shared a wonderful poem with us that really captures the essence of Easter....

Because He is Risen

Because he is risen
Spring is possible I
n all the cold hard places
Gripped by winter
And freedom jumps the queue
To take fear’s place as our focus
Because he is risen

Because he is risen
My future is an epic novel
Where once it was a mere short story
My contract on life is renewed in perpetuity
My options are open-ended
My travel plans are cosmic
Because he is risen

Because he is risen
Healing is on order and assured
And every disability will bow
Before the endless dance of his ability
And my grave too will open
When my life is restored
For this frail and fragile body
Will not be the final word on my condition
Because he is risen

Because he is risen
Hunger will go begging in the streets
For want of a home
And selfishness will have a shortened shelf-life
And we will throng to the funeral of famine
And dance on the callous grave of war
And poverty will be history
In our history
Because he is risen

And because he is risen
A fire burns in my bones
And my eyes see possibilities
And my heart hears hope
Like a whisper on the wind
And the song that rises in me
Will not be silenced
As life disrupts
This shadowed place of death
Like a butterfly under the skin
And death itself
Runs terrified to hide
Because he is risen

By Gerard Kelly

All of this is possible because He is Risen...because Christ died for each of us...but rose again conquering the grave. The service was closed in sharing the Eucharist and a rousing version of 'Thine Be the Glory' (prompting another childhood memory for me. My Nanny would have taken me to Newcastle Methodist on the odd occasion during 'caravan season' and i have a distinct memory of singing this song one Sunday morning after they had shared communion and I was convinced in my innocence and naivety that the words were 'Risen Concrete Sun'!!!) but there seemed to be a real sense of pure worship and expectancy and so may we take that attitude of worship and expectancy out in to the 'summer-y abyss' knowing our Risen Lord walking by our side.

Today I choose....

I had one of those moments today when a song just spoke into my heart.

Listening to music while trying to work on an assignment for college I just had to stop and listen to the song a couple of times and let the words sink in...



This is what we...what I need to do each and every day. It's about making that choice...dying daily and choosing to say YES...choosing to follow...where ever that may be...choosing to listen for the voice that leads the way, and gives us life...life in its fullest sense.

And why not...

Well, everyone seems to be doing it...so I thought I might as well give it a wee go...so here's my album cover!!!!!

Follow instructions exactly:

1 - Go to "wikipedia ." Hit “random... Read more”
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to "Random quotations "
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

SNASS weekend - the real story!!

On friday night SNASS headed off to the North Coast for our annual weekend away. We were staying at Sheep Island View Hostel in Ballintoy. We arrived without an hitches and settled in to the accomodation.

Our theme for the weekend was FREEDOM and our speaker Hollie led the first session getting us to do some word association around freedom and there were some interesting ideas that came out. Some recurring ideas were that of chains being broken, release, running through fields, birds flying and eh...nakedness (thanks for that one Jules ;) )

Worship was led throughout the weekend by or resident SNASS band, who are so good at creating an atmosphere of worship and praise leading us into God's presence as we offer our song of praise to Him.

Our activity for the evening was to recreate a famous movie in a different genre with a specific prop. An example was Cool Runnings, filmed as a musical using a saucepan. There were definitely some interesting and very amusing results. My favourite had to be The Lion King filmed as a horror...certainly an interesting take on the Disney film!!!

Then it was time for bed and apparently for my music collection to be ripped apart - thanks for that Jules and Michael. At least I had Pete to back me up with some things!! What can I say I have a wide range of tastes!

Saturday started all too early...granted earlier for some....

The oldest and the two youngest (also the cutest!!) SNASSers who were at the weekend!! Sorry Pete but I couldn't resist.

Events soon got underway and SNASS hit Ballintoy with an interesting Photo treasure hunt and 'Egg dropping' competition at the harbour. There was an evil forfeit thought up by Jules for those teams whose egg was broken on contact with the tarmac!!

A bowl filled with soup...flour and strategically placed jam...containing 4 mini mars bars which were to be found by memebers of the losing teams. Great fun for those watching...but not so much fun for those having to do it...hehe!!!

Our first 'victim'!!!...delightful

The last victim...and what the mixture looked like after 4 people had been rooting around in it!!!...Yum!!

But don't worry our 3rd challenger found something a little tastier to eat not long afterwards!

While the crew had been out, Jo and I had stayed behind to try and get dinner ready...cooking for 28 people ain't that easy...

I don't actually have any pictures of Hollie speaking but she did help to clear up the saucepans...a true servant!!!!

Saturday night began with a further session on Freedom and a panel to answer questions posed by the young people. This gave a chance for a few of the leaders to talk a little bit about their own christian experience and how they cope with issues which the young people are facing. Also showing that even though they are leaders they also have to face these issues and the young people aren't on their own.

Saturday night seen the airing of mine and Helen's big quiz with a difference, including a play dough round, a sports round, a picture round - guess the 'baby' leader and a music round with a difference.

The star of the night had to be Steve and his 33 press ups in 30 seconds helping his team to victory.

The night was rounded up by a late night walk to the park and then a round of Mafia...a game I always beleive brings out a persons true self...hehe!!

Making friends with the Hostel's statue!!




Jules monkeying around!!!

I had a short sharp intro to motherhood on Sunday morning when Jo appeared in our room at 3.15am saying her and Pete had to go to casualty (nothing serious and everyone was ok!)...so could I look after the boys until they got back. So I got some back up in the form of Julie and we went in and slept in their room with the 2 boys. The first thing I did before I went back to sleep was to pray that they were so worn out from their busy day with their 'big friends' that they would lie in a little later than their 5.30am saturday morning!! And well they did...till 6.30!! Amazingly both boys awoke with a giggle and a smile on their face, not too bothered about the 2 strange girls they woke up to find in their room. Although it was a little disconcerting when the older pointed at me in my bed and said daddy!!! But we got nappies changed (well Julie did!) when we eventually worked out which one went on which child, without any problems...hehe...well just a bit of a close call!!!! Then we headed off to get breakfast and bobo! At this point we had to try and remember Pete's hurried instructions for making a bottle, and once it was made we discovered they were actually back so parental supervision was handed back to them. But I reckon Julie and I made a fair attempt!!

Just before lunch on Sunday we all piled in to the mini bus and headed off to the beach for a quick walk and a time to take in the peace, chat, take some more pictures and even play some rugby!

We tried to get a jumping shot...not very successfully...but eventually got one of Julie...better than nothing I guess!!

All in all it was a great weekend which everyone enjoyed, good fellowship and teaching, great worship and praise, much banter and many many laughs. They are a great group of young people and leaders and it was my privilege to be able to share with them this weekend and every week on a sunday night.