a bit about what simple living is looking like to us through the YAV program

Over the past almost two years, Kendra and I have been participants in the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s Young Adult Volunteer Program. In short, we are PC(USA) YAVs. The program offers young adults an opportunity to serve in various facets of ministry and nonprofit work while getting a hands-on experience on what it means to live simply. I've talked about the different aspects of the program before but would like to give a little more in-depth look at these characteristics of our service look like.

First, the work. Last year in Belfast I served part-time in a faith-based community center doing peace and reconciliation work in North Belfast, specifically in the New Lodge and the Shankill. I also served part-time at Woodvale Methodist where I was able to participate in and lead a variety of ministries that the church offered. This year, I work at Community Home Repair Projects of Arizona (CHRPA for those of you who would like another acronym in this post). CHRPA is a non profit that provides free home repairs through a number of different grants to low-income and disadvantaged homeowners in Pima County. I am out each day doing these repairs alongside my fellow handymen and handywomen. The two years have been an interesting juxtapostion of two very different types of hands-on ministry.

la Casa Banana (our home)

Now, living simply. Much of the clientele whom CHRPA serves makes more money than I do. I tell you this because that is one aspect of living simply in the YAV program. But it works. In our community, we each pay $150 per month and that covers our shared food and utilities expenses. Economics works in our favor. We eat well, and we live in a nice house. Rent comes out to $170 per person each month. In short, we have learned to cover most of our basic needs on a little more than $300 per month. It is worth noting, however, that health insurance is not lumped into that sum. Fortunately, for those who do not qualify to still be on their parents' health insurance or do not have health insurance, the program does offer us coverage.

backyard chickens

But living simply is much more than finding out that we can survive on a lot less than we thought we could and still maintain a great standard of living. Living simply is about being in solidarity with those whom you serve. It's about having to face problems with the system you didn't even know existed.  It's about understanding that the American Dream is not a sustainable way to live. The world cannot afford the American Dream (and I don't mean that specifically monetarily). And it's about trying to get out of the way so that you can find God in more parts of this world. By that, I mean to share how trying to live more simply has provided me with a way to find God in the dirt in our backyard. I have found God in the manure that fills our garden and in the chicken poop that sticks to my shoes each morning. I have found God in the blossoming squash and cacti. Living simply has allowed me to collect my thoughts each morning as I bike the eight miles to work. We don't drive (often). Our bikes are our main mode of transportation.  Additionally, I have found that I have time to focus on those around me and that there are so many little joys to be found in interactions with housemates and even daily tasks.

Early in this year, I was reading Rob Bell's Jesus Wants to Save Christians. One of my favorite excerpts from the books reads:

"Take away the comforts of the kingdom, deprive a person of the structures and institutions of empire, and they might just find the spine to envision a new tomorrow. Push a person to the limits of suffering, and they just might become a revolutionary."

We are not suffering. We live comfortably but not always in the comforts of any empire. Through these two years of service, we have begun to understand living in the comfort of a different Kingdom. So, I hope this post gives you a little more insight into what motivated us to do the YAV program.  We were trying to get out of ourselves in order to make more room for the world around us. And thank God, I think we have succeeded in that endeavor a little bit and found it to be truly amazing. We have found ourselves envisioning that new tomorrow and it's nearly as exciting as today.

Enid, Austin & Kendra finding the joy in today

today
I wish to serve.
today
I want to learn.
today
I desire to be a part of
a beautiful world
before me
behind me
all around me
within me.
today.
tomorrow.
(an excerpt from a September journal entry)

a tale of two cities, two placements, two countries, one people

Belfast, where Kendra and I spent our first YAV year, is remarkably different from Tucson and the rest of Arizona. It's wet and cold/mild versus dry and hotter than hot. It's one-hundred shades of lush green versus one-hundred shades of some brownish-yellowish-greenish color. It's the majority of the people I work with having an accent that took a few months to get used to compared to a small portion of the population I serve preferring to converse in a language I am simply a novice at. In terms of my work, both places are very relational. However, my hands get a lot more beat up in Tucson.  But in Arizona there is one striking resemblance to Belfast. 

the border wall in Nogales

The wall pictured above is the border wall that separates Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Sonora. Walls are built out of fear. Fear of colors. Fear of languages. Fear of some other. And it all links in to a fear of the loss of power. And walls inhibit. In a Christian sense, they inhibit us from interacting with our neighbor. They inhibit us from loving our neighbor. Keeping someone out is never loving and keeping yourself in robs the world and its people of the gifts you have to offer. Are there times to be afraid? Yes. But we should never let fear dictate our actions. We should never let fear dictate our relationships with other people, especially as self-proclaiming followers of Christ.  

So today, I hope we seek out our neighbor, whomever we find that person to be.

I hope we question why we keep others out and ourselves in. 

And I hope we decided that fear will not dictate our actions and that Love will.

hello again - a much delayed update with a story from CHRPA

It's been a bit of a long hiatus. But just because I haven't blogged doesn't mean I haven't been enjoying Tucson. It's great! The past seven months have been full of important learning experiences and the building of wonderful life-enriching relationships. Our housemates are a blast and have become a great support system for the two of us. We have also each found great people in those we work alongside each day.

One aspect of working at CHRPA is writing stories about our experiences with clients and the different jobs that we go out and do. I'm not very good at this, having only written two in my time now. But these stories, from past and current volunteers and employees alike, have been and are being compiled into books. Some stories even accompany grant applications. Scott, the director of CHRPA, frequently asks us to write stories. Yesterday, I finally got my second one to him and would like to now share it with you all.

Her bathroom sink didn’t drain. Her shower didn’t drain. The light above the sink hung to the side clinging with everything it had for life.  It was the only usable bathroom in the house and only Señora Barrera’s toilet functioned. She rarely left her room. In the week I spent there, she came out to the kitchen to fry up some eggs a couple of times. Her cancer left her tired and our jackhammering certainly didn’t help that situation. But Señora Barrera didn’t deserve to spend the rest of her life without a functioning bathroom.  

We jackhammered through the concrete floor and then dug down another foot on our hands and knees to get to the drain. We traced it from the shower back about five feet before finding cast iron pipe that wasn’t cracked and broken. We built a new drain from this point of good pipe back to shower and the sink. Nearly fifteen bags of concrete later, we had the floor back in order. We then laid new tile on the shower floor and the bathroom floor, working our way into the hall and repairing tile there, too.

It was clear that Señora Barrera’s home once housed a large family. She was living alone while we worked there, and yet, despite the lack of a usable bathroom, her house was still the place her granddaughter and great-granddaughter spent each afternoon. It is my hope and belief that we left her home having helped make it a place where her family could continue to happily gather.

jackhammers are really loud in such a small space!

just about to the end of the destruction

floor back in place with new tile

a dear friend and "mate"

a dear friend

challenges you

shows compassion

and kindness

and cares.

a dear friend taught me

true hospitality

true gentleness

what it means to be "church"

what it means to be family

outside those brick walls.

my dear friend

my "mate"

will be missed.

my dear friend was

a blessing.

belfast

will never be the same

without David.

but we can rest assured

he is Home.

 

I checked my email Tuesday morning and found that a member of the church in Belfast I served in had passed away after a near three year battle with cancer. David and I grew close over my time in Northern Ireland. He and his wife Carol's house became my home away from home and I got to know the Rankins incredibly well. I now realized how blessed I was to have done so.



Kendra, me, David & Carol

David taught me many things through the year.  He taught me the importance of questioning and seeking to learn about your faith.  Depending on your pastor, if David was in your congregation then his inquisitive nature would quickly make him either a favorite member or a complete pest!  He always wanted to know more about God's grace, His loving nature, and faith in general.

David, together with Carol, taught me what it means to truly be hospitable.  If they knew I was coming over, there were always snowballs or Jammy Joeys waiting for me, my two favorite Belfast buns.  But even if they knew I wasn't going to come over, and I just swung by, I knew I would be welcomed into their home not as a friend but as family.  It didn't matter what time it was, I would be welcomed in as family and share in all the joys that come with being part of a family.  That, as I have come to understand it, is a major part of hospitality.

On Friday nights during my year, I met with David and a few other men for a weekly Bible study.  David always picked me up for the Bible study since I didn't have a car.  I'd usually be reading in our kitchen until I heard his horn honk around 7:15 and then I would run downstairs and we'd head off.  One evening, I climbed into the car, we took the first turn and coming down the road were the Mormon missionaries.  I made a comment along the lines of "There's the Mormons," and David quickly put me in my place. "That's how I would've said something like that about Catholics thirty years ago."  From that moment on I couldn't quit thinking about ecumenical/interfaith relationships.  My next one-on-one meeting with Doug, our site coordinator in Belfast, was all about that one little comment David made. He may not have known it, but I am still constantly thinking about that challenge David put in front of me with one little reply and am excited to engage in and explore how we can do positive ecumenical and interfaith work together.

I learned thankfulness from David. I know that I've been incredibly privileged in my life and have had many opportunities that other people have not or could not, but I think, that when faced with death, I would only be able to look at the downside of life ending. David, on the other hand, was thankful for all that he has had. When we would pray, I would see David shaking his head and hear him remark, "All He's given me already and I still ask him to heal me." His outlook was incredible. He knew his blessings and he cherished them. When we so often want more, more, more, David showed me how to be thankful for what you have, especially those around you.

our Friday night group

David also showed me how to fully care for someone. When Kendra and I were having issues with our debit cards, David phoned me daily to ask if we were doing okay in terms of money. We always were but he called anyways. More importantly than that, when I wanted more than anything to have one last men's Bible study my last week in Belfast, David made it happen. Nevermind the fact that every single speed bump hurt for David to drive over. It literally hurt him because of the stage the cancer was at. And there are a lot of speed bumps in Belfast. But it didn't matter. I believe he wanted to care for me spiritually as well and knew that one of the moments I would cherish most, not only from my time in Belfast, but in my life, would be that last time that Finian, Bobby, Alan, David and I gathered around Alan's table to share tea, buns, fellowship and the Word.

For all of these things, I am thankful for the time I was fortunate enough to get to know and serve beside David. While he will be missed, I can rest assured that my "mate" is Home.

David, Carol, me and their grandson Riley

Here we go! Work at CHRPA, Sleeping Frog farm, YAV camping

Well, we're pretty settled now that we've been in Tucson for three weeks, so I suppose it's time to get everyone updated on what and how we've been doing.

Our first week in Tucson was spent having site orientation. Brandon, our site coordinator, helped us get our place together, start finding our way around the town, and led many discussions on what to expect from our placements, from living together, and from Tucson. We also met numerous times to discuss house rules for the year, cooking schedules, decide how we would buy groceries, etc. Living with eight other people is going to be a challenge but it's shaping up to be quite exciting, too.

We started work at our placements almost two weeks ago now, once orientation had ended, and I'm really liking my work at CHRPA so far. I came into the year having a goal of fixing a swamp cooler all by myself. I've already replaced two and fixed another, albeit with help, but I think that my original goal will happen sooner rather than later. It may even happen later today if I climb up on our roof and see why our cooler has been leaking some. If it's just an easy adjustment to the float, then I can cross that goal off the list!



new bathroom floor and toilet we installed

Aside from working on coolers, the work at CHRPA has been all over the map. I've installed a window, a door, replaced a hot water heater, done a roof repair, and replaced an entire bathroom floor. I've even gotten to do a little bit of plumbing and have quickly come to find out that a SharkBite connector is one of the best weapons in a plumber's arsenal!

But I've quickly come to realize that the work at CHRPA is far more than home repairs. Last week I was in a home where a young, single mother of one needed numerous repairs all over the house. We replaced the cooler on day one and addressed a small electrical issue on the roof so that the cooler could run. When we took our lunch break, the mother invited us inside to eat at their kitchen table while she helped her daughter fingerpaint. On the second day, we replaced the front door. The previous door was in a pretty sorry state. The security door was nothing but a couple of bars at this stage with a baby gate lashed on to the bottom to try and keep animals out. Behind the security door, the front door was essentially missing it's bottom half, with a piece of carpet stapled into place to try and cover the enormous hole. The combination of this set-up didn't really do anything to keep much out.

We started installing the doors and as we went, the mother took pictures of the old doors coming down, pictures of the new ones waiting to be installed and texted many of her friends. I overheard her on the phone excitedly telling someone "I'm getting a new front door!" As debris fell from our work, she came over and swept it up quickly, not wanting us to pause. As we got further along with the installation she started doing work in other parts of the house, cleaning up, getting rid of unneeded items her daughter had grown out of. I quickly realized that we weren't just giving this family a new door. We were giving them a new sense of security and were empowering the mother to make things better for her and her daughter in the ways that she could. It was a great experience to be a part of and an indicator that I am really going to love my placement this year.

Me and Ellison on the farm

This past weekend all of the YAVs went camping in Cascabel, east of Tucson about an sixty miles. On our way to the campsite, we stopped at Sleeping Frog Farms, where Ellison is placed for the year. Sleeping Frog is a terrific farm and do a great job of providing the area with reasonably priced, local, organic fruits, vegetables and eggs. But even more importantly, as we learned Friday night when we had a wood fired pizza party with them and other Cascabelians, they're great people. We had an incredible time during our short visit to the farm and were fortunate enough to leave with some terrific vegetables in hand. Our whole is looking forward to going back and helping with some work out there.

look close and you might see the Gila monster

After the visit to the farm and the Friday night pizza party, we spent the rest of Friday evening around the campfire and then spent Saturday exploring a bit of Hot Springs Canyon seeing some of the sustainable housing projects that are going on there and where our February retreat will be as well as just learning more about our desert surroundings. We were even fortunate enough to see the elusive Gila monster on our Saturday hike.

Once we got back from camping, we got down and dirty prepping all of the goodies we got from the farm. It looks like we're going to have some terrific food for this week! And maybe the next one or two as well.

that's all basil!

sitting around the campfire

our beautiful desert landscape

YAV Take 2 (or Take Tu-cson)

Kendra and I have been home from Northern Ireland for about two weeks now and things have been crazy. In those short thirteen days we've already had two weddings, a family reunion, and gave a presentation at Laramie UPC about our first YAV year. But in the midst of all of the traveling around and seeing friends and family, Kendra and I have had to repack our suitcases for a much warmer climate. In November of last year, while in Belfast, Kendra and I decided to do a second YAV year. As the months carried on, we narrowed our options down to New Orleans and Tucson. Both sites were appealing to us, offering Kendra opportunities to use her engineering skills and offering me a variety of completely new endeavors to choose from, but in the end, Tucson was clearly the right choice for us to make. Therefore, in two weeks we'll be moving to the southwest to experience a climate completely opposite of the one we left behind in Belfast.

In Tucson, Kendra will be working for Habitat for Humanity. I will be working with CHRPA (Community Home Repair Project of Arizona). CHRPA is a non-profit that seeks to assist low income and disadvantaged homeowners in the Tucson area by providing emergency home repairs and safety modifications for people living with disabilities. I'm incredibly excited about strapping on the tool belt each day and living out my faith with my hands. I'm also looking forward to getting to know our clientele, as one of the reasons I chose to work with CHRPA was the promise that they strive not to remember their clients as "the roof repair" or "the broken furnace" but take the time to hear their stories. The work was described to me as a combination of handiwork and social work. It is really shaping up to look like an exceptional year, one that will compliment the year in Belfast perfectly.

One of the challenges we will face in Tucson is living in intentional Christian community. We will be in a house with eight other people, six YAVs and two YAVAs (Young Adult Volunteer Alumni). Contrary to the belief of most people we've told this to, however, we are excited about the prospect of this living arrangement. One focus of the YAV program is living in community and we began to explore this in Belfast with our comrades on the north side of town by having meals and other get togethers frequently, always gathering with purpose. This was a nice, easy introduction to living in intentional community since Kendra and I lived in a different house than Christina and Zoe, but as the year went on, we decided we wanted to explore living in community more. Thus, we definitely brought this on ourselves but are looking forward to it!

Because we're doing a second YAV year, we also have to fund raise a second time. Last year we had to raise $16000 for our year in Belfast, and, due to an incredible support system of family and friends, we were able to meet that goal. This time around we have been asked to raise $10000 for our time in Tucson. If you would like to support us in meeting this goal, you can do so by sending checks made out to Tucson Borderland YAV with Heimbuck in the memo line to:

Linda Marshal
716 S. Lucinda Dr.
Tucson, AZ  85748

In addition to financial support, and more importantly, we also need your prayers! Please support us by keeping us in your prayers over this next year.

Thank you! We look forward to beginning our time in Tucson and keeping you up to date with what we're doing there.

a year in review - part 1 of ?

Today someone asked me what my "Aha!" moments were this past year. I sat and thought. I thought a little more. Eventually, I came up with a couple. The first and most striking revelation about the year was simply that the conflict in Northern Ireland is way more complex than most people think. It's been hard to understand it while living here and seeing it firsthand. Even people who have lived here their whole lives tell me that it's difficult to understand. I can't begin to fathom how I am going to explain the situation to people back home. Yet, in light of that, I've learned the importance of dialogue this past year. I've learned how nonviolent efforts can make a significant impact. And really, how can violence ever lead to peace? The need for nonviolent efforts in the peace and reconciliation process are more importantly than anything else and I was incredibly lucky to be a part of these types of efforts at the 174 Trust and Woodvale Methodist.

My second "Aha!" moment came through my work with the Disabilities Club. This moment didn't occur as a quick flash like so many "Aha!" moments do but was a subtle aha. It crept up on me through the year as I began to understand so many different things through this work. First, the club helped me to understand the importance of letting people know they have value and worth. I felt like we worked hard to help the kids succeed in the different activities we presented to them and I tried to always let the kids know how great of a time I had with them. And truly, I always did. From the night I spent in the bathroom taking care of one of them who was sick to the night one of them began chatting "Baldy!" at me and others joined in, I've always looked back fondly on each night at the club.

The second part of the "Aha!" moment at the club had to do with how we look at ourselves. We went mini-golfing in March and one of the kids pushed another into the water hazard. It was knee deep and as the girl stepped out she looked at me and laughed, "I'm soaking!" It didn't phase her the rest of the night. She couldn't do anything about it really, so she just continued having a good time. It was a great lesson for me as I am someone who seems to constantly worry about what could go wrong or what has gone wrong. As my parents would say, "Lighten up!"

The last part of my lesson with the club was an understanding of the size and inclusivity of God's kingdom. The children at the club had so much to offer me. Each week I learned something new from the kids. I thought I was supposed to be helping them out but it really worked the other way around. I never left the club with a frown on my face. Our first Christmas away from family was eased by the impromptu carols we sang on the bus in December, and in all of the more difficult situations we had, the kids showed me that I had what it would take to make it through. They helped me understand that we all have important places in the kingdom and important work to be done. More importantly, they helped me learn that that same work can be a whole lot of fun.

I've learned much more in Belfast than what I've written above and will reflect more upon what the year has meant and the lessons I have learned as I better understand what those things are in the weeks and months to come. But it's been a terrific year in Belfast. I'll look back on this year with great memories. I'm going to miss climbing Cave Hill, talking with the young adult group at Woodvale, Tayto Cheese and Onion crisps, teaching my guitar kiddos, Guinness from so close to the brewery, our Woodvale Methodist church family, our Whitehouse church family, our 174 Trust family, not having a car, riding in the up top and in the front of the double deckers, and all of the great friends we've made at our placements (just to name a few things). Thank you to everyone who helped to make this year possible by supporting us through prayer, financially, with a nice meal, with a nice conversation or just with a warm hug. It's been an experience of a lifetime for me and Kendra and we are so thankful to have had it.

Cheers for now,

Karl 

Laramie UPC Day 4 - C'mon In Cafe, Clonard, Disabilities Club

Tuesday (4 weeks ago today!) was Laramie UPC's fourth day in Belfast and it started early (by the standards I've become used to)! We met at Woodvale Methodist at 9:30 for a presentation from Margaret (the minister at Woodvale) on working on a peace line. She also talked about the Shankill community and the problems that plague it. It is a difficult place to minister but there is certainly hope in the area. That was Margaret's main message. Hope. The Shankill is a community that sees about a 50% unemployment rate. It is also steeped in history from the Troubles and that history is something the people live with each and every day. There are few, if any, people in the community that were not affected by the Troubles in some way.

After our visit with Margaret, we worked at the C'mon In Cafe, Woodvale's community cafe that is on each Tuesday. It was a great thing that the Laramie group was there because a number of our normal volunteers were either sick or on holiday and the extra hands on deck sure were helpful. The group helped out in the kitchen washing dishes and preparing plates as well as on the floor taking orders. When not helping, the group was sitting and eating with those who come into the C'mon In Cafe each week. It was a great opportunity for both the folks of Laramie and folks from Belfast to share about each other's lives and homes.

Marcia and Ray

Carole chatting with a local (Brian)

After helping with the Cafe, we headed through the gates of the peace wall to Clonard Monastery. I've mentioned Clonard before, as that was where the Good Friday Peace Walk started from that I blogged about earlier this year. At Clonard we met with Ed who was incredibly helpful and insightful! He gave us a great tour of the facilities and then engaged in a terrific theological discussion with the group. Multiple people said that this was one of their favorite parts of the mission trip.

Tuesday evening found the group back at the 174 Trust to help with the Disabilites Club that is on. I write this blog almost a month after this happened but doing so has allowed me to better understand the impact that the group had that night on many of the kids. The week after Laramie left, one of the kids asked me if Nikki (she did mention her by name) and the rest of my friends from the week before would be coming. It broke my heart to say no. But later, when we were playing with water balloons, the girl again remarked "I'm going to get Nikki so good with a water balloon next time I see her!" Elizabeth on the other hand made a different type of impact. She spent a lot of the night with one of our girls who isn't very verbal or active. Elizabeth was able to give this girl attention and work with her in ways that the typical volunteers we have (high school students) wouldn't be able to because they don't have the training or feel comfortable in that role. All in all, it was amazing to see the Laramie group at work that night kicking footballs around, getting their faces painted (can't tell you how awesome that was Sarah!), and overall helping the kids have a memorable night. Day 4 of the mission trip was truly a fantastic day in Belfast!

Colleen painting Sarah's face!

and Richard is down for the count!

Jason joining in on a game of Chasies

Patty with Caitlin and Gemma

Carole enjoying a game of Connect 4

Laramie UPC Day 3 - The North Coast

Monday of this week was the Laramie group's third day in Belfast. We started the morning at the 174 Trust where the group heard a bit more to the background of the Troubles as well as the history of the 174 Trust. Bill and Geoff (the director and deputy director of the Trust) shared the history bits. Paul, a recent hire for the 174, shared about the project he is working on at Carlisle Circus. His project is a cross community initiative for Carlisle Circus, which is a large area where three different communties come together and where a fourth lies just up the road a little further. It's a great initiative that will use sports and the arts to bring youth together and a variety of other activites to bring together other ages in the communities. The Carlisle Circus project is a great example of the wonderful things that 174 can and is doing.

a view from Ballintoy Harbor

After hearing about the 174 Trust, a group from Whitehouse Presbyterian picked us up and took us all to the North Coast. We split the Laramie group up into twos and each pair was in a car with two locals or a local and either myself or Kendra. And each car, thanks to Kendra, was equipped with snacks from Northern Ireland.  My car had a few different varities of crisps, Haribo, and chocolate. Of the crisps, it was decided that Beef & Onion was pretty good but Roast Chicken and Smoky Bacon weren't all they were cracked up to be.
The different cars took different routes up the coast and had different snacks, so there are a variety of stories to hear, but the car I was in stopped a couple of times to take some photos, including stops in Ballycastle and at Ballintoy Harbor. Ballintoy was an incredible stop as the waves were really crashing into the rocks around the harbor and giving us some terrific photos. But with such high waves we did have to be careful not to get wet!

Sarah and Patty

After Ballintoy Harbor, we made our way up to Giant's Causeway. We had a nice lunch at the hotel near the parking lot and then made our way down the hill to the coast to see the stones. Giant's Causeway is a collection of basalt columns that were the result of volcanic activity. The same lava flow that formed the stones in Northern Ireland formed stones that can be found on the coast of Scotland, too. 

part of the group at the Causeway

It was a cool, windy day but our spirits couldn't have been higher as we saw the majesty of God's creation. I'm used to the mountains and awe-inspiring views that are all around Wyoming and Colorado, but each time I see the sea and the power that it has I can't help but marvel at it all in the same way I do when I'm standing on top of Medicine Bow Peak.

We finished up at Giant's Causeway and got back to Belfast in time to have another great meal. This time we ate at Made In Belfast. Made In Belfast would probably be classified in Denver as a "hipster" restaurant. But the atmosphere and food are both great. On top of that, the food is really pretty reasonably priced given the quality. I had a huge bowl of mussels that was simply amazing. All in all, it was another fun day with the Laramie group!

Laramie UPC Day 2

Laramie UPC's second day with us here in Belfast was this past Sunday. I haven't gotten around to blogging about it until now. So here it goes.

The day started out at Whitehouse Presbyterian (Kendra's placement) where the faithful group from Wyoming led the congregation in worship. The Sunday was dedicated to Christian Aid, an organization that fights poverty around the world. Keeping with theme, Jason preached from John 15 where Jesus tells us that he is the vine and we are the branches. Jason used the passage and some great storytelling to explain how we are all connected in Christ, no matter where we are or our economic situation, and that because of this if we can help then we should help. It was a great message and a great service.


it was windy!

After worship we heard the story of Whitehouse Presbyterian from Rev. Liz Hughes. Whitehouse has had more than its fair share of ups and downs. In the past ten years alone it has been burned down and flooded. But the congregation has proved hard to keep down and is certainly thriving after many renovations and fixes.

We then had Doug Baker give the group a talk on the history of Northern Ireland before getting on the mini-bus and taking them around the city to see murals, peace walls, and many other sites of interest. We ended the tour at the scenic Scrabo Tower where the wind made us feel like we were back in Wyoming!


Jason and Richard in Scrabo Tower


After the tour we went to Woodvale Methodist for a tremendous roast dinner. Thanks again to Patricia and all the others in the kitchen who made the delicious meal possible! As we ate, the group from Laramie was able to share in fellowship with many from the congregation at Woodvale. We then proceeded to head over to Malvern Assembly with some of those from Woodvale for an ecumenical Sunday evening service. Malvern Assembly is a Pentacostal church in the Shankill and there were members from multiple churches in the area worshipping together at the service. The service was a little different for the members from Laramie UPC. It was certainly more along the lines of a Pentacostal service than a Presbyterian (or at least a PC(USA) service) but this allowed for some good discussion later in the evening. Sunday was another great day with Laramie UPC! Again, Kendra and I are so blessed to have the support of such a wonderful church family back home.




a view from the top of Scrabo



Malvern Assembly

lucky

Today wasn't a typical day. It's not that most days are bad. Most days are great. But today was an exceptional day.

I woke up and realized I didn't have any clean underwear (pants) save one pair that should probably go in the bin because they're full of holes and the elastic is shot. Fortunately, my loving wife started a load of laundry since we were up before 7 AM anyways because of the early sun beaming in through the window. We were hoping to be into town fairly early so that we could hit St. George's Market so when my pants (underwear) were done washing, I blow-dried them. Naturally, right? Because really, who hasn't blow-dried their underwear at some point? Maybe in a hotel room on a trip? Maybe just because you were in a hurry in the morning? Maybe because you live in Belfast and just have a washer and hang your clothes to dry? Any of the above would be reason enough.

We got to St. George's and found a stall serving breakfast burritos. Not only breakfast burritos, but breakfast burritos made by a woman from Arizona! She made her own salsa and chorizo because she said she couldn't find any she was happy with in Belfast. It was a real treat to have some real authentic Southwestern food! People often ask me what I miss most about the States. No offense to the rest of my family but after Elsie and Elle (my nieces) I miss Mexican food. (You know I'm kidding. Well, except Curt. You know I miss Mexican food more than you.)

After St. George's, the real fun began. We headed over to the Europa bus station to await the grand arrival of a group from our home church, Laramie United Presbyterian. After about thirty anxious minutes, their bus pulled in. We were scouting out the people coming off to see if they had indeed caught that bus and just as Kendra said, "Do you see anyone yet?" I recognized Jason's C4 mission trip shirt and said "Yup!" We quickly ran out and exchanged hugs with the whole group.

The evening then featured a wonderful collaboration of Laramie UPC folks and Woodvale folks. The four Wyomingites who are staying with Woodvale people, myself, and Leanne all went out to Jim and Winafred's house in the country for a great dinner. While the chicken curry was probably the best I've had, the fellowship was even better. We shared stories and experienced the great gift that is our family in Christ, even if that family lives on another continent.

It's exciting to have the Laramie group here, to be able to share with them all that we're doing. It's even more amazing to have a church that not only supported us financially but is invested in us enough to come over and see what we're doing and help with it! So to all of Laramie UPC, THANK YOU! We've been truly blessed to be a part of the church and to be able to call you our home congregation.

But all of this got me thinking. As I watched my church family from Laramie interact with my church family from Belfast, I realized I'm incredibly lucky to be involved in both of these churches. I was fortunate not only to be placed in Woodvale Methodist but to have made the friends there that I have. The end of July is certainly going to be an emotional time. We'll be excited to come home and see and share our experiences with the rest of Laramie UPC but we'll be incredibly sad to leave the family that we have found in Belfast. So to both Laramie UPC and Woodvale Methodist, thanks for making today an incredible day and helping me realize how very lucky I am.

P.S. To whom it may concern, thanks for the exciting lift home.

gardening and wondering what'll come next



early stages of planting

One emphasis of the YAV year is simple living. There are many aspects of simple living. The one I've seem to have latched onto is growing some of our own food in order to take a small step to lower our carbon footprint. Because of this, since the beginning of March, our windowsills have been covered with plants. Herbs and vegetables like coriander, oregano, basil, a variety of peppers, chives, mint, lettuce and tomatoes are what take up most of the space, but the occasional flower - nasturiums, pansies, petunias, sweet peas, and marigolds - makes its appearance as well.

early March

I've planted a lot of stuff in the past two months and grown everything from seed. The list above starts to show how much I've planted. I guess that seems to be the nature of me getting excited about something. I find some great project and go all gung-ho for it. With that said, I should give a thank you to my amazing wife (insert your gag here but this thanks IS appropriate) for putting up with the plants everywhere and the compost that we've started on our balcony.

late April

One thing I'm finding out with growing vegetables here is that the growing season is tricky. I guess it's like Wyoming in that you might have a nice sunny day and then wake up to clouds and the wind howling the next morning. That would've been Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Because of this, the flowers which have all been transplanted to a large window box that sits outside, are sometimes brought in from the wind that hits them being up on a second floor (third floor for those of you in the States) balcony.

using some cress at breakfast

All in all, I've really enjoyed getting into gardening this year. I'm excited to carry over what I've learned to wherever Kendra and I end up next (more on that in a second).  I hope to still expand the garden a little bit by planting some root crops like radishes and beets because they'll mature quick enough that we'll be able to use them before heading home. We've already used water cress, coriander (cilantro) and rocket (arugula) that I've grown. Chives and basil should be ready before too long. We may even have lettuce to use within a month. It's been a fun and tasty experiment.
 

jalepenos!

I mentioned earlier that what I've learned gardening so far this year will be fun to carry over to wherever Kendra and I are next year. For those of you who do not know, we will be doing a second YAV year. We are looking at serving in either New Orleans or Tucson, but while we thought we may have had our decision narrowed down, we're finding out that we're just not yet sure where we're being called to at this point. We're excited about possibilities at both sites but would ask that you keep us in your prayers as we discern our next call.






tomatoes in a homemade cage...we'll see how that works

a new post...finally! adventures with the parents and a prayer/peace walk

I've been busy. Not that busy, though. I should've posted weeks ago. Sorry, but I'm doing it now instead. Better late than never, right?

a picture from the Belfast Botanic Gardens

My parents are currently here visiting. It's been great. We've been going, going, going to say the least. We've visited Downpatrick, gone to church a ridiculous amount of times (5 out of the 7 days they're here we'll have gone to church), gone to the 174 for Disabilities Club, and seen Belfast Castle, murals, peace walls, the Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum, Victoria Square and City Hall. The Botanic Gardens is in full bloom with the exception of the Rose Garden and is simply beautiful. Tomorrow we're going up to the North Coast and Giant's Causeway. But today we had an especially great experience that I'd like to share.

We gathered at Clonard Monastery a bit before 5:00 this afternoon for a cross community prayer/peace walk. Clonard is located very near the peace wall that separates the Shankill (a Protestant neighborhood) from the Falls (a Catholic neighborhood). Clonard is located in the Falls and is an incredibly beautiful worship space. I hadn't been in it yet this year and after seeing it I don't know why I didn't go sooner! I also don't know why I didn't take any pictures of the inside to post for you. Check out the link to see their website and the astonishing space.


the group heading down the Falls Road

We started the walk at Clonard and headed from there to the Falls Road. The Falls Road is the major road through the Falls and, as it is a Catholic/Nationalist area, it's not uncommon to see signage with both English and Irish. I think this is pretty cool.

We marched down the Falls Road carrying crosses, slowing down traffic, and doing our best to spread a message of peace as some of the crosses that were carried read "Peace Be With You".

 


the Falls Road murals

The walk eventually turned off the Falls Road and onto Northumberland Street where we walked past some of the Falls Road murals. Even though the murals we passed weren't antagonistic, as some in the city are, given the background and original purposes for the murals, I thought it was incredible to be marching right past them with Catholics and Protestants side-by-side.

We crossed through the gate in the peace wall on Northumberland Street and moved from the Falls into the Shankill. After a few blocks on Northumberland Street we met the Shankill Road, the main street traveling through the Shankill. There were people watching curiously from each side of the street on the Shankill Road and from the crowd I heard someone call my name. I looked over and saw two of the boys that come to the cross community football club at the 174 Trust. I shouted "Hey!" to them and began hoping that the next time I see them we can have some conversation about the walk. If nothing else, I was happy that the boys were able to see me taking part in the walk as the peace effort in Belfast and Northern Ireland is certainly something I've become passionate about.

As we moved through the Shankill, one of the organizers came up to me, Patrick and Ellison and asked if we'd like to carry the cross that was at the front of the walk. Seizing this unique opportunity, we moved the front of the line. Soon enough we each had a turn at leading the crowd, taking up the cross (literally) and following our police escort (one of the everything-proof Landrovers that PSNI uses). As I carried the cross I saw some students from Glenwood Primary School where I do monthly assemblies for the P4 to P7 classes. Like the boys from the 174, these students waved and called out to me and Ellison (who I am so grateful to have help me with these monthly assemblies). I always like to be spotted by kids from the school in the area because I think it helps the kids to understand that not only am I trying to be part of their community but that even though I am very much an outsider by nationality, I am a part of the community. And I am thankful to be part of the community and walk alongside its members. 

As the walk left the Shankill we walked through a gate in the peace wall on the Springfield Road that was opened especially for the event. In the picture on the right here you can see the gates open and the crowd coming through. Normally these gates are closed and there is a small pedestrian gate in the wall open that one person at a time could go through. Margaret, the minister at Woodvale, made the comment to me that she'd never seen those gates open before. To see them open for the peace walk gave me hope that, though it will take time, the peace efforts in Belfast can one day not only open gates in the peace walls but bring the peace walls down.

The walk continued up the Springfield Road and then back to Clonard. The walk was an outstanding event that I am happy my parents were here to be a part of. It was also an event I will be sure to remember from my YAV year.

After the walk we had a terrific dinner with Jaime and Simon. Another thanks goes out to them and Leanne for taking care of us this evening! We then attended the Good Friday service at Shankill Methodist (our fourth service of the week). All in all, an wonderful day.

Mom and a local walking along the peace wall and chatting

a lenten prayer

I was given this prayer by another attendee to our midweek service last night. The poem is by William Arthur Ward, an American author/pastor/teacher. I'm not sure this is the poem in its entirety, but I thought it was worth sharing. I would note that I think it speaks of things that we, as Christians, should be "fasting" from not just during Lent but during the whole year and things that we should be "feasting" on at all times also.  As a fellow YAV, Patrick, put it, the church is sometimes too focused on Jesus' "greatest hits." We're incredibly excited to all come back together when school starts on some "Kickoff Sunday" and then we get excited about Advent and then Lent and then we're done after Easter until that "Kickoff Sunday" rolls around again in early September. What happened to the five months between Easter and "Kickoff Sunday"? May we "fast" and "feast" during those times, too. Maybe it's even more important that we do.

A Lenten Prayer (or maybe just a prayer in general)

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ dwelling within them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from worry; feast on trust.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on nonviolence.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.

quick thought on Lent, trapped in a bathroom, bowling with the football boys

I promised a blog a few days ago about a quick thought on Lent. Here it is, late as usual and including a story about the bathroom and one about going bowling.

In reading an article by Shane Claiborne on redletterchristians.org, he mentions that the priest at his church asked the following question in a sermon leading up to Lent, "What's the difference between a stick in the mud and a flute?" The answer was that a stick in the mud is full of itself while a flute has been emptied of itself in order to make beautiful music. That is a wonderful illustration for what Lent is about. It's a time when we reflect on what fills us and how we use our time and talents (both monetary and physical) in order to figure out how we can either start creating beautiful music by the way we live or begin crafting an even more beautiful melody.

Many of you know that one way in which people try to empty themselves during the season of Lent is by giving something up. When picking up one of the kids for the after school program at the 174 last Thursday, CJ asked me, "What'd you give up for Lent, Karl?"

"Well, I haven't really decided yet. I thought maybe instead of giving something up I'd make a stronger effort to be nicer to every person I encounter." (Yes, a cop out in all reality. I should figure something out that will help empty me.)

"Ok. I'm going off sin."

"Is that so, CJ?"

"Yup."

CJ is six years old but one has to admire such determination. And it was pretty funny how when he responded to my Lenten decision he did so in a tone on par with a comment like, "That seems pretty good but seriously? I mean, come on, I'm giving up sin. Top that." Never a dull moment at the after schools and for that I am incredibly thankful.

Last night Woodvale joined Shankill Methodist again for the Sunday evening service. It was Rev Mark Charles trial service. He's the minister at Shankill Methodist but is not yet fully ordained and one of the last steps in the ordination process for him was completing this trial service. He did a great job and judging by facebook he passed with flying colors. Congratulations Charlie!

Now, before this trial service even started, I needed to go to the bathroom. I'm waiting because there's just a one person restroom and it's occupied, so I can see that the lock is catching because the guy in front of me has trouble getting out. It's one of those handles where once you close the door you just flip it up and the door is locked. But apparently the lock was catching and when you'd bring the handle down where it should just unlock and open the door, it wouldn't unlock. The man came out after a number of unsuccessful tries and this made me think twice about using the toilet, but I really had to go.

I step into the bathroom and shut the door. It's dark. I think there's a motion sensor for the light but a light doesn't come on. I can see faintly because there's a window that a street light is coming through so I flip the switch that I see. Nothing. That switch is the power for the hand dryer. I can see ok so I start going to the bathroom. Then I notice a string right by my head. It's not uncommon here to pull a string down to turn on a light. One of the men's bathrooms at the 174 has that feature. So I pull the string. A loud sustained beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep starts going off and someone runs up and shouts, "Are you ok?!" At this point I realize I've pulled the distress cord. "Yes, I'm ok. Thought I was turning on the light." "There's a reset button on the wall, just push it and the noise will stop." Well, I would push it, but I'm still going. I try to reach it on the wall behind me, leaning back, but can't so I've got to put up with the noise, as does everyone else, for a second longer while I finish up. I wash my hands in the dark and then try to open the door. The lock has caught and I'm stuck in the bathroom. I try it again, this time more slowly to see if it will catch. Still nothing. Then, the same voice that frantically asked if I was okay asks if she'd like me to have her open the door. "Yes, please" I reply already embarrassed. She has the key and opens it from the outside (the lock responds to the key still). I step out with the light still off and having just been locked in the bathroom with the distress call going. A number of people waiting to use the restroom looking at me quizzically. I tell them I thought I was turning on the light (I did) and apologized. They just smiled and looked at the switch outside the door on the wall, all the while saying it was no problem.

The bathroom incident last night was just one of those moments I knew I was a foreigner. I think that some grace did come my way when I stepped out of the bathroom and people heard the foreign accent. But when I went back into the sanctuary and sat with some of the young adults from Woodvale they were talking about that alarm going off and I had to own up to it. If nothing else, it was good for a laugh. Just another growing experience in a new culture. Thought I had bathrooms here figured out but learned that I didn't.

Last night, we went bowling with the football boys. We played a quick game of football at the Hammer, a youth club where we're able to use the gym twice a week for some indoor football, and then went to the 174 for pizza. After eating we headed up the Antrim Road to Glengormley to bowl.

the winning team

When the boys at the 174 bowl, they have a travelling trophy and medal. It seems the trophy and medal only come out on certain nights too, when they know there will be a lot of them there, and it simply goes to the person who bowled the highest game until the next time they go out. Since there was only one lane available at the alley, we paired up and the winning team would get the trophy. We didn't alternate frames but, rather, alternated balls. Brandon and I paired up and most frames he threw the first ball and I then failed to pick up the remaining pins. Nonetheless, that strategy worked well for us and we had an 89 to 87 lead after our final frame and Ciaran/David having one frame left. I was anticipating them picking up the 3 pins needed to beat us, but with the pressure on, Ciaran and David each threw gutter balls making me and Brandon the new champions. Below are a couple more shots from the night.

the whole group

me and Wayne