the goings-on

This past week was a great one and I think it's only fitting I share with you all some pics and stories of the past few days. I would also like to give you all an idea of what my typical week is shaping up to be.

Monday I spend my day meeting with either Doug, our site coordinator, or with the him and the whole group. We discuss what is going on at our placements, what we're struggling with, and how we're generally doing. I love these meetings. Doug is certainly a seasoned vet when it comes to many of the things we're dealing with so he is a wonderful ally for us in this year abroad. After the meetings I head up the Antrim Road to the 174 Trust where I help with the after school program for about an hour and a half before meeting up with the football club that I've spoken of before. The after school program usually consists of going out on the bus to pick kids up from their primary schools and then hanging out with them at the Trust. Hanging out includes, amongst other things, board games (a lot of Connect 4), painting/art, and Wii sports.

A typical Tuesday puts me at Woodvale in the morning to help with the C'mon In Cafe. The Cafe is a community outreach effort by the church that seeks to offer a cheap, yet hearty, meal to those who live in the area. What I find most interesting about the Cafe is that all of the volunteers who run it are locals whom you wouldn't see Sunday mornings. They are called the Forthriver Royals and meet often to discuss problems facing the community and to serve the community in the Cafe. They are a great group who have a heart for serving their community. After the Cafe I head over to the Trust for the after school program. Then, in the evening, I help with the disabilities club at the Trust. The disabilities club is one of the highlights of my week. We work with a variety of ages (about 5 to 15) and a variety of disabilities. We strive to give the kids a safe place to play and a place where they understand they have something to offer and are valued. But I think it's safe to say that I get much more out of this club than I think the kids get from me!

Wednesdays see me at the Trust in the mornings for the parent/toddler group. The first week at the group I mostly just set up and then put toys away. When the second week began much the same way and I was off to the side as the parents and kids were playing, if my role was at this group was anything more than being the "muscle." I figured that the Trust was out of its mind if they just had me for my muscle, because that's not one of my strong points, so I sought out a way to be more involved. I went over to the cars and began playing with a little boy. His mother runs the group so she was working with another parent and Jacob was playing by himself. We played together for only about 10 minutes but at the end of the day, when it was time to head out, Jacob ran up to me and gave me a hug. It was in that moment that I understood that I was indeed more than just "muscle" at the parent/toddler group. That day, I was there for that 10 minutes with Jacob.

I'm off Wednesday afternoons and in the evening we have a midweek service at Woodvale. The midweek is often a time of study, prayer, and reflection. It is pretty laid back. This past week I was able to lead music at it and we split into a couple of groups for some great discussion.

Thursday morning I head back to Woodvale for their parent/toddler group. There my role is more defined as I start with kids during their free play and mostly kick the football (soccer ball) around with some of the boys. I then make my way to the kitchen where I help prepare the snacks and then wash the dishes as they come in. After this group I head back over to the Trust for the after school program and then the football club. Thursday evenings will see me at Woodvale with the Urban Magnets group, their youth ministry but that has not started yet.

a few of Woodvale's young adults

On Fridays I am at the Trust in the afternoon for the after school program again. Then, in the evenings, I am at some function with Woodvale. Some Fridays I will be with a men's Bible study, others I will be with the young adult group we are getting started. This past Friday was a night of fellowship with the young adults. We met in the church hall to play Guitar Hero, eat a lot of food, and share in some delightful conversation.

me and the YAVs that joined our group Friday night

On Saturdays I am off, as is Kendra, so we look to do something fun that usually consists of exploring the Belfast area. Today we went hill-walking (hiking) at Cave Hill. Cave Hill looks like a man lying down and was supposedly the inspiration for Jonathan Swift to write Gulliver's Travels. Cave Hill also boasts some good trail trails and magnificent views of the area. On a clear day you can even see Scotland in the distance. Some pictures from our hike are below.

Well, I've flooded you with information, so now I'll go back to watching Teen Wolf while I wait another hour until 12:30 am my time so I can listen to the Wyoming Cowboys game over the internet. Yes, Michael J. Fox and a football game in the same night, it's a good one.

heading up Cave Hill

us at the top

a good view going up

how a parent/toddler group got me thinking about the "american dream"

The Belfast YAVs have officially begun working. With that said, I didn't have to work today. I'm off Friday mornings, Friday afternoons at the Trust are dependent on whether or not I'm needed, and the Friday evening groups at the church don't meet every week. Today was one of those great days where it all comes together because Kendra didn't have to work either and we got to spend a day exploring our neighborhood. We went down to the Trust quick so I could show Kendra what our after school program looks like and then hit up the charity shops. The charity shops may not have been the best idea, seeing as how we came home with 4 books. The other day I found a Ray Bradbury collection of 3 books for only 87 pence at ASDA. I guess that means we've already bought 7 books over here. I'm just going to look at is as building a library for future YAVs. Or maybe visitors would even be willing to back a book or two home for us.

Yesterday, a day I actually did work, saw me start the morning at the church's parents and toddlers group. I arrived at 9:30, helped set up some chairs and then sat and visited with a couple of parents once they started arriving around 10. After about an hour I made my to the kitchen and prepared toast. They don't trust me with making the tea yet (just kidding, I think...) but I can butter the heck out of a slice of toast.

After the morning, I began thinking about how parent/toddler groups are an incredible ministry. They give people a chance to see others they might not normally and catch up on what has been going on. The ministry gets people exposed to the church who otherwise might not ever set foot inside the doors. It also promotes healthy, valuable family time. The programs are so popular over here that I'll be helping with one at the 174 Trust and there are even government funded groups that exist. With that being said, I started to think about why there aren't too many of these groups in the States. At least, so far as I am aware. I can't come to any great conclusion about this. There seems to be a limited amount of childcare offered here during the day. I haven't seen any preschools, either. That alone lends itself to the need for a stay-at-home parent who would be able to take part in a parent/toddler group. But I also think that some of it has to do with how the family is valued. Over here, mothers get almost a year off for maternity leave. In the States many women are pressured to return to work less than 3 months after having their child. Now, I'm not saying that people in the States do not value their family. I think there is tremendous value put on the family and I'm fortunate to come from a family that loves being with each other, even makes time to do so, and cherishes that time spent together. But there is that underlying theme in the American culture that screams to everyone that they need to work hard so they can buy a new car, a bigger house, better clothes, etc. Because of that theme, the "American dream," as some even call it, there is always that idea that work should be put at the forefront of what we do.

Now, I may be way off with some of this, but I'm truly enjoying how through this YAV year, even after just about 2 weeks, something like a parent/toddler group is getting me thinking about what I value and how I desire to live my life. Once again, it's going to be a great year!