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