I have led a glamorous life the past month which includes sporadic work and a variety of travels. :) Mom came to visit in March, stepping off the plane to worship at Whitehouse. We went to Edinburgh for 3 days where we toured the Scottish highlands and some of my favorite spots like Holyrood Palace. She came with me to Friends and Neighbors lunch club and listened to me talk about my life in South Carolina, why I had chosen to come to Belfast, and some of what I do this year.
Then I took her on a whirlwind tour of the city starting with seeing Cats at the Grand Opera House,
a pint at Belfast's oldest pub,
and a glance at the smallest house in Northern Ireland.
We spent St.Patrick's Day in Belfast.
Alison was in the Belfast parade and then we all went to the pub for free Irish stew, Six Nations Rugby and a bit of craic with friends.
Sunday it actually snowed in Belfast! Mom and I celebrated UK Mother's Day by hopping the bus to Dublin and were mildly frightened they wouldn't let us across the border when the Garda got on board and asked us for our passports. St.Patrick's Day brings a lot of visitors to Ireland obviously and there is a hightened monitoring of people crossing borders. It was reminder of the power of American citizenship that we take for granted, because we didn't even have to present ID though I had my driver's license ready. But the travellers next to us had to present extensive documentation. In full scale tourist mode we took the Dublin bus tour and hopped on and off at various locations like Christ's Church cathedral where we heard the choir practicing for the service of evensong. The beauty of the music, and the poetry of God's word set to clear tones, was a blessed reminder to me of how music does truly bring us closer to heaven. We lit a candle for peace in Northern Ireland and it felt like closely bending God's ear to pray in such a special place of worship.
We also saw Downpatrick,
helped cater the launch of the "Gospel in Conflict" course that Liz helped to write,
saw Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Distillery, toured the Belfast Zoo,
ate at La Cuisine (my favorite), and saw some of the more recent murals on a tour with Doug.
Some of the new murals show the progression of peace in Northern Ireland. One portrays the uncertain future of Northern Ireland.
Since Paisley and Adams were shown on television, communicating a shared future and seated together, people here will tell you that there is a different feeling. There is a feeling of peace and though there is still an element of skepticism there is also a strong sense of hope. Another mural shows Andrew Jackson, "Old Hickory."
Some of the murals now show famous people who had roots in Northern Ireland, shared figures that cover up murals of gunmen or messages of sectarianism. It was great to have mom visit, to be able to talk to her without paying 4p per minute, to share meals and everyday things with someone and to just have her near. I was at work for a few days. Whitehouse was going through a consultation process with the Presbytery and we held a service of worship and presentation for that. I felt a huge sense of pride in the church as I watched each presentation, including a hilarious puppet show written by Bob, a former member of the Duncairn/St.Enoch's congregation who is a dynamic part of Uncle Bobby and Auntie Anne who take such good care of us PCUSA volunteers.
The last weekend in March I met Dad in Paris to spend the weekend after he was there on a business trip. I arrived in Paris on my own and I was confused from the minute I got off the plane. I was concerned that customs would ask me questions in French and I would be furiously searching through my phrase book. I couldn't find where the taxis were and I was watching other people to see if I should ride in the front or back of the car, since I was used to chatting in the passenger seat here in Belfast. I had a small taste of what the other international volunteers must have gone through, trying to learn new languages and feeling disoriented. When I arrived at the hotel the Eiffel Tower was glittering (hourly lights) and at least I knew the phrases that helped me to be polite like merci!
Paris was a friendly city, with most people being forgiving and taking pitty on me after I mangled my way through a French phrase. Dad and I saw the Musee Rodin, Grand and Petit Palais, and Notre Dame Cathedral.
The beauty and size of the rose windows was humbling.
There was an altar carving of Christ's childhood until the Passion and seeing the images was a meaningful preparation for Easter. There was also a prayer service and the prayers in French combined with the sheer height of the cathedral felt like stretching to God.
The surrounding gardens were so neatly organized and vividly blooming. We heard the bells at 5pm and had warm crepes from a street vendor. On the way back we rode down the Champs Ellyse and past the Arc de Triomphe. That night we ate dinner at La Coppelle in Montparnasse. It was a massive restaurant with great platters full of oysters, lemons and an assortment of seafruits. It was buzzing with conversations and we savored every minute of our homard (lobster). The next day it rained like crazy and we were completely soaked.
We stopped off first at the Church of Magdalene, dark inside the feeling of depth was increased by the recessed walls with large statues and the massive high ceilings. There was a service in progress but we sat and listened to part of the noon mass. The large statue of Mary Magdalene, surrounded by angels, was ethereal and the way it swallowed and radiated the light in it's white marble was beautiful. Since we couldn't take pictures my "heart pictures," as Alison says, will have to do. We spent the rest of the day in the Louvre. My favorite parts were the gardens
which had been enclosed to preserve them. The contrast of the trees and marble made the statues even more amazing.
I really enjoyed the 15-18th century sculptures like Daniel and the Lion's Den, David and Goliath, and the Zephyr that was carved so finely the light shone through the wings. Of course we saw the Venus de Milo
and the Mona Lisa (which is much smaller than you'd think). I came home to flooded kitchen because the washing machine door wouldn't close properly. Alison and I swept the water out the back garden
and then enjoyed a night of movie watching. On the plus side, our toilet was finally fixed so now we have two! ;) In the week leading up to Easter Whitehouse hosted activities each night that were ways to make the walk to the cross a contemporary personal journey that also drew us into Christ's suffering and sacrifice. Frances and I, with the help of Bethan and Ross, organized activities for the youth. We had about 20 youth each night. My group soon found out how much I love to make up games and give them ludicrous names like Pebble Pictionary which we played one night. We also did reflective activities like writing down something that weighs heavy on our hearts and then plunging it deep into water to symbolize how with Christ our sins are plunged to the depths and never lifted again. On Easter morning the church met at Hazelbank park
on the shore of the Belfast Lough. The sun came up over the water and illuminated the city. Afterwards we went to the church and had a traditional Ulster fry breakfast cooked by May and the catering team. Over 100 people were served! The service, the fellowship, the beauty of the lough, all captured Easter and the power of the risen Christ in a way that will continue to be as special to me as the Easter sunrise services at Old Stone Church that are dear to my heart from my childhood.After Easter I had a week off from the afterschools and from church activities. It gave me time to be lazy. I also had time to meet people for coffee outside of our normal times when you sometimes feel like you don't have enough time to chat or enough time to truly spend in fellowship. On April 12 I went to the Colors Salon on the Antrim Road
and Paul, the hairdresser my GB girls recommended, cut 10 inches off my hair for me to donate to Locks of Love.
I have always wanted to be involved this worthwhile charity, but usually got so sick of long hair I chopped it before it was long enough. The roommates came with me and we made a fun day out of it.
That night we went out with the 174 crowd for Dan's going away party (though he would kill me if he knew I called it that). Dan left us to travel through Europe and then he's off back to the states. I've moved back downstairs into my old room, which feels different now. It feels like each room I've lived in has represented various stages of this year, this journey. I am also realizing how much stuff I have acquired and starting to get concerned about how I will get it all home in two months.That Friday the youth of Whitehouse held a 24 hour fast to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. Their goal is to raise £1235 to become "Hope Builders" by funding one house in the two-thirds world. They came and spent the night at the church and then had a car wash the following morning, complete with fire hose. I came by for a little while since we were leaving for Iona at 5.30am the next morning and in my short stay there they managed to trick me and treat me to the "bumps" which involved me being thrown in the air by 20 teenagers 10 times. The youth of our church continue to amaze me with how committed they are to reaching out to the world and doing practical, passionate things to show God's love to others.
April 14 we left for Iona at around 5.30am. We took a taxi to the Europa buscentre, a bus to the ferry, ferry to Stranraer, bus to Glasgow, train to Oban, bus to the Isle of Mull, ferry to Iona. It was an entire day of travel that at times challenged my attitude and patience. The train was my favorite part of the journey, chugging through the Scottish countryside. It felt like we had been transported into the C.S. Lewis novel The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe with the massive trees around us and the clear, blue streams beside. As we got on the ferry to Iona the water was rushing up around the platform. The sun and fresh air were so restorative compared to the Belfast air which carries a bit of the fragrance from the local animal feed plant. When we arrived on Iona
we were met by staff and walked up to the McLeod Center where we stayed for the next week. We passed little lambs, sheep, stone walls, wood gates painted bright yellows and blues. We joined in the evening meal and got to know some of the other folks there for the week. At the beginning of the year Doug had asked us if we wanted to go on this trip and we had heard about it from previous volunteers. There was a program for the week with a few sessions but a lot of the week was really about living in community and being a part of Iona, a remote island that feels closer to heaven. Attending the first evening worship in the abbey, hearing the sounds of people inventing harmonies resonate on the old stone walls, I started to have a sense of the magic of the place.
The Iona Community is dedicated to a holistic pursuit of peace. Peace that includes the healing of people, the protection of the world of which we are God's stewards, and the call for justice for all people. There is a rhythm to life on the island that comes out of the ideals of the Iona Community. We did chores each day, shared basic vegetarian meals, attended worship at 9am and 9pm, and explored the island which is populated mostly by cows,
sheep and the beauty of Scotland. 
All the activities were optional and it was freeing for me skip worship to take a walk around the island and not feel guilty. I felt that I met intimately with God in that morning walk and throughout my time to reflect and be still on Iona.
On Tuesday Alison and I went to the service of prayers for healing. People on the list for prayer were in groups, but the groups weren't named like "those in hospital" they were more broad and respectful like "those who suffer pain, those who suffer in mind or spirit, those struggling to overcome addiction or abuse." After each group was listed and people prayed for by first name only, we sang a different response. We prayed for situations in the world and prayers were lifted for the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting. Alison and I both were deeply moved by the prayers. After prayers were also given for peace in Northern Ireland we were both in tears. We left the abbey in silence and went together to pray in Columba's cell, the location of St.Columba's tomb. The two countries we loved were lifted up to God's ear and there is something that deeply touches and heals your heart when sincere prayers are offered on your behalf.
The Thorndale girls took a trip to the Island of Staffa,
which has similar hexagonal basalt columns to Giant's Causeway on the North Coast of Northern Ireland.
Legend has it that it is the other end of the causeway that Finn McCool built to walk to Ireland. We saw puffins and seals and walked the solid columns to Fingal's Cave. We all agreed that Scotland got the better half of the causeway.
We also took a pilgrimage while we were on Iona.
In the first 30 minutes I stepped in a bog all the way up to my knee. I was stuck in it so far that it took 2 people to yank me out! I almost pulled Alison in with me.
Seeing the island and taking a good walk were only part of the pilgrimage though. At each stop the leaders highlighted history of the island or how parts of the island remind us to pray for certain things. For example at the nunnery,
which is now in ruins, we prayed for the underrepresentation of women in history and then sang a song as we travelled on. There was deep peace in the seamless weaving of prayer, exertion, nature, and fellowship. We also saw the quarry where the oldest marble in Europe exists, the reservoir that used to provide water for the island, and several of the beautiful beaches that hem Iona in.
Alison and I spent our last day walking the North beach and soaking up the sun, the beautiful stones, and the tropcially blue water. 
It was an amazing trip and we made some great friends also.
On the way home our bus to Glasgow was delayed by two hours due to a chemical spill in the road. We missed the bus to Stranraer and our ferry, so we had to stay the night in Glasgow. We were so tired but made an adventure of it, dividing up the complimentary vittles in the room and drinking water out of wine glasses. It was fun and nice to sleep in a comfy bed until the fire alarm went off in the morning.
Libby kept saying, "seriously" and we were all in fits of laughter at the crazy situation of us in our pajamas on the streets of Glasgow. We finally got home on Saturday night and were so glad to see Thorndale.
A few days after Iona I went to Birmingham on whim to see Keith Urban in concert with the added bonus of seeing Monisha and Anni who are also YAV's. I got there in the afternoon and Monisha gave me a tour of her placement. She laughed at my wide-eyed amazement at the gym in the YMCA in West Bromich were she works. I will never again take a gym for granted after Belfast, where the nearest leisure center is a 10 minute walk and costs about $8 per use. Fortunately the Waterworks park is close by and I walk there often, but I am looking forward to aerobics classes and free weights when I get home. Monisha treated us to her local chippie and my kebab and chips were class. Then we took the train back into town and headed to the Carling Academy. We didn't realize that the Carling Academy is a first come, first served venue and we ended up at the long end of a queue that wrapped around several buildings and was many blocks long! We got in and started to look for a place to stand on the upper balcony but it seemed that every tall person in the UK was up near the front. Anni scouted it out and found a place on the side with a view right on top of Keith! We sang to the top of our lungs and danced around like nobody was watching. Monisha who admitted she had never heard of Keith Urban even loved the music. I flew out the next day and felt like the trip was over before it started, but I loved seeing YAV buddies and doing something spontaneous.
This week I've been getting back in the routine. We've had gorgeous weather in Belfast- warm and sunny with temperatures in the high 60's. The afterschools kids were out every afternoon this week and my freckles actually started to show up again after months in hiding. Youth PHAB played games in the back garden this week and adult PHAB took pictures down by the shore before going for ice cream. Bernice even taught me how to push her wheelchair through the sand and was very patient with me as I learned. On Friday I started back with the coffee morning at the 174 Trust. I've been baking cookies and making sandwiches for the staff and groups that meet. The Alcoholics Anonymous group also meets on a Friday so they usually come get something to eat during their tea break. The first week I did this project, people were so amazed that I would make them their cup of tea and offer food for free. I was humbled by their amazement at what I felt like was just natural hospitality. I see the importance of continuing this project and it has already been so rewarding for me.
My time here is going too quickly. In eight weeks I will be back in South Carolina. This weekend a strategy committee from Whitehouse went to Newcastle to look at the results of our healthy church survey and come up with some objectives for the next few years. That meeting has been on my calendar for months and it felt so far away. Now it's over and I feel even more acutely how much I have learned from my time here and how much I feel there is still I'd like to be a part of. The people here are part of my life, my friends, my extended family. My friend Andrew said in a recent email that I will soon be a person who has lived in two places and never really left either. But it's also like the words of David Lamotte, "Your heart isn't broken just because your heart is sore. All that love just stretched it out and now it holds a little more." My heart holds so much more and God is teaching me constantly. He is teaching me to grow in the confidence of my decisions and to rest in the contentment of his provision and love. I'm learning about my amazing Heavenly Father and I am excited for the journey we'll take together throughout the next few weeks and as I return home. By the way, I recently accepted a fourth grade teaching position at Chandler Creek Elementary in Greer for the 2007-2008 school year which I'm very excited about. I've been richly blessed.
Thank you for your prayers, for reading this blog, and for your support. I look forward to sharing my stories with you when I get home and I can't wait to hear what God is doing in your lives. Thank you also for your generous giving over the past months. I'm still in need of about $1,000 of support. If you would like to support God's work in Northern Ireland please send your donations to:
The Presbyterian Church USA
Individual Remittance Processing
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
*Please put my name in the "for" line- Lauren Simmons ECO#074555
I thank God for you and remember you in my prayers.
"Preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words." - St.Francis of Assisi
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