Journey to the Emerald Isle

Every year the Reformed Presbyterian Church in Ireland hosts a Young Adults Weekend. This year it was held in Annalong, Ireland, and we were fortunate enough to be invited along. Friday morning the four of us reported to the Church to begin our journey. Stacy Muir, a member of the CY here in Airdrie, was kind enough to be our chauffeur/tour guide/fellow tourist for the weekend. We traveled on the ferry from Troon, Scotland, to Larne, Ireland. None of us Yankees had ever been on a boat before so we were not quite sure what to expect. The crossing was not bad at all. Graci and Stacy left and the boys lost to me in Rummy. We were not expected in Annalong until seven that evening, so Stacy showed us around Belfast for the afternoon. We (and by we I mean us girls) were pleased to spend some time in Victoria Square shopping centre. After which, we visited the City Hall and wandered about some. Finally it was time to set out to Annalong so we squeezed into Stacy's car and set out. Being that it was Ireland it rained quite a bit the whole weekend but I cannot say that the rain was unwelcome; almost every time it rained, we saw a rainbow.

Young Adults Weekend could not have been set in a better location. The town of Annalong is set in between blue and green; the blue of the sea and the green of the countryside. While unpacking, Graci was perplexed as to why her sleeping bag was so many different colors. We came to find out that she had not been given a sleeping bag but a parachute. Luckily she did not have to wrap herself in the parachute for the weekend, there were some spares about that she was able to borrow. The speaker for the weekend was Rev David Sutherland, minister to the Ballyclare RP Church. The reoccurring theme for the weekend was the Kingdom. Rev Sutherland chose to focus on how the Kingdom is illustrated in the Parables of Jesus. On Saturday in addition to the Talks with Rev Sutherland, we attended two seminars on Spiritual Gifts. One of these was led by Rev Robert Robb from the RP Church in Enniskillen and the other was led by Rev David McCullough from Dromore RP Church. Saturday morning we had our first "fry". Our breakfast consisted of sausage, bacon (what we might call ham), potato squares, fried tomatoes, fried eggs and toast. The ladies that prepared our meals throughout the weekend saw to it that everyone had seconds and that no one could even suspect that they were still hungry. Our Talks and seminars were briefly interrupted by the Ireland-Australia Rugby match. After watching American Football for so many years, it made me cringe to see those men hitting each other without wearing helmets. Ireland pulled out a 15 to 12 win over the Aussies and all was right with the world. After seminars that afternoon, Graci and I were invited to go along with a small group to Bloody Bridge. Bloody Bridge is located out on the Mournes, after one treks up the side of a "hill". The path is guided by a steam that runs through the hillsides into the sea. The Mournes are without a doubt some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. Once again during our hike, a short rain produced a rainbow to add to the completeness of the scenery around us. We did not actually get to see the bridge since we were pressed for time but I did not feel disappointed in the slightest. Following dinner and another Talk that evening, everyone set out for Newcastle in search of some ice cream. The shop we had intended to visit was closed so we went to Subway which oddly enough had ice cream. I had no idea Ferrero Rocher made ice cream!

Sunday morning, a carivan of cars set out from Annalong to Dromara for Sabath Day worship. We were surprised to see that this was the congregation that sent over the team to Stranraer. Even more surpising was the fact that the pastor's sermon was about the Kingdom, the running theme of the entire weekend. After lunch at the church we headed back to Annalong and (somewhat accidentally) saw some of the greenest countryside in existence. Once we got back, we had some free time so Graci, Casey and I made our way down to the sea. The beach in Annalong is a sudden break from the green of the farms that run beside it. At last, we had our final Talk and said our goodbyes to our new friends. The five of us packed into Stacy's car again and headed up north. We stayed in the Brown's B&B for the night. I think if after it's all said and done, I can run a B&B in Ireland I would be quite content.

Monday morning we had breakfast with a Swedish couple (who spoke French), an English couple and Mr Brown. Mrs Brown made our breakfast and it was a perfect start to our day. Stacy took us farther North to see Giant's Causeway. Giant's Causeway is said to be the eighth wonder of the world. Somehow a volcanic eruption from long ago formed hexagonal shaped stones that are piled just so. Paths have been carved in the sides of the mountains allowing for access up and down the Causeway, first for herders and now for tourists. The sheer span of the Causeway is enough to create a very real picture of how small I am...and how big God is. We did get caught in the rain at first but as we pressed on the sun came out and made our ascension a bit easier. Admittedly we did get lost for a little bit once we reached the top and could not discern how to make our way back to the car park. Marching through the muddy paths splitting a field of sheep from a field of sheep, eventually we found the road. Having spent a considerable amount of time in Northern Ireland, Stacy took us to some of her favorite places once we finished at the Causeway. For lunch we stopped off in Portrush. Stacy had intended to show us the town's amusement park but it was closed. Not to be discouraged, we journeyed on to Whiterock Beach. We were brave enough to step into the sea but then ran back out for fear of frost bite. I was quite sad to file back into the car and return to Larne. It is no wonder why Ireland is called the Emerald Isle. In its entirety, the island is green and pulsing with life. I sincerely hope to go back someday.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/Ireland?authkey=Gv1sRgCJOF6qLs_KfcDw#

Catching up

I have neglected to write about last Wednesday's outing so now we have to play catch up.

Grahm took us eastward to the coast this time. We first visited the town of Culross. Here we visited the Garden as well as the Abbey. The Garden was an intricate maze of various plants and sea shell path ways. We had to pay attention while making our way around town; not that it was very busy but the roads are still cobblestone. In fact, some of the houses in Culross were built in the fifteenth century and are still being used today. After navigating through town and up the hill we visited the Abbey which was fun to explore. Next, we visited Dunfermline, Scotland's ancient capital. In the center of the surrounding woods, the Abbey and Castle ruins still overshadow the country side. It is here that Robert the Bruce is burried...under the church pulpit. Setting out from there we stopped in the town of Queens Ferry. It is here that the Rail Bridge stretches across the waters. Just outside of Queens Ferry, Grahm showed us one of the stately homes. This particular house is home to an Earl but Graci and I decided it was where Mr Darcy lives. Finally we stopped off to see Linlithgow Palace. This place was the birth place of Mary Queen of Scots. I doubt that any of these outings could ever be disappointing.

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Sorry for being so late in posting this. Tomorrow there will be an Ireland post as well a pictures.

Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?

I am not sure if it is one of the effects of jet lag or the fact that the hours of daylight are different here, but each day here feels so long. I had to check the date of my last blog before writing this one and I could not believe that it had only been posted five days ago.
Our field trip this past Wednesday took the four of us into the Highlands for the first time. We did not travel with Jimmy this week but another gentleman from the church named Gram was our guide. When he arrived at the church to pick us up he asked if we were alright with visiting a medieval castle this week. You can imagine our excitement. Somehow we all crammed into Gram's car and set out for Castle Doune. This castle has been famous in pop culture by being the site of the French Guard scene in Monty Python. Yes, this is the castle where King Aurthur and his brave knights were assaulted by flying farm animals by those unruly Frenchmen. [insert Monty Python quote here]. If this was not enough to tempt a traveler to this lesser known castle, it would certainly be worth visiting for the historical value and obvious beauty. It is only five pounds to enter the castle and be directed about by an audio guide. After departing from the castle, Gram had planned to take us to a historic church in the area but the fickle Scottish weather prevented us from stopping at that site. We pressed on, however, to Loch Katrine. This Loch supplies the water not only to Airdrie but to many other surrounding towns and cities. The little car then took us through Queen Elisabeth Forest Park, each bend in the road (and there were many) brought us to a new scene of God's intrinsic artwork. We were even so fortunate to see some of the hairy highland cows along the road. Our last stop before heading back to Airdrie was in the town of Aberfoyle. This small town is home to a wool factory that we explored. The charm of such towns as Aberfoyle is indeed a credit to Scotland's character.

We finished out our first week of "real classes" and began our weekend right. Thursday was Graci's birthday and Friday night nearly the entire CY (youth group) joined us for dinner in Glasgow. We rightly embarrassed her by having the entire restaurant sing to her. Afterwards we broke up into four groups for the CY's Photochallenge. If you have been a member of the Bridge (or AYF for us oldies), you will remember how teams of us high school students would race around town with a camera trying to capture random images. It is like a picture scavenger hunt. No winner has been announced as of yet since all the pictures are still being judged. Once we were done we all met up at Starbucks and discussed our surprise at the fact that none of us were thrown out of any of the stores.

Yesterday Graci and I were able to bum a ride off of our friends Audrey and Debbie to Tessco. This time we decided to do all the shopping for the week in one attempt so we went to the BIG Tessco in Glasgow. By "big" what I mean is there was an escalator in this grocery store. With the return of the all knowing internet into our lives, we were able to look up recipes that were in both our skill level and price range to add to our repertoire. We made out quite well with the exception of our almost purchasing of a skillet costing 50 pounds. Once we brought our plunder back to the house Audrey and Debbie invited us to the cinema with them. The four of us set out to Falkirk to see One Day. Let's just say we didn't see it coming and most of us needed tissues once it was all said and done.

Sundays are becoming our busiest days. We go to Bible study in the morning at 10, have prayer meeting at 10:30, church runs from 11 until around 12:30, we are hosted by one of the families in the church (hospitality) for lunch which ends somewhere between 2 and 3, then we go home and piddle around until we decide to make something for dinner, then it's back to evening service at 6:30 and finally off to someone's house for bant'r. Not that I am complaining; rather I enjoying spending the Lord's day with so many people and having good bant'r. Right now I need to change out of my sweats into something presentable for evening service. I hope to have my next post up on Thursday (reasons to be explained later). Until then, go quote Monte Python with someone!

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/DonneCastle?authkey=Gv1sRgCNnc4Z-XteCubA#

Getting the Hang of Things

After being in Scotland for nearly two weeks, I finally feel like I'm getting the hang of things. We found baking soda, I received mail to the correct address and we successfully navigated our way through town at night. Graci and I have had no luck though in tracking down the elusive ice cream van. To everyone who has been wanting to hear from me: the phone and internet will be functional this Friday.


We took a trip to Stranraer [Strain - rar] on Saturday with the church's GO Team. This team, along with members of the Stranraer RP church and their counterparts from Ireland, organize a day every year where they disperse into the town to distribute 3000 leaflets containing the good news of Christ. We were privileged to assist with this distribution this year. Not only were we warmly received by the members of the Stranraer church but we were awed by the beauty of the sea side city. It is wonderful to see how the word of the Lord spreads. In church on Sunday, Pastor Andrew told us how there were two RP churches (Stranraer and Airdrie) and one church plant in Glasgow this time last year. This year there are four RP churches, with the edition of the churches in Glasgow and Ireland, and more church plants in Edinburgh and Stornoway.


There is not much to report on this rainy Tuesday in Airdrie. Hopefully once the internet is up and working there will be more exciting news to convey. Until then, I'm going to try to stay dry on our run back to the house.

https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/GOTeam?authkey=Gv1sRgCKbej4DjwoOKLg

Glasgow is the friendliest city in Europe...unless you die there.

Classes started this Monday (the 29th) and we have been hard at work keeping up with all the readings. Luckily though every morning, except for Fridays, from 9:15-1 is dedicated to just that: the 5 of us (Pastor Andrew's son Conner has joined us) sit in our class room and read in preparation for seminars. Seminars, however, do not start until this coming Monday. At first the readings were quite daunting and, as with most college classes, some of  writings are very dense. In order to combat the mental burnout that would no doubt follow such an intense time of study, we take breaks in between readings to have some good bant'r and make coffee. Andrew was kind enough to give us 10 pounds a week to buy biscuits and drinks.


It has seemed like Graci and I have gone grocery shopping every day...mostly because we have. We have yet to discover where they hide the baking soda around here. Our fridge has a peculiar smell about it when the door is opened and we were hoping that putting baking soda inside would help. We have not been able to test this theory though with the lack of baking soda and so we open the door as few times a day as we can manage. Other than the smelly fridge, we have been settling into our little house. We should have internet there next week but the lack of us has caused us to explore the town more than we would have done otherwise. Graci and I have made our way to all three of the main supermarkets, found the post office and been to both ends of town with out getting lost yet. I imagine we'll have to go out for groceries again tonight though since we are out of Jam. We also have been coping with the weather easier this week. I actually wore a t shirt today and not long sleeves. It has surprised everyone here how few times it has actually rained since we came over.


Every Wednesday we take a trip with different members of the RP church here in Airdrie. This week Jimmy, who also led our tour of Edinburgh, took the 4 of us on a tour through Glasgow Cathedral. On the train ride there, Jimmy told us how Glasgow was voted the friendliest city in Europe. Then we got onto the subject of Football (soccer for Americans) and he told us about the bitter rivalry between the two Glasgow teams. One is a Protestant team, the Rangers, and the other is a Catholic team, the Celtics. Their rivalry dates back to the Covenantor's time and Glasgow is a city divided. Alcohol is not even served at games but fights almost always break out anyway. All this to say that we will probably have to avoid Glasgow when these teams are playing. I cannot explain why I freak out on subways but I fully enjoyed the train ride. In making our way to the Cathedral, we had to take a detour around Philadelphia. That's right everyone, since Brad Pitt owns the world, he decided to set up his own Phili in the middle of this Scottish city. Well..something like that. They were filming "World War Z" in Glasgow when we happened upon them. Apparently, the city of Philadelphia would not give them permission to shoot the movie so they had to set up shop somewhere else. Someone on the crew thought for some odd reason the Glasgow looked like Philadelphia and so Mr Pitt and the rest of the cast and crew turned central Glasgow into some sort of city (it doesn't look much like Phili though). Luckily though this detour did not take us too far off track and we arrived at the Cathedral in about 20 minutes. This Cathedral was five times the size the one in Edinburgh! We even saw where the Queen sits when she attends church in the Cathedral. Jimmy led us into different rooms, basements and chapels with ceilings so high my neck hurt after we left from trying to look up at them. After exploring the cavernous church, Jimmy took us across the street to the oldest house in Glasgow. The original wooden beams are still holding up the ceilings  Unfortunately for all of us but Graci the doorways are lower than usual and we all had to duck to move from room to room. Out back in the garden we found a miniature map of city and medieval clocks (sundials). Soon after we made our way back to the train station and back to Airdrie.


The link to this photo album is posted under the title of this blog. This is the easiest way I have found to share my pictures with you all. The link to the Edinburgh pictures are at the bottom of that post. Once there is another album to post, the link for the Cathedral album will  be moved to the bottom of
this post.


https://picasaweb.google.com/108532852514122909750/GlasgowCathedral?authkey=Gv1sRgCMyxyr6V9ZiRkAE