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.
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