Let the peace of God guard your heart and mind...

Wow. January has been busy so far! For those of you who do not know I moved to Northern Ireland for 5 months on January 2nd. And in the short 4 days of this month so much has happened. To begin on January 1st I had a day of packing and a day of stress. Shoving all of my stuff in one big suitcase and then 2 carry on size bags is quite an ordeal, especially since I over pack like crazy. In the evening of the 1st I began to get so stressed out and anxious about my trip and it was overwhelming. I got overwhelmed to the point that I was unable to handle simple questions my family asked me. That anxiety is something I never felt before and I did not like it and I hope I never have it again! Immediately I began to pray and asked God for peace because I knew He called me to leave and study abroad and so I knew He was the one to help me through this ordeal. I also called my friend Hannah and had her pray for me to! I began to pace up and down my house praying like mad to God as I awaited my friend to pick me up to go to a party at a friend's house. After nearly wearing my own little pathway in the carpet I was suddenly slapped in the face with the realization that I should read my Bible. I went to Philippians 4:6 I read it over and over and then decided to broaden what I was reading. I read the following verses repeatedly for 30 minutes (luckily my friend was late to pick me up haha) it says, " Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  Talk about an amazing kick in the butt! I had been praying to God but forgetting to rejoice in Him! I had been making my petition to Him but lacking in a gentle spirit! It is amazing how the truth of God is able to penetrate hearts and change attitudes for from that point I looked at Ireland as a blessing. How many people in their lives are able to do what I am doing right now? Yes, it is hard and challenging but it is an experience that will change and strengthen me in ways that I can’t even begin to imagine. After I began to rejoice in the Lord instead of despairing in myself I was able to go to my friend’s house and have an amazing time with people that I hadn’t seen in ages. And afterwards my great friend Erich prayed over me and sent me on my way to Ireland with the guidance of the Lord. When I got home I packed and attempted to sleep but only 2 hours of rest came to my eyes because of my excitement!

Yes. That is all one day and I hadn’t even left for Ireland. Can you imagine what else have to tell you?

January 2^nd came around earlier than I wanted it to and my family and I packed up the car and headed out to the CWA airport. I got sick on the way there and spent the rest of the day fighting with my stomach and head to feel better. My family and I said goodbye and I headed to security, wrote a paper, and got on the plane all before 10am. The first flight was only 35 min and was not of interest. From Chicago to Newark I was in the very last seat next to a man named Scott who is an Opera singer in New York and we had an amazing discussion about his life, Reconciliation, Beauty, and Faith. I am so glad to have met him and have our paths crossed (numerous times, we said goodbye like 5 times but kept seeing each other in the airport). From Newark to Belfast I sat next to an older couple who I regrettably did not chat with much because I was attempting to fall asleep. This was a failure however. Luckily I was able to listen to classical music and also eat amazing meals, I love airplane food! Sidenote: if you ever get the chance to listen to classical music while flying DO IT! It is a great experience. When I arrived in Belfast I looked out the window and I saw a gorgeous sunrise over green hills. I got through customs and headed out of the airport onto the first public bus (besides the Merrill-Go-Round which does not really count).

By this time it is actually January 3^rd and as I rode the bus and looked out at the countryside around me I had to hold back tears. God is an amazing and faithful God. He may call us to hard decisions and challenging times but He never leaves our side within them. Through all the difficulties that I have had never once have I felt alone in them; God’s presence has been so prevalent within this entire experience and throughout my life. When I got to Belfast I took a taxi, upon my mother’s request, and headed to Arnie’s Backpacker which is a Hostel that agreed to hold my huge bag there until I returned from Dublin in a week or so. I was greeted with a warm welcome into this Hostel owned by a man named Arnie. It is a little cozy place that felt like home. Immediately he brought me tea and toast and gave me all I wanted. He allowed me to stay for numerous ours and entertained me with jokes and singing as I sat next to a little fire in the common area and rested. I also met a man named Karin from France at Arnie’s and we discussed Irish Accents and watched Top Gear and had a great time. Eventually I left my bag and my heart (not really, but very close to it. I love that town) in Belfast and headed to Dublin. Karin walked me to the bust station so I didn’t get lost and showed me numerous places that I should go and places that I shouldn’t. Then I rode a bus for 3 hours to Dublin and I was exhausted so I fell asleep. I would wake up periodically to see where I was and to make sure I didn’t miss my stop. At one point I woke up and my eyes beheld the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. It was a little town that I do not remember the name of. The sun was setting in the distance upon green hills and then the little town surrounded me in the valley with building of old brick and then a canal that reflected the sunset was directly before me. I was dumbfounded and after we left I fell back to a deep slumber and woke up in Dublin. From the bus station I immediately went to Jacob’s Inn where I was staying and went to my room, wrote to my mom and dad and then fell asleep at 7pm.

I did not wake up until 8:30am on January 4^th. I met the woman that I slept next to in the morning and she was from Brazil. Her English was very broken but somehow we managed to communicate. I went down the elevator to get breakfast and met the rest of the Bethel group in the lobby. A loud and cheerful welcome greeted me and I was reminded just how loud Americans really were :) haha. I got breakfast and talked with this old man from Cork who is a professor and he complimented me a lot and told me that I had a face that made people want to come up to me and a personality that kept them there. We had a good talk about various things and then I was on my way with Gary and Tony (2 of my friends from Bethel) to discover the city. We started off just waling and I was yelled and swore at by a man for taking up to much room on the sidewalk. Then we looked lost so an Irish man came up to us and helped us out. He was hilarious and walked with us for awhile. The people here are amazingly friendly (besides that mean walker man) and I have felt so welcomed. We walked and walked and walked. We saw this huge Spire which is in the middle of the city and is essentially a giant pole up into the sky. I am very thankful for this because it helps me know where I am going! We stopped at a coffee shop to warm up because it was windy and chilly outside. I got tea and I fell in love. I love the tea here it is way better than in the States. Again I was amazed by how loud Americans are because everyone else in the shop was talking quietly and my voice could be heard clear across the island! From the coffee shop we hopped onto a bus not knowing where it was going and just rode. We ended up way out in the country and we got to see more rolling green hills and the residential areas. We then got on the bus going the other way all together it was about a 2-3 hour trip! But I got to talk to a couple lovely ladies and see the beautiful scenery so it was all worth it! By this time the three of us were starving so we stopped at a pizza place and had amazing yummy pizza! After that we walked back to the hostel and just hung out and eventually a few of us got the idea to go check out the Guinness Storefront which is a 7 storey museum of the brewing company. It was soooo amazing! We walked through and learned everything and then at the top there was a beautiful 360 degree outlook of the whole city of Dublin. Breathtaking. The lights of the city were surrounding us and I sat there in awe of this immense city. Obviously a lot of things are stunning me here. We came back and ate our inexpensive dinner bought at a local grocery store of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Then most of our group went to bed and since I am over jet lag I stayed up and wrote this long post.

Looking back I have done so much but it has flown by. I already have learned so many things about myself and about my culture and the cultures of this world. Dublin is a hopping city with tons of different cultures around and is so face paced. I have met people from all over the world and through starting conversations with them I have realized my independence and also have gained so much confidence. God is doing amazing things already and it has only been 3 days of my 5 month journey. I do not want to take any moment for granted because every moment is an opportunity for change and an opportunity for me to grow in the person that God has made me to be. I am so excited to continue on in this crazy adventure. As you read this blog and as you think about me please be in prayer. Pray for my group that they will become rested and get over jet lag quickly so that being tired will not stop them from experiencing anything. Pray that we will make the most of everything; from the people to the places! Also pray that we will not miss our friends and family at home too much because it is easy to think about all of you at home and wish that you were here (there isn’t much of me wishing I was there haha). Finally and most importantly pray that we will grow and develop into Christ followers that radiate the love of Christ to everyone that we meet. Pray that through our experiences we come to an intimate knowledge of Jesus Christ as we interact with His creation on the other side of the world and pray that He works and moves in us to reach the world. Sorry this is so long. But you must get used to it because I will have so much to tell.