Sunday, June 30, 2013

Dublin

We arrived safe in Dublin yesterday afternoon and had a pretty uneventful day. We walked around Grafton Street and were going to go to Riverdance, but Elise had been having trouble getting the tickets online, so we just went to get them there. Unfortunately, it was sold out for Saturday, but we got some for Sunday.
 
We did some basic food shopping, and then back to the hotel... Unfortunately, I get very bad internet reception in my hotel room, which is why this post wasn't put up yesterday. But bear with me.
 
This morning Brianna, Libby, and Mrs. Susan went to do more touristy things while Elise, Katie, and myself chill in the hotel. We'll meet up with them later in an archaeology museum, and then go to Riverdance from there.
 
Tomorrow we fly home!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: that no one gets run over by a bus in Dublin, and for safe travel home. Please continue to pray for Ballygawley and Kilmore and Bradley and the dance ministry.

Friday, June 28, 2013

The Finale

After prep work and prayer at the hall, we went shopping and then to Carrickfergus castle. It's one of Elise's favorites, and the rest of us had never been there before.
 
But... it wasn't open. Kenny had mentioned that it might be closed due to filming of Game Of Thrones (which they are filming at Titanic Studios), but then it turned out it was closed due to filming of some scifie movie, Our Robot Overlords. Never heard of it before. But there were lots of interesting people running in and out of that castle, so that was cool.
 
Then we headed out for our final Holiday Bible Club...
 
My group was kind of rowdy tonight, and there weren't very many kids there at all because everyone was leaving for their summer holidays. But we enjoyed our time with the kids we had. After the regular program, the parents came and the kids did their theme songs and recited the memory verse and the Bible Points of the week. We gave Margaret a gift from the whole team, and then we danced a few pieces. Elise later told us that the children were entranced by the dancing, which is always an encouragement.
 
Speaking of encouragements... Bradley was back! The little boy who accepted Christ last night came back! We gave him a Children's Bible, and he was really happy all night long. It was such an encouragement to see him walk in.
 
Not very many teens showed up either, but we had fun with them too. We played some hockey and taught Alex how to linedance, and we sat around and talked a bit too. I wish we had more time with them... One week is such a short amount of time, not nearly long enough. But I suppose I'm also ready to be home.
 
We helped clean up the church hall, and then regrouped back at the cottage to pack... Tomorrow we leave for Dublin, where we'll stay until Monday... when we fly back home.
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Please pray for the church of Kilmore, that it will spark back into life. Pray that this won't be the end for those kids and those teens, that seeds will have been planted and that those seeds will grow. I wish I could list each and every one of them by name. Please pray for safe travel for us tomorrow as we drive the hour and a half to Dublin.
 


Thursday, June 27, 2013

St. Patrick and Table Tennis!

Today we prepped the hall (which involved playing with the fancy settings on a keyboard) then went to Downpatrick, the little town of St. Patrick. We visited the Down Cathedral, which is a very beautiful church that also has the grave of St. Patrick.
 
If you're like me, you kind of associate St. Patrick with shamrocks even though you know that can't be the real story, and it's not. We visited St. Patrick's grave before going to the St. Patrick Center, a kind of museum devoted entirely to St. Patrick. After all that, we learned quite a bit about the man.
 
Admittedly, I don't remember a lot of it. My headache of the week was really bad today and my stomach was uspet due to nerves, so I didn't really absorb information. But basically, St. Patrick was kidnapped as a child and made a slave. He escaped six years later and returned to his native land, Britain. But after lots of prayer, he determined that God wanted him to go back to Ireland to spread the gospel.
 
From what I heard in the exhibit, the problem with St. Patrick is that no one really knows the real story. Lots of legends and stories have been assigned to him without any real proof. Nevertheless, it was all very interesting.
 
The club that night went well. We were sharing the Gospel in the story, and at the end one little boy talked to Brianna and accepted Christ! But we think his mom may not be too pleased about it, so we're all praying that we see him again tomorrow.
 
With the teens we had a table-tennis tournament! I quickly was released after losing to Kenny 12-10. We were both pretty evenly matched in our not-so-greatness. We weren't able to finish the tournament due to time, but the three people left in the running were Mark, Heather, and Rachel (I think).
 
While we had a snack, I shared my testimony. I had been worried about this all week, and I appreciate prayers for my words. I did get through it, and I hope God used my words and my story.
 
The teens do seem to finally be opening up a little. I choreographed a quick dance on Katie and Matthew (his real name's Nat) that he's excited to perform for our little talent show we're having tomorrow (we might be having tomorrow). I had to leave early because Elise is worried about my health, but the other girls walked home with a few of the other teens and now we're all getting connected through Facebook (yay for modern technology!).
 
Tomorrow we're going to try to visit Carrickfergus castle, but Kenny mentioned that it might be closed due to filming of Game Of Thrones...? Margaret said she'll pull the American card if it's true, so we might be able to visit it... while they're filming. And then tomorrow night is the last Holiday Club, complete with hot dogs and ballet dancing and parent-inviting. And then we might be having that talent show with the teens...
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Elise is almost all the way back to health, but Libby and I are still sick. Please pray for that little boy who asked Jesus into his heart, and for all the teens here. Please continue praying for Ballygawley and Kilmore in general. Pray for the kids and the parents who will be here tomorrow. Thank you for all your support so far!

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Lazy Day

We did more prep work this morning, and then Mrs. Susan, Brianna, and Libby went to Belfast for the Titanic Museum. Elise, Katie, and I stayed home for some much-needed rest. We spent the day in separate corners, reading, chilling, and catching up in our own quiet interests. It was lovely.
 
The Titanic Experience is a huge interactive museum dedicated to the Titanic. It's only been open for the past few years, and it really is pretty cool. It's easy to spend hours in there. If I hadn't been so tired, I probably would've gone again.
 
We're getting more and more organized as the week goes on. Tonight, we had a much better roll sheet and a more rigorous registration so we're getting better at knowing who is and isn't there. I was also promoted to music accompaniment on the piano, and though my skills are hardly impressive, it does help the theme song go a little smoother. We also have microphones, so now we can get the kids' attention way easier! By the end of the week, we might have perfected the whole thing.
 
After the club we hung out with the teens more. Yesterday Chris had volunteered to bring a Wii, but he was late so we started a game of Hot Potato, and then Volleyball. When he did show up he and I spent a long time trying to hook it up to the ancient TV in the Church Hall. Well, mostly he did. I offered a bit of input on where things were and who to ask for certain things. Eventually we hooked it up to Margaret's projector... but then there was no sound. And even though a few people stayed behind to play Mario Kart, the Wii was kind of a fail. Tomorrow we'll have speakers and it ought to go better.
 
Brianna shared her testimony, and we played Questions and the Walrus Game. It was still pretty fun, despite the Wii malfunctions.
 
Tomorrow we go to Downpatrick to walk around and enjoy the sights, then another Club Night and Teen Night.
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Elise did pass her stone! Praise the Lord! Libby is still recovering from her cold and I still have a constant headache, so prayers for health are appreciated. Please continue praying for the Club and for peace and strength and love for all of us. Please pray for Kilmore and Ballygawley both, and the potential dance ministry. And if I could ask for a personal prayer, I will be sharing my testimony tomorrow with the youth, and I'm not so good at that kind of thing. I would greatly appreciate a word of prayer for that.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Kilmore Round Two

We did a lot of prep-work in the hall this morning before heading to a small primary school for their assembly. We danced and Katie shared her testimony, and then we invited all of them to come to Holiday Bible Club. A lot of them we recognized, and it made me strangely cheerful when one of the boys shouted excitedly across a parking lot, "Dexter!! DEXTER!! HELLO!!!" After we'd shared, they practiced one of their own songs, which was adorable.
 
We went to Newcastle for the afternoon, a tourist town by a beach. It was nice, but I was feeling very sick and so I didn't enjoy it at all, and probably exuded a gloomy atmosphere to the rest of the team. But we got ice cream and a few people bought a few souvenirs. We then headed back for dinner and then the club.
 
We were better prepared this time. We're still not perfect, but we're getting a little better. Our roll/registration sheet is getting revamped, we reorganized our groups, added another workspace, and got a few extra helpers.
 
Tonight we had 35 kids, so less than last night... but we anticipated this, partly because several boys said they had football practice tonight. Hopefully they'll be back tomorrow. But we also got new children tonight, so hopefully they'll be back tomorrow too.
 
We had time with the teens afterward. We played a few fun, silly games like Down By The Banks and Questions and attempted Bunny Bunny, but that failed. Then Katie and Libby introduced the Walrus game. I didn't actually participate, but I happily videoed a showdown between Katie and Libby. This game was a big hit. Louise was crying the whole time because she was laughing so hard.
 
We're starting to get names down. Except for Matthew... Matthew isn't his real name. Katie mistakenly thought it was, so now everyone just calls him Matthew (his real name is Nate).
 
But we had a lot of good craic with the teens tonight, and everyone's a little less awkward. Katie shared her testimony, and the Walrus game really tears down awkward walls strangers build up.
 
Tomorrow half of the team goes back to Belfast for the Titanic Museum, but Elise, Katie, and I will stay home and get some rest. The three of us have been before anyway, and we need a quiet afternoon. Then it'll be Holiday Club and Youth Time again that night!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Health for everyone. Elise is on the mend, but it's still rough sometimes. Libby's recovering from her cold. I've got a constant headache. Also pray for the kids and teens, that they would come back. Pray that God fills us with his love and strength until we overflow. Pray that he will give us strength to go on when we're worn out and unable to do so alone. Please pray for the church of Kilmore as a whole, and continue praying for the people in Ballygawley and the dance ministry.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Kilmore Club Day One!


Elise got up bright and early this morning for her doctor's appointment, but the rest of us slept in until nine when we headed over to the church hall to set up.
 
We decorated and planned and tried to figure out as much as possible. And we finally met Scott Woodburn, the neighboring minister! By the time he showed up, we had most of the work done. But he gave us sheet music and brought a button machine and eased a lot of our worries.
 
We then headed to Belfast and took a bus tour, which was very interesting. Unfortunately, car rides seem to put us all to sleep, so I wasn't the only one who nodded off for a few minutes in the middle of the hour and forty minute tour. But Belfast is a beautiful city with lots of history, from Queen Victoria's dislike of the town to the Catholic and Protestant conflicts.
 
We headed back for dinner, where we met up again with Elise, who is doing much better today. She still hasn't actually passed the stone, but now she knows the does and don'ts and seems much better. We headed over to start day one of Kilmore's Holiday Bible Club.
 
We ended up with 40 kids. That's right. 40. We anticipated 25 at most, and we got almost double that amount! We were worried we'd be overwhelmed since we have so few hands, but we weren't! The kids were wonderful and everything passed smoothly despite the surprises.
 
We now have everything reorganized for tomorrow to accomadate the unexpected number of children, and we're all pretty excited and encouraged.
 
After the club, we hung out a little with some of the teens. There was this giant beach ball Scott brought us, that was massive. We had a lot of fun shoving that around and trying to get it as high as possible. It kind of gave my hand a bad cramp though that still hasn't worn off...
 
We went inside and played a round of Telephone Pictionary, and then Libby told her testimony. Things are still a little awkward between us and the Kilmore teens, but hopefully they'll return tomorrow night and we can build some relationships.
 
Tomorrow we'll visit a primary school, go to Newcastle, and then do another night of Holiday Club.
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Please continue praying for Elise and the health of the whole team. Also, the children who attended and who will attend the club this week. Pray that those who came will return. Pray for strength for the team, that we'll remain calm even if we get overrun by children. Pray for the community of Kilmore, that we can get them more involved in the Club. And please continue praying for the people in Ballygawley as well. And don't forget the potential dance school in Ireland.
 

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Holiday Club: Round 2

Elise tried to go to church this morning with us, but didn't make it for very long and had to go home. But she is doing much better, just not quite all the way there yet.
 
Aside from Elise, everyone participated in the service that morning. It's a little weird, because at the moment, the church of Kilmore doesn't have a permanent minister, so I'm not sure what they normally do on Sunday mornings. But Mrs. Susan shared her testimony and Libby prayed and Brianna did the children's talk. Katie was interviewed which led into she and I performing one of our pieces, which was really interesting because we arrived to find our dancing space about 5 feet across and 3 feet deep. We managed, but it was... interesting.
 
There was also a lot of singing, which was beautiful because they have a piano player and a violin player and some clarinet players and a guitar player. It was all very beautiful and everyone was very nice.
 
We spent the afternoon lounging around, which is always nice. Then we went and had dinner with two very nice people before going to the evening church service at Edengrove, the church where Scott preaches. Scott is kind of the director of this week's Bible Club, but we still haven't met him... Anyway, the idea was to go to Edengrove and hear him preach and meet him, but it turned out he wasn't there. Still, the service was very nice and they seem to be prospering. The praise team in particular was amazing. They sang a lot of songs, but my favorite was Bless The Lord, Oh My Soul. It was so beautiful.
 
It was around that time that we discovered some shocking news: no one else from the church is helping out with the Bible Club. Yup, it's just the six of us. And no one has anything planned... it's all up to us. Of course, Scott might have a few things up his sleeve, but we still haven't met him, so we can't really plan on that.
 
Edengrove had done the same Bible Club the previous week, so they had just finished with all the decorations and craft stuff and everything. They had around 200 kids though, and still had stuff left over, so they offered it all to us. Since we anticipate 25 kids at the most, there was plenty for us. We spent a little while gathering that stuff up, then went to take a look at the church hall. All this time we were formulating plans and coming up with ideas for games and lessons and figuring out how we could do music and everything that makes a Holiday Bible Club a Holiday Bible Club.
 
We went back home and continued planning, accompanied by oreos, peanut butter, and nutella. We came up with some pretty good stuff, and we all feel fairly confident in what we've got planned. Katie's got the games, Brianna has Bible Story, Libby has craft, and Elise has worksheets. Mrs. Susan and I will be with the different age groups.
 
We still don't know how many kids we'll get. Could be five, could be twenty-five. But whoever comes we will welcome with open arms!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Please continue praying for Elise's health. Tomorrow she has a hospital appointment to do some more tests. Libby also has a bit of a cold, so please pray that it won't get worse and that the rest of us stay healthy. With such a small team, it's crucial that we don't all get sick at the same time. Also pray for this week's club, that we will remain calm and cool and give it all up to God. Please continue praying for the people in Ballygawley, and also the people in Kilmore.
 
Another big thing you can be praying for is a permanent dance ministry in Ireland. The idea has been floating around in Elise's mind now for several years, and when I first went on the Ireland trip, I too was totally into it. Now, though, I'm not so sure God is calling me to move to Ireland and teach dance. Katie, however, is another story. Please keep this big step and big idea in your prayers.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Hospital

Any plans that were made to happen today kind of went out the window as we discovered that Elise, our team leader, had gone to the hospital earlier this morning. She'd woken up with severe abdominal pains and her host family had called an ambulance. Katie and I had no idea what to do, but we eventually got in touch with the Nick Cooper, the minister at Ballygawley, and got some details.
 
They still didn't know what was wrong, but in the meantime, we were to stick to the original plan. So Katie and I joined Brianna and Libby at the Coote's house, where we just kind of chilled all day and waited to hear more about Elise.
 
It wasn't too long until we found out that it was a kidney stone. But they said it's not too big, so it should pass by itself and Elise was free to go. So we're now in Kilmore (near Ballynahinch), but Elise is still not at full hit points. Hopefully she'll be back on her feet in a few days, otherwise we'll all be a little lost.
 
In Kilmore, we're all staying together in a guest cottage. It's pretty amazing. We'll try to get some pictures soon.
 
Tomorrow we will be participating in Kilmore's morning church service with dancing, speaking, and prayer, then we might take a little ramble along the countryside before the evening service.

I also just found out that the hospital didn't charge a thing for Elise's care. Mr. Paul Coote talked to them, and they didn't charge anything at all.
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Obviously, Elise. Pray for strength and relief and rest. Continue to pray for the people in Ballygawley; leaving them today was rough on us all and we'll miss them greatly. Also pray for the people here in Kilmore as we all prepare for Holiday Bible Clubs starting Monday.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge!

We started this morning by visiting Richmond Primary school one more time, dancing one last dancing and inviting them one last time to the last night of Holiday Bible Club. After that we went on a little road trip...
 
To the coast! Portrush! Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge! One of my favorite places in all of Ireland! It's a very very very old rope bridge going across to an island that is so beautiful. You can see for miles across the water and in the distance the land of Scotland is visible.
 
It's kind of a tradition for the ballet girls to take pictures at Carrick-a-Rede, but last year we didn't get the opportunity. So this year, of course, we absolutely had to take as many pictures as possible.
 
I love the rope bridge. It was a perfect day for it too, even though the sunshine made it difficult to smile properly for all the pictures.
 
Unfortunately, we didn't get to stay long. We had to head back for tea with various people. Katie, Brianna and I had a very delicious meal with a lady named June, who had some fabulous cheesecake that we enjoyed a little too much. Elise, Mrs. Susan, and Libby had tea with Donna.
 
And then it was time for the last night of Holiday Bible Club. It went like normal at first, but at the very end parents came and the ballet girls performed a few pieces. Honestly, not very many people were paying much attention, but some people were, and that was all we needed. Even if just one person is touched, it's enough.
 
After most of the festivities had ended, Mr. Paul had us Americans sing as well. None of us know why -- only Elise and Mrs. Susan have real singing talent. But we got up there and sang Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, and everyone was polite enough to applaud and tell us it was pretty even though it wasn't.
 
It was kind of rough, because we all knew it was the last night and we all had to say goodbye. More than a few tears were shed, and many, many photographs were taken. But as Katie, Nils, and I said...
 
"Never say goodbye because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting." -- Peter Pan.
 
Tomorrow we'll have a bit of a rest before heading over to Kilmore to do another week of Holiday Clubs. It's sad to leave old friends, but it'll but fun to make new ones. And this isn't the end at all...
 
--Dexter
 
PS. It was my birthday today. It was awesome.
 
 
What you can pray for: Pray for all the people here in Ballygawley. They're all very dear to us. Pray also for continued health: Libby might be coming down with something and the rest of us are bound to follow in her footsteps. And pray for the coming week and the people we'll be meeting and working with. Thank you for all your prayers!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Eternal Youth!

This morning we got a bit of a sleep-in, which was wonderful and much-needed. Then we met up with the Eternal Youth club at the church, the group of elderly church-goers and some friends. They taught us how to bowl, but it wasn't ten-pin bowling. In this game, you had to bowl a ball around a stick of wood and get it closest to this other little ball. None of us were all that great at it, but it was good craic and they were all very patient teaching us. Afterwards we had lunch with them.
 
In the afternoon we headed over to Rushmere's shopping center, where I quickly found the bookstore. That was where Katie and I spent the majority of our short time there, while Elise went straight to Starbucks and Libby and Brianna went to T.K. Max (instead of T.J.). Mrs. Susan went off to search for a nativity.
 
We went for supper at the Suitors' house, which was delicious. They also have two adorable little dachsunds and one wee boy named Elliott. Precious! And the other four members of the family were great too, Mrs. Suitor, Holly, Holly's husband Norman, and Rachel (Elliott is Norman's and Holly's son).
 
And then Day 4 of Holiday Bible Club! It went very smoothly tonight (at least my group did)! I received a lot of encouragement from a few of the kids tonight who were able to recount the story to me and helped me diagram a Bible verse on their worksheets. And then there was another boy who came up and said he was finished while I was helping a girl. I told him he could help her with hers if he was already done, and he happily did so. Later, he also held the door open for the rest of the group. Little things like that just make me really happy.
 
The night was also a success in that I had to be in the drama, and I didn't forget any of my lines. Thank the Lord!
 
After the club, the Ballygawley teens and the Americans went to Knockmanny forest, a giant hill that overlooks all of Ballygawley and beyond. We went there last year and had lots of craic and took lots of pictures, but this year the midgies were out. Midgies are kind of like a cross between gnats and mosquitos. They're awful. So we hiked up to the top, took a few pictures, complained about the bugs, and then practically ran back down.
 
Tomorrow we'll visit Richmond Primary School again for just a few minutes, then hopefully head over to Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, one of my favorite places in Ireland! Tomorrow night is the last night of Holiday Club, and it'll have extra features such as parents and food and dancing. Mr. Paul even convinced us Americans to sing something... even though none of us teenagers claim to have any kind of talent in that area.
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: A few of us are still feeling iffy, and we're all a bit paranoid about getting sick, so please continue to pray for our health. And of course, rest as well. We can never get enough of that. Also pray for the kids at the Club, that they would remember everything that happened this week and not only have fun, but feel loved as well. Please pray for us as we dance and sing tomorrow. You can also pray in general for the people here in Ballygawley. They're good people.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Marble Arch Caves

We started off this Wednesday with a visit to Aughnacloy College (the equivalent of an American High School). We talked in a few of the classes and let them ask questions. The first class I was in with Elise and Brianna was great. They all asked lots of questions and we had some good conversations. The second class was a bit more reserved...
 
We did do a few dances in the college, and afterwards a girl came up to us and told us that she was a dancer too, and a Christian, so she really enjoyed the performance. It basically made our day.
 
In the afternoon we went to the Marble Arch Caves, a system of underground caves in Northern Ireland. Beforehand, I was kind of just like, "Meh, caves, whatever," but...
 
It was amazing. And so so beautiful. It kind of made me want to be a geologist, which is saying something.
 
I didn't even bother trying to take pictures underground. My camera/phone isn't exactly state of the art and doesn't do dark photos. Plus, it was wet and usually bumpy and curvy and I wasn't about to chance falling into the river just for a photo. But the others were more fortunate (and talented) and got some pictures.
 
There was one part where the path was kind of dug into the river (they called it Moses' Path) so you could see the water really well. But it was so still that at first it was hard to tell if it really was water at all. And then once I'd determined that it was water, I thought it was perfectly clear and there were more rocks and stalagmites beneath the surface... but it was all just a beautiful reflection.
 
There were many many little features our guide pointed out to us where rocks had formed interesting figures that strangely resembled angels, frogs, and Gandalf's beard. He also explained to us the history of the caves and how it had formed. Despite his repeated statements about millions of thousands of years, it was all very interesting.
 
We had some card trouble in the gift shop, naturally. It's kind of an annual thing I do: have trouble with my debit card in Ireland. I'd already gotten that over and done with last week in Monaghan, but now Libby and Brianna both were having trouble. Katie tried hers too just to see, and it also failed. It wasn't until after most of us had given up and wandered outside that they rebooted their system and the cards started working again. Yay! Happy ending!
 
We headed back for tea at The Manse (which was delicious) and then had Day 2 of Holiday Club! There were fewer kids this time, but that's because there's a lot going on around Ballygawley and some people just couldn't make it in. We were also a few hands shorter, but we managed pretty okay.
 
We played a few rounds of Telephone Pictionary before heading home for an "early" night. And tomorrow morning we have a slightly later morning than usual, so maybe we'll all get some much-needed rest tonight.
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Health. Some of us are starting to really feel our allergies and we're not getting quite enough rest either. Pray that we will be get plenty of rest. You can also pray for the kids in Holiday Bible Club. Sometimes it's hard to really develop a relationship with them because we're on the go. Pray also for everyone involved in the club, give us strength and love and wisdom for the kids.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Holiday Club: Day 1!


We started the day bright and early by visiting Richmond Primary School, where we
danced and then taught them some dancing as well while the boys (and quite a few girls) went outside to play games. Brianna and Katie led the teaching of ballet, and the end result was pretty amazing.
 
We had lunch and team devotions, then the afternoon was spent decorating the hall and taking a walk around Ballygawley (sunshine!). We did our very best to make the hall look like a circus, and I must say I think we did pretty awesome. Unfortunately, by the end of the night some of the decorations had deteriorated, but it was nice while it lasted.
 
We split up into two groups for dinner before heading back to the hall for day one of the Holiday Club. It was a little crazy as kids first began to come in, but we all slowly got our bearings and began to interact a little more. Due to technical difficulties, we couldn't sing until the very end, but we heard the story of Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine. Mrs. Susan and Katie performed day one of the drama Monty The Python's Flying Circus (get it?), in which Monty the Python tells Mrs. Susan all about how his circus is centered around Jesus Christ.
 
We split up into four groups based on school level. I'm with P2/3, the second youngest group. First we had craft, then games (that was pretty crazy), then memory verse, then worksheets, and back to the main room. Jenna and Rebecca demonstrated how they could turn water into wine, but the kids quickly pointed out that that was not a miracle.
 
All in all, the first day was a success. There were rough patches here and there, but we had around 50 kids, I believe is what someone told me.
 
After the club, the youth walked down the soccer field to play some football. And when I say football, I mean soccer. Our football is American football; football is just soccer. It's a big sport in Ireland and Northern Ireland, so we were hardly playing seriously (Americans versus Irish? No.). Though I didn't play at all... I'm a bit too broken in the knees for running around a field (I'm such an old woman at heart). Instead, I fooled around on the playground with one of the Irish girls and we had lots of fun with that.
 
After one asthma attack scare (she's fine, don't worry), we headed home. Katie and I chatted with our host mother Jane for a while over tea about everything from books to funny kids to spiders before heading up to bed. That's one of my favorite parts about this trip: getting to know your host family. They're always very interesting and you can usually find one or two things you have in common. Something about a nice hot cup of Irish tea makes conversation so much better.
 
Tomorrow we visit a high school (or college, as they call it here) before being all touristy and visiting some Marble Caves. Then it'll be day two of Holiday Bible Club!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Pray that the kids will come back to club again tomorrow and bring a friend or two, and also that we'll have enough hands to handle that. Pray that all the wrinkles will be smoothed out and we can not only give the kids a good time, but really teach them as well. Pray for rest and health for the team.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Pre-Holiday Club

This morning we visited a Catholic Primary school. Apparently the only reason we were welcome there is because we're ballerinas, so it proves to be a good talent of ours.
 
We performed three of our dances: Gratitude, Good For Me, and Loves Come For Free. All of them have Christian themes, and we introduced each dance beforehand and talked about the meanings. Aside from some brief technical difficulties, all three dances went very well. There were some audible gasps during Good For Me and Love Comes For Free. The principal of the school mentioned how much he liked our music. We then proceeded to teach some ballet to the students... boys and girls alike.
 
The boys were actually more excited than the girls, who took a more serious and shy approach to it. But everyone joined in and before long we had them stretching and doing plies and tendues and chenes. We talked about the steps they liked the most in our dances as well (the jumps). It was all so much fun.
 
Afterwards we had a cup of tea with some of the staff and a nice chat. It was a very good morning and it was very encouraging to see how much they all enjoyed it, including the principal. It's not every day we get the chance to share with Catholic students.
 
For the afternoon we went to Londonderry, the European City of Culture. It used to be a walled city, but it has grown quite large over the centuries so now it expands beyond the wall. Still, like all Irish cities, it has a ton of history. We walked almost all the way around the wall, stopped for some coffee, and then crossed the Peace Bridge.
 
Peace Bridge, as Trevor explained it, is kind of like a sign of peace between the Protestants and the Catholics. They've had a lot of history in Ireland and still today they don't get along too well in some places. But Peace Bridge is very cool and very beautiful, and quite a nice walk.
 
After all that we headed back to the Ballygawley church for some fish and chips and then started getting the hall ready for Holiday Bible Club. Kids started registering and we started painting (oh my gosh just wait until you see the absolutely fabulous clown painted by Elise, Brianna, and myself).
 
I don't have an exact number for the kids who signed up, but I know it's not a whole lot but not a terribly small group either. But we will take whoever we get, knowing that they're the ones that need to be with us.
 
Tomorrow we go to Richmond Primary School, then help out with some toddlers, then finish setting up the church, then dinner, then day one of Bible Club!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Lots of team members are still struggling with sleep, so pray that we can get enough rest to keep us going. Always, for health as well. Pray for Richmond tomorrow as we dance and talk and teach, and for day one of Holiday Bible Club! That includes drama, music, games, crafts, worksheets, and general fellowship with the kids we'll be working with.
 

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Saving Crows!

This morning Katie and I went to the Presbyterian church in Ballyreagh. I can't speak for the others, but I assume their experience was similar to ours.
 
During the service, the minister, Nick Cooper, invited Katie and I up to the front to ask us a few questions and introduce us to the whole church. Normally this is scary, but it wasn't so bad. He asked us about our day-to-day lives at home, what brought us back to Ireland for our third/second time (my third, Katie's second), and what our plans were for the coming week. We talked about how great the people are and how beautiful the countryside is, and about the Holiday Clubs and going into schools and dancing. After that we were allowed to sit back down and enjoy the rest of the service.
 
One of the main differences between Irish Presbyterian churches and the churches in America is the music. Not so much the style (though they do tend to use hymns and songs that aren't quite as popular and recurring as they are in America), but the frequency. There will be at least five times during the service where the congregation stands to sing praise: right at the beginning, after prayer or Bible reading, again after the children's address, again after another prayer and an offering, and one more time after the sermon itself. It's pretty cool.
 
After church we had lunch with our host home (have I mentioned how great they are? Because they are) and then just hung our or chilled. The others said they spent most of the afternoon sleeping or journaling (totally understandable since they just got off the plane yesterday). At our place, we had a little adventure.
 
First we just went to visit Chloe's horse. Chloe is the niece of the family we're staying with, and she was hanging out for most of the weekend. So we walked over there, fed the horses some, and then went to visit Chloe's dog. While we were leaving that excursion, a bird fell out of a tree. That's right. He just fell out. We immediately decided to save him.
 
I say "we", but mostly I stood and watched and tried to contain Chloe's dog (who had hopped out of her pen and was very excited about the bird). But Katie, Chloe, Amy, Katie (two Katies!), and James fought tall grass and nettles to save that bird. We named him Nettle after the hardships we went through to save his ungrateful feathers.
 
The little guy is currently in the Hardy's garage. Poor guy can't fly, and he was very panicky in th beginning, but he's seemed to calm down. We're pretty sure he'll be okay.
 
There was an evening church service that most of us participated in as well. It was on the plagues of Egypt, and throughout the lesson we would each stand and read a passage of Exodus. Then at the end, Elise joined the praise team to sing "Still, My Soul Be Still." It was absolutely beautiful. I hope to never forget that moment.
 
After the service there was fellowship over tea (what else?) and we had a very involved conversation/lesson about USA geography with some girls named Ruth and Gillian. We then met with Nick Cooper to go over details of the week (which you will hear about as they unfold), and then went over to Donna Hall's house for pizza and hangout time!
 
There was pizza with corn on it. And very good craic (fun). We taught Daryl how to waltz, played a few rounds of dominos, and Libby ended up trying on Donna's old wedding dress, which fit her amazingly well.
 
All in all, a very fun day. Tomorrow registration starts for the holiday clubs and we'll be going into one of the schools to dance and invite them to the Holiday Club!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Always, the health of the team. You can pray specifically for the school we'll be visiting in the morning (unfortunately I cannot remember the name and don't have our itinerary), that they'll be open to us and excited for our club. Pray that we will clearly communicate our message through our dancing and speaking.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Tayto Land!

The team is all safe and sound and complete again in Ballygawley! That's right, Elise, Mrs. Susan, Libby, and Brianna all arrived in Dublin today, early this morning. When we met them this morning I couldn't have pitied them more. I would have been absolutely miserable if I had just gotten off a plane, lost six hours of my life, and then went to a theme park.
 
Ireland is known for potatoes, so it's natural that there would be a potato-themed adventure park, right? Right!
 
Tayto Land has everything you could want: various rides including but not limited to mechanical bull riding, zipline, and a giant slide; a restaurant; a zoo; a petting zoo; and a tour of the factory itself.
 
I'm not much of an adventurer myself, but I watched the others do zipline. Unfortunately, a few of our Ballygawley friends, Jonny and David, exceeded the weight limit, but Brianna and Libby and Katie and Kerry went (later Libby and her mom went again).
 
I did go on one ride: a kind of sky-rope thing where you get harnessed in and you walk on these rope things in the sky and all this stuff and stuff. I'm honestly more of a sit-down-and-read person (which I actually ended up doing for the last three or four hours of the day).
 
By the end of the day we were all rather haggard and exhausted, but we did survive, and we did manage to talk at least a little bit with some of the Irish people. I spent a good twenty or thirty minutes talking to a nice man named Trevor, and I know the other Americans had fun catching up with their old friends as well.
 
The six of us have been divided into pairs for the week: Elise and Mrs. Susan are staying with the Campbells (I'm unfortunately not very familiar with them). Libby and Brianna are staying with the Cootes, who hosted Libby last year. They have a son named Daryl who Libby and Katy grew very close to last year, so I'm sure they've had lots of fun today. And then Katie and I are with the Hardys, who happen to own a huge home. There are three kids: Katie, Amy, and James. They're all adorable and hilarious.
 
Tomorrow we will be split again as the rest of the team go to the church in Ballygawley and Katie and I go to the church in Ballyreagh (pardon my spelling?). Chill time in the afternoon, then church again at Ballygawley and some hangout time afterwards. I will try to keep you posted!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Pray for some rest for the other four of us who just arrived, that they would adjust quickly to the new timezone and get over jet lag. And pray for all of us that we would stay healthy throughout the next two weeks. Also for the kids we'll be ministering to, not only in the Holiday Clubs but also the schools we'll be visiting. And also the teens we'll be hanging out with as well.

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Sleepy In Ireland

Katie and I got here safe! That's right, we're both safe and sound with our friends the Clarkes in Monaghan. We got here all by ourselves. We are now big girls.
 
So the time difference between Ireland and Alabama is six hours; Ireland is six hours ahead of Alabama. So when you come over here, you end up losing six hours of your life. Example: We left the Birmingham airport at 2:30 in the afternoon, and then left the Atlanta airport at 6:30 Atlanta time. We arrived in Dublin at 7:00 in the morning. But it was only a seven hour flight.
 
Time travel.
 
Needless to say, it has been the longest day ever. We took one or two little catnaps throughout the day, but even so, it's been rough. But we're here! And we're about to go to sleep! And the day as a whole has been a success!
 
In fact, I finally had my first cup of Irish tea a few hours ago, so it's finally settling in. I'm in Ireland. Katie and I are looking forward to spending the week with our friends in Monaghan, and then regrouping with the rest of the team in Ballygawley!
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: Again, the planning. Also, Mrs. Susan is having some problems with a tooth and is trying to sort it out before she leaves for Ireland, but she's in a lot of pain so please keep her in your prayers. And as always, a very general prayer for the health of everyone on the team, as at least one person gets sick every year. 

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Packing

As mentioned, Katie and I are leaving one week earlier than the rest of the team to spend time with some old friends in Monaghan. I haven't started packing yet.
 
We leave this Saturday, June 8th. We'll meet the rest of the team when they arrive June 15th in Ballygawley, where we'll run our first Holiday Club.
 
The Holiday Clubs have pretty much the same stuff as American VBSs: a lesson, some skits (which are called "sketches" in Ireland), a craft, game time, and a snack. Since our team is so small this year, we'll probably be spread pretty thin and we're all required to participate in the sketches, even those of us who aren't gifted in that particular area (moi, for instance). And the theme this year is a circus (yes, there are clowns and an incident that involves pies in someone's face)!
 
I'll keep you updated on what we're doing from day to day, and in the week leading up to the Holiday Clubs, I'll orient you on some things you might not know about Ireland! You'd be surprised at the number of words that have completely different meanings over there, not to mention the foods they don't have and the foods we don't have.
 
--Dexter
 
What you can pray for: lots of things are still being planned for, so you can pray for Elise as she coordinates with the churches and our previous leader Gregg. Also pray for safe travel for Katie and myself as we are leaving this Saturday.