In the Blink of An Eye

My last week has arrived and I cannot believe how fast it has all been. Seven weeks are over and this one will be gone before I can blink.  I will not spend my last post in Ireland reflecting on my time here but will save that for once I return.  The last couple weekends I have spent in Dublin visiting more places and soaking in as much as I could see of this city I have called home for two months.  Not to ignore my weeks but I still spent the majority of time at work or watching movies with Georgia so there is not a lot to update. Though my relationships with my co-workers have developed more and it will be sad to say goodbye until who knows on Friday

The first weekend in July I went to a social on Friday night with people from the organization that I booked through and met a lot of people from Germany and a girl from Maryland.  I also was able to talk to the director of the organization for a length of time which was interesting to hear how this organization works.  On Saturday, I made plans to meet up with the girl from Maryland and her friend to go touring but miscommunication happened at I was up earlier than I wanted and in Dublin alone again for the second Saturday in a row.

I moped around for a bit and decided to be productive and finish souvenir shopping.  Then one of the shops I wanted to go into was closed until 1 and it was just 11.  The National Library was just around the corner so I popped in for a little bit and looked at some old books and information about James Joyce but was not really in the mood for touring.  Although the reading room was absolutely breathtaking in its design and the smell of old books so I took my time walking through there.  Since that didn't take very long I headed to the St. Stephen's green park to walk around as I had never walked through it only around it. It was a shocking contrast to the gloomy buildings and busy streets.  I found a bench and sat down for a while to take in the people, the pidgeons, and the puppies.  The shop never did open so I headed home a little defeated but none the less more educated and happy to have a caught a little glimpse of paradise in the midst of a busy city.

A quick snapshot of the park.

I went to church at Shankill Bible Church for the third Sunday in a row and it was starting to feel like home.  I greatly anticipated this day as after church Heidi, my new friend from Iowa who was helping with the youth group at the church for the summer, and I were going to spend the afternoon together.  Church was of course good as it is the little bit of regularity and Christian community I faced on a weekly basis and I love learning about Daniel as that is what the sermons have been about.  Heidi and I went to a church members house for lunch which always seems to be more supper than lunch but it was so appreciated to be welcomed into another families home.

Heidi and I decided later that this was going to be our Fourth of July celebration! We baked chocolate chips from scratch and made brownies with a friend of Heidi's that she had met in the neighborhood.  And then Heidi and I walked to the Irish Sea just a ten minute walk from her house because legend says if you dip your feet in the Irish Sea than that means you will return. So of course we had to do that and took plenty of pictures except I forgot my camera at home so Heidi has all of the pictures. After the sea Heidi made dinner and we just got to talk and I realized how much I missed just hanging out, not worrying about time, and talking about life, it was so sweet.  And then to finish off our July 4th celebration we watched the Patriot movie. It felt so good to spend the day being loved, relaxing, and celebrating I did not want the day to end.

And fast forward to this last weekend.  Friday night, my host mother made a traditional Irish dish called coddle which was basically stew but they said it didn't fit any category. It was a broth with potatoes, onions, carrots, ham, and boiled sausage and it was delicious. I think that I may be ready to take a break from potatoes for a while though or maybe just cut back to once a week. :)

Saturday I went to Howth which is a peninsula that juts out into the Irish Sea just north of Dublin and only a bus ride away.  I traveled with an Italian friend I had met on my trip to Belfast.  Howth is known for the cliffs that the city is built on and Giovanni and I hiked the cliffs for a few hours before we reached the city.  The weather was gorgeous and the scenary was of course the same.  We also found a castle and church ruins to explore before we headed back to Dublin.  

 The following are all pictures from Howth.

Once we returned to the cities I had the change to meet a girl named Simonia before I met my friends. She is from Slovakia and is living with her grandparents but has to beg since she does not speak good enough English to find a job, yet.  We sang a few songs about Jesus and talked about Psalms and it was refreshing to talk to another believer; God provides situations that encourage us to show us how close He really is.  It was a huge blessing.

Simonia and I

I met my friends at a pub called the Legend to hear traditional Irish music and see Celtic dancers before I left Ireland without that experience. The atmosphere was so welcoming and lively and I just loved hearing the music I have listened to for years, played live.

My last week and it is already half way over.  Just two more days of work, three more nights, and one experience that will be with me the rest of my life.  The things I look forward to about being home: my moms cooking, my pillow and my bed, my puppy, my family and friends of course, American food, real summer heat and tanning, thunderstorms, and bonfires.  I promise I'll write a reflection post so keep checking. :) Thank you for your support and prayers through this journey in life!!!!