The roses and lilies

How is it nearly the middle of February already? Where has the time gone? It seems January sure passed by in a hurry. A few things of mention from January:
(From home)
-My younger sister, Sara, turned 19.
-NC State beat Duke.
-It was FREEZING in Belfast. I've always known this part of the world was fond of a cup of tea but I swear half of the tea consumed is out of necessity instead of pleasure.
-Our activities picked up with renewed vigor and energy after the holiday break. But it wasn't just the leaders with increased energy- the kids were also super-energized. There's nothing like the noise forty laughing, competing, squealing children make in a large hall.

So there goes January in a blur of jackets and scarves (and gloves, hats, and long johns), afternoons filled with crafts and football games, and updates from home. Now onto the happenings of February (so far). This past week we had our mid-year YAV retreat on the Inishowen Peninsula in Co. Donegal. The retreat was surreal for so many reasons. Firstly, it's hard to believe I'm halfway through my year of service. It seems I've only just arrived. Secondly, it was sunny EVERY day of the retreat. Four days in a row of sunshine (and sunshine today in Belfast)! I don't know what you know of this island, but it isn't known for it's sunny weather. It felt like I was in a different world, surrounded by rolling green hills and the warmth of sun on my face. It was incredibly beautiful. And so GREEN!

The retreat was much needed and appreciated by all nine of us YAVs. We spent Monday through Thursday engaging in good old fashioned food, fun, and fellowship. Tuesday we went up to Malin Head and had lunch on the beach. Unknowingly, Amy, Stephen and I ended up running/sliding down the Lagg dunes, the largest sand dunes in Europe. Many apologies to any plant and animal life we may have disturbed during our adventure. The beach took my breath away with it's cliff-lined coasts. We don't get many of those in the Southeastern US and I couldn't take my eyes off of them. On Wednesday we headed into Derry, a town which, like Belfast, is trying to positively move forward after being very much involved in the Troubles. We took a walking tour of the People's Gallery given by one of the Bogside artists. The People's Gallery is a series of twelve murals painted along a main road in Derry. The Bogside Artists began painting murals in 1994 that depict events surrounding the Troubles. Completed in 2008, the murals are a documentation of history, not expressions of political ideologies or sectarianism as many murals in Northern Ireland are. Derry also has a wall completely surrounding the city cetre, and it is one of the best examples of a walled city in Europe. We also visited a stone, circular structure built around the time of the birth of Christ. Thursday, as we headed home, we caught the ferry from the coast of Ireland back to Northern Ireland and headed down to Belfast via the north coast. We stopped at the Giants Causeway and again at a small, rural church with an impressive bell tower built in the 6th or 7th century. Buildings as old as Christ? Bell towers that are 1500 years old? Y'all- I think buildings at home are old if they've been around 100 years. The history major in me cries with joy when we visit these places. The north coast is stunning, and if I drove it everyday I'd never get tired of its dramatic coastline, ruined castles, and herds of sheep.

I must say, while the landscape of the retreat was stunning, it really was the company that made it re-invigorate the spirit. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, "Communal life is again being recognized...as the grace that it is, as the extraordinary, the 'roses and lilies' of the Christian life." Well, my friends, this week I remembered how extraordinary it can be. So here's to community! Here's to Sirius Black, sliding down sand dunes, and good conversation. Here's to my YAV community, my Ballybeen community, and my community back home. I love all of you. Y'all are my roses and my lilies.