Starting Days!

Monday 16th -Wednesday August 18th

I'll update you on my journey and first couple days here at Murlough House so you can have a bit of the experience of my start to this part of my adventure.

Monday I got off the plane at about 7am and got through customs alright. This was the first hurdle to climb as there should not have been a problem, but there is always the possibility of delay and trouble when customs and traveling abroad is in the mix. I told them I would be staying four months and he responded that you can only be about 90 days as the maximum, then I told him that I would be in Northern Ireland and he stated oh fine then and just wrote on my stamp Northern Ireland and allowed me to enter! I have no idea if that is how it is supposed to happen, but I left praising God and pumped that step one of my journey on the Emerald Isle was complete.

Next I collected my bags and looked to find the bus that would take me to Newry, Northern Ireland and allow me to get connected with the person picking me up from the Murlough House. So I carted my massive bags and found the correct bus stop and saw that the next bus arrived in 20 min. So I rushed back to find a phone to call the House to let them know which bus I was headed in on. After a nice delay of trying to figure out the country, area, and correct codes to put in, the operator and I finally got a hold of John at his home (since the Murlough phones were down) and it was settled.

So I hopped on the public transportation and went through the Irish countryside into Newry. Collected my bags and found a place to settle in and wait for my unknown contact to arrive. So this was about 10-1030am local time and such 430am Chicago time and I had gotten about one hour of sleep on the plane. So excitement, some disbelief and expectation mixed with a tired body made it an interesting time of thought with myself. Dave, a pastor from Chicago who is with a group of 5 people serving at the Murlough House, picked me up and we enjoyed talking about me and who I am, why I am headed into the House and enjoying the beauty and GREEN and lushness of Northern Ireland.

So I got in and was told I might as well get to bed, but my body cried for two things, food and sleep. The first of which was food, since I never really got a breakfast cept the snack croissant on the plane many hours before. I was in about an hour before lunch (called dinner over here) so I wandered around the property and went down the path to the beach and said hey to the North Sea, and spent some time with God. Talking with him in words like WOAH, I am here, I am here for 4 months, thats a long time, I don't know anyone really, this is gonna be hard sometimes, can I handle this?? Most talks oscillated between joy and excitement and the immensity of the experience as a whole, with the knowledge that I will be challenged and challenged well, in the best ways. So with worship music in my ear and a talk with God in my head I came back for lunch and to get started moving forward with the day by day activities of the Murlough House and my journey here.

So after I was greated by the 30 or so N.I. Youth that are here for the week I wandered sleepy-eyed to the meal room to have some Shepard's pie and bread, along with squash (juice). As soon as that hit my stomach and I had cleaned my plate it was off to my bunk for a nap.

I got a few good hours of sleep while the youth played music and danced to Justin Bieber and Ke$ha and other fun music that I did know about. My body didnt care and so I slept through it for the most part. I awoke and caught the tale end of the boys and some girls messing around with a soccer ball so I was able to have some fun with 2 or 3 of the kids and start to get to know them and they enjoyed learning my name, saying Hey Bryan, and I like your beard and starting to ask me questions about Americans and our speech.
Then came dinner and a time to help a little with the cleanup and more chatting with the youth. Then I also got to sit in for a time of teaching with John Moxen on Song of Songs. It was a good session but I was a bit tired and was my droopy eyes kept me from fully focusing on the message.

From there I was able to get online and update facebook, the blog, talk to my mom and girlfriend and hear of how my little brother was doing at precamp for Taylor's soccer team. It was a needed outlet of normalcy and comfort that I cried out for. It was a reassuring and strengthening time from which I could move forward and be excited about getting to know those around me and get ready for my first full day and getting into the routine. So afterwords I went into the room where the Chicagoans were playing a game and joined in. It was a good time of random questions and some with deep thoughts, sounds like a perfect game for me EH!? So that was grand and then I went up and hit the sack.

Twas time to catch up on sleep and that I did. From the possibility of helping set up and have breakfast as my thoughts of what I was going to do, it went to going back to sleep. From knowing that my job includes daily chores after breakfast, I slept through that as well. To prepping for lunch, well I was able to get up just in time to get into line for lunch. I ended up sleeping 13 hours and woke up to start my first full day, which had turned into a full-ish day since my Tuesday started at 1:30.

But from there it was fantastic. I was able to help with cleanup and meandered out to see what the youth had in store for the day. They had a afternoon of competition and such with a wall rock climb and archery and a teambuilding obstacle course. I was out taking pics of the House in the sunshine and was drafted into team Puss in Boots (from shrek) and climbed the rock wall a couple times and went to shoot archery with them and just chat and laugh with these great kids about 12-15 yrs old mostly. It has been great fun to chat and laugh and talk about American and Irish accents and life and sports. I was a mild celebrity from the beard and accent the moment I walked through the door. (didnt hurt that I started singing along to the songs as soon as I woke up Mon afternoon)

So that great, but I had received a message from Richie, who I'll work closest with, about starting to train with the soccer team I will be playing with and that Tues and Thurs form 7-9 would be a start. So I got the number and was able to call and leave a message that afternoon and received a call back about coming out and playing. So that all was worked out and I found a ride into Newcastle to good ole Donard Park, the sight I had done camps the first time I came here with TU soccer in 2005. From there I met a couple of the guys and the manager and jumped into asking names and kicking the ball around. Felt great to get into a warmup and training session again. I just smiled and nervously jumped in, but soon I was having a blast, able to make jokes and feel my way into what I love doing. We did corners and a small sided game.

Again I was able to look around at this basic but beautiful pitch at the foot of the Mourne Mountains next to the sea and just THANK GOD!! for the opportunity to be doing this. I smiled and laughed knowing I would be able to do this for the next coming months. I signed a form for the manager and am ready to be officially part of the Tolleymore United Football Club. Heck yeah! The first team has a game Wednesday night that I think I will go watch and see the boys I hopeflly will be able to play with come the season starts in september. But the reserve team I trained with was a good bunch of younger lads, prolly high school through college age. I'd say 17-20 or so.

Was a great night and the only hitch was that when I was to be picked up by a few of the Chicagoans, they were late because of a burn injury from hot coffee. But the manager who had trained us was from Dundrum and offered me a lift back. So I got back to the gate and started to walk the last mile or half mile to the House. Able to soak in the evening sky and cattle and Nature Reserve that the House is next to and thank God for this incredible opportunity. Joy fills my heart and all I could think was the Psalm Taste and SEE (know, experience) that the LORD is good, His love endures forever!

A fantastic start to this internship period where God me and people around me help grow me into who and what he is leading me towards!