Slightly Overdue Update

Hi Friends!

I'm here in Northern Ireland, and adjusted to the time difference, and somewhat adjusted to life here. I'll attempt to keep this update succinct (but I might not succeed... sorry).

I live in a small town (LOVE small town life) that is RIGHT ON the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

The estate (YWAM base) where I live is called An Cuan (pronounced "on KOO-in"), which is an Irish word meaning "harbor." It's meant to be a place of refuge and restoration for those who come to visit our community - a place where they can fill up before being sent out again. It's basically like a giant house... sort of... I share a room with two others (who are fantastic, by the way), in a hallway full of girls sharing rooms (dorm-style). There are other dorm-style areas, guest quarters, apartments, a cafe attached to a big room for community gatherings, a classroom, a couple of kitchens, and lots of other places. There are families living here, trainees, and some staff.

In some funny ways, living here feels a lot like college (because I live in a dorm room and go to class... in the same building...), but it's also so much like a family. This community truly is unique.

Our normal lecture schedule officially starts tomorrow. Last week consisted of these things:

• Learning my way around this giant building.
• Learning my way around town.
• Getting to know the staff and my fellow trainees.
• Learning about Irish history (SO INTERESTING!).
• Learning more about YWAM.
• Learning about what it takes to keep a place like this running (cooking, scrubbing toilets, how to operate electric showers, etc.). 
• Generally getting oriented.

This weekend consisted of these things: 

• Getting to know the other trainees better.
• HIKING!
• Walking. (We've had several sunny days in a row!)
• Experiencing a service at a Church of Ireland. (Lovely.) 
• Resting.
• Doing laundry.

I intended to include pictures in this post but time is running short... I'll try my hardest to post pictures tomorrow. They'll be lovely when they come. Thanks for reading!!!