From an Email Home

I realized that I hadn't blogged all week since this week has been so busy! Here is a brief e-mail that I sent home to my parents about my week:


This week has been CRAZY! Probably crazier than usual because I have had several meetings in the evenings. I have been doing well though. I still have a bit of a cold, but I have been getting 7 or so hours of sleep each night and I have been making sure to drink enough fluids. So it's still there a bit, but it's not too bad.

This weekend we are going on a volunteers residential (retreat). The YI model is where you have youth come through the programs and after they have been involved for a year or two or three, you have them starting volunteering with the younger youths or even with other programs for their peers. Twice during the year, there is a massive retreat for all of them from West Belfast (where I work), East Belfast, Banbridge, and Down Patrick where each branch of YI is located.

It was neat because I am starting to become good friends with a girl named Heather who is the new girls worker for Banbridge. She did a gap year in Northern Ireland (where she's from) with a bunch of Americans, so she knows the American culture well. She is also a deep thinker and verbal processor, so we have hit it off well. She also loves Belfast and taking new people around the city. Last night we went to this neat pub near Queens University that was really delicious and pretty cheap. The best part of my night (outside of spending time with Heather talking and laughing) was going to this coffee shop called Common Ground. It reminded me so much of places I would go to in Minnesota. It was really great to be able to find a "Sarah" place within Belfast. Common Ground is a hip church run coffee shop that attracts loads of different people from different communities and even countries since it's located near the international student housing at Queens University. I also had the best piece of chocolate cake in my entire life. It was mostly gooey fudge (warmed) with a bit of cake and of course whipped cream. AMAZING!

God continues to be so faithful to me here and provide for my needs no matter how small they are. People have been so generous and welcoming. I am slowly finding my way around and figuring out little things. I am also getting more used to eating a bit differently than what I would at home. My schedule has finally been figured out, so I should have a bit of "stability" in my life whatever that means. I'll update you more with what I am exactly doing sometime next week.