Happy Leap Day...

Meant to write yesterday but was without my computer for the night!
So HAPPY BELATED (by one night) BIRTHDAY JACS!!

The past two days have been a bit long but woohoo for tomorrow is Thursday and I get to sleep in!

Yesterday was brilliant! It was Jacs b-day so I was on a mission from the get go to set up her gifts (some flowers and presents) up in her office before she went in. Not an easy task since she had the only key in with her! I finally got it (thanks to a white lie - though she probably suspected the real reason!) Then it was off to work for me! Had a meeting with Hannah, Jacs, & Pastor Cecil early.
SIDE NOTE: Evelyn still continues to recover nicely- thank you for praying!
Then I was on the computer researching, writing, planning. . . and all that jazz. Got a call from Rachel saying that Alan was sick with the flu - Oh no! Felt so bad for him! Agh I hate being sick! (We were planning on going over there to celebrate Jacs special day but Hannah came through last minute saying she would be more than happy for us to go to her place) So about half 4 (4.30) we headed into West Belfast. What a lovely time we had with Hannah! She lives with 3 other people - though her room (which is FULL of bears and decorated with NYC everywhere) is quite large. We went shopping at a small mall while she went to a Doctors appt. and then we headed back to throw another load of laundry in and make dinner - sweetnsour chicken. Mmmmmm :)
Movie time was next and even though it took us awhile to get the speakers working Moulin Rouge was finally played. I forgot how much I loved the songs in that film! Might just buy the soundtrack!!! Watched some TV and then went to sleep.

Today I accomplished alot in the office. Feel good about it but sure am tired! Ate dinner and then had worship practice. Getting Jaclyn to play the keys in a couple weeks! Cant wait to retire "backing tracks"!

Martin brought a word tonight on the youth group - speaking testimonies of God's amazing wonders! And then prayer (led by Pastor Henry) was really powerful too!

Just finished cleaning my room and chatting with Jacs over a bag of popcorn. Wanted to be in bed BEFORE midnight tonight so I'll prob call it a night here shortly after finishing this post.
Hope you all had a happy Leap Day!!

-J

ps Which is weird. I never thought I'd be in N. Ireland on Leap Day. . . and no, I didn't propose to anyone today. Maybe in 2016. . . if I'm still here ;)

The Word of Their Testimony. . .

Those were some wonderful days I have just had!

Yesterday was Sunday and  yes I went to church. I was extremely tired though and couldn't stop yawning all day! Had creche during the morning service it was just Benjamin, Esther, and Joshua, and all three were excellent. Talked about the Good Samaritan. . . only it was Julieville verses Jackietown and how the two cities didn't like each other. Haha definitely an interesting version of the Bible story! But the kids grasped it pretty well :)
Ended up sleeping for most of the afternoon. I was beyond tired. Was a bit difficult to wake up for the night service but I'm so glad I did! Jacs spoke her testimony tying it in to God's love - amazing word! And then 4 teens came up and shared what God's love meant to them. Some gave a straight answer while others opened up a bit about "their story". One of the guys - AJ got up and shared how he wasn’t wanted by his father. "My father was cheating on my mom" AJ told us. "He named all of my brothers. It was what he did - coming up with the name. But when I was born he left that for my mom because he didn't want anything to do with me". AJ suffered from rejection and attempted to end his life on several occasions. He grew up living with his mom, but planned on living with his dad once older. The night before he was to move in with him his dad has a heart attack and dies. The last thing his dad said to him was, “I hate you.” AJ again tried to commit suicide - once again it didn’t work. Since then, however, AJ says; "I now have found God’s love. I've been saved for 3 years and I know that God accepts me". He then walks off the stage, tears glistening in his eyes. And I knew - in that moment, a small weight was being lifted from his shoulders. A verse in Revelation came to mind  "they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the the word of their testimony."
I know there is still so much more AJ has to overcome - but last night. . . he took a huge step towards victory.

Today was my off day. Gotta love Dream Centre Mondays :) I slept in a little bit and then went for a run. Didn't last as long as I wanted - but I was just proud to be running on my off time :)

After I went into Belfast to buy Jacs a couple b-day presents (tomorrow is her birthday). I also had to get some things for Junior Youth and some groceries as well. In between all of that I went to get a massage and facial. A gift from Rachel Kirk. (her kindness over these past 6 months has been unbelievable!) It took me a bit to find the place but I finally got there. Best hour of my life! So relaxing - just what the doctor ordered!
Must say though the bus ride home was a bit crazy. It was a single-decker bus and every seat was taken as was most of the aisle space! I put all of my gifts, groceries, my purse, and some bouquets of flowers (for Jacs) on a shelf thing and stood next to them. Keeping my balance while holding onto everything for the next 20 mins turned out to be tricky. . . ha but that was nothing compared to carrying everything up the hill from the bus stop! (Ya I forgot about that as I was shopping!)

Got home in time for dinner. Jacs made us soup :) Allison picked us up at 7.30pm to go and meet a girl named Rachel. (Marie's daughter - Marie is a new member of JCC who has gotten involved with Junior and Senior youth as well as Street Reach) She (Marie) had asked us over to meet her daughter. I loved her! She is friendly, loves sports (even American ones!), loves America and animals and pranking people. . . we had PLENTY to talk about! Hoping she will come out to youth on Thursday so we can visit a bit more :)

Well I feel like I've over written tonight. SO SORRY!
-J

The Blind Shot...

What a glorious Saturday this has turned out to be! From start to finish I must say I loved every minute of it! We went out this morning to Adopt-A-Block. A bit overcast but the rain was just a drizzle. I spent my day with a woman who I hadn't seen since November. It was really good to catch up! She has been down - alot of difficult things going on in her life - I was able to pray with her and encourage her. So touched that she trusted me enough to really open up about some issues she has been dealing with. I don't want to mention her name out of privacy for her - but if you could continue lifting her up in prayer! God knows who she is :)

The rest of the crew visited with other families and picked up litter. It really was an amazing Adopt-A-Block day :)

Afterwards Jacs and I headed back to the church (aka our home) and rested a bit until the crew showed up! (The crew being Natasha, Luke, & Nathan)

OH MY WORD! I don't think I have laughed that hard in quite a long time! We headed out in search of a place to eat. . . ended up at Ruby Tuesdays. I ordered fajitas and even though the dish placed before me wasn't even close to the fajitas I know. . . it still tasted delicious!

SIDE NOTE: There was no Men's restroom! I didn't believe Nathan - who told us he used the Women's - So I went back to investigate. . . TWICE!! So strange.

After dinner we went out to play mini-golf. Haha HILARIOUS! After a couple holes of Natasha's "12 putt holes" and Nathan's "I got it in 3 because it doesn't count when the ball comes back to you. . ." (It would take him two to three tries to actually get it stuck on the green. Usually the ball would come back to the start.) we decided to nix keeping score :) We had to slow up our game a bit when we caught up to the couple in front of us. . . so we ended up playing several holes a couple times. This course was amazing! A pirate theme (which you know I just LOVED) and constant water spraying in the air to give a cannon ball effect added to the surroundings. On one misty hole you actually had to hit the ball INTO the water for it to come out of a special spout down below.

My favorite moment BY FAR was when Luke decided to change up the game. "I'm gonna hit this one with my eyes closed" Oh how I wish I had recorded what came next! He then shuts his eyes and hits his golf ball pretty hard. The ball flies into a rock on the green and ricochets into the water. This all happens in literally 1.5 seconds! Luke opens his eyes to see us on the ground laughing. . . and asks, "what happened? Where's my ball?" SO FUNNY!

Changing the way we hit from then on became a highlight and we went from one handed to left handed to backwards clubs and granny shots! Ultimate game of Putt-Putt!

Later on we all came back to mine and Jacs (aka the church) and had tea and coffee (and milk) along with biscuits and buns. The conversations were a craic! Mostly banter between Luke and Natasha. Cant wait to hang out with them all again!

Well until tomorrow or the next time I write!

Night :)

-J

ps Evelyn had her surgery this morning and praise God everything went very smoothly! The doctor's were pleased! Continue to lift her up in prayer as she will be recovering for the next couple of weeks.

Natasha and I at putt-putt

Marathon 2012

What a wonderful day! Start to finish :)
Worked in the office for awhile. Went for another run with Hannah (Jaclyn joined this time) Got a bit farther than I did on Tuesday and praise God my heart seemed to be functioning alright :) Sorted out all 10 runners for the marathon! Starting to get excited as this all comes together!! I know I wont be running the whole thing. . . but still cant believe I'm running in another one! Missing my LA trainers - Austin, Willy-T, & Wheeler!

Afterwards Jacs and I went shopping (thanks to Alan for taking us to Tescos). First time at the grocery store in two weeks! We were literally eating raw macaroni (tho my mom knows how much I love them). So nice to be able to walk into the kitchen and find the cupboard and fridge fully stocked! Ah tomorrow morning will be amazing - waking up and having several choices for breakfast :)

We got back just in time to get bundled up for Street Reach. (although it wasn't near as cold as it usually is). Another wonderful night out at City Hall! Got to see so many of the youth that I have grown to love! Had quite a few good conversations as did Jaclyn. Vinny and some of the other volunteers were able to lead two people passing by to the Lord!!! PRAISE GOD!

We came home after pumped and way too excited to go to sleep. (This is a regular thing on Friday evenings) So, Jackie and I decided to watch Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Jacs had never seen it before which made it all the more fun to watch since it's one of my favorites :)

Ready for Adopt-A-Block tomorrow! And then we are hanging out with the crew - Natasha, Luke, & Nathan. Can't wait!
-J

Heart of Worship...

Hello Hello Hello!!!

How is everyone back home??? Missing you VERY much. No really, I am. But God is good and things are moving forward.

Yesterday was a typical Wednesday. Dealt with the issue I mention in my last post. Didn't really get too far with resolving it but I gave it over to the Lord as I have done all I can at this time. Trusting Him to take care of it. Worked in the office until Bible Study and Prayer. Linda spoke on "Worship" and how we are to worship God - not for what He has done, or is doing (or has promised to do), but for just being God. It's a whole different mindset to think about but it makes life more constant for me. Not living based upon circumstances in the physical but choosing to worship him regardless of anything tangible. He is God and He deserves all of my honor and praise. Not to get too deep, but I often wonder what it was like to be David. . . how was his mindset when it came to this? I often thank God for sending Jesus. . . but for David, Jesus was a mere promise for he had not yet been sent. So David worship God for being God. Hmmmmm.

Today was really good! Had the morning off but didn't do too much. Slept in a little bit and then worked on a couple things for Junior Youth. The name for that has changed to "The Gap Club" Basically that they are no longer children but not yet teens so they are "in the gap". Something God actually gave me about 7 years ago when I wanted to start a preteen youth group. So excited to see it come to pass now!

We had 10 kids at The Gap Club. The night was AMAZING! Love them all so much! Still praying for God to give me creativity in how to teach them! The Loft Youth after was just as amazing! We had Justin Beiber's Canadian pastor with us. He was really good with the teens. He shared his testimony of overcoming. All in all a really good service. A really good night.

Hope yalls night will be just as amazing!
xoxo
-J

And the Battle Rages On...

Greetings from the land of Ire!
Been a couple interesting days:

Yesterday I woke up kinda early for my day off. Had a meeting to be at - a confrontational reconciling one. Not something I was looking forward to but knew was necessary. Went better than expected! God is so good and the Devil a liar! Finished it off with a light lunch of tea & sandwiches.

Tried my hardest to relax the rest of the day. Watched a couple movies and cleaned my office and my room.


The sun was out AGAIN today! Woohoo! Went to work in the office straight away. Had quite alot to work on. Then around lunch time I went for my first run. OHEMGEE! Now I remember why I swore never to run in a marathon again! Haha how I ever ran one is beyond me! Seriously! Hannah and I went out to attempt a 3 mile run (literally my first cardio in years) ummmmmmmm by the first mile I felt extreme pain in my chest - like my heart was a beating time bomb about ready to explode - or worse! I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW NEAR DEATH I WAS! All these years of bad eating and no exercising hidden by a genetic physique . . . could have led me to my death! My eyes have been opened. Thank you Belfast Marathon! I know now though that I will need to do quite alot of training in the next two months to be prepared for a 6+ mile run. Awk and I thought it was gonna be easy :(

Afterwards Jacs and I met up with some of the youth girls at the cinema. (Haha walking there from Victoria Square was quite an adventure in itself!) We saw Jack and Jill with Adam Sandler - a bit too slapstick for me (more a movie my brothers would enjoy) but it did get me laughing a couple of times. Still we had a nice night out.

Came home however to some drama. Just the enemy trying to bring me down again. (Sigh and just after resolving a situation yesterday) I am still well aware of this battle we are all fighting in. I was hoping after yesterday for a break - but alas a breather was all I got. I guess when you are on the front lines the battle is that much more intense. So glad that I know HE WINS. (I've said this alot lately - but it's what keeps me going and gives me the encouragement I need to know that God has it under control)

Well, I'm a bit tired now and ready for sleep. Oooooo on an exciting note - after the cinema but before the drama - one of my youth girls, Rebecca had posted that she was a Christian for the first time on Facebook. (she's been saved for about 7 months) Next thing she knew, she was witnessing to several of her friends who were considering God and Christianity and several ended up getting saved! God is too cool!

-J

Sunny Sunday...

I can't believe I have seen the sun for two days in a row! How glorious!

Church this morning was really good. Pastor Cecil brought a word on Overcoming Offense (a timely message). It really ministered to me - so glad that I took notes!


For lunch Alan and Rachel took Jacs and I out to the Victoria Centre to a place called Spur - Steak & Grill. I got a Bacon and Guac burger, and ate some of Alan's ribs (on top of our 2 starters of chicken wings and nachos!) I was STUFFED by the end! But it all was delicious! Rach left with the two boys shortly after eating (still getting over the flu), while Alan, Jacs, and I went to the Mac store and the 02 Phone store. Then we drove around Belfast while Alan talked a little more about the troubles and showed Jacs some sights.

Ended our Belfast tour with the famous Titanic birthplace - Harland and Wolff . . .



Tonight's service was questions and answers on offense. It was really good to break it down and better explain - What to do if you offend someone or if someone offends you. How harboring an offense can harm you. Etc. . .

And then one of our guys - Conor (been saved 3 weeks today!) gave part of his testimony. Near brought tears to my eyes - God is SO good! And completely capable of the impossible! He still has a long way to go - but already the change in his life is undeniable.

After church I went with Alan to the Wright's house for a visit. LOVE that family. Now it's off to bed for me! I got the day off tomorrow from the office but do have a meeting in the morning. Believing God for a breakthrough day!!

-J

Sun, Clouds, Snow, Rain, & Hail...

What a glorious day!!! God is SO good!!

Yesterday was a very very difficult day. God is amazing though and with some major warfare (aka prayer, worship, and the word) and tons of friends and family praying I am able to move forward knowing that HE holds everything and keeps everything the way He so desires. (please keep praying as we continue to move forward)

Still, today was perfect from start to finish! I woke up at 9am to unlock the door for Johnny - who fixed our main shower! Woohoo! Jacs and I wont stink for church tomorrow!!!!! What I noticed though was SUNSHINE! And not just a quick peeker but blue sky and white clouds. I went back to bed for an hour happy that maybe the rain wouldn't show face today after all! Ha little did I know. . .

Five people headed out for Adopt-A-Block (4 more volunteers met us there) As soon as we left the church the rain hit. Didn't pour down too hard for too long but it was still wet. 15 minutes and four bags of litter later we arrived at Abbeyglen. And guess what was back. . .THE SUN! Visited with Mr. McCrae before half of us went on to visit some more families and the other half went to Glenville to pick up more litter. The plan was to meet back up at 12:15. Unfortunately for the litter group (Jacs, Michael, Daniel, & Charlie) the SNOW flurries hit at that exact same time! My group was indoors and were told to wait until the storm passed as it should only last a short time. Ha but I must say I did feel bad when we met up with the other group and they were a bit wet and cold. The sun came out for a THIRD time as we continued (one group now) visiting some people.


Walking back from Adopt-A-Block


Made it back around 1pm for tea and lunch. Not long after the hail hit! And this one was windy and strong. As the pellets fell I couldn't help but be reminded of Dippin' Dots. . .

I think we got some more rain showers followed by more sun the rest of the day. It's raining now. . .

Spent the night relaxing. Had a skype date with my friend Lindsey, watched Madagascar 2 with Jacs, worked out (for a little bit), and now here I am ending my day with writing to all of you!

I hope and pray each one of you are well. Have a wonderful rest of your weekend!

xx

-J

ps Speaking of "working out" I have decided to run in the Belfast Marathon. No way will I have time to train for the full marathon as its only 2 and a half months away, but I am putting 2 teams together and plan on running part of it to help raise money for the Dream Centre. I'm surprisingly excited about it actually - although the idea of training in this cold and damp weather is not inviting. We shall see how this all turns out and I will definitely be keeping you updated.

This Epic Battle...

The past few days have made me so evidently aware of the spiritual battle we are all in. . .

Yesterday was a normal Wednesday. Worked in the office, had dinner, worship practice, bible study, & then prayer. It was a rough day - from the start I was feeling a bit dizzy. Had a headache and felt queasy off and on, but I knew there was much to be done and I wasn't gonna let that hold me back. Tried my hardest to keep a positive attitude and thanks to the constant smiles and encouragement from Alan and Jacs I believe I was able to.

That night, Jacs and I (though it was late) watched LOTR Return of the King (the double extended version) Ha I forgot it was a four hour movie! Didn't finish until after 2am . . . but we didn't care a bit - def one of our favorite movies of all time. Every time I watch it I am reminded of the battle we are in. I find numerous parallels from the battles in the movie to the ones in our world. I think the thing that hits me the most is how in every battle evil seems to have the edge right at the climax, however, the good guys never quit. They never look at the odds, just continued to fight with all they have. Us as viewers know what is to come. We know the reinforcements that are on there way. . .we know how it ends. . . sometimes I'll find myself wishing I could tell them - you got this - don't give up! The victory is yours and it's coming! It's right around the corner! It's then that the battle shifts. And that's how its is with us. When all hell seems to break loose - we must remember that HE still has it under control. That WE have the victory in Christ. That evil WILL NOT prevail. And that even though we might be facing the toughest challenges yet. . . our breakthrough is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! "In this world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world!" John 16:33

I had today off and slept in which was nice since we had such a late night (early morning). After lunch, Jacs and I decided to go for a walk down to the Spar to purchase some milk and she wanted to mail some letters as well. By the time we got to the Spar the little bit of drizzle that was coming down had stopped and I asked her if she wanted to take a quick walk along Lough Shore (she hadn't been yet cause of the rainy weather all week). She agreed and what was meant to be a quick stroll turned into a 2 hour walk along the beach. It wasn't that cold and so I think we lost track of time. Lough Shore can do that to you. I don't know quite how to explain it but it's easy to get caught up by the enchanting world it creates.

I am glad we got out for a bit. It seems that EVERYTHING is falling apart over here at our "home" (aka the church). We kind of laugh it off and say it's all in the adventure, but it does make life a bit more difficult. First, one shower is badly leaking, this caused Jacs first room to flood, then the second shower has stopped working, haha and now the dishwasher wont drain!

Hannah tried to fix the dishwasher by cleaning it, but that didn't work out too well. . . 

Youth tonight (though it started out with a couple bumps - obvious enemy attacks) was AMAZING! God continues to show up and transform lives! Every week I get more and more excited for Thursday nights! The whole group is not only growing closer to God but also building a strong friendship with each other! Please remember to keep all of the youth in prayer (as well as Pastor Alan and all the youth leaders) When God is moving the Devil doesn't like it - therefore it does get rough at times. Still like I said before we are all in an epic battle. . . and guess what?? HE WINS!

-J

ps Evelyn's surgery has been pushed until next week! Please continue to keep her (and Pastor Cecil) in your prayers!

The Zamboni...

Hello Hello and Happy Valentine's Day!
What a wonderful day it has been! Worked in the office - trying very hard to finish up on the intern application. Taking me FOREVER! It's a good thing I'm a perfectionist - but a bad thing as well :)
Today was Jaclyn's first day in the office. We started off by meeting with Dr. Stewart; discussing all of the tasks he has for her in the next 4 months. One look at Jacs and I knew she was probably thinking the same thing I did on my first day - "I don't have a clue what I'm doing. . . but I glad God can do anything." Haha the Dream Centre is definitely stretching in more ways than one! But I have full confidence in Jacs abilities and know that she will figure it all out in no time! Already she seems to be fitting in with the team beautifully! Everyday I continue to be more aware of why God chose her for such a time as now and I am more and more grateful for her being out here with me.

After work, Jacs and I went ice skating with our friend Luke. Haha who says Valentine's Day is only for couples :) We had a blast! Jacs mentions in her blog that no one fell - but I must be honest and admit that I DID indeed fall. . . but just once, and in my defense I was attempting a tricky move (I think a spin or something to that extreme) My only disappointment was that the Zamboni never came out! For those who don't know, a Zamboni is the ice tractor thing that comes and cleans up the ice. So we were practically skating on snow by the end of the night. . . haha what a fun challenge! We went out for some McDonald's after (which I have realized is something we eat alot of out here). I was laughing the whole night. Ah laughter really is healing for the soul. . .
"A good time to laugh is any time you can."  ~Linda Ellerbee

As my day comes to a close I leave you with some pictures of my wonderful evening out with friends ♥
-J

My First Weekend w/ Jacs...

Hello! I was doing SO GOOD at writing almost daily and then I go a whole weekend without writing once! Oh well :)

Been a long but really good weekend! Woke up at 5.30am on Friday morning to pick up Jacs from the Dublin airport. Spent the day resting and introducing Jacs to different people in the office and giving her a tour of the church. That night we went out to Street Reach - not as cold as usual (still about 40 degrees though). Got to see alot of my teens! Tons of people in town that night! Gave out all the hot chocolate and hotdogs in under an hour so we ended a bit earlier than usual. Afterwards the Youth leaders went out for dinner at Frankie and Bennys. We had a good laugh but didn't stay out too late as many of us were tired.

Saturday I went out to Adopt-A-Block. Jacs was really hit hard with jetlag and so opted to take the morning off. Still, we had quite a few volunteers and were able to have some good visits with our families as well as have a group cleaning litter in the area.

Met up with Jacs after AAB and then we both took the bus into Belfast to look around and meet up with Natasha and her little boy at S'bux. Two other friends - Nathan and Luke came too and we all spent a couple hours just visiting in our corner upstairs at S'bux. It was very refreshing to be with a group of young adults. Loved it! After, we all went out for dinner (minus baby Shaw) and continued the conversations a bit later. Such a good craic! Got dropped off at "home" about 8pm and Jacs and I had a little chat before heading to bed. I am so thankful to have her  living out here with me!

Yesterday was Sunday and we had church. Both Services went really well. During the middle (Uhhh lunch time) We went out to the Clarion (DELICIOUS food) with Pastor Cecil, his wife Evelyn, and Pastor Henry. Please keep Evelyn in your prayers!!! She heads into the hospital on Friday for major heart surgery on Saturday! We are believing God for a miracle! Pass the word on to everyone you know!

Today Jacs and I slept in as it was our day off. SO NICE!!!! I must say sleeping in was divine! I cleaned up my room and then met with Hannah to discuss some things for the week (I know - working on my day off. . . but it wasn't anything too major)

After a yummy bacon and eggs breakfast Jacs and I headed into Whiteabbey to switch some of her money around. And then off to Tescos for the most exciting shopping trip! Spent over an hour grocery shopping! So nice to have the fridge and pantry stocked up again! Came home to some peeps at the church so we spent a little bit visiting with them (Chris, Rose, Daniel, & Abigail) Then Jacs and I made a pizza dinner and chatted about life and well everything lol since we don't know each other that well. The more time I spend with her the more thankful I am that she is out here with me. Love her to bits!

Well we got a busy week ahead of us!

BRING IT ON!

Have a goodnight!
-J

Greater Things Have Yet To Come...

What a day! What a night! God is SO good! AMAZING things are happening in the land of Ire!

So yes, I had the day off and after sleeping in a wee bit I headed out to catch the noon bus. Made it into Belfast about 12:30. Got some things I needed for Junior Youth. I also bought a heavy jacket as they are now on sale over here and I desperately needed one for Street Reach and such. Grabbed a couple more things (and had a Starbucks run) before catching the 3pm bus back into Jordanstown. Like I literally got there just when it was arriving!

Got back in time to set up for Junior Youth. Thank you Veggietales for giving me lesson plans these past few weeks and making my life a little bit easier :) A small crowd showed up - but still just as hyper as ever. Love them kids to bits though.

The Loft youth started at 7pm and quite a crowd showed up. A couple teens I hadn't seen since December. We had alot of fun joking about before the service - then at 8:30pm was when the AMAZING began. We started off with worship which really set the atmosphere and then Alan immediately followed with a message on choices.

During the alter call about 15 teens went up for a breakthrough from addictions. And several others went up for prayer. We had worship playing in the background - soon after the song "God of This City" came on. I look up to see these kids (Some who have only been saved for two weeks or less!) raising their hands and singing with all the passion in the world "Greater things have yet to come! Greater things are still to be done in this city!" It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. My description really doesn't do justice. Several were crying, others praying. . . the presence of God was so thick! These kids are coming each week now expecting God to show up. He does too every time. It's breathtaking. It was a moment I will never forget. So excited for what next week holds!!!

ALSO: I was supposed to go to bed after youth immediately tonight because I have to be up in the morning at 5:30 to pic up Jacs from the Dublin airport. I went back into the foyer to grab some toilet paper for my bathroom and several of the teens were there doing push ups and sit ups and competing on who can do more. Haha competitive Julie just had to stop and join! And now I wont only be tired in the morning but I'll be lucky if I can even walk! I forget I'm not as young as I used to be!

Well blessings to you wherever you are!
-J

Mayfair & Park Lane...

Hello Again!!!

Missing my family extra much today - but things are really good over here so I can't complain. Just a bit homesick is all. . .which happens when you have such an amazing family xo

Yesterday was good. Worked in the office - had a Dream Centre meeting which went well. Be praying for the right people to come in! And for this potential building we are looking at! BIG THINGS are happening! Last night I practised some songs with Rose, Abigail, and Steven for youth worship (gonna start singing with a backing track on Thursday nights) Prac went better than expected and afterwards I cleaned up mi casa (uh which is my room lol) and got ready for Jackie to arrive. (My friend Jackie - who I'll be referring to as "Jacs" comes in on Friday morning from TX to intern with DCB for 4 months! Cant wait!)

Today was lovely minus the homesickness. Worked. Had to serve tea and sandwiches at a lunch mtg for Dr. Stewart and 3 others. (I'm getting much better at these but I will be so glad when Hannah gets back tomorrow!) I had Sunday morning worship practice shortly after I got off work. And then a Bible Study - the topic "I dare to believe." Talking about expecting and believing for the unexpected. A really good word! And then we prayed over the church and DCB and television shows and outreaches. Really good night.

SIDE NOTE: When I was working today - cleaning out an office for Jacs - I came across Monopoly! One of my most favorite games! However, out here they have the UK version which I just love to bits! So fun! Anyways I tried to remember all of the properties on the American board. . . totally thought I could but was stumped for the longest time on two! I finally remembered "Kentucky Ave" but eventually gave up and had to google the other one - "North Carolina Ave" And if you notice on the picture below their Super Tax (aka Luxary Tax) is £100 instead of $75. . . very interesting.

Jacs comes in two more days! Have tomorrow morning and afternoon off - gonna go into town. And then youth in the evening! Be praying! Expecting miracles and breakthrough!!!

Have a wonderful rest of your week!

-J

Open Windows & Broken Glass...

Happy Monday everybody!

Hope you all had a wonderful day! Mine was superb! Full of adventures (like always!) Hannah is out of town so I had to be in the office today - though I would've much preferred a day off it really was good to catch up on some things for DCB. Got alot of work done. Afterwards I was going to meet Natasha in town but she couldn't make it which actually worked out better for me cause I wasn't really feeling the bus ride! Instead I went down to Lough Shore - I make it a point to always take a moment to get out of the office at least once a day. It was chilly but no rain and so my walk was nice. I actually decided to bring a bag to collect glass with (for a project I'm working on). Normally when I go down to the shore I forget a bag and end up filling my coat pockets and purse with shells and tons of glass. . . this time however, I found very few pieces - probably because I was prepared. The walk in itself  though was nice enough. Anxious to get this project underway!



Lough Shore <3

 Once I got back home I decided to make myself some pasta for dinner - unfortunately the door that leads to the kitchen had been locked from the inside! I thought about breaking the door down (I was that hungry) but came to my senses soon enough. I ended up calling Vinny to come and take a look at it. He took several keys and headed out to see if one of the back doors was only locked (as in not dead bolted from the inside). 10 minutes later he came back and said; "I have some good news, some bad news, and some good news." I told him to tell me. "Good news is one of the back doors wasn't dead bolted so I could unlock it with the key. The bad news is the door that leads to the kitchen from that way was also locked from the inside. The good news is I was able to open a kitchen window. . ." So low and behold guess who climbed in through the window to get to the kitchen!! It was dark, high, and very small. . . but I survived praise God and was able to make my pasta! Haha but what an adventure dinner turned into tonight! Finished the evening with a me, myself, and I movie date! So all in all - even with working - I had a fun and somewhat relaxing day.

I hope each of you had a wonderful day too!
xo
-J

The window. . . How did I even fit through that???

My New Dessert...

Well. . .
It rained. Agh I sure can't wait for the summer! Though I am told it's not that much better :(
Still, even with the rain, we had an amazing Adopt-A-Block! We had 7 volunteers go out (2 new)!! We split into two different teams. Mine and Abigail's group got to visit with several people! After litter picking and family visiting we headed back to the church. Shortly after I went over to my N. Irish family's house (the Agnew's - my friend Lynsey's family). Watched some TV and had a phone call with Lyns. After Stephen and I went over to Luke and Natasha's house (Her cousins) and Tasha made some delicious dinner. Not really sure what it was. . . LOL she kinda just threw some stuff into a dish but it was yummy :)
Afterwards we all decided to go to the cinema - but got there a bit too late and ended up heading to the rental place. Not quite sure whyLOL but the boys got to pick the movie (the new Planet of the Apes) LAME! We went back to the Agnew's house and watched another film while we ate snacks and then put on that film. Wasn't too happy with the outcome (sorry if you loved it but there were way too many flaws for me). Ya Tasha and I have decided that from now on we shall have girls nights only. . .
Stayed the night in Lynsey's room - (sigh) to be in a house again :) And got to the church early this morning for worship practice.
Today was lovely - had some minor road bumps along the way - but that's good - means the devil's mad. Means God's moving :) All in all though church this morning and this evening were fantastic. Went to Alan and Rachel's again for lunch in between the services. Lamb and potatoes! And then watched Over the Hedge with Benjamin. Haha he loved the film - made me rewind "Hammy's burp" 8 times. . . such a boy! Then Rach made some meringue with cream and kiwi. Side note: Other than ice cream I'm not much of a dessert person, but since moving out here I have grown to appreciate it much more (puddings, cakes, pavlova, etc. . .) I must say though that BY FAR meringue with fresh fruit and cream is my favorite! Mmmmmm!
Went into town for a short bit with Rachel and the boys while Alan watched his football match. And then it was back to church for the night service (which I mentioned earlier was good)

I know everyone back home is probably watching the Super Bowl. First one I've missed in I think 9 or 10 years. I don't really care for either team but because of my Yankee-like hatred towards the Pats I would've probably gone for the Giants. I'm just glad my sister is recording the commercials for me!

I work tomorrow for Hannah who is away on holiday at the moment. I plan on meeting Tasha in Belfast afterwards so that should be fun :) PLEASE GOD SEND NO RAIN! xo

Well I hope all is well!!

Missing you guys!

-J

BIG THINGS. . .

Ok so I know I said I promised to write more often but. . . like I said before it's REALLY busy over here!

Wednesday was a pretty crazy day. Nothing out of the ordinary - work, youth leaders mtg, worship practice, bible study & prayer. . . but still packed full!

Glad for the morning off on Thursday - however I had to go into Belfast to purchase toys for the junior youth prize table so I didn't really have the morning off. First time I'd been into Belfast since break (other than Street Reach) It was nice to be able to walk around. I finally got all I needed just in time to catch the 4pm bus back into Jordanstown. Unfortunately the bus was 15 mins late (glad it came at least!) which really put me under pressure to get things ready for junior youth. I got everything set up on time (thanks to skipping dinner) and the kids arrived full of extra energy 5.30 sharp! 9 kids in all! Thankfully I had a veggietales episode to put on for the lesson which helped calm them a bit. All in all it went well - just really wore me out!
The Loft Youth immediately followed and I loved getting to hang with all the teens! We had alot out that night! (Starting to become a regular thing these days! Woohoo!) Alan spoke on lies and deceit - great word! And then he had us play "Amazing Grace - My Chains Are Gone" on repeat. The alter was flooded with teens and with every chorus sung more and more kids were experiencing true freedom from whatever "chains" were binding them. It was unreal! More than I can even express happened that night. Really challenged me to get in the word more. I realized how much more wisdom and knowledge I need to help disciple these young adults. We had another guy (first time at youth) get saved! And three more rededicate their lives! Youth that night didn't finish until 11:30pm! The night was amazing but wore me out physically so I was so glad when I could finally head to bed and get some much needed rest.

 Today was another packed full day! I worked in the office for 9 hours - got alot done but still loads more to do! And then headed out to Street Reach. Had 10 volunteers which is quite a large group for us. I got to talk to almost all of my teens! (Just Gemma and Ryan were no shows). Had a wonderful chat with my girl Beth and her boyfriend Daniel. And also Erin, Jack, Amy, and Jamie-Lee. I love them all SO MUCH! It was FREEZING out but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else on a Friday night!
Abigail came over after and will be with me until AAB tomorrow. Heading out after AAB with Stephen and Natasha again. Praying for no rain in the morning!
xo
-J