Goodbyes :'0(

I got up at the crack of Dawn this morning to get ready so my great friend Dawn and I could go on a shopping excursion in Indianapolis. We had originally planned to go see our friend JMe who moved up by Chicago awhile ago but after talking to JMe we decided that we were nuts to try and do that trip in one day. There would be no relaxation only running around and having a blast!

Dawn and I became good friends through a series of unfortunate events. Once we realized how well we meshed together and how natural it was for us to hang out it became routine to open up to each other and just be real. For that I am very thankful.

We had so much fun shopping and I wasn't planning on spending any money since I'm kinda broke now that I have no job but Bath and Body Works was having a major sale and by major I mean MAJOR. So naturally I stocked up!

We came back to my apartment and just chilled for a bit. She just left and now I'm sad. That was the last time that I will get to really hang with her for a long time. It wasn't a "goodbye" so much as a "see ya later" but even a see ya later hurts sometimes.

Since this is my last week here in the Midwest, I am having to say a lot of "goodbyes" & "See ya laters" this was really the first one. UGH.

I have a cram packed week of goodbyes. I am going to spend time with me mum tonight, Lunch with Cobi tomorrow, Picking up Nate tomorrow night (YAY YAY), Appointments Thursday, Hang with someone Thursday night, Jocelyn's goodbye, me mum again and Nate & Kate's on Friday (although I'm sure we will see Nate & Kate again before we leave), Saturday morning we get to see Marva's son Jackson to say "hello & goodbye" then we will probably spend time with Nate's parents or maybe Sunday, not to mention the lack of goodbye I had with V due to crazy demands and I have a whole list of others that I just can't work in.

If every there were a time to be mayonnaise! I would spread myself even more thin. I know I've let people down in this process but seriously I am only one person. I have done pretty good with this up until about now. I am used to goodbyes because I am a born and raised army brat, but now that I am older I have developed friendships that mean more to me. These are not just surface friendships but true friendships that are centered around Christ.

Even though me and my mom fight like cats and dogs I am gonna miss her like crazy. I'm pretty sure that my mother in law (who is riding out to Cali with me) will have to drive the first leg of the trip because I'm gonna be an emotional mess.

I'm also gonna miss my family who all live down south. I don't get to see them very often but its different since we will be a billion miles away now, a 32 hour drive or 5 hour flight.

And to top it all off I had to say goodbye to Winnie 6 weeks ago, my fish Kitty & Fido 5 weeks ago and Nate 4 weeks ago and live like a big girl. Praise Jesus he's gonna be here tomorrow!!!!

So yes this is a hard week: tissues, check!

Even though I am experiencing an emotional overload right now, I am happy to have been called on this mission. I want to bleed God's love over everyone I come in contact with. I am ready to take Escondido head on! Goodbyes have a heavy price but the work for God is priceless.

So as the Steve Fee song goes: I'LL GO ANYWHERE, I'LL DO ANYTHING, AT ANY COST FOR YOU MY KING!

Newry & Kids

We went to Ross Travers (?) and checked out the Christian Renewal Center. WOW! I believe these people should give me and Nate this place....

We then ventured to Newry to be locals. We ate lunch at ground a trendy coffee bar and then had some chai tea. It was not as good as ours at FFC, so I tossed it.

After some shopping at TK Maxx no that was not a typo it is TK not TJ here. I scored a PUMA bag for 9.99! Sweet action. We headed home to get some rest before the heathen youth get here :0) for a BBQ.

The kids are here now so I gotta go!

Nathan and I ventured out and about the town today! We went to the post office and exchanged our Euros for Pounds. I'm pretty sure that we lost a LOT of money when we exchanged. We originally exchanged in Newark, NJ from US to Euros (because that's what we were told we needed!) and when we got here we found out that Northern Ireland uses the pound because it is part of the UK. Southern Ireland uses the Euro, soooo we had to go to the post office to exchange our Euros to pounds because in most NI places they do not take the Euro. When the post master told us what we were going to get back in US if we exchanged the Pounds made my jaw drop. I'm still not sure where the money went!?!?!?

While in New Castle we ventured to a little used book shop and one their versions of a dollar store. Their pound is our dollar, so one of their versions of a dollar store is "Around A Pound". The lady we were with Cynhia, had to hit the grocery to pick up some missing ingedrients for our lunch she let us roam for about 20 minutes and we had to meet her back at the car. The grocery she went to was Lids. This was their version of our Aldi's. They had giant pictures of fruit and vegetables and underneath it said "SERIOUSLY CHEAPER" hahahaha That guy should get a raise :0)

After lunch we went to Downpatrick. Cynthia dropped us off on her way to Belfast to drop off an intern from Paris at the airport so she could go home. We visited a cathedral, St. Patricks grave, The prison and all the stuff that went with that, then the St. Patrick center where it was a museum with a IMAX movie *Way different version of an IMAX than ours*. Cynthia picked us up on her way home.

After dinner we went to Dundrum to hang with Richie's youth kids. FYI Irish youth is WAY different than ours!!!! The Taylor University soccer team joined us and we just hung out with the kids. Then we headed to the Galley (?) to get what Pink called the BEST fish and chips. Well I gave it a whirl and I still detest fish (and chips when fried in fish grease) *Insert disgusted look here*! Everyone loved them with the exception of me and 2 others and all 3 of us despise fish in general so I guess we don't count.

After we dropped the soccer team off we went to a real Irish pub! It was nothing like I expected. I was thinking a loud smoky bar where giant Irish men were tipping over in a drunken state *In all fairness I have not been to many bar's in my life and never an Irish pub* It was a really nice restaurant with no smoking and they stop serving alcohol at half past 11. Hardly anyone was there and it was a family establishment. Nathan and I had our first and I believe last glass of Guiness. They let us keep our glasses as souvieners. So yeah... were practically locals now :0)

It is now 1:22 A.M. and I need to get to sleep. I can't be falling asleep durring the Bible lesson tomorrow now can I?!

Wednesday!

I have high hopes for today. It has been hard to hear God because everyone is trying to drown him out (by that I mean they love God but they are too busy with trying to put their agenda on everyone else), but today, today I feel good about.

What a Day!

Today we went to Narnia

And we came out at the Irish Sea

We discovered some really cool things

P.S. I had NO clue that seaweed attached its self to rocks!

We made some friends!


But at last it was time to head back

And get ready to hit the streets downtown

All in all we had an awesome day!

Belfast!!!!

So Nathan and I made it safely to Ireland! Woohooo, this place is beautiful.
I was in the country for about 45 minutes when I learned my first valuable lesson.
The Taylor University soccer team is also staying at Murlough house and they just happened to be on our plane. We were instructed by Richie (I am referring to him as our Ireland tour guide) to follow the lads and get on the same private coach to get to Murlough house. They were detained at customs because they didn't give the officers a satisfying answer as to why they were in Ireland. Apparently training for soccer wasn't good enough. We were almost detained with them because we are staying at the same place! We made it through and went downstairs to claim our luggage *this is where I learned my lesson* I had to use the "facilities" because lets face it airplane bathrooms even on a 757 are not spacious and you almost have to perform acrobats to pee!
So Nate points out that there is a bathroom to the right of us. I look and see a door to the left of the bathroom door *logically one would think 1 is the men's and 1 is the women's* so I am delirious mind you because it is around 4 a.m. Indiana time and I didn't sleep on either plane ride. I stumble past the group of airport workers and to the bathroom. Mind you we have been traveling non stop in the air for like 7 hours so my ankles are really kankles at this point. I open the bathroom door only to be greeted by a urinal?????
No one was at the urinal THANK GOODNESS but I assess my surroundings and at first *Hello I'm still delirious* think "Weird! Why would Ireland have urinals in the women's restroom?"
So I take a small step back because I am still in the door way and take a closer look at the stick figure on the door.
Oops! This stick figure is NOT wearing a dress.
I turn around to make a hasty exit and one of the women are pointing at the women's restroom (NOT next door to the men's but WAY on the other side of the room.

Lesson #1 in Ireland: Always pay attention to the stick figures attire!
*yes I know you think I would already know this* :0)

My friend V landed in Dublin a few years ago and she said that the bathrooms smelled good. FYI the bathrooms at the Belfast airport DO NOT SMELL GOOD.

More to come this week on Ireland so keep checking back!
Did I mention that this place is BEAUTIFUL!