Belfast, Northern Ireland

Today is my third day in Belfast. we drove up by coach on wednesday morning. on the way up we stopped by some monastic ruins in the irish countryside. the countryside was gorgeous, like a postcard with rolling green hills speckled with white sheep and farms. at the ruins we saw one of ireland's most famous celtic crosses, which was spectacular. it was about twelve feet tall and covered in beautiful engravings. then we all loaded back onto the bus and made our way to belfast. on wednesday evening, we drove around in our coach through some of the major neighborhoods here in belfast along with a guide who was a history professor at queens university. we drove around and saw many of the murals in both protestant and catholic neighborhoods. the tour was pretty intense, i could still feel the tension in the neighborhoods.

i will try my best to give a brief overview of the situation in belfast. essentially, the protestant and catholics have been fighting in ireland for a long time. more recently belfast has witnessed the troubles, which came to a head in the 1950s and 60s. here, being a protestant or catholic is much more than a religious affiliation, it is a political alignment. the catholics, or nationalists, desire, or desired, for ireland to break from england and join with the rest of ireland. the protestants, or unioinists, desire a union with enland. for centuries this has been a point of contention in ireland, and things exploded during the past century. the troubles are acknowledged as starting in the last 1960s and peace hasn't really existed here in belfast until the past decade or so. during the past century, protestant and catholic neighborhoods were ruled by paramilitary groups, which were essentially mobs. generally, the protestants, police, and national government all stood in opposition to the catholics. belfast has seen much violence and bloodshed. if you were a protestant, you did not make the mistake of wondering into a catholic neighborhood, and vice versa. there were numerous bombings. just down the street from the hotel we are staying in is the hotel europa, which is the most bombed hotel in europe, and possibly the world.

so wednesday all 50 odd of us american students drove around these neighborhoods, which were once the sites of untold violence. in both neighborhoods, there stand murals commemorating heros and signifcant events in the histories of these peoples. it was a shocking depature from the comfortable denver suburb where i grew up. i cannot imagine growing up in a place where i would not be allowed to be friends with someone because they were a catholic or protestant, where it would at times be too dangerous for me to play on the streen, and possibly where a hatred of a different group of people would have been instilled inside me. while northern ireland has made incredible strides towards peace, i could still feel an incredible amount of tension while we were on the tour. perhaps it was because our coach bus was parading around these neighborhoods, but i still felt like i could sense the despair in these people. my thoughts and prayers recently have been centered on belfast and for the situation between the peoples here. i would ask that you would keep them in your prayers as well. just the other day, before we arrived here, some people attempted to bomb a house where a young infant boy was asleep. while much has been achieved here, much still has to be done. on a lighter note, while we were driving, some kids in one of the neighborhood pelted our bus with water balloons, which was pretty funny.

yesterday, after onlyu 2 hours of class i spent that majority of my day exploring downtown belfast with bo and ryan newton. we did some window shopping, which was extremely difficult for me. i have been eyeing the european style since my arrival in dublin, and the exchange rate isnt very favorable for americans, so updating my style would be a costly affair. i know i will not escape europe without buying some new clothes, i am just hoping i can wait until i arrive in eastern europe where things may be cheaper.

while on our adventure we stopped by st. anne's cathedral, which is on the outskirts of a catholic neighborhood and on the edge of downtown. again i was take back by this massive structure. one thing that has really struck me is the grandness of the churches and cathedrals i have visited. st. anne's really conveyed god's greatness through its massiveness. this cathedral was gigantic, like nothing i have seen in the states. being in a church of that size gave me a sense of the grandness of god. the cathedral i was standing in was massive, and yet it still cannot even contain a fraction of god's greatness. the architects of these churches were masters at creating a grand structure that would fill humans with awe and reverence for the creator of the universe. i could not help but feel the greatness of god while standing in st anne's. i have really enjoyed this aspect of the european churches and it has contributed to my faith and understanding of the lord i serve.

yesterday evening we all went to the morningstar project where justin zoradi, who is the older brother to one of my best friends from westmont, served for a year. we heard of the work being done in the community there and it was refreshing and almost relieving to hear that despite all the trama and horror that has occurred here in belfast, there are still good works being done. after visitng there, i went out to the crown pub in downtown belfast. the crown, which is opposite the hotel europa, is one of belfasts most famous pubs. this night was maybe one of the most fun evenings of the trip so far. i spent the majority of the night laughing with new friends and telling them my most favorite story to tell, which is the story of how katie and i started dating. it felt good to share something so important to me with these new friends, and it was also good to relive the memories of the beginning of my relationship with katie. i am starting to really connect with new people on the trip, which is a nice change of pace. i feel so blessed to have a small group of very close friends on the trip and a larger group of people i am getting to know for the first time. it is a wonderful mix.

just a hilarious sidenote, the guy sitting next to me at the internet cafe is looking into escort services here in belfast.

so anyway, all is going well here in europe. i am exploring and adventuring to the fullest. i have only felt homesick a handful of times, but those times have been important in keeping me grounded and reminding me of who i am and how blessed i am to be here and how blessed i am to have people back in the states who love me and miss me. i thank youi for your prayers, please keep them coming. as i already stated, i would also ask you say a prayer for the city and people of belfast and the troubles this city has experienced. it is an exciting and hopeful time in the city, but despair is also rampant in the neighborhoods. also, i really enjoy the comments on the blog, so dont be afraid to leave a comment.
love and blessings,
mikey

Christ Church, The Book of Kells, and beyond

as i previously mentioned, i went to a service at christ church on sunday. yesterday one of my professors, dr. brothers, made a couple of comments on the service in class, which provided me with a greater understanding and allowed me to have a greater appreciation of what i saw and participated in. chirst church is part of the church of ireland, which is in the anglican trandition. my professor explained that the service was essentially the protestant equivalent of a catholic mass. the service was highly ordered and structure, which was a big departure from what i am used to at santa barbara community church. the music was also traditional and we sang some hymms, which was refreshing. at one point in the service there was a reading from the old testament, the gospels, and the rest of the new testament. the reader of the selection from the gospel walked out into the middle of the congregation and read. this was symbolic of god coming to earth as christ. i really enjoyed all the symbolism and meaning behind the service, and i think that can easily be overlooked. i love santa barbara community, but i think it is vital as a christian to remember where we came from and not to forget tradition. which brings me to the book of kells.

the book of kells is a copy of the gospels held at trinity college. the book was produced on the island of iona by a monastic community. i do not remember exactly when it was completed, but i want to say in the 1100's. anyway, at the college there is a wonderful exhibit on how the book was made and all the attention and detail that went into producing manuscripts such as the book of kells. another thing i thing modern day christians can lose sight of is the sacredness of scripture. i know i am guilty of this. whenever i need a new bible i just drive down to the local family christian book store to buy one. back in the day bibles were considered prized possessions. you couldnt just go buy one, and the copying of the scriptures took a lot of time and devotion. it was interesting to learn how they produced the book and the amount of detail on each page.

the rest of my time in dublin has been terrific. i have really enjoyed exploring dubling and meeting new friends. i miss home, but i am glad i am here.
love and blessings,
mikey

Dublin, Ireland

This will be short because i am now paying for the internet. also the keyboard here in dublin is crazy, so i will no be using capitals. with that said, i am here! i made it safely to ireland after transferring from london. the flight was long and okay, i got a little sick, but feel much better now. my time here already has been amazing and i cannot wait to see what the rest of the semester holds. we got into dublin on saturday around 7pm. it appeared at first as if my bag had gotten lost, but my bag appeared magically on the next flight. on friday night i went out with friends and got a kabab and went to a bar and watched a traditional irish group. on saturday we went to a national park called glendalough, had our first group dinner, and went dancing until 1 am. today i went to church at christ church, which was amazing, then went to the guiness storehouse. my time and experiences have been unreal. words on this simple blog cannot not begin to describe what i have seen and my reactions. for those of you reading, you need to go and explore the world around you and see it for yourself. i am truly blessed to have this experience. this has all only been made possible by a gracous God, loving parents and a loving grandmother. i am so thankful every day for all the people in my life that have made it possible for being here and shaping me into the young man that i am. please keep me and my safety in your prayers. more details soon, i promise.
love and blessings,
mikey

Today is the day

One more post from the states before I go. I am little less than 11 hours from my scheduled departure time out of LAX. Oddly enough, I awoke today feeling like it was any other day. Even stranger was that I slept like a rock last night. Typically the night before I am going somewhere or doing something exciting I can't sleep. I am like a seven year old on Christmas Eve, I toss and turn all night just imaging what the next day holds (to this day I still can't sleep very well on Christmas Eve). But last night was different. Perhaps I was so exhausted from the days activities. I had been running around town since about 8:30am trying to get a couple last minuted errands taken care of before I left. I think more than anything else I was emotionally exhausted from the evening.
This coming semester will mark the longest amount of time that Katie and I will have been apart from each other. Needless to say, last night was very important because we said goodbye. I picked her up from her house around 6:30 and we had dinner reservations at the Wine Cask at 7:00. I had never been to the Wine Cask before, but it is an extremely nice little restaurant off Anacapa Street in the El Paseo shopping center. We sat next to the fire place and felt like rich people. After deciding what to order for dinner we looked through the wine list, which was the most extensive I have ever seen, not that I have seen many though. The list came in its own binder and was at least twenty pages long, pretty impressive. We giggled like two children as we decided what wine we would order, if we had a trust fund. We finally decided on a vintage champaign that would put a $4000 dent in my check book. Then the waiter came and asked if we had made a selection for the evening, and we told him we would be skipping wine this evening. After some more talking and laughing, our meals came. Katie ordered the salmon, which came on top of a bed or rice and peas and some other vegetable I had never seen before, and I ordered the filet mignon, which came on top of the most delicious tomato I have ever eaten in my life and a "chive potato cake." The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was excellent. If you ever have the opportunity and the funds to eat at the Wine Cask, I highly recommend it. After browsing the dessert menu, we decided to move the evening somewhere else, but not before Katie gave me a travel journal that she had personalized for me with some pictures and loving words. This journal was one of the better gifts I have ever received because of the thoughtfulness that went into it.
After leaving the Wine Cask and driving around for a while, we decided to head to Butterfly Beach. Butterfly Beach holds a special significance in our relationship, as I am sure it does with many relationships. Some of our best talks and times spend together have happened here at this beach. The moon was somewhere between half and full and extremely bright. After sitting on the beach in a blanket for about twenty minutes, we realized it was pretty cold out and there were weird bugs that kept jumping on my feet. So we went back to the car and talked for a while about life and travel and our relationship and our future. Then Katie drove me back to my apartment to drop me off because she had work early in the morning and she had already missed her 10pm bed time by a half hour. So it was in the hallway and parking lot of my apartment that we said goodbye. This was the most difficult goodbye of my life. I have said goodbye to many people many times before, family, friends, etc. But I have never had to say goodbye to someone like this before. No one has impacted my life and touched my heart the way that Katie has. For most of the week I kept telling myself I must be crazy for leaving her. And then, last night, holding her in my arms for the last time in a little less than four months, I knew I really was crazy, but I also knew it was alright.
This is a journey I need to take. I need to go to Europe and experience everything the semester holds, I need to go see all I can see, learn all I can learn, experience all I can experience. An opportunity like this comes once in a lifetime, if even that often. Going to Europe to live and learn is a blessing from God, and to turn away from that would just not be okay. I am excited to embark on this journey, I am excited to be stretched and to grow in new ways, to learn things about myself and the world I live in, and to find God in far off places. I know over the course of the coming months I will change, and I am excited to see what those changes are. More than anything I desire to be a servant for the Lord and to the people I come in contact with, whether they be my peers on the trip, the professors and their families, or random people I meet along the way. As I leave on this journey, I would ask any of you who are reading my blog to keep me in your prayers so that I would be safe and faithful to my desires. The next time I post I will be in Ireland!
Love and blessings,
Mikey

4 Days and Counting

I am sitting at the couch, looking out the back door of my apartment for one of the last times before I leave. I have spent countless hours sitting in this very spot, looking out the back door at the porch, chatting with friends, watching t.v., reading books or studying for tests. For the past year Santa Barbara has been my home base, and for the past 4 months I have been living in this apartment. It hasn't been the best summer, and yet I am sill sad to leave this place. But excitement looms on the horizon...
On Thursday at 9PM I will embark on a journey with about 40 other Westmont students, as we travel and explore much of Europe with Dr. Pointer and Dr. Brothers. My preparations for the trip are almost complete, my bags are packed and I only have a few loose ends to tie up before I go. My feelings are a mixture of absolute excitement and undiluted fear. I cannot wait to experience all Europe has to offer, the sights, the sounds, the tastes. I am excited to learn in a new context. I am excited to travel with 5 of my best friends and 40 other close and new friends. I am scared to leave the only country I have ever lived in. I am scared to travel abroad. I am scared to leave my life here for four months, to put everything important to me down and hope I can pick it up when I come back. I am scared to leave my friends and family and the love of my life, Katie. Amid all of this fear and excitement, I know something amazing is happening. I have a unique experience to go places many people can only dream about. I have been truly blessed with this opportunity and I plan on making the most out of it. The Lord works in mysterious ways, but I am sure He will be present and active on this journey. I am excited to see how He will work in my life and through my life as I put myself in a completely new context. I will try to be as faithful as possible in updating this blog and keeping you all informed on my travels and experiences.
I am unsure what the internet situation in Europe will be, but I am sure there will be some internet cafes, and I will try to update at least once a week. But most importantly I am traveling to go new places, see new things, meet new people, and learn new things, not to blog. I will try and reflect as much of my travels and experiences as possible, so stay tuned...
Love and blessings,
Mikey