Christmas at Lakeside

It's a beautiful - albeit cold by the looks of the ducks skid/crash landing on the frozen lake - and lazy Saturday morning here, so thought I'd take a few minutes and post pictures of the Christmas decorations around the house. Hetty, who was a missionary in the Philippines & a dorm family at Faith for years, has taken to calling me "Martha Stewart" - which, while I don't particularly like the nickname, is probably fitting for a week where I've spent a lot of time decorating and then baked chocolate chip cookies. Ç'est la vie! As I told Hetty, if there's anything that "works" decorating in the house, it's thanks to my mom, I've tried to copy what I've seen her do for years, and thanks to Dawn (who's decorated here for the last 12 years) and the decorations she's accumulated.

Here's photos (click to see the stories or see them bigger):

So, there's a little taste of Christmas in Ireland. Had friends over for the first time last night - just two came, but had a blast with them and they seem to have really enjoyed being here - and must be sleeping well, since it's after 11am and they're still asleep. :-) It makes me really happy that they're both able to sleep long and feel the freedom to. I think four more friends or so should be over this afternoon, so that'll be great.

JBU's group of 42 comes tomorrow - can't wait!

A Good Day...

...first draft of paper due next Tuesday done.

...decorating for Christmas (minus three trees still to do) done.

...extend wireless internet into wing of house for John and I. Done.

...go to international bible study. Done.

...help Hetty, Dawn, and David with stuff around the house. Done. (Bonfire day and clear out Room #4 - good progress.)

That's been my day for the most part - with some really unfocused reading for class thrown in there and emails throughout the day. Not a super productive day, but a good day.

Tomorrow I need to...

...finish prepping for class.

...go shopping for chocolate chip cookie ingredients.

...help out at Fisherwick lunch.

...meet up with group for class presentation.

...head to class.

...head back home and decorate the three remaining Christmas trees (or at least two of them).

...make food shopping list for Friday to prep for group of friends coming Fri-Sun.

...take out buffet tables and set them aside for Sunday lunch.

...do some serious work on PhD apps.

That's for tomorrow though, so, for now, to bed. :-)

Papers

Sorry, not much time nor much to post about this week. I'm swamped with a 3,000 word paper due Tuesday. I thought I had another week for it - so I'm a little bit behind, but it'll be fine. I'm looking at the the place (if any) postmodernism (looking at Hayden White as a key representative) plays in the perspectives and ideas of Holocaust deniers (here, using David Irving as a key representative). It's been interesting and I think, in the long run, it'll be good to have delved into both of these ideas for teaching purposes.

Other than that, it's been just over a week that I've been in Lakeside Manor. John Lenschow moved in yesterday so it's great to have another person in the house - it's not quite so creepy. :-)

Joined the JBU and Murlough House crew on Thursday for Thanksgiving dinner - skipped class, bummed about that because it was a really interesting day - and had a great time with them. They were watching Home Alone when John & I got there. Then, this afternoon, headed to another MA History student's house - her and her husband David's house - for another Thanksgiving dinner. Should be fun and a good break from this essay.

Other than that, not much else. Staying busy - but at the same time, slowing down since I'm living farther away from everything now.

Hope you had a GREAT Thanksgiving (if you celebrated) and blessing for the weekend!

P.S. Just finished a really good essay this morning on being a Christian professor in the humanities and it highlighted Tennyson's poem In Memoriam, so I thougth I'd share some of that with you:

STRONG Son of God, immortal Love,

Whom we, that have not seen thy face,

By faith, and faith alone, embrace,

Believing where we cannot prove;

Thine are these orbs of light and shade;

Thou madest Life in man and brute;

Thou madest Death; and lo, thy foot

Is on the skull which thou hast made.

Thou wilt not leave us in the dust:

Thou madest man, he knows not why,

He thinks he was not made to die;

And thou hast made him: thou art just.

Thou seemest human and divine,

The highest, holiest manhood, thou:

Our wills are ours, we know not how;

Our wills are ours, to make them thine.

(read the rest here.)

What a Week! (Christmas party, Cool Conversations, Package Stress, and Drugs & Drunkenness)

Last week was a busy week - so sorry not to post. Here's a couple of interesting things that happened:

Light up Belfast party - joined thousands around City Hall on Tuesday for their Christmas light festival (I know, it's really early! :-). It was a blast - including kids choirs singing carols and Euro-pop groups singing a myriad of songs. Pictures are at the top of this post. :-)

Really Cool Conversations - it's been a really great week of conversations. Wed. night at Int'l bible study we had several new people, so that stirred new relationships and friends. Thur. afternoon I had coffee with a professor, Dr. Eric Mourier-Genoud, who studies missions in Mozambique - really, really good time and really helpful. Then Thur. night I had a really good conversation with Dale about a Protestant/Christian perspective on special needs persons in relation to care and church services. Really interesting - sparked by a curiosity in a Catholic Bishop and a "care home" (for lack of a better term) in Southern Ireland at the turn of the 20th century. Then, Fri, got to have coffee with Jude, which was great. I always enjoy hanging out with him and learn a lot - this week it was about Lebanon and the Druze, Christians, Shiites, and Sunni's. Also met a guy from Aman at Starbucks who's doing his PhD here and is from Northern Jordan, prior to Amman.

Stress with a Package - I ordered a portable scanner (so I don't have to hold on to the endless pieces of paper I'm accumulating) about three weeks ago. After three days of frustration with the parcel delivery service, I ended up spending 3 hours, two bus rides, and a £10 taxi ride to find their warehouse and pick up the package. Ugh! (although the scanner is a huge blessing)

SOS - Drugs & Drunkenness - went back out yesterday with SOS's afternoon reach to the teenagers. Really good, really crazy cold, and very busy. It was a good day but a really weird day, in the sense that it was unlike any of the other days I'd been out. Around 350 teens probably came through - one of which was a young girl who was so drunk she was throwing up, so several of the staff took care of her on the bus. On top of that, I haven't seen so many kids drunk or high since I got here. It was really sad. There have been reports recently that the presence of cocaine is at the highest it's been in a long time in Belfast. I hate to think that it's found it's way into the teens lives - but at the same time, I'd be nieve to think it hasn't. I was once again reminded that these kids have experienced more of what is typically called "life" - sex, drugs, alcohol, death, abortion, rape, etc. - in their 14, 15, 17 years of life then I have in my 25. I find myself wishing that, for their sake and because of the emptiness you see in many of their eyes, they could have been spared some of what life has brought their way.

A busy week - meaning I didn't get much work done (and have a 3,000 paper due a week from tomorrow - although, I'm practially done with a 1,000 word essay due on Jan 13 - I know, priorities....oops!) - but it was a great, memorable week!

-------

As a random endnote, check out this really cool article on Dr. Chip Pollard, JBU's current president and my former boss (kind of...meaning it was his signature on my paycheck, but he was three "boss levels" above me...sounds like some kind of Nintendo game. :-)

Refreshed

Includes pictures of the inside now. Click here to see them larger.

This day last week I stayed up till 1am looking at cottages, hotels, and B&B's in N. Ireland to get away for a few days. I could tell I was coming to the point of being completely exhausted and just fried in every different way. Having not found anything, I finally laid down in bed, not sure what I would do to get a break from Belfast.

Here I am a week later, looking out at the green lawn of Lakeside Manor, sitting at a desk in the "Stevenson Suite" (so named because it's where Billy & Mindi stayed last week) that's nestled into the bay windows, marveling at the gift of this weekend. It has been the weekend I was looking for - and the one that I had been willing to pay a significant amount of money for. Instead, I was given a gift that has cost me nothing and, yet, provided everything that I was hoping for.

Breakfast in bed this morning and then the rest of the morning spent reading. A morning tea and an afternoon tea yesterday. A chance to relax and watch a movie Friday night. All on a beautiful four acres outside of Belfast - away from the noise, the distractions, and the exhausting routine of buses, cars, and people.

I sit, looking out at the lake, amazed at the beauty of the sun breaking through the Irish clouds that brought the morning rain - but even more so, I am in awe of God's gracious hand toward me, knowing that there are so many others who need the gift I've been given this weekend.

Can't Sleep

I can't sleep. I tried going to bed at 12am. I opened one of my skylights because it was warm in my room - bad idea. Within a few minutes my room smelled like sewer. So I closed the skylight and lit my candle to try to get rid of the smell. I then laid in bed for over an hour with no luck. I decided to try the traditional remedy of drinking warm milk, so I thought I'd post while I'm drinking it.

Tonight was a great night. Billy Stevenson called me at 6pm to see if I wanted to join him, Mindi, Rick Ostrander, Lonnie Ostrander, John Lenschow, and the Knox's at Villa Italia for dinner at 6:30pm. Of course I said yes and it was a great time. So much fun to see Lonnie who I worked with all summer. It was great to get caught up on the Fall musical, her kids, and the Admissions office. Good to see Rick too. He's always a blessing as I'm able to pick his brain on future direction. As the Dean of Undergraduate Studies at JBU, Rick's responsible for all faculty hires, so his advice comes from what JBU is looking for in candidates - which is really helpful.

As always, great to see Billy and Mindi. So full of life and laughter. It was a blast! I hadn't seen Johny Knox or his family in years, so really fun to see them too. His younger brother, Gregory, is hilarious. Johnny's wife, Rebekah, is really great. As well, I got to see Rachel Cureton, which was really fun. I don't know her very well, but was a suite mate of her brother's - Michael - at JBU (he just got married at the beginning of Nov!!), so it was fun to hear about him. She's living with the Knox's and doing her student teaching over here for a master's degree in education.

Tomorrow morning I'm off to see Lakeside Manor with John Lenschow, Billy, Mindi, Rick, and Lonnie. Rick, Lonnie, Mindi, and Billy are staying there right now, but the trustees are coming for a walk through tomorrow. Billy needs someone there as soon as possible, so I think I'll likely move in this next weekend. The sewer smell in my room tonight was a reminder that it's somewhat frustrating to never get fresh air in the room. My thought is that this room - since I've paid for it through the end of July - will be like my office near the school and Lakeside Manor will be home. They do have internet there, which is great. It's going to cost me a little more in bus expenses to move out there now, but my rent is free for the rest of the year starting Feb - since I'll no longer have a room with Queen's - so it seems worth it. I've already started thinking about how I can have friends at to the Manor for dinner or invite friends out if they ever want to get away from Belfast. It's really a pretty 4-acre place that would be great for a spiritual retreat or just to get a break from the same old, same old.

Anyways, I should probably see if I can fall back asleep. I'll try to post pictures of Lakeside Manor inside as soon as I'm able.

New Believers & Non-Believers

Just a quick note on yesterday at church. After the morning service, I was introduced to Liam, a new visitor to the church. What a cool meeting! (and a confirmation of not feeling at peace about visiting another church yesterday). Liam just became a believer 5-6 months ago and it's completely changed his life. He speaks of it in a very visceral way, of God's presence just being so real and overwhelming when life was going so bad. He's being discipled by a local Baptist pastor and his favorite book is Hebrews - although he's spent a lot of time in John, Romans, and the smaller epistles. He really has a passion for the Lord which is exciting. He also attended Mandate Saturday, a men's conference here in Belfast, and said it was a great time of seeing thousands of men worshipping together. He told me that he's trying to figure out how God might want to use him and he's thinking his conviction for men's sexual purity - pornography especially - might be where he sees God using him. I'm really excited for him - if you think about it, join me in praying for him - for God's strengthening of his faith and that he would have the opportunity to minister to other guys.

The second cool experience was last night at church. We had a communion service and Fabian, a student from France, came along with us after dinner. He doesn't go to church and, as far as I can tell, is an athiest. But it was just so cool singing songs of worship with Fabian, curious and perhaps skeptical, next to me. We had a really good conversation afterwards and he enjoyed it a lot more than the church experiences he had had back in France. We'll see, hopefully it'll plant a mustard seed in him that the Spirit will water and grow (Liam had used the "mustard seed" analogy for the growth of his own faith in the morning).

SOS Bus Last Night

From SOS Bus

A picture of the bus from across the street. The doors on the left end open into the paramedic bay. You can see the TV in the middle of the bus. On the far right is the large van ("mini-bus") we use to go pick up people from bars or take people to the hospital (no calls last night).

From SOS Bus

A picture closer up to the side of the bus. This was as the night was winding down. You can see the group hanging around watching "The Simpsons Movie" - which is a whole lot better than them walking around drunk, getting in fights, etc. You can't really see it, but there's a row of two tables that run parallel to the bus and that's where the coffee, tea, soup, rolls, and candy bars are. The slogan, that's cut off is "SOS Here to Help". We served roughly 300 people last night from 11:30pm to 2:30am.

"Spider pig. Spider Pig. A spider pig does whatever a spider pig does." :-) The flatscreen TV on the side of the bus was playing the Simpsons Movie last night - we got through it twice. It was fun, we all had a good laugh at the jokes and then singing along to "Spider pig". It's amazing how something like the Simpsons worked powerfully to not only put people at ease - because it was something they could connect with - but, in so doing, really broke down walls and raised curiosity.

I thought the night would really drag on, especially as it got closer to 3am, but it went by really fast and was a great time (although, it hit me about 4 this afternoon and I had to take a nap). Some things that stand out:

*the drunk man at the beginning of the night who pointed out "truck" as a truck drove by. Had to laugh inside at that one. :-)

*the guy in his early 20s early in the night who was a self-confessed Satanist and was convinced it was a Christian thing and we were just out trying to convert people. He wasn't willing to except that, yes, while some of us were Christians, we really were there just love on people by volunteering our time and serving them free food/drinks - no strings (or conversions) attached. :-)

*when the "Satanist" (in quotations because I think he may have said it mostly for a reaction) asked Aneal (I think Indian by background, became a Christian later in life) what religion he was, Aneal, whose an incredibly solid Christian that helps lead the discipleship and prayer groups at church, said "I don't believe in religion." It was a beautiful answer - the guy asking didn't know what to do with it. :-)

*seeing friends who were more sober than their really drunk friends helping their friends home, whether that was holding them up or simply being their guide home.

*sadenned to see that most of the middle aged men who were out drunk were by themselves. An interesting contrast to the youth who, while being drunk, had friends with them.

*it was fun to see the women's eyes light up when we said "Free Chocolate" as they walked by. It was a nearly full-proof way to get groups to stop and grab a couple f chocolate candy bars on their way to where ever it was they were going.

All in all, it was a great night - although I have been exhausted today. I can't wait to do it again. It's amazing to see people's reaction to acts of charity and love. As well, the impact it has on local crime and being able to "save" people from things is huge. For example, on Halloween they had a call from a local pub to pick up a girl at the bar who was completely gone. Plus, she had no ID, cell phone, purse, or anything. The truth is, as sad as it is, anyone could have done anything to her and she never would have remembered, but would most definitely have lived with the grave consequences.

To add on all of that, two firsts for me since I left last night at 3am:

1. Had an egg thrown at me from a passing car on my way home. It missed me thankfully - but had to smile. They threw another one at another group of people in front me (missed again, lousy shots :-) - so it was just an indiscriminate "let's drive around town and throw eggs at people" kind of thing :-)

2. There was definitely a guy walking around in the alley behind our place during lunch today who only had a shirt on. Seriously, nothing else and he's walking around. Gross display of public nudity. Yuck! :-P

But hey, that's Belfast for ya! Gotta love it!

A Thesis Conundrum

I now have two potential thesis topics and I'm struggling to know which direction to go.

Presbyterian Missions in Kenya
Dr. Eric Morier-Genoud has been one of the most helpful and enjoyable professors to work with here at Queen's. His work is in missions in Africa from a historical perspective. With my undergraduate background and interest in Africa, he would love for me to do something on the history of missions in Kenya. He also has great connections to friends and supervisors at Cambridge, Oxford, and the University of Basel in Switzerland.

If I go this route, I will likely focus on the correspondence available here of the Rev. and Mrs. E. Lockhart who lived in Kenya, but wrote prolifically to family and friends here in Ireland. Most of my research would be done at PRONI and the Presbyterian Historical Society, both of which are here in town.

Communism in Kenya: Peter Koinange, a Case Study
The other alternative, which has a more exciting edge to it, is to look into these 18 files that were released in 2007 by MI5 about Peter Koinange. There's been no work done on them so far, so any work mentioning Peter is in relation to his father (a key chief in Kenya) or in relation to Jomo Kenyatta. It has this "unexplored" excitement and edge to it that's appealing.

The challenge here is that the research would mostly have to be done in London at the National Archives in Kew. There's a possibility of getting funding from Queen's for it, but if not, it's on my dime and I'd likely need to spend up to 2 weeks there.

So, that's the conundrum...
Do I work with a professor who's young and excited to work with me on a topic that's interesting, but that I don't necessarily get super excited about? or do I pursue the topic that, at first at least, excites me - but I don't yet have faculty support behind? (although Dr. Morier-Genoud has been encouraging about this topic as well, it just doesn't connect with his work).

In trying to find an answer to this dilemma, I think I'm going to spend some time looking into both of them. I'll spend some time here in town looking at the Presbyterian missionary records and then I have three weeks off in January and I think I'll spend a few days to a week in London looking into those files. Hopefully that will give me enough of the flavor of what I would be working with to figure it out.

Videoblog: What I'm Reading

I decided this morning to do something different. I don't know how often I'll do it or if it's even convenient for you all, so it may not happen very often, but I thought it was a good way to mix things up. So, here's my first "videoblog". Sorry about it cutting off at the end there - the time limit on my camera had been met, so it stopped. :-)

JBU Bible Study & Social Justice, Postmodernism & Holocaust Denial

From Photos for Blog

Picture of the bus I road part way home from the bible study last night. Almost exactly the same kind of bus I road to & from school in Kenya back in the 90s.

I'm glad to say that last night's bible study with the JBU crew went much better then last week. We were down 4 or 5 students, probably just from desire for personal time or assignments - however, if it was because last week was a disappointment, I wouldn't blame them, I may have skipped this week for that reason alone.

I put into practice my lesson from last week and we spent the whole 45 minutes in Scripture. We determined that the phrase "social justice" is a hard one to define - being used as a descriptor for a wide range of things in today's society. The question followed then, what should it mean for us as Christians? We went to Matthew 22 (the Greatest Commandment and the 2nd) and used this as a basis for looking through out the NT (Matt 5:43, 19:19, Rom 13:8-10, Gal 5:13-14, James 2:8, etc.) and the OT (Deut. 5:9, 6:5; Lev 19:9-18, and Ex 22:22:27) to look at the idea of "loving your neighbor" as something God calls his people to throughout Scripture. In closing, we came back to Matt 22:38 and the reminder that in order to truly love our neighbor, we must fulfill "the first and greatest commandment" - to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind - that this was the a priori condition to meeting the second calling.

[Something that was neat for me was to realize that Jesus' answer in Matt 22 was expected, as the Jewish prayer, the Shema, prayed twice daily, affirmed this. It was the second part that was the "nudge".]

"probably the biggest friend the Jews had in the Third Reich, certainly
when the war broke out, was Adolf Hitler. He was the one who was doing
everything he could to prevent things nasty happening to them."
- David Irving, from Richard Evans book Telling Lies About Hitler

I'm beginning to pull together the assignments I have to turn in between now and January 13th and one of them is an essay on a historiographic topic from the last century (i.e. Marxist history, cultural history, post-colonial history, postmodernism, etc.). I've been very impressed and very, very happy with perspective and the take of Queen's faculty on these topics. I decided to do my topic on postmodernism and specifically, the case effect of postmodernism on David Irving and holocaust deniers. In looking at grad school, I was cautioned to be careful of revisionist history. The example given was of those that want to rewrite the history of the Holocaust. So, it seemed like David Irving and Holocaust denial would be an appropriate topic to tackle for a 3,000 word essay.

I'm just into the first of five books on the topic, but so far really interesting - and really bizarre all at the same time. I'll try to remember to post a link to the paper here after I turn it in (it's due December 12).

On the Change Bandwagon: Reading Week, My Room, and S.O.S. Bus

From Photos for Blog

(In the election spirit of change, I decided to switch my room around.)

In light of the elections this last week, I haven't been posting much here - but rather, spent way too much time on my "random thoughts" blog. However, as the first sign that things are changing, here's a post returning to what's going on here in Belfast.

Reading Week
The UK system has a week set aside about half-way through the semester for reading, writing papers, catching up on assignments - and, generally, giving the faculty and students some uninterrupted time to focus on their work (for students, it's the only vacation they get during their semester, besides Christmas). That means this week's going to be a wee-bit different. I do still have one thing I have to attend on Thur - a visit to the Public Records Office of North Ireland (PRONI). It's a chance for the class to be exposed to how to use the largest archive in N. Ireland.

Other than that: JBU Bible study (Mon), Guy's Movie Night Out (Tues), Int'l Bible Study (Wed), and S.O.S. bus (Friday, see below). Also, Paul Harvey from the University of Colorado (yeah, when I first saw the name, I thought the radio guy too) speaking on "Religion, Race, and the Right: The Rise of Southern Religious Conservatism" is visiting Queen's. Should be interesting. I'm expecting a pretty critical, left-leaning presentation - but hoping to be surprised. :-)

My Room
In the spirit of change - and needing something new in a room that I spend a lot of time in - I changed around my room today. My desk was staring at a wall, with my back to the two skylights. In a hope that being able to look at the sky will help the long days of reading & studying, I've moved my desk underneath one of the skylights. It's a little more cramped in the room, but we'll give it a shot for a while at least.

Alpha & S.O.S.
You might remember that I was a part of an Alpha group here in town. Due to a lack of interest and people not coming, we've gone ahead and canceled it for the rest of the fall. A bummer for me as I really enjoyed the content and the discussions it brought up - but I understand the decision.

To replace that, I've gotten involved with S.O.S. It's a street ministry that helps with crime in the Greater Belfast area. On Saturday afternoons I go down to the waterfront where the teenagers hang out and we hand out free tea/coffee/hot chocolate/juice/coke and hot soup (Knorr soup, actually, which brings back to mind these horribly catchy commercials from Kenya). It's been shown to significantly bring down hostility and fights in this area. It also has a fairly significant ministry to the kids.

Besides that, S.O.S.'s main ministry is a night ministry to people leaving the bars in Belfast. They setup at a key intersection in town (Dublin Rd., just off of Shaftsbury Square) and are out from 11pm to 3am handing out free coffee/tea and biscuits, providing a resource and blessing to those who are on their way home. On top of that, they have a medic and a van, so they're able to help people who are hurt/injured or need a hospital or a ride home. It's highly sponsored by the PSNI (Police Service of N. Ireland) as it has been shown to decrease crime in the area by 18-25%. I'm up for next Friday night. Should be fun - although the late night is going to kill me. :-)

(Check out the SOS website and the bus. It has two big flatscreen t.v.'s, video cameras, a medical area (oxygen, saline drips, etc.), plus two awnings. It's pretty sweet. They're getting ready to send another one up to Derry/Londonderry where the infamous "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" occured. They're also working on a double decker "IT" bus with computers on the second level for educational outreach.)

Pictures & Videos from Last Night's Election Party

I should be taking a nap right now before tonight's bible study, but I figured that if I don't get these up soon, they won't really be nearly so interesting.

Setting: A big conference room in the student center in the middle of the largest student housing complex (Elm's Village). They had planned on 30 people, ended up with 100+. The room was packed with students wearing badges, signs, American flags, etc. While it was predominantly Obama fans, there were about a half-a-dozen or so of us McCain supporters - one guy even wearing a McCain t-shirt (which was brave, considering most of the people there were drinking & you never know what someone's going to do when you're wearing the oppositions colors and they're drunk). Their were American flag streamers around the room, BBC One's coverage was playing on the projector, CNN was on a small flat screen at the back of the room, and a map of the US was on the wall via an old-school overhead projector and students were filling in the states as the projections came in. So, with that, here's the pictures and videos:

From Election 2008

From Election 2008

From Election 2008

Cheers after Obama is projected to win a state.

From Election 2008

Counting down to the polls closing.

I hung around until about 1:30am or so and then headed the 20 min walk back to my place with some friends. The excitement of the night was fun - the crowd would countdown from 10 every time we were 10 seconds away from a poll closing and then boo/cheer when a candidates face came on screen as being projected to take a certain state.

I can't imagine US students getting so excited about the UK election or the German election...perhaps it says something about the great responsibility and burden the US bears as the torch bearer for the world. Whether they admit it or not, there is definitely this sense of "Let's wait and see what the US does" when it comes to economics or politics. In fact, todays news articles talk about how Obama's victory is bringing about a wave of minority voice in European politics - a place where minorities seem to rarely vote and an African (let alone any minority, I think) has never been elected to the highest office in the land.

I Voted!

(Photograph from Getty Images)

No, unfortunately my ballot from the states didn't come in time. Instead, Jordan Monnahan, with the JBU crew down in Dundrum, let me know last night about www.fvap.com (Federal Voting Assistance Program) where, if your absentee ballot doesn't show up within two weeks of the election, you can print off a ballot, write in your vote, and mail it off to your county clerk. So, I just dropped it off at the post office with the hope that it'll have today's date stamped on it, will arrive in time, and, therefore, will count*.

*I realize there is this sense of defeat in the reality that few elections are won by one vote. However, I feel as though I've done the right thing in voting. If for no other reason then because I have the ability and, therefore in this case (not in every case), the responsibility to vote - particularly when so many around the world desire to have the ability to vote in an election and, instead, are subject to live under the rule of someone who took power or was given it.

Last Night's JBU Biblestudy

[Written last night in Downpatrick, as I was waiting for the bus home. ]

Tonight's bible study with the JBU gang went okay. It was the all-too-typical case of trying to work too much in, particularly extra-biblical sources. I started off with some columns from "On Faith" about Americans changing their faith or loosing it. The student's found those really interesting. I should have had us spend more time there then dig into a biblical passage - say Phil 3, or something like that. Instead, I spent too much time having each of them answer questions, me sharing quotes from Pascal and C.S. Lewis - that the time we then spent in Scripture was minimal, at best. As a result, I don't think any of us came away refreshed or knowing something more about Scripture or the Father. So, here's what I learned about bible studies (or teaching):

Spend 80%+ of your time on that which really matters - in this case, God's Word. Shave off the extra stuff - keep something interesting or unique, but loose the other fluff.

I felt bad as well because the student's have a paper due and a lot on their plate - yet they gave up the hour to be together - and I wish, as they also may, that we had walked away challenged or refreshed and closer to our Lord and Savior.

The students are forgiving to me - for which I'm grateful - and I know God can use even the feeblest of offerings. So, I finish writing this at the Downpatrick bus stop, sitting in the 42 degree weather, waiting for the 21:05 bus to Belfast, humbled from having learned, but at peace knowing both God's and the student's grace extends beyond my faults.

Cool Things Happening!

This has been a week of being spoiled by the Father. Some really exciting things have happened!

Christmas
A really generous friend didn't like the idea of me not being home for Christmas, so he bought me a plane ticket home for the holidays. Yahoo!! It means I'll get to see my sister who lives in the Middle East and her husband, who will be home for the holidays - as well as Jenny, James, and my two nephews Luke and Hamilton in South Carolina. Then, on top of that, dad was able to use frequent flyer miles to get me the second leg of the flight in the US. It's weird going from planning on not being home for the holidays, to it all of the sudden being a reality.

Housing
It also looks as though I'll likely have free housing starting in January thru the rest of my program, thanks to JBU. The pictures above are of the place. There are still some final details to sort out - but, if it works out, it would be a huge blessing financially for the rest of the year.

Finances
I finally got my money from the Fed'l loans - I'm headed to the bank to deposit it this morning. It's not a ton, but definitely plenty to live on - for which I'm very thankful to the Lord.

Off to my list of errands for the day, but wanted to get a quick post off first. Blessings!

Follow-up & God and Christian Scholarship

My friends and I haven't had the chance to continue the conversation since Thur - although, we have the rest of the year, so no doubt we will. In the same vein as the last post though, here is something that I've come across:

"Omniscient deities don't make choices (since they already know every outcome in advance)." - Deepak Chopra from "On Faith" series hosted by Newsweek/Washington Post

I follow this seres of posts from different religious/philosophical thinkers (includes N.T. Wright, Cal Thomas, Brian McLaren, Chuck Colson, etc.). This week's question to all the contributors was about the role of God in voting in a presidential election. The comment above from Chopra reminded me so much of what my friends said the other night. There seems to be this idea that since God knows the future, he's locked into whatever is going to happen - with no change possible. Now, in one aspect this is true - for God does not change, but throughout Scripture we see testimonies of people influencing God - Moses & Aaron, for example, continually petitioning God to preserve the Israelites. It seems to me that God, being outside of time, knows the future as he knows now, but I don't see how this locks him into the future - for God does not necessarily live in a linear, cause-and-effect closed world, as we do.

Eh, this is already long enough. In the future I'll post on Christian scholarship. I spent some time this morning reading Blaise Pascal and he has a lot to say on it. As well, I'm reading a collection of essays entitled The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind (thanks mom!) which centers around a speech given by Charles Malik in 1980 at Wheaton's Billy Graham Institute. Really good stuff, for the most part, so I'll try to construct a post to share on it in the near future.

God, Free Will, Predestination all in a Pub

Last night turned into a great night - but definitely not one I was anticipating. After the church bible study I'm a part of, a bunch of us from the church went out for drinks at a local pub called The Empire. A really good time with some really good discussion on:

*What would it take for American Christians to let go of the American dream and live fully in/for the Kingdom?
*Do we doom our sons to struggles with pornography/lust because while growing up we tell them that they will struggle with it?
*and others...(those were just the two big topics)

Around 10:30pm, we wrapped up and all headed home - for which I was very grateful since I had not slept the night before due to drinking coffee too late in the day and really sore muscles from working out.

As I was sending some emails in my room, two friends call to invite me out to join them. Now, granted, I really wanted to say "no" because my bed was looking really comfy, but one of them had said earlier in the week that he had a religious question for me and then again last night said "I have a religious question/idea that will blow your mind." So, not one to turn down time with friends I enjoy and good, intriguing discussion I headed back out to join up with them at Bar 12 around the corner (first time I'd been there, nice, swanky pub).

Over the following three hours (until the pub kicked us out at 1:30pm) we talked about everything from dissertation topics to seeing the new James Bond movie tomorrow to relationships....and then, for the last couple of hours we talked about Christianity, God, free will, predestination, the problem of evil, different theories on God and the universe, etc. Really, really good conversation and really, really interesting. I have a lot of respect both for the minds of these two friends as well as just the people they are. While I'd love to share all of it with you, here's a view on God and history that they align more with that I had never heard:

God created the world as we know, without humans, initially. Now, because none of the world had free will, it was also predictable. God got bored with this and wanted something more exciting and more interesting, so he decides to make humans. Like the rock God makes that he can't lift, God creates humans with free will and he can't control them or know what they're going to do. [a theme for the night had been that if God knows what we're going to do, that defeats free will; I shared with them the idea of God being outside of time, but they felt like that was a satisfactory explanation]. God creates humans, not knowing what they're going to do, so the entire Old Testament is God figuring out these humans that he's created and that's why he's upset and this really angry God throughout the Old Testament, because he's trying to figure them out and can't. Eventually God decides to send himself (in the form of Jesus, both fully divine and fully human) to experience this humanity that he's created that he doesn't understand. It's through that experience that God realizes how tough it is for man and how difficult this life is - thus why Christ calls out "My God, My God why have you forsaken me" on the cross - because he's identifying with that very human feeling of "where's God". So, Christ dies for us and from that point on, God's this loving, understanding God because he now understands humanity (from having been human), so he's now, in his understanding way, said "Okay, now I get it. You all go on living and, at the end, I'll be here for you."

Mixed in with this is the idea that God does not know the future. At any given moment in time he also knows all the information one can possibly know up that point and at that point (but not the future) - so his all knowingness is limited by time. Now, it's from that point of knowing everything that he makes the best decision he can, but he doesn't know the outcome and can't guarantee it. Their idea was that, because God understands the way the world works, his best decision is all but perfect - but that, somehow, this makes God more understandable because he can make mistakes and mess up. Thus, the problem of pain isn't God's fault, because he did make the best choice he knew how.

This is already a long post so I can't get into telling you the interaction back and forth about the response, but it was a really good conversation and helped me understand where they're coming from. The problem of evil/pain/suffering is a huge deal for them, as is human's having free will - and with free will, God not being able to know everything, because if he does then he's just playing games with us.

At the end of the night, I got to share with them my view that I'd rather have a God who is all-powerful, all-knowing who gave man free will as a choice - but in so doing, God self-limited himself from taking away that free will and forcing someone into something. As a result, evil isn't God's work - but rather man exhibiting his free will. As well, that God, because of free will, has given everyman the chance to except a relationship with Him (this was a foundation that we set early in the night, that we all agreed that people have a relationship with God). And, because of free will, many will say "No", but that's their choice, not God's. I don't think it was a convincing argument for them b/c of how big the problem of pain and the seeming dichotomoy of Angry God/Loving God in the OT and NT, but hopefully we'll continue to have conversations where we can interact on those and other issues.

They're forcing me to stretch my mind and think in new ways, which is great and I love it. Not that the way I understand God and the world is completely right, but I do think there's something powerful about a God that's in control (of past, present, future) and yet give's man free will that allows one to live life so much more boldly, and yet at peace because God is in control.

[Side note: another really interesting view on the universe was something they read in the NY Times last year. In the future, we'll be able to create an artificial intelligence world within a computer that is exactly like the world as we know it. Now, with that one world created, it makes sense that 10 of those can be created and 100, 1000, 10000, etc. and up to an infinite number. Against infinity the chances of us being one of those AI created worlds is really good. (my response at this point was that this was a load of crap because computer's are built on logic and decisions, therefore you can't place free will into a computer, logic world. Also, the fact that just because something "could" happen infinite # of times doesn't make something compared to it likely to happen within one of those times). So, in this AI experiment that we are living in - we're like a peetri (sp?) dish in a lab experiment and maybe whatever created us is doing a study on "ethnic conflict" or something - the creator imposed religions into the experiment to watch the conflict and therefore the religious are all true - in the sense that they were all given. So, irregardless of the fact that the religions conflict with one another - the goal of the experiment is ethnic conflict and since religion has led to ethnic conflict, then it's true to the end of the experiment. ]

Research Update

Quick update on research. I spent this week looking through files at Kew, the National Archive in London, through their online database for files pertaining to Kenya from 1937-1947 - there doesn't appear to be much written on Kenya during the war period. In doing that I came across a set of 39 MI5 documents that were wire taps, communication intercepts, and reports on two men in Kenya. One, which you likely could have guessed, was Jomo Kenyatta with 21 of the reports. The second is a man named Peter Koinange with 18 reports. Evidently, he was a communist sympathizer, educated in the US through scholarships, and was connected to a very significant family in Kenya.

Interestingly enough, while there's plenty written on Kenyatta, there's nothing written on Koinange - just one book from 2000 about his father. The files that MI5 released on Peter Koinange weren't released to the public until 2007. So, it looks like a good field where there hasn't been a lot done - which would be great! As well, if there is enough to his story, it may lead into needing to do research in Nairobi at the National Archives there - which might mean it could turn into a further PhD topic or a book.

I'm excited! :-)

American Football, Hanson, Rowing, and Cold Weather

I finally broke down and went and bought a 9-month membership to the gym today. It seemed like a good time with the exchange rate still being low. When I went to work out I got two really weird experiences:

1. I got to watch Monday night's NFL game of the Tennessee Titans vs. the Indianapolis Colts while I biked (thank you Sky Sports 2). What a last quarter! Never would have guessed that the Titans would end up winning by as much as they did! (oh wait, just saw a news article - looks like the Colts scored in the last 3 minutes that I missed - oh my gosh!! Still lost, but I'm impressed.)

(Associated Press. Saw this touchdown while I was on the stationary bike. Beautiful run!)

2. I got to use a rowing machine - for the first time since Parklands in Nairobi, Kenya - but while I was in pain from a machine that I was totally out of shape for - you guessed it, Hanson's "Mmmbop" came on. It was incredible! I felt like I was in Junior High again back in Kenya. :-)

(Boston.com blog picture. What more can you ask for then a Hanson soundtrack to your workout?)

Then, lastly in this update, it's getting really cold here! Northeastern Scotland got snow the last two days and we were slated for the possibility. Walking back from class tonight, the city had trucks out spraying the roads with sand/salt. It's already gloves, scarf, beanie, jacket weather - YIKES! For those of you in warmer weather, enjoy it for me. :-)

(Fun in the snow back in March 2004. This was in Bratislava, Slovakia with the Meyerdirk family - great time! They made this really cool "igloo" in the front yard. Oh, and no, we don't get snow like this in Belfast - just the cold weather, none of the fun. :-)

P.S. In case you hadn't seen it, JBU's "Toilet Paper" game has been named one of the top Basketball traditions in the US - right there alongside Duke and others - crazy, huh? Here's a story about it.

Does Not Getting to Vote in This Election Mean I Can Pass the Blame?

Well folks, it doesn't look like I'm going to get to vote in this election. It's a sad day. Everyone else I know has recieved their ballot already for the election and mine still hasn't come (stopped by the post office again today to check). While it may be the result of some mistake in Siloam Springs, I don't necessarily want to blame it on them. I could have filled out the form wrong or perhaps the ballot came before I ever arrived and was returned when I wasn't here to pick it up (mail is returned after 2-4 weeks). So, if we could figure out what actually happened, it may very well be my fault or simply one of those awkward kinks in the system.

With that being said, for any of you who have voted overseas and absentee before, any suggestions? Should I call the voter office in Siloam? Should I call the US embassy? What do you think? Is there anything that I can do other than just wait for the excitement of Nov 4th?

I think the most discouraging thing about this is the realization that all over the world there are people who desperately desire the chance to vote, but don't have it. Here I have the opportunity to vote and I don't think I'm going to get to.

Snippets from my Research

In spite of the slump in the middle of the week, it turned out to be a good week. I spent a couple of hours in the library on Friday looking at Parliamentary Debates in the House of Lords and the House of Commons in 44-45.I also looked at "Command Papers" from 44-46 - these are official military reports and documents on movements and strategies. I thought I'd share some of the more interesting exerts with you for your reading pleasure :-):

"...the abolition of forced labour in Kenya, in view of the statement of the Attorney-General in the Legislative Council on 18th April last that there were in Kenya some thousands of unemployed male persons.

[Response:] The Attorney General's statement related to unemployment among Asians [...] compulsory labour is kept under constant review and will be discontinued as soon as circumstances permit." (6 Dec. '44, House of Commons, Written Answers)

Compulsory labour was kept in place for quite a while in Kenya and was always focused on native African's, who were underrepresented in the Legislative Council in Kenya. They had little voice - other than a few in the Parliament in London - who called for just action.

"...the revision of service conditions for European and African civil servants [...Response:] the investigation will not cover the employes of local Native Councils in Kenya except those who are seconded Government servants.

[Mr. Sorenenson:...] say why they are not so included and what is the reason for this discrimination? [...] Is it not true that many of the native authority staffs want to be included?

[Response:] I could not answer that question." (House of Commons, Oral Answers, '44)

Additional notes point out that a member of the Asian Elected Members of Legislative Council (mind you, Asians were able to elect a couple representatives, African's 4 reps were appointed) requested "a unified Civil Service of all races" and the Kenya African Civil Service Association said "That there should be a unified non-European service."

Mr. Sorenson once again brings up questions about Kenya in April of 1945 when he asks the Secretary of State for the Colonies about forced labour in Africa - how many are being conscripted and for how long it is planned to continue? (Mind you, this came up 5 months earlier in the above discussion). The response is very telling, but then a follow-up question from Colonel Sir Arthur Evans is pitch perfect.

"[Response:...] unskilled manual labour conscripted for work in Government civil undertakings or private undertakings. Such conscription is permitted only for the purposes essential for the conduct of the war or the maintenance of the life of the community, and is in operation only in Kenya, Tanganyika and Northern Rhodesia. The latest figures available show that at the end of November, 1944 [6 month old figures], the number of conscripts in Kenya was 26,032 [...]

[Mr. Sorenson's response:] Does the minister appreciate that [...] this continuation of forced labour may have some unfortunate effects upon the activity of the whole industry and of the men themselves?

[...Colonel Sir Arthur Evans:] In order to put this matter in its proper perspective, will my hon. Friend [referring to the Under-Secretary of State for the Dominions who has been responding to Sorenson] also furnish the total number of people conscripted in this country?" (House of Commons, 25 Apr 1945, Oral Answers)

It's at the end of this question that the discussion ends. A couple things to note. First of all, at this point, in a country with millions of Kenyans, there were roughly only 30,000 white settlers. Of these, 3 thousand owned 12,000 square miles of cultivable land while one million Kikuyu only had 2,000 square miles (Piers Brendon, 545). I still have more research to do, but I'm curious if this conscription of labour for "private undertakings [...and] the maintenance of the community" continued for quite a while - simply because the settlers needed help farming the vast stretches of land they owned. (Note: 26,000 Kenyans conscripted, 30,000 White settlers)

Well I should stop there. I need to get ready for church and this is a lengthy installment. I also found some really interesting reports on Israel/Palestine during this period and 24+ terrorist acts/crimes carried out by militant Jewish sects in Jerusalem, Haifa, and Tel Aviv during this period. Really interesting! So, until next time...

Christian Right & This Year's Election

For those of you who are interested, I just posted on my other blog about the Christian right's recent propaganda moves in this year's elections. If you're interested, here's the link:

"Christian's Shooting Themselves in the Foot"

My "Jump This Ship" Day

In transition theory, there's typically a four step process. In a crude description, the four stages are (1) honeymoon, (2) depression, (3) adjustment, and (4) settlement. The basic idea is of course that no matter how big a transition we go through (across town or across the world), that we go through these four distinguishable phases.

Today was my realization that I'm clearly in the 2nd stage - the bottom of the pit, a bit of depression, a "I want to jump out off the plane with a parachute, jump off this ship and head back home" day. For me, I usually know I'm at this stage when things have been going pretty well, I feel acclimated, then I begin to get frustrated, discouraged and feel as though I'll never figure out the new systems/norms/etc.

Most noticeably, I've seen this stress in my dissertation and studies. For example, in a discussion today they were talking about "calendars" and "finding aids" - while I could figure out the second one simply enough, I had no clue on the first (evidently, it's a list of sources in some way related to a topic..I think).

I'm really feeling it in the sense of figuring out my MA thesis topic. Because I'm trying to learn about Kenya and at the same time figure out a topic, it's proving quite difficult when I talk to faculty and they want me to know more then my general areas of "religion's role in nationalist movements" or "explanations for why Kenya's independence came so late, comparatively". There's this sense that I'm missing the boat on something because the responses are rarely positive...or at least seem that way.

Things will no doubt get better - they always do - but it is wearing. Most importantly, though, I really feel like this year is going to be the year I can't get through without the Spirit's strength and wisdom. Previously, I've naturally done well at my studies - but in that, definitely recognized the blessings of the Spirit in clarity of thought and achievement. This year's a completely different challenge. This year it's more like "I don't know anything about this. I don't understand it. I can't keep it all straight. That's due next week and I'm afraid that I won't turn in what they're looking for...." and so the stress and anxiety continues in these same strains of thought.

But truly, the question becomes, how will I deal with it? On my own or resting in His strength and assured guidance? Indeed, as much as I'd love to be a university professor - whether I end up there or somewhere else - the story should be written by Him, rather than me. For one, it'll be a better story that way - and likely full of all kinds of unforeseen adventures. And so, I'll keep my seat on this plane and stay on the boat, trusting Him to carry me through or, in His time, to hand me the parachute or life-jacket. So, I sit and buckle in for this ride - sometimes, like getting on a roller coaster, thinking that I was crazy for ever having sat in this chair, but trusting the "maker" that the ride will hold together and I'll make it through.*

*Note: For those of you that don't know, I have an incredible fear of roller coasters. If God had wanted us to go up and down and all around like that, he would have given us wings. He didn't.

Financial Troubles & Painfully Slow Process a Help?

While the world's in financial chaos, you may be wondering how that might help me out? At the same time, once I let you know that I still haven't gotten my funds for the year - that they're stalled in Queen's accounting office - you might wonder even more how it could be a good thing.

Well, let me tell you how I think God might be turning a slow, frustrating process and an economic downturn into a blessing for at least this little, freckled student. Jude just let me know that the exchange rate (which was at 1.73+ over the last month) just dropped to 1.67 today. While it doesn't seem signficant when you're exchanging $10,000+, it adds up. Everyday it seems like another report about Britain's failing economy comes out (today was a report that their manufacturing sector had the lowest sales in the last 10 years, or something like that).

So, perhaps, while I'm waiting on my money to be processed by Queen's, living on credit card debt, a blessing - in the form of a better exchange rate for my money - might be the outcome. We'll just have to see.

In the World: It's a Whole Different Ballgame

It would be an understatement to say that my life this year is different then any other year I've experienced. By far, living in and among students at a secular university is much different then JBU. From what people have told me (and I believe them), JBU had it's own problems with drugs, alcohol, and sex. In six years of working/living there, I never came across it. This year is so much different.

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.”
(Matthew 11:19)

Over the last several years, this passage has been one that has weighed upon my heart. The life I've lived, up to this point, would be one in which no one would ever say "He's the friend of sinners." I lived a pretty cautious, careful life. While I'm thankful for that and I think it saved me some heartached in my youth, now, as I'm older and more mature, I don't feel as though it's an okay place to remain. As Christ said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mark 2:17) Indeed, the testimony I bare of a God who came to redeem and rescue his children is one that is most readibly accessible to the sick.

As a result of all this, one of my goals this year is to develop good, strong friendships with non-Christians that I might learn from them and be stretched by their perspective, but also, that through our friendship, they might see something of Christ and a life lived differently because of Christ. So I have built relationships with a group of non-Christians that I really enjoy, but almost every time with them, there's another shock to my system. Things that make me think, "Really? You actually do that? It's not just the stereotype of non-Christians?" For example, we've all sat in a kitchen talking while one roled a cigarette and added marijauna to it. The other night we were sitting around dinner and one of the group told us that she'd been dating this guy for 3 weeks - and while she'd called another in the group to find out how long to wait to have sex with him - she decided to go ahead and so they're having sex. Another friend is planning on living with his girlfriend when he returns to the states this next year for a year to a year and a half to see if the relationships going to work before getting married.

Needless to say, God's constantly putting me in situations where I'm trying to learn discernment and wisdom when and to what I should speak. Many of them have pasts scarred by "religious" people - so I'm working against that roadblock as well. If you think of it, join me in praying that God would give me opportunities.

One such opportunity has already happened. I've always kept my mouth shut when it comes to politics because they're so strongly Democratic and anti-McCain/Palin. I knew that by jumping in to defend McCain/Palin I'd simply feed into their stereotypes of Christian religious conservatism. It was neat, then, that a couple nights ago at dinner they intentionally stopped and asked me for my religous-political views. So, I had the opportunity to share my take on the Democratic vs. Republican party, on aboration, etc. in a really healthy way and one in which they were interested. Thus, I was able to be honest, because they were the ones that initiated.

In a similar way, two of the people in the group have asked to have coffee with me - so I'm hoping that opens up opportunities for speaking into their lives as well.

I'm on this journey of learning to be in the world, but not of the world. It's a road on which, at times, the path seems unclear. It's a journey that brings another surprise around every corner. Yet, I walk this way, knowing that my Savior walks with me, His Holy Spirit is my seal and guide, and the sovereignty of the Father watches over it all. That is the peace, the strength, and the encouragement of this Triune God in the midst of a world that doesn't know him.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world.
(1 John 2:15-16)

Mom & Dad's Visit!!

Mom and Dad were here this last week. It was a marvelous, wonderful four days! It's so great being able to hang out with your parents and do fun (and sometimes silly things). We were able to do Belfast (Titanic Quarter, St. George's market, Shankill Rd, Queen's University, Botanic Gardens), the North Coast (Giant's Causeway, Whitepark Bay, Bushmill's), and the Southern part (Newcastle, Toleymoore Forest, Downpatrick Cathedral, St. Patrick Center)...and in the midst of it we got 6 games of Settler's in and Maud's icecream, so all is right in the world of Ostendorff vacations. :-)

It was really a great time and I'm so thankful for the gift that they gave me in spending the money and the time to come. (I'm also thankful for their graciousness when I drove on the wrong side of the road several times throughout the 4 days. :-)

It's back!

I'm posting this from my Mac that - while working, is currently half-taken apart. But hey, it's working!!!

After turning it upside down yesterday afternoon, going at it with Miriam's hair dryer, and putting it in the fridge overnight to dry it out - we're back up and running...sorta.

In the midst of taking it apart to dry it out, I kind of broke the power button connector to the motherboard - so I've got to figure that piece out...maybe super glue...I don't know, but the computer's still good, which is encouraging. :-)

Water + Computer = Bad Day

As the title suggests, my computer's out of commission for a while. I was cramming this afternoon for some reading that I hadn't finsihed and spilled half a mug of water all over my computer. YIKES!!

Needless to say, after trying to dry it out this afternoon, it wouldn't turn on. I'm going to take it apart tomorrow and dry it piece by piece, and we'll see if that helps. Chances are (esp. since I tried turning it back on and it didn't work) that it's fried.

Blog posts will be scarce for a while, as will email, and facebook (although recently, it has been really scarce and I'm way behind on it. Sorry!).

I'm trying to figure out what to do. Here's my options, let me know what you think:

1. Dry it out tomorrow, turn it on, it works, and we're back to normal. Of course, this is the best scenario, but the one that I can't really make a decision to change (other than try to dry it out).

2. Go without a computer. Jack doesn't have a laptop and just does everything he needs to in the computer labs. This is appealing in the sense that I would not be in my room so much...but not very appealing in the sense that it means Skype and IM are pretty much out of the question - and it effects storing pictures and music as well.

3. If it's shot, buy a new computer with money I don't have. Either I'd be paying for it on my student loans (that haven't quite come through yet) or putting it on a credit card and paying it off with student loans over the year (I get them in three installments). While the idea of going into debt for a computer (again) isn't exciting, I did have my last Mac for 4 years (this month, actually). Which leads me ot another question - do I buy something cheap that will work (say $500) or do I buy another Mac that I know I'll use for years (for closer to $1000)....I don't know!

Thoughts? Opinions? Similar stories of woe from your computer getting fried?

I Love It!

I just got back from the Christian Union not too long ago. I can't tell you how much I love being with other believers. I know that sounds like a cheesy, Christian card, but I really do. I get excited on Saturdays about church on Sunday. I had a great time at Communion Sunday morning, hanging out with believers at the Carson's house for lunch, and going to Sunday night service at Fisherwick. Then, on top of that, the CU tonight. Really, I think I'm a Church junkie...

On a more serious vein of thought with all of this though, I've been reflecting on the family of God around the world. I often find myself wondering why it is that God's given me the opportunity to travel to over two dozen countries, as young as I am. I still don't know all the reasons - but I know for me it has become a huge piece in the foundation of my faith and my understanding of it. Whether I've been at a church service in Zagreb, Prague, Fortaleza (Brazil), Bangkok, Paris or elsewhere, being with the family of God, worshiping has been similar in all corners of the world. At times the language, style, and form is different, but the heart, passion, and presence of God is always evident wherever I've been.

Having seen the people of God passionate for Him the world over, I don't worry about God's Kingdom advancing. The reality of "His Kingdom come, His will be done" is taking place each day, changing lives, changing communities, and bringing glory to the Father in every part of the globe.

In the same vein, no matter what country I've been in, I've always felt as though I was with family. Spending the afternoon at Robert & Diana Carson's on Sunday with Naomi (N. Irish), Nialls (Irish), Edwin (Dutch), Spencer (US), Vasco (Italian), Jack (US), and Robyn (US) was incredible. None of us had known each other for more than a couple of weeks - most for only a couple of hours - yet we came together (Anglican, Presbyterian, Catholic, Bible church, etc) and simply enjoyed each other's company. It's been the same experience for me wherever I've gone.

I've come to believe that this is unique to the body of Christ. My non-Christian friends here simply don't have any other similar structure to which they can fit in - so, no matter where they're going, they begin their relationships from scratch. I hope and trust that they'll see something different, something appealing in the family of God and Christ in and through them this year.

The First Week: Giant's Causeway, Vineyard, Class, The Tropics, a Socialist shindig, a birthday, and St. George

As you might guess from the fact that I haven't posted this week (and therefore, haven't been sitting in front of my computer), it's been a really busy first week of classes. So, here's the rundown:

Saturday - North Coast (with 150 people!)

The International Friendship Association, of which Fisherwick Presbyterian (my church here) is a part, organized a trip for internationals to the North Coast. So, after three touring buses, nearly 150 students, and the great part of a day - we'd been to the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, and hung out in Port Stewart for a while.

Here are a few pictures:

Giant's Causeway Trip

Sunday - Vineyard, Belfast Style

Checked out the local Vineyard church on Sunday with John Lenschow. A really good time with contemporary worship and a deep commitment to the city of Belfast and making an impact for Jesus here. This will become John's "home" church while he's here and likely one that I will revisit throughout the year.

Here are just a few pictures from that morning. They meet at a special needs school in their auditorium.

Vineyard Church in Belfast

Monday - A Huge Group at CU!

Monday night was the first meeting of the Christian Union - a student led, evangelical/protestant group in Europe. Queen's University plays host to the largest Christian Union in Europe with nearly 400 people typically attending (although this first week was somewhere between 500-600). N. Ireland is very much like the American south. Christianity here is a cultural thing, so many of these students come because it's the thing to do - but the CU preaches Christ crucified and resurrected boldly - so I trust that God's doing things through it even in the lives of cultural Christians. The focus this semester is going to be the book of Philippians.

Ironically enough, as the 500+ students were dispersing after the CU meeting, several hundred students were waiting outside the CU to get into the dance club/bar/pub that is in the CU (there's a picture of the line below).

Here's a video and then a couple of pictures (sorry, I was in the very back of the room).

Christian Union (CU)

Tuesday - An Hour in the Tropics

In my last post I mentioned the Botanic Gardens. Well, I stumbled across a new piece of it this last week that I really enjoy - "The Tropics House". It plays host to a whole slew of tropical plants, so, in order to share that with you, here are some pictures:

Botanic Garden

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday - Classes

I began classes this week. Intimidating, yet exciting. The general focus here is that courses in a Master's program help develop skills in the student - but don't provide general information. This is different from my understanding of how the US works. In other words, I have to do all the reading and legwork to learn about British History and the British Empire, but the School of History will equip me with theories and skills to handle that information and represent it in writing and presentation.

Tuesday - A research methods course that is tought by 5 different professors (different one every night). Mostly straight lecture with 40 of us in the course.

Wednesday - a free undergraduate, final year course on the end of the British Empire from 1930 to 1997. I'm hoping this may provide a really good way to get into the material that is both pertinent to the British Empire in Kenya, as well as in general. We meet for an hour in the morning for lecture, then there's a "tutorial" in the afternoon for 1 1/2 hours where the students (us) come having read and studied a bunch of primary sources and the teacher facilitates discussion in a smaller group (my group at 1:30p on Wed. was 4! :-) I'm also likely going to take a French languge for non-spcialist course Wed. afternoons - it's $30 and seems like an opportunity that would be a shame to waste.

Thursday - This is the theory course (Historiography) and breaks up the 40 from Tuesday. So, my group is about 12 and it's what I think is similar to a US master's program - students come prepared, a few do a presentation each week and, with the help of a lecture, facilitate discussion on the core topics for that day. It's in this course that we will cover memory, marxism, postmodernism, etc. and how those theories and perspectives effect the study of history.

Thursday - Alpha Course vs. Social Society

Ever so briefly, I had to share about the irony that was Thursday. I attended a meeting on "Barack Obama: Hope or Hype?" Thursday after lunch. Interestingly enough, it was hosted by the Socialist Society and basically was looking at the question of whether or not Obama would bring about the change Socialists look for. It ended with the conclusion that Socialists have to come together to make their voices heard through protest and Barack's isn't the change they're looking for.

In contrast to that, I attended the leaders meeting for an Alpha Group that I'm helping with this semester Thur evening. It's a bible study that is for those who don't know about Christianity or are curious. You have dinner together, watch a video, and then it's an open discussion where people can ask questions, disagree, or agree with what they saw in the video.

Where the Socialists are trying to bring change through protest and their voices, the Church is bringing change through relationships in an environment of discussion and freedom to disagree.

Friday - Slavery & Irish Music

Last night I went to a lecture by Thomas Holt, distinguished professor of African-American Slavery at the University of Chicago, who was in town. A really interesting comparison of 19th century slavery to modern slavery in sweat shops and other situations where labor is abused for the manufacturing of goods.

After the lecture, Jack and I met up with the gang and headed to Kelly's Cellar for a pint and to celebrate Christine's birthday. Kelly's has live Celtic/Irish music on Friday nights - which is fun in of itself. On top of that, it's a very openly Republican/Catholic pub so that brings it's own unique character to it as well. Megan took pictures, so I'll try to get some up this next week. In the meantime, here's a picture from last summer at Kelly's:

From Photos for Blog

Saturday - St. George, You're My Hero

Lastly, Jude, Megan and I checked out St. George's open air market this morning. Rated as one of the best (if not the best) open air market in the UK/Europe, it was a great place with a lot of incredible food, fresh sea food, fruits & vegetables, as well as live music. I picked up, of all things, 4 passion fruit!! Yeah! It's a fruit that my family used to LOVE in Kenya - so I was excited to see it! It will probably be one of our first stops next week when I pick mom and dad up from the airport (they'll be here a week from now!! woohoo!) Here's a picture and a video from this morning:

From St. George's Market

Botanic Gardens & Cave Hill

(Mattias, Myself, and Robyn on the top of Cave Hill)

This morning Mattias (Germany), Robyn (Memphis), and I headed out to Belfast Castle and Cave Hill for a morning climb/walk. What a gorgeous place to both hike and see the city from. It was pretty overcast/foggy this morning, so as you'll see from the picture below, it looks more like what we stereotype Scotland as and not Ireland. They say, on a clear day, you can see the mountains of Scotland from the top of the hill.

Then, yesterday, I spent 3 or 4 hours in the Botanic Gardens next to the university walking around and reading (just finished John Grisham's non-fiction work An Innocent Man) and it is an incredible place - it will more than likely be my retreat this year when I need to get outside. It is also home to a iron and glass greenhouse built in the 1830s and 1840s that's really pretty and makes me think of what buildings in "The White City" (the World's Fair in Chicago) might have looked like. So, the picture of the rose garden below is a taste of the Botanic Gardens.

(Top two pictures are from the rose garden in the Botanic Gardens.
The bottom two pictures are from Cave Hill this morning.)

We Won!

So, as promised, here is finally a picture with people in it:

From right to left: Melissa (US), John (US), Christine (Germany), Me,
Megan (US), Dale (Canada), and Jude (US)

Tada! It's been a longtime coming, I know. Now, here's the story behind it:

In this first week, we've kind of established ourselves at a local pub that is quickly becoming our place. We joke that it'll be like cheers one day - where every knows us (although, they probably already so, as the loud Americans :-). So, last Wed. we were there and they had a quiz night. It's a pretty common thing here during the week at pubs for entertainment. Basically, there's ten rounds of ten questions a piece that range from world news/geography to identifying music or pictures. So, last week, with the help of a really nice Irish couple, we came in second to last. Yeah, when you start asking a bunch of Americans about British cartoons, we're just not very good. :-)

We decided to head back this week to give it another shot. The group that went is the group in the picture. Before Jude showed up, we were trying to come up with a team name and one suggestion was "5 Americans and a German," but the Canadian didn't like that idea very much. :-) Poor Dale got teased a good bit last night - but he's a good sport. So anyways, we start going through the quiz and do pretty well the first couple of rounds, but then we get into the picture round and hit a music round that is mostly music from the 60s-70s - needless to say we began totally tanking on our point scores.

We go into the final round somewhere around 2nd or 3rd to last. The last round is always double points and in this case (because several questions had two answers), there was a potential for 24 or so points. Well, the questions are all movies/t.v. shows/actors and we ACE it!! The score is enough to pull us into 7th place (there were either 12 or 14 teams) - woohoo! Well, there's always a team in the middle that gets a prize - and we were it!

No, we didn't technically "win" as in first place, but hey, we did win that middle place prize. :-)

Some of the best things about the quiz nights:
*for some reason we must have a sign on our back that says, "We're Americans, we don't know these things. Help." because without a doubt, every week, someone jumps in to be our advisor on questions. :-)
*The guy who does the quiz is hilarious in his ability to make you think you got the answer wrong. Question: In what year was barbed wire invented? his answer is usually something like "1875.......is wrong. It was 1874." but all you hear is that first number and think you've totally missed it.

Well there you go. I can definitely suggest a quiz night at a local pub - it's a great way to get to know a group of people, gives you something in common, and is just a lot of fun!