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The following video clip is from The Gospel in Conflict, a resource which was produced by Laura Coulter on behalf of the Peacemaking Panel within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
This resource was created as part of a movement within the Presbyterian Church of Ireland to facilitate the process of peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.
I hope you watch it! It explains things better than I can.
Below, I have defined some terms used in the video that might be confusing to those of you back in the States. If you have any questions about anything, post on here and I’ll do my best to answer your questions.
“The North“: used to refer to Northern Ireland, which is still a part of the United Kingdom
“The South”: used to refer to the Republic of Ireland, established as a separate country from the United Kingdom in 1937
Sectarianism: (according to Wikipedia) is bigotry, discrimination, or hatred arising from attaching importance to perceived differences between subdivisions within a group, such as between different denominations of a religion or the factions of a political movement. *In the case of Northern Ireland, the conflict exists between those who want a united Ireland and those who think Northern Ireland should remain a part of the United Kingdom.
Copy and paste this link to watch the video clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGHEWyl2xZc
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Most of our group in the Belfast Airport
It has been about a month since I first arrived in Belfast. Because of our busy schedules, time passes very quickly here. To give you an idea of what life is like for me in Belfast, here is a break-down of a typical week.
Monday: YAV meeting with Doug (our site coordinator) and the other volunteers in downtown Belfast. This usually involves breakfast and lunch and some type of group activity. Activities can be anything from structured reflection time to a group outing.
Tuesday: On Tuesdays I work at The Link Family and Community Centre. The Link is a youth drop-in started by Regent Street Presbyterian Church in Netownards, Northern Ireland. The main purpose of The Link is to be an intentional Christian presence in the community. One of the ways The Link fulfills that purpose is by providing a healthy environment where children and youth can have fun and be kids. Children and youth here have especially been affected by the long years of fighting between Protestants and Catholics (or the “Troubles” as people here refer to them). Although there is an agreement to “peace”, many paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland are still recruiting, and youth are usually targets. If you’d like to learn more about the The Link, go here: www.thelinkcentre.org.
The Link
Wednesday: On Wednesdays I work at Regent Street Presbyterian Church. There I am involved with the youth and children’s ministries. As mentioned above, Regent Street is the church that started The Link.
Regent Street Presbyterian Church
Thursday and Friday: On both these days I’m back at The Link. Below are some more pictures. **If it seems like there aren’t many kids in the pictures, it’s because only a few of them have parental consent to have their picture taken. We usually have from 18-25 kids at a time during drop-ins.
Ryan and Gordy, my two co-workers
The Pool Room and Coffee Bar Area
Stuart, playing pool
Stuart and Graham playing Guitar Hero
Saturday: Saturday is a free day! The past few Saturdays have been spent exploring St. George’s Market in downtown Belfast with the other YAVs.
Sunday: Sunday morning activities vary according to the Sunday. Some days I assist with children’s Sunday School (which takes place during worship, unlike back in the States) and other days I attend morning worship with everyone else. After church, I am usually taken back to a church member’s house for Sunday lunch. (which is delicious, but usually involves 2-3 different types of potato dishes… all in one meal. 
) People have been so friendly and hospitable; they really try to make you feel at home!
Sunday afternoon is free and in the evenings, I help lead Youth Group from 7-9PM.
Symbol of the Presbyterian Church of Ireland
"The Cabin" where the youth meet
I hope this has given everyone some idea of what I’ve been doing for the past month or so! I am going to try and keep posting here at least once a month, maybe more. (We’ll see… :) ). Many thanks to everyone who has supported me, whether financially, spiritually, or emotionally, etc. This year wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for you!
