The last week of November started our Christmas celebrations as we took part in the Belfast Stake Festival of Nativities. This was the first year for the Belfast stake putting on a display of Nativities and a variety of activities. It made for a whole evening of family enjoyment. The cultural hall was filled with the nativities display with the sliding doors to the chapel open. Musical performances from the chapel invited guests to sit a moment in the chapel and watch the silent video Joy to the World, depicting the Saviours birth and using the performances as the background music. Our YSA provided some choir music for one of the evenings. In the rooms next to the cultural hall was a craft room where children could make a Christmas craft,and next door a dress up room where both young and old could dawn a costume and be part of a live nativity. There was a stable backdrop and a manger where costumed participants could have pictures taken. Across the hall was the storytellers room where there were several hands on nativities that children could play with and a rocking chair beside a fireplace. This was my spot for the evening as I read Christmas themed stories to young and old. The Festival was Thursday and Friday evenings from 5 to 9 and Saturday from 10 to 2. Some families would come and stay most of the evening as they enjoyed the different activities. It was a wonderful event and will hopefully be even better attended next year, now the stake have the experience of one year under their belt.

At one of our Monday night Family Home Evenings we shared our Christmas tradition of making chocolate turtles with the little group of YSA who come to our flat for FHE. The sister missionaries joined us for the fun. My biggest regret was that we didn't even think of picture taking until well after the clean up. It felt like an evening of family fun.

Our YSA Christmas social was a fun evening with lots of food and games along with a pause to remember the reason for Christmas and to hear the story of the Saviour's birth. Though the busy time of year took many of our regular YSA off to other activities that night, we had a great showing from the units further away and the night was a great success. The following day was our Young Single Adult Sunday block which we hold once a quarter. We have a Sacrament meeting followed by Sunday School and then Priesthood and Relief Society classes. It is a special uniting experience to have the YSA from eleven spread out units come together for Sunday worship. We then all had lunch together before everyone traveled home.

We couldn't have Christmas in Ireland without attending a candlelight carol service in one of the big old stone churches. We were invited to attend the Belfast Academy Annual Carol service in St Peter's Church. The school choir and band performed several carols with the audience joining in on occasion. .The acoustics were amazing adding to the enjoyment of the performances. The Irish lilt of the students voices as the Bible lessons were read warmed my heart. How I love these people. It was certainly a festive and memorable evening.

Days turn into Months

Oh my how days turn into months!! Fall is here with cooler days and rain to keep the grass green.

We continue to be busy with the Young Single Adults. We celebrated Halloween with a fun party. Did the old fashioned things like bobbing for apples and donuts on a string.

Making a smiley face with smarties and a straw

Bobbing for apples, blindfolded!!!

Make a MUMMY

Eating a doughnut on a string.

Also a fun game devised by one of the girls called Opposite Reactions where you have to guess by their reaction if what the person is tasting is the real thing or something gross that looks the same. Like salt instead of sugar, Tabasco in stead of ketchup, lemon juice instead of punch. Lots of laughs were had as the audience tried to guess from the reaction who had tasted what.

Catsup or Tabasco?

Lemonade or Lemon Juice?

We now are teaching two institute classes. Both Book of Mormon but one is mid singles which is for anyone age 25 to 45. This means we usually take a bit different approach depending on the class. I love teaching the Book of Mormon and I  am gaining a whole new appreciation for the Isaiah chapters as we dig out the meaning and learn more about the history of the lands of Judah and Ephraim.

Our month also included another trip around Northern Ireland as we again carried out inspecting missionary flats. We had a sunny afternoon as we came back from Londonderry which meant we saw beautiful vistas that on previous trips had been cloud covered.

The highlight of our month was a trip to Dublin for a  Mission Couples conference We are the only  missionary couple in Northern Ireland but there are six couples in the Republic of Ireland of which four of them made it to the conference along with our  mission president, President Brown and his wife.

Ireland/ Northern Ireland Couples conference

This was an uplifting time of sharing experiences and ideas. We were bolstered by each other and realized we all face similar challenges and have the same feelings of inadequacy. I loved it and came away feeling normal and with new vigor.

Historic Places

I am hopeless at doing this blog thing. It seems by the time we write family letters my time is used up and we are off to other things, We really are having a good and busy time here. Our time teaching Institute and having activities with the young single adults and doing things to support the young Sister Missionaries and Elders has kept us busy.  Along with our usual responsibilities we spent a couple of weeks searching for a new flat for another set of missionaries coming to Belfast. That was an interesting experience as we learned a lot more about  neighborhoods we may or may not want a flat in. Through a miraculous coincidence we connected with a private owner who had a flat for rent in a nice area not far from the church. I know there was divine help in that one.

This Saturday we joined the Beehive and Deacon activity that included a hike through Cave Hill park and around Belfast Castle.

Hiking along the trail

The Beehives in our group.

We have had a few fun P-day adventures. Last Wednesday had a fun trip up Dark Hedges, a road lined by large Beech trees planted hundreds of years ago to enhance the entrance to an estate. They have now grown to cover the road, which is still used.  It is one of the most photographed locations in Northern Ireland.

We then continued on to Carrick-a-Rede bridge which is a rope bridge spanning a gorge between the main land and a little island, originally used by fisherman. Unfortunately it was a very windy day and the bridge was closed due to safety concerns. We enjoyed the beautiful seascapes and had an invigorating walk in the fall weather.

The view from the car park looking North toward Rankin Island.

The shoreline looking West from the car park.

The shoreline looking East from the car park. The bridge crosses from the outcropping to the little islands.

Storms kept rolling in off the Atlantic

The bridge as seen through the locked entrance gate.

The bridge as seen from the trail.

Cliffs along side the trail

Panoramic view of the bridge.

With Sister Galbraith and Sister Moore.

Shoreline as seen from the trail

Sheep on the hillsides along the shore.

A resting bench.

Along with the bridge we explored Dunluce castle where we peaked back into the past as it was the setting of ancient drama. The rock walls whispered of past battles and the wind though the grand cobbled-floor rooms carried the sound of pipes and harps and laughter of lords and ladies. Below shadows of servants roasted pigs in the grand ovens and the air carried scent of fresh bread from the bakery. There was even a tower where a fair maiden had plunged to her death rather than be separated from her true love. I love Ireland’s historic places!

Note the dates.  This place is old.

Maybe some relatives of Kelvin.

Entering the courtyard.  This is before the drawbridge and the actual Castle.  This is where "guests" would have stayed.

Crossing the drawbridge to the castle.

The views through the doors and windows were amazing.

The floors were cobbled. 

We could see Giants Causeway through this window.

Amazing shoreline.

Another damsel in the tower.

Going down the stairs from the tower.

The tower and cliff.

Some views of the castle.