Noble fense, but I'll CU later.

I was in County Wicklow this weekend (you're probably thinking -- "Oh yes, County Wicklow, I was wondering when she would make it there...).

Anywho, a national Christian Union retreat was held there this weekend. Christian Union is pretty much the only evangelical Christian organization that Irish universities have and it is all student run. I have been going to Galway's CU every Wednesday night since being here. There are good people there -- lots of international students.

Christan college life is very different here. It is no Wake Forest with 6 different well-attended campus ministries to choose from. The CU is pretty much it and students run it all themselves. There are 13,000 students at Galway and 30 students are in the CU -- about half of them international. I am very thankful for my friends there and the fellowship that they offer.

The retreat was real chill-axing and good. Think Montreat on a much smaller scale -- talking around food, damp stony walls, chilly air and changing trees. The speaker was a pastor from Belfast who spoke on the book of Acts. It's always great worshiping with Christians that are not from the same place as I because it reminds me of how we are all brothers and sisters and love the same God. They also had a violinist on the worship team. so. yeah. That was good.

This weekend I got made fun of a lot for being American, apparently it's a way they show affection... but I don't know. I can't help that I pronounce vowels differently and says things like "I'll shout you a holler, girlfriend." Well, maybe I can help that last part. This weekend I also got to hang out with some really fun people, but it was kinda sad because I probably will never see them again. When we were saying good-bye we were literally saying that the next time we would see each other will be in heaven. I bet there are tons of violins in heaven's praise band.



This is a picture of a Dublin sunset that I took on our 5 1/2 hour bus ride back to Galway from County Wicklow. I felt guilty that I did not have any photos from this weekend for the blog.

PS to family: I said "noble fence" to my new friend, Lorraine. She thought it was hilarious and has been incorporating it in her own vocabulary. So "noble fence" has gone international. She also has been working on the proper use of the word "only".

Noble fense family, but I am a just a little only sometimes and can't wait to see you at Christmas.