It's just about 11am in D.C. as I'm writing this and the inauguration day activities should be in pretty full swing. I was watching the BBC coverage of the festivities earlier today. Looks cold over on the east coast!
But seriously, today is a big day for America. It's hard to ignore the enormity of a new U.S. president - especially at this time in history - being over here in Belfast. I never really understood how much American politics affected that rest of the world until I got here. I mean, what happens in the U.S. - be it a dip in the economy, a terrorist attack, a change in our leadership, etc. - ripples all over the world.
I was lying in bed the other night having trouble getting to sleep, and I though of Obama - I wondered whether or not he was sleeping well these days. There I was, lying awake because of my relatively insignificant anxieties and Obama's about to become the President of the most powerful nation on earth. If I were him, I'd curl up in a ball and say "what in the world was I thinking running for president!" The man really is taking on the weight of the world today, and is doing so with confidence and poise. You have to respect the man for that. I mean, people are expecting miracles to come from this man and here he is smiling and looking so calm. So much is going on in the world now - the violence in Gaza, the credit crunch, the massive amounts of corrupt political leaders in Africa - and people around the globe are expecting our new Mr. President to solve all of these. First of all, I need a dose of whatever he's got - i get stressed out when someone looks at me funny. Secondly, though, Barack really is just a man like the rest of us who was created by God for a purpose. He is going to need loads of prayers and support from his fellow Americans - regardless of your political leanings are. To quote one of Kevin's favorite movies, "with great power, comes great responsibility." How true that is here!
Go U.S.A! ::Waves the American flag:: (just feeling a bit patriotic
18 January 2009
So, since Kevin and I have gotten back from France, I have started running so I can participate in the Belfast Marathon – they actually split the marathon into 4-6 mile stints so you don’t actually run the whole thing. I’ve been running in this little park around the corner from our apartment.
Anyway, my motivation to go out in the cold and wet to run has been pretty low this week, especially today when the wind could only be described as biting. Anyway, I kept thinking, “why in the world am I doing this?” as I ran lap after lap around the park. I finally finished, having run a longer distance than I had before, and began a lap of walking around the park. Part way into walking, these two kids who had been playing football (soccer) stopped me. They asked if I was on some sort of Belfast running team, and I explained that I was getting ready for the Belfast Marathon. They told me that was “class” (or “really cool”) and got really excited when they heard my accent. We talked for a few minutes about America and Philadelphia and why I was in Belfast. The kids, I found out, live in our neighborhood and come to play in the park on Sundays, so they had seen me last Sunday out running too. It was a nice little connection to make on a Sunday afternoon, and made my difficult time running more than worth it. Hopefully I’ll get to chatting with these kids again and try to invite them to youth club or something.
Onto bigger news: Kevin got his hair cut! I’m sure some of you saw how long his hair had gotten since we’ve been here in pictures. It was pretty much taking over our house – I was thinking we’d soon need another bed to accommodate Kevin’s massive amounts of hair. In any case, as a fundraiser we had people vote on which haircut they’d like for Kevin to have – to keep in long or to have it cut short. Well, the short haircut won! He had it cut at youth club this past Saturday night, and the kids loved it! I’ve never seen them all sit still for so long. But, Kevin looks like a new man – he hasn’t had his hair cut short since our wedding almost a year and a half ago! I’m going to try to post pictures.
Anyway, that’s about it from Belfast now. We’re pretty much just getting into the routine again after Christmas. We’re having a lock in and a church breakfast in a couple of weeks, so that’s something that we could use some prayer for!
6 January 2009
Well, Kevin and I returned to Belfast from our holiday in France yesterday. I was surprisingly happy to come back. Of course I was sad that our vacation was over – it’s always nice to shirk responsibility for awhile and see a new place. But, when I first heard the broad Belfast accent in the ticket line at the airport in Paris, I felt a little yearning to go home. Even in a few short months, Belfast has found a special place in my heart.
Really, it’s not hard to see why: While we were standing in line to get our tickets home, we met a couple from Belfast and started chatting with them. We saw them again when we went through security. Our flight ended up being delayed for 5 hours, and while we were waiting at the gate, we ran into the man in the couple again. We complained about the inconvenience of the delay, and I innocently mentioned that Kevin and I had just spent our last Euro. The man asked if we wanted to get a cup of tea, which we refused and assured him we would be fine. A few minutes later the man was back – this time with a sandwich and two coffees. He handed them to us saying “You never know when you’ll get to eat again.” I was so touched by his kindness. I wanted to do something for him – but I knew I couldn’t. I had no money to repay him and nothing else to give to him except sincere thanks. I struggled with this for a minute, and then thought, “why am I having so much trouble accepting this kindness? I would have done the same thing and wouldn’t have expected anything in return. Why is it so hard for me then, to accept it from someone else?”
I couldn’t think of an answer, but I did begin to think of all the kindness Kevin and I had received over the past few weeks starting with quite a number of Christmas presents from people in the congregation at Fortwilliam. I mean, Christmas is a busy time of year; I was incredibly moved by how many people decided to add another couple to their present-buying list so two American volunteers knew someone was thinking about them at Christmas. Then the staff at the 174 Trust who takes such an interest in us and has just accepted us into their family so willingly. Then Leslie, the minister at our church, who invited us over at the last minute to join her and her family for Christmas dinner because we had no where else to go. And, finally, Uncle Bobby – a great man who attends a church another volunteer works at who picked us up at the airport (even after coming back and forth to the airport 3 times because of the delays) and then took us grocery shopping at 10:00pm so we would have something to eat in our house. How can I repay any of these people for what they’ve done for us? I don’t know that I can, but their thoughtfulness has really struck a cord with me. I sat in Charles de Gaulle airport thinking about these things nearly in tears, trying to concentrate to my suduku puzzle so I wouldn’t make a fool of myself. So, thank you all my friends in Belfast for making this place ‘home’, even if it is only temporary.
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