Did I tell anyone that we were going to Ireland? Because we did, and now we're in Ireland! Mark, the director of Ywam Wales was invited to speak at the discipleship training school being run in Northern Ireland, and we came along to hear him speak and to join with the DTS for a week.
It's beautiful here! The Ywam actually won the building (it's worth 5 million pounds) by writing an essay talking about how they would use it if they had the facilities to use. The building is located close to the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland and was previously used as a justice and reconciliation center. The center overlooks Carlingford Lough, and is backed by the Mourne Mountains. It's a very evocative area, and according to Wikipedia, C.S. Lewis said that "I have seen landscapes, notably in the Mourne Mountains and southwards which under a particular light made me feel that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge". In a letter to his brother, Lewis would later confide "that part of Rostrevor which overlooks Carlingford Lough is my idea of Narnia".
Apart from being surrounded by beautiful scenery, it's been quite an adjustment being here. In Wales, we're a small group of 10 working together, while here there are 18 trainees on the DTS. I believe there's about 60 people working here in total. It's so difficult to remember people's names and once you've gotten to know one person, there's 59 more stories still to hear!
But it's well worth it. Both the people and the surrounding countryside. (Including the rain and storms. I hadn't realized that I kinda missed storms and rain until I came here!)
